Feature:
The effects are pretty good if you're into them. It took me a while to find nice clean accoustic guitar settings. Not being a pro in the recording feild I am still learning about the contributions from Compression and other effects. There is a lot of different parameters you can control to learn how to perfect the sound you want to acheive. The Mastering effects are great too.

Quality:
The machine seems to be built well. I am picking up a tube preamp for recording my accoustic guitar to help get rid of some low-frequency hum when I push the volume on my onboard guitar EQ.

Value:
There are chaper models out there, but to get all the inputs and effects I think this is a fairly good deal.

Desirability:
This is a must have for those looking to record a couple of peices of a band.

Sound:
I use this as a part of my home recording studio. I find it easy to use right out of the box. There are many things to learn as you get used to the interface.

Support:
I haven't needed service yet. I have owned my Boss for almost a year now.

Overall:
I expect this product should hold me over for several years before I need an upgrade.

Feature:
After 42 years of playing, I find myself reverting back to clean and smooth settings for jams and improvisational sessions so there are more gimmicks than I'll ever need.

Quality:
Exterior could have been beefed up with heavier impact resistant shell and all buttons, faders and dials should be recessed.

Value:
8 inputs make this unit a winner.

Desirability:
Yeah, it's cool.

Sound:
It makes me sound good! Amazing variety of sounds can be produced. I can set up Fleetwood Mac for instance and track acoustic guitar and electric guitar to razor sharp vintage Mac sound. Then, flip to say, James Taylor pre-set and be ready to record acoustically.

Support:
Roland/Boss is world class. They are very musician-oriented.

Overall:
Being from the old school of tubes and analog, I'm sure that this will carry us for a long time. When I can play this thing like my Tele, I'll be in a better situation to compare it to other recording units.

Feature:
i think you would hve to pay an awfull lot more to get even a little more! this machine seems to have been very well thought out and personally so far ive only used the drum/bass and guitar effects which work very well. least usefull feature is the manual, its been written by people who know the machine inside out. maybe they should try teaching a few novices how to use it and then re-write the manual based on all the litle problems that are encountered. hey, i'm getting there if only slowly.

Quality:
i would not want to take this machine on the road without a very good flight case., and the warng about moving it while it is working is a little worrying. you can now buy laptops that will withstand being dropped so why not incorporate a hard drive like that in this machine, it would definately increase its usefullness.general build quality is pretty good, more than enough for home use.

Value:
worth every penny!!!! regarding next box below, it is sensibly priced making it affordable. any dearer, i would probably have bought something cheaper and then regretted doin so

Desirability:
at the price im glad that i now own one, looks good and does what it says on the box. i'm sure we will become the best of freinds once ive got my head around it properly.

Sound:
after a lot of head scratching and trying to find my way around, i managed to record some material on the first day i owned the machine. the sound quality is superb, no discernable noise or distortion and the audio bandwidth is true cd quality. VERY GOOD!!!

Ease of Use:
once again, after de-ciphering the manual, the learning curve was quick and easy, some very good sounds availiable. refer to above regarding the manual.

Support:
they had an instore demonstrator where i purchased it who was extremely helpfull and has invited me back to the store for more tuition or help whenever i need it

Overall:
i intend to keep it until there is a quantum leap in the tecnology or i get so into rewcording that i build a prper recording studio. ( but i would have to win the lottery to do that!)what made me choose this over other makes or models was the instore demonstration looking so simple. i then knew that if i found it was difficult that was due to me and not the machine. also the sond quality being so good and the eight simultneous inputs

Feature:
I find the vocal tool box and harmony the most useful feature. The mastering tool box is also super helpful. Haven't figured out the drum patches yet.

Quality:
No problems yet but I will say I am very reluctant to take it on the road (not built like a tank). My main application is project studio recording, so guess I'm safe. You must remember to back-up every 1-2 months and re-initialize the database every 3 months.

Value:
Absolutely worth the price!!

Desirability:
I like women better but this is a very classy looking piece of equipment!

Sound:
Sound quality is excellent once you learn the ropes of using compression and EQ. You do need good condensors though. The output is only as good as the input.

Support:
Roland support is the best. When I was trying to decide what model and company to go with I called all the support lines, Yamaha, Korg, Roland and Zoom. Roland is the only group that answers consistently and puts you through to really knowledgable tekkies.

Overall:
As a singer-song writer this unit will suffice for a very long time.

Feature:
Drum sounds are decent, but not enough of them. Also I'd like to record drums on the fly with song going but I guess I can't have everything. Guitar sounds are excellent, Mastering toolkit and vocal toolkit are both very good also.I wish it had channel inserts on at least 2 inputs.

Quality:
The CD tray is a little flimsy, but that's about the only negative I can come up with.

Value:
I used to run a 16 trk analog studio years ago, this little box can do almost the same as well with a lot less headaches.

Sound:
I've got an old Tascam 38 1/2" dinosaur if anyone is interested. Actually the sound quality is great' I'm very satisfied with it.

Support:
Haven't had to call them yet.

Overall:
I tried the Zoom product a bit, but I can't say this is better or worse - didn't have enough time to try Korg or Fostex units.

Feature:
More features than you'll ever need.

Quality:
Fairly well made machine, but beware--Boss warns you not to move or jostle the unit while the hard drive is operating, and they mean it. Due to my own carelessness in this regard, crashed the hard drive which needed to be replaced.

Value:
Probably better than the other choices, though I have little hands-on experience with other models. Even though there's a learning curve with this unit, I've heard its a lot more user friendly than most.

Sound:
Once you get over the learning curve, you can really find some nice, high quality effects which improve your live recording upon mixing and mastering.

Ease of Use:
Steep learning curve; manual has all the info you need but its not very well organized. The biggest drawback of this unit is the dinosaur factor; takes a long time to load songs, prepare for a new recording, and moving between songs is also slow. The hard drive mechanism, used for storing and saving tracks, has a speed that reminds me of the old IBM XT's.

Support:
When the hard drive crashed Boss not only repaired the unit promptly, they managed to recover all recorded data. Handled it as a warranty claim. Very good support.

Overall:
Can't imagine replacing or upgrading from this unit unless it breaks, but who knows what future technology may bring. If there were units out there that processed the data faster, I'd be interested. But overall this is a great unit that records, mixes, applies effects, masters, and writes cd's. Hard to beat.

Feature:
For the price, it includes everything you could possibly ask for.

Quality:
I have used Boss products for 25 years and never had a complaint. This thing is built like a tank.

Value:
The price is amazing for what you get.

Desirability:
The built-in rhythm section is very appealing.

Sound:
This is simply the best sound you can get with a digital recorder in this price range.

Support:
Never used it.

Overall:
I bought a Roland VS-1680 back in 1999 and have been totally satisfied with it all these years until I saw this unit. It has everything my 1680 has plus a lot more. It fits my needs perfectly.

Feature:
This product allows you to do almost everything a real studio does. I find the Mastering Tool kit most usefull because it allows you to set music to the sound you desire.

Quality:
The material could have been a little more solid and the cd tray is weakly designed.

Value:
The pricing seems a bit exspensive for the common working man to purchase one but it's is well worth the money for it's capabilities.

Sound:
The sound is qaulity is great. It basicly sounds ready for radio play.

Support:
They are very knowledgeable and patient people.

Overall:
I will use this epuipment untill it breaks or until I get a record deal.