Zoom HD16

The Zoom HD-16 has tons of great features making this an extremely powerful tool for any musician looking to record. It has Drum and Bass machine built in, digital mixer, CD-R/RW drive, built in effects. You can lay down 16 audio tracks, 8 simultaneously. As per the user’s guide, you can also do stretch/compression, pitch compensation and harmonization, although I have never messed with those features. Tons of input sources can be used from guitars, bass, high impedance instruments, dynamic and condenser mics as well as synthesizers.


UTILIZATION

My brain usually shorts out learning to use something like this but I was up and running laying down tracks in about 15 minutes, which is pretty good for all the features this has. The manual lays out a nice section on how to get started and makes laying down some simple tracks quite easy. This is great because unless they make it easy, something like this would have been back to the store in about a half hour. Was not the case with this unit. Guitar and microphone plugged in and the controls were easy to understand.

SOUNDS

I was immediately impressed with the drum and bass machine and how easy it was to manipulate if for no other reason than to give me a click track to play over. You can use the tab tempo feature to get the speed easily to where you want it. Sound quality was excellent. I miked a Marshall 4X12 and it recorded perfectly capturing the raw dynamics of that set up, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I love being able to work with audio files imported from the CD player to use as back up tracks. This is perfect for my purposes and probably way more sophisticated than I will ever need.

OVERALL OPINION

I love the simplicity of getting started and the knowledge that there are way more features to learn as I go along. I did get this used so I can honestly say it was worth the trade I made giving my buddy an Ibanez guitar for it. Definitely satisfied with the quality of what I have been able to do thus far. I had been using a DP-004 pocket studio prior to this, but this opens up a whole new world of possibilities and options. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone looking to make high quality recordings for a fair price. Perfect for those on a mid-range budget that can't afford a Mac and all of the other things needed to use the PC. This does the job and then some.

35+ years playing guitar, performing and songwriting. Played in a garage band for a couple of years. Solo since then.

Purchased this from Sweetwater to upgrade from a Fostex VF80. I paid $700.00.

So far, there is nothing to like about this unit. The one shipped to me does not work.

When you plug the thing in, turn it on and nothing happens, there is nothing to like about the unit. For this POS I sold off my Fostex? I should have kept the Fostex and saved my money to buy a new guitar.

If this is typical of Zoom quality, I will never buy anything carrying the Zoom brand name, or the Hartke or Samson brands since they are all made by the same company.

I will never buy another Zoom product. As soon as Sweetwater sends me the Return Authorization--this is being sent back for a refund.

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

- What is the connection (analog, digital, MIDI)? See manufacturer website
Hard disk storage, 80Giga apparently, 40gig on the box of mine .... suspicious that!
Reading up to 12 mm track time because if it's a 16 tracks, there are 4 stereo.

10, nothing wrong with it

UTILIZATION

Using relatively simple once we have apris the manual.
** 3 pages anyway, I've read while javais not multi track, so I had trouble, but if you have before you need it to be easy.

Function easily accessible, serious pad to the drum machine (think)

Manuel clear, no dark spot ...

SOUNDS

The effects are simply niquel, notement distortions. Even more personal I use my zoom g9 2tt to record the solos, so there is good in the h16

Nothing to say the dynamics of it.

Very good sound, drum parrametrable to death, you can put on toms such as pad, with panoramic such as lvl, you do what your little battery with the list of samples, and after it started. The effects are low, the effects of micro ... I will not judge I have no experience on the microphones, but the effects that degrade the sound is super cool.

10 because really pleased with everything, and a super efficient equalization. Just one step you can feel the difference! Monstrueu!

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for Christmas 2009, but I buy ocaz.
He lair very very strong, the box is well suited.
Value for money, nothing to complain I'm satisfied.

I bought a € 450 of OCAS, it was like new, so the choice I would do without hesitation.
Zoom has a bad reputation but I do not really see why.