Is Soundcloud best?

[Fred Rogan]

I have never gotten into computer recording. I started with a Yamaha MT1X cassette 4 track and then about 20 years or so ago moved up to a Boss BR-1600 workstation. I like the way that unit works. I am obviously not a perfectionist so the 1600 suits me (meaning it has some limitations, the first being me).
Here are songs I wrote and then recorded on the 1600:

https://soundcloud.com/search?q=Fred%20Rogan

So the question I have is: for sharing music with friends, is SoundCloud the best? I have looked at Bandcamp and CD Baby (which appears to be evolving as we speak).
thanks for any suggestions.

Note: No, I am not related to Joe Rogan.

[Tim Kowalski]

Hi Fred,
I'm not sure about Soundcloud, but I use a service called Box. (Box.com) They give you free 10 GB storage (which is quite a bit if you are sharing mp3s). You can purchase more storage if you need, but I haven't needed to upgrade from the free service.
You can share with friends - just one file/song, or a whole folder. Permissions are under your control. If you want your friend to have editing access or just listen - it's up to you. Box.com doesn't require your friends to set anything up or register - they just have to click the link.
I hope this helps. It has worked well for me for several years now.
Tim
If you are looking for something where the general public can search for you, this is not what you are looking for. You must share the specific link to the file/folder.

[Howard Parker]

I have 2 accounts with Soundcloud. One personal (free) and an additional "pro" account which allows unlimited storage and the ability to link to aggregators via an RSS feed. The "pro" account also gives you all kinds of metrics and the ability to schedule track release date/time. I use this account to manage a popular podcast.

If you intend to upload and make tracks available for streaming or download, Soundcloud is certainly one of several providers out there. All depends on your needs.

Google "streaming platform" or "upload my music" or similar.

Good luck

h

[Fred Rogan]

I had not heard about box.com so thanks for that.
Howard I will look into the Soundcloud Pro, thank you.
I miss pico song.

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

The BR-1600 is a great unit. Does it have the CD burner? What size hard drive?

I'm a big fan of hardware DAWs. I had a Boss BR-1200CD and continue to use a Zoom MRS-8 as my main recording device.

If you want to eventually sell your music a music aggregator like CD Baby, SoundCloud, SoundClick or Bandcamp is your best bet. Other aggregators exist and are easy to find using an internet search engine. I know several people that use Bandcamp and all have expressed satisfaction.

If you want to share MP3s with friends and family there are many choices available. If you have a Windows 10 computer, take advantage of the free cloud storage Microsoft offers with OneDrive.

Many other cloud storage providers offer a free account hoping you'll stick with them and pay for additional storage. You may want to check out DropBox, 4Shared or Google Drive. Again use a search engine to find more.

[Fred Rogan]

Jim
the 1600 really is a great unit and I under-utilize it. After 20 years I am still learning things. I think it is a 48 gb hard drive.
My unit does have the CD burner which I love but it recently started having an error message about 6 seconds into the burn. But, I got out the manual and learned how to connect to my Mac and just today exported a song for the first time from the 1600 to the Mac. Cool! Until I did that I was afraid I would not be able to get my music out and was bummed.

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

In addition to moving files between the BR-1600CD and your computer you can also use the BR-1600 faders and controls with the DAW, GarageBand that is likely on your Mac. You can also use the loops in GarageBand to create tracks that you can copy to the BR-1600CD and use as backing tracks or as practice tracks.

The BR-1600CD and a computer with a DAW are a good combination to have in a home studio.

[Fred Rogan]

Jim I had no idea. That is so far above my pay grade but I will start checking it out. My Mac and the 1600 have been sitting side by side for years and I had no idea. The music I recorded at the Soundcloud link above is the result of me using the 1600 pretty much like I used the MT1X.
thanks for opening a door!

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

One way to get a better idea of what kind of things your BR-1600CD can do is to read the equipment review from Sound On Sound magazine.

Here is a link to the review:https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/boss-br1600cd

One point I noted in the review is the system firmware was updated at some point in time so the BR-1600CD and Mac operating systems communicate better. If your interested here are the steps required to verify the version:
1. Power off the BR-1600CD.
2. Press and hold the UNDO/REDO button as well as the record button (KICK 1/2) beneath Track 1.
3. While holding these two button down, turn on the BR-1600CD.
4. After "TEST MODE: 1 DEVICE" appears on the screen release the buttons.
5. The system version will appear after "ROM:". The current system firmware version is 2.20.
6. Power off the BR-1600CD.

Here is link to all the BR-1600CD resources like manuals, firmware, etc: https://www.boss.info/us/products/br-1600cd/

Hard drive and CD burner issues are the two most common issues people have with the BR-1600CD. Here are two links you might find useful down the road:
https://rolandus.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/a ... ing-Issues
https://rolandus.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/a ... ifications

[Fred Rogan]

Jim
thanks so much. That is very useful and interesting info. I checked and my 1600 is still a 1.01 but it did tell me my device was ok (whatever that means).
I downloaded the file but will probably have to get my son to help me install.
Also, sounds like it may be inferior cds that are keeping my cd drive from working. Got to find some Japanese made CDs.
I did not know so much info was still out there about this unit. I hate that they are discontinued.
thanks again
fred

[Jim Fogle]

Fred,

I'm glad you found the information useful. Enjoy.