Hello. I want to buy a standalone recorder for 8 tracks on the cheap, to
record a few jams with my band.
I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.
I only need 8 tracks recording. All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-
I am talking about 300? or something like that.

Thanks for the recommendation.

wrote:
Hello. I want to buy a standalone recorder for 8 tracks on the cheap, to
record a few jams with my band.
I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.
I only need 8 tracks recording. All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-
I am talking about 300? or something like that.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Tascam DA-38s are running about that. Avoid the Alesis (at the risk of
a flame assault) because the vhs tape is nasty in breakage department.
I've never had a Hi-8 tape fail in the ten plus years I've used the
Tascams (though I use the 88's, the 38 transport is identical).

--Fletch

wrote:

I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.

I think that for $300 you'll have no trouble finding an ADAT XT20, the
model with the better grade A/D converters. TASCAM DA-38s go for about
the same price. It's a tossup which one sounds better, but the ADAT has
1/4" jacks on the back (the TASCAM has RCA and DB-25 connectors) which
might be easier for you to hook up to your system. It might also be
easier for you to find tape for the ADAT.

All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-

Understand that there are no "files" on these recorders. While the ADAT
will hook up to your RME Fireface via the optical interface, the
transfer will be real-time - play on the tape deck and record on the
computer. It's not a big deal, but some people don't realize this.

wrote:
Hello. I want to buy a standalone recorder for 8 tracks on the cheap, to
record a few jams with my band.
I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.
I only need 8 tracks recording. All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-
I am talking about 300? or something like that.

Thanks for the recommendation.

Avoid Tascam. Most need head replacement. None in Hollyweird ever made
it to over 1k hours before head replacement. Problem is the head turns
while the unit is on, an 8 hour session means 8 hours of head wear even
if you don't run the transport. Alesis kicks off the heads in 5 minutes
of non activity. I got 3k hours on my old Black face adats before I
sold them. Better yet, just get an HD24 used for around $900.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

Thanks everyone for the quick answers.

Thinking about Hard disk recorders i have seen in ebay a Fostex VF-160 and
it is another candidate.
www.fostex.com/support/pdf/ fostex/vf160/vf160_product_review.pdf


I like the fact that it has 2 XLR inputs with phantom power, plus another 6
jack with trim and without phantom. So i don't need preamps to record a
basic setup band.
I still like the last 2 options (Alesis XT20 and Tascam DA-38) but the lack
of preamps....
What about the quality of the Fostex VF-160 preamps and converters? Are the
converters worse than on the Alesis or Tascam?

Thanks again.


"Mike Rivers" escribió en el mensaje
oups.com...

wrote:

I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to
get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.

I think that for $300 you'll have no trouble finding an ADAT XT20, the
model with the better grade A/D converters. TASCAM DA-38s go for about
the same price. It's a tossup which one sounds better, but the ADAT has
1/4" jacks on the back (the TASCAM has RCA and DB-25 connectors) which
might be easier for you to hook up to your system. It might also be
easier for you to find tape for the ADAT.

All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need
effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-

Understand that there are no "files" on these recorders. While the ADAT
will hook up to your RME Fireface via the optical interface, the
transfer will be real-time - play on the tape deck and record on the
computer. It's not a big deal, but some people don't realize this.

Avoid Tascam. Most need head replacement. None in Hollyweird ever made
it to over 1k hours before head replacement.

There were head issues with the 1st generation of DA88s, which were
fixed fairly early on. DA38's, 98's & 78's never had any such issues &
many 1,000s of hours of use have been logged on all of those models.
It's a robust format.

Scott Fraser

wrote:

Thinking about Hard disk recorders i have seen in ebay a Fostex VF-160
I like the fact that it has 2 XLR inputs with phantom power, plus another 6

I still like the last 2 options (Alesis XT20 and Tascam DA-38) but the lack
of preamps....

You asked about a recorder, so I figured you had the 'front end"
covered. You need to be a little more specific when you're talking to
people who consider a "recorder" to be just one component of a
recording system.

Jim Williams makes a good point about the head life of the DA-38. It's
more likely that you'll get a used ADAT wtih a couple of years left on
the heads than with a used DA-38.

What about the quality of the Fostex VF-160 preamps and converters? Are the
converters worse than on the Alesis or Tascam?

Quite likely. And the preamps aren't anything special either. You
should get a mixer with mic inputs. Probably the cheapest modern mixer
will have mic inputs at least as good as those on the Fostex, and
you'll be able to use it to monitor what you're recording. That's more
important than most people think - they usually figure it out when the
listen to the recording at home and find that something is humming or
crackling, the mic was entirely in the wrong place, or they forgot to
push the record button and a track is empty.

I only need 8 tracks recording

Any Alesis XT, Fostex CX8, or Tascam DA38/88/98 will work fine. I've used
them all (10 DA98's to record "Chicago 26 - The Live Album" for the
legendary band) and never had a tape or transport problem with any of them.
They're all great and much more reliable for live recording than ANY
computer.



--
Regards,

Ted Perlman
Producer-Arranger-Composer-Guitarist

www.tedperlman.com

Thanks again for the recommendation.
I will have to take a good look to ebay...Perhaps a mixer can find a place
in my home-studio too.
I liked the VF-160 most for the compact design, easy transporting.

Jose.

"Mike Rivers" escribió en el mensaje
ps.com...

wrote:

Thinking about Hard disk recorders i have seen in ebay a Fostex VF-160
I like the fact that it has 2 XLR inputs with phantom power, plus another
6

I still like the last 2 options (Alesis XT20 and Tascam DA-38) but the
lack
of preamps....

You asked about a recorder, so I figured you had the 'front end"
covered. You need to be a little more specific when you're talking to
people who consider a "recorder" to be just one component of a
recording system.

Jim Williams makes a good point about the head life of the DA-38. It's
more likely that you'll get a used ADAT wtih a couple of years left on
the heads than with a used DA-38.

What about the quality of the Fostex VF-160 preamps and converters? Are
the
converters worse than on the Alesis or Tascam?

Quite likely. And the preamps aren't anything special either. You
should get a mixer with mic inputs. Probably the cheapest modern mixer
will have mic inputs at least as good as those on the Fostex, and
you'll be able to use it to monitor what you're recording. That's more
important than most people think - they usually figure it out when the
listen to the recording at home and find that something is humming or
crackling, the mic was entirely in the wrong place, or they forgot to
push the record button and a track is empty.

wrote:

Hello. I want to buy a standalone recorder for 8 tracks on the cheap, to
record a few jams with my band.
I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.
I only need 8 tracks recording. All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-
I am talking about 300? or something like that.

Thanks for the recommendation.




This sounds a lot like the Fostex VF-160. I have a VF-16, and it's
utterly reliable. I use it for remote live recording.

Throw in an ADA8000 ( or more expensive/better quality equivalent,
like the Frontier offering ) and you get 16 tracks. Bonus!

Thing is a pain in the arse ( small menus, much squinting ) but
it is only as unreliable as the hard disk in it. Roughly $50
USD for refurbs around the Web @ 40GB.

--
Les Cargill

wrote:

Thanks everyone for the quick answers.

Thinking about Hard disk recorders i have seen in ebay a Fostex VF-160 and
it is another candidate.
www.fostex.com/support/pdf/ fostex/vf160/vf160_product_review.pdf


I like the fact that it has 2 XLR inputs with phantom power, plus another 6
jack with trim and without phantom. So i don't need preamps to record a
basic setup band.
I still like the last 2 options (Alesis XT20 and Tascam DA-38) but the lack
of preamps....
What about the quality of the Fostex VF-160 preamps and converters? Are the
converters worse than on the Alesis or Tascam?


Wow, I'm slow! I think they are fine, but all I can to is
basic tests of the input/output using white noise and swept sine,
some basic intermod tests.

They seem fine from that.

Not *insanely great*, but unless you are working with people who
play a lot better than the people I record, it won't matter too much.

Again, I've done multiple "at the gig" live recordings with
a VF16 and it all turned out fine. I don't beleive it will
be the weakest link in the chain.

If you're *really* persnickety, get a Crane Song Spider
and hook that into the ADAT input. Oughta be a fine
live rig, then

(Really, I have thought about this - I know where to rent a
Spider... )

Thanks again.


"Mike Rivers" escribió en el mensaje
oups.com...

wrote:


I am looking at the second hand market, but i dont really know what to
get.
Choices are of old Adat-VHS recorders from Alesis, Tascam Hi8 Recorder or
newer hard disk recorders from Roland, etc.

I think that for $300 you'll have no trouble finding an ADAT XT20, the
model with the better grade A/D converters. TASCAM DA-38s go for about
the same price. It's a tossup which one sounds better, but the ADAT has
1/4" jacks on the back (the TASCAM has RCA and DB-25 connectors) which
might be easier for you to hook up to your system. It might also be
easier for you to find tape for the ADAT.


All of the editing will be done in a
computer in my house(Imac with RME Fireface), so i dont really need
effects,
eq, etc.
It would be nice if the recorder has ADAT I/O to connect to the computer
easily-

Understand that there are no "files" on these recorders. While the ADAT
will hook up to your RME Fireface via the optical interface, the
transfer will be real-time - play on the tape deck and record on the
computer. It's not a big deal, but some people don't realize this.




--
Les Cargill

wrote:

Thanks again for the recommendation.
I will have to take a good look to ebay...Perhaps a mixer can find a place
in my home-studio too.
I liked the VF-160 most for the compact design, easy transporting.

Jose.


Yeah. It fits on a bar chair.

snip
--
Les Cargill

I have a low-mileage DA-88 I'd like to sell, but $300 is too low.