Boss BR 600 digital recorder for demos?

[annee]

Hi. I'm moving to Nashville in April and will start shopping my songs. I have great recordings of much of my work. For my new material that is not yet recorded, I'm contemplating using the Boss BR 600 digital recorder. I'm not sure however, if this recorder can give me the quality recording I need to shop to publishers in Nashville. Can anyone offer some advice?Thank you,Anne E. DeChantwww.anneedechant.com

[Mark Kaufman]

Hi Anne!I am no expert, first off. But here is something to consider...most of these standalone multitrack units will record well, but the mixing is all done onboard. That can be a drag, and it limits what you can do with your separated tracks. Most of them will only export the stereo mixdown of all the tracks, so you need to work within that box to make it sound the way you like...and THEN you transfer to a computer or a CD. If you record a lot, it won't be long before you max out that drive...you will need to dump some songs out to make room for more. Those songs you dumped can no longer be remixed. That's the dealbreaker for me.I think you would be better off purchasing recording software and an audio interface...then the sky is the limit. If you already have a computer (well, I guess you're posting here...) you could set yourself up with less expense. I recently bought the Presonus Firebox, new, from Amazon.com for $250 (it's usually $300) and it comes with Cubase LE. $250 got me a quality interface, a perfectly serviceable recording software package (entry level, but still good quality) and the ability to create 64-track songs. Good luck with your decisions...others will know much more about the Boss unit.-Lyle

[billg]

As far as I know most if not all of the stand-alone multitrackers will back up all the tracks as sep wav files. So all you have to do is record in your boss throw the files in a computer for mixing. If you dump your wav files to disc you always have them as a back up. That's what I do & it works fine.

[ibanez468]

Quote:As far as I know most if not all of the stand-alone multitrackers will back up all the tracks as sep wav files. So all you have to do is record in your boss throw the files in a computer for mixing. If you dump your wav files to disc you always have them as a back up. That's what I do & it works fine. Same here!ibanez468

[Mark Kaufman]

Well, there you go---see what an expert I'm not?

[arkjack]

Ive used the predecessor BR864 unit since 2003. I even bought a spare from Casey last year. Everything previously stated is accurate. The tracks will export as wave stem files for mixing in another app, or you can mix in the BR. The Boss tools and effects are decent. I could point you to some early tracks I did. I think the limitations on how well the mix comes out is also a function of the operator/musician. I've made some pretty cruddy stuff. The one thing you want to check out before committing to a BR600 is its midi interface. I forget what the setup is on it. If it can master and slave, then it will interface with a midi interface on the computer's audio interface like the Firebox. If it can only be master, that introduces some limitations that have workarounds that will keep you on your toes. The nicest part about the BR is its self-contained portability. I take one of the BR units to my shore trailer (Studio B as in beach) and have a set up on the screenporch. (real crickets.... plus dogs and screaming kids.) I would also say that it is a good machine for song pitch demos, but I had a hard time passing the broadcast Q bar with the recordings I made strictly on that unit. Those are the facts and honest truth.ArkJack

[annee]

Thanks to all of you who replied. You've really helped me out and I appreciate it!Anne E.

[devin]

Pardon the new guy replying to your question...but I've had a collaborator (Terry is his name) using the BR-600 for his guitar work. I'll post a link to a song at the end if you want to hear what he's done with it.Here's a few points:#1. First and foremost, it has been really hard for him to find a 1Gb SD memory card that works with his BR-600. He has contacted every box store in his area, dragged a new card home, and it wouldn't format. He contacted Boss as well, and they couldn't help him. They have a list of workable manufacturers, but none of the old style SD cards were available (it looks like it needs the original SD style...the new cards fit in, but do not format). The included 128Mb that came with it fills up really quickly. In the end, I managed to find a 256Mb card in an old digital camera at work, and now the system is at least workable for an entire song. If I were buying new, I think my advice would be to put the dealer on the hook to upgrade your internal memory card and get it working before you bought (it sounds like you already have one though?)I think the sound quality is good...we're more constrained by his recording room and mic selection than his capture device. Up until now, our process has been:- Terry records multiple tracks in his BR-600- The BR-600 records at a maximum of 44.1KHz. This is fine (some say preferred?) for making MP3s, as the sample frequency is the same. Other studios prefer to work in 48 or 96Khz, however.- Terry exports each file as a wave file, and sends it to me (via a neat website called yousendit.com)- I import the audio into Cubase and start mixing.Take a tour of some of the above member's tracks...if those were done on a BR-600, then I'm still sold on it's ability!!Here's the first collaboration I did with Terry once he received his BR-600. He did the acoustic guitar using the built in pickup, plus an SM-57 at the 12th fret...he did the electric guitar tracks by mic'ing his cabinet with the SM-57. Disclaimer: it's a bit crunchy...it's called "Open Road" (If anyone can sing this demo for me, I'd be in your debt LOL!)Good luck in Nashville Anne...knock 'em dead and please keep us updated on how it goes!http://profile.myspace.com/thepondrecordingstudio