Feature:
Having played with sound recording gadgets for 30 years, I found the D4 is easy to use, with just the right amount of bells and whistles, when and where I need them most. A lot of thought must have gone into deciding the final menu, because when I looked for something, there it was; not buried under ten layers of commands, and not 100 times more effects than you can remember you have, (or need). Korg left out the cheesy stuff and kept it real.
Quality:
For the cost of the unit, it is perfect. Korg spent money in all the right places. The knobs respond smoothly, the volume is exactly as expected from my microphones, all the nuances of accoustic music were captured easily. It seems like they took everything good from all the home recording devises and put them into the D4.
Value:
Like I said, the D4 makes my cables, software, drum machine, and 4-track tape recorder obsolete. My life is less cluttered. My studio is wherever I want it to be. This is great! but owww! all that old stuff!
Desirability:
D4 design is not genius, its evolution. The D4 has tons of common sense. Korg found a way to take all that's good in home recording and put it into one small package. It works by feel, in manner that came as no suprise. Using it feels a lot like eating comfort food. Everything you expect from it is there with no suprises except how good it is.
Sound:
I am a little irritated so much of my gear is obsolete now. (What do I do with all that stuff?) Now I can record sessions with the local bluegrass enthusiasts without intimidating anyone. I just set up right and left mic's for incredibly accurate reproductions. When I let the players hear the final cd they were all smiles.
Ease of Use:
I laid down 4 tracks and mixed to cd within a couple hours. The spontaneous magic of the music was not tainted by technical difficulties. It was a lot like using my reliable old Tascam PortaStudio MK-II, only with a much smaller footprint along with on-board drums and effects. No more sync tracks, no more expensive software, no more lost moments due to steep learning curves. I can see how a person starting out would find all this functionality a little confusing. Over the years I have spent hours and hours studying manuals on this type of device, and I believe that learning it all at once, on one machine, would be a daunting task. Newcomers be grateful you have saved thousands of dollars on analog equipment you will never have to learn how to use. Locked in the funny translation of the manual are all the secrets you seek. I would rather do some homework and figure stuff out than spend an extra 50.00 per unit it would probably take Korg to revamp their english version user manual.
Support:
I have not needed any support. Probably never will since home recording equipment seems to become obsolete way before it wears out. I would not be careless with it, treat it like any other expensive tool. Work it hard and have fun, but treat it with respect.
Overall:
Now I need to get rid of stuff, not find any more! I live in the country and love being able to record in my living room without taking over the whole room with gear. No amps, nothing. My guitar, my mics, and this little black box and a pair of headphones.
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