I am assembling a mobile music recording rig with my older laptop, and am on the market for a portable audio recorder that can be used as a USB audio interface.

Looking for one with decent built-in mics, a reasonable amount of XLR inputs, and (most importantly) one that actually allows me to record all channels separately into my DAW (studio one).

My current audio interface is crap. Very noisy when connected, and despite having multiple mic ports, it doesn't output them into separate channels. I was misled to believe that it did.

Recommendations? Budget is around 300usd. I don't mind paying a bit more than that if it's good though.

 

This kind of thing is tedious to lookup. *was. Now that you get a list of devices that are sort of what you want, vendors like Sweetwater or Thomann will show you comparison products as you look them up. But in 1 second.


you: I am assembling a mobile music recording rig with my older laptop, and am on the market for a portable audio recorder that can be used as a USB audio interface

ChatGPT
That sounds like a cool project! Having a portable audio recorder that doubles as a USB audio interface can be very handy for mobile recording setups. Here are a few options you might want to consider:

1. Zoom H6 Handy Recorder: The Zoom H6 is a popular choice among musicians and sound recordists. It offers four XLR/TRS combo inputs, allowing you to connect microphones or line-level sources, and it can also be used as a USB audio interface with your laptop.
   
   
2. Tascam DR-40X: Tascam's DR-40X is another versatile recorder that can function as a USB audio interface. It features two built-in microphones as well as two XLR/TRS combo inputs, giving you flexibility in your recording setup.
   
   
3. Roland R-07: If you're looking for something more compact, the Roland R-07 might be worth considering. While it doesn't have XLR inputs like the Zoom and Tascam recorders, it does offer high-quality stereo recording and can be used as a USB audio interface.
   
   
4. Sound Devices MixPre-3 II: This is a bit of a higher-end option, but if you're serious about audio quality, the MixPre-3 II from Sound Devices is worth a look. It offers three Kashmir microphone preamps, which are known for their transparency and low noise, and it can be used as a USB audio interface with your laptop.
   

Make sure to consider factors like the number of inputs you need, the quality of the preamps, and your budget when making your decision.

 

this is a fine unit ...
https://zoomcorp.com/en/jp/digital-mixer-multi-track-recorders/digital-mixer-recorders/LIVETRAK-L-8/

 

Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2024

$200 more than the H6. more capable, but less portable. The H6 looks nice for field recording. ChatGPT is so good at this stuff already, as long as you do not trust it. You actually do need to either know about the subject, or spend some time following up. But for it to take a few model numbers or criteria and build a comparison, it's already pretty damn amazing. I asked it something yesterday, and it tried to blanket answer/BS it's way through an answer. Badly. But I have expected it to be much worse. It would normally take me about 15 minutes to go on Sweetwater or whatever, and come up with the same thing as it can do in like 1 second.

 

I have a Zoom F6 - cant say enough about it. 32bit float recording up to 192khz, timecode generator, 6 mic/line I/O's w/phantom power, has a good headphone amp (important for field recording) and VERY compact - it's made for audio for video field recording. The Micpre's are really good too but much more expensive for basically the same features. For me the F6 is the right amount of $$ bang for the buck. Plus the F6 doubles as an audio interface to record directly into a daw or audio editor.

 

Agreed. My little Zoom H4N Pro has served me well. Even gone so far as recording an interview with members of Metal band inside a washroom at a "live" venue. Having said that, an upgrade to Zoom H6 has a side-benefit of longer battery life.

 

if you want to record 8 tracks simultaneously, the zoom r24 is small, light and portable, you can gang 2 of them together for 16 channels simultaneous. the recording quality is good enough I doubt you want to use them to record to your pc as an nterface, when they are fine as a standalone and then just copy the files to your daw. but they are audio intefaces as well a drum machines and sample triggers.

onboard fx for guitar and vocal and mastering

I own one and use it daily...its my go to for capturing my guitar playing and composing.

 

here's the back

 

THe R8 is much smaller - but only records 2 tracks simultaneously, it too is an interface.
its smaller than a sheet of paper and weighs a pound or two, runs on aa batteries or 5v usb phone charger.
i've owned and used several, very sturdy and hi quality sound



sound on sound review

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/zoom-r8

 

I agree the H4n is a great small portable recorder and many people buy them and never use them leading to alot of them being available slightly used or still in the box for less than a hundred usd$, often less than 50$. think I paid 80$ used for mine. its well designed. the only problem is some noise if you are handling it while recording as the mics are very sensitive.

I added a small piece of velcro on the back to serve as a cushion and bought the cabled remote control,which allows all recording functins without actually touching the unit, so now no noise...
it can powered by dc adapter or batteries, it records wav or mp3 and does stereo recording quite nicely.

sos review
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/zoom-h4n

 

I haven't owned one of these yet, but heres' a comparison of the live trak vs r24. they removed some features ..

 

OMG. Such wonderful Gearpron.
Now I need to lie down in a darkened room and furtively fondle a furry windsock.

 

Another vote for Zoom H serie
As long as it can be used as 24bits audio interface

 

The Zoom H4n is the standard by pro DJs to loop into the DJ mixer and what most of then use to record their DJ sets, which are then what is shared on YouTube, radio shows, podcasts, and so on. No idea about the device myself, but if professionals are relying on it for quality recordings, it must be at least half decent as a portable recorder!

 

What are people's thoughts on the Zoom H8? It's on sale right now - and the discounted price is a lot closer to my price range than most things mentioned here.

As useful as something like the Livetrack L8 or R20 sound, I don't see myself using them to their fullest potential any time soon. And I'd rather spend $ on something I know I'm going to use, rather than something I MIGHT use one day.