All user reviews for the Boss BR-8 Digital Recording Studio

Cool.

UTILIZATION

Manuel cramming and repotasser with some books on recording.

The usual functions, once you get used to, are very fast.

SOUNDS

Frankly, the quality, if you know how to use and if the surrounding material good (especially at the microphones need preamplify) is more than interesting. Especially in light of the "live" aspect of the machine is plugged, is recorded.

The guitar effects are ... dégeulasses. Unless we manage to adjust properly, and there can be two or three things quite drinkable.

Effects "line" and microphones are against quite valid. In a context where, for 10x the price of this unit and by spending more time 4x, 5/6x can be better.

OVERALL OPINION

Several years.

I really appreciate the "direct" approach to the instrument. Which may well prove useful in home studio, provided, indeed, to fully understand how it operates, we know how and why to do so and so the sound to get the desired result (in short, have flared books on the sound, but it's exactly the same with a DAW ...), and once you get used to, is very fast to use.

What I hate cons is that the punch-in/punch-out is not super accurate (but I'll never use it, I'm pretty bad, and I have no footswitch). And the buttons of mine begin to seriously weaken. And the p # | n @ m @ ZIP disks \ EU!. They are not as boring as that, but given the boat as it was to find a USB ZIP drive! Well, here I hit his fist on more defects due to his age and a possible lack of skill on my part than anything else, but in reality, I really like this unit.

And the final word is that this little bike has its place in my heart (although everyone in foute) and in my studio. She taught me a lot and motivates me a lot to take "the same thing but really better" with lots of tracks, which are not built-in preamps dung, a screen slightly larger / readable, USB connectivity, a integrated hard disk ... Finally the total, whatever.

Purchase this unit from Musicians Supply on line. For a quick and basic song writing tool.

The unit is easy to quickly setup and record. The guitar interface is simple and the recording controls are familiar like a casette recorder.

Does not have enough acoustic guitar algorithms. The included drum machine needs some more realistic sounding drums. Needs a different recording media - like CDRW. 100 mb Zip disks are too expensive and do not hold enough memory.

Unit is made well to stand up to normal use.

Good overall performance for a basic starter unit.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased from my favorite music store,CornerStone Music in WV.

I like the BR8, but being new to computers, I would like to know how to hook it up directly to my laptop computer. Any suggestions? I have a USB port. Is there an adaptor?

email: guitarjr@aol.com

The quality of the drums could be a little better. But overall, this is a very good recorder.

I lost my programming on it one time, BUT the company immediately fixed it. It works great now.

Overall it is a very good machine. It is user friendly. The quality of the sound is really good with high quality powered speakers.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this equipment as payment to my demo producer instead of paying him dollars.

It made sense because then we could continue to use it for subsequent vocal demos instead of going to the studio.

The coolest thing about the BR8 is that you can sit at home in your PJ's at 3am when the song hits you and record multiple tracks of the song in a matter of moments. It is also a plus to upload the song to my computer as a .WAV file.

The zip disc is definately an upgrade from a cassette but it is too easy to run out of space with only 100MB available.

The unit is made well. I did start having problems with the AC port. Now you have to fidget with it to keep the power on.
That does not go over well when you lose power and your unsaved work without a moments notice.

Now I have about 40 zip discs and no longer have access to the producer's BR8. I was so impressed that I want to stick with the Roland family of multi-track recorders.
I bought the first one years ago for $650.00. I am hoping to find a used one that is still in good shape. Oh yes, I even got a merit certificate from www.unisong.com using a song recorded on the Roland BR8. Not bad huh?

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i was looking for a multi track recorder and did some home work before i boought.

This Br8 does everything i want it to do. the multi effect patches are great, the modeling is good, it has effects for my Electric, acoustic, bass, keyboard and mic.
the v track is great to use. the drum mach is a little to be desired but still good to keep yo uon track. the punch in & out saves time when you mess up. If it used 250 zip disks would be better, i can get about 2 song tracks on one 100meg disk, so you gotta have a bunch of disk but you can get them cheap on Ebay fro little nothing. I some times go play with other guys and use my br8, if i go to just drummers house i just stick a disk in cut out the track i wish to play and have the rest of the song to jam with. this suite me fine. great value and great piece if equipement.

Wish it used 250 meg zip disks instead of 100 meg disk. could have a better rythum section. except for that love it.

built good, sturdy, easy to learn to use.
simple yet will do it all. everything in good view and labled well. easy to manouver through the screens.

Great value, a professional recoder, easy to learn to use. the manual on video helped along with the printed maual.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this beauty from a friend who's taste changed from guitars to drum'n'bass and i paid about £150 for it which is pretty amazing as it was only 6 months old and they're about £700 new.

This unit is specifically designed for guitarists and is basically a compact recording studio in your bedroom. It has drum patterns which you can set and then play along to aswell as an array of built-in effects to cut out any modulation or fuzz from dodgy leads or connections (and i found them actually alot better than the ones on my peddle) so you come out with a perfect guitar line (as long as you play it right). Surprisingly it was very responsive with bass aswell. Alot of compact studios fall short on the intensity of the bass on the final product but this one held it right up and gives it good depth. I also found that with an SM-58 it was very good for recording vocals so after alot of experimentation i recorded my whole band on it, having done the drums professionally in a studio, so we came out with a very near studio quality recording.
It records onto 100MB Zip-disks which are about £10 a pop and are very good quality. You can fit about 2 songs on a disk depending on how full they are.
The lcd display is amazingly helpful because you can actually see when a track is at it's limit and where the optimal level for it is to get that perfect sound.

It's a bitch to figure out! There's so many things you can do with it that i found myself getting lost in the midst of possibilities. There is a video that goes with it but i didn't get it as it's sold seperately. and costs! In some cases it was hard to get the tone right on the bass...it often peaked on the resonant frequencies and therefore buzzed instead of being warm and atmospheric.

Damn fine. I've dropped mine 100 time maybe over about 3 years and there's barely a mark on it! All the buttons are well stuck in there and the case is strong plastic and metal.

Great value for money, very durable and high quality. The only critism really being that it's bloody hard to start on it.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i got my BR 8 at Guitar Center in Houston...my first one was stolen..bought another...I think I paid around $700.
I've found the BR8 to be very simple tp operate and get ideas down real quickly before they disappear(as i am a songwriter)
and the quality is very good...I think the quality is really up to the user's abiltityl..the BR8 has the goods.

Ease of use/multitracking/preset drum patterns/guitar patch editing
1) for a long time I used what the presets were but I've found thwt when you select one you can edit and save it(very useful)the same goes for vocals./..I recent;y dicovered a great guitar sound using the enhanced vocal preset
2)as far as drums go that's always been a problem for me..the drum unit is well bad,but if you use a drum machine thru the Midi select(midi on #9)it picks up the drum machine sound ...that's been a relief...and you can tempo map the whole thing using different drum patterns

the zip disks are about $8 and you need (1) per song usually 100mb although I hear if you use the live module the recording quality is still good

good

quick/songwriter friendly/could put out an independent project(need cd burner)it's got the goods ..do you?

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid approximately $499

Bought it from Pro Music & Sound in Newport News, Va.

Needed a recording to make demos of my songs. I am a songwriter that has had a #1 song on a major chart.

It is extremely easy to use and effective. I track on my Korg Triton Studio then dump the track into the BR-8. I then add vocals. Simple!

I have been using the unit for 2 years and I have not had a problem with the unit nor learning to use it.

Very Dependable!

If you need a multi-track recorder that is easy to use and dependable, something SIMPLE, this is your machine.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bout the br-8 at guitar city for a good price, $450.00, and i got two free guitar stands I chose the br-8 because it was the best buy, i learned this from about 6 months of Looking around

I really like the br-8, it is a vary good buy for a 1 or 2 person house hold and works great for band
Practice. you can also connect the unit to a computer to make editing even easer.



Their are a few but not meny things wrong with the br-8. First of all it is hard to learn how to use but comes with books and a video
, Next it does not have a on board speaker but that could also be a good thing because you can add external speakers and that help a lot in a studio environment



The br-8 is built like a rock . I've had my br-8 2 years now and its better then ever with supported software coming out all the time

to conclud the br-8 is worth it with out a dout. You can get one at most large music stores

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i acquired this piece from a friend of the family due to my constant frstrations with other products. I am in a 3 piece band and we recorded our demo ep and lp on the br8 with magnificent results. sure the built in effects suck. other then compression and chorous they all blow. but if you've got a good ear and time u can make a basic 4 track recording sound like a magnificent piece. we use the virtual tracks to add more depth to the sound. the only problem is with drums we cant mick up more then 2-3 mics which kinda sucks. but over all this unit rocks!!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I ordered it through a music store in Florida.

Though their production has been discontinued, the BR-8 has been a worthy item for me. I have had it for two years and it has enabled me to make cd's with up to 8 tracks per song. For a bedroom operation, it has done a great deal for my music, in the sense that I can hear what I sound like both on vocals as well as on the guitar, and I can critique my sound and work to improve my craft. It has never failed to work. I even take it to live gigs to use the guitar effects. I have a Danelectro tuner with two outputs; one can be muted with the switch. I play "straight" through one line (both go into a Peavey PA head) and play the other through the Boss BR-8. It sounds like two guitars. I really enjoy that. (I plan to get a V-amp soon though because I don't like hauling a $699 unit around just for effects.)

I'm pleased with my BR-8. I've learned a great deal by using it. My friends enjoy the cd's...no quality problem, and I can make impressive demo cd's.

Though this unit suits my needs, one drawback with it is the zip disks which are used for recording. They do not hold enough material. The 49 or so minutes are expended pretty quickly when multitracking is employed. This is a complaint of many users. It has never been a problem with me. I record onto the zip disk, transfer it to a cd recorder, and have a permanent copy. The sound quality is surprisingly good.

I wish it were tougher, but I handle my equipment with great care. I found a nice vinyl case (purse section at Wal-mart) with pockets that fits the BR-8 exactly and I keep it in it. (about $17)

Again, the BR-8 suits my needs. It is intuitive; I can concentrate on my music without worrying about buttons and switches. The zip disks are around $7 each, a real drag, but they can be used over and over without losing sound quality.

The BR-8 has allowed me to grow as a musician. I am a solo artist and gig about twice per week at roadhouses and restaurants. It produces impressive demos.
I don't think that I'd recommend this to anyone who is not a working musician (a fragile title if you know what I mean...gigs are like the moon, here one day and gone the next). It has been a wonderful piece of equipment for me. It has never malfunctioned in the two years that I have had it. If you want to play out and want to hear what you sound like, I'd recommend it. If you're a casual guitar player and get into songs like "Home on the Range" or "Go Tell Aunt Roadie", then I wouldn't bother.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased the unit for under $600.00 at a local music store (who met the advertised internet prices) after reading several reviews and doing some research on the net.

I was able to start recording after opening the box, and WITHOUT having to read the instruction manual. Boss has done a really good job of putting everything in a very straightforward manner. This one very easy to use recorder! And once you start tinkering around with the possibilites that are incorporated (compression, reverbs, delays, amp modeling, mic modeling, etc. etc), you realize that for the bucks, you have hit the jackpot! The BR-8 also has eight virtual tracks per track...so different takes can be made and then the best one used with the final mix.

I could be picky and ask for more reverb selections...but I won't. And, other than a small display window for the effects and the limitation of recording time on each disk, I haven't found ANYTHING to complain about. I might caution that when recording and using most of the tracks, it is a good idea to occassionaly clear (Boss calls it optimizing) the unecessary garbarge from the disks to free up more space and thus have more recording time.

The unit comes with a hard plastic casing that seems to hold up pretty well. I've only used it a couple of months, so only time will tell on the quality of construction. But, so far, so good!

For the home recording hobbyist, this is a killer peice. With its array of tools and features, it is hard for me to believe that there might be a better recorder for the bucks in the marketplace.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought the Boss recorder at guitar center for I think $695. I bought it because I thought it would be a good way to do some cheap home recording.


It looks nice and is easy to use.

Boss makes good products, this however is not one of them. The guitar effects sound horrible, the built in pre-amp is weak and easily overdriven, some days it works and others it won't, there is digital mirk around any sound you put into it, mine is in the shop for the second time and for this repair its going to cost me a minimum of $90. I think Boss tried to put to many features for to low of a cost into one unit. As a result quality got the as.

The body seems to be made of a strong enough plastic. The quality is about a 3 on a 1-10 scale.

DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT!!! Save your money for somthing with less gum ball machine features and more meat where it counts, that being the quality of its recordings.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased the Boss BR-8 digital recorder as a kind of present to myself after plugging away throughout the summer taking on multiple jobs in addition to my day time work.After seeing the Boss BR-8 advertised in Guitar Player for several months I decided to take a nice long ride with the House of Guitars as my destination.I purchased the unit for $700.00 with about several thousand dollars in features tucked inside.



Imagine being able to summon forth various Classic amp sounds at the push of a button or twist of a knob? Imagine being able to plug in an acoustic/electric and create tracks kept clean in the digital domain? Imagine building your original by layering tracks in sync within 30 minutes of plugging in the BR-8. The BR-8 is the hottest studio to roll down the tracks for guitarists since the invention of the World Wide Web.You're talking some serious and very user-friendly song-writing tools here!All these jams and ideas now have the BB-8 to become an audible scratchpad thanks to BOSS.



I find very little to gripe about with the BR-8! Obviously,quite a bit of thought and feedback are reflected in the unit's layout and approach.



The BR-8 is very solid and the quality of construction as well as the internal patches and sounds are downright amazing.When I was kneehigh to a guitar pick,the stuff embodied in this digital recorder was merely the stuff of dreams when I was a kid learning to strum.



Bottom Line? If you are into writing songs and would like to get an idea what all the parts in your head sound like in a short period of time with a minor learning curve,invest in the BR-8!


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought it a year ago from Zzounds.com for 699.00 and free shipping. Moved up from a Yamaha MT4X, which was a trouble-free, rich-sounding unit. But I wanted the convenience of digital and I liked the idea of using a simplified machine: no busses, no extra routing. It has a ton of FX; I put away the stomp boxes that cluttered the floor. And, very importantly, a recording on the BR-8 will go directly to CD.



The elusive Instant Gratification. It allows me to make great-sounding recordings immediately. I'm a solo guitarist with bass, drum and keyboard machine and mic. That's it. But I can easily make multi-layered compositions that make people say "wow." I've also used it to record bands. While the BR-8 only allows you to use 2 mics unless you use a submixer, this was a deal designed to quickly produce a CD for grant applications, contests and job auditions. The bands have been happy. Among my FX likes: compressor, EQ, slow attack, tremolo and doublin.' General likes: ease of mixing to stand-alone CD burner, portability, speed with which you can put together a production.



The 100mb zip disk limitation is a factor. Basically you can get a 5-minute opus on one disk. But there are workarounds to extend your mileage in the digital realm. So far the zip disk size limitation has been a minor consideration. Plus, I've minimized the retail price of zip disks ($6 - $10) by using a box of used ones I purchased on ebay (about $4 ea).



At one year it has been entirely trouble-free. Knobs and sliders and controls seem of high quality. I use it several times a week. I bought an SKB hard case (about $100 but I believe worth it for care of digital machinery) for taking it to rehearsal rooms, concerts and on holiday. The rig is reasonably compact.

The trump here is ease of use. There's a ton of potential in one small and relatively inexpensive box. Some people may quickly see the need for more inputs, more hard disk storage, that sort of thing. But the BR-8 fits a particular niche. I write a chronicle of my ups and downs with the unit called the BR-8 Page. Please read it at http://br8page.editthispage.com



This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased the Boss BR-8 digital recorder as a kind of present to myself after plugging away throughout the summer taking on multiple jobs in addition to my day time work.After seeing the Boss BR-8 advertised in Guitar Player for several months I decided to take a nice long ride with the House of Guitars as my destination.I purchased the unit for $700.00 with about several thousand dollars in features tucked inside.



Imagine being able to summon forth various Classic amp sounds at the push of a button or twist of a knob? Imagine being able to plug in an acoustic/electric and create tracks kept clean in the digital domain? Imagine building your original by layering tracks in sync within 30 minutes of plugging in the BR-8. The BR-8 is the hottest studio to roll down the tracks for guitarists since the invention of the World Wide Web.You're talking some serious and very user-friendly song-writing tools here!All these jams and ideas now have the BB-8 to become an audible scratchpad thanks to BOSS.



I find very little to gripe about with the BR-8! Obviously,quite a bit of thought and feedback are reflected in the unit's layout and approach.



The BR-8 is very solid and the quality of construction as well as the internal patches and sounds are downright amazing.When I was kneehigh to a guitar pick,the stuff embodied in this digital recorder was merely the stuff of dreams when I was a kid learning to strum.



Bottom Line? If you are into writing songs and would like to get an idea what all the parts in your head sound like in a short period of time with a minor learning curve,invest in the BR-8!


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Complement the advice of PM:

there is a connector noon on the BR-8, only MIDI OUT ... shame!
Okay for ease of use, when the sound, it's demo, in fact, but due to compression ... but it's very correct! for the price!

Of course, nothing to do with a Roland VS. I now have a VS 1680 Roland, there's a world of difference in sound with no cons in terms of ease of untilisation. In addition, there's no drum on the VS, just a metronome, too bad.

UTILIZATION

Okay for ease of use, very easy

SOUNDS

When the sound, it's demo, in fact, but due to compression ... but it's very correct! for the price!

Of course, nothing to do with a Roland VS. I now have a VS 1680 Roland, there's a world of difference in sound with no cons in terms of ease of untilisation. In addition, there's no drum on the VS, just a metronome, too bad.

OVERALL OPINION

3 years but I am separated for VS 1680

Numriques 8 tracks with 64 virtual tracks (8 per track)
It can only record two tracks simultaneously and read 8 sr both well!

100MB ZIP Disk Recording: with the maximum quality you can register in about 6min shielding the 8pistes (12min so on and so 4pistes 48/50 min on a track)
But even with the maximum quality there is an audio compression to take up less space (such as MP3)

Between a guitar / bass, a microphone input, a line between stro (BAR / SynthCD ...)
Midi Out Only (Please Guime74)
Line output for the speakers.
I do not know sil is an input / output numrique ...

2 multi effects Intgr:
One in between: to color the sound you will record and it will record the sound and the effects it has applied, it is quite comprehensive: virtual guitar amp / bass / Acoustics, presets for synths, BAR c course changed at will with the quality Roland / Boss).
Another in "insert" to color the sound that was recorded and can be changed. The latter effect is much less multi complete the 1st and there is an EQ + 1 only other time (reverb / chorus / delay and 2 or 3 other things).

There are a few presets with mtronome DIFFERENT styles, ideal for rhythm playing and more fun than just mtronome!

In short, a multi-pens for guitarists / bassists home studio, o the fact that you can only record two tracks both, so you have to buy it knowingly!

UTILIZATION

The manual is complete and trs trs clear with lots of tips and tricks, cool when beginners trs recording
It is very simple to use: in some hours I had comments dj store!
You turn it on, you scratch your branches, you choose your track and you press "record" and went cest! FAN-IN-TIN
Hard to do more simple then, it was soon cern while unlike computer music ...

What I prfr (compared to the Roland VS 840 for example) is the prsence of 9 faders, one for each track + one master fader so IDAL to mix.
As against the screen is small which makes the edition (cut / copy / dplacer tracks) tedious, but it is the default for all machines. When comparing a 17 inch screen

-2 For the size of the screen!

SOUNDS

It sounds malpour not a model
Audio compression tends to sound more acute lgrement from my point of view ... or ear plutt
So let's be clear: cest for models only do the price! (And my notes)

OVERALL OPINION

I used about 2 years before selling it when the PC was jai
Trs qualitprix good value, I compared on paper and reading tests in diffrent magazines.
Purchased at Star Music promo 4890frs this award nine standard lpoque cest!
Ideal for models at home when you're a guitarist and / or bass player and we recorded BAR / synths
The battery or group with the possibility of two tracks that nSave both its a fair bit bad because its format allows DTRE easy transport.

Pros: qualitprix Report, 9 faders, ease of use
Ngatifs points: Price of Zip (35th 3), the long edition because of the size of the screen and personally I would have put more effects (amount and simultaneously using ) in the multi purpose "insert" that is lightweight compared to 1r multi purpose. But they can be judged that the first silent enough when it is better to have a dry recording and add effects just did ensuiteils linverse

I would do this election if I dont computer, a first multi-fate models for a guitarist / bassist EST lpoque really not bad. Quaujourdhui I think technology has a lot lon volumes and a better for the same price range.

PM

(Originally written by made in spain/translated from Audiofanzine FR)

The BR-8 is a digital 8-track recorder that saves audio onto ZIP disks.
It allows you to synchronize a drum machine to your song, for example, thanks to the Midi output.
It can record only two tracks simultaneously.
It has no XLR inputs! Sigh...

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use!
The overall design is very simple.
The manual is very good.

SOUNDS

When it comes to sound... It's quite good but surely not the best.
The effects are cool and plenty! (for guitar/bass/vocals/aux).

OVERALL OPINION

As of lately, I rarely use the BR-8.
At the time I bought it, it was a good deal for its price.

Pros:

- 8 tracks (each track with 8 additional virtual tracks)
- Programmable rhythm guide
- Midi output
- Optical output

Cons:

- Audio data compression
- No XLR inputs
(5/11/2008)
My BR-8 is about to end up in the trash can! It can only read 1 out of 5 Zip disks!!! ... when I actually manage to get it working! Be sure to give it a good inspection if you want to buy it secondhand!