ZOOM R24 MULTI-TRACK RECORDER

ZOOM R24 MULTI-TRACK RECORDER

This is a perfect choice for any produce on the move. Small enough to carry anyway yet packed with so much power. This week my spotlight is on Zoom R24 multi-track recorder. It’s an 8-input, 24-track recorder, loop sequencer, sampler, drum machine, an audio interface and a DAW control surface. The Zoom R24 is all of these things!

Zoom packs functionality into an under-3-pound, 15-inch-wide package, making the R24 the perfect portable solution for multi-tracking live shows, band rehearsals, and song ideas -- even on six AA batteries. The R24 records up to 8 simultaneous tracks from its eight combination XLR-1/4" inputs, and with built-in stereo microphones, drum machine, and tuner, it's the perfect song writing scratchpad. Use the R24's on-board effects to mix your masterpiece, or plug in a USB cable to transfer your WAV-format tracks to any digital audio workstation (DAW). You can even use the R24's faders and transport buttons as your DAW control surface. The Zoom R24 is one ultra-portable recorder -- and it's also right at home as the heart of your studio.

8 Versatile Mic/Line Inputs, Plus Built-in Mics

Whether you're tracking a full band, or a drum kit with multiple mics, the R24 allows eight channels of simultaneous recording from its eight combination XLR-1/4" inputs. One input accepts Hi-Z sources like a guitar or bass, and six can supply phantom power to condenser microphones or active DI boxes. All eight can accept line-level sources, such as synths or external mic preamps. And because the R24 has no hard drive or noisy fans, you can even make quick recordings with the built-in pair of microphones on the unit's left and right sides -- convenient for scratch vocals, hand percussion, or acoustic guitar. 

Record 8 Tracks, Play Back 24

Record eight tracks at a time, or lay down your performances one by one. However you like to roll, the R24's audio recorder has helpful functions like manual and auto punch-in/out, markers, A-B repeat, trim, bounce, and undo. You get unlimited "virtual tracks" -- record a part as many times as you need, then choose the best take from a menu of numbered, saved takes on the LCD screen -- without eating up track real estate. And because this is the R24, you get 24 tracks of simultaneous playback. Use the eight faders to adjust volume, pan, EQ, and effects on each track, and apply send-return effects through the mixer's send-return bus. The R24 has hundreds of effects on-board, from guitar amp simulations to rich reverbs.

Easy File Transfer with SD Card or USB

With computers and software DAWs growing ever faster and more powerful, few musicians want to be limited to editing and mixing on a standalone hardware recorder. That's why Zoom makes it so easy to transfer your recording projects to your Mac or PC. The R24 saves individual tracks as industry-standard WAV files in 44.1 or 48 kHz, 16-bit or 24-bit format, on inexpensive SD card/SDHC media up to 32GB. This means no proprietary formats to deal with or hard drives to crash. The R24 comes with a 1GB SD card to get you started. Transfer files to your computer with the included USB cable, or plug in any USB thumb drive to make backups of your recordings when your computer's not handy.

Serious DAW Integration

Once you've transferred a project to your computer, keep that USB cable plugged in: the R24 now functions as a control surface for your DAW, using standard Mackie Control architecture. And if you want to track some overdubs into your DAW, go ahead and plug your mics or instruments into the R24: it's now an 8-in/2-out bus-powered USB 2.0 audio interface, with 1/4" outputs to feed your studio monitor speakers. Switch to a 2-in/2-out setup for higher-definition 96 kHz/24-bit audio. The R24 ships with Cubase LE 5, so you can immediately start using its nine faders and transport buttons as a control surface and front end for Cubase, Sonar, Logic, and more -- just add a computer. 

On-Board Sequencer, Sampler, and Drum Machine

Just take a look at the row of nine buttons across the bottom of the R24 labelled Kick, Snare, Open Hat, and so on. These are velocity-sensitive drum pads that you can use to play 10 types of drum kits. Use any of 400+ preset patterns, or edit and save your own -- then use the pads to trigger them within the R24's sequencer. It's simple to arrange songs, and even alter time signatures or delete beats from bars on the flexible grid. In the 24-voice sampler, you can import or record your own loops, trim and time-stretch the waveforms on-screen, then assign your loops to pads for real-time triggering. The sequencer and recorder work together, so you can lay down instrument or vocal performances on while playing back loops on other tracks. The R24 comes with a thumb drive and SD card pre-loaded with 1.5 GB drum loops to get you started.

A Portable Powerhouse

Say you don't have a laptop to run a DAW on -- or you just don't want to lug around your computer, interface, and all the cables to shows or rehearsals. You're in luck: the R24 is made to travel. It runs for about 4.5 hours on six AA batteries, or you power it from the included AC adapter. The "guard rails" on the sides of your R24 protect its knobs and buttons from damage when you slide it into your backpack or laptop bag. With the Zoom R24, you get all the portability of Zoom's famous handheld recorders, plus the flexibility of a multitrack recorder, interface, controller, and sampler.

Features:

- 8 tracks simultaneous recording, 24 tracks playback
- 8 line/mic inputs -- 1 with Hi-Z input, 6 with phantom power
- On-board pair of omnidirectional condenser microphones
- 9 faders with 4-segment LED level meters
- 330 effects patches, plus on-board tuner -- great for guitarists
- 24-voice sampler with trim and time-stretch editing
- 500+ built-in drum patterns -- or create your own beats with 10 kits and 8 velocity-sensitive pads
- 8-in/2-out USB audio interface, up to 96 kHz at 24-bit resolution
- Control surface for many DAW software packages
- Cubase LE 5 included
- Supports SD cards up to 32 GB
- Synchronize two R24s via USB for 16 simultaneous tracks