Category 
Recorders/Multitracks
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List of user reviews
Recorders/Multitracks
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Characteristics 
- The Yamaha AW4416 is a digital portable multi-track studio that has eight mic pre amps and the capability to record eight tracks at once, and 16 in total. The sampling rate is standard 44,100 and 16 bit audio, and it is recorded onto an internal hard drive. It has an LED screen that is digital and can control a wealth of options for recording.
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Utilization
- The configuration of the Yamaha AW4416 definitely takes getting used to because there are simply so many buttons and options that come along with this recorder. Everything is pretty easily accessible in terms of your basic functions, but it can sometimes be confusing to figure out how to do things when you get under the surface a little more. This being said, I never had too many issues with the Yamaha AW4416 because I never used it for anything too complex. The manual for this is very thorough and is extremely helpful when learning this machine.
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Sounds
- The sound quality of the Yamaha AW4416 is about average in terms of the preamps. They aren't bad sounding and are usable, but aren't top notch by any stretch. Beyond this, the effects in this machine sound very good and it is overall a powerful unit with a lot of different effects and signal processing.
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Overall Opinion
- I've first used the Yamaha AW4416 multi-track recorder about five years ago and for the time I used it, it worked very well for what I wanted to do with it. This day and age I wouldn't recommend trying to edit audio on this machine, but there are a lot of capabilities that come with the fact that this is fairly easy to bring around. If you are looking to get into recording, I would recommend getting a computer based system, as that is definitely the future of digital audio. This being said, the Yamaha AW4416 is convenient to bring around and will definitely do what it does as advertised.
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Overall Opinion
- (Originally written by nono_sax/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
- How long have you been using it?
One week.
- Which feature do you like the most / the least?
The most: size.
The least: crosstalk.
- Did you try any other models before buying it?
No
- How would you rate its value for money?
Excellent.
- Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?
Certainly.
The only disadvantage is the front/back crosstalk.
Most of the signal from the back reaches the front mics and vice versa.
I haven't found the right setting.
What good is four channels?
If anyone has information that might help me, I'd be most grateful...
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Overall Opinion
- (Originally written by marceloMicro/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I used it to record a one man show.
Pros: Easy setup.
Just plug it in, check the setup in an easy accessible menu and record.
i hate the inverted selection wheel it's really annoying. Bad quality monitoring. Very difficult to synchronize even it is normally very easy. Very easy de-rush, no need for a special program.
Good recording sound but average headphones monitoring. Very pleasant vu-meters.
Very expensive but good sound quality, compact and light. I also used a Sonosax SX S6.
I wouldn't rent it again. There are better recorders like the SX-R4 and the Nagra IV, which are very expensive but seem to offer a much higher value.
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Overall Opinion
- (Originally written by FredDup/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I bought an H4 almost one year ago and after reading the reviews about the H2 I bought it too.
I liked the difference in size: I was disappointed by the size of the H4 but very satisfied with the sound quality of the recordings I made with it. Considering the price, I hesitated a bit.
The H2 is much smaller and easier to hide for concert recordings.
I had big expectations regarding the mic input, I bought an old Sony mic to record concerts. The sound of the first recordings using the H2 was exciting. It was not the case with the small Sony mic, which worked much better with my Minidisc player (not enough lows with the H2!).
But I'm very happy with it, the sound with the integrated mic is very good.
I like most of all the surround mode. But I've been testing the H2 for only one week.
I've noticed several nice surprises with respect to the H4: files with hour and date. Easy setting of recording levels (which I miss on th H4). The forward and backward buttons (used for almost all settings...) allow you to set everything, even while you're recording.
I haven't compared recordings made with both devices.
I will keep them both: the H2 doesn't allow multitrack recording but its size, configuration (W mode is great for ensembles; 360° is also good), and easy settings are great for mobile recordings.
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Overall Opinion
- This is one of the most influential 1/4' 8 track tape recorders within 90's electronic music, used most notably by Squarepusher and Aphex Twin.
All in all it is a good piece of kit for the home studio, especially if your doing a stem mix from a DAW. I have been using it for a year now to add the warm feel of tape saturation to my mixes, and on the whole it has worked flawlessly although tape prices have sky rocketed recently but thats not the multi-tracks fault!
I had used a Studer B67 which was on loan to me from a local studio but it didn't have hiss reduction and was an expensive venture to service and find parts for!
Personally it was a rather large step up in price that what i had wanted to pay but i knew that the unit had been well looked after and was serviced regularly which was a great ease setter as when these things go wrong they can cost a lot to repair many times more than what they originally cost. After using it for a period of time i have started to feel that it is an integral part of my work process and my setup and would be greatly missed if anything were to go wrong with it.
I think i would as i have grown to like the sound of saturation on my mixes and i think i would buy a replacement if it broke down and couldn't be repaired!
Good Points.
It really sets your mixes aside from the rest, adding a nice level of hiss to your mixes also it does give the ever so often said term 'warm' sound to your mixes. Plus it does look cool in the back of the studio with phono looms connected to it and the detachable transport.
Bad Points.
how ever much it pains me to say this there are some bad point to this piece of kit, first being the weight as it is a heavy one to carry around and although its said to be portable its unlikely that your going to be able to take it on the train to any sessions. the second and final bad point is the counter intuitive built in computer that allows you to set points in the track for fast forwarding and re-winding.
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Characteristics
- The Tascam Portastudio 2488 is a digital multi-track portable recording unit. It has 24 tracks, with four mic preamps and four 1/4 inch inputs. It has hard disc that you record to and also has a CD burner. While it has 24 tracks, the last couple of tracks are stereo tracks and can't be split.
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Utilization
- The configuration and general set up of the 2488 is pretty easy, but does take a bit of getting used to, just in terms of toggling between the screens and finding your way around the menus. It is easy to use after a little practice and really has a lot of options built in. The manual is thorough and clear and is definitely worth having around while you are using this.
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Sounds
- The sound quality of the converters and preamps are surprisingly pretty good, and so are most of the built in effects. While the preamps definitely sound a bit tinny at time and aren't the fullest, they are usable and will work fine for the project studio. It has a lot of capabilities in terms of different effects and with a few good mics you can get some pretty good sounding recordings with this if you know what you are doing. The only downfall of this unit is that it is nearly impossible to edit the audio and isn't ideal for mixing with.
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Overall Opinion
- The Tascam 2488 was the first recording unit I got about six years ago when I wanted to get into recording. It worked great for two years for me until I upgraded to a computer based recording system. To me, a computer based system is better than something like this because it has wider capabilities in terms of editing and mixing. This being said, this unit is well made and will do the job when recording demos or other home studio ventures. The price has fallen considerably since everyone is using computer based systems, so if you are looking for a portable recording unit like this one, this is a great deal!
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Overall Opinion
- I have been using the Zoom H-4 for a year now.
Its excellent as a handy recorder to capture gigs, jams , song ideas and very basic demos.
I like the convenience of its MP3 recording mode , to simply drag and drop lengthly recordings into the PC already compressed. The WAV mode makes higher quality recordings which are obviously much bigger files and use up the memory card quickly.
The two built in condenser mics do give very good results just by pointing at the sound source.
What I don't like is its lack of user friendliness , the functions seem un-logical and frustrating.I found it difficult and time consuming to use in multi track mode, for one thing the screen being very small and navigation around the features is slow, though I must admit that I'm just a musician and limited in the technical aspect.
The solution is just to use it as a mic and interface for the PC using Cubase which is bundled.
The feel of it overall is quite cheap and there are some obvious design flaws like the screen being upside when you are recording yourself.
The 200 GB pound price tag makes it good value as it boasts more feaures than its rivals,which is why I bought it, but I would prefer less features with better quality and easier to use functions.
The H4 is limited to being a useful amateur tool rather than the pocket multi track studio
it claims to be.
If I needed to replace it I would pay more for another brand.
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Overall Opinion
- I have used this Tascam cassette 4 track for over 4 years now. These machines are pretty out dated but I enjoy the simplicity of recording onto cassette tapes. You can buy cassettes at many stores making it easier than memory cards. and you are recording analog! I also use the machine to make mix tapes so I can listen to them in my car. So many different uses for such a versatile recorder.
I enjoy the mutitracking and simple equalizer controls. I have no complaints with the machine. It fits the easy 4-track recording I want. Perfect to record a simple demo for a new song or to record that real tape sound. George Harrison said 'I like a little bit of tape hiss' and don't we all.
There are micrphone XLR inputs as well as guitar cord 1/4'' cords for easy connection. Also has main stereo outs and headphone jack.The recorder only has two inputs between XLR and ¼” so only two track simultaneous recording can happen. Each input has a gain level to keep the tracks from peaking out. Each input also has 3 equalization controls, low middle and high, and left right panning controls. Recordable cassette tapes can be bought that have normally 45 minutes of recording time on them. Any cassette used can only be used one sided – remember – otherwise you will record backwards over everything you have already recorded! Recording on tape can be tricky but very rewarding.
I bought my model used for 50 US dollars at a trade show. A rare find that was between other outdated tape recorders. 50 US dollars was a very generous price because if you want to buy a new 4-track cassette recorder it would run at least 150-200 US dollars. I love this cassette recorder and wouldn't trade it for an other one.
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Overall Opinion
- (Originally written by Xavuplex/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
I've been using it for a few months.
I like the portable concept, the look, the sound, the virtual tracks and the bounce mode (that allows you to merge a virtually infinite number of tracks, it's fabulous).
Cons: Battery operation time, integrated mic (useless because of its lousy quality).
I didn't try other models, this one seduced me for its price, looks and features. It's exactly what I needed.
Excellent value for money. You'll be able make good-quality demos pretty fast. The effects provided are very good and I get decent vocals with a small Sony stereo mic.
Yes I would buy it again. I take it everywhere with me to make demos or record ideas directly as MP3 files (very convenient).
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Characteristics
- (Originally written by madkevil/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Types of connections (analog, digital, MIDI, etc.):
1/4" jacks for the 8 channel inputs, RCA input, 3 x 1/4" aux, Data in and out, 2 x Midi in/out, RCA rec output!
- What kind of memory (ZIP, MiniDisc, HDD,...)?
512 MB HDD for 12 min. recording. It's not much but you can replace the HDD!
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Utilization
- - Is it easy to make settings?
It's pretty much the same as a 4-track cassette recorder, so it's a basic device. Nevertheless I needed one week to understand the separate recording concept, the user's manual is not clear at all!
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Sounds
- Recording is ok, considering the price! The sound is surprisingly clean and the quality is enough for a home studio!
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Overall Opinion
- - How long have you been using it?
6 months. I'm satisfied with the results: the sound is clean, recording and mixing are easy. I only miss some effects...
- Did you try any other models before buying it?
I sold a Yamaha Mg8/2Fx and a Yamaha MTX-4
- How would you rate its value for money?
Ok
Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?
Yes, I'm satisfied with this 8-track recorder. It's true that it's a bit bulky but it fits my needs perfectly (I produce basic rap instrumentals)! It's easy to use and sturdy!
