Enjoying the Spire Studio

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by reeve21

No, I missed it. It did say only one left at that price. I’ve got a perfectly good zoom so it’s kind a hard for me to pull the trigger…

I get that. I have a Zoom H4n Pro that I used before getting the Spire. Both do a good job, but the H4n Pro is "fiddly" by comparison; too many wheel turns and button pushes, then having to go back and forth, where the Spire is: pick and effect, do a sound check, then record. 8 tracks for the Spire vs 4 on the H4n, and no need to move it to a DAW for a "lite mix."

If you have a different Zoom product, your experience may be better. I am a lot more productive with the Spire. My music partner uses the Spire and LogicPro X. I tried LogicPro X for a while, but a lot of fussing (for me) to get to the end result.

Ease of use is the Spire's forte', with automation to get you to the end result faster.

I don't consider myself a luddite; we owned a photography studio for 30 years and made the transition from film to digital. I have used Adobe Photoshop since its early days and can smoke through images in a flash (no pun intended). Photoshop confounds many new users... that's how I felt about LogicPro X. Spire is the "point & shoot" for recording. But still has plenty of features.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by raysachs

Hey Bob,

As much as I like the Spire, it's primary selling point is ease of use. It's the only thing I've used that competes with my old Fostex 4-track from the '80s for not confounding my feeble mind. But if you already have a Zoom 8-track and you're comfortable using it, the Spire isn't gonna add much. And it gives up some power (particularly in the mixing and for punch in / punch out) for that easy operation - features you're probably already using on your Zoom and would probably miss if you didn't have them.

I strongly recommend the Spire for folks who are cowed by modern DAW interfaces or other modern gear, but if you're OK with what you've got, it's probably a downgrade, so there's no real compelling reason to buy one...

-Ray

Hi Ray,

Thanks for that helpful input which confirms my impressions.

90 per cent of my recordings are single track instrumentals without affects. I use the zoom as an interface, through a camera connector and some kind of booster and then directly to my iPad where I use a very simple DAW (multi track daw by harmonicdog, as garage band is Greek to me).

It is a little but of a production to set it up and remember which buttons to push, set the levels etc. Sometimes I think I'm recording and I'm not.

I hear what you are saying about losing the post recording production capability. But since I do very little of that I'm thinking the ease of use might mean I record more, which seems to be a good practice technique for me.

Thanks again!

[nickv6]

A big vote for Spire from me. SO easy to record a great sound (I use the mic on the spire and a lead from a soundhole magnetic pu into the jack socket of the spire). Then simplicity itself to send the two tracks obtained to the tablet the spire is linked to. Then manipulate as simply or as complexly (is that a word) as required, on the tablet. For instance I put a small amount of delay on each track at different rates to widen the sound. Or, if I've got time, I send each track twice to the tablet so I have four to play with. So each type (mic or mag) gets 2 speeds of delay panned hard left and right which really beefs up the sound. I may not have expressed that well, I hope you know what I mean.
I get much better recordings with the Spire as I don't have to watch the levels etc. I also don't use dropping in....if I make a mistake, I practice it until I can play it right through, properly.
Nick

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Ease of use is the Spire's forte', with automation to get you to the end result faster.

Thanks for your input, Jim. I've got the zoom working fine but I would like to do a lot less fiddling. I am weakening

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by nickv6

A big vote for Spire from me. SO easy to record a great sound...
Nick

Thanks Nick. That's what I'm after!

[benjamin1884]

🤔 Ease of use? Less twiddling? I did this in an hour last pm. My 00028, my wife’s 018 on the guitars, a CF Martin/ Vega banjo, my vocals and here ya go. The onboard mic is awesome, plus having 2 earphone jacks is great. Also copied the lyrics from OnSong and put them right onto the Spire screen to read them while I recorded.
Hope you like,
Rick
https://soundcloud.com/rickrn/hard-times-1

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by benjamin1884

🤔 Ease of use? Less twiddling? I did this in an hour last pm. My 00028, my wife’s 018 on the guitars, a CF Martin/ Vega banjo, my vocals and here ya go. The onboard mic is awesome, plus having 2 earphone jacks is great. Also copied the lyrics from OnSong and put them right onto the Spire screen to read them while I recorded.
Hope you like,
Rick
https://soundcloud.com/rickrn/hard-times-1

Sounds great, Rick! Is that an original? I was expecting a Stephen Foster song when I saw the title

[benjamin1884]

Nope wish it was. I believe Chris Hillman wrote that one. I did record a version of Stephen Foster’s Hard Times as well with a buddy last September. It’s on our first album release, This Iron Road. I’ll see if I can dig it up. That whole album was recorded on the Spire in a hotel room in Warren PA.
Really amazing value, quality, and ease of use for relatively few dollars.
Best of luck
Rick

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by benjamin1884

Nope wish it was. I believe Chris Hillman wrote that one. I did record a version of Stephen Foster’s Hard Times as well with a buddy last September. It’s on our first album release, This Iron Road. I’ll see if I can dig it up. That whole album was recorded on the Spire in a hotel room in Warren PA.
Really amazing value, quality, and ease of use for relatively few dollars.
Best of luck
Rick

Wonderful job Rick, you actually kind of sound like Chris Hillman which I hope you take as a compliment. I love my Spire too which I use primarily for self critique. So easy to use. I have a Zoom H5 which I got before the Spire and it’s a great piece of equipment but the Spire is so convenient.

[benjamin1884]

Thanks Bob. The Spire really has inspired me (sorry couldn't help myself)! To record more multi track recordings. This one is an original tune I wrote several years back. It's called Travellin Song. Always wanted to try the banjo, mandolin and multiple vocal tracks on it. I've got a 0016E Granadillo Martin, and my 00028 Martin as well as a Furch MF 22 mandolin, and a 1978 CF Martin/ Vega banjo plus multiple vocal tracks. I used the Spire to mix and pan various channels right and left.
Hope you folks enjoy.
https://soundcloud.com/rickrn/travellin-song-1-m4a

[Captain Jim]

This one started with the Spire as the music track...



... and moved on to Logic Pro X after we got the basics locked in with the Spire. My music partner Mark did the music production, I did the video production. Our first shot at a music video production. Also, my first stint as a director - I laid out a shot list, and even with that, it was more work than I anticipated. Well, more time involved.

We are currently out in our motorhome (been away from home for almost two months now), so the bedroom of the motorhome was the "recording studio" (aka: the Spire) for my parts, and the dinette was my video production desk. Mark has a home studio for his parts.

Thanks for viewing!

[firelakekid2]

I have been doing on line research as best I can and thought the Spire Studio would be ideal. However, yesterday I wanted to order one and they seem sold out everywhere. If you know of a business or shop that has one maybe you could give a reply here. The Spire just seemed that it would have good quality recording but also be efficient and easier to use the other devices. Disappointed they are sold out.

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by firelakekid2

I have been doing on line research as best I can and thought the Spire Studio would be ideal. However, yesterday I wanted to order one and they seem sold out everywhere. If you know of a business or shop that has one maybe you could give a reply here. The Spire just seemed that it would have good quality recording but also be efficient and easier to use the other devices. Disappointed they are sold out.

Wow; reading this, I looked around... I saw Sweetwater stated: "Sorry, the iZotope Spire Studio Portable Wireless Recorder is no longer available. We've left this page up for reference only."

I wonder what iZotope has in mind for its replacement?

[nickv6]

Odd. I received an email from them today. They send out regular stuff.
I wonder what's going on...
Nick

[KevWind]

Well the production facility could have been for a period or may still be shut down, due to Covid ?????