When connected to your computer, the R16 works well as a controller and interface, although the lack of physical controls on the unit is slightly limiting in terms of DAW control, essentially restricting you to transport control and channel faders. Templates are supplied for Cubase that make it even easier to drag and drop your recordings into a new project. The R16 comes bundled with a copy of Cubase LE 4 for Mac or PC, now slightly outdated but still a worthwhile introduction to working with a DAW and easily capable of carrying out the editing tasks the R16 omits. The preamps are nothing to write home about but acceptably clean and quiet for a unit at this price level.Īlthough the onboard mics could never be described as high-fidelity, they're good for quickly jotting down ideas without going to the trouble of setting up mics or signal routing. Recordings made with the R16 are stored as 16- or 24-bit 44.1kHz WAV files and the results offer very good sound quality. The R16 offers very little in the way of editing functionality and focuses more on mixing, which we think is a wise decision on Zoom's part. All-in-one hardware recording units may offer a neat solution for multitracking and location recording, but when it comes to the mixing process, a small LCD screen simply can't compete with the easy workflow of a DAW, not to mention the fact that DAWs open up a number of more advanced processing options. The R16's talents extend beyond recording it serves as an 8-in/2-out audio interface (at up to 96kHz sample rate) and basic control surface for your DAW when connected to your computer via USB. "The R16 offers very little in the way of editing functionality and focuses more on mixing." If you already have audio on some tracks and want to record a full eight channels at a time, moving recordings from one track to another is a little more fiddly, requiring you to dive into the R16's menus. Once you've recorded to the first bank of eight tracks, you can switch the unit to tracks 9-16 at the push of a button. Up to eight tracks can be recorded simultaneously, but it's also possible to link another R16 up using a standard USB cable, allowing 16 tracks of simultaneous recording. The push buttons above each channel fader toggle the track between play, mute and record. Note! This item does not support 64-bit computer operating systems.Recording is pleasingly straightforward, with eight very basic channel strips, a master fader and a dedicated transport section. When you factor in its budget-friendly price-tag, it really becomes an incredible option for any aspiring creative person. With all of the potential uses and creative possibilities the R16 provides, it truly stands in a class of its own. Control surfaces help people focus on their creative work, rather than make them feel like they're checking their email. This is a huge benefit for musicians as well. Its dedicated transport controls and jog/shuttle can be used to control the software, allowing the user to be less dependent on their mouse and keyboard. The control surface capabilities of the R16 will also benefit Final Cut Pro users (and other NLE programs). Film makers and photographers can record voice overs and ADR (additional dialog recording) directly into their favorite non-linear editing programs like Final Cut Pro. Musicians can use it to track and mix with their favorite music production program, or use the included Cubase 4 LE software. Using the R16 as a USB 2.0 audio interface to record into a computer also opens up different possibilities. If you're a photographer, you can record ambient sounds for use in a slide show presentation, and use the R16 as the playback device at the installation. If you're a film maker, you can record all of your lavalier and shotgun microphones in the field, and mix them to camera as well. If you're a musician, this means that you can record a full live band and overdub up to 16 tracks, without ever touching a computer. Using the R16 as a stand-alone recorder could mean many different things to different people.
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