Audio recording formats and techniques have come a long way since the gramophone. By the early 20th century, we were able to record sound on magnetic tape, which became the standard up through the 1980s. And in the 1990s, digital recording began to evolve along with computer technology, eventually bringing us to today’s digital audio workstations.
If you’re interested in the world of audio recording but don’t want to record using a computer, you can use a multitrack recorder that can connect seamlessly to any digital audio workstation for transferring and editing audio. Best of all, many of them are light enough to carry in a backpack or put on a desk, such as the Zoom R24 Multi-Track Tabletop Recorder. With its compact size and built-in microphones and sample pads, it’s perfect for quickly recording sound effects in the field or band rehearsals.
What to know before you buy a multitrack recorder
File formats
Multitrack recorders record in a variety of file formats depending on specifications. The most common formats for professional audio are AIFF and WAV. There’s also Broadcast Wave Format, or BWF WAV.
When you record in any file format, you’ll need to set your sample rate and bit depth. Sample rate is a measure of how many times a sound is sampled per second, measured in kiloHertz. The most common sample rates are 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz, with 48 Hz being of slightly higher quality.
Bit depth is a measurement of how much audio information we can record per sample. The standard bit depths are 16, 24 and 32-bit. Similarly, a higher bit depth will give you a higher quality recording.
Storage
Most multitrack recorders have a certain amount of internal file storage capacity as well as an SD card slot for additional storage. Storage amounts range from 4 GB to 128 GB. Depending on the length of your recording, WAV files are usually at least 1 GB if not more, so they can get pretty big. However, if you’re short on storage, you can always import your current recorded files to your digital audio workstation and then delete them from the recorder to free up additional space for your project.
Power supply
Some multitrack recorders run on batteries as well as a power supply. Most of them supply an additional 48 volts of phantom power for any microphones requiring it. Multitrack recorder features
Channels
With any recording device, each instance of audio — whether it’s an instrument, vocals or effects — gets recorded onto a track, or channel. When you have more than one channel, you can capture multiple instruments or performers with more than one microphone at once, rather than having to painstakingly record each of them separately. Most multitrack recorders have at least two channels and might have as many as 22 depending on specifications.
Effects
Some multitrack recorders have built-in effects such as equalization, chorus and reverb.
Equalization sculpts various frequencies of each sound, giving you more control over your final product. For example, if you want to eliminate rumble or hum, you might use EQ to eliminate low frequencies. Chorus adds dimension and fullness to a track, which is especially useful when recording vocals.
Reverb makes a sound seem as if it’s in another space, like a larger room, a cavern, a stadium or a tunnel. It can add liveliness to recordings that were created in a soundproof studio or small room and make them sound bigger. It’s also useful as a vocal effect to add sustain and depth.
Inputs and outputs
The most common inputs and outputs on a multitrack recorder are a headphone jack (which is more common if it’s a portable multitrack recorder), 1/4-inch jacks and XLR jacks for instruments and microphones. Some multitrack recorders can record MIDI tracks via USB.
Multitrack recorder cost
Multitrack recorders range in price from $150-$700 depending on the number of channels and features.
Multitrack recorder FAQ
Which audio format is the highest quality?
A. The highest quality audio format is a lossless format. This means that it’s not recorded with any sort of compression to reduce file size or digital noise. AIFF and WAV are about the same in regards to quality and are simply different file formats. File formats such as MP3 are of lower quality.
Can I connect my multitrack recorder directly to speakers?
A. Some multitrack recorders have a built-in amplifier and outputs to plug straight into speakers. However, with some multitrack recorders, you’ll need to get a separate amplifier since otherwise, the audio output going into the speakers will not be loud enough.
Which multitrack recorder should I get?
Best of the best multitrack recorder
Zoom R24 Multi-Track Tabletop Recorder: available at Amazon
Our take: This versatile multitrack recorder can record 16 tracks and fits easily on a small desk, making it perfect for home studios. The R series comes in eight, 16 or 24 track configurations.
What we like: It has built-in stereo condenser microphones. It has USB to connect to another recorder for more tracks. It has built-in vocal effects.
What we dislike: It does not have MIDI. It only has one input for guitar. Some users might find the price to be slightly high.
Best bang for your buck multitrack recorder
Tascam DP-006 6-Track Digital Pocketstudio Multi-Track Audio Recorder: available at Amazon
Our take: This affordable multitrack recorder can record six tracks of audio and two tracks simultaneously.
What we like: It has two built-in microphones. It runs on batteries.
What we dislike: Some users find the interface to be limiting. It does not have built-in effects.
Honorable mention multitrack recorder
Tascam Model 12 All-In-One Digital Multitrack Recorder: available at Amazon
Our take: This Tascam multitrack recorder has a USB to easily connect to your computer’s digital audio workstation.
What we like: It has MIDI. It has a built-in click track with tap tempo functionality. It has built-in EQ and a compressor.
What we dislike: Some Windows users had trouble setting it up with their DAW. Some users might find the price to be slightly high.
Adrian Wengenroth is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
