Fostex Review: X-24 Multi-Track Recorder

History:

Purchase: I bought my X-24 online at Musician's Friend and I paid 200 dollars. I was looking for something that I could use to record the millions of little licks and riffs that I come up with on guitar and bass. I also wanted something that would allow me to record full songs if I wanted to.

What I Like About This Fostex X-24 Multi-Track Recorder: The X-24 is really straight-forward. Plug it in, jack in, hit the track number, and hit record. I like the practice feature and the bounce feature makes it a little more versatile. The X-24 has two XLR inputs which is great when recording bass and guitar at once or guitar and vocal, etc...It also has a stereo output and balance pans to allow for some fun studio-like mixing. If you use the right tape this machine can be surprisingly high-quality.

What I Do NOT Like About The Fostex X-24 Multi-Track Recorder: The number one gripe I have about the X-24 is that the volume sliders are too coarse in that they don't allow for a really fine tweak. For example, if the guitars need to be turned down just a TINY bit it is difficult to pull off. I also don't like the XLR input level knobs. They have tiny pictures on them that seem to indicate that they should be turned to a certain level for guitar and another level for vocals, but i've found that if it isn't always turned to the vocals setting then it seems too soft.

Fostex X-24 Multi-Track Recorder Quality Rating: This machine is a typical plastic unit and though sturdy, it is somewhat fragile. I would say that the X-24 is reliable yet breakable!

Review Summary: Great unit for the beginner, as long as you have some idea of how these types of machines work and what they can and can't do. Also be aware of analog's advantages and disadvantages. If you are looking for a cheap way of saving some of your best ideas or coming up with new ones, then definitely give this a shot...just make sure to buy a mic as well.

Rating of this Fostex product: 4

This Fostex X-24 Multi-Track Recorder Multitrack Recorders Review Submitted By: SDC

Review Date: 2001-07-26