Pro Tools vs Boss Br-1600?

Mike Meadors · From: Florida, USA

I have a Boss Br-1600 which I've had for some time. Works great, no problems.

However, there seems to be so many people using Pro Tools these days, going the computer way for recording.

I've been thinking about switching over if the Pro Tools will give me lots more control, make the recording/mastering simpler, and most of all, GET ME A BETTER OVERALL SOUND! Smile

Anybody out there have an opinion?
Any info appreciated! Thanks in advance.
Mike

Bob Martin · From: Madison Tn

Mike I think if you check around with other studio owners especially home studios you will find that Pro Tools is not as popular these days due to the hardware requirements and the availability of so many wonderful cheaper ways including your Boss.

If you really got into your Boss you could do most everything that you could do on Pro Tools. The hardest thing on any recording medium is the learning curve. The more things it's capable of doing the steeper the learning curve is.

What ever you decide to do make very sure that you plan to stay with it because I have seen many home recording enthusiasts that never got off the ground due to starting on one way of recording and after 3 or 4 months of trying to learn they decide it's too hard to use only to go another route and find it's just as hard if not harder to learn Smile

Unless you have unlimited funds I would advise to stay with the BR-1600 it's a very capable unit with more bells and whistles than you would most likely even need. The biggest drawback of a mhardware recorder such as your Boss is the smaller screen you have to use to do edits compared to the big screen when using a computer DAW.

Which brings up one last point I want to make. A lot of folks have the best of both worlds such as a hardware unit like your Boss and then they transfer the tracks to a computer DAW such as Cakewalk Sonar and many others. I only mentioned Sonar because it's the DAW I use. I couldn't recommend any others because I have taken my own advice for the most part and that is I decided on Sonar when version 1 was released and stayed with it up to the current version 8.5. I've used a couple others at other studios and I use A Mac sometimes and I use a different DAW when I record on my Mac.

Good luck and if you decide to go with a computer DAW and want to sell your Boss let me know. I am interested in getting a hardware recorder to use in my house because ever since I lost my leg I can't get into my studio in the winter time due to slippery ramps and my wheel chair so I need to find a unit to use in my house and then on sunny days I can take the HD out to my studio and off load tracks out there where all of my equipment is.

Bob
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***Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow***

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

I would certainly agree with Bob here. Pro Tools is a great package as long as you are willing to go the entire distance with hardware and investment. There are other packages for much less that can offer the flexibility of DAW over a dedicated workstation. I also use Sonar /XP and have been generally pleased. I still maintain and use the dedicated workstation but it would be much better if mine had a USB/PC backup which it does not. It's a Yamaha AW2816 which is one version ahead of the whole USB/Backup transfer movement. The Yamaha can convert each track to WAVE but then they must be burned to a CD, then I can transfer them to the DAW.

We are getting ready to do a short and sweet demo project where I will record drums on 4 or 5 tracks with the Yamaha , convert the tracks to wave files then move them into Sonar. My Sonar system has two inputs, that was a mistake , I should have got the MAudio 10/10 card rather than the Delta 2496/ 2 input card.

If you do go to a DAW on the PC or MAC and decide to use a hardware PC input card, use one like the MAUDIO 10/10 so that you have available inputs should you need them.

Bob, I wish I had a workstation for you. I hate what you are dealing with..
tony
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Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Bob Martin · From: Madison Tn

Hey Tony, thats nice and I appreciate your concerns very much you're a great guy and I consider you a good friend here. Looking back at that post I wish I had not mentioned the leg thing because after reading it now it could be construed as a plea for help for a one legged man LOL.

I promise all of you folks I wasn't looking for sympathy I was just mentioning the reason why I would want a hardware unit when I have a studio full of great equipment.

I'll get by just fine and I might be able to get a used hardware unit something like a boss br-16 for a good price sometimes you can find a great deal Smile

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***Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow***

Mike Meadors · From: Florida, USA

Bob and Tony thanks for the input. I'm glad to hear that I'm actually probably ok with the equipment I have. Too many of us love to get the latest and greatest, and then by the time you really master the latest thing, there's something new that is supposed to be better. Right now I'll stick with the 1600 since I have a good grasp of what I am doing already.

Happy new year!

Thanks again.

Mike

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Mike, the 1600 is an excellent workstation, use it in good form !

t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years

CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Check you PM Mike.
Thanks Very Happy

Billy Woo · From: Los Angeles, CA, USA

I have been recording with the Roland VS2480 HD for some years now and very satisfied with the results even to the point that upon A/Bing my mixes versus mixes done on my drummers Pro tools 8.0 system complete with all the bells and whistles that my 24 bit DAW stands pretty close not perfect but since then my drummer moved and wants to continue working with me but I have to make a decision to upgrade to Pro tools along with getting a Mac G4 etc and just musing aloud, I get pretty good sounds but if I want to continue to work with my drummer now residing in traverse city michigan or thereabouts then I'll need to upgrade to Pro tools. Any thoughts friends? P.s. did not mean to hijack your topic.

Bronco Billy aka
Billy Woo

Craig Allen · From: BEREA, KENTUCKY, USA

I WASN'T GONNA WEIGH IN ON THIS, BUT.........
FIRST LET ME SAY HIGH TO TONY PRYOR.. YOU PLAYED A GIG OR TWO FOR ME YEARS AGO.. ONE I REMEMBER WAS IN NAUGATUCK, AT A PLACE THAT USED TO BE CALLED KELLY'S..
AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE WORKED WITH MY SISTER AIMMEE ALLEN.. SHE'S MARRIED TO BRUCE BADNER.. CAN'T REMEMBER WHO HE PLAYS BASS FOR..

NOW..

I GUESS THE ANSWER DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.. I MEAN WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE FINAL PRODUCT..
IF, ... YOU ARE GOING TO HAND OUT DISKS OR SELL EM FROM THE STAGE, THEN WHAT YOU HAVE WILL DO FINE.. A FRIEND OF MINE IS RUNNING A ZOOM RECORDER LIKE YOURS..
BUT.. IF YOU ARE WANTING TO MAKE RECORDINGS THAT YOU CAN SEND OUT TO BE MASTERED, THEN I WOULD SUGGEST SONAR, OR SLO-TOOLS.. I RUN BOTH, ON THE SAME PC.. (NOT AT THE SAME TIME).. IT CAN GET PRICEY, THOUGH..
I RUN 2 DELTA 1010s TO INTERFACE WITH THE PC.. I AM ALSO RUNNING A 24 CHANNEL CONSOLE.. (YOU DON'T NEED A CONSOLE LIKE I HAVE, BUT I LIKE ANALOGUE AND DO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RECORDING)..
IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO WITH A DAW,(SONAR OR SLO-TOOLS) I WOULD SUGGEST SOME TYPE OF DAW CONTROLLER..MOUSING YOUR FADERS CAN BE A REAL PAIN IN THE @$$..
THE BEAUTY OF A PROG. LIKE SONAR OR PROTOOLS IS, THAT YOU DON'T NEED ANY OUTBOARD GEAR.. (COMPRESSORS; EQ; VERBS AND THE LIKE).. THERE ARE SOME PRETTY GOOD PLUG-INS INCLUDED WITH ANY OF THE DAWS.. GRANTED, IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE MUCH, OR EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S NOT.. (WELL SLO-TOOLS IS)..
THE DELTA 1010 IS A SOUND CARD THAT PLUGS INTO YOUR PC.. (1) IS ENOUGH, AND HAS 8 INS AND OUTS..IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MIXER, YOU PLUG STRAIGHT INTO THE CABLE THAT COMES WITH THE SOUND CARD.. SONAR HAS A GREAT LOOKING CONSOLE AS PART OF THE DAW.. EASY TO WORK WITH.. AND SONAR IS FAR LESS EXPENSIVE THAN SLO-TOOLS.. IT EXCHANGES FILE FORMATS WITH PROTOOLS.. SO YOU CAN RECORD WITH SONAR THEN TAKE IT TO A PROTOOLS STUDIO AND DO THINGS IN PROTOOLS.. IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO WITH A DAW, I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST A SECOND HARD DRIVE FOR YOUR COMPUTER.. AGAIN, IT SOUNDS A LITTLE TECHNICAL, AND PRICEY.. IT'S NOT.. YOU CAN PUT THE SOUND CARD IN YOUR PC; INSTALL SONAR, AND BE UP AND RUNNING IN 30 MIN. TO AN HOUR..
IMO, PROTOOLS IS A MONEY MILL FOR DIGITEC.. BEWARE.. IT GETS EXPENSIVE..
MY CONSOLE BY THE WAY CAME FROM DARK STAR STUDIOS IN BOSTON.. IT'S A 35YR OLD TASCAM M-15.. ANALOGUE OUT THE BUTT.. BIG AND WARM.. I WAS RUNNING 3 8-TRAC D-88 RECORDERS, AND A TON OF OUTBOARD GEAR.. GOT RID OF ALL OF MY OUTBOARD GEAR, AND MY RECORDERS AND WENT TO PC. A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I DON'T REGRET IT ONE BIT.. GOOD LUCK..

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