I recorded a whole bunch of demo's using this little machine. things got much more interesting after ... ... ... I ended up releasing them anyway just to see what wouldn't happen. after a few laptop replacements, i had ended up needing buy back my own tunes on amazon, so at least they'll always be there somewhere, even if nobody hardly ever listens to them.
Glad you liked it. The answer is yes, you can edit the effects and save about 100 patches. There are also effects designed for vocals/drums etc in addition to what is shown in the video.
By the way, when mine arrived recently, I had an issue with my Compact Flash card and the "unsupported card!" message. I saw on Google that many people had/have the same problem. The solution is to download system version 1.11 from the official site and update (quick and easy to do, just read the .pdf that comes with it). My Kingston card, which was previously unsupported, worked right away after that. Hopefully this information will be useful/helpful, even if the recorder isn't new!
Thanks for the videos... Very helpful. I need something small to fit into the suitcase so I just bought one. It reminds me of my Rolands VS880EX, but as other users say unfriendly if you are not a tech head. I still use and love the analogue board the Yamaha MD8 as my primary home studio recorder as all the EQ'ng and effects applying can be more easily done without menu hopping. I think though this unit will be ok for the intended purpose... Travelling..... But thank you again!
Yep I agree with those comments. There are a few drawbacks, but given that it's nearly 20 years old now it's holding up amazingly well. Well done Boss :)
@@gearfacts my same thought on it ahead of time. like that beat pad part they beat make now days l0l. s0 kool. im get a get me 0ne this and get the update 0n it f0r the 1gb flash, and the last up date f0r 64 bit i think the last 0ne was f0r that. i have a boss br micro 4track its sick got hifi setting. butt this unit you have steel better.
Got one because another of my Tascam tape recorders is giving up and it'll be easier to record stuff on a digital recorder and then send the final mix to tape (funny how people are paying more and more for those older tape recorders these days, but they are very unreliable and after a while you just end up with a pile of expensive broken recorders and tape decks). I'm under the impression that the effects section is based on the Boss VF-1 processor, it even has the same Lo-Fi Box patch. That unit also has some bad reputation, with many people even preferring to use an older SE-50 or SE-70 over it. The drums may be the same as one of the past Boss DR units?
Yeah it is interesting. The power of electric rather than electronic recording (and just about everything else for that matter) is undeniable, but cost and reliability are a big issue. I guess it's inevitable that electronics will catch up one day. Thanks for watching Gearfacts :)
Tape is definitely powerful, even if in theory it shouldn't be better (everyone's so focused in getting "perfect" sound that they underestimate the role of imperfections in building interesting textures - that's what I love about those little synths and keyboards too). It's a shame that the equipment responsible for the media eventually will fail, and then replacement parts are expensive and rare to find - that's what is making me give up on depending on tape, as I have done for the last few years. I love my PortaStudios and all, but I wouldn't ever pay much money for one again because I know for a fact that they *do* fail in the long run, one issue or another, and you *will* be left with no other choice but to go to digital because one has to be very irresponsible with money if they decide to spend it on a pile of gear that will be broken in 'x' time. I wish all of my tape recorders and decks would last forever, but now using one of these Boss BR recorders I also see that it's definitely not the end of the world. There are other ways to get the nice lo-fi texture besides headaches with tape.
I downloaded the program but it does not recognize the recorder. I tried to download the drive from this link www.boss.info/us/support/by_product/br-600/updates_drivers/, but it only has windows vista. What can I do? There is no drive. The note did not recognize the recorder and I can not export the waves from the recorder. Do you know what I can do?
How can I stop the 1 or 2 second pinch i get at the beginning of an imported track? it misses the first intro beat like the 1, or 1,2 on a 1234 count into a track.
I think mine is a little messed up but I forgot how to switch to second third and 4 tracks I can only do the first track and 5/6 and 7/8 and I can do drums but otherwise I forgot how to switch ):
I look at your videos whenever there's a piece of equipment I'm interested in and I like the videos on the most part. However, I don't use distortion AT ALL but I do use other effects such as Phase, Flange, Chorus, Reverb and Delay. Why is it that you and other video reviewers use so much distortion? The main focus is on the different types of distortion and very little on the other effects. I know distortion is very popular now but there is A LOT of music out there now AND from the past that doesn;t use distortion. I wish you and others would give just as much time to the other effects as you do distortion.
You're 100% right. Up until quite recently all I played was distorted to some extent. I have a deep love of Fuzz in particular, but I've used it at the expense of making well-rounded demos. If it helps, the BR600 plays really nicely with external effects and also I've made a more recent demo of it that provides are more diverse summary of its capabilities (and less distortion!)
nice video I just was looking at an add of a crap guitar with amp in extras on gumtree said extras guitar stuff with it are free looked at the other stuff it was a boss br600 with manual and pouch the guitar and amp are wortless but the free stuff was wow so I called asked if she would sell br600 alone she said 20£ and she was only down the street its in like new condition its awesome I plug a guitar lead from boss headphone into my sound card plug guitar in too guitar of boss br600 and use it as an amp simulator while I use magix to record as the multitracker as it is over a tb of recording the sound is awesome don't need any guitar rig or any thing with my sound card with the boss br600 1gb storage this is best way too use it the fx are very good love the bass and volcals fx on this for 20£ I basically got Boss Vocal pedal and zoom b1on and zoom g1 on all in one for 20£ these are defo a find even too day just for fx alone for use in studio
20 quid! Yes!!! I just bought another one because I've always missed the one shown in this video. Cost me $AUD100 though. Still happy with that because as you say, it's a great machine with lots of versatility :) GF
@@gearfacts yes they go for 100 on ebay there is a br8 in Manchester on gumtree for 40 £ currently when I got mine it I saw it in the picture as extras for free with junk guitar+ amp the manual was next to it so I checked br600 on youtube because manual said br600 I never herd of it befor now when saw vidieos I was like wow took it home pluged it in and fell inlove instantly its no biger then some of my guitar pedal and is a very good fx processor like I said you get lot of pedals in one and then there is the 2 condencer mics
Za7a7aZ yes, it's got something like 500 patterns in it. You can choose from several kits and even substitute samples for each of the drum sounds, so there are a lot of possibilities. Gearfacts
I dont know what it is about the Boss BR recorders, but they always seem to have a tinge of muddiness and a slightly phasey quality to the playback... lacking the "open clarity" that I look for. They just dont sound fully real. It's hard to communicate exactly what I mean, but their sound is just "ok" enough. No sparkle. No punch. No drive. My buddy and my Dad both had 1180's for years, and every Boss BR has struck me the same way. Too bad because otherwise I really like them.
@@atrophyrecords1915 It was my buddy's unit... Not mine. ..but we used it a lot. My guitar was always miked..wet signal. We were panned. I dont remember if we EQ'd at recording or post. We used compression post. It wasnt so much that it sounded "bad". It didnt. It just didnt sound big. It sounded exactly like what it was. ...a multi-track home recorder. Seems to me that with all of the sonic power available, the unit would perform better. Sergeant Peppers was recorded on a 4 track tape machine. This Boss blows away the stuff they used in every way... yet the old gear really gets the music across in a much more organic way...and it sounded huge. The Boss sounds crowded and sterile in comparison. Just my opinion.
Hi, this is a very helpful video, i would like to know , if is it possible to edit the effects presets, and how many effects can be used in a preset? thanks
I have a? for you mines very nice condition and every thing works fine however it is on original factory firmware there is an update for it my ? is do I need it as im a strong beliver in the if its not broke don't fix it is the update worth loading
Scott Dickerson Yep, bassy and muddy sounding. Nice to know I'm not the only one but perhaps it's because we both have cheap guitars? Dunno, but Glynn Masterman gets a much cleaner, trebly sounding tone. If he reads this perhaps he can give us some sound advice on getting the most from guitar FX, with or without too much knob twiddling. ie what are the mnost important parameters which affect the tone?
Rex Mundi Hi guys, sorry for the delay. The answer is simple: I EQ the crap out of it. And most other fx that I try out. I find that people are often very shy with EQ but I say go nuts. Need less bass and more treble? Well, the place to start is Bass at minimum and Treb on max. That should be your start point, not everything at center. Oh and don't forget your pickup selector switch. Thanks again!
I also find that a good way to avoid clipping and muddy sound is to turn master volume way up high before adjusting the recording dial. And keep speakers low as possible when recording or use headphones to judge how it's going to sound when recorded. Then compress or EQ it. Also the Mastering options can clean up the sound a lot..
I'm expecting mine any day now. I've already got a Korg D16XD. This is something extra just to fiddle around with. www.stream102.co.uk NEW DRONE VIDEO COMING SOON TO STREAM 102
Gearfacts I have one quick question. I’m running a dance music set up at home. Drum machine, synthesizers into a mixer. I just want to record to audio from the mixer to this unit. It’s possible right? Just use the “Audioin” port?
Edwin J. Morais Jr. Yep that'll work. The trick is to get the signal levels right. Not too much loudness out of your gear, and not too much level on the input of the br600. Just enough for a nice bright recording with minimal noise. The br600 is great for this kind of thing. Thanks for looking at Gearfacts :)
I agree it's a bit tricky. If the screen was more detailed then I wouldn't get lost in the menus as often. I think computer-based recording is always going to be simpler, but I've always had better results from consoles.
I recorded a whole bunch of demo's using this little machine. things got much more interesting after ... ... ... I ended up releasing them anyway just to see what wouldn't happen. after a few laptop replacements, i had ended up needing buy back my own tunes on amazon, so at least they'll always be there somewhere, even if nobody hardly ever listens to them.
russell murray what sort of music are you making, bro?
Glad you liked it. The answer is yes, you can edit the effects and save about 100 patches. There are also effects designed for vocals/drums etc in addition to what is shown in the video.
By the way, when mine arrived recently, I had an issue with my Compact Flash card and the "unsupported card!" message. I saw on Google that many people had/have the same problem. The solution is to download system version 1.11 from the official site and update (quick and easy to do, just read the .pdf that comes with it). My Kingston card, which was previously unsupported, worked right away after that. Hopefully this information will be useful/helpful, even if the recorder isn't new!
Thanks for the videos... Very helpful. I need something small to fit into the suitcase so I just bought one. It reminds me of my Rolands VS880EX, but as other users say unfriendly if you are not a tech head. I still use and love the analogue board the Yamaha MD8 as my primary home studio recorder as all the EQ'ng and effects applying can be more easily done without menu hopping. I think though this unit will be ok for the intended purpose... Travelling..... But thank you again!
Yep I agree with those comments. There are a few drawbacks, but given that it's nearly 20 years old now it's holding up amazingly well. Well done Boss :)
Those initial Roland VSs were horrific.
Although I use DAWs now, my BR600 is such a cool, futuristic-looking piece of kit, still can't go long without putting my hands on it.
Yeah I sold this one after making this review and I'm already missing it
Thank you for the review.
Steve Winword Thanks for watching, Steve :)
back in the day the was a good fx maker and wow this sounds s0 epic 0n the guitar sounds
It was WAY ahead if it’s time :)
@@gearfacts my same thought on it ahead of time. like that beat pad part they beat make now days l0l. s0 kool. im get a get me 0ne this and get the update 0n it f0r the 1gb flash, and the last up date f0r 64 bit i think the last 0ne was f0r that. i have a boss br micro 4track its sick got hifi setting. butt this unit you have steel better.
Got one because another of my Tascam tape recorders is giving up and it'll be easier to record stuff on a digital recorder and then send the final mix to tape (funny how people are paying more and more for those older tape recorders these days, but they are very unreliable and after a while you just end up with a pile of expensive broken recorders and tape decks).
I'm under the impression that the effects section is based on the Boss VF-1 processor, it even has the same Lo-Fi Box patch. That unit also has some bad reputation, with many people even preferring to use an older SE-50 or SE-70 over it. The drums may be the same as one of the past Boss DR units?
Yeah it is interesting. The power of electric rather than electronic recording (and just about everything else for that matter) is undeniable, but cost and reliability are a big issue. I guess it's inevitable that electronics will catch up one day. Thanks for watching Gearfacts :)
Tape is definitely powerful, even if in theory it shouldn't be better (everyone's so focused in getting "perfect" sound that they underestimate the role of imperfections in building interesting textures - that's what I love about those little synths and keyboards too).
It's a shame that the equipment responsible for the media eventually will fail, and then replacement parts are expensive and rare to find - that's what is making me give up on depending on tape, as I have done for the last few years. I love my PortaStudios and all, but I wouldn't ever pay much money for one again because I know for a fact that they *do* fail in the long run, one issue or another, and you *will* be left with no other choice but to go to digital because one has to be very irresponsible with money if they decide to spend it on a pile of gear that will be broken in 'x' time. I wish all of my tape recorders and decks would last forever, but now using one of these Boss BR recorders I also see that it's definitely not the end of the world. There are other ways to get the nice lo-fi texture besides headaches with tape.
This is going to be very useful in programming drums. What is the overall sample rate for the drum pads any idea?
It's 44.1khz, 16 bit
Well, it's not quite as simple as that but yes, it can transfer recordings to a PC (or mac).
I downloaded the program but it does not recognize the recorder. I tried to download the drive from this link www.boss.info/us/support/by_product/br-600/updates_drivers/, but it only has windows vista. What can I do? There is no drive. The note did not recognize the recorder and I can not export the waves from the recorder. Do you know what I can do?
1:25 I found that riff very familiar
I was just messin' around, maybe I accidentally played something :)
@@gearfacts you did im trying to recall what is it
@@gearfacts i found it ruclips.net/video/5nCwABXCRKM/видео.html
@@DerekHundik Ha! weird!
How can I stop the 1 or 2 second pinch i get at the beginning of an imported track? it misses the first intro beat like the 1, or 1,2 on a 1234 count into a track.
Never heard of that problem. Maybe find someone else with the same unit and try the same operation. Driver fault, maybe?
I think mine is a little messed up but I forgot how to switch to second third and 4 tracks I can only do the first track and 5/6 and 7/8 and I can do drums but otherwise I forgot how to switch ):
I look at your videos whenever there's a piece of equipment I'm interested in and I like the videos on the most part. However, I don't use distortion AT ALL but I do use other effects such as Phase, Flange, Chorus, Reverb and Delay. Why is it that you and other video reviewers use so much distortion? The main focus is on the different types of distortion and very little on the other effects. I know distortion is very popular now but there is A LOT of music out there now AND from the past that doesn;t use distortion. I wish you and others would give just as much time to the other effects as you do distortion.
You're 100% right. Up until quite recently all I played was distorted to some extent. I have a deep love of Fuzz in particular, but I've used it at the expense of making well-rounded demos. If it helps, the BR600 plays really nicely with external effects and also I've made a more recent demo of it that provides are more diverse summary of its capabilities (and less distortion!)
does it simply connect to a pc/laptop and transfer recordings?
Yes, through USB, file transfer
nice video I just was looking at an add of a crap guitar with amp in extras on gumtree said extras guitar stuff with it are free looked at the other stuff it was a boss br600 with manual and pouch the guitar and amp are wortless but the free stuff was wow so I called asked if she would sell br600 alone she said 20£ and she was only down the street its in like new condition its awesome I plug a guitar lead from boss headphone into my sound card plug guitar in too guitar of boss br600 and use it as an amp simulator while I use magix to record as the multitracker as it is over a tb of recording the sound is awesome don't need any guitar rig or any thing with my sound card with the boss br600 1gb storage this is best way too use it the fx are very good love the bass and volcals fx on this for 20£ I basically got Boss Vocal pedal and zoom b1on and zoom g1 on all in one for 20£ these are defo a find even too day just for fx alone for use in studio
20 quid! Yes!!! I just bought another one because I've always missed the one shown in this video. Cost me $AUD100 though. Still happy with that because as you say, it's a great machine with lots of versatility :) GF
@@gearfacts yes they go for 100 on ebay there is a br8 in Manchester on gumtree for 40 £ currently when I got mine it I saw it in the picture as extras for free with junk guitar+ amp the manual was next to it so I checked br600 on youtube because manual said br600 I never herd of it befor now when saw vidieos I was like wow took it home pluged it in and fell inlove instantly its no biger then some of my guitar pedal and is a very good fx processor like I said you get lot of pedals in one and then there is the 2 condencer mics
Can you record a whole band on it?
Only 2 tracks can be recorded at a time. (or one stereo)
how do i export my rhythm track to pc?
I am not much of a drummer or rythem composer so...does it have pre-programmed drum patterns in it?
Za7a7aZ yes, it's got something like 500 patterns in it. You can choose from several kits and even substitute samples for each of the drum sounds, so there are a lot of possibilities. Gearfacts
I dont know what it is about the Boss BR recorders, but they always seem to have a tinge of muddiness and a slightly phasey quality to the playback... lacking the "open clarity" that I look for.
They just dont sound fully real.
It's hard to communicate exactly what I mean, but their sound is just "ok" enough. No sparkle. No punch. No drive.
My buddy and my Dad both had 1180's for years, and every Boss BR has struck me the same way.
Too bad because otherwise I really like them.
Are you using any compression / EQ / panning before recording in? its going to sound bad if its just straight in
@@atrophyrecords1915
It was my buddy's unit... Not mine.
..but we used it a lot.
My guitar was always miked..wet signal. We were panned. I dont remember if we EQ'd at recording or post. We used compression post.
It wasnt so much that it sounded "bad". It didnt.
It just didnt sound big. It sounded exactly like what it was. ...a multi-track home recorder.
Seems to me that with all of the sonic power available, the unit would perform better.
Sergeant Peppers was recorded on a 4 track tape machine.
This Boss blows away the stuff they used in every way... yet the old gear really gets the music across in a much more organic way...and it sounded huge.
The Boss sounds crowded and sterile in comparison.
Just my opinion.
Hi, this is a very helpful video, i would like to know , if is it possible to edit the effects presets, and how many effects can be used in a preset? thanks
Five effects per preset, and yes you can edit them :) Gearfacts
good machine, but why the sound is so....noisy?
PatentSTM that'd be because the video was recorded through my camera's mic. Thanks for watching Gearfacts :)
I have a? for you mines very nice condition and every thing works fine however it is on original factory firmware there is an update for it my ? is do I need it as im a strong beliver in the if its not broke don't fix it is the update worth loading
If it's working mate don't bother with the update. I think it's mostly to do with improving PC communications.
@@gearfacts thanks
I've found that ALL the guitar pre-sets are quite bassy so i find myself EQ-ing ALL my stuff including vocs...anyone else?
Scott Dickerson Yep, bassy and muddy sounding. Nice to know I'm not the only one but perhaps it's because we both have cheap guitars? Dunno, but Glynn Masterman gets a much cleaner, trebly sounding tone. If he reads this perhaps he can give us some sound advice on getting the most from guitar FX, with or without too much knob twiddling. ie what are the mnost important parameters which affect the tone?
Up yours
Scott Dickerson Very strange reaction, but no thanks Scott.
Rex Mundi Hi guys, sorry for the delay. The answer is simple: I EQ the crap out of it. And most other fx that I try out. I find that people are often very shy with EQ but I say go nuts. Need less bass and more treble? Well, the place to start is Bass at minimum and Treb on max. That should be your start point, not everything at center. Oh and don't forget your pickup selector switch. Thanks again!
I also find that a good way to avoid clipping and muddy sound is to turn master volume way up high before adjusting the recording dial. And keep speakers low as possible when recording or use headphones to judge how it's going to sound when recorded. Then compress or EQ it. Also the Mastering options can clean up the sound a lot..
Sounded like Tascam, or that who is the real manuf. Vs Fostex Panasonic!?? Sounded better.
Agreed :) #gearfacts
I'm expecting mine any day now. I've already got a Korg D16XD. This is something extra just to fiddle around with. www.stream102.co.uk NEW DRONE VIDEO COMING SOON TO STREAM 102
Awesome
Yep, still a leader even though it's been on the market for over 10 years now.
Gearfacts I have one quick question. I’m running a dance music set up at home. Drum machine, synthesizers into a mixer.
I just want to record to audio from the mixer to this unit. It’s possible right? Just use the “Audioin” port?
Edwin J. Morais Jr. Yep that'll work. The trick is to get the signal levels right. Not too much loudness out of your gear, and not too much level on the input of the br600. Just enough for a nice bright recording with minimal noise. The br600 is great for this kind of thing. Thanks for looking at Gearfacts :)
Are you playing that stuff? Or is that some presets?
wtf dont they make one for technophobes like me, faaaaar to complicated.
I agree it's a bit tricky. If the screen was more detailed then I wouldn't get lost in the menus as often. I think computer-based recording is always going to be simpler, but I've always had better results from consoles.