Zoom R24 - using it as a standalone recorder/tracker

[Numerov]

Has anyone used the Zoom R24 as a standalone recorder/tracker?
(I am not interested in its use as computer interface for recording/tracking)

If you have used the Zoom R24 as a standalone recorder/tracker - please tell me your good and not so good experiences with this piece of kit.

Were you productive with it?

Did you mix/edit on the R24 after your tracks were recorded on to it
or did you transfer your tracks to a computer system and use a DAW for mixing/editing?

Thanks Numerov

[MoonBassAlpha]

I've just got one but not really used it yet, except for trying out the internal mics for recording drums, sounds pretty good.
I've got the predecessors, MRS 1266 and 1608, and they are similar functionally and will record to CD built in.
The screen on the 24 is small though, not quite as easy to see what is going on.

[Japhet]

Have just bought an R16 with the sole purpose of recording live gigs that can be mixed with Reaper. Should make mixing easier rather than faffing around with a mouse with the added advantage that you can re-do any dreadful clangers after the event.

[Highfox]

I just got the R16 and love it!
Using it at practice as a recorder and mixer (out into another mixer) getting fairly good results.
Plan to do some demo's on it as well. Easy to use and set up, me like.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I've now had a weekend doing stuff on the R24, and have a few thoughts that may be helpful to someone considering one, or moving on from Zoom's MRS series of recorders.

1. The drum machine kits aren't editable (the MRS are) for pan pitch and instrument for each sound. Slight inconvenience.

2. The recording methodology is different. There is no formula assisted song (F.A.S.T) sequencing. Rather than v-takes for each track, recording creates a .wav file. You can subsequently assign this to any other empty track.

3. No dedicated drum track pair, so to create a rhythm song, you need to assign each different drum pattern to a different track and then play them all together using the track sequencer. This is also used to play sample loops too, again each of which need to be assigned to a track. Quite powerful, but a bit of a pain to get going, and far less easy to play the pads along to a song or pattern.

4. The screen is tiny, and many of the patch names need to scroll in the space available, which take more time when you're looking for something

5. Many of the track editing functions available on the MRS have been removed(including my favourite> reverse a section!)

6. The size of the unit is nice, you can sit it on your lap whilst you're doing things on it, and battery operation could let you work outside on a sunny day!

Many of the above lead me to think that, although you can do a lot standalone, it really is oriented towards complimenting a DAW. If you aren't interested in looping and samples, just recording a band, the older MRS series may be a better bet, although the USB card (not included in the MRS is well expensive for what it is, it is handy for getting the files off. But even then, you need to run a util to convert v-takes to .wav.
I think for the time being, I will keep the MRS1608 alongside the R24, but will unload the smaller 1266 soon.

As I said earlier, it is very early days for me, and I'll add thoughts in here, someone sometime might find it useful!
Cheers
MBA

Bear in mind this is initial findings after a few hours of us compared with owning the MRS1266 and 1608 for several years.

[Raslee]

I should really get to know my R24. I only use mine as a recorder/control surface into Logic - works reasonably well. But the sampling features intrigues me...just wish this unit had a MIDI connection.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Again, the MRS series could do loops, and also had midi, neither of which I ever had the need to use, so never explored those functions.
I'm glad to hear it works ok with your DAW, as I may think of going that way sometime.

[Skinnyman]

I've had one for a while and love it. Before I started using a DAW, this was my only way of recording and - once I'd got the hang of the sequencer - found i could get a decent workflow going with it.

I've since moved to Sonar (and since then to Logic) but I still use the Zoom to record live (well, rehearsals mainly). I pre-mix the drum mikes into a stereo pair and then feed that plus mics and the DI from guitars and bass direct into the Zoom.

We've done some pretty good recordings that way which I've then mixed in Logic (we also use it to create dedicated backing tracks for each band member to practise with at home - one for me without the bass, one for the drummer with just the click, etc)

So, to the original question - I use it as a mobile recorder but do all my mixing and eq in the DAW.