Feature:
Since i really havent needed to use the built in drum section I cant say wether this is the coolest feature, since ive been mainly recording with real drums so far. but Im sure it will come in handy and i do like real time input, (but like most drum machines , the maximum bar length stops at 4) this is an important fact. Someone should come out with a drum machine that is programmable up to the machines memory , so that you could quantize and edit an entire song without repeating patterns over and over(message to manufacturers) the 1608 has everything i need, good sound, effects, drum machine and guitar amp sounds, 8 xlr's 8 track recording at once, and cd burner. remember to master your mix , then burn , then finalize cd. this stumped me for a few days. I love the features and quality. solid sturdy metal chassis, not the molded plastic stuff from boss and others.

Quality:
I did think alot about the quality issue with this zoom unit. but, its got a warranty and its solid. the controls and faders seem sturdy , and all connections are solid. I would have liked if the front section where the headphone jacks are was made of metal instead of plastic as well but, still seems worthy. I

Value:
Im sure there will be something better in months, but for my purpose of use, which is to get great quality sounds in a portable unit without using alot of outboard gear and be able to work it, edit it, and burn to cd in one box, and have the least amount of diversions and distractions to get in the way of making music this is the unit with the most value for me. I dont need an external drum machine. I dont need a computer.

Desirability:
lets just say that i know zooms philosophy is to get the most bang for your buck by forgoing some of the features you may never get to use and keep the practical ones that are important, like the quality of sounds, hard drive space, multiple track recording, good effects and sturdy construction.

Sound:
Ive had this unit for a couple of months and just started to really get into the deeper features. It sounds great plugged straight in. I use an sm57 and plug my guitar and bass straight through and the sm57 on my bro's kit and sounds excellent. the noise gate and compression sound awesome on my bass and drums. the guitar patches are nice, not as good as a mic in front of an amp but, nothing is. still have to explore the built in effects, reverb, chorus,delay and creating my own combo patches of these, but so far I love this unit. its simple to use, unlike what I have read before about this unit. I did find the smaller zoom 4 track harder to figure out than this unit, but the manual is great. I have a small suitcase i take this over to my jammin buddies house and we just start creating on the spot, set up in 5 minutes and go. then i can take it home and add to it or edit it as I please... 40gb provides alot of room.

Support:
I called zoom maybe 6 times asking specific questions about this unit and always got someone to answer my questions. their good at support.

Overall:
i would buy another one if lost, or stolen, but I would probably hold onto this until the next one thats a little better comes out. I have always had the most success at recording with either a simple 4 track recorder or little compact tape recorder until this unit came along. I tried minidisc, 4 track digital ps-02, as well as computer based cakewalk and cubebase and this is what i like the most. the computer based systems are way deeper but also way more complex with software plugins and hardware thats endless and its messy , tons of wires and cables this is simple. I will probably explore the computer based recording format more but I cant take my computer with me llike i can this unit and record wherever there an electrical outlet. for the money this unit gets my guitar recorded quicker, cheaper and thats whats important to me. get it recorded.

Feature:
the most useful features are the onboard effects

Quality:
teh quality is very well put together.

Value:
yes very well competitive

Desirability:
yes,very appealing technical and aesthetic

Sound:
The sound is pretty amazing and very user friendly

Support:
yes very easy to attain info

Overall:
Long time before I'm done with this product.In comparisions with other multi-track machines I've purchased I found this product to be the best for the price.

Feature:
Again, coming from the ADAT system where every single effect you wanted to add had to be purchased and bolted in-line with a tonne of wiring, snakelines, etc., i found the "studio in a box" features of the MRS1608 to be a real spoiler. And . . . the on-board drum kits beats the heck out of the DR-5 we toured with as far as sheer realism. I especially liked the ease at which you can "try" an effect, leave it be and live with it, then remove it if you change your mind. While this may be common to most DAWs of this type, understand that whenever we wanted to remove an effect from the XT-20 ADAT, it required a re-take of the entire track. I do like the front ports for the phones and instruments. Also like the phantom power availability. Keep in mind, we produced some great stuff on ADAT . . . but you had to have much more equipment and spend a heckuvalot more time to produce it. The 1608 is far more convenient. Not to mention the bennies of a 40g. HD. I do wish there was a direct USB connect instead of making it an option. I do not know if a PC based programme can process files from the Zoom. I know the optional USB board will permit downloading and backup onto a PC. I also wish that the 1608 had optical INPUT besides the output. Then i could take the work directly off the XT without going digital to analog to digital. It would be great to be able to handshake my two systems.

Quality:
Everything modern has that "look" these days that just comes off differently than the sherman-tank look and feel of the older gear. So, yeah, i am a bit wary of dropping the 1608 off a table, but under normal use, and using normal care and precaution i would think this unit should last for years. Reliability? Hasn't failed yet. I believe it to be road-worthy in my experience.

Value:
I think for what you get, it's the best deal going.

Desirability:
Sexy to me is a rack of tube gear from the 1950s. Black wrinkle-finished boatanchors running 1500v B+ from off purple glowing 866's and huge modulation transformers facing class A amps using 811As. But that's just me. These little boxes all seem dainty, like if you had all 8 rear ports connected, would the weight of the wire make the unit slide off the table? Naw, but it did take me a while to get used to the small size. I have to remember i live in an IC world of chips and small drives. Zoom uses that silvery colour on all their stuff it seems. I wish it was darker, personally. I cannot say i 'lusted' after looks, because once you've been to the mountain top of glass, steel laminate and iron, the "Iron Maidens" and the bullet proof reel transports, brother, everything else just makes you feel old. <grin>

Sound:
I put 9 instead of 10 only because i may not have a wide range of comparison aside from my good ol' XT-20 ADAT. I have always felt the old Alesis sounded great, and the Zoom sounds at least as good right off the 'phones. I can say that the 1608 has more than pleased me with the results of our efforts. It is highly compatible with not only my style, but my recording dynamics. I am using both dynamic and condenser mics with great results, and have recently produced a remote recording with it. Good results. So far, no suggestion upon improvement.

Support:
I have not had need to call for support. Hmm . . what does that tell you?

Overall:
I suspect we will have this box for a while. I like the convenience, and once i like something i keep it. While i do appreciate the base feature, i cannot say i use it much. I would have traded that feature for more onboard interconnectivity with the outside world, like litepipe compatibility, both in AND output, on-board usb or firewire ports, or even a vga card. Eventually these studio boxes will have to deal with the PC world more directly than just downloading back-ups and storage. This unit absolutely meets and has met our musical needs. Right now i am borrowing my guitarist's unit, and before Christmas i will most likely be buying one for myself . . . optical connection complaints notwithstanding.