Boss BR-600

For me was not very simple to start. But, this is because of lack of experience in recording, than Boss studio itself. BR-600 is my first device. I've made the first rec very fast, but using drum-machine, effects, tuning of them, were not so obvious.

Manual is very undestandable. Although it as thick as 200 pages, there a lot of illustration, and i 'd read them during 3-5 days. After that using of a studio has become very simple. So, I think, that BR-600 is easy enough to use.

I like to play jazz, fusion and funk. So this effects - chorus, compressor, reverb are greate. I also try others, but did not tune them. Neveretheless, sound are respective, I like it. Concerning Distortion - Boss is a master in it.
Using of effect is very comfortable, very wide possibilities for tuning and application. I was impressed.
Amount of effects and combinations also impressing - for guitar, acoustic, mic, loop, mastering, bass.
I've tried them in line, and when played through combo (Vox amp Cambrige-15Watt, with Celection bulldog) and take sound by mic and insert it in studio - both ways get a good result, but different tuning is necessary. Noise is very low, even with the single pickups.

Don't try yet.

I like funk jazz and fusion. For this styles effects are perfect, as a drum sound - very realistic. I play for a long time already - about 10 years, but did not concern recording very close, so for beginning this device is perfect. Shurely will re-purchase it if it will be stolen.
Sound is good, portable and not expensive - respect to Boss.
With BR-600 i will record demos and my own music at home. All possible effects are there, drums are there, editing of record very comfortable. So, i very impressed and happy with this small box.

When i think about studio purchasing, i have to decide between Zoom MRS-8, BR-600 and Korg-D4. D4 was out first - because of price/features combinations (but it has a phantom power for mic). Zoom MRS - better opposition - also effects, drums, 44.1 kHz. But I have a Zoom G2.1U guitar processor, so BOSS COSM effects i like more, besides, BOSS is more respective firm for me rather than Zoom. But Zoom is 1.5 times cheaper. So the choise is yours. But Zoom is a best oppositioneer for Boss. If you need a choise - choose between Zoom and Boss.

Also such studio is quite usfull for beginning. MAy be later i'll understand that BR-600 is not enough for me already. But now - price/sound quality/features combination is perfect.

This unit is relatively easy to use. Most features are accessed through the utility function. I am slightly annoyed that the menu options don't scroll in a loop as I cursor from right to left. It would have been easy for the software designers to make this happen.

I also hate how the unit defaults the inputs to the guitar insert. If you are recording using an external mic and forget to change it to mic, you'll lose your recording. I think they could have designed the insert to automatically turn on depending upon what is plugged in.

The internal effects are great!

My only beef with this thing regarding sound quality is that it only supports 16 bit files. 24 bit is ideal for many recording situations, especially when you need to capture a more dynamic source.

Fortunately, my main purpose for the BR-600 is to record my cranked tube amp in a church sanctuary.

I then export the tracks to my home studio and record the rest of the instruments at 24 bit in the comfort of my bedroom.

Roland/Boss knows how to build things sturdily

Some of the previous reviewers are writing strange things about e-mailing files for exporting and converting the BR files. I say that these things are strange because the BR-600's export DOES automatically convert the audios from Roland's native format to .wav upon export to my PC.

This reviewer is probably thinking that the backup feature is this unit's only means of transferring files to his PC. This feature does NOT convert the BR files to .wav so use the Export feature instead!

I did find one quirk with the export function. My BR-600 initially would not export files when the USB cable was connected to directly to my USB hub. If I bypassed the hub going straight to another USB input, everything works fine. I'm sure its not the USB port because its being used for other devices.

A few design complaints:

The BR-600 does NOT support MP3 import/exports. I'd love to be able to record something with the BR-600 and export an MP3 to my computer.

I can get around this by converting the .wav to an MP3 on my computer but this is extra work.

The BR-600 does NOT have phantom power! The best mics for capturing a live performance are going to be condensors. To get around this, I'll have to use my Mackie mixer for phantom power before the BR-600's inserts.

Everything featured in this product is great. 99 preset sounds with guitar, bass, and acoustics are very powerful. Editing and basic functions are very easy to understand. If you read the manuals you can pretty much handle everything as far as recording, importing, exporting, and even saving it as a back up. Only thing I had problem was exporting WAV tracks to my p.c. Because the size was gigantic to send through email, I had to follow this plan. I inserted a blank CDR(or CDRW) to my pc. Opened my file (Roland/Boss) while USB still connected from BR-600 to my pc. I hit play from the original demo song and click "Burn a song that is being played" in the Windows Music Media player. Under Rip,right click and find "Format." Right click again, and find MP3. Go ahead and burn this one demo song that you just made to a cdr. If you encounter messages such as cannot burn for whatever reason, click around Rip and Burn few times. Once completed, eject the cdr, then insert it back again. Guess what? Your song in this cdr is now compressed to a smaller size. I know this is pain, but if you plan on burning several tracks of your original demo songs, then you have to follow this plan unless you can purchase a compresser software or transfer it to MIDI Software(Cakewalk, Pro Tools, etc.). Also, every time I export my song to my pc, I save the demo song to my hard drive. Then I go back to br-600, EDT(Edit), and ERS (Erase) because the Flash card that came in is too small. I highly suggest like others to purchase 1GB Flash card. Becareful with handling this, read the manuals carefully because not all flash cards will work on BR-600. Also, keep in mind that USB cable and AC Adapter are not included in the package. However, the overall BR-600 features alot of functions. My next goal is to purchase a BR-1200 because it has more powerful features to include EZ Compose (simply insert Chord names and loop it with drum machines to create backing rhythm tracks instantly). Also, built in CDRW are outstanding. My band member owns one and he also mentioned there is a Tutorial DVD sold at any music stores for BR-900, 1200, and 1600. However, I haven't heard or found about BR-600 tutorial dvd.

Sound qualities are very unique. I especially liked the Wahs (3 patterns), delays, and 80s/90s Metal. You can always modify it to fit your styles. Impressive sounds. I don't use any amps anymore. Headphone will do everything and all sounds are digital.

I keep this br-600 in a heavy-duty laptop bag for extra protection. Studio work, gigs, and everwhere I go it is very dependable. I use a SONY headphone with it.

I haven't used the customer support from BOSS product. But manual was very easy to understand.

I'm a guitarist and played for the last 12 years or so. I purchased this product to simply lay out ideal tracks for demo work. Once I complete them I distribute to my band members. It's a very time-consuming and expensive if you are renting rehearsal studios without having some sort of plan made prior. Each members can listen to a cdr, and then kind of image the flow of the demo and come out to jam for further improvisation. I own a fender guitar and 100W Tube amp with Boss foot pedal effects. But I learned very quickly that this br-600 came in with a COSM Pre-amps to save my time setting up all my gears in a studio. I compared with Zoom products and decided to go with BOSS after reading other comments.

Sounds great and alot of useful functions such as import, export, back up of demo music. I had one problem with the size of the song...because it's WAV file(multiple tracks recorded) I had to rip it to MP3 (go to format under Rip and right click, then right click again to MP3). I had to burn a CDR first to ensure it was compressed. Then I ejected the CDR (only one song) and then insert back so to rip it to PC, Music Media Player again. That way you can burn our originally made demos to final CDR for a production purpose or simply sending emails with an attachment to friends, or posted it to your webpage. I wished the manual or even the company explained this procedure. I mean alot of softwares (compressed)on websites are not FREE! Everything besides this it's a very remarkable tools for all time musicians.

99 presets of effects (including bass/acoustics) are outstanding! I especially like the three Patch model WAH effects. Plus you can modify it very easily with the way you want it to sound. I don't use any amps or normal set up. Simply headphone and an AC adapter (not included) will do. USB and Flash card I had to buy one. Same comments as others.

Yes. Definitely for a demo work, practice, and studio projects. Very portable for gigs, parks, schools, anywhere... tons of reliability.

I went to BOSS website but didn't really get enough help. They need some work... seriously... with customer supports/technical matters, etc.

BOSS BR-600 are high quality digital recorder where you can simply lay out your creative ideas to a cdr, pc, and other MIDI projects.

For 199 of your english pounds the BR600 provides 4 mono plus 4 stereo tracks of compressed but good sounding digital audio recording; built in stereo mics, insert, main and mastering effects, ability to record alternate takes or "virtual" tracks behind each main track, plus a cryptic drum arranger. The unit is supplied with batteries, an XLR to balanced jack lead and a cloth carry case. A 128 Meg Compact Flash card is supplied with a "demo song" - 1 Gig cards are now around 10 pounds or less and give 500 plus track/minutes of recording time in HiFi mode. Tip - keep clear of electrical interference when recording, especially mobile phones - I had a great take ruined by someone calling me even though the phone was on silent.

Operation is fairly straightforward, I survived without the instructions until the drums kept stopping 8 bars into a song - I then had to read the drum arranging bit of the manual.

Sound quality is excellent for the price, the built in mics default to a very flattering reverb with fat EQ patch which I found ideal for acoustic guitar and vocals. Guitar effects are metal heavy but sit well in a mix - acoustic simulations are fine. Arrangements using all 8 tracks can distort if you are not careful with levels but as noise is not a problem, it is quite possible to record at lower levels on each track and retain a good sound quality.

Lightweight plastic so I will take care but seems fine so far.

Web site looks fine, there are no specific upgrades / down loads for the BR 600 but I am told you can use software supplied for other BR series machines to convert WAV files etc.

I reckon any player would be inspired by this unit, It's so easy to lay down ideas and with memory prices coming down, you can almost afford to archive on flash card. A load more features than the pocket sized BR that Boss produce, although I might be tempted by one of those if they drop to 99 pounds.

I laid down my first tracks right off the bat. The user manual isn't bad but keep it close as a reference. Some features I will probably not use as I am going to use this as musical schetch book. I'll use Sonar for production work.

I was really suprised with the sound I got out of the external mics. The amp modeling is ok, typical of what you expect from Boss. Still the effect are very fun to play with.

While I don't anticipate any problems with it, it does not appear to be road ready and would hesitate using it for such purposes.

na

This really free up the creative process for me and really is quite the bang for the buck. The preset effects really are fun to play with.

I just got my BOSS BR-600 yesterday, and so far I was doing pretty good. COSM PReAmp is amazing! Guitars/Bass/Acoustic... all styles no problem. I haven't tried much of the rhythm section, but will get into details shortly. I recorded each track and was able to Bounce/Master my demo. I did have one question with my exported original demo with WAV. to my PC with USB(not included). Because the size is 26,012KB, I can't send it to my band member through hotmail/yahoo. If anyone can send me a response I would greatly appreciate it. I wonder if I need to surf the net to compress this file. I've tried all HIFi, STD, and LONG mode. It all came with Gigantic sizes. Also, BOSS BR-900, 1200, and 1600 all comes with an instructional DVD. In Japan, you can actually get a free Demo instruction but in Japanese language. They actually take you step by step instruction along with demonstrations. Total time is at least 30 minutes or longer. I wonder if there is anything similar in Stateside. Needless to say, BOSS should make an instructional DVD for BR-600 if they haven't. But other than my slight problem with WAV sizes, the quality and functions are very impressive. Manual is lengthy, but very easy to understand. I gave rate of 10 for this regardless of some area I need to work on... gotta stay positive right? METAL!!!

You can get the U2/Police style sound like delay/reverb sound. I liked the 3 different styles of Wah effects. For solos you can really hit the note with more feel and tonality without additional footswitch. Needless to say... with at least 80 variety of effects I won't complain. Bass effects and Acoustic effects are very useful too. Some settings are not really necessary like Bell sound/Ringer.. overall great! I use headphone all the time for recording/composing so next time I will try it with my Behringer 450W Amp for dynamic tone.

Definitely. I am very careful with it though. You don't want to drop it. I would highly suggest keeping it in the carrying bag (included) and try not to keep it in your car (temperature/humidity). My goal is to use this for creating demo(ideas) and distribute demo cdr to my band members so that every rehearsal will be very productive and time effective. You also want to keep this for individual practice rehearsal (trainer mode that can cancel the vocal/guitar and change the rate of speed from your favorite cd).

I play METAL! Yes, it is a good match. I dealt with SOFTWARE stuff for years and end up investing $$$ such as CakeWALK, Pro-Tools, etc. I changed my mind to purchase this one (BR-600) because it's affordable, and my friend who has BR-1200 highly recommended this for a starter. Eventually I will be getting a BR-1200. I've been playing electric guitar, bass, and some piano for 15+ I own Behringer 450W Amp and Cabinet, yamaha mixer, bass subwoofer amp, and pretty much everything to go on stage any time. I take care of my equipment very well. If for any situation it gets stolen or lost, I would probably upgrade to BR-1200. EZ compose feature along with built in CDRW is far more advance. I like the product already, but I know you can do more stuff with upgraded Boss product. Yes. I spent nearly month to compare/contrast with Zoom, Tascam, and other multi-track recorders, but I believe BOSS is something I decided to purchase. Again, my friend had BR-1200 and introduced me with alot of stuffs he can do. And his demo song was high Studio quality! I wish it had DVD Instruction just like the other BR 900, 1200, and 1600 series. I was able to record my demo track to track, bounce, and master it to complete it no problem. I think BOSS product from my personal experience (foot switch effectors) features good sound and quality. Keep up the good work.

I purchased this device, in part, due to advice from this forum. I was very frustrated with my ProTools rig that I had spent a significant amount getting up and running. It would error after I put several tracks in place, and it was becoming an impediment to my creative process. A user on this forum stated, in effect, 'do yourself a favor and buy a digital multi-track recorder.' The Boss BR-600 has been an amazing device for my writing and recording.

I was able to record a song I was composing quickly and easily the night I bought the device. I've since become quite proficient at mixing and using effects and rhythm tracks.

I found the manual to be quite comprehensive, and refer to it often, but only when learning new features.

This device is a perfect scratch pad for getting down a basic idea, then taking it to a group of musicians to reinterpret. I have each musician record their part on subsequently.

OK - I'm giving a 10 based that is relative to the cost of the unit. Sure, I've recorded in multi-million dollar studios with sound quality that would blow this unit away, but for a relatively low price, you get a highly functional sound.

The onboard compression mics are outstanding! I've even recorded drum kits with them.

I find the effects to be amazing. You get a full gamut of guitar, microphone, and line effects. There's even a bass simulator that drops the octave of a six string to help lay down basic tracks.

This device is not the sturdiest piece of gear I own. One volume button popped off rather easily (and snapped back on once I found it). I would be very careful not to drop this device, as I don't think it would survive a fall on hard surface from distance.

Never needed it.

However, the Boss BR-600 user forum at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BossBr/ is an outstanding user community and provides helpful pointers to those who subscribe and inquire.

I highly recommend this device to any songwriter seeking a pre-production scratchpad. It is an outstanding value, and I will look forward to future releases in this outstanding line!

This is my first experience with the BOSS BR series of digital recorders (I have owned this unit for about a month now) and while the manual and user interface can sometimes be cryptic (most reviews I read did mention a somewhat steep learning curve for people new to digital recording) I was able to record a couple of guitar tracks and learn how to bounce and master them within a day. For the most part figuring out the basics for how to get a recording done are fairly intuitive though you will probably need the manual and some patience to figure out some of the more advanced things that this digital studio has to offer.

As far as physical ease of use, it is very small and easy to carry around, and the fact that it can run off of batteries makes it even more portable. It has a pair of built-in mics so if you just want to record yourself in an acoustic setting you do not even need any more equipment aside from the BR-600. Just turn it on, set the record levels, hit the record button and go.

The sound quality I get out of it is quite good, even with the built-in microphones. The built-in COSM effects cover a wide variety of effects, simulators, etc. While I have yet to try editing any of the built-in effects, the ones that already come preset sound great to me. The acoustic simulator does a fairly good job in my opinion. I can use my electric guitar to record some "acoustic" tracks late at night without bothering the other denizens of the house.

BOSS gear in general seems to be built to last but the fact that this recorder uses plastic construction makes me want to baby it a bit. Also, the case that comes with it is not much more than a cloth bag with a velcro flap. It can keep the dust out of the unit but it does not afford much protection against falls, bangs, dents, dings, etc. I have no reason to thing the product will prematurely fail but at the same time I would not just toss this into a gig bag with a bunch of other equipment that might squash it.

Never had to deal with customer support.

I believe this thing provides great value for someone looking to get into digital recording for the first time and wants something portable enough that it can be carried around fairly easily and unobstrusively. I have found that the more I use it the more useful features I uncover. The manual could use a bit of work to make it more intuitive but otherwise once you get past that initial steep part of the learning curve figuring out other things get much easier.

About the only real annoyance I had with this product is that it does not have support for exporting to a WAV or MP3 file built-in (for burning a CD the manual suggests using the line out connected to a CD recorder or tape deck). However, after a bit of searching I learned that you can download from the Roland website a BR WAV Converter tool that will allow you to read the music files created by the recorder using their proprietary BR format and exporting them to WAV files so they can be further processed, converted or burned to CD from your computer. I wrote a short write-up on how to download and use the utility and posted it on my website in the hope that other users of the BR-600 can benefit from the knowledge.

If this were stolen or lost I would definitely want to get a replacement unit. I would have to save up for it again but I definitely think this unit is a great tool that every musician of every level can benefit from. The fact that it is so portable is a great plus since one can carry it around and record musical ideas whenever and wherever the inspiration may strike. I think BOSS did a great job in creating this recorder. While it may take a bit of a while to figure it out, once you start to learn to work with it it becomes well worth the money spent.

i would have rated it higher if the quick start quide was a bit more specific buy it isnt so there you go. it took me about 20 mins of muckng around until i got a recording and then another 20 mins to use the effects, with out using the manual, i didn't use the manual; because the thing is huge its probably 20mm thick but once you get the hang of it the rest in similar. the rythem is not at all hard to use once you read the manual and is easy to make your own beats and songe but there is a maximum of 50 "steps" to a song ,which is the change of beat, and thats not enough the first song i tried to do the drums for had over 70 steps in and it was only 4 mins long! but other than that its quite good.

let me just say that you will never get the best "amp" sound out of a modeler or unit because obviousily it isnt an amp but for any but metal (which is wat i play) the onboard effects will do. after heps of tweaking i got a reasonable scooped tone from it.
i am using emg's---->pedal---->50w valve which sounds sweet but with the boss unit i cant use the effects send without the unit distorting or go strait in from the guitar unless i turn the input on the br600 way down which cuts into the tone. in the past i have actually used it in the effects loop (returning through the line out on the unit) which worked as a looper but still cut into my tone. hopefuly when my mike arrives (sm57) in a few days it will all work out but untill then i just sit down and make sick drum beats which is my favourite feature cos its so easy to do. basicly the onboard effects will work great for st anger tones and anything less hardcore but just doesnt make the cut for metal tone wise. but the recording interface is sic!! tip: use the panning function to make a seriously fat sound.

i dont see how i could gig with it. but the unit is made of plastic and i am not one the trash my gear so it seem good enough to me

haven't tried

i have been playing for 4 years anc can play most metallica solos and any L.O.G. riffs and my own style is pretty muck a mix of the 4 bands listed below. for traveling or low volume jamming with myself then it works good but the effect arent up to my standards but the drums/recording parts a great and it is aboos so buy this cos its the shit.
i play metal (pantera, metallica, slipknot, lamb of god) and the effects arent to my liking but when i mike my amp i should be sic!