Members nachman Posted November 26, 2008 Members Share Posted November 26, 2008 bs"d Hi everybody (especially Phil), i am a swing/rockabilly musician (guitar+ vocals), and have been using my PC with "standard" soundcard and a soundcraft compact 4 for recording. Now my PC died... somebody gave me a laptop which does not hook up correctly with the compact 4. I was thinking of turning the laptop into a little "studio", acquiring a new more professional external soundcard. Then i heard about this Zoom hd 16. The price seems to be just a little more expensive then a soundcard as i was told... What's your opinion(s)? Thanks for your time! Nachman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted November 26, 2008 Members Share Posted November 26, 2008 Disclosure: I used to rep Zoom. I have the MRS1608, which is the fore runner of the HD16. They are pretty similar, the biggest diffs are the format used to digitize audio (1608 was a Zoom format, HD16 is .wav), the HD has fewer buttons for the same functions (means more button pressing), and the HD can be used as a fader bank to control mixing on your computer. The advantages I see in a harware box is that you have faders, 8 mic and line pres, a drum machine, and added portability compared to a laptop with an AD box and external fader bank. The disadvantages are that you can't use plug-ins, you are stuck with the internal effects, But wait! Zoom is smart people. The HD16 ships with CubaseLE that you can install on your laptop, so you record on the Zoom, and mix on the laptop with the files transferred from the Zoom, and bonus, the Zooms faders can control tracks in the computer. So, the best of both worlds, really. The Zoom effects are pretty good, but the presets tend to suck, so be prepared to spend some time tweaking the effects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nachman Posted November 26, 2008 Author Members Share Posted November 26, 2008 bs"d wow, thanks for all that info flogger59! That makes the choice definitively tip in favor of the zoom. As a rockabilly/swing guy i hardly use effects except delay, tremolo and reverb... i am sure i can modify the zoom effects in that way. Thank you for taking the time and answering! Nachman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted November 26, 2008 Members Share Posted November 26, 2008 S'awrite! The best tip that I can give you on the effects is turn the ZNR (Zoom Noise Reduction) off on the mastering presets. Who the {censored} uses a gate on a mix buss effect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GrantsV5 Posted November 27, 2008 Members Share Posted November 27, 2008 I have been using computers for 10 years, but now I use the MRS8 for guitar tracks. The sound quality is as good as what you feed it. The FX are suprisingly good. The most important thing is the workflow is so much better. PC's can be very counter intuitive to music. Tactile knobs etc make recording a pleasure. If you are heavily into midi and vst instruments then a PC is the way to go. But for live instrument an all in one box can be inspirational. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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