Zoom R16 Recorder : Interface : Controller

The Zoom R16 is three amazing products in one! It’s a 16 track portable recording studio capable of recording up to 8 simultaneous tracks and outputting a complete, polished, multi-track production; It’s a computer interface enabling you to track at up to 24-bit/96kHz, high resolution audio as well as use it’s onboard effects for use within your DAW when in 44.1kHz (CD sample rate) mode; last but definitely not least, it’s a control surface for all major DAWs and their functions.

As a recorder:

The R16 allows you to simultaneously record up to 8 tracks at a time in .WAV format. You can play back 16 tracks at a time when in 16 or 24-bit/44:1kHz-sampling rate. There are 8 combination mic/line input jacks. It has Phantom Power on channels 5 and 6 so you can power up a pair of your favorite condenser microphones and use them along side your dynamic mics. A Hi-Z switch is employed on channel 1 accommodating a directly connected guitar or bass. You can bounce down your final multi-track mix to the dedicated Master Track eliminating the need for a separate mixdown deck.

The built-in mic preamps are high quality so have no fear when documenting your band’s live rehearsal or showing up to a live gig with just the Zoom R16 and a pair (or more) of mics to capture the performance. You’re in the good, safe hands of the Zoom R16. Even if you left home in a huff and forgot to pack those mics, the Zoom still has you covered; there is a pair of high-quality, sensitive condenser microphones built right into the handles. You can set and forget the R16 and it will faithfully record whatever you throw at it! You can also tap a feed directly from the front of house mixing board to supplement your mics and record direct into the R16. Blend all the tracks together for an outstanding document of the performance.

There are 135 types of digital effects built into the R16 for recording, mixing and mastering. 3 effects can be used simultaneously. There are 18 guitar amplifier models onboard, faithfully mimicking amps from Marshall, Vox, Fender and Mesa Boggie, as well as 6 bass amps including Hartke, Ampeg and Bassman. Built-in compression and EQ effects further enhance your tracks.

Back up and archive your recordings to the included 1 GB SD memory Card (up to 32 GB is possible) or transfer your recorded tracks to a PC or Mac via USB with the included USB Cable.

As a computer interface;

You can connect the Zoom R16 directly to your computer as it functions as an audio front end/interface. You can record up to 8 channels at a time and output 2 tracks at a time. Support for high quality 24-bit/96kHz encoding enables recording at high-end, professional levels. When using a sampling rate of 44.1kHz, the internal DSP effects of the R16 are also usable on your computer tracks. A dedicated control lets you adjust the mixing balance between the DAW playback sound and the direct sound for monitoring.

As a controller;

The Zoom R16 can be used as a control surface for all your major DAW functions in your favorite recording software. Transport and mixing operations of the DAW software can be controlled using the R16. This gives you greater control and a better feel for mixing than using a computer mouse alone. In Mackie Control emulation mode, major DAW applications such as Cubase, Logic, and Sonar are supported.

The Zoom R16 gets its power from the supplied AC adaptor or six AA/LR6 batteries. One set of batteries will last for about four and a half hours. The audio interface and control surface functions can also be operated on USB bus power, providing another power option.

If 16 tracks aren’t quite enough for your recording endeavors, two R16 units can be joined together via USB to create one powerful, seamless system. You can designate one to function as a USB host and the other as a USB slave, allowing synchronized transport operation. This lets you record on up to 16 tracks simultaneously to competently handle a live performance.

SO is the Zoom R16 all things to all music creating people? Indeed, it’s as close as it gets!

Features:

Update May 2010

Zoom has released Version 1.2.0 for Macintosh that supports the 64-bit version of Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard. This update fixes the R16 functionality with Logic and GarageBand and is a free update.