Boss Micro BR-80 - Gimmicky or Useful?

BillDL

Does anybody have one of these Boss micro-recorders?  Boss Micro BR BR-80:
https://www.boss.info/uk/products/micro_br_br-80/



I see somebody selling one on Gumtree for half the price of a new one and wondered whether it would be a good little tool for getting some ideas recorded while I'm sitting in the lounge, or whether it is really just a fiddly gimmick.

drofluf

Do you want its bells and whistles like the multi-tracking and fx? Or just a tool to record a few riffs etc.? 

If the latter you could use an app on your phone. 

BillDL

Thanks @drofluf I would be looking for the means to multi-track.  I don't necessarily see myself using the preset "drums" much, but I might well seeing as the functionality is there and if I felt the need.  The amp simulations and effects would certainly be very handy to have. A more permanent and comprehensive solution to using a looper and effects pedals, I suppose you could say, but one where I wouldn't have to sit at a computer screen.  Just a small and portable multi-track recorder that I can sit on the couch and create some backing tracks or a few complete songs without wires going everywhere, and without the need to keep consulting a user manual for 6 months.

drofluf

If I were in your position and could afford it I’d go for it; but I have a gadget addiction . If it’s well priced you should be able to move it on if it just ends up gathering dust. 

BillDL

You're probably right about being able to sell at and break even or even make a small profit if I didn't like it and wanted to save it from gathering dust, but the problem for me is that I never sell anything.  I've still got a 16-bit Boss "Dr. Rhythm" DR-550 Mk II rhythm box from many years ago in a box somewhere.  It saves out and loads data to and from a cassette player !!  I no longer have a cassette player or tapes 

newi123

I find the br80 is actually really well thought out as a sketch pad and practice tool.

No setting up like a computer, no distractions and zero latency issues etc.

The drums are fiddly ish to program but useful to jam to, the guitar to bass function really useful, and the guitar sounds perfectly OK if nothing special compared to the current generation. Mics also fine to sing I to.

It's also useful to get a basic understanding of process and basic mixing with limited tools before moving to the million options of a DAW.

Points knocked off for having to use a boss program to convert tracks from PC to and from br80 - so adding tracks to jam too etc is not as simple and quick as drag and drop mp3 or .wav to device connected by USB - zoom do better here.

Supportact

My friend uses one of these as a songwriting tool, just to record ideas and rough demos. He's pretty happy with it just using it for that purpose, and he's had it for a few years now. . I use a Tascam DR05 for the same purpose, but it lacks multitracking and effects so is even more basic. 

BillDL

Thank you @newi123 and @Supportact.; It's useful to hear from those that have actually used the recorder, and it's interesting to hear about things like conversion to and from the native data format using the Boss programme as an intermediate step.  These are things that often aren't made particularly obvious in user manuals or advertising blurb.

Jono111

That Boss program is also a bit fussy with formats it will import. I have the JS-10 which has similar functions and importing tracks into it was always a faff. Exporting to PC is easy though.  The BR80 would be great attached to a power bank with a 5-9v adapter, the JS10 works well with that

BillDL

I procrastinated too long and the BR-80 was pulled from or sold through Gumtree, however two very kind people who saw this thread but haven't commented in it offered to send me their older Boss BR for absolutely no payment whatsoever!  I am quite astounded by this generosity and have obviously only accepted the 2nd of the offers as I don't need two of them.  I suspect that I might well find enough functionality in the older BR to satisfy my needs.  Thank you to those that contributed to the thread, and particularly to the anonymous benefactors.