Feature:
Lots of features, many of which I won't use, but the ones I have tried have been excellent. I like the drum kit feature.

Quality:
The first thing you notice taking the unit out of the box is how solid it feels. It does not appear to be cheaply made at all. I plan to use the unit at home, but would not hesitate to take it on the road.

Value:
This is not a professional recording studio, but for the price, you would not expect it. Very good value for the price. I was impressed with the sound quality for the price.

Sound:
For the price, I don't see how the sound could be better. Once again, the sound quality is going to depend on the skill of the operator. Knowledge of mic techniques is imperative.

Ease of Use:
As an amateur hobbyist recordist, I found this product fairly easy to use, given its many features. The controls are intuitive, and the manual is very good, written with the beginner in mind. I was recording and mixing in very little time at all, with a finished product on CD faster than I had imagined.

Support:
I have not had to deal with support, since I have had no problems as of this date.

Overall:
I plan to use this unit extensively and am looking forward to investigating some of the features included which I haven't had time to examine yet.

• User: a customer from hotmail.com
• Submitted: 6/30/2008
• Style of Music: Rock/Praise & Worship
• Location: Stroudsburg PA

Feature:
This unit certainly has a lot of features packed into it, the 80G hard drive is nice. I also like the fact that the audio is recorded as a .wav file, so there's no exporting from a proprietary format to a wav or mp3 format. That is a huge time saver.

Quality:
It seems to be a solid unit, but it's a bit quirky. For example, the USB interface will work fine once, but the next time I may have to reboot Win Vista to get it to recognize the device. Sometimes the rhythm volume goes whacko when I'm just advancing through the options. And sometimes it takes a reset (power off and then on) to get things back on an even keel.

Value:
For the price, this unit is well worth it. The feature set is impressive.

Desirability:
Nice unit overall, and it only took a few minutes to get my first tracks recorded.

Sound:
The effects seem a bit 'noisy'. I've had best luck using a clean channel (no fx) and recording from a mic'd amp. Even the set of clean fx seem to overpower the recorded audio with a hum of some sort.

Ease of Use:
Eh, this unit is OK for the operational aspects, but it takes a lot of key combinations which can be hard to remember. It just means a bit of a learning curve. It's no more difficult than the other recorders I've used, but it does take some repetition before your brain will remember all the key combos.

Support:
Haven't had to deal with support.

Overall:
I bought this for personal demo recording. I'm still not sure if I'd use it for making a CD. The user controls are more button-oriented than lcd-oriented, which is a plus. The included fx are a bit noisy and there are some that are just plain useless (insect? who in their right mind would use that?) If you have a set of fx pedals, just mic your amp and you'll get better results. The price is right, and the unit has some features only found on higher-end recorders. The included manual is actually pretty good.

• User: a customer from harmware.net
• Submitted: 6/17/2008
• Style of Music: Blues Rock
• Location: Omaha USA

Feature:
The controls are totally intuitive, everything is laid out perfectly. The manual is very long and in-depth, though it is easy to read and understand. I don't use the CD burner at all... as I mix everything on my computer. I honestly haven't even bothered to see if it works. I did record a live concert the other night which I'll probably try to mix in the box and burn... we'll see. The drum machine is nice, but not so useful. I wish there were more metronome settings. But you can make your own. I haven't tried to load sounds onto the triggers yet, but it's on my mind.

Quality:
I was absolutely surprised that this thing was pretty god damn HEAVY when I picked it up. It's a solid piece of metal. It's extremely durable, even though I treat her like a baby. I wish there was a carrying case made for it, though.

Value:
This is the best in this price range... but, I must say. As soon as you have 8 simultaneous inputs... you're gonna want 16, 24, 32, 64... just like me.

Desirability:
If the XLR inputs were a bit wider I would dump my girlfriend.

Sound:
16 Bit/44.1 kHz... what else could you want? When buying a standalone recorder, this was my first requirement. All sounds are accurately captured, provided you capture them in the right way. Garbage in=garbage out, etc. I only give it a 9 because I feel like the preamps could be better. But even if they were good, I wouldn't use them. I like my outboard pres better.

Ease of Use:
All the controls are extremely intuitive. Only thing I found a bit difficult was the mysterious "REC LEVEL" pot... wasn't explained in the manual at all. It raises your monitor volume of the inputted source(s)... thought the pot could have a better name. The unit gets an 8 in this category, because I've noticed some problems. When recording more than one track at once... when I press 'stop' and zero the track (say I messed up and wanted to do it over) every now and then--completely without a pattern--track one, for some reason, disarms itself. There were a few drum takes I'd have to start over because I wasn't getting anything from the left overhead, etc. Also... the wheel, every now and then, counts up when im trying to make it go down, and vice versa. I can work around this stuff... but I feel like eventually I'll get on the phone with zoom and see if updating the firmware will correct this.

Support:
Haven't dealt with them. I give 10s to support I never need.

Overall:
I'll get a couple of years of use out of this thing. Eventually it will be relegated to mobile recording projects, and I'll probably upgrade to a more serious desk. But this will work fine until then.

• User: a customer from gmail.com
• Submitted: 5/11/2008
• Style of Music: Rock
• Location: Cambridge, MA

Feature:
Ok, the 'features' section gets a 10. Why? Well, because this thing let's you record 8 channels at a time with 8-XLR in's, 8-1/4", TRS-ins (two of which have hi-z switches for added guitar frequency boosting), and EVERY SINLGE INPUT (all 8 of em') HAS 48V PHANTOM POWER!!! That's just plain sick, especially since I use 5 mics which need this. Does any other 16-tracker boast that capability...didn't think so...

Quality:
Wow..that's about all I can say. This thing is sturdy to the max! It's soooo much heavier and sold metal-feeling than all of the other recorders in it's league (I've had the opportunity to mess around with the Yamaha & boss 16 trackers...and also the Zoom's predecessor, the MRS-1608). This thing has taken alot of bumps and shady, backroad car rides in nothing more than it's original carboard box...and it still works like the day I got it (about a year ago).

Value:
This is another '10' for the HD16. It out-preforms at least it's Yamaha and Boss competitors (like I said, I've tested all three), and it's better built than both of them as well, and it costs waaaay less than them, too...therefore...it gets a '10' for value. I'd easily have paid an extra $200 or $300 for this unit, it's a total steal at $700.00!

Desirability:
Well, I have it...therefore "I want it"... ...if my HD16 broke, I'd totally buy another one.

Sound:
It sounds fantastic! Especially for being a 16-bit recorder (with "24-bit conversion" of course...). Seriously though, it sounds awesome. The built-in effects and preset can be a little bit 'toy-ish' or 16-bit sounding...but if you mic your amps and everything (with halfway decent mics) and record that way, you can get superb results with this unit.

Ease of Use:
Somewhat intuitive. The instructions arn't the best, but instructions ALWAYS suck (especially when they're from another country). Basically, you'll have to do a few simple "starter projects" first so you can learn your way around, but after that (unless you have no recording experiece whatsoever), you should be fine. It's all about mic'ing techniques people....no matter what unit or method you use to record.

Support:
I'll say '7' just to be fair, because technically I've never needed them for anything, so I can't rightly give them a '10' or a '0'

Overall:
My band's CD sounds like we recorded it at a serious, pro-studio in LA, when in fact it was done quickly in a dirty basement with the Zoom HD16 and a couple decent mics. I'm not sure what the last couple of reviews here were talking about (and I'm not sure it's fair to give an accurate review of the HD16's features, sound, & use if yours was DOA...your local music vendor or where ever you bought it from should have fixed that for you, without having to deal with Zoom's support), but mine has been all but lifechanging! I give the Zoom HD16 a solid 9-9.5 overall...just cause nothing's perfect.

• User: a customer from psu.edu
• Submitted: 4/4/2008
• Style of Music: All types of rock (hard, indie, alt, metal, etc)
• Location: State College, PA (USA)

Feature:
They were great!!!

Quality:
It lasted two months before I had to send it in for warranty repair!!!

Value:
If it isn't reliable, it's not too valuable!!!

Desirability:
I don't have it. The factory does!

Sound:
It was great!!!

Ease of Use:
They were great!!!

Support:
It's been in for warranty for two weeks and I'm told it won't be another three weeks befor they get to it!!!

Overall:
I want it back, but I also want it to work!!!

• User: a customer from cfl.rr.com
• Submitted: 3/14/2008
• Style of Music: comedy/banjo
• Location: Apopka, Florida

Feature:
Again, if the thing doesn't work--all the promised features are worthless.

Quality:
Ya think I'm gonna give high marks for quality for something that didn't work?

Value:
Knowing what I know now about the product--Samson Technologies should be paying people to use their crap.

Sound:
Hard to tell what this thing sounds like. When I took it out of the box, set it up, plugged it in, and turned the switch to the "on" position--it didn't do anything--no boot-up sequence, nothing, nada, zip.

Ease of Use:
If not functioning is easy, yeah it's easy to use. I know that's sarcastic--can you tell I'm frustrated over paying $700 for an oriental POS.

Support:
I'm still waiting for the return authorization from the dealer so the jury's still out on this one. I'll give a five just to be generous.

Overall:
I'm sending this back and when I replace it I'll be looking long and hard--probably at Yamaha or Boss--never again Zoom.

• User: a customer from sbcglobal.net
• Submitted: 3/6/2008
• Location: Saint Joseph, MO

Feature:
It has pretty much everything you need. And even if there's an operation that you want to execute that this thing doesn't have a designated button or operation for, there's usually a roundabout way of doing it anyway...once you learn how the unit works. I guess if I absolutley had to say something, I'd ask for a larger LCD screen, but you get used to it being so small, and it is really brightly-lit.

Quality:
Wow! I bought this unit after having a fair amount of success with the MRS-1608. The HD16 is bomb proof...much sturdier that the 1608 even. It's housed in an incredibley durable metal chasis...definitely made for the mobile musicians! The durability and quality of it's production is probably the thing that impressed me the most about this unit...I'll leave it at that.

Value:
Superb value! Especially when compaired against it's pricey competitors (the yamaha, boss, & fostex 16 trackers) it's a steal in terms of the quality/price ratio.

Desirability:
It looks extremely sexy, especially the new LCD level meter...verrrry nice!

Sound:
This thing sounds amazing, especially if you're using mics. The onboard effects/algorithm presets can sound a little "16-bit" and toy-ish, but if you mic your stuff or use this as a live recording console...it sounds crystal clear and very professional (especially if you're using nice mics).

Ease of Use:
Very easy to use once you get "the gist" of how they desinged it. The instructions manual is pretty lame, and it makes things sound alot harder than they are and adds more steps to any given operation than is really necessary, but from what I've heard, the instructions manuals are like that with every other brands multi-track recorder as well, not just the zoom (they're probably all bad translations between japanese/chinese to english).

Support:
Haven't needed em'...yet (fingers contiually crossed!)

Overall:
With a better instructions manual, a bigger LCD screen, and maybe less novelty sounding effects presets...this would get a 10/10, even as is I give it a very strong 9/10. Completely satisfied!

• User: a customer from yahoo.com
• Submitted: 1/28/2008
• Style of Music: Rock (all kinds)
• Location: Muncy, PA, USA

Feature:
The only feature I wish it had was a monitor hook up. Everything is very nicely laid out, and clear to understand.

Quality:
Solid build. Appears as though it would hold up for many years.

Value:
Very much worth the price. You would spend $700 for one song in a professional recording studio and possibly not get it to sound as good as you can with this machine.

Desirability:
I don't buy equipment because it looks sexy. It's functionality is exactly what I wanted. It's looks are fine. I like the digital read outs on each track. Gives it an analog board feel.

Sound:
I rated this a 9, only because the A/D converters are not "high end", but they are very workable. Sound really comes down to how you eq it going in and what kind of an environment you are recording in. Trust me you can get a crappy sound with the high end A/D converters. I'm quite please with the sound, and thought everything was very quiet. Keep in mind that the Beatles recorded their albums on equipment that isn't close to this kind of quality.

Ease of Use:
Very easy to use. Sit down with the manual and learn the steps to get sound on to the machine and then it's a piece of cake. Manual is very clear and up front.

Support:
Haven't had to deal with support.

Overall:
I don't think I will replace this product, unless my music makes me millions of dollars then I'll build a studio and go with a pro-tools mac system. Until then this is a perfectly fine unit.

• User: a customer from hotmail.com
• Submitted: 8/17/2007
• Style of Music: Rock / pop / progressive
• Location: Akron, ohio - USA

Feature:
I would have to say the Absolute BEST BEST parts about this product are that I can Record music directly to its hard drive without Latency issues. Than Import the Songs Files through the USB connection on the HD16cd into my computer, Than Drop the SOng fileinto Cubase, Cubase see's it with No problems and Imediatly Puts Every Single track i recorded in the right order and timing. Than, i set my Hd16Cd to Control Surface modeso i can Mix the Song Down!! I'm sure there are easyer perhpas better ways with Computers at this point but i dontlike having tot Buy a new computer to compliment my Recording Software, i want my Recording Software to complimnet my Recordings, Which is why Importin the songs into Cubase is Great cause i Can Edit the Heck out of them when needs be and It was FAR less painfull than Dealin with soo many computer problems while trying to record complex songs or Lengthy ones.

Quality:
Made for silly Musicians, its tough and meant to be bumped.

Desirability:
The thing looks great. Great is Sexy right? I think so

Sound:
So FarThis Machine Still RULES!! The sound can be Flat but you Can Adjust the way you set up your mics and try taking the time to Get to know the machine. I havent noticedany "EXTRA" noise all i hear on my recordings is what i recorded and that includes the noise from the air conditioner, the creak of my chair and the sound of my computer. Im not using Great Mics either. I use Mainly an MXL 990 condenser Mic. It Works, Nothin wrong with it.

Ease of Use:
Just practice the basics, keep it up and you can get Great sounds from any number of lower end recorders.

Support:
I havent had to use the support at all.

Overall:
I'll be satisfied until I need more inputs and more editing functions, but since ive got this machine to Record on and i can then import a song but each track shows in a different window for Complete individual editing I can YUse this Product and my software, so I win no matter what! I love winning.

• User: a customer from us.army.mil
• Submitted: 6/5/2007
• Style of Music: Rock, Country Folky rock stuff
• Location: New York

Quality:
The Quality so far as i see it is Great. I love it. HARD METAL DESIGN!!! Made for Musicians.

Sound:
This Machine does what you wish your computer would do to record your songs. It doesnt Skip or have Pops. It sounds clear and the Dynamics are there. ITs Solid and made of Metal. It Makes me Smile when i see it because before this i was ripped off so much trying to make my computer a Recording studio when Just using this makes it FAR FAR easyer THAN i can import the Tracks and edit them Within my computer studio program. no hassles. Nice!

Ease of Use:
The sound from this product is REal Good, but remember its all about how you record your music. Study up a little. Learn how to MIC your guitars and amps. A little practice is a LOT of help.

• User: a customer from us.army.mil
• Submitted: 6/3/2007
• Style of Music: Rock, and country rock
• Location: New York