For discussion about setting up your studio and advice on the gear and equipment within it.
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By peeping tom Wed Nov 19, 2014 5:45 am
Hey Fam,

Been searching for a multitrack recorder to track beats and record vocals (i dont want to use a PC anymore) and wanted to know if anyone has some good recommendations.

I need

1. ADAT in and out
2. Midi in and out
3. At least two inputs
4. FX in the unit, at least a reverb , compressor, EQ and possibly others
5. Easily transfer wavs to a PC for sending to get mastered.
6. at least 16 virtual tracks, 2 physical sliders at least would be great.

Ive been looking at;
fostex VF160-EX
Roland 2400
yamaha AW4400
Akai DPS16

Anyone use something solid, easy to use and ticks all the above boxes that i could get used for a reasonable price?
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By Star One Tue Dec 16, 2014 3:07 am
Have you had a look at the Yamaha 02r? Most I've seen on ebay have the adat cards. Can get one with the meter bridge for 500-650.

For easy PC transfer you can use SCSI, I'm not sure if they have a USB function.

02r is my favorite :nod:
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By peeping tom Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:28 am
HEY!

Thanks for the reply Starone. In the weeks since i posted i kind of changed my mind for the moment. Im sold on a certain board, but willing to wait until its feasible to get it now, i have managed to curb my gear lust :nod:

Figured out how to use the input FX function in Reaper (getting Focusrites Mixcontrol to work should i say) and now can directly monitor my beats using Reaper as a "mixer" and i can load effects and track dry, also as im mixing a beat on the fly, i can save and recall settings, and get back to editing when i turn the beat on, which for anyone who smokes a lot, knows this is handy. how many times you mixed something with crimson eyes and in the morning it sounds like turd?
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By Ill-Green Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:24 am
Oof!! To the gut! I was gonna mention Tascam because its been my bread and butter for years and every new model operates like the older models only faster, more options etc.. and thats the way every machine should be made, an improvement over the former, not this musical chair charade of replacing and removing features we got today.

Anyhoos, I recommend the Akai or Fostex simply because they're user friendly. Roland VS will kick your ass if you are in a creative mood and beginning on one but once you learn it, its a champion above the rest. Never tried Yamaha.
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By Doc00Cosel Fri Jan 02, 2015 3:50 pm
Not sure about adat capabilities however I ran my Yamaha aw 16g into the ground it was so good. Very organized v tracks. Great recording. User friendly. Lasted 12 years. Can't say enough good things about it. I think it's discontinued. I saw some on ebay for about 250 - 400 $. Overall I didn't want to move backwards so I went with the tascam 32 dps. It's very similar except for how you route channels. Can't beat it for $500. Double the tracks and much easier to use. I didn't think that was possible. Only problem no midi. I would go with yamaha if you need it for all recording purposes. I went tascam because everything I record eventually goes to computer. Hope this helps.