shane.s from farmington, NH, USA
Subject:
Best home multi-track at any price
Quality:
very well made, i have no doubt this will easily stand up to years of constant use.
Features:
ive heard people say the pre amps were not that good. HA. these pre amps are really good and everything is fully editable. anything you dont like about a sound can be changed. really i would not add anything.
Ease of Use:
much easier than the roland or boss recorders i mentioned earlier.if you have never multi-tracked before itmay seem overwhelming at first.
Sound:
the sound of this unit is really second to none. and if you actually take the time with your recordings it really does rival any major label production. no joke
Reliability:
only had it 2 weeks, but, its easy to see how reliable it will be
Overall:
seriously, ive worked with rolands and high end boss units and they are really good aswell. but for the price they dont even come close. i really cant say enough about this unit. oh and i love the meter bridge, gives it that old school look, like an actual studio.
Do you own this product?:
yes
BPE Music
brazzandtracy@yahoo.com
Quality:
Yes, works quickly everytime
Features:
Being able to go from track to track quickly
Ease of Use:
Very user friendly and works with all my equipment. I learned how to use very quickly
Overall:
My best buy this year so far
Do you own this product?:
Yes
christopher bell from Murysville, Pa,U.S.A
Quality:
Yes,yes,yes.Rock solid,all metal construction.A pro piece of audio gear wether you're a pro or new to reording.
Features:
The most useful feature is the ability to transfer to and from the computer.I usually reserve one whole day for rythm tracks, so once I've recorded drums/bass and rythm guitars I can import them to Cubase for editing/mixing.Then continue to record the rest of the instruments and vocals later.If you're doing it in one session I suggest recording tracks 1-8, then bouncing them to 1-9.Then you can continue to record on 1-8 again.Importing them whenever you feel like it.Bear in mind this machine only plays back 16 physical tracks, unless you start bouncing and combining v-tracks together(risking muddiness) I do suggest all final editing and mixing go to recording software.My version of cubase has 64 tracks of simultaneous playback.I don't know what other software this is compatable with, but I do know that it transfers in wav or aiff file formats.So files can be dragged and dropped to and from your pc/mac.Sweet
Ease of Use:
This an incredibly easy product to use, at a glance it looks intimidating but when zoom designed it, they knew what they were doing.Works seamlessly w/cubase.
I was recording within 15 minutes of taking it out of the box (keep in mind I have experience with workstations and daw's)Someone with no experience, I suggest you read the manual first.
I was primarily using an Alesis firewire interface and Cubase 4,but I would run into latency issues sometimes, when I tracked drums live.I always use 6-7 tracks for drums so this became an issue.Computers always need constant upgrades, so I went with a daw/workstation
platform, to simplify rythm tracking.It's also portable so I can record practice, live gigs and track at home or at the rehearsal space.
Sound:
Very musical.When I first opened it and got started, I plugged in my bass and played a few bars.The way it sounded in my headphones when I recorded was exactly the same way when I olayed it back. Also sounded really accurate through my monitors.To me that says that it records and plays back an accurate representation of the music.
Reliability:
Well I've only had it for a week, but it is built solid.A metal chassis, meter bridge,easy to use,portable and all around just a serious piece of gear.
Overall:
Amazing piece of gear, especially for the price.One could spend a few hundred dollars more, but why spend extra on something that does exactly what this does.Alot of the others dont have the midi pads or built in metronomes either, this purchase was a no brainer.
Do you own this product?:
Of the highest quality 5 stars across the board
Robert from Charleston,WV. USA
Quality:
It's built like a tank.
Features:
The CD recorder is very easy to use. With 80GB HD I've recorded over 30 songs with alot of overdubs and have used just a fraction of the space. The Operation Manual is really good.Easy to find what your working on.
Ease of Use:
There's somewhat of a learning curve but well worth the time.
Sound:
I'm blown away by how it sounds!
Reliability:
I've had it for, I guess about 4 months. Works and sounds just as good as when I bought it.
Overall:
I wasn't sure about Zoom at 1st but I think it's one of the best when it comes to recorders.Learn as you go enjoy the ride. It's alot of fun!!
Do you own this product?:
yes
R Chavez
raychavezmt@gmail.com
Subject:
More than I expected
Quality:
Overall, an A+. Highly recommended. I use this as a PA mixer while recording multitracks. The stero sub output make this possible and also makes it even more flexible than I imagined.
Features:
What blew me away about this is the 8 full channel strips available; semi-parametric eq, adjustable high pass, and adjustable compressor. Not to mention the 2 buss efx...amazing value.
Ease of Use:
VERY easy to use, navigating through the screens is just like using a multi-efx unit
Sound:
it's 16 bit/44.1 khz and that is all it can be, but the sound quality is fantastic. The built in efx are very high quality...smooth reverbs and very musical compression.
Reliability:
I've had it and used it since October 09 pretty steadily and not one problem. Could not be happier with it.
Overall:
I love it. It does so much more than anything else in it's price range and even more than some in a higher range.
Do you own this product?:
Absolutely
Date submitted:
1/24/2010
Rudy Pena from Kingsville, Texas, USA
rudypena74@hotmail.com
Subject:
Pro sound with amature price
Quality:
This recorder feels solid and very well made, does not have that flimsy feel like most recorders.
Features:
The best feature is how easy it is to record and re-record and edit and get to the final master copy.
Ease of Use:
This recorder is great. At first I was intimidated with everything in the manual and all the selection knobs and what not, but once I read it and after a recording or two....piece of cake after that.
Sound:
Sounds very close to a pro studio mix.
Reliability:
I have owned it for about 3 months now and its great.
Overall:
I love this product and recommend it to anybody that wants to lay down some tracks at home or on the road.
Do you own this product?:
I own this product
Ric from Prior Lake, MN USA
inotdj@q.com
Subject:
Zoom HD16CD Is A Breeze To Use
Quality:
Seems heavy duty, metal instead of plastic.
Features:
Lots of bang for the buck! Good amount of inputs, good size hard drive, built in effects and CD burner!
Ease of Use:
I bought this unit and I found it to be easy to use for both personal (solo) recordings as well as recording my band.
Sound:
After spending some time tweaking around with laying down tracks I found some good settings and I like the sound quailty. It's not a 'skys the limit' recorder like you's find in a pro studio but for the price it's good little unit.
Reliability:
So far so good but it stays put in my home studio so it doesn't get moved around alot.
Overall:
I've enjoyed owning and using this product.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Ricky from Sissonville, WV, USA
rickydye@mgcwv.com
Subject:
Recording for Dummies
Features:
the 8 track simultaneous recording is the feature that swayed me. We have a bluegrass gospel group and we require 8 inputs. this allows us to record everything at once and the sound is GREAT.
Ease of Use:
This is amazingly easy to use. I have never recorded anything in my life but after a little time of reading the manual i was up and running.
Sound:
Sound is as good as what goes in....then with a little tweaking and a few effects......WOW
Reliability:
only had it a few weeks but it looks to be of top notch quality
Overall:
Best purchase i have made in a long time. I love it...
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
10/14/2009
Michael Rutherford from Hurricane, West Viginia USA
mykoe9@yahoo.com
Subject:
Best Dang Recorder I've ever had!
Quality:
There's been a lot of thought go into this product, I think it's going to be around a long time. I can't see ever needing another recording device of any kind.
Features:
My favorite features are the way I don't have to drag in a GTR Amp, my strat and accoustic GTRs sound great straight into the board (so to speak). The only thing missing is a handle.
Ease of Use:
I'm from WV, and I've only had the HD 16 for 2 weeks, and I'm rollin' out Beatles and Trower tunes like nobodys bussiness. This thing is great! Wish I'd had this groing up. Works phenomanally with my Dell and Cool Edit. Whoever put the manual together did an excelent job, they walked me right through it. It's also going to take me out live, playing all the bass, drums, rhythm GTRs and harmonies myself.
Sound:
The tone is very truthful. I like that. What I put in, is what I get back, and that's as it should be.
Reliability:
I've only had it 2 weeks but I can tell you that it is built very well. I'm 57, and have been playing music professionally for 46 years , I've seen a lot of equipment come and go, this is a keeper!
Overall:
My opinion of this is so high that my good friend Mark is buying ong also. The way I've spoke of it and how the 7 songs in just this past 2 weeks has sounded to him when I spun a couple off and took 'em over to his house to play 'em on his big P.A. WOW!
Do you own this product?:
I am an owner of the HD 16
JP DAI from Houston
Subject:
NOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAY IT IS.
Features:
Got everything you need except the UNDO feature and a better song signature selection.
Ease of Use:
You will need some time to get into it and READ THE MANUAL.
Reliability:
Might be good but since I'm selling it I will never know.
Overall:
Great recording quality and works great as a standalone. DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH SONAR. The synchro is not working properly: it works only using MTC but the tempo and SPP are not in sync. (note: all parameters tempo and all others were entered accordingly)
It works (kind of) only with MIDI not USB. DON'T EXPECT ANY HELP FROM THE ZOOM CUSTOMERS SERVICE. No feedback after FIVE email and if you call you will get an arrogant idiot that does not know what MTC is.
Do you own this product?:
Yes but not for long.
Date submitted:
September 23.
BDR from Logan,Ohio
sblazer@hotmail.com
Subject:
Great Recorder Period !
Quality:
This thing is made of real metal not cheap platic it is built like a tank.
Features:
This thing has a ton of features as I said above you have to learn to use them, The effects and EQ on this thing is great if you know what your doing.
Ease of Use:
Well it will take a little time to learn to get all out of this thing that you can, and you really can get a lot out of it.As far as basic recording goes it's fairly simple
Sound:
The sounds of your recordings will be excellent I mix them down on this and then import them to mixcraft for mastering, but overall if used right it is second to none on sound.
Reliability:
I have never had a problem so far it works everytime and I use it a lot, to record other people as well as myself.
Overall:
This is a great piece of equipment with it's 80 gig hard drive, effects and is the easiest recorder I have ever used as far as burning a disc I have owned several and have to say this is the best self contained unit on the market.
Do you own this product?:
I own it bought it at AMS it's great and so are they.
Catfish from Rock Hill SC
Quality:
Very well made. Solid and heavey!
Features:
Almost too may features... however you don't have to use them. Ha!
Ease of Use:
A bit of a learning curve, but if you have had any experience with recording you'll do OK. The manual could be written/formatted better, but it's about as good as most.
Sound:
Excellent, clear and with nice headroom. Just remember, what goes in comes out. Both a blessing and a curse!
Reliability:
Only a month old... however I have several Zoom products and they have never failed. Hope this one is as good!
Overall:
Excellent, After using a Sony mini-disk for years... the difference is profound.(no surprise there) For the price point you can't make a better purchase.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
Sept. 1, 2009
Spooka from Pittsburgh PA
Subject:
Wow,better than I expected
Quality:
When I picked up the box at the store I was suprised how heavy it was.This thing is made out of metal and doesn't look or feel cheap.
Features:
I looked at alot of units and you can't find another brand that does all the stuff this does for the same price. As far as 80g HD,Cd burner,DAW,sampler,drum and bass machine etc..etc...
Ease of Use:
I have only had this for a week but I already laid out 3 full songs.I want to dig in the manual and learn how to do more complex stuff,but so far it seems pretty easy to do the basics.
Sound:
My only other experience being an old Fostex,The sound quality is amazing.So far I have only recorded plugging my guitar directly into it.I also have it plugged into my aux on my stereo,running the sound through my stereo speakers and it sounds great.I was thinking about getting a pair of monitors but I can't see them sounding better than what it does now.
Reliability:
Only had it for a week and had no problems with it.
Overall:
I used to have a fostex 4 track (cassette)back in the day and I am blown away by all the stuff this can do.
Do you own this product?:
Yeah
Daniel Logan from Gadsden, Alabama
Subject:
Great Peace Of Work
Do you own this product?:
yes
BB from Douglasville, GA , USA
Subject:
Outstanding Allin One
Quality:
Top notch. Full metal jacket... All sliders and knobs, jog wheel seem very sturdy.
Features:
Drum machine, CD burner, software and 8 simultaneous track recording...nothing else came close during my research. I would add an I/O for external effects although the onboard ones are really great!
Ease of Use:
This is my first venture into home recording so what seems intuitive to some may take me a little more time. The manual was ok but you do have to dig a little to get going.
Sound:
The sound is amazing. I know othere talked about 24 bit versus 16 bit...honestly I can't discern the difference.
Reliability:
I've only had it less than a week but everything seems solid so far. I've laid down 4 rough projects to test all of the features (effects, drums, overdubs, etc). The machine did what I needed and provided great sound despite being unmastered yet.
Overall:
Buy it now if you want an all in one and/or you don't like tinkering with computer programs and their related problems.
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
Jul 28, 2009
Joe from MN
Subject:
Perfect for someone starting out, or just messing around
Quality:
Built like a rock, all sliders and knobbs feel stable, this isnt the typical Walmart brand.
Features:
Built in FX and drum/bass machine, plus a cd recorder!!! The only thing the didnt inclue is the kitchen sink.
Ease of Use:
After scanning around the manual and watching youtube I was a pro on this thing in a half hour. The drum machine is a little bit harder, but still very strait forward
Sound:
Some people say the 16 bit makes it low quality, if you plug in a quality mic theres no reason why you cant get a good semi-pro or even pro sound out of this recorder
Reliability:
Ive had this for a few months now, work on it at least every other day, everything on it still works like the day I got it. This will last me for sure!
Overall:
Beautiful recorder, kicks butt!
Do you own this product?:
Yes
BongoFever from Redwood City, CA
Subject:
New Tool for an old school musician
Quality:
Built for taking to the gig. Sure, you handle it with care you would any of your equipment, but it can this can take the bumps on the road.
Features:
I think the best feature is the 8 mic/line inputs for simultaneous recording.
This is a GREAT recorder for live recording a basic 8-track mix, especially for the working musician. Sure, an engineer could record more tracks direct to a laptop with enough I/O busses, but for a gigging musician or soundman trying to catch the gig, 8-tracks live is enough. You can burn the tracks as wave to the internal CD to transfer to your computer, but I've found the USB connection to be VERY easy.
If they added a fire-wire connection, this could double as a convenient I/O device for multi-track recording direct to the computer in the studio. The extra step of recording on the internal drive and transferring the tracks to your DAW software limits its use for larger projects. The internal "ping-pong" feature is OK, but the display is minimal and menus are cumbersome. I'd much rather edit on a DAW platform.
Ease of Use:
Pretty easy, but reading the manuals IS required.
Sound:
Outputs are adequate, but I wish it had more gain on the outputs. Especially when monitoring on headphones while competing with stage decibel levels.
(I have high-quality, closed-back isolating headphone)
Reliability:
One year, no problems.
Overall:
No regrets. No reason to pay more for the plastic brands.
Do you own this product?:
YES
Rusty Nuts Productions from Minneapolis, MN
steven@rustynutsproductions.com
Subject:
Great price, great features, amazing storage size, quality built
Quality:
The quality is top notch. This thing is all metal. It's heavy and solid. It feels tough. Knowing there is a 80GB disk inside, I still treat it gently though. Still, it's nice to see equipment like this being made of steel and not plastic (like some other brands). The knobs and faders feel solid and perform well. The buttons have a nice tactile click feedback to them.
Features:
I wish this had balanced 1/4" and XLR main and sub outs though. But as a home studio device, it's okay not to have these.
The track buttons are lit nicely with green for play, red for record. The peek LEDs are very bright and hard to miss - a very welcome feature! The line level LEDs are very nice to watch and provide instant response to music and vocal so adjusting levels is easy.
Ease of Use:
Instead of having knobs for EQ (high, mid, low),. dly and rev, sub sends, and pan, there is one knob for each track and a button to switch between the functions. At first I wasn't sure about this, but find it very very easy to use and very fast to implement. The faders slide nice and easy.
Interfacing to my Windows(Vista 64) system is as simple as hooking up a USB2 cable. Each project shows up as a folder. Within are WAV files, one for each track (track0.wav, track1.wav). I wish it didn't start at zero - that a programmer for you (I'm one). Maybe with a firmware upgrade someday. Anyway, just drag and drop your project from the recorder to your system and import into your fav. multitrack audio app - easy!!! I use Magix apps.
Sound:
The playback is excellent. I recorded dry from the main console and then added in some EQ, reverb and delay. The sound is rich and full now. I will probably just use my software to do this but it's nice to be able to do this at the recorder.
Reliability:
I purchased this for live recording. I've used it twice now. Both times, I was given 8 lines from the main consoles in different configurations (vocals, drums, guitars, etc) and in both situations it has worked flawlessly. I pre-created and named the projects for each band (each night I was recording multiple bands) and then changed projects in-between bands during their set up. So easy! After recording, I protected the project.
Each band played for 45 minutes the first night and I recorded six bands. The next night I recorded 11 bands that played 30 minutes each. I recorded all eight tracks for each band and have only used 23GB of the 80GB.
Overall:
Very very good product. You can't get eight **simultaneous** recording tracks for this price anywhere! Eventually, I will outgrow eight tracks and need more (24 most likely) and this unit will go into my studio for a long and work-loaded life.
Do you own this product?:
Yes - bought it here
Date submitted:
4/28/2009
PhilHall2000 from Oakland, CA USA
Subject:
OVER 50 USER, MUSICIANS, PRODUCER ETC!!!!!!
Quality:
I bought the Zoom 1608 and it was built like a tank and I sill have it. Th HD16 has a few mor connective feaqtures and the lay out is much better in my opinion. No reaching behing the unit to plug in mics, cables etc. As far as I can see great quality. But remeber I'm at the age where I use what works for me and sounds best. I am not trying to keep up with the latest and highest price. Been there done that!
Features:
Features are adequate...if I need more....I buy more! Take a look at the PDF manual if you get a chance.
Ease of Use:
Great for me no problem!
Sound:
I find it to be great. Listen back in the day when let's say the DAT came out..it was the greatest..then ADAT...it was the greatest.....then Stand alone hard disc VS 880 anbd such ..it was the great new deal. When you folks are recording you have to remeber humans don't have the hearing of Dogs....so why pull your hair out buying thousands of dollars worth of equipment when you could use something that simply works in most or many cases. Computer recording another way to record...when does it stop. Hey Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac laid some tracks for his lastest CD of a Korg D1600!
Reliability:
Only had this unit a few months but so far so good and the 1608 runs fine!
Overall:
Well I've said a lot already...I like Zoom, I like Roland Boss Fostex cubase Pro tools...they all work.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
April 9, 2009
Josh from Virginia
Subject:
The Best Multi-track Recorder Ive Ever Used!!!! Buy this one!!
Quality:
This thing is built like a tank. All the knobs and faders all feel sturdy and tight.
Features:
There are way too many best features to list or begin to attempt to pick just one. Every feature this thing offers is its best. And it doesnt just give you a taste of certain features. Every one is the full deal and is fully editable. This thing has it all. There is not one feature that I can think of that I would recommend adding. One feature that I love is that you have the option to use a click track or one of the many drum beats to record. So instead of trying to follow a click track you can switch it out with a drum beat which is much easier to follow. This allows you to focus more attention on playing. You can use any of the beats and any of the kits for this. Another is the Computer Control Surface feature. Works great, has and does everything you need. But after recording just using the 16-track.. you wont need Cubase anymore. Its awesome!
Ease of Use:
Is the easiest multi-track recorder I have ever used. Designed for easy operationg with common sense in mind. This thing links up very easily to Cubase and is straigt forward and every button and knob has a function. Not only is the manual written to where it is very easily understood, it also has a "Lets Record" section that is step-by-step instructions that starts from the time you turn it on to the first guitar track to the vocals to the drums, bass, mastering etc. and all the way to the final CD Burn. Its great. In addition the standard parts of the manual are detailed and very easy understand. It took me about 20 minutes to have the basic concept completely figured out. Within one hour of opening the box I had recorded my first song with 3 Guitar tracks, Bass, Drums and 2 vocal tracks and it sounded awesome! And that was before I learned all the tricks and how to use all the features. Get this thing!
Sound:
I was totally shocked when I played back my first recording. I could not believe how crystal clear and full it sounded. It is unbelievable how great this thing sounds... especially for the price!
Reliability:
I havent had it that long but I dont think I'll have any problems at all.
Overall:
I have been multi-tracking for almost 2 decades and this is by far the best one I have ever used! Ive owned multiple Tascams and Fostex. My most recent was a Tascam 2488 that I paid $1,250 for a couple years ago. It was the hardest thing I had ever used. I have also owned numerous computer based multi-track programs. I originally bought this to use in conjunction with Cubase 4 mainly as a control surface. But after playing with it.. it has become my primary recording tool. Even though it made my Cubase 10 times better when used as a control surface. Buy this thing! You will not be let down and if you are.. you dont know what you're doing cuz this thing does it all, has it all and is the easiest Ive ever used.
Do you own this product?:
Yes, Very Proundly in Fact!!
Date submitted:
March 21, 2009