Recording - September 2011 - 25

Once you’ve set up your backing tracks, you can record mono or stereo audio using the R8’s built-in effects processor. There’s builtin 3-band parametric eq on each track, plus a single Insert Effect with a wide variety of programs for acoustic and electric guitar, bass, miked vocals and instruments, and 2-track processing and mastering. These effects are good-sounding and useful as you’d expect from a Zoom processor, with the ever-present ZNR noise reduction doing a good job of keeping the tracked audio clean; they are recorded with your audio during the tracking process. The R8 adds global reverb and chorus as send/return effects. Multiple takes can be recorded and swapped in and out, and up to eight tracks can be bounced down to a final stereo mix while adding Mastering effects from the Insert Effect processor. The R8 preserves the R24’s selection of recording convenience tools, such as a tuner and metronome with selectable sound source. As on the R24, there’s a front-panel control for balancing the metronome click with the Master output, and the metronome can be routed to the main outputs and headphones together, or only to the headphones. The Balance knob acts as a zero-latency monitor level control when in audio-interface mode, letting the user adjust relative levels of DAW output and recorded input. Speaking of audio interface mode, the R8 provides metering of input signals and DAW playback when recording to your computer, lets you print input signals with effects, and its faders and transport controls act as MIDI control devices for your DAW. Still no panpots, alas. While the R8 lacks the R24’s socket for an external USB key drive, you can still use the USB connection to transfer files to and from the SD card or your computer. Small and mighty I got to play with the R8 for about two weeks of session work, both recording to SD card and using it in place of my usual portable computer interface. I was never disappointed with the quality of the audio I got, and while I’ve worked with recorders that had more hands-on controls and larger displays, those recorders couldn’t tuck in a pocket of my laptop bag and barely leave a lump. As is common for Zoom, the R8 features a lot of seamless and reliable features packed into a very small package. If you work alone or premix your audio with an external console, and need a small portable interface that can double as a recorder with lots of built-in bells and whistles (or vice versa!), the R8 covers the bases handily and doesn’t make you pay for extra inputs you won’t use. It’s a powerful contender in the field of portable solidstate recorders and 2-in/2-out interfaces, making a strong showing against many products that do one but not the other. Thumbs up. Price: $299 street More from: Zoom, www.zoomfx.com

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Recording - September 2011

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