Zoom R16 Multi-Track SD Recorder Interface and Controller

zZounds' Take on Zoom R16 Multi-Track SD Recorder Interface and Controller

At first glance, the under-3-pound Zoom R16 is pretty impressive in its own right: a truly portable digital 16-tracker, capable of recording and mixing 8 simultaneous XLR inputs -- no computer required. Fully stocked with on-board metronome, tuner, 135 effects, and even built-in stereo microphones, the R16 makes a killer songwriting scratchpad and portable demo studio. But plug in a USB cable and the R16 becomes a seamless front end for your Mac or PC recording rig, complete with an 8-in/2-out USB audio interface and 9-fader control surface.

The Zoom R16 puts true portability in your hands. Want to multitrack your band rehearsal or live show? Grab your R16 and go. Running on 6 AA batteries, this under-3-pound wonder records onto rock-solid, low-cost SD card media. Each track in your project is saved as an industry-standard 44.1 kHz, 24-bit WAV file, ready to be imported into any DAW. And if you need DAW software, Zoom even bundles Cubase LE 5 to help you get started.

Plug in 8 XLRs -- Or Record The Built-In Mics

Whether you're tracking a full band, or a drum kit with multiple mics, the R16 allows 8 channels of simultaneous recording from its 8 combination 1/4-inch/XLR inputs. One input accepts Hi-Z sources like a guitar or bass, and 2 can supply phantom power to condenser microphones or active DI boxes. All 8 inputs can accept line-level sources, such as synths or external mic preamps. And because the R16 has no hard drive or noisy fans, operation is completely silent. That means you can make clean recordings with the built-in pair of microphones on the unit's left and right sides -- perfect for scratch vocals, hand percussion, or acoustic guitar. The R16 makes it easy to capture your song ideas anytime inspiration strikes -- and with the on-board tuner and metronome, you'll be making quick demos that you're not embarrassed to show the rest of the band!

Flexible Multitracking and On-Board Effects

Lay down your tracks one by one, or record 8 at a time. However you like to roll, the R16's audio recorder has helpful functions like manual and auto punch-in/out, A-B repeat, bounce, divide, undo, and up to 100 markers to help you find your way around. Press a button to switch banks to tracks 9-16, and keep rolling with up to 16 tracks of simultaneous playback. Use the R16's faders to adjust each track's volume, pan, EQ, and 9 types of onboard effects, with 135 editable presets from guitar amp simulations to rich reverbs. Don't want to commit to your effects just yet? You can record while listening to yourself through a reverb or delay in the monitor path, while the R16 captures your clean, dry signal for later re-amping in your DAW.

Easy File Transfer Over USB

The R16 is great for tracking on-the-go, but it's likely you'll want to transfer your multitrack projects to your Mac or PC for further editing and mixing. That's why the R16 saves individual tracks as industry-standard 44.1 kHz, 16 or 24-bit WAV files, on solid-state SD or SDHC card media. The R16's SD card slot supports up to 32GB cards, and it comes with a 1GB card to get you started. Just plug in the included USB cable to drag and drop your WAV files to your computer, and import them into the bundled Cubase LE 5 software. Even tracks that were started halfway into an R16's project are automatically extended to the project start, so everything lines up exactly in sync. And when your computer's not around, you can use any USB thumb drive (or bus-powered USB hard drive) to back up your R16 when your computer's not around.

Serious DAW Integration

Once you've transferred your audio to your computer, keep that USB cable plugged in: the R16 now functions as a control surface for your DAW, using standard Mackie Control architecture. And if you want to track some overdubs into your DAW, go ahead and plug your mics or instruments into the R16: it's now an 8-in/2-out bus-powered USB 2.0 audio interface, with 1/4-inch outputs to feed your studio monitor speakers. Switch to a 2-in/2-out setup for higher-definition 96 kHz, 24-bit audio. The R16 ships with Cubase LE 5, so you can immediately start using its 9 faders and transport buttons as a control surface and front end for Cubase, Sonar, Logic, and more -- just add a computer. And that arcane three-fingered keyboard shortcut you can never remember? Just map it to one of the R16's 5 function keys and never forget again.

Have Tracks; Will Travel

Say you don't have a laptop to run a DAW on -- or maybe you just don't want to lug around your computer, interface, power adapters and all the cables to shows or rehearsals. You're in luck: the R16 is made to travel. It runs for about 4.5 hours on 6 AA batteries, or you can power it from the included AC adapter. The "guard rails" on the sides of your R16 protect its knobs and buttons from damage when you slide it into your backpack or laptop bag, and they make great carrying handles when you go mobile. With the Zoom R16, you get all the portability of Zoom's famous handheld recorders, plus the flexibility of a multitrack recorder, interface, and controller.

Once upon a time, cassette-tape porta-studios roamed the Earth. Next came the era of stand-alone hard disk multitrack recorders -- followed by the rise of computer-based DAWs. So what's the next step? It just might be the Zoom R16 -- one box that can do it all, and integrate with your DAW too.

Features:

- 8 tracks simultaneous recording, 16 tracks playback
- 8 line/mic inputs -- 1 with Hi-Z input, 2 with phantom power
- On-board pair of omnidirectional condenser microphones
- 9 faders with 4-segment LED level meters
- 135 effects patches, plus on-board tuner -- great for guitarists
- 8-in/2-out USB audio interface, up to 96 kHz at 24-bit resolution
- Control surface for many DAW software packages
- Cubase LE 5 included
- Supports SD cards up to 32 GB
- Synchronize two R16s via USB for 16 simultaneous recording tracks

Manufacturer's Description for Zoom R16 Multi-Track SD Recorder Interface and Controller

The Zoom R series was designed to give musicians a portable recording command center that doubles as a digital audio interface for either Mac or PC. Using SDHC/SD memory cards for storage, every recorder in the R series features multiple channels of simultaneous recording, playback, and control for optimal musical blend, balance, and precision. The R16 come with 16 channels of playback capability, 8 tracks of simultaneous recording (with two channels of phantom power), versatile input jacks, excellent DSP effects options, and more. It is the workman of the series combing great value with functionality.

The R16 gives you an incredible array of recording and sound capture options. Eight tracks of simultaneous recording make recording groups or individually micing a drum kit fast and simple. Channels 5 and 6 are phantom powered for dedicated use with multiple condenser microphones, perfect for acoustic instruments and vocals. The eight combination mic/line-in jacks accommodate a range of instrument and mic hookups. Sixteen channels of playback offer an improved monitoring experience. The R16 can be daisy-chained to either another R16 or the R24 for up to 16 channels of simultaneous recording or a maximum of 40 channels of playback. An on-board master track allows you to quickly mixdown your recordings.

The SDHC/SD cards help to facilitate the recording process. Each 32GB card can hold up to 100 hours of track recording. These cards can be easily swapped out, stored, and backed-up on USB memory sticks and other memory devices for excellent memory security.

The R16 is also an incredibly versatile and user-friendly audio interface. With the convenient USB plug, the R16 can be attached to most computers or laptops. The R16 comes equipped with Cubase LE5 but can run most standard DAW software. The simultaneous 8-in/2-out capacity allows the recording of 16-bit/44.1kHz audio. This setup can be reordered to support higher definition 24-bit/96kHz audio recording. If the sampling rate is 44.1kHz, the internal DSP effects of the R16 can be added to the computer tracks. Dedicated controls let the R16 balance the DAW playback and the source sound for precise EQ levels.

The effects module of the R16 is similarly extensive with 135 DSP effects--choose any 3 to play at once thanks to the two send/return features. Additionally, the R16 comes with 18 different guitar amps models, 6 bass amps models, and compressor and equalizer effects for a dizzying amount of effects options. A memory recall function, that allows for the placement of up to 100 way-points makes jumping around, saving, and resuming a project quick and relatively painless.

Features

-Over 100 studio-quality effects including guitar amp models and mastering effects
-Records on up to 32GB SDHC cards for maximum recording time
-8 balanced XLR-1/4-inch combination inputs
-Records in WAV 48kHz/44.1kHz at 16-bit or 24-bit
-Easily viewable 4-segment LED meter bridge
-6-channel simultaneous 48V phantom power supply capability
-Over 4 hours of operation using 6 AA alkaline batteries (AC adaptor included)
-Sync two R16s or an R16 to an 24 via USB for 16 tracks of simultaneous recording
-Audio InterfaceHigh-definition 24-bit/96kHz recording capability using digital audio software
-8 in / 2 out (8 x 2) via USB
-Control Surface - Full mixing and transport controls for Cubase, Logic, Sonar and more!
-USB Control Surface uses Mackie Control emulation
-Tuner and on-board metronome for convenient performance and recording aid.

With the R series, for convenience and expedience of use, Zoom has merged a multi-track recorder, audio interface, controller and a sampler into a single device. The R16, released in 2009, offers a full compliment of features at a very reasonable price, perfect for recording small groups in most venues and environments. zZounds is an authorized dealer of Zoom products.

- Digital recorder with 16-track playback and 8-track simultaneous recording utilizing Secure Digital (SD) memory
- 24-bit/44.1kHz linear PCM recording in WAV format
- Built-in stereo condenser microphones
- Includes 1GB SD card and supports cards up to 32GB SDHC, also includes power supply and USB cable
- Allows simultaneous recording on up to 8 tracks
- Battery operation for remote recording
- USB power for studio operation
- 8 mic inputs / 2 outputs (8 x 2)
- 8 combination XLR-1/4-inch inputs
- High-definition 24-bit/96kHz recording capability using digital audio software
- Built-in effects can be used as outboard effects as well
- Hi-Z input for direct connection of guitar or bass
- Includes preamp with phantom power on two channels
- Mackie control emulation via USB for popular DAW software including Cubase, Logic, Digital Performer and more
- Over 100 built-in studio effects coming from advanced DSP
- Amazing guitar amp and effects models
- Professional quality mastering effects including multi-band compressor, normalizer and more
- Operates as USB storage device for quick data transfer
- Connect two R16s via USB for synchronized operation and 16 tracks of simultaneous recording
- Undo/Redo functions
- Comes with Steinberg Cubase LE 5
- Supports 64-bit versions of Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Shipping Weight: 8 lbs