This is fantastic. Thank you so much. Just got a BR1600 because it just seems to make things much simpler than all these complicated DAW’s. Going through all your videos on the BR and hope to see some new ones in the future if you’re still making them.
Thanks Paul! I'm glad that they are helpful to you - that's the reason I wanted to make them! I do plan on making more, but it takes a fair amount of time to put them together as I try and be as thorough as I can. What topics would you like to see in future videos?
Well I’m just getting started here. I did use one about 15 years ago so I have some familiarity with the BR. I plan to use it to record drums (7 tracks). I think you have a video on how to record that and “bounce” them all to one track. I’ll want to record guitar and also a digital piano and a Yamaha MX49 synth. This is all just to have fun at home. Not planning on any performances or anything. Once I have something recorded I’m sure I’ll have to master it. Maybe some topics on how the effects work and how I can use them? I’m going to mess around with the guitar amps once I figure out how to select different ones. I also agree that while computers can do a lot more this is just more enjoyable with buttons and sliders and knobs LOL. I also think it’s more satisfying and immediate. Thanks again!!
Thought of a question. So I’m the only one in the room recording. The BR is on the desk and the drums are on the other side of the room. If I hit record and start recording I still have to walk to the other side of the room, sit down and start playing. Is there any way to time the start of the recording to avoid a bunch of dead air and noise while I sit down? Does the optional foot switch solve that issue where you can step on the switch to start recording and then press it to stop?
The footswitch only has two options - to switch between PLAY/STOP and REC on/off (punch in/out). Punch in/out only works if you are *already* in PLAY mode so, no that wont solve your issue. If the drums are the 1st thing you are laying down, then I wouldnt worry about it too much. When you have finished recording, add a marker just before the start of the drums (at the position where you want the song to start) and then use Track Edit, to shift all the tracks from the marker point to 0.00. Its very quick and easy to do. I cant remember off the top of my head if it will let you move audio to *before* 0.00 or not? If not, it is easy just to delete all audio on all tracks from 0.00 to your marker point and *then* move the tracks.
Ok. That sounds pretty simple. I assume there’s some instructions on how to add a marker and use track edit? I haven’t gotten through all your videos just yet as I want to take this step by step and not overload myself with stuff I don’t need yet. Again thanks so much for being a resource!! I’m pretty sure as I dive into this the machine is quite intuitive and it’ll begin to come together.
Thank you for a very informative and helpful video. Just got my Boss 1600 out of hibernation to convert some of our old ballads recorded on tape in the mid 1980's to digital and maybe add some more tracks. This will be my guide for sure!
No problem Karl - glad I could help! Its actually ideal for transferring from tape as you can digitize all (4 or 8) tracks at the same time without worry about trying to synchronize them up after (assuming the recorder has individual outs for each track).
You are doing a GREAT service to anyone who has one of these awesome units … I have spent way too many hours trying to decipher the original user manual … and/ or watching the dvd that was made years ago by A company …. You re instructions are at least a 1000 % better for a novice audio attempter‼️ I hear an echo… o o o o h … please keep posting , sir RD In Romeo, Michigan
Thanks RD! I appreciate the encouragement and I'm glad that you find the videos helpful. I've been a bit distracted over the festive season, but more videos are planned :)
Just Picked up a second hand BR-1600 today but missing Power supply.....Will order one this week....I find your videos very informative and look forward to getting started myself, thanks for posting!
The, perhaps, number one tip is recording to a click track and locking to the grid of measurers. In a DAW, you can so easily move and trim audio visually after the fact. In these digital recorders, it can be done, but it is so much easier and faster if you are playing to the grid. So enjoying this series of videos. Looking for a BR 1600 soon. (Also looking at old Roland VS recorders.)
Definitely, It really become critical if you want to start moving parts of your song around later. Good luck with hunt! I still keep my eye out locally too and if I see one going silly cheap I cant help myself and pick it up! The VS series are excellent machines. Quite a bit more of a learning curve though to be able use them properly.
Have it16years so far. I had to replace the controle board after sliders were bleeding sound and buttons wore out. I was able to do it myself. Easy to do. Try and keep dust, hairs from entering the sliders. Wipe them out periodically. Great unit.
Yes, with the age of these, they do suffer from some age/usage related issues. I've replaced *lots* of those worn out button switches (I have 7 BR1600s!). Unfortunately they discontinued making the OEM switches at the end of 2020, but I'm sure you could find an equivalent. Easy enough to do, but involves stripping the unit down which can be a bit daunting if you're not familiar with it. Definitely keep the dust and dirt away from the faders. I have found that the "bleed" issue is more often than not solved by cleaning the fader tracks and is almost always not an issue with the board or fader electronics. Thanks for commenting - and I agree 100%, it's a fantastic little machine :)
Recorded my first song and both created a .cda with the CD drive and was very please the USB export of the mastered file on virtual track worked great too.
Hello, congratulations for this great video, excellent! Do you have a tutorial video that talks more specifically about boss br 864? I'm having trouble! Thanks!
Was looking at the older BR-600 and BR-900CD and am wondering if these recorders will work ok just being used as straight multi-track recorders without using any of the effects/drums at all ? Like the older recorders that used a cassette tape.
Sure! You don't have to use any of the built in effect or drums if you don't need them, and it will happily record exactly what you feed it - just like the old 4 track tape machines.
Hi, great video thank you. When I pan anything, I cant place the e.g. vocals just in the middle. The pan does move from left to right but I cant place the vocals in the middle. I used to use Cakewalk and the pan was excellent. Any suggestions please ?
Hi - thanks for the comment. Can you explain the issue you're having in a bit more detail? If you can pan from left to right, what happens when you get to the centre position?
@@masteringtoolkit the best way to describe it is when the centre position is reached the volime is lower and I can faintly hear the vocal in the left and right speakers. I never had this with Cakewalk, the pan effect from left middle and right was brill.
@@MrSkonny I can't say I've ever ever heard of an issue like that before... Is the vocal track mono or stereo? Do you have the same issue through headphones and using monitors? Do you have any effects applied to the track? If you copy the track to another track, do you still have the same problem?
Hi again. I record in mono and when I pan wanting to hear the recorded track in the centre, the audio is still heard quieter in the left and right monitor speakers. So, I can't pan my vocals to the centre. In other words I can't hear anything in the middle, just only in the left and right position. Have you any suggestions please?
I can't tell you how good this video is. Excellent. One question, when you say the stereo tracks can me "mixed down" to either another set of stereo tracks or a mono track, do you mean "bounced to" or indeed mixed as in adding more effects, pan, eq, etc. or both?
Thanks you so much Fezzler. I'm glad that you find it useful. With regards to the Stereo Input mode, maybe "summed" would be a better term. All of the inputs you use in this mode will be reduced down to either a mono or stereo track of your choosing. You *can* adjust the Pan of the tracks on input and add EQ and effects at the time too, but obviously once reduced down to a mono or stereo track all of that is then "baked in". A better option if you wanted full control of the 8 individual inputs is to use Multitrack mode, so that each input gets its own track and then you can adjust Pan, EQ and any effect after the fact, allowing you to change them too if you need. Stereo input mode is great for recording an acoustic instrument where you might want to use more than 2 mics but still just have a stereo result.
I wish Boss (Roland) would put out a new updated one that's 24bit that you can attach a monitor to, and has a built-in CD burner. That would be awesome.
Yeah, its a shame Boss abandoned the line. Not sure about a CD burner though as they are pretty much obsolete these day (not for me personally as I have a 1300+ collection and listen to them everyday!) but having removable media like an SD card would be great!
Hallo super Video! Meine Frage: Früher hatte ich Win 7 da klappte der BR 1600 USB Audio Export, bei meinem neuen PC mit Win 10 nicht mehr. Gibt es dafür eine Lösung? Beim neuen PC sind nur 2.0 USB Stecker
Thanks for the comment Gerho! The BR1600 *should* work on Windows 10 I believe. This is the advice from Roland if you are having trouble getting the BR1600 to be recognized by the PC: Be sure to log on as a user with administrative privileges. Close/turn off system monitoring/anti-virus software. If system monitoring software such as anti-virus programs are installed on your computer, close them while troubleshooting. Connect directly to your computer via USB. Do not connect to a USB hub while troubleshooting. Be sure that you are connecting to a USB 2.0 port on your computer; or a USB 3.0 port with backwards compatibility. Try a different USB cable and different USB ports on the computer. I personally don't transfer audio via the USB, being USB1 it is very slow. Some alternatives to using USB: - Use a R/RW CD. If it is just for a mastered song or one or two tracks, then it is actually quite quick. If you use a re-writable CD you can use it over and over again. - Connect the digital out of the BR1600 to your PC via an audio interface that accepts an SPDIF input. I use this all the time to transfer to and from A DAW on my PC. (you can also record directly from the output of the headphone too, but that is less desirable than a digital transfer as it is not lossless) - If you need to backup the entire content of the machine, or a few songs, then you can remove the HD and connect directly to your PC with an inexpensive HD Dock. This is *much* faster than transferring via USB too. See my video on replacing the HD to see how it is removed. It is pretty straight forward to do.
Thank you Gerhard and a Merry Christmas to you and your family too! Many years ago I worked at Talkaser in Westendorf! A beautiful part of the world :)
I have another question: There is a tool in the BR 1600 to create polyphonic singing (2-3 voices). I'm not familiar with this either, so I haven't tried it yet. Do you have any advice? Maybe you even have a video for it. Thanks for your answer in advance
I've been looking for something like this for ages, I have the br1180 and I'm trying to record from my guitar amplifier headphone socket to br1180 but only getting a very distorted signal.. don't know what I'm doing wrong...can you help please.
It sounds like the signal is too hot. Can you turn the headphone level down on the amp? Make sure that the Insert Effects are turned OFF. If you are using LINE Input, try using SIMUL instead, turn OFF Insert effects and reduce the level going into the BR 1180 using the Input Level dial.
Thanks so much for your help managed to get a good clear signal from my amp. And thanks for publishing these tips, I think there are still many people using the Boss 16 or 8, as I am, who have been trying to understand the manual lol.Thanks once again for tutorials that are clear and precise 👍
Thank you @@geoffpengelly5970 - you're very welcome. I'm glad you managed to get the signal issue sorted out. Yeah, at the time these machines came out, YT tutorials weren't really a thing. Consequently, there is very little in the way of information available on how to use them. As long as people like yourself find them helpful, I'll keep making them! 👍
BR-1200 arrived. In great shape. It is a big, bulky, silver, beautiful behemoth of a digital recorder with large knobs and buttons I can actually see. 40 meg HD I think and needs the system update. Quiet! HD is slow. But that's okay. Anyone ever put a SSD in these or Compact Flash (even though OS probably only handles 80GB)? Is there a place where fans of these older BR recorders can chat? FB? Listserv? Etc. ?
Great to hear! Welcome to the club :) You can increase the HD size, but it will only recognise 80 GB total (2 x 40GB partitions). The OEM drives are slow in comparison to todays drives, but still plenty of capable of handling recording 8 tracks at once (in the case of the BR1600). You should have no issues on the BR1200. There is a facebook group for the BR1600, and it has a few BR1200 users on there too. facebook.com/groups/149365521791087
As well as the BR1180 and BR1200. The BR900 does lack the "scenes" function though which I think is one of the most useful (and under used) on the BR 1600.
@@masteringtoolkit BR1200 appears to have "scenes" an seems a bit more affordable that highly desired (I'm finding) BR-1600s in good shape. Did you cover "scenes" yet?
@@Fezzler61 It does, as does the BR 1180. Here is a comparison sheet of the different models: www.dropbox.com/s/lkqi2ad8hi2szn9/_Boss-Roland%20Recorder%20Comparison%20Chart.pdf?dl=0 No, not yet, but essentially what it does is take a complete snapshot of the machine, which doesnt sound that powerful, but if you use each set of V-tracks as an instrument "buss" you can save each one so that you can instantly switch between them all, just like having multiple BR's all connected together!
@@masteringtoolkit Chart great! Found a 1200CD I can afford. On the way. Fun. Looks like very similar to 1600CD so your wonderful tutorials will be relevant. Still wrapping my mind on "scenes." So they are like saving an effects chain in a DAW?
@@Fezzler61 Congrats! Yeah, they are very similar and if you only need to record two inputs at a time max, then its a great option. Kind of - but it saves *everything* including V-track selection, fader positions, effects and all settings. Once you have it in hand, I'm sure it'll make more sense. I think it was primarily designed to be used to save mix settings, so that you can try different mixes of a song and switch between them without losing anything. You can also use them to do automation as you can link them to markers and get them to switch anywhere you like in a song.
Okay, now that I am getting older, while technology has shrunk the size of equally or more capable digital recorders (See Boss Micro BR-80, the size of a pack of cigarettes or bar of soap), there is, to me, a growing appeal to the larger format with real knobs and larger tactical buttons. Valid or am I nuts? If something is enjoyable to use, you'll use it!
I agree (I have a BR 80 - in fact that is what the narration for the video was recorded on). There seems to be a growing camp of people that are returning to the tactile experience of using the hardware recorders, which also seems to be reflected in how the prices of these units are on the rise. The fact that its so immediate to be able to put a bunch of tracks together and the fact that you don't have endless plugins to use, technically a "restriction", to me is good thing, and I can just concentrate on the music side of things rather than the technology behind it.
I didn't like the COSM guitar sounds. I bought a used Boss GT1, which sounds much better. But after micing my amp I found that to be my preference, but I will still use the GT1. I also have a Beat Buddy drum pedal which I'll use also, because I like it better than the BR1600 drum patterns. I would recommend getting a manual, even though your video's are excellent.
Micing a real amp will almost always sound better than a simulation, but obviously not always practical. I use a Bluguitar Amp1 directly into the BR1600 and it sounds amazing. I have the Boss GT10 for effects but you could also use your own hardware pedals if you don't want to use the built in COSM effect (which are still quite usable IMHO). For drums, fortunately the BR1600 is quite flexible. There are the built in MIDI drums or the "Loop Phrases" which you can use any real samples (and it doesn't have to be limited to drums either) as well as being able to drive external drum or rhythm equipment via MIDI. If you don't want to stay "in the box", you can sync the BR1600 to a DAW and use any of the virtual drum instruments like EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer! Yes - it is definitely worth reading the manual as it's actually quite comprehensive. Cheers for the comment.
I feel the same. Thought it was because of the cheap pickups. I eventually get it sounding good, but it takes around 30 minutes adjusting levels. Sometimes i give up. Hope your enjoying recording now.
Great lesson, was about to give up as its so complicated, but now clearer, thanks
Great to hear!
Once you wrap your head around how it works, its actually pretty straight forward.
Happy recording!
This is the perfect video to learn how start use the BR-1600! Thank you again!!!
This is fantastic. Thank you so much. Just got a BR1600 because it just seems to make things much simpler than all these complicated DAW’s. Going through all your videos on the BR and hope to see some new ones in the future if you’re still making them.
Thanks Paul!
I'm glad that they are helpful to you - that's the reason I wanted to make them!
I do plan on making more, but it takes a fair amount of time to put them together as I try and be as thorough as I can.
What topics would you like to see in future videos?
Well I’m just getting started here. I did use one about 15 years ago so I have some familiarity with the BR. I plan to use it to record drums (7 tracks). I think you have a video on how to record that and “bounce” them all to one track. I’ll want to record guitar and also a digital piano and a Yamaha MX49 synth. This is all just to have fun at home. Not planning on any performances or anything. Once I have something recorded I’m sure I’ll have to master it. Maybe some topics on how the effects work and how I can use them? I’m going to mess around with the guitar amps once I figure out how to select different ones. I also agree that while computers can do a lot more this is just more enjoyable with buttons and sliders and knobs LOL. I also think it’s more satisfying and immediate. Thanks again!!
Thought of a question. So I’m the only one in the room recording. The BR is on the desk and the drums are on the other side of the room. If I hit record and start recording I still have to walk to the other side of the room, sit down and start playing. Is there any way to time the start of the recording to avoid a bunch of dead air and noise while I sit down? Does the optional foot switch solve that issue where you can step on the switch to start recording and then press it to stop?
The footswitch only has two options - to switch between PLAY/STOP and REC on/off (punch in/out). Punch in/out only works if you are *already* in PLAY mode so, no that wont solve your issue.
If the drums are the 1st thing you are laying down, then I wouldnt worry about it too much. When you have finished recording, add a marker just before the start of the drums (at the position where you want the song to start) and then use Track Edit, to shift all the tracks from the marker point to 0.00. Its very quick and easy to do.
I cant remember off the top of my head if it will let you move audio to *before* 0.00 or not? If not, it is easy just to delete all audio on all tracks from 0.00 to your marker point and *then* move the tracks.
Ok. That sounds pretty simple. I assume there’s some instructions on how to add a marker and use track edit? I haven’t gotten through all your videos just yet as I want to take this step by step and not overload myself with stuff I don’t need yet. Again thanks so much for being a resource!! I’m pretty sure as I dive into this the machine is quite intuitive and it’ll begin to come together.
Great video, great job! Keep posting! Thank you.
Thank you Erico, will do - I appreciate the comment!
Thank you for a very informative and helpful video. Just got my Boss 1600 out of hibernation to convert some of our old ballads recorded on tape in the mid 1980's to digital and maybe add some more tracks. This will be my guide for sure!
No problem Karl - glad I could help!
Its actually ideal for transferring from tape as you can digitize all (4 or 8) tracks at the same time without worry about trying to synchronize them up after (assuming the recorder has individual outs for each track).
Acabo de comprar la Boss 1600cd y no tenia ni idea de como empezar y gracias a ti he podido comenzar a grabar. Gracias
Es bueno oir eso. Estoy seguro de que no te llevará mucho tiempo acostumbrarte a usarlo.
You are doing a GREAT service to anyone who has one of these awesome units … I have spent way too many hours trying to decipher the original user manual … and/ or watching the dvd that was made years ago by
A company …. You re instructions are at least a 1000 % better for a novice audio attempter‼️ I hear an echo… o o o o h … please keep posting , sir
RD
In Romeo,
Michigan
Thanks RD!
I appreciate the encouragement and I'm glad that you find the videos helpful.
I've been a bit distracted over the festive season, but more videos are planned :)
Just Picked up a second hand BR-1600 today but missing Power supply.....Will order one this week....I find your videos very informative and look forward to getting started myself, thanks for posting!
Cheers Phil - much appreciated.
I'm currently working on another video as I type this, so more to come.
Thanks for commenting
The, perhaps, number one tip is recording to a click track and locking to the grid of measurers. In a DAW, you can so easily move and trim audio visually after the fact. In these digital recorders, it can be done, but it is so much easier and faster if you are playing to the grid. So enjoying this series of videos. Looking for a BR 1600 soon. (Also looking at old Roland VS recorders.)
Definitely, It really become critical if you want to start moving parts of your song around later.
Good luck with hunt! I still keep my eye out locally too and if I see one going silly cheap I cant help myself and pick it up!
The VS series are excellent machines. Quite a bit more of a learning curve though to be able use them properly.
Keep posting sir 👍👍👍👍
Thanks for this, going to start using mine again and run the keys through these great effects.
No problem Freddie - glad I could help. Happy recording!
very helpful
Thanks steven - glad it helped.
Have it16years so far. I had to replace the controle board after sliders were bleeding sound and buttons wore out. I was able to do it myself. Easy to do.
Try and keep dust, hairs from entering the sliders. Wipe them out periodically.
Great unit.
Yes, with the age of these, they do suffer from some age/usage related issues. I've replaced *lots* of those worn out button switches (I have 7 BR1600s!). Unfortunately they discontinued making the OEM switches at the end of 2020, but I'm sure you could find an equivalent. Easy enough to do, but involves stripping the unit down which can be a bit daunting if you're not familiar with it.
Definitely keep the dust and dirt away from the faders. I have found that the "bleed" issue is more often than not solved by cleaning the fader tracks and is almost always not an issue with the board or fader electronics.
Thanks for commenting - and I agree 100%, it's a fantastic little machine :)
Really good work thank you so much
Thanks very much Rainer - you're welcome!
Extraordinario video y exp'licacion, enhorabuena amigo.
Gracias eres bienvenido
Great video, thank you so much, I think I will rush out and get one now.
Cheers Iain!
They do seem to be creeping up in price - could be a wise move! :)
Excellent video! ("I don't NEED one, I don't NEED one. but I WANT one!") LOL.
Thanks Fezzler - much appreciated!
LOL. Keep your eye out for one locally, you might be able to pick one up for a song! :)
really helped me thanks
No problem - glad to help!
Recorded my first song and both created a .cda with the CD drive and was very please the USB export of the mastered file on virtual track worked great too.
Good work!
It doesn't take long once you wrap your head around how it all works 👍
@@masteringtoolkit Looking forward to your Rhythm video. Programming and advantages / disadvantages of Loops vs Drums or perhaps a mix.
@@Fezzler61 Its on the list, but have been busy with RL unfortunately. Hopefully can get some more content out soon.
@@masteringtoolkit No rush. Your videos are excellent! So professionally done.
Hello, congratulations for this great video, excellent! Do you have a tutorial video that talks more specifically about boss br 864? I'm having trouble! Thanks!
Thanks Marco.
I don't have a BR-864 so I can't help you with that - sorry.
Thanks the same!
Was looking at the older BR-600 and BR-900CD and am wondering if these recorders will work ok just being used as straight multi-track recorders without using any of the effects/drums at all ? Like the older recorders that used a cassette tape.
Sure! You don't have to use any of the built in effect or drums if you don't need them, and it will happily record exactly what you feed it - just like the old 4 track tape machines.
Hi, great video thank you. When I pan anything, I cant place the e.g. vocals just in the middle. The pan does move from left to right but I cant place the vocals in the middle. I used to use Cakewalk and the pan was excellent. Any suggestions please ?
Hi - thanks for the comment.
Can you explain the issue you're having in a bit more detail?
If you can pan from left to right, what happens when you get to the centre position?
@@masteringtoolkit the best way to describe it is when the centre position is reached the volime is lower and I can faintly hear the vocal in the left and right speakers. I never had this with Cakewalk, the pan effect from left middle and right was brill.
@@MrSkonny I can't say I've ever ever heard of an issue like that before...
Is the vocal track mono or stereo? Do you have the same issue through headphones and using monitors? Do you have any effects applied to the track? If you copy the track to another track, do you still have the same problem?
Hi again. I record in mono and when I pan wanting to hear the recorded track in the centre, the audio is still heard quieter in the left and right monitor speakers. So, I can't pan my vocals to the centre. In other words I can't hear anything in the middle, just only in the left and right position. Have you any suggestions please?
I own BR1600 and GT10❤ too :)
Looking for a video about midi import + connecting digital in in a best way incl. doubling feature.
Thanks for the comment.
I'll make a note and will add it to the list of possible upcoming videos. 👍
I can't tell you how good this video is. Excellent. One question, when you say the stereo tracks can me "mixed down" to either another set of stereo tracks or a mono track, do you mean "bounced to" or indeed mixed as in adding more effects, pan, eq, etc. or both?
Thanks you so much Fezzler. I'm glad that you find it useful.
With regards to the Stereo Input mode, maybe "summed" would be a better term. All of the inputs you use in this mode will be reduced down to either a mono or stereo track of your choosing. You *can* adjust the Pan of the tracks on input and add EQ and effects at the time too, but obviously once reduced down to a mono or stereo track all of that is then "baked in". A better option if you wanted full control of the 8 individual inputs is to use Multitrack mode, so that each input gets its own track and then you can adjust Pan, EQ and any effect after the fact, allowing you to change them too if you need. Stereo input mode is great for recording an acoustic instrument where you might want to use more than 2 mics but still just have a stereo result.
I wish Boss (Roland) would put out a new updated one that's 24bit that you can attach a monitor to, and has a built-in CD burner. That would be awesome.
Yeah, its a shame Boss abandoned the line. Not sure about a CD burner though as they are pretty much obsolete these day (not for me personally as I have a 1300+ collection and listen to them everyday!) but having removable media like an SD card would be great!
Hallo super Video! Meine Frage: Früher hatte ich Win 7 da klappte der BR 1600 USB Audio Export, bei meinem neuen PC mit Win 10 nicht mehr. Gibt es dafür eine Lösung? Beim neuen PC sind nur 2.0 USB Stecker
Thanks for the comment Gerho!
The BR1600 *should* work on Windows 10 I believe.
This is the advice from Roland if you are having trouble getting the BR1600 to be recognized by the PC:
Be sure to log on as a user with administrative privileges.
Close/turn off system monitoring/anti-virus software. If system monitoring software such as anti-virus programs are installed on your computer, close them while troubleshooting.
Connect directly to your computer via USB. Do not connect to a USB hub while troubleshooting.
Be sure that you are connecting to a USB 2.0 port on your computer; or a USB 3.0 port with backwards compatibility.
Try a different USB cable and different USB ports on the computer.
I personally don't transfer audio via the USB, being USB1 it is very slow.
Some alternatives to using USB:
- Use a R/RW CD. If it is just for a mastered song or one or two tracks, then it is actually quite quick. If you use a re-writable CD you can use it over and over again.
- Connect the digital out of the BR1600 to your PC via an audio interface that accepts an SPDIF input. I use this all the time to transfer to and from A DAW on my PC.
(you can also record directly from the output of the headphone too, but that is less desirable than a digital transfer as it is not lossless)
- If you need to backup the entire content of the machine, or a few songs, then you can remove the HD and connect directly to your PC with an inexpensive HD Dock.
This is *much* faster than transferring via USB too. See my video on replacing the HD to see how it is removed. It is pretty straight forward to do.
Thank you very much for your answer and tips, I will try it out. Wish you a Merry Christmas. Many greetings Gerhard from Tyrol (Austria)😀
Thank you Gerhard and a Merry Christmas to you and your family too!
Many years ago I worked at Talkaser in Westendorf! A beautiful part of the world :)
Yes, that's really nice. Greetings Gerhard
I have another question: There is a tool in the BR 1600 to create polyphonic singing (2-3 voices). I'm not familiar with this either, so I haven't tried it yet. Do you have any advice? Maybe you even have a video for it. Thanks for your answer in advance
I've been looking for something like this for ages, I have the br1180 and I'm trying to record from my guitar amplifier headphone socket to br1180 but only getting a very distorted signal.. don't know what I'm doing wrong...can you help please.
It sounds like the signal is too hot. Can you turn the headphone level down on the amp?
Make sure that the Insert Effects are turned OFF.
If you are using LINE Input, try using SIMUL instead, turn OFF Insert effects and reduce the level going into the BR 1180 using the Input Level dial.
Thanks so much for your help managed to get a good clear signal from my amp. And thanks for publishing these tips, I think there are still many people using the Boss 16 or 8, as I am, who have been trying to understand the manual lol.Thanks once again for tutorials that are clear and precise 👍
Thank you @@geoffpengelly5970 - you're very welcome. I'm glad you managed to get the signal issue sorted out.
Yeah, at the time these machines came out, YT tutorials weren't really a thing. Consequently, there is very little in the way of information available on how to use them.
As long as people like yourself find them helpful, I'll keep making them! 👍
BR-1200 arrived. In great shape. It is a big, bulky, silver, beautiful behemoth of a digital recorder with large knobs and buttons I can actually see. 40 meg HD I think and needs the system update. Quiet! HD is slow. But that's okay. Anyone ever put a SSD in these or Compact Flash (even though OS probably only handles 80GB)?
Is there a place where fans of these older BR recorders can chat? FB? Listserv? Etc. ?
Great to hear! Welcome to the club :)
You can increase the HD size, but it will only recognise 80 GB total (2 x 40GB partitions). The OEM drives are slow in comparison to todays drives, but still plenty of capable of handling recording 8 tracks at once (in the case of the BR1600). You should have no issues on the BR1200.
There is a facebook group for the BR1600, and it has a few BR1200 users on there too.
facebook.com/groups/149365521791087
Researching. If you don't need all the inputs of the 1600CD, the 900CD is quite capable as well.
As well as the BR1180 and BR1200.
The BR900 does lack the "scenes" function though which I think is one of the most useful (and under used) on the BR 1600.
@@masteringtoolkit BR1200 appears to have "scenes" an seems a bit more affordable that highly desired (I'm finding) BR-1600s in good shape. Did you cover "scenes" yet?
@@Fezzler61 It does, as does the BR 1180.
Here is a comparison sheet of the different models:
www.dropbox.com/s/lkqi2ad8hi2szn9/_Boss-Roland%20Recorder%20Comparison%20Chart.pdf?dl=0
No, not yet, but essentially what it does is take a complete snapshot of the machine, which doesnt sound that powerful, but if you use each set of V-tracks as an instrument "buss" you can save each one so that you can instantly switch between them all, just like having multiple BR's all connected together!
@@masteringtoolkit Chart great! Found a 1200CD I can afford. On the way. Fun. Looks like very similar to 1600CD so your wonderful tutorials will be relevant. Still wrapping my mind on "scenes." So they are like saving an effects chain in a DAW?
@@Fezzler61 Congrats! Yeah, they are very similar and if you only need to record two inputs at a time max, then its a great option.
Kind of - but it saves *everything* including V-track selection, fader positions, effects and all settings. Once you have it in hand, I'm sure it'll make more sense.
I think it was primarily designed to be used to save mix settings, so that you can try different mixes of a song and switch between them without losing anything. You can also use them to do automation as you can link them to markers and get them to switch anywhere you like in a song.
Okay, now that I am getting older, while technology has shrunk the size of equally or more capable digital recorders (See Boss Micro BR-80, the size of a pack of cigarettes or bar of soap), there is, to me, a growing appeal to the larger format with real knobs and larger tactical buttons. Valid or am I nuts? If something is enjoyable to use, you'll use it!
I agree (I have a BR 80 - in fact that is what the narration for the video was recorded on).
There seems to be a growing camp of people that are returning to the tactile experience of using the hardware recorders, which also seems to be reflected in how the prices of these units are on the rise. The fact that its so immediate to be able to put a bunch of tracks together and the fact that you don't have endless plugins to use, technically a "restriction", to me is good thing, and I can just concentrate on the music side of things rather than the technology behind it.
@@masteringtoolkit I didn't want to gush, but your demo in the video demonstrated that so well.
@@Fezzler61 I really appreciate that - thank you!
🤩😍👍👍🤘🤘🤘
I just got one! Waiting for a manual I ordered. I hope I can record with a mic, into an amp.
Congrats!
You can also download the manual from the Boss website in the meantime.
I didn't like the COSM guitar sounds. I bought a used Boss GT1, which sounds much better. But after micing my amp I found that to be my preference, but I will still use the GT1. I also have a Beat Buddy drum pedal which I'll use also, because I like it better than the BR1600 drum patterns. I would recommend getting a manual, even though your video's are excellent.
Micing a real amp will almost always sound better than a simulation, but obviously not always practical. I use a Bluguitar Amp1 directly into the BR1600 and it sounds amazing.
I have the Boss GT10 for effects but you could also use your own hardware pedals if you don't want to use the built in COSM effect (which are still quite usable IMHO).
For drums, fortunately the BR1600 is quite flexible. There are the built in MIDI drums or the "Loop Phrases" which you can use any real samples (and it doesn't have to be limited to drums either) as well as being able to drive external drum or rhythm equipment via MIDI. If you don't want to stay "in the box", you can sync the BR1600 to a DAW and use any of the virtual drum instruments like EZ Drummer or Superior Drummer!
Yes - it is definitely worth reading the manual as it's actually quite comprehensive.
Cheers for the comment.
I feel the same. Thought it was because of the cheap pickups. I eventually get it sounding good, but it takes around 30 minutes adjusting levels.
Sometimes i give up.
Hope your enjoying recording now.