I'm looking into getting a standalone recorder and I'd like to know what any of you might be using. I searched and couldn't find anything existing on the forum about these.

Thank you.

My trusty Zoom H4 has been on the road with me for three years now. I set it on the stage about four feet in front of me, click Record, and that's pretty much it. It records natively in .WAV or MP3 format, and all you do is pop the SD card out (or hook the thing up with a USB cable) and transfer your files directly to a computer to work on 'em. It's also got a lot of effects, a digital tuner built in, and runs on AC or two AA batteries. Here's a good review of the beast. And newer versions are even more compact and powerful, and have better buttons (i.e., with tactile feedback).

Why do you feel the need to buy a stand alone digital recorder?
A good interface, a computer and a DAW will give you much ore flexibility. If you want to record on location, you could use a laptop instead of a desktop. The interface with the laptop will be equally easy to transport compared to a multitrack digital recorder.

If you are looking for a small recorder unit: I've read a lot of good things about the Zoom H2 and H4. (no personal experience with them)

Trust me, Mike, the compactness of a hand-held recorder makes up for the flexibility of a laptop. With the latter, you've got your interface, your mics and mic stands, and the laptop itself, along with any power supply, and all the cables and chords for it. The H4 (or H4n or Eridol or M-Audio MicroTrack or whatever) is much more of a put-down, set-it-forget-it box, that takes up a whole lot less space on a stage. And then you transfer the files to your laptop, and have all the DAW flexibility you're talkin' about.

Yep, but it all depends what you are planning to use it for. If you want to multitrack a live band on stage, you are going to need something heavier than those handheld devices.

Well, yeah. But for one vocalist and one instrument, it's darn near ideal. And one of the reasons I got the H4 was that it'll take standard XLR mic cables, and even act as a phantom power supply.

Tom, I just read your first post in this thread. When I wrote my post, there wasn't any response yet. Reading your post before mine does make my remark on the Zoom look kinda silly, doesn't it?

All good, Mike. Sometimes we're all trying to help so hard, we trip over each other. And, heck, the Stooges made a career out of that.

Uk Uk Uk! Oooh A Wizzze Guy Huh!

The direction this thread is going makes me want to go home pull out my iPod and listen to "The Jump 'N the Saddle Band".

Russell,

I have owned 3 digital recorders and now have the Tascam DP01 FX. The Boss & Tascam units have come miles since they started producing recorders. I would recommend either brand here. Just make sure you get one with the ability to up/down load via USB capability. That way, you can export tracks for edits and re-import them with FX etc . . . I do that here.

USB is the way to go when up/down loading. It is super fast both ways and the easiest method to use for drag-n-drop.

Trax

My wife loves her Zoom H2.

I had a M-Audio MicroTrak for years.

I replaced it with a SONY PCM-M10. The SONY has built-in mics with a limiter, and a built-in speaker. It turns on fast (unlike the M-Audio) and you can see the menus easily (unlike the M-Audio). Great navigation buttons, too. I use it as an MP3 and .WAV player for gigs, as well as a digital recorder with 4GB built-in and a micro-SD card for more storage if needed.

I've had a Korg D3200 for several years now. A GREAT unit. 32 tracks of digital recording (with eight virtual tracks per channel), automated mixing, good digital effects, song sequencing, CD burning, gapping between songs, and even some mastering software. For about $1500 these days or possibly less. I've had much more expensive setups in the past, but this is prime bang-for-the-buck. Here's a link to some of my tunes recorded on it (The first five or so songs):

http://songramp.com/MarvJonesi

I love my Boss Br-1600. 16 tracks Digital. 80 Gb Hard Drive. Cd Writer. Mixing, Mastering and incredible FX. Connects Via USB. Built in Harmonizer, Drums, Loop FX, I transfer all My backing tracks from Biab and RealBand into it and add everything there. I mix and Master there, then back to computer for Finalizing Cd's. Easy to use and very versatile.

Here's a link to some of our songs.

http://www.myspace.com/andrewandmarg

Andrew and Marg