Zoom R16 Multitrack SD Recorder Interface and Controller

Record your full band with 8 simultaneous tracks on the powerful, portable Zoom R16 -- then plug it into your DAW as a USB interface and control surface.

Overall User Ratings (based on 66 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(66) (see rating details)
Submitted October 11, 2011 by a customer from charter.net

"A Beast of a Recorder."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
I have had alot of recording experiences. It is very easy to tell when something is non-studio quality. Out of the box, this thing is very nice, and is ready to record with the built in mics. You have 8 XLR/1/4" combo jacks, a very nice touch. A ton of effects...guitar effects, mastering effects, mic effects. You have your normal reverb, chorus, pan, and eq's. Most of the effects actually sound nice. Some are just ok. In my experience and opinion, this is about as close as you can get to pro studio without going to a pro studio. I am confident that you will be able to produce a sound that you are looking for, once you have worked with and made yourself familiar with the recorder.
Ease of Use
It is quiet simple to get a good sound from the ZOOMR16 recorder using a very user-friendly interface. The manual will be of help. The only thing that is a little tricky is learning to navigate the menus and submenus. For some you will use the directional buttons up, down, left, right, and for some you will have to use the jog-wheel. But once you get that down...very simple.
Quality
This aspect is kind of difficult to review. I gave it an 8 on this mainly because the chassis is made mostly of hard plastic. However, it seems durable, and all of the components within the chassis seem well made and durable as well. The sliders are smooth and all of the buttons feel very secure. You obviously would not want to drop it, but I don't know of any electronic product I own that I would want to drop. It is very mobile/transport friendly...not heavy. Just get you a case to transport it in. If taken care of properly this should last a long time.
Value
Very much worth the $399 I paid for it.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Gospel
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Submitted January 8, 2010 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Great inexpensive recorder."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I don't expect to ever need another recorder.
Sound
The sound is wonderful. If your recording digital instruments, there won't be any need for noise reduction. It has a ton of effects and you can eq the tracks even though there aren't eq pots on the board. It records from microphones well, too. What your mic puts out is what you'll get in the files.
Features
It is amazing how many things this can do. I haven't used all of them yet but all the basics are rock solid. The jacks work well with 1/4 inch or XLR cables. Most of the features are easy to learn and use.
Ease of Use
The buttons for the categories of functions make sense. It has a terrific manual. The manual is very step-by-step and isn't written in engineerese. I pulled it out of the box, plugged in a keyboard and guitar and recorded an amusing demo the day I got it. It will take you more than just over night to learn everything but it isn't like trying to master the manual for a new Yamaha keyboard.
Quality
It is pretty well made. I would personally prefer it to be metal instead of plastic but that would detract from the portability.
Value
It is an awesome value for the money. This is the price of the old 4 track portastudios back in the day AFTER they came down in price. 16 tracks is great and you really aren't limited to 16 tracks. You can record 16, pull off the nonessential tracks onto your computer. Then come back and add any other items you want with the same basic rhythm tracks. Then you just assemble it all and mix it on the computer. Just keep in mind that Cubase might not meet your DAW needs. I personally use Acid Music and the free program Audacity.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't had any issues with it not working properly. Other than being made of plastic it seems bullet proof. Steinberger's support is a different story.
The Wow Factor
The design of the whole recorder, including the interface is great. The only things that I think would improve it would be a bigger LCD screen so you see the autopunchin indicator without 40/20 vision and making it out of metal.

Musical Background:

Musician for 30 years.

Musical Style:

Jazz, rock and classical.
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Submitted July 31, 2015 by Carlos Hunt in Franklin, KY

"Perfect For The Price"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I have had this unit for 3 years and there are so many little things about this unit that make it so nice. When i first got it, I did all of my recording to the SD card, but I eventually got the hang of using the DAW with it and from there it has really shined!! Having 8 inputs is the biggest value of this recorder. I have everything already plugged in and can simply move to the next instrument and record. If you work alone with all the instruments, having a workflow that is always ready really helps the creativity. Recording to the SD card is nice, but you get a much better sound using it as an interface to a DAW. There is one really cool thing that not too many have mentioned I put batteries in this recorder, pack this in a bag, and with my guitar and bass plugged straight in.....I have the ability to record some awesome stuff while sitting around a campfire in the middle of the woods! I can throw on the headphones, use the built in effects like distortion for the guitar, and create a serious rock tune in the middle of nowhere. This recorder doesn't consume much power at all, and it's like I have a mini studio wherever the urge hits!! Seriously, how many other recorders run on friggin batteries with 8 inputs and built in effects?? Long road trips....sit in the back, let your wife drive and record a tune!! The only knock I have is not having the ability to add a footswitch. Other than that, this is the best recorder I've ever seen for this price. I have recorded over 200 tunes with it, and it's not let me down once.

Musical Background:

Professional

Musical Style:

Rock, funk, blues, jazz
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Submitted February 8, 2010 by a customer from charter.net

"Affordable powerhouse for musicians on the go"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
I'll keep the R-16 as a musical sketch pad and DAW controller, until ZOOM releases the $1500 professional model: ZOOM R-16-PRO.
Sound
The sound quality of the R-16 depends on the quality of the input source of course. Since the built-in preamps are only marginal and the short faders don't allow much control, the gain settings are crucial for a successful recording. Considered that the R-16 tries to do everything at a bargain price, the overall quality is acceptable for home use and as a sketch pad for musical ideas. Recording acoustic guitar yielded exceptional results, and convinced me to keep the unit. One major advantage over my older multitrack recorder is the absence of any kind of interference noise. My previous Zoom multitrack was quite noisy due to it's built-in hard drive and this was the main reason for the recent R-16 upgrade: SD cards are absolutely silent.
Features
If there was ever a feature-laden digital multitrack recorder, the R-16 takes the cake. Honestly: I wish it had less features, but more built-in quality instead. With all the insert effects and connectivity, I wish Zoom had left the simple drum machines of the previous recorder generation in the R-16. And perhaps a footswitch I/O for start/stop and punch-in/out. In my opinion the R-16 is an excellent practice tool for musicians. Once you've made sense of the instructions manual, you can lay down lots of tracks and play with the insert effects until the cows come home. I haven't used the DAW controls yet, but believe that this is the icing on the cake. I'm looking forward to writing my songs on the R-16 and at least have some decent demos to start with.
Ease of Use
Ease-of-use has often eluded the brilliant engineers at ZOOM. The R-16 is no exception: The unit has too many features that one could possibly figure it out without reading the manual. And this manual also seems to be organized written by someone who is an electronics whiz-kid. The interface and the organization of the controls is not immediately intuitive and subsequently hard to figure out -at first. You'll be clicking repeatedly through severals level of menus --at least there's a way to get back to the top menu level by holding down the "Exit" button for couple of seconds. Bottom-line: lots of bells and whistles in this Swiss Army knife of multitracks.
Quality
The quality of the case and the controls are adequate for the price. In other words: The plastic housing and buttons are not exactly awe-inspiring, but do their job. The pre-amps are again not of the best quality. Imagine an R-16 with professional pre-amps, metal case, long faders, extra ins-and outs and you would have to pay a couple of grands for such a versatile unit. You get a lot for the bargain price, but you will have to be a little extra careful not to break this baby.
Value
I am abolutely stunned to get this fragile gem for $400. You get a lot for your money. Zoom has always provided affordable entry-level products for cash-strapped musicians. Excellent value!
Manufacturer Support
I've only visited the Zoom website for the R-16, never spoke to a Zoom person, although I have also owned a hard-drive based muZOOM multitrack before. Never needed any support beyond the well-organized website.
The Wow Factor
The ZOOM R-16 is a killer product. It has a ton of features at an unheard of price. The unit looks handsome and professional.

Musical Background:

Weekend musician

Musical Style:

Classic Rock, Blues, Acoustic
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Submitted July 21, 2010 by a customer from losergeek.com

"Great value, perfect product for me."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I know it's naive to think that any piece of technology will last forever, but it feels like this will be the last recorder I will need.
Sound
Recording quality is great. Silent operation and the internal mics are surprisingly responsive. I hadn't even been considering these when buying it, but the first time I used it to record practice I decided just to run the vocal mics in to it and use the internal mics for the room, and shoved it in the corner. The drums alone were crystal clear - better than I've gotten sometimes with 4 mics on a kit.
Features
I'm sure there's features that are missing (I guess more onboard editting, maybe), but for me it does EXACTLY what I need it to. I take it to a space, plug everything in, record and go home. It's great that way - nothing more, nothing less. I haven't been using it as a control surface or audio interface yet - just recording. I do all my editing on my computer from the SD card.
Ease of Use
Really surprising how easy this is to use. I haven't needed to navigate many menues yet, but the short learning curve for firing it up and getting stuff recorded is surprising. Software DAW makers should take note.
Quality
It's all plastic but surprisingly solid. I thought I'd have to be more careful with the inputs, but they seem pretty rugged.
Value
I picked up a 'blemished' version on zzounds for 299$, and as far as I can tell the only 'blemish' is the fact that someone started to pull off the protective plastic film on the display. At 399$ it is a great deal. At 359$ for a factory restock it is amazing. And at 299$ for 'blemished' you can't beat it with a big stick.
Manufacturer Support
Don't know yet, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. The manual is nicely laid out, so there's that.
The Wow Factor
This is the device I've spent my life looking for. Not having to mess with laptops, and usb cables and extra power supplies and crashing computers makes my life 100 times easier. If you record on the go, give up the laptop and get one of these. Also the fact that you can chain 2 together is amazing - if I need to record somethign gigantic, I can go to Long and Macquade and rent a second one and then I have a 16 tracks simultaneously - crazy!

Musical Background:

Dedicated amateur

Musical Style:

Punk, indie, rock
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Submitted December 30, 2014 by Anthony K

"Amazingly easy to use"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Pathetically easy for recording...our church mixer has 8 direct outs, so I just patched those right to the zoom, stuck a memory card in (32 gb holds about 16 hours of recording) and now I can easily record our church services. I just bring the card home, plug it into my pc or laptop and use the free cubase software that came with the zoom to edit the tracks.

Musical Background:

Professional thirty plus years

Musical Style:

Christian
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Submitted November 15, 2012 by Steve Pavey in Lakewood, CO

"This is a VERY good recorder"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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When I saw this, I liked the idea of a stand alone unit and DAW all at a very attractive price. Shipping on it was FAST, and within 15 minutes of unpacking it from the shipping box, I was recording. Very quick and easy to move tracks around, overdub etc. So far, I have had no problems with it that have needed a call to zZounds customer service. One thing I would recommend though is that when using it, you make sure the volume controls are properly set - I could barely hear the first recording I made over my headphones. That was because I hadn't checked the volume toggle and it was turned all the way down! Amazing how once I turned it up I could HEAR what I'd done!

Musical Background:

Pro Drummer/Keyboardist/Songwriter since 1970 & remember when state of the art was 16 track analog tape!

Musical Style:

Wide variety of styles, including Rock, R&B, Funk, Pop, Country, Soul and Reggae
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Submitted February 27, 2014 by Mike Tansey in Knoxville, TN

"Zoom R-16"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I've been a recording engineer for over 44 years... This recorder is terrific! I record our 4 piece band, and mix to a CD-R. I bought 2 R-16's and link them together for 16 tracks at once, 32 tracks at mixdown. The EQ's and effects are great! It takes a little time to learn your way around the unit, but it's studio quality all the way - for a fraction of the cost of separate modules, and the SD card media is very cost effective and allows recording various projects on different cards. I haven't needed customer support yet, but the website looks pretty informative in that regard (if needed). This Is low-cost high quality multi-track recording! - I highly recommend the R-16!!!

Musical Background:

Professional musician. Play mainly Bass Guitar and sing. Play other instruments as well.

Musical Style:

Rock, rock-a-billy, funk, blues, oldies, big band...
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Submitted December 25, 2011 by a customer from SBCGLOBAL.NET

"I've only had it a short time, so I haven't used it much. But so far, it seems to be of great quality, but not easy for an old d"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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If Roland ever makes a 16 track plus SD recorder, or anyone makes one with more than 8 faders, then I'll jump ship. But for now, it's as good as it gets.
Sound
sounds good
Features
The manual is not particularly user friendly. All flow charts I can't decipher. So far, I've had to phone the manufacturer just to find out how to enable the effets, since there's nowhere I can find where it tells you that you need to rout the effects thru the EQ button. I'm fearful that this machine won't be worth much beyond its easy basics.
Quality
Seems fine, but too difficult to operate, and the manual is really difficult for me to understand.
Value
Great value. Even for the limited features that I can figure out, the machine is better than anything else, and worth more than the money.
Manufacturer Support
Great support people, but not always easy to reach.
The Wow Factor
Just having more than 6 tracks in an SD based recorder is terrific. So far my hard drives have crashed twice, costing me lots of valuable work. It's comforting to be free of hard drives and moving parts and into the more reliable SD system.

Musical Background:

Keyboards for over 60 years; professionally all of my adult life.

Musical Style:

all Mid 20th Century pop genres.
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Submitted August 31, 2021 by Al E in New Rochelle, NY

"Great value."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Been using a Boss Br1600 for many years that ran out of hard drive space. Needed to replace it with a similar unit. SD card gives you unlimited storage. Once you figure this machine out it works very well. There are important features to access that are not made very clear in the manual and the effects are not as high quality as the old Boss but overall this machine has done everything I need it to. Automatic punch in/out is a great feature but automatic fade in/out would have been nice too. Or maybe it’s there and I just haven’t found it. I use this as a straight 16 channel recorder in my home studio and with my band on gigs so I can’t speak to its computer connectivity or use. 20 mastering presets (maybe 10 are useable) come in handy and overall sound is fine. Compression a little too audible but I use a JoeMeek VC6Q to get around that. All in all very happy with the music I’ve engineered mixed mastered and produced on this piece and it certainly gives you a lot for the price. zZounds has always been great to deal with. Over the years I’ve bought keyboards, amps, mics, stands, cables, covers, cases…….I wouldn’t buy from anyone else. Fast shipping, best price, Pay as you Play option. No better company out there!
Sound
I’ve recorded everything from classic rock to big band horn sounds, funky jazz, Motown covers, American songbook tunes, show tunes, blues, doo wop vocals, hard rock…this machine performed well for them all.
Features
Battery life not long enough for a 3 hour gig. You need a/c power.
Ease of Use
Manual needs more explicit instructions on how to access effects. I’m not too dense and NOWHERE does it tell you to step down through the panning and eq menu to get to the reverb and chorus/delay for each channel.
Value
Definitely worth more than the price.
Manufacturer Support
When recording continued to stop on the first 16GB SD card I bought Zoom recommended a different brand. I bought a 32GB Sandisk and haven’t had a problem since.

Musical Background:

Played my first gig at 12. Still gigging at 68. Recorded with everything from open reel tape to cassettes, mini disc, CDs

Musical Style:

Everything
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Submitted August 30, 2021 by Al E in New Rochelle, NY

"Great value."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Been using a Boss Br1600 for many years that ran out of hard drive space. Needed to replace it with a similar unit. SD card gives you unlimited storage. Once you figure this machine out it works very well. There are important features to access that are not made very clear in the manual and the effects are not as high quality as the old Boss but overall this machine has done everything I need it to. Automatic punch in/out is a great feature but automatic fade in/out would have been nice too. Or maybe it’s there and I just haven’t found it. I use this as a straight 16 channel recorder in my home studio and with my band on gigs so I can’t speak to its computer connectivity or use. 20 mastering presets (maybe 10 are useable) come in handy and overall sound is fine. Compression a little too audible but I use a JoeMeek VC6Q to get around that. All in all very happy with the music I’ve engineered mixed mastered and produced on this piece and it certainly gives you a lot for the price. zZounds has always been great to deal with. Over the years I’ve bought keyboards, amps, mics, stands, cables, covers, cases…….I wouldn’t buy from anyone else. Fast shipping, best price, Pay as you Play option. No better company out there!
Sound
I’ve recorded everything from classic rock to big band horn sounds, funky jazz, Motown covers, American songbook tunes, show tunes, blues, doo wop vocals, hard rock…this machine performed well for them all.
Features
Battery life not long enough for a 3 hour gig. You need a/c power.
Ease of Use
Manual needs more explicit instructions on how to access effects. I’m not too dense and NOWHERE does it tell you to step down through the panning and eq menu to get to the reverb and chorus/delay for each channel.
Value
Definitely worth more than the price.
Manufacturer Support
When recording continued to stop on the first 16GB SD card I bought Zoom recommended a different brand. I bought a 32GB Sandisk and haven’t had a problem since.

Musical Background:

Played my first gig at 12. Still gigging at 68. Recorded with everything from open reel tape to cassettes, mini disc, CDs

Musical Style:

Everything
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Submitted August 7, 2017 by Kris Heaton in Shelton, CT

"Small but Powerful !"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Very good sounding recorder with many features for a small package ! Requires a little bit of time to use it correctly, but you can master it with a bit of homework ! All in all, great unit !

Musical Background:

Playing and recording for 30 years.

Musical Style:

Rock and Roll Baby !
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Submitted August 4, 2011 by a customer from yahoo.com

"1 of the best in its price range!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I'd probably need to win the lottery before I could afford an upgrade to this. That being said, lack of MIDI makes overdubbing with a drum machine almost impossible unless I play it in live. If this were lost or stolen I'd hunt down the person responsible and bring swift justice.
Sound
Sounds better than the Mbox 2 I was previously using. I expect if I want to get quality noticeably better than this I'll have to really move up in the price range.
Features
Haven't even scratched the surface of the features because I'm so happy with the way it performs, I haven't found the need to use them. Recording to an SD card is GREAT though. I use this to track out my music from an SP-1200 and the 8 inputs is a godsend. Only thing I wish it had was MIDI.
Ease of Use
Very intuitive. Easy to navigate menus and do what you want without reading the manual. Mess around with it for 2 minutes and you should be navigating and changing EQ, etc with no problem.
Quality
It's VERY light and doesn't feel like it would respond well to being dropped. That being said I've found no problems with the quality of the material for my home studio.
Value
Better sound quality than the Mbox2, more inputs.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to deal w/ company.
The Wow Factor
Practical addition to the set-up, sex appeal not applicable.

Musical Background:

Aspiring producer

Musical Style:

Hip hop
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Submitted February 16, 2010 by a customer from gmail.com

"If you need a Great recorder with lots of features and a great sound,for a great price.You should buy this!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I dont see any reason i would have to buy another recording unit. Unless i make it and then buy my own pro studio.LOL
Sound
It dosent have the buzz or cracking ive heard with other recorders.
Features
it has all the features of a bigger unit but has the great compact size. I also liked the phantom power built in
Ease of Use
super easy to use if you read the great manual that comes with it.
Quality
If you keep it with all the boxes and plastic wrap or buy a case for it it should last a long time.
Value
For the price it cant be beat. But the sd card only comes with a 1 gb card you will need to get a bigger one if you want to have hours of recording time. The one gb card filled up pretty fast.

Musical Background:

Active musician

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted February 27, 2022 by a customer from gmail.com

"Decent but could be better"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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The recorder is a good product overall. The swap/bounce button doesn't work anymore which greatly hinders multi tracking vocals. The sound is not as clear as i am used to when compared to other interfaces. The effects are the easiest to remove once placed. Zoom is a great company however i believe they can offer better multi track recorders. The most useful feature is using it as an interface to cubase and its travel capabilities.
Features
The most useful feature is using it as an interface to cubase and its travel capabilities.
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Submitted October 16, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"Good, simple box takes care of all the basic recording needs"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This is letting me do all the songwriting and layering I need to with very little fuss. You could mess around getting firewire interfaces and PC/Mac software to work well together, but unless you need very high quality sound or very advanced mixing/editing, this thing takes care of it all. I'm getting rid of my Firepod now that this box makes it so much easier.
Sound
Two complaints here: 1. The preamps are fairly noisy. If you have to turn the gain up much, you will get some hiss on the track. It's not terrible in the final mix though, especially if you mic things very closely and make sure your levels are good coming in. 2. The headphone output distorts easily, especially on the low end. At first I though somehow the recording had clipped, but after turning it down I realized it's just that the output amp can't handle even slightly loud bass.
Features
Seems to have everything I need from a basic multitrack box. An external effects loop would be nice, but not essential, especially with usable internal effects. Anyway, my main goal is to just record the dry tracks, and it does that perfectly well.
Ease of Use
A few functions, such as effects insert, were a little confusing. I think overall the box does quite well for just having a little text-only screen and a few buttons. Swapping tracks is delightfully easy...I do it all the time to get multiple takes from the built-in mics.
Quality
Doesn't feel especially rugged, but I don't feel like anything is in danger of breaking either. The dials are a little slack and sloppy, but the buttons feel pretty solid and the sliders do what they need to.
Value
As far as functionality, I don't think any other product comes close for this price. If the preamps were cleaner and the construction a little more solid, this would be an insanely good deal. ...but as is, it's a very, very good deal.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't needed it yet
The Wow Factor
I think it's a lot more practical than "sexy"

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Rock, Soul, Funk
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Submitted February 23, 2014 by Ed Hutchinson in Plainfield, VT

"Zoom R16 nice portable recorder"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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It is a nice little machine. I don't have Windows and the software that comes with it doesn't play in "wine", Linux Windows emulator. The memory (while in the player does not mount as filespace on a Linux PC. But the SD card (and USB saved files) are readable. I have opened 8 tracks simultaneously (I didn't try 16 which would probably work) into Audacity (a great, free, open source sound editor for Linux). The R16 seems to be exactly what I wanted for recording a quartet, with individual mics and room ambience. I was disappointed that the XLR/1/4 inputs are not TRS when using 1/4" connection, so are always "unbalanced" when using 1/4" plugs. So the phantom power will not feed through the 1/4" connections correctly.

Musical Background:

I am primarily a singer and have been singing for more than half a century.

Musical Style:

I mostly perform "barbershop" music.
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Submitted May 30, 2011 by a customer from tampabay.rr.com

"Exciting but frustrating"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Several years. Don't need pro level recorder - yet.
Sound
This is a curious recorder. I have obtained some great sound from it, but it was a long road getting there. The gain structure is very difficult to figure out, and the manual is no help. You can have the meters bouncing up as you think you want them, but be recording a very weak signal. The reason is that the sliders are playback volume only, and have nothing to do with recording gain. Only the "sensitivity" knobs control the recording level, nothing else. Difficult to set with just the four-segment meters, but can be done - eventurally. Also, can fix it in post, and usually do have to.
Features
Most useful feature is, of course, the ablity to record multiple tracks, up to 8 microphones at once. Also very versatile in adding in more tracks later, and in capturing various types of inputs including direct instrument input.
Ease of Use
Recording levels not intuitive, not easy to set.
Quality
Very solid construction, could tape it down to the stage rail so it couldn't be knocked off, very solit mike input jacks.
Value
Still a great value w regard to price. Very few competitors in the marketplace at this price level. I am new to multitrack recording, needed something to get my feet wet that wasn't expensive.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't tried reaching the manufacturer, but did talk to one person at ZSounds. He was sympathetic, but not very knowledgeable about the R16. We were both guessing about how to set recording gain.
The Wow Factor
Very nice. Wouldn't kick it out of bed.

Musical Background:

Not a musician - recording engineer
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Submitted December 9, 2010 by a customer from yahoo.com

Zoom R16 SD Recorder Customer Review

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
There is a slight buzz when you record through a 1/4" cable and use a couple pedals (I usually just use 2 to 3 DL4s). The built-in pre-amp couldn't reduce all of the noise; however, and I actually use my Line 6 DL4 pedals on loop sampler to clean up the signal and I don't even notice anything. Channels 7 and 8 can be used with the built-in condenser microphones to record in stereo, and they actually do a pretty good job. I've used this feature numerous times to record guitar and drum live mixes. It definitely doesn't have the clarity of a fully mic'd drum set and amp, but in a pinch of to record an idea really quick it's pretty versatile. I usually just use GarageBand to edit and although I can hook the r16 up as a recording interface, I prefer to use the r16 standalone and then transfer the tracks in to garageband one by one. I haven't really fiddled with it to use it as an Audio controller yet.
Features
It is very lightweight, almost to a flaw. The body is plastic but these things weren't made to be thrown around anyways so I don't anticipate any problems there. You will need to read the manual to do anything other than a basic recording on your own. The insert effects feature is cumbersome you can only use one effect at a time, period. The backlit LED screen is a nice touch. A friend of my has the older 40GB 16 track zoom recorder (which features the drum machine). I would have preferred to have a drum machine over any of the add effects features. The R16 runs very quietly and I have not had any problems with it running hot or anything. It does run on batteries, but I have not used it as such so I can't describe the battery life.
Ease of Use
It's a Zoom Product, so be prepared to read the manual more than once. The basic features, Rec, Play, Stop, RW/FF are all fairly intuitive to use, as well as the Undo/Redo button and the channel select.
Quality
I've had the r16 for about a year and I have no scratches or dings on it. I have moved it around on several occasions to bring over to friend's houses etc. and haven't had any issues. The plastic body is kind of a turn off but it's really no big deal. It seems as though this product will last at least 10 years or more.
Value
For the price, this recorder is where it's at. 8-track simultaneous recording is not available on any recorders within $150 of the price of the r16. Although it may seem a little tricky to use, it has served my needs well. If you have already defined your sound and want to lay it down then this is for you. Although it lacks a drum machine this is still the best recorder in the price range, in my opinion.
Manufacturer Support
I've had no issues yet so i'll give them a 10 for the heck of it.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Post-Rock, Alternative, Ambient
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Submitted January 26, 2013 by Angel A in Prospect Heights , IL

"Excellent Tascam r16"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Easy to to use small powerful recording mixers. Connect two and you have a 16 channel recording board more then enough to record a band.

Musical Background:

Been playing since I was 12, I am now 27. I can play Keyboard(piano), Electric Bass and Drums.

Musical Style:

Anything
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Submitted November 7, 2012 by brian schuel in macomb, MI

"Ive waited years for this!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
a recorder that can record the entire band live, or the entire drum set on 8 tracks and the rest of the band on the the 2nd set of 8 tracks, BAMM!!! drag all your track files on the computer and start mixing!! ive heard this thing record live bands, it does an exceptional job! pretty amazing for something you can hold with one hand and almost fit in a any gig bag! people talk about the pre-amps not being the greatest but i dont see them being a big problem, i expect to record our CD on 2 of these, YES they are linkable!!! Both my Guitar player and Drummer want one, because its so easy to use! Dont be fooled by the condenser mics inside this unit, they work great!!!! we set the input levels carefully and go, and get a great reference for remembering those intense sessions with a lot of writing that you hope to remember next time!!!!

Musical Background:

bassist - 25 plus years

Musical Style:

Metal, Rock, Experimental, Alternative
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Submitted February 15, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"Best Multi-Tracker Out There"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Really great recorder/interface.
Sound
Outstanding sound reproduction and very decent effects.
Features
Loaded with features. I especially like the level meters. Much better than the typical peak light and having to look at a tiny LCD screen. Plus, you can record 8 tracks at once. Built-in effects, too. I like the combo 1/4" XLR jacks, too.
Ease of Use
Extremely intuitive to use. Much better that the TASCAM PortaStudio I used to have. Great manual.
Quality
All controls feel like good quality and the unit has a nice heft to it.
Value
All the features and 8 track simultaneous recording - WOW.
Manufacturer Support
Don't know yet but likely just fine.
The Wow Factor
Cool appearance, great features - what's not to love.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

All sorts but love folk & blues
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Submitted June 23, 2015 by Marc G in San Diego, CA

"Awesome!!"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This little thing does so much right out of the box! Our band has been recording rehearsals lately and we're blown away by the quality of the mixing and ease of use. We all plugged directly into the unit and took off! I highly recommend the Zoom R16 to anyone starting out and to seasoned musicians. The price and quality are hard to beat.
Sound
Once the user has learned the basics and has dialed in the levels, effects, etc. It's pretty much ready to go. The quality is more than expected. Coming out of a good set of monitors really shows how crisp and clear this little unit is.
Features
I would recommend guitar players either mic their preferred amps or patch in directly using an effects processor with amp modeling features.
Ease of Use
Definitely read the manual thoroughly. It's not too difficult to understand and will make the experience of recording much more enjoyable. The controls are easy to use, but I agree with other reviews that the sliders could be longer, but its more than adequate the way it is.
Quality
I've only had the unit for a week, but I've put it through its paces. It has not disappointed one bit. I'm concerned about the plastic construction as I tend to be clumsy with equipment, but that's not the unit's fault. For the price, though, I can afford to be more careful!
Value
Excellent value overall. Top of its class for sure!
Manufacturer Support
N/A. I have not had to deal with CS at this time.
The Wow Factor
As this is my first real recording unit, of course I'm WOWed! Very pleased overall. My bandmates are stunned for sure and are putting the pressure on me to get an EP out for us.

Musical Background:

25 years playing guitar in several bands.

Musical Style:

Blues, rock, funk, reggae, soul.
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Submitted January 11, 2014 by Adam T in Shawnee, OK

"Bass player for the 12th street gypsies"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
First read the pocketed book ..i.e. instruction. My butty and I sent our final graft online. we hare happy to say their wanting us sign a contract. If it can get people in Nashville with the device while not know hardly anything but the basics,. we also had on song go hit four times in a roll.

Musical Background:

p

Musical Style:

pottawattomee Count
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Submitted October 13, 2012 by brian s in macomb, MI

"Great stuff!!! awesome for live recordings!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
you can use this for a simple rehearsal recorder or a nice studio recorder.

Musical Background:

25 year bass player, novice/intermediate recording

Musical Style:

metal, hard rock, jazz/blues
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Submitted January 7, 2014 by David F in Unionville, TN

"Zoom R16"

Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have not gotten the chance to use the Zoom R16 yet. Had some problems with the included software and have not had time to sit down and focus on learning how to use the unit or the software.

Musical Background:

I have been playing since I was 10. I play keyboards, guitar, bass, trumpet and other brass and woodwinds.

Musical Style:

I write Pop, Country, Alternative, Classical, Contemporary Christian, Electronic and New Age.
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Submitted December 30, 2014 by Joe G

"Zoom 16 track interface"

Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Zoom makes an excellent product. I am very disappointed with the Cubase le software. I abandoned trying to download the package and went with SONY DAW. If the combination of zoom Strindberg cubase is what you are looking for... Don't bother. It's not worth it.

Musical Background:

45 years...been recording 10 years... Guitar, bass, keyboards

Musical Style:

Rock, blues
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Submitted September 2, 2012 by tim p

"r16"

Overall: 1.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The R16 is an ok product. I hear and read all these people raving about how good this product is. Its just ok, nothing great by me. In fact its is quite complicated to use. It greatly lacks ease of use. Forget about using the manual. Worst manual i have ever tried to use. Nothing is in order. There are lots of different types of effects that you probably will never use. To hard to use this thing. zZounds is awesome, i have bought lots of stuff from them. Just don't like the Zoom R16 Cant comment on the support Wow factor would more likely be a dud factor

Musical Background:

drums

Musical Style:

rock, classic rock
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Submitted December 24, 2009 by a customer from yahoo.com

"I got got this time."

Overall: 0.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Until UPS gets it back to ZZounds.
Sound
Almost ruined an expensive system. The inclosed "cubass" had a code that had already been used. I buy a lot of equipment; Don't do it!!! Save the box!!
Features
Yoy may not get this far before you put this back in the box.
Ease of Use
If you get this far, its probably a nice toy for you.
Quality
Never worked.
Value
Get a 30.00 dollar recorder to do more.
Manufacturer Support
Should have known better.
The Wow Factor
Real Sexy!! I got screwed!!!

Musical Background:

Producer/ Artist/ Writer(Pro)

Musical Style:

Pop/ Rock/ RB/Gosple
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Submitted February 15, 2011

"Best Multi-Tracker Out There"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Really great recorder/interface.
Sound
Outstanding sound reproduction and very decent effects.
Features
Loaded with features. I especially like the level meters. Much better than the typical peak light and having to look at a tiny LCD screen. Plus, you can record 8 tracks at once. Built-in effects, too. I like the combo 1/4" XLR jacks, too.
Ease of Use
Extremely intuitive to use. Much better that the TASCAM PortaStudio I used to have. Great manual.
Quality
All controls feel like good quality and the unit has a nice heft to it.
Value
All the features and 8 track simultaneous recording - WOW.
Manufacturer Support
Don't know yet but likely just fine.
The Wow Factor
Cool appearance, great features - what's not to love.
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Submitted November 24, 2010

"8 Track King of Its Price Range."

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
When I get gobs of disposable income, I'll buy something better.
Sound
I use the R16 as an audio interface only. If you understand that you're never going to get a "professional" sound without selling your house, the Zoom R16 sounds wonderful for a lower priced interface. It consistently gives me clean recordings. DO NOT RELY ON THE BUILT IN EFFECTS. They're fun to mess around with, but probably the lowest quality I've ever heard. I've had a problem with mixes sounding lower quality, but that just might be my problem.
Features
8 XLR-1/4" combo inputs record simultaneously is what brought me to the Zoom R16 in the first place (I've used 4 at once.) Built-in condenser mics sound cheap, but good for sketching. I use the USB interface at 24bit-96k regularly. Built-in effects are terrible, but plentiful.
Ease of Use
It's really hard to use without a nice screen. And there's multiple menus to trip you up. Recording on the R16 is simple if you're just hitting the record button, not naming you're projects or tracks, multitracking or anything beyond start and stop. It has some annoying antics going on with the DAW interface. I still have to select the Zoom drivers everytime I shutdown the computer, and if you shutdown the R16 while running Cubase, it will lockup. Many of your options are diverted to the DAW. Setting it up as a DAW controller is a chore.
Quality
Plastic. Super-light. Every reviewer worries it's going to break.
Value
8 clean sounding inputs. Makes great recordings for the price.
Manufacturer Support
They worked hard to fix a lot of problems early on. Drivers weren't compatible with Vista and 7. I complained and they responded quickly to my email that the were working on it. They fixed it a couple of weeks later.
The Wow Factor
It's thin, stores easy and looks nice.
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