R4 Multi-Track Recorder for Musicians with 2 XLR/TRS Combo Inputs, 32-Bit Float, Stereo Bouncing Built-In Microphone, Effects, Rhythms, Battery Powered, USB Audio Interface

For the price there's nothing like it works well Works off of battery and a USB I use it with a power adapter no problems with that the only thing with that is if you don't have batteries you have to keep putting the date in but other than that this thing is crystal clear it's a nice drum grooves with it easy to operate no hassle I haven't used it as a audio interface I probably won't need to do that but it works good with a phone or a tablet it works very good as an audio interface with that but the crystal clear sound it's excellent I use it to jot down ideas the mic on it is excellent as well this is a good all-around recording device for musicians on the go thanks guys

Old dude on a soap box time – I think I would have passed out if this device had existed back in the day. Finally - a quick, quality way to sketch out sonic ideas or lay down and layer (via the well implemented bounce feature) a complete composition. In a conveniently portable package. Seriously. The wonderful fidelity AND almost hassle-free setup of 32-bit float recording. While I love twisting the knobs on a synthesizer, dinking around with the settings on older mixers and recorders can be a real pain, especially if you encounter a signal problem (level issue, clipping or other unwanted distortion, etc…) somewhere and need to hunt down the cause. This thing is a BREEZE to set up by comparison. I appreciate that the R4 maintains a separate wav file of each track you record, plus each successive bounce, though I guess that this aspect could get a bit confusing depending on the complexity of your project and your file handling savvy. I mean, the option to import the files into a DAW and work with them further is there, but I think for a lot of musicians including myself, a great sounding “bounce” track will suffice as the final product. To keep things even easier, I’ll most likely just put each project with the R4 on its own separate SD card (8GB cards will have more room on them than I’d probably ever need for one project). The manual states that the R4 can handle cards with a capacity as low as 4GB, and they’re cheap enough at the moment, right? I could go on and on about all wonderful features that they packed into the R4 that I personally won’t use, but other musicians will love. If you are still on the fence about whether or not this is for you, just check out the mostly positive reviews on YouTube. But heck, if it’s good enough for Jordan Rudess, it’s plenty good for me. :)

This little guy has a lot going on. It is easy to use and very good quality recording. Effects are easy to incorporate into the recording or if you choose to use as sound reverb inspiration for vocals. The settings for computer connect is easy and to use on a computer studio program. The size is perfect if you want to save space. It can be set on a Mic stand or photo stand on the desk for use. Clear screen and easy to see. I love the buttons sliders and the mics can be use for different versions of microphones. It can be use with batteries or you can use a power phone cable as a power source and a computer USB connect.

Just unpacked this unit and put it to work. The sound quality is incredible with alot of features for its compact size. It’s easy to use and is packed with plenty of effects for most projects. The effects also sound nice. The best feature is the Bounce track that allows unlimited bouncing and mixing. Another great feature is that all of your individual tracks remain intact even after Bouncing. Think of this as nondestructive editing. It’s a very useful and powerful feature. To use this unit as an audio interface for your computer, phone or iPad make sure you use a USB Data transfer cable and not just a charging cable. To make your track library easy to navigate start by setting up a New Project and give it a specific name. Then all of your related tracks will reference back to that Project. Zoom has packed this unit with very high end audio tech and the unit sounds very professional.

easy to use. records excellent quality. just what i needed in my bedroom to complement the Zoon R8 that I have in my living room. Also, I just realized you can plug it into any usb minimum 5v and you are good to go! Very nice.

This palm-sized, battery-powered 4-Track recorder is one of the most inspiring pieces of gear I’ve come across in a long time. While the R4’s workflow is far from perfect, the 32-bit float recording quality, “bounce” feature, and sneaky added features make it an incredibly versatile musical sketchpad. PROS: Price point (just under $200) Battery life (as high as 14 hours on 4 AA’s) Sound quality Built-in microphone is really good! Storage compatibility (up the 1TB on microSDXC card) Bulit-in effects & rhythm tracks with count-in Tuner The R4, unsurprising, records up to four tracks in a project, but there’s a “hack” for this limitation. Once you’ve run out of tracks, you can “bounce” the four tracks to a fifth “bounce” track. Moreover, this can be repeated up to 99 times. You are then free to record four more tracks played along with the bounce track. Therefore, while the R4 does not offer sound-on-sound recording or a looper feature, you can layer almost endless content on top of each other. None of that would matter if the audio engine were poor, but here is where the R4 really shines. The 32-bit float engine is crystal-clear and refuses to clip! I’ve suffered through older 16-bit recorders, pedal loopers, etc. that were borderline unusable because of clipping and poor playback quality. So, in this most important area, the R4 passes with flying colors. You can record up to two inputs at once, or you can link inputs A and B for a stereo track. One of my favorite features of the R4 is the built-in effects suite, which can be applied to Input A or the microphone. Think of it as sort of a stripped-down Zoom MS-50 or G1. It features just over a dozen guitar and bass amps, plus some clean preamps. For the FX slot, you get drives, modulation, delays, and pitch shifting. What does all that mean practice? For example, I can grab an acoustic guitar with no cables, and record a vocal track, two guitar tracks, and a “bass” track. I can apply an octave down pitch-shifter on 100% wet to turn my mic’ed guitar into a recorded bass sound (with no apparent latency). You also have full EQ control, echo, and reverb that can be applied as a “send” effect for each track. This is just one example of how useful it is to have even basic multi-FX built into this affordable device. If you have an idea, or want to record something with surprising quality without pulling out a handful of instruments, interfaces, and cables, the R4 lets you get to work. The built-in mic, in my opinion, is incredible. It’s sensitive enough to pick up both vocals and instruments nearby without having to be right on top of it. I don’t have a ton of recording experience, but I’ve used SM57/58’s and bought the R4 expecting I would plug those in with a XLR cable. Frankly, the mic is good enough that I doubt I’ll ever actually bother with that. Also, since effects can be applied to the mic input, you can add preamps, compression, EQ, reverb, and so on to further alter and improve mic recordings. CONS: Single headphone audio/output Workflow/file management confusing at times Undo button is limited No “sound-on-sound” recording or loop feature I do have a few gripes, and some of these have been noted in other reviews. First, the R4 does not have its own speaker, so you can only hear what is recorded through the 3.5mm headphone jack. It does not have a 1/4” inch or XLR separate audio output for a click track or playback. Second, while I found the R4 relatively easy to pick up at start using, some of the button combos needed to do basic things like opening a saved project, clearing a track, or applying effects are repetitive and non-intuitive. I think part of this was purposeful to avoid incessant menu diving, which is appreciated. But you will find yourself repeating a lot of the same functions over and over again on very small buttons, and that leads me to wonder if the UI could have been slightly improved. Third, in terms of the actual workflow, there is an “Undo” button, which is exciting on an entry-level piece of gear. However, as best I can tell, the only thing the Undo button does is to “un-bounce” tracks that you have combined into a 5th track. If you record something bad or make a mistake, my instinct was to hit Undo and delete it, but it doesn’t work like that. You either need re-record the whole thing, punch in and overwrite the flawed section, or go through several button presses to clear the track altogether. CONCLUSION: The fact that Zoom did all of this, put it in something the size of a compact guitar stomp box, and made it run on batteries for (reportedly) up to 14 hours amazes me. Seriously, if you want a guitar pedal that does nothing more than a reverb effect, good luck powering that on a 9V battery for more 2-3 hours. The R4 has a full suite of effects, and that’s just the side dish to a very capable 4-track recorder with a color LCD display! If you want to dabble in recording music, but don’t want to deal with DAW’s, iPads, or desktop PC’s, the R4 is a gateway drug to musical creativity. Even if you just want to jot down a musical idea on the go, or have more fun practicing with backing tracks, the R4 is a great option as well.

Omg, I absolutely love this Pocket sized studio... Just amazing, battery operated if needed. A really awesome demo coordinator, I can put different ideas on 4 tracks and pick the best one. I mean geez, you can bounce tracks to infinity it seems! This Isa device that is equal its weight in silver...lol! But seriously folks, if you are in need of some fast lay down of an idea, nothing else can capture it in the heat of the moment. I'd buy another if I needed it. Damn, this thing is the absolute musicians friend! Better than that other one, that's a certainty!

For the price, this thing is a dream. I wish I'd had it earlier in my recording career. Interface is dead simple, quality of recordings and it's physical assembly is solid. New musicians take note. As a foundational piece of technology this is a great choice. Even without reading instructions I fumbled through recording a song within minutes. Get a travel case for it and you'll be recording anywhere you want.

La verdad es que es un GRAN producto para grabar, alta calidad.

H4n used to be able to do what you now need 2 devices, H4essential and R4, for recordings with built in stereo microphone and then doing overdubs. It was disappointing when I realised that unlike the H4n which allowed overdubs, the H4essential wasn't able to and the closest device that could do this was the R4. At least now both the devices have 32-bit float technology and optimising gain settings to strike a balance between noise and clipping becomes a thing of the past.