Roland Review: VS-840 Digital 8 Track Recorder

History:

Purchase: I purchased this VS 840 at Sam Ash in Columbus, Ohio in very early 1999 for around $850-$900. I was upgrading from a Tascam 4 TRACK 242MKIII MTR.

What I Like About This Roland VS-840 Digital 8 Track Recorder: I think the sound quality is very good, although alot of that depends on how good you record, and mixdown,and what type of equiptment you are using to begin with. I feel that most of the effects are very good,with a vast array of editing options. I espically like the scene memory for storing different mixes, and the built in guitar tuner. The undo/redo feature is very handy,and the virtual recording tracks are great for recording different takes of a part without erasing the original take. The ability to Fast forward or back instantainiously makes recording much more enjoyable and saves tons of time. I aslo like being able to add effects after the part has been already recorded should I with to do so.

What I Do NOT Like About The Roland VS-840 Digital 8 Track Recorder: Originaly mine used 100 MGB zip disc. It wasnt enough time to record a complete song, so I upgraded the unit and had a 250 MGB ZIP DRIVE installed. I dont really care for the inputs being on the back of the unit, and wish it had a digital input jack. I feel that it is somewhat overrated as an eight track, and would consider it more of a four track or six track machine, as each track should be able to be mixed down at the same time rather than bouncing 1,2,3,4 to 5/6 and 1,2,3,4 to 7/8. Some of the Guitar effects dont have reverb in the edit mode, and I wish I could use an effect on more than just one track at mixdown. The owners manual is not at all user friendly, espically if you have never worked with digital recorders before, as was my case. The fader distance seems short and the cut off is sometimes abrupt and cuts out before the end of the slide distance. The faders could also be bigger.

Roland VS-840 Digital 8 Track Recorder Quality Rating: The housing of the unit seems too lightweight and should be heavier plastic. It seems to be a very high quality unit as far as the electronics, circitry and all that goes. The finished recordings are plenty adaquate for demos, and as good as some finished product that Ive heard.

Review Summary: I feel that with the 250 MGB Zip Drive installed it is well worth the money and would not hesitate to buy the larger units that they make. In fact,Im sure my next unit will be a Roland, just from my expierence and satisfaction with this unit.

Rating of this Roland product: 5

This Roland VS-840 Digital 8 Track Recorder Recording Gear Review Submitted By: EDDY JAMES

Review Date: 2003-02-08