Feature:
The direct input for guitar is very useful and the built in amp sims are pretty good and easily tweaked to suit your taste. The set of control knobs for reverb, pan, and compression are very handy and save alot of jog wheel spins and menu madness.

Quality:
Controls feel solid though the faders could be a bit smoother. The case is aluminum and feels much more substantial than competitors made of plastic.

Value:
As good or better than anything else you can by for a grand. Plenty of tracks, good effects, excellent sound quality, all in a well built package. I looked at every DAW close to this price range. Yamaha outdid them all.

Desirability:
I couldn't wait to get one when they first came out. It as met or exceeded all my expectations.

Sound:
Like most Yamaha equipment I have used the sound is clean and open. What you record is what you get back. Don't let the 16-bit fool you. The sound quality would give some 24-bit machines a run for their money.

Support:
After six months of ownership...no problems at all so far.

Feature:
I especially like the parametric equalization. I like the useful and functional library of effects, amplifiers, rhythm's and other settings, etc. I also like the fact that the unit is dual voltage (110/220) which is nice depending on your travelling / location. Quite honestly, the AW16G has everything I could think of in a digital recording device. Now I realize that's a rather broad and unspecific statement. So maybe I should rather say that there's no feature I required insofar as recording or playing (live) which the AW16G did not provide me. Now these features, may not be entirely intuitive or easy to use, but they are there and once you experiment and become familiar ... You will find the device more than capable of capturing your musical expressionism and creativity.

Quality:
I've never had any problems at all with the device after nine months of almost daily use for several hours at a time. I even found a hard shell case that is especially made for the AW16G from Thon (I think I'm spelling it correctly). Let me also go on the record by saying that YAMAHA makes quality musical products. I've had several YAMAHA musical products in the past 20 years and they all (each and every one of them) has provided me with years-and-years of functional and rugged enjoyment. I would not say that if I did not mean it ... My next digital recorder will be a Yamaha.

Value:
Well you know ... $1000.00 dollars is a good deal of money. But yeah, the product is really worth it. I tend to be prudent in my spending (you should be too) and therein, I spent many months researching various devices. Forget the competition, I chose "quality" over everything else because of my experience with Yamaha products. And to my surprise, not only did I achieve the purchase of a "quality" product, but damn - it's absolutely "feature rich" too.

Desirability:
I bought it once, I would buy it again based on my experience with the product. I may not by the sexiest product on the market, but you'd be a fool to purchase on looks alone ... Especially since the object of the purchase is to produce quality, semi-professional music and have the component last for several years (at a minimum). You wouldn't be fair to yourself if you didn't a good hard look at the AW16G before purchasing. I did (months of research) and in the end, it was Yamaha that got my money. And 9 months later, I still feel good about it.

Sound:
The sound is quite good. It's more than enough to record quality CD's which you can be proud to send out, share, etc. But wait, it's so much more than just something to record with. And this is where I particularly like the AW16G ... To put it in words, the device has completely replaced my Marshall Amplifier and Speaker Cabinet. I haven't used them in months. After years-and-years of searching for that particular "tone" I could call my own ... I found it inside the AW16G. So much so, that I now use the AW16G exclusively for "live" performances (e.g. gigs) since it's such an intricate part of my personal sound and (among other things) is infinately easier to carry than a large amplifier. I tried everything else (literally) and there's just no comparison when I talk about that amazing "tone" that is capable in the AW16G (people in the audience have actually commented on my tone). Mind you, there are some other devices in the chain, e.g. I use a Rocktron - Voodu Valve Online and a Mackie DFX12 mixer. More I don't need ... This blows the doors wide open in tonal quality and sound.

Support:
Never had to use YAMAHA support so I can not say how good or bad they are. I think it speaks highly of the company that their products don't often need support. I've found several web pages (support groups) offering tips & tricks for the AW16G.

Overall:
I'm tying not to repeat myself. This is a quality product with an abundance of useful features at a fair price. Yamaha (in my opinion) makes quality products and this is no exception. I've never had a single problem with the unit, it's done everything (and more) than I could ever have hoped. It has completely replaced my previous Marshall Amplification and Speaker Cabinet as well as numerous effect devices (Roland GP8). Now I play exclusively with the AW16G in my sound path whenever I play "live" because of the incredible functionality and tonal charecteristics. Parametric equalization and effect libraries make dialing-in your sound extremely easy ... It has microphone hook-ups and you can record eight tracks at the same time, e.g. the entire band. If you purchase the product, you won't be disappointed. I can honestly make this statement and feel comfortable in stating it. I own one, and have used it for more than 9 months. I would purchase another (if lost or stolen) and would pruchase from YAMAHA again because of their quality.

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This just replaced about a roomfull of reel-to-reels, rack effects, computers and guitar amps, not to mention the black speghetti covering the floor.
Sound quality is truly professional. the Quick Loop Sampler sounds are breathtaking. (I never say "breathtaking" about anything) I must say, however, and this may just be because I never owned a digital recorder before, that I had to read the manual. (I won't tell you how much reading I did, but I will say that the manual did reside in the bathroom for a while.) But I did manage to get a whole song mixed and burned to CD within two days of purchasing the unit. Controls now seem simple and quite logical. A wonderful machine. Thank you Yamaha.

Feature:
Great guitar effects. Still trying to figure out the vocal effects. EQ and mastering library are very helpful.

Quality:
So far so good.

Value:
I don't know how much more value for the money you can get. This is the tops.

Desirability:
Every band needs this.

Sound:
Just a hair below perfect. I had it for 2 days and put together 2 complete tracks with a 5-piece band. Super sound! Libraries REALLY help.

Support:
GREAT SUPPORT FROM YAMAHA. I had a few dumb questions in the beginning, called Yamaha and got calls back within hours from a rep who walked me through everything I needed. Awesome support.

Overall:
I should get the most out of this product for at least 2-3 years.

Feature:
The best features are the Naviagtion. Just push a buttom close your eyes it even tells you when something is wrong. YOU CAN NOT GO WRONG WITH THIS MACHINE

Quality:
the worst aspect is the price, to dam low....lol. this thing has a magnetic shield yes place it beside your pc no problem. and its a nice size machine ruggit

Value:
for 1099.99 it is a clean steal i would buy this for atleast 1500. I could not believe the price comes with sonar dvd manual and cdwr build in.

Desirability:
i have it and my ladies is mad b/.c my hands are all over the yamaha now

Sound:
This is the best thing out there. The Fostex cant touch this machine and the Korg d1600 cant compare or out beat this machine. I mean the manual is perfect, Working this machines reminds me of my old 4 track tascam cassett so darn easy but the sound quality is surperb. I have had 20k studios ask me where I am doing my recording and I reply at home in my basement with my AW16 and PC. Why do you think other boards have Disscussion forums b/c their machines are plague with problems and you need to have a degree. come on and join the aw16 family

Support:
dont need the company for the aw16 there is a group out on msn cant remeber the group name but hell this thing is awesome so far i dont need them dont care there is nothing to talk to them about but, they better not discontinue this product...lol

Overall:
I will be honest the next best thing out their is the Fostex but as long as the AW16 is there no machine can compare yuou have 4 ban EQ, Dynamics, and 2 effects on all channels yes individual. oh yeah a mixdown and final effect. to much to put on any site.

Sound:
This is one kick-a--- system. Very sturdy, I've spend only a month with it and it gets better and better. It still blows me away. I do mostly acoustic piano and guitar recording with vocals - but it is capable of so much more. the sound quality of the internal hardware is exceptional for this price range. Though this system will interface with most professional studio software packages, pro tools, Sonic, Cakewalk pro-- It has its own software built in. Once you overcome the learning curve associated with testing and trying out the features and functions the system becomes intuitive. I would not recommend this system for someone not willing to devote time to learning the manual. It comes with some excellent presets for compression, reverb, EQ.and much much more. You can create your own presets also. Will interface with most existing hardware equipment. Study this tool. It is the best value in the marketplace for home professional recording studio in a box. Comes with exceptional sequencer. Still much more to learn.

If you have any inclination on purchasing a what essentially is a home recording and mastering studio in a box... this is the unit you've been waiting for. A little bit of a learning curve is involved, but if your the kind of person that likes poring through the manuals of your new stuff, then not much of a problem. If you have any type of experience whatsoever with recording equipment, then the curve is not steep at all, most controls being rather intuitive. Next step...the 4416.

Feature:
it does not come with a milkshake maker :) ...but it does everything you need it to do. USB port would have been nice more XLR inputs would not have gone a miss either Virtule tracks are very cool and easy, Nice EQ for tweeking on the way in.

Quality:
feels strong in a nice metal case (not plastic) its nice and small but still all laid out well. Feels like effort and time have gone into it to make sure it runs well and wont let you down...unlike a few others

Value:
well for what it is and what you pay for it I cant find another multitrack of this quality that does what it does, there have been no corners cut here and everything has been screwed in nice and tight..just like all Yamaha stuff

Desirability:
this helps me make music with no problems and it fits on my desk nice and sounds nice...

Sound:
Digital is Digital...and this is a digital recorder that sounds fine. Effects sound very nice and the EQ is quite handy too....I am only useing this for tracking and then trancfering and for this I have come across no problems at all...

Support:
seeing as i have not needed it i say its Great! ...I cant see Yamaha not having good support though.

Overall:
I mainly use this for Tracking and dumping into Cubase SX and it has everything I need to do this perfectly. the only restrictions are if you are a 24bit lover then this is 16bit only. also 4 of the tracks here are pared tracks with single faders which makes it hard to make a hole pro recording on this unit alone....overall its a very powerful tool and very useful for any songwriter/engineer to have.

Feature:
I find the sampler to be somewhat a chore to deal with, largest complaint with the sampler is the triggers. Factory set guitar sounds usually need tweeking to get a really good sound. All together very satisfied though.

Quality:
With the cdrw drive there is a screw hanging out the bottom that has scratched the work surface it is on. Could just be mine?

Value:
tons of features for the price

Desirability:
More practical than sexy, but I like girls more than machines

Sound:
Honestly a 9.5, the sound is very shapable, considering the price of the machine

Support:
The only time I contacted them they left a detailed message on my machine, emailed my some literiture and tried to contact me every day for a week. Service is outstanding!!! Very knowledgable and thourough

Overall:
If I had more time on my hands I would already be looking to upgrade. But I would almost definatly buy another yamaha recorder