2022 Digital Multitrack Recorders Buying Guide

Why Portable Multitrack Recorders Are Still Tops for Audio Creators on the Go

It’s no secret that recording fanatics at Sweetwater love our computer-based DAW setups. Yet, when it comes to simplicity, no device today tops the throw-and-go convenience of a portable digital multitrack recorder.

Just ask our resident beatmakers and songwriters — today’s multitrack recorders sound better than ever, slip easily into a gear bag, and keep you in the moment when you’re focused on creating great music and content.

History and Features of the Portable Digital Multitrack Recorder

For decades, Brands like BOSS, Zoom, and TASCAM have made it possible for musicians and podcasters on the move to capture top-notch audio without risking losing the spark of a great idea. In fact, the predecessor to these machines, the humble cassette multitrack, has been at the heart of such cult classics as White Town’s Women in Technology and Aphex Twins’ Selected Ambient Works 85–92.

Fast-forward 30 years, and today’s portable digital multitrack recorders come stacked with more professional features than you can shake a stick at — features like low-noise mic preamps with switchable phantom power, high-resolution converters, onboard mastering FX, limitless recording capacities, and lossless exportable audio formats.

So, whether you’re a new singer-songwriter looking to record a quick demo or a pro producer eager to capture studio-grade audio in their natural environment, Sweetwater’s Portable Digital Multitrack Recorder Buying Guide will walk you through the major players in this space.

What Is a Portable Digital Multitrack Recorder?

When folks online talk about a “digital multitrack,” they’re referring to one of the following three devices:

Multitrack StudioField RecordersHandheld Recorders

Multitrack Studios

These mixer-format digital multitrack workstations are designed to give music producers an all-in-one solution for audio capture, mixing, and mastering. Multitrack studios take a “kitchen sink” approach to the creative process, giving recordists all the tools they need to prepare a song for audience consumption without the need to export for further editing.

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Field Recorders

These robust portable multitrack recorders are a favorite of boom operators and field recordists on location. What they lack in bells and whistles compared to the multitrack studio, they more than make up for it in conversion quality and backup redundancy. Many are even battery-operated to provide total freedom outside the studio walls.

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Handheld Recorders

With their onboard mics and high-res converters, compact handheld multitrack recorders have revolutionized the recording process for concert archivists, journalists, and podcasters. These palm-sized recorders make great backup options for almost any recording application, whether you’re tracking drums at home or streaming audio in a worship setting.

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For this buying guide, we'll focus strictly on the multitrack studio-style portable digital multitrack recorders available at Sweetwater.

Digital Multitrack vs. Computer DAW: Which Is Better?

Both options make solid recording platforms. Where portable digital multitrack recorders have the advantage over DAWs are their:

SimplicitySetup speedSize

Simplicity

Computer-based DAWs are open systems where all software (operating system, plug-ins, host DAW) and hardware (audio interface, external preamps, and processing) have to work in total harmony throughout a session. On the other hand, portable digital multitrack recorders are closed systems. Therefore, they are impervious to an errant plug-in crashing your tracking session or an interface driver preventing your DAW from reading the input signal.

Then there’s the multitrack’s added benefit of not letting the distraction of social media or the latest InSync post steal your heart away from the task at hand.

Setup speed

When you’re jamming with a band or nurturing the kernel of a chorus idea, rule number one is to record that idea while it’s still fresh in your mind. A DAW setup could require several minutes or longer of patching cables and routing inputs to be record-ready. But with a portable digital multitrack recorder, you just need to connect a power cable and input source (mic, guitar, keyboard, and so on), and you’re ready to commit those concepts to tape (er, microSD).

Size

When you’re looking to travel light, the digital multitrack certainly has the edge over computer setups. A DAW requires, at minimum, a laptop, an interface, and all requisite cables and peripherals. But with a portable digital multitrack recorder, one piece of gear serves as your springboard for all stages of the creative process: tracking, mixing, and mastering.

The great news is there’s no either-or when it comes to standalone multitrack recorders and DAWs. Nearly all modern digital multitrack recorders will allow you to export and import tracks to and from your DAW, allowing you to seamlessly bring that vocal you recorded on the road into your production DAW to comp, edit, and process.

How to Choose a Digital Multitrack Recorder

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the workstation-style digital multitrack, you’re probably wondering: do they make a multitrack recorder that’s right for me?

Digital multitrack recorders can fill any artist’s needs, from solo singer-songwriters to full touring bands. Some are designed for simplicity, giving you an easy and reliable way to record multiple audio channels to mix later in your DAW software. Others can be self-contained recording studios with internal effects processing, flexible signal routing, and powerful editing features. Since there’s so much to consider when purchasing a digital recording system, don’t hesitate to call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 for more information.

Application ExamplesCategories of Digital Multitrack RecordersTrack Types ExplainedMixing on Workstations

Application Examples

All standalone multitrack studios can record multi-channel audio. Nonetheless, there are several types for different applications, such as creating demos, recording performances, or working without a computer. How you’ll use your digital multitrack recorder should be your first consideration.

Categories of Digital Multitrack Recorders

Small-format multitrack recorder workstations

These multitrack recorders are perfect for solo musicians and small bands. For our purposes, we’ll call anything that records eight or fewer channels and has a compact design a small-format workstation. These smaller workstations are perfect for basic projects, such as crafting song demos, and they usually have basic editing features and audio processing built in. Remember that you can often record more tracks than the number of inputs suggests.

Large-format multitrack recorder workstations

If your goal is to create professional productions, you’ll want a large-format workstation with more inputs and features. These types of multitrack recorders often serve as a portable alternative to computer-based production. While computer-based recording is here to stay, many musicians and engineers prefer the simplicity, reliability, and console-like experience of working on a large-format workstation multitrack recorder. You can create radio-ready productions on any of these. Compared to small-format workstations, you’ll generally get more signal-processing capabilities. They also provide powerful editing features and the ability to connect external processors, such as compressors and EQs.

Record-only digital multitrack recorders

You don’t want to mess with your recorder when you’re mixing live sound and are tasked with recording the whole show. There are various choices among record-only multitrack recorders. Some are rack-mountable, and some are more compact; you simply connect your inputs and hit record. They’re perfect for schools, churches, and practically any other live sound situation. While these won’t have a workstation’s audio processing and editing capabilities, the simplicity of a record-only multitrack recorder can’t be overstated in a hectic live sound situation.

Track Types Explained

Let’s clarify the difference between recording, playback, and virtual tracks.

Recording tracks are how many analog or digital signals you can feed the recorder at a time. Playback tracks consist of how many recorded tracks you can mix and play back simultaneously. Finally, virtual tracks are how many individual recordings (typically used for recording multiple takes of a performance) your multitrack can manage in a single project session.

In the case of an 8-track recorder, you can generally record two inputs simultaneously, such as vocals and guitar. You could then record two more signals to add another layer and proceed until you’ve recorded eight tracks. However, up to 64 virtual tracks allow you to record multiple takes on each track so that you can record up to seven additional takes for each instrument. You’ve recorded 64 different takes and can mix any eight of them to create a final stereo mix.

Mixing on Multitrack Workstations

Many small-format workstations give you faders to mix your tracks, but they may have fewer physical faders than playback tracks. For example, a 16-track workstation may only have eight faders, and you probably won’t find any small-format workstations with motorized faders. These limitations are usually no problem for basic music projects. But, if you want access to all your track faders at once or need the precision and fast recall of motorized faders, you’ll definitely want to look at large-format workstations.

It can be difficult to glance at a multitrack workstation and understand its capabilities. Even with just a few knobs and faders, you may have access to all types of routing, effects, editing, and mixing capabilities. Once you’ve found a workstation with the right connections and track count for your application, check if it has the editing and mixing capabilities you need.

Where to Go from Here

Hopefully, you can now look at any portable digital multitrack recorder and have a general idea of the applications for which it’s best suited. Consider how many audio tracks you’ll want to record simultaneously, and look for recorders with at least that number of inputs. Next, decide if you wish to be able to edit and mix audio right on the recorder or if you plan to do that later in a computer-based DAW. From there, you’ll be in a great position to call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700. We’ll help you find the best digital multitrack recorder for your situation, and we’re happy to help you figure out the best way to integrate it with any gear you’re currently using.

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