ZOOM R8 - Mini Multitracker/Sampler

[skinston]

The question is, how good is it for using when doing a live gig....???

[timfromtexas]

i would imagine most people will use this in conjunction with other gear. in other words bounce back and forth. there have been people to use gear like this in a live set. someone posted up an asian guy doing a set with one..

[formal]

Yah that was me who posted a video of a guy rocking a live set with just a multi tracking machine, a Roland vs I think. So has anybody got their hands on the r8 yet?

[Ill Green]

Damn it, I was so close to get one but my truck needs new tires. They're practically balding to the threads. I need another rich milf!

[formal]

I just lost my job so i don't think i will get one for a while too. I gotta keep rockin this free mpc1k so I guess I shouldn't be too sad

[wax inspektor]

any specific questions? got one for a couple of weeks now... just using it as a recorder though...

couldn't get it running as a controller in reaper; interface only works for recording... no pc- audio-output via R8... it's my first recorder so i can't say if it's good or not... the loop-sequencer is really cool; so are the effects...
it's not possible to load up own drums, onboard sounds are ok though... since you can layer up to 4 rythms you could get some nice results; but who's using stock drums anyway... i didn't expected such stuff; manual didn't said anything about that; but it would have been nice since the pads are really good... i'm sure they could do it with a firmware update ( since you can load own loops / wav's for the project) but i wouldn't count on it...
the trim view is really good; pretty much like a mpc.

oh and it's one effect at the time only (mastering or single/multi-track-fx) but you could bounce stuff... not sure if that's common in this price-class?!

anyway, for me it's way more fun to track out into this then into a daw and it just looks super hot so yeah i'm happy with it.... mastering effects are a big helper for me.

have to say that the reaper version i'm using is 3.55 and it's not registered so no chance for updates or such.... might get into the controller part later; don't need that right now... i thought it could replace my interface but i couldn't get it running so this was little bummer for me...
otherwise i got what i expected, didn't thought that recording can be such fun though!

[formal]

Yo wax, so you can't put your own samples on the pads? Can you explain more about how the sampler part works? I was under the impression that you could assign samples/loops to the pads.

[wax inspektor]

yeah that part... alrighty just had to try it out a bit because it was recorder only so far... but sure it is possible to apply own sounds to the pads... BUT stereo sounds = 2 pads.... you can put them on gate/one shot and loop... you could record in realtime to a master track and go one from that. (quantized also? yes.) you can trim that sequence to get the right loop. there is a step record also; GameBoy-FL style... i got no clue about that... overall this stuff doesn't fit the way i wanna work, might give some more insides later.
also, pads are applied to pads+channels... so no 8 tracks+9pads...

[formal]

Thanks wax, that's exactly the info i wanted to know! Now I just gotta find a way to get $300

[timfromtexas]

theres no way to hook up a controller to the r8 right? i know it can be used as a controller but it would be sick to plug a pad control into that thing and use it for the "brain" of a midi controller. pads are a little small for my manhands.

[Ill Green]

Thats dope Wax! So with one shots you can make your own drums I guess. I saw a video of some dude tapping out a drum pattern to his synth playing, but that could've been the preset drum kits inside the R8.

How's the pitch and timestretch features? Better than the SPs?

That machine is so eye candy!

[timfromtexas]

That machine is so eye candy!

i know in photos it looks so on point then when you see someone use it or see it for yourself its SO small!

[1_inch_punch]

should be able to load your own drums easily - max 8 mono files as one shots.

can layer the stock drums and bounce to a one shot single file and assign to pads.

I am trying to get a grip on the trim function - it seems to divide its increments on the bpm and quantization (?? could be wildly wrong there...)

the track sequencer is where you make your own drum track after importing your own drum shots.. check the zoom forum board - a new tutorial has just been posted which runs through it all.

[wax inspektor]

its SO small!

exact the same size like a 404
pads are half as big as the 404s but they feel good and have a real nice velocity response....

it seems to divide its increments on the bpm and quantization (??

you can trim by time also (down to milliseconds) ... no issues at this point. it just like a mpc but you have no horizontal zoom in.... but you got a headphone out....

theres no way to hook up a controller to the r8 right?

you have a control in for a footswitch (start/rec,stop) but no midi controller in... each fader + pad control button sends out midi though... and i finally got it running as a controller and interface (+output of course). drivers...

How's the pitch and timestretch features? Better than the SPs?

no pitch at all... stretching's good.


beside the missing midi it's truly a real interface. not that much of beat-making-sampler though.... but still my interface, recording controller and portable 8-track. for 300€ it does a lot...

[plexxsounds]

Hey Wax do you know if this thing has a loop recording / cycle rec function?
Like the one I've used in Reaper or Cubase - let the chorus of the song loop in the background and record scratching over it until I get it right.