Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

I use the Micro Br in line with my Rolls Mixer to record audio for my canon 7D. This is a perfect setup because i use the rolls for all the inputs i need (XLR, AV, Mini, 1/4). I have a rode ntg2 at this point and i have no complaints about background hiss and whatnot.
So great for the price.

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

I have been having lots of fun using the Micro BR. Since I play more than one instrument, I have been really enjoying creating a track (piano -- which I'm good at), to practice along with (alto sax or guitar -- which need more practice). Sometimes I record the second (or third) instrument too to hear how I sound.
Since I only record one instrument at a time, the Boss Micro BR is an ideal tool. If you want to record multiple instruments at once, it may not be the best solution.

I do not have much experience with other recording equipment (or recording in general), and professional recording is not my intended purpose. With that in mind, here is a list of some features I particularly enjoy:
1. rhythm -- I do not own a drum machine. I really love that with the Micro BR I can program a drum arrangement to play along with. And it does not even use up a track!
2. effects -- the Micro BR comes with lots of built in effects. Again, I have never used effects before and would otherwise not purchase the hardware to do so. So I really like this feature.
3. tuner -- it's a small thing, but very convenient to have a digital tuner built in
4. great editing features -- there's so much you can do in digital recording!! Moving, copying, inserting, looping, punch-in/out automatically etc.
5. The recorder is tiny!
6. The MP3 function allows you to play along with the songs you're trying to learn. You can even slow down the playback or remove the center (or other) frequencies.

Before I bought the Micro BR, I read lots of reviews. One of the complaints that I saw again and again was that it is not so easy to use. I do not find this to be a problem. As with anything worthwhile, there is a some learning curve. The first time (or few times) you do something, you will need to do it with the manual open. But once you get the hang of it it's not a big deal.

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

I've used this to record shows, pre-production sessions, multipart songs, almost everything and it just keeps finding uses. I have a DAW system but this is so easy and portable not to mention it boots and loads in less than 15 seconds. One of the best pieces of gear I've ever had. Definitely the most versatile.

I bought a tiny 3.5mm Sony electret stereo mic the BR supports with its powered input and the sound is excellent. What you hear is what you get.

It came in handy to pre my bass going into the DAW because it has some basic bass effects.

I use this thing almost everyday so I use a standard Boss pedal power adaptor (~$20) to keep from worrying about batteries (Trust me - you NEED it. It will go through 2AA's in about 3-4 hours of use). It only reads up to 1G SD cards and they are getting scarce so a firmware upgrade is needed.

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

I bought this to replace my old 4 track tandberg reel to reel. I have transfered most of my old tapes, which date back to the 60's, to a SD card via the Micro BR. I like the unit but had to spend a little time reading the manual - as operating the unit is not quite standard like an MP3 player. The batteries do not last long so I had to purchase a power supply.

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

Good things:
* really small
* can play mp3 (and slow down mp3)
* many effects
* takes SD card to extend built-in memory
* compatible with BR-600 (although only plays first four tracks)
* perfect for practicing/playing with headphone

Bad things:
* doesn't remember settings on shutdown: everytime it picks a horrible default effect.
* doesn't handle all SD cards well; Can only use 1GB, even if card is larger
* battery runs out very quick
* not many buttons: takes time to change setting or function
* no 1/4 inch output -> hard to use it as preamp

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

I think the MICRO BR was probably designed as a guitarists companion for spur of the moment ideas. However, as a singer songwriter that does not play an instrument it was exactly what I needed. It has enabled me to lay down as many vocal harmony tracks as I can think of while singing base lines, guitar riffs, and horn parts which I can then convert to an MP3 to pass on to my musicians to communicate my ideas very effectively. The only problem I have run into are infrequent SD card errors if I overload the tracks with too many start and stop recorded parts. In these instances MP3 files cant be written. I have totally worked my MICRO BR over (all paint worn off) and it has been extremely durable. It would be nice if a newer version was compatable with SD cards of greater than 2 MB capacity. Another perk is my guitar player also has one which allows us to hand vocal and guitar parts back and forth to build on each others ideas when we dont have time to get together. Overall a very reasonably priced buy which is very versatile.

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

A portable 4 track ya, but also the guitar effects drum machine and an external microphone make this a truly versatile tool.
eats up the batteries like crazy though

Comments about Boss Micro BR Portable 4-Track Digital Recorder:

This is a great little stand alone multitrack recorder that does also has a simple drum machine, and tuner. My only complaint is that it takes a little time to get learn how to use it. However, once you learn to use it, there are so many possibilities.