Zoom R16 help.

[mikel]

I am new to home recording and have a question. I will presently be recovering from foot surgery for 6 weeks at home and I thought I would use the time to record songs I have come up with. I want to use a stand alone portable recorder and I was thinking the Zoom R16 looks to have most of the basic functions and spec I require. Will I be able to record, mix and playback on the Zoom without having to link to any computer software?  Thanks.

[Reggaebass]

I’ve been trying to do this for ages. To make a basic video for YouTube    I found it’s not the video it’s the sound I have problems with, everything seems to require you to have apple software of some sort , I’ve tried AmpliTube and GarageBand but it’s hassle copying and pasteing your songs into the app , I know lots of guys on here do it all the time, I look forward to seeing your replies Mikel 

[mikel]

I am hoping the Zoom works like the old portastudio and is pretty much self contained. 

[barkin]

Well you can certainly record and playback using the R16 standalone. Whether or not it's usable for mixing will depend on quite how much, and what, you want to do, mainly because the small LCD screen is fiddly, at best. IMO, YMMV etc.

 

Download the user manual - see what you reckon ?

 

P.S. it's a fantastic bit of kit - wouldn't be without mine.

[mikel]

Cheers, I will do that.

[Elfrasho]

I've got one. I don't use it as a standalone, and because we're all spoiled with how easy it is to punch in and out on a daw, I doubt I would. But, on the other hand, I bet it would make me think alot more about whay I'm recording! 

General navigation is pretty simple though! And the best bit is, once you have your tracks you can simply transfer them onto a pc to expand them! 

[Japhet]

My band use one. We use the Zoom to get a basic mix (either live or at rehearsal) and then use Reaper to master it, balance levels, add effects or whatever. We've had some very respectable results. As said before, the small screen on the Zoom and general navigation is too fiddly, but in Reaper it's a doddle.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I use the R24 (same thing) standalone. You can do it all in the unit, you just need to get used to doing it. They have changed the way the drum programming works, and it's less easy to use than the older MRS series Zooms. Same applies to track editing on board. They removed a lot of functions. One upside is it now records in wav form so you don't need to use a propriety converter for anything else to read the files to convert to mp3 for easy sharing.

The concept of the Rxx series really is to be integrated with a DAW, but there is enough functionality to mix on the unit. All my composition challenge entries have been done inside the unit, and band demos too.

It can be battery powered too, so that fulfils the portable criterion.

[mikel]

Cheers, its what I hoped to hear. I am more concerned with recording the instruments and vocals with minimal processing.