The Steel Guitar Forum

For a very long time I've used a BOSS BR532 'studio' recorder. It has two features that I use consistently:
::: It will loop sections of a tune with one button:::
::: It will slow down playback and loops to about 1/2 speed:::

The downside - it uses only SmartMedia cards for storage. The SmartMedia cards allow VERY LITTLE storage and because they're obsolete they now cost $40 or more (originally $10).

My SmartMedia cards are starting to act up.

What are you all using as an alternative that has these two features?

I use a computer running Ableton Live. You can slow down and speed up to any percentage you want, and increase or decrease the pitch/key all you want, and the built in algorithms are excellent at keeping the audio sounding good even at relatively extreme pitch and/or time changes. And you can set start and end loop points anywhere you want.

I've been using Reaper for years and find it great. There is a series of tutorials on Reaper by Kenny Gioia that totally covers the operation of Reaper and he can answer any question you have. The beauty of Reaper is that it only costs $60.00 and it does anything that any other DAW at four times the price can do.

Another vote for Reaper. If you just want to record tracks without a computer, consider getting a ZOOM R16 or R24. You can then transfer the Zoom tracks to Reaper to make a finished recording.

You never said, do you want to remain in the stand-alone Workstation world or venture off into a PC based DAW world ? Two different planets ! I can tell you how great Pro Tools is and others can tell you how greet other DAWS are but if you are not interested in a DAW its a waste of words !

regarding workstations, I've been around the block on many, including the Boss BR532 which was an OK unit for its time. By todays standards though, it is very limiting.


I would agree with Greg regarding the ZOOM workstations. R8, R16 and R24 will serve you well . They record in WAV format which is REALLY IMPORTANT, so no file conversions are necessary plus they are SD card and USB stick ready so you can transfer your songs or track files independently to your PC , to a DAW or to another workstation that uses WAV files, which is a common recording language. I believe the ZOOM R8 would be something similar to the BR532 but with all of the current day features that you are seeking. It can record two tracks at a time with 8 playback tracks available . If you require more than two tracks to be recorded at the same time, step up to the R16 or R24,

While I run Pro Tools, I have a Zoom R16 on hand for extra chores.

have fun!

tp

To piggyback on what Tony Prior said........

What do you *really* want to do with it?
You mentioned:
- Looping, and
- Slow down

It sounds like you're using it for play along practice, and deciphering fast parts.
And you're not concerned with multi tracking and recording.
And.......the BR-532 is somewhat portable and doesn't take up a lot of space.

There may be another modern stand alone unit that will fit the bill, as opposed to a DAW.

However, thinking as I type this.......

A laptop is pretty portable, as is an elementary USB audio interface.
So, if you can find a cheap/free DAW that has the looping and slow down features, that indeed may be your best bet.

If all you want is slow down and loop it is hard to beat Amazing Slow Downer or Anytune.

Thank you for your responses.

I should have noted that the reason I'm trying to replace the BOSS Br532 is the ancient storage mechanism it uses.
The SmartMedia card was a big deal two decades ago with a whopping 128MB of storage . The unit does not permit external storage. I'm hoping that there is a more modern device that will allow more storage and have loop and slow down capabilities.

I do not have access to an online computer in my rehearsal space. I use an off-line old laptop to transfer songs from a thumb drive to the BR532. The reason I like the process is that I can play a song on the laptop and then capture just a snippet on the BOSS - then loop / slow down the snippet until I can figure out how the lick was played.

The storage problem comes up when I've decided to learn a whole song - like an instrumental - rather than just the intro or turn. The storage often as not will fail for 'not enough space'.

I'm not making recordings of my own music. I use the BOSS only for learning. If it had more storage I'd have no problems with it. BTW, where it gets frustrating is when the band decides to add say, five songs to the list. I record the songs from the web onto a thumb drive - play them through a laptop (off-line) to the BOSS and then start to figure out an approach to the songs bit by bit. Five songs easily fills up the SmartCard. To add another song means erasing a previous song.

Thanks again for your advice.



Michael Lester

I do all of what you do on my computer. I have used a program called Transcribe for I think 20 years now. It does all kinds of transciption things that I do not use, but it easily speeds up, slows down, loops, and changes keys. It will accept almost any audio format, including audio tracks from video. Go here to take a look. https://www.seventhstring.com/

If you have an android phone or tablet there are several apps on Google Play that slow down and loop music. If you are an apple guy I am sure there are comparable apps at the apple store.

Michael it would be wise to step up to a Zoom R8. Your memory problems are solved and it also has a drum machine . I believe it will fit the bill for your purposes with using SD cards with up to 32 GIGs. You can then transfer files( songs) directly to your PC via USB. Leave the BR532 in your personal memory bank !

Thanks for your help Tony...

The ZOOM unit you're recommending has both looping and slow down features?

Thanks again Tony... no need to respond to my previous post. I looked up the specs for the unit and it looks like it has what I need. Not much risk at $199 direct from ZOOM.

On order...

Thanks again everyone.

Michael

kool Michael, I'm not familiar with the overall operations but if the specs say it does what you want then all is good !

tp

Tony.... I had a minute to listen to several of your compositions via your web site. Nicely done!

For a few years I've had a notion to fool with a b-bender Tele...hmmmm...

Michael

Michael Lester wrote:Tony.... I had a minute to listen to several of your compositions via your web site. Nicely done!

For a few years I've had a notion to fool with a b-bender Tele...hmmmm...

Michael

thx ! LOL better be careful though , transitioning to a B Bender ( or G) is not to be taken lightly, its not a whim. Its another life's journey ! For most, there's no going back !

Go for it- swim in the deep end !

Best

tp