Zoom R8 - Recording a song step by step. Review.

[richardgrahamjr]

Hi Bob, I'm still learning (slowly) how to use R8 and I thank you again for showing me all the stuff on it. How did you learn how to use the machine so well???

[bobritsky]

@richardgrahamjr thanx mate!

probably it was easier for me to get familiar with all that stuff because I spent a lot of time with PC and various music-related soft before. Because the concept of multi-track recording is the same.

[DarthMink]

Awesome, thanks for taking the time to make this. You have the most in depth videos about the R8 that I've found online and you helped me decide to get one instead of another 8 track. I ordered mine saturday, I hope it gets here soon!

[bobritsky]

@DarthMink

glad you've liked it!

contact me if any any questions will arise )

[zoomr8]

Great job, thx!



[bobritsky]

@zoomr8 glad you've liked it!

[SuperHikerman]

sooo much better than mpc 500

[A7XSycamore]

How do you get the song to have an endpoint, where it just stops playing?

[bobritsky]

@A7XSycamore

1. If you have tracks recorded, not loops, they will end when they will end )) Just like ordinary tape recording

2. If you have loops - you should make track sequence and say, how many times loops will play. After that it will stop

[bobritsky]

@hmarssoccer8

welcome!

[SFaPiL2]

It was a pleasure watching your tutorial. You're very methodical, skillful and clear.

There's a saying where I live that says that a person is truly a master at his art when he manages to make something great seem easy to create.

Thank you for sharing.

[bobritsky]

@SFaPiL2 thanx a lot

you words mean a lot to me

seems like your saying is somewhere from Asia - they are very wise in such thing as simplicity ))

[beakf1]

hi i notice its got 8 tracks.can you export the 8 track to your computer,turn them into one track on cubase or another program so now ur song is all in one mp3 or wav or what ever file it needs to be and then imprt it back into the zoom R8 as a single track so it free,s you up to have 7 more free tracks.also can you import music samples form your computer through usb or any input to the zoom R8 to play as a track.for example just import a justin timberlake song to the R8.thankyou for the tutoril

[bobritsky]

@beakf1 hei

If you want to free up some tracks you can do it even without PC, right in R8 - this operation is called "bouncing". If you want to bounce less then 6 tracks - you can bounnce to stereo 7-8 tracks. If you want to do it with all 8 - bounce to MASTERTRACK. Then, rename that file and choose it as source of tracks 1-2 for example. Other 3-8 tracks you can use for new recording.

To import - make sure file is WAV 44/16 and copy it to LOOP folder in Card reader mode.

[beakf1]

@bobritsky great thanks for taking the time to reply :)

[eRealist]

Killer Guitar riff man, could totally be behind some daft punk style electro.

[delroy64]

Great video! Do you have any tips on bouncing tracks. I am new to home recording. I had 4 tracks for drum loops, 2 tracks for guitar then bounced them to tracks 7/8 stereo. Dont quite understand what happens to my recorded files. The previous tracks still have the loops and guitar parts on them. How do I create new parts and assign them to a new track. I would greatly appreciate any insight you might have on this. Thanks.

[bobritsky]

@delroy64 hi mate, sorry for late answer - I dont understand why Youtube dont put comments in time hierarchy. ((

bouncing just makes new file and assigns it to 7/8 tracks.

[bobritsky]

@delroy64 you can freely assign any file to any track. it means that you have unlimited # of takes! in your situation - after bouncing drum tracks 1-4 and guitars 5-6 to stereo 7-8 tracks..

[bobritsky]

you can leave this "mixed" part on tracks 7-8 and record anything to 1-6 tracks. Just press TRACK, choose track #, choose FILE, NEW TAKE. THats it!

[FullyFallenSoul]

@bobritsky Hi Bob, thank you for so many videos. Really helpful. Also I like your song First Impression! Very nicely arranged! Hey I'm missing out on a big thing. Unable to figure out yet. I record many tracks and also the drum tracks/from the SD card. But when I connect to the computer I see only the audio files but not the drum tracks. Where is drum file? Thank you

[bobritsky]

@FullyFallenSoul hi there! thanx.

Concerning your question - you were using not drum "track" but some drum loop and just have recorded all your tracks over looped drum piece. To get complete drum track you have 2 options: 1) mixdown (bounce) your looped drums to new track inside R8 or 2) drag this drum sample to your DAW and just copy-paste it as many times as you need.

[FullyFallenSoul]

@bobritsky Thank you very much Bob. I got it working now:-) Thank you for your free help.

[OldBoy1410]

Just got my R8 - now taking your 'master class' ! Thanks. Zoom should be paying you.

[bobritsky]

@OldBoy1410

thanx glad you like it

[goodbye20thcentury1]

I just got an R8 and will be viewing your video tonight. Beats reading the manual LOL. Thanks for the effort.

[bobritsky]

@goodbye20thcentury1

thanx mate!

we'll wait for your tracks now ))

[smo0thfing3rz]

thanks alot man!!! just got my R8 this afternoon and this video helped me alot! \m/

[bobritsky]

@smo0thfing3rz

thanx

glad you like it!

[mattyb3671]

Hiya! Many thanks for the vids; very helpful in my decision to buy an R8. You're a good teacher! One question - after sequencing the drums; lets say I use 5 tracks. Can I bounce those 5 tracks over to 2 in stereo? Then go back and re-use the tracks to lay down guitars/bass/vox?

Peace, Love, and Thanks!

[bobritsky]

@mattyb3671

hi exactly as you've said - you can record (or sequence) even all 8 tracks, then bounce them all to MASTER track, then save this project, create new project and import MASTER track from previous project as drum track. It gives you virtually unlimited possibilities to combine parts.

Of course you can deal with only 1 project that you're working in: sequence up to 6 tracks of drums, bounce them to stereo 7-8 track. Then free other 1-6 tracks for recording other instruments

[mattyb3671]

@bobritsky Very cool, Daddy-O! My R8 is on the way to me! For me, a big improvement; I was using a Tascam DP-1/Zoom PS-2/Keys to 'engineer' all my drum parts. Thanks for your help. You're the heppest of the hep cats! :D

[bobritsky]

@zeus

hi

to record your live perfomance with samples using pads u have to go to track sequensing mode - press track, scroll to track seq, set quantise to desired amount (i suggest HI if you will record some one-shot drum parts), then hit record.

After that you have to enable trakseq button on main sxreeno heat what yove played

[ZeusTheHighGod]

Hey I love your videos, I'm having trouble however with the recording process. I want to just hit "record" and play the samples on the pads in real time and have the R8 record that, however after I press "record" then "play," there is nothing that has been recorded. Any ideas? Thanks a lot

[shredder27]

What are we hearing this sound through? Is it playing through your monitors or speakers?

[bobritsky]

@shredder27 hi

it plays through Microlab solo 2 - cheap active speakers. I will definately change them to some pro-audio specialized monitors.

[2009korte]

@bobritsky

they sound great to me

[11fastfreddy11]

how can i save and load in onto cubase?

[bobritsky]

@11fastfreddy11

2 ways to do that: 1. Use R8 as audio interface and record to Cubase directly as you would do with any other Audio Card. 2. Record onto R8, then plug it to USB in card reader mode and drag-n-drop WAV audio files that you've recorded to Cubase (lets say - Import)

[2009korte]

u r a great guitarist man

[bobritsky]

@2009korte

thanx I do my best

[Garrotte123]

@2009korte got rythm too. making drum tracks is a pita.

[Hellawaits35]

Hey man..I give you many thanks!! I cant wait till mine comes now.(just ordered it today).

[bobritsky]

@Hellawaits35 hi mate! thanx!

hope you'll like it.

[Hellawaits35]

@bobritsky

Hey man how do you delete a single track?

[bobritsky]

@Hellawaits35

hi

to delete what you've just recorded press UNDO button under the screen.

If you want to delete some of previously recorded tracks - press PROJECT, go to FILES, scroll through all WAVs that are in your project, prelisten them with play button, choose one you need and delete it

[Hellawaits35]

@bobritsky

You sure save me reading the manual which in some cases make no sense but thanks. btw great song!

[DeTucciBill]

Great Demo! Nice song too! Zoom R8 - awesome!

[louiscfc93]

Can you simply plug in and record without the whole sequencer thing ?

[bobritsky]

@louiscfc93

of course you can!

sequencer is for those who don't like to record all ABABBAABB thing ))

just A then B then turn them to loops, put on timeline - you're done!

[OldGrowthRedwood]

I just ordered this today. After watching this video, I'm sending it back unopened.

Had NO idea how insanely tedious this thing is. I guess if you have recording experience it might be workable, I don't.

[bobritsky]

@OldGrowthRedwood

Its your choice. Maybe you just need something more "straightforward" to work with - without drum-machine, sampler e.t.c. There are couple of simple multitrackers from Tascam as I know.

I've got what I exactly need because I like those type of features.

BR,

Igor.

[anfiorsceal]

A well made tutorial. thanks

[teleias8]

Really nice video mate. Very helpful and quite clear. Well done.

Just a few questions. Which one do you recommend R-8, R-16 or R-24?

And can you edit the effects (either on guitar or drums) or enter your own drum loops say for for example from fruit loops?

Cheers man...

[bobritsky]

@teleias8

hi there.

r8-16-24? hmmm, depending on what you need. If you plan to record more than 2 instruments simultaneously - choose between R16 and R24. R24 has all features of R8 + just more input channels. But it is not so portable.

Yes you can edit effects by changing parameters of each effect in patch - quite flexible.

You can import any WAV file - just mix in down in Fruitty Loops to WAV 44/16, copy to SD card on R8, locate it and use as sample or drumloop.

BR,

Igor.

[wpcfurador]

Thanx for the video. Very useful.

[MrFactoryworker]

where can i download a version of this song, its really really nice! :)

[bobritsky]

@MrFactoryworker

thanx man!

I will re-record it in higher quality and upload to soundcloud(dot)com/bobritsky

[bobritsky]

@prammation

thanx mate! I hope these videos shine a light on some things that you wanna know.

[bobritsky]

@prammation

Indeed :)

[TheGodFatherBlasta]

Thanks Bob!!!

[Myronkline]

Very nice ....thanks for sharing. Very nice song!!

[bobritsky]

@Myronkline

thanx mate!

I will do better version of it soon

[alphadore]

Can you have a EQ and Compressor on all 8 channels? Can you run the mastering effects at the same time?

[bobritsky]

@alphadore

Well you can have simple 3 band EQ on each channel. Compressor - no.It is insert effect and it can be used only for 1 mono or 1 stereo track at one time, not for all 8. Mastering effects can be run like any other insert effect - for 1 stereo track (including master track)

So its like this: maximum no. of effects simultaneously is 4.

- EQ for each track

- insert effect

-reverb send

- chorus send

Hope its clear for you now.

BR!

[TheGodFatherBlasta]

Bob can you change Vocals or edit them through the Zoom R8

[bobritsky]

@TheGodFatherBlasta

You can edit anything by recording with punch in-out for precise editing.

Or if you are talking about vocal effects - yes , you can apply different effects on vocals after recording

If you are talking about pitch tuning vocals - you can do it with pitch effect, but quality is quite poor.

[laurentbigboss]

I Bobritsky, super video who help me to choose what kind of recorder to buy. So I'll buy a R8recorder... Unfortunately, they do not sel your talent with...

[bobritsky]

@laurentbigboss thanx a lot mate! This R8 is really great value for money..

talent is a tricky thing.. everyone has ups and downs of it..

but keep working

[MegamartNL]

oh btw.. does this machine timestretch your recorded loops? I mean, can you adjust the tempo after you've recorded your parts?

[MegamartNL]

Great demo! And a very nice song.. You are a talented guitar player, I wish I could play a guitar like that..

[bobritsky]

@MegamartNL thank you. keep your practice and u will. I wish I would play as many other as well :)

Yes R8 can time-stretch anything - either your recordings or loops from SD card. U can change tempo +-20% of your initial BPM. There're 2 modes - Beat and Tone suitable for drums and melody instruments. I can say that quality of time-stretch is quite OK.

[bobbyyamaha]

Nice work. Thanks for sharing the steps.

[9520575]

just bought one. really great tool. nice demo

[bobritsky]

@9520575

thanx!

now watch for inspiration:)

[fmarkow]

Great demo, thanks. Though, recording this way, recording a pattern, sequencing, seems aweful tedious to me. I prefer to sequence the drums, then play the parts live, adds some vriation in the rhythm parts as well. Anyhow, we all have our prefered method.

Can I ask, how do you like the built in mics? They sounds very bright and crisp to me, do you like these, are the similar to the H2 or H4 (i imagine they would be)?

[bobritsky]

@fmarkow

I feel launching with pads is OK, but bit time-consuming because you have to go through all song to record all changes etc. And second thing - since quantize function in R8 is only for quantize during real time recording (not possible to do it with already recorded material) it works not perfect - if you've hit pad just a tiny moment after beat - that note will go to NEXT beat.

Mics are fine - We've recorded our rehearsal and it was really good

Thanks for watching!

[bobritsky]

you can hear internal mics example on SoundCloud(dot)com/bobritsky/

[mhtechnical]

Thank you for a great tutorial. Can't wait for your masterclass!

[bobritsky]

@mhtechnical

thanx!

will post some later

[JPTorheim]

this is great!

I have to get one of these! :)

[bobritsky]

@JPTorheim

Yes, it definitely worth its money!

[batninja]

Excellent R8 walkthrough, well done!

[bobritsky]

@batninja

thanx for support!