good recorder

[Vozahn]

Please, advise me a good recorder for optimal balance of price, quality and portability. The point is that I often move from one city to other and it is not always possible to carry the mac with pro tools and the interface. But I want to make music while traveling) I would like a not expensive small multitrack. I found the Roland br-80. It is written that it is lightweight, but I doubt if it is of a good quality.

[Brucebubs]

I bought a Tascam DP-008EX from this USA seller last year - shipped to me in Australia.
Best price I have found.
Great 8 track digital recorder with in built mics.
Can run on batteries too.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tascam-DP...0AAOSwjVVViFqZ

[Wolfram]

It would help if you could give us a better idea of your requirements - in particular:

How many tracks do you need?

Is it important to have a quality built-in mic?

Is it for capturing ideas, or for building up full tracks and mixes?

Do you have an Android or Apple tablet that you would travel with?

That will help us to make recommendations - there's a huge amount of choice!

Cheers,
David

[MikeMcKee]

I've got a Zoom H4N. Really nice and easy.

[tgaume]

Another vote for the Tascam 8 track. I have one and use it quite a bit. Also purchased the AC adaptor, & a inexpensive foot switch. It also provides phantom power, and rechargeable AA batteries in it last 6-8 hours for recording or playback.

tascam.jpg

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Vozahn

Please, advise me a good recorder for optimal balance of price, quality and portability. The point is that I often move from one city to other and it is not always possible to carry the mac with pro tools and the interface. But I want to make music while traveling) I would like a not expensive small multitrack. I found the Roland br-80. It is written that it is lightweight, but I doubt if it is of a good quality.

Hi Vozahn…
If you check the recorders built by Roland, Zoom, Alesis, Tascam - all of them are capable, digital recorders which produce a great end-result.

What you need to consider is features you need.

If you're going to use built in mics, that's different than if you are using external condenser (phantom powered) microphones.

Inexpensive and portable and multi track in a single unit - the Zoom H4N or H6 come to mind. The built in mics on the H4n Zoom are very capable, and it has the ability to do multi-track.

If you need a more conventional deck (mixer) then Tascam, Zoom or Roland also build models which look/act like an old-school recorder.

Inexpensive means $200-$500 USD depending on features and durability (which is another factor if you move around a lot).

[JStotes]

Since you mentioned that you have a Mac, do you also have an Ipad?

If so you could use that with Auria. It's an incredibly powerful recording tool and doesn't have to mean a bunch of gear. Just an interface like an Apogee or Focusrite for a standard mic or you can even use one of the many IOS mics available. The other good thing is that if you already have an Ipad the parts and pieces are quite inexpensive.

[Parlorman]

I love my Roland R26. It's portable, has great built-on mics and accepts external mics as well.

[Vozahn]

Thanks, guys, for your suggestions and quick answers. Tascam will be good for me

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Vozahn

Thanks, guys, for your suggestions and quick answers. Tascam will be good for me

The single reservation I might offer is if you like to export tracks and do your editing / mixing on a PC. The Tascam has a bit depth limit of 16 bits where other recorders such as the Zoom R8 record at 24 bits. This can make a huge difference in the quality of the finished mix if that's your goal. Recording at 24 bits lets you record at much lower levels to prevent any signal clipping while still giving you the resolution to normalize your tracks to a usable level later.

Occasionally the R8 sells for less than 200, which makes it competitive to the lower tier offerings.

[DHillshafer]

I find that Focustrite makes terrific devices for the price. Check out their line of IOS interfaces that record to your iPhone or iPad.

[Misifus]

For less money and lighter weight than the Zoom H4n, the Zoom H1 has worked great for me.

[merlin666]

Get a Mollenhauer:

http://www.mollenhauer.com/en#content

[Nailpicker]

Originally Posted by Vozahn

... I would like a not expensive small multitrack. I found the Roland br-80. It is written that it is lightweight, but I doubt if it is of a good quality.

I have a BR-80. For what it is, small, lightweight, inexpensive, it has been very durable and reliable ie. good quality. Plus I am always impressed by the multitude of features it packs in such a small package.

[cotten]

Originally Posted by merlin666

Get a Mollenhauer:

http://www.mollenhauer.com/en#content

My choice is Moeck Rottenburgs, but the Mollenhaurs are nice.

cotten