Zoom R20 - something a little different!

[Rudy4]

Here's a "first look" at the relatively new Zoom R20 16 track multi-tracker with a super-nice full color LCD TOUCH SCREEN graphical user interface.



I like this machine a bunch.

Zoom has a long history of innovative recorders that are geared toward specific user requirements, and the R20 is no exception to that rule. It has a few features that might have been included to increase appeal to a wider market, but if you look past the rather basic Midi, drum tracks, and virtual synthesizer then you come to what the appeal REALLY is.

What does the R20 have that appeals to me?

The first thing is that it's dead easy to lay down tracks at home. The color graphical user interface is a THICK layer of icing on the cake. Zoom has put a lot of effort into doing away with the tiny little menu windows that make their recorders a bit maddening to use. There are lots of videos that demonstrate the usefulness of this, so I won't detail a lot of it here.

The colored faders are keyed to associated track colors in the display. For a single user it's nice to record tracks and simply drag and drop them to different track numbers so you can instantly overdub without the need to unplug and move your inputs to another channel. (For those of you who come from R16 or R24 use, this replaces the old "swap tracks" feature. It's very slick, too!)

I also use a multi-tracker to record 3 and 4 piece acoustic bands occasionally, and the R20 will be great for that. Channels 5 through 8 have phantom power, but I have additional phantom power boxes to take care of those rare occasions when I need a couple more phantom powered inputs.

There might be other features that would appeal to others, but fast and easy is good for me.

Post recording you can, of course do a quick mix and throw some reverb on your tracks, but that's not how I'll use my R20. Tracks will go to my PC-based DAW for editing and mix down.

Zoom has taken some liberties with trying to anticipate what users will find most useful, and the R20 has a lot of complaints from users who want a variety of features that aren't included. Many say they want 8 combo XLR / 1/4" jacks. That wouldn't be anything I'd want. Combo jacks are a giant PITA and I much prefer regular ol' XLRs! The list goes on, but I think that Zoom must have read my mind when developing the R20.

The audio is hard-baked at 44.1 Khz / 24 bit, a deal breaker for a lot of potential customers, but ideal for me. This is what I realistically end up working with, so no problem in my book.

The touch screen is very nice and works smoothly. I purchased a touch pad stylus with a clear pad "point" because a few reviews thought it was easier to use. A fingertip seems to work fine for me, so I'll probably end up not using it.

Zoom claims that the pre-amps are the best they have ever developed for a multi-track recorder, and they are very quiet and seem to be pretty transparent.

The video below was done as a quick demo, no EQ, effects, or anything else. Channels 5 / 6 were set as a stereo pair (as simple as holding channel 5 and then selecting channel 6), setting the gains, and hitting record.

All you get is the transferred pair of tracks combined with Moto G6 phone video in Reaper.

Disregard the recording space, but I'm trying out the technique of using diffusion rather than any attempt at using other forms of sound control. After listening to Doug Fearn's podcast dealing with "The Room You Record In" I think I really like simply having all the stuff around me. It seems to work well for me!



With second guitar and bass added:



Well, that was easy...

[b1j]

Very nice. Lots of flexibility and options for mic configurations. Have fun.

[R22]

The centerpiece of my recording setup is an Akai DPS24. I have some quality outboard and use a computer only for amp and drum software.

I realize that someday the Akai will go down. They are no longer supported, and some critical parts are almost impossible to get.

Have been looking at DAW software. If I ever go that route, I would want a control surface. This little guy looks promising.

A cool feature on the Akai is the ability to bypass the onboard preamps. I have a pair of John Hardy Pre's so the ability to bypass is nice. I don't think that will be doable with the Zoom. Still an impressive little unit.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by R22

The centerpiece of my recording setup is an Akai DPS24. I have some quality outboard and use a computer only for amp and drum software.

I realize that someday the Akai will go down. They are no longer supported, and some critical parts are almost impossible to get.

Have been looking at DAW software. If I ever go that route, I would want a control surface. This little guy looks promising.

A cool feature on the Akai is the ability to bypass the onboard preamps. I have a pair of John Hardy Pre's so the ability to bypass is nice. I don't think that will be doable with the Zoom. Still an impressive little unit.

Hi Roger,
I've been through several multi-trackers, some less successful than others. My Roland 1824CD seems like it might have similarities to your Akai.

My first Zoom, a R24, was a great little machine. It was a bit of a revelation to be able to use it remotely with batteries, and the SD card storage meant no more whirring hard drive!

What I didn't like was the tiny screen and menus to wade through. I've been going toward something that's primarily simple to operate and sounds good. The R20 is fulfilling that promise.

Thanks for your thoughts and experience with what you have been working with.

[rule18]

This seems very well optioned for $400.

[MrEd]

I appreciate your review and taking the time to post it. I wasn't aware of the R20 until I read this. I decided to order one for myself - should be here in a few days.

Thank you for the info.

Mike

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by R22

The centerpiece of my recording setup is an Akai DPS24. I have some quality outboard and use a computer only for amp and drum software.

I realize that someday the Akai will go down. They are no longer supported, and some critical parts are almost impossible to get.

Have been looking at DAW software. If I ever go that route, I would want a control surface. This little guy looks promising.

A cool feature on the Akai is the ability to bypass the onboard preamps. I have a pair of John Hardy Pre's so the ability to bypass is nice. I don't think that will be doable with the Zoom. Still an impressive little unit.

That particular model from Akai was long considered to be among the best of the best of that form factor recording workstation. It would be well worth keeping in running condition as long as possible.

Tony

[Rudy4]

Zoom, as well as other manufacturers, make a wide variety of recorders. Zoom has been doing hand-held stand alone and multi-track recorders for several years and each of them caters to users who have specific needs.

Anyone who is looking for a multi-tracker should thoroughly research the product they are considering to see if it fits their particular workflow needs.

As an example, the Zoom R24 which I used previously, has a ton more features available at a slightly higher price, but the R20 is superior for quick and easy tracking with its larger color touch screen.

With so few physical controls it creates the unique opportunity for Zoom to add features and streamline operation with a simple firmware update. My machine came with version 1 firmware and it was quick and easy to update it to version 2 firmware. Zoom has traditionally not done a lot to change the user experience via firmware, but the R20 is uniquely positioned to allow them to do that.

I look for the larger touchscreen interface to become the next big thing for multi-track machines. It's sort of the missing link between stand alone recorders and full blown DAW setups.

I'll be using my R20 primarily for audio capture only, either myself or small acoustic band recordings. I did have to purchase a USB type C to USB type A data cable to link to my PC for transferring wav files to my PC. Once I had the cable it was piece-of-pie easy to move audio to my PC for DAW editing.

There are a few Youtube videos starting to appear that can be used to better understand the R20. Some good, some pretty worthless. I can recommend the series of R20 videos that are being posted by "Gaz Rendar". He does a good job of demonstrating the various attributes of the R20 in a clear and concise way. Be sure to watch all of the R20 videos he has posted on his channel.

Here's one showing a few of the wav editing possiblities of the R20:

[Rudy4]

A very temporary update to let anyone who is interested in this multi-tracker that it's being offered at a sale price of $299 probably until the end of August 2022.

This is a really cool piece of hardware and I LOVE how it operates. Here's a feature video by Gaz Rendar to detail the offer and exactly what this multi-tracker has to offer the casual user. I highly recommend watching his entire series of R20 videos it you have an interest in this recorder.

Is August 2022 the time to buy a Zoom R20?: