I've had one of these since 2006, and still use it all the time. It's such a handy tool for so many things. I've got much more professional recording gear, but I find I am often more productive and creative when I work with this little unit. It's a great stand-alone musical sketchpad.
Are you able to use the internal condensers in Mono instead of just Stereo? Also… can I use a handheld condenser with my own phantom power supply with this unit? Thanks.
I've got a Boss BR600 - as well as other bits and bobs. It's an awesome little machine which is very use able for producing professional sounding mixes. Just subbed.
I bought one, second hand with its soft case, for £20 a few years ago. Beautiful little thing, but I found a complicated to actually use, even managed to get the official dvd guide. Maybe it's just me being thick, guess I'll get it out again and try to make sense of it. :)
No you're not thick - I agree it's a tricky operating system. After prolonged use a lot of the most common key sequences just get learned by your hands and that's when you konw you've got it :) GF
Messing around with mine. Great effects. Great for capturing ideas. Great sound. And a drum machine?! I'm recording my synth atm with it, as there so much hum from my mixer..
Woah, that was my first good keyboard. I was trying to remember its model number yesterday! WHAT A COINCIDENCE. I wasn't looking for it right now, but the Boss BR-600.
Excellent video, I love mine. I just wish it had looper functions, or a better A B repeat because it's not very accurate, even selecting it manually. But it is an amazing machine
Man! I am just learning all kinds o thingies from ya! WOW! I bought this dead, for $48USD on ebay recently so I need to get that electronic part, fix this thing and go to TOWN! Nice!
Great video! Have you ever tried plugging in electronic drums? Do you know if it would transmit through the guitar input and/or mic input using the 1/4" jack?
Great video. That what the creative process is about. Giving it a go! I use mine for live performance backing track. In 2022 I put together a virtual machine running windows XP that would edit the samples. It was a little tricky but I got these in the end. Let me know if you need any support with this.
Hi thanks for these VIDS have learnt a lot from these. I've just purchased one and it's brilliant. But could you tell me please can you adjust the individual volume level of the drum pads. Eg lower the kick drum or bring up the high hat. Many thanks in advance. Keep up the good work. 👍👍
Well the pads are velocity sensitive, so that helps, but the only way you could set the volume of each pad would be by having the volume where you want it on the track that you lift the sample from. i.e. it has to be recorded at just the right volume. You can control the volume of each hit in the software though. Hope that helps :) #gearfacts
still use mine with my pc studio watching your video you do a lot of stuff i have owned for long time like loads of your zoom pedal vids Yamaha Djx groove box and other synth this and other stuff how i keep bumping into you because that same interest i have owned a Yamaha sy35 since 1990 bet if I look it up you done that too lol or my Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution 309 lol
I've got a micro br and still use it for it's excellent amp Sims. If you cascade some overdrives into it with a real tube overdrive it really shines then use a good reverb on the output side.
Interesting, I've never tried that. On the subject of amp sims, I recently reviewed the NUX MG300 processor and it's the first time I've ever heard an amp sim that's really made me say 'wow' :)
@@gearfacts I will check it out. For an old piece of equipment the Yamaha magicstomp has some great Sims too. I find the amp Sims on the Zoom ms50g are good when set up correctly too. Thanks.
Hope you will answer this! Can I use this unit as a fx processor for line level signals? Like putting as a insert fx on a mixer channel for my boards reverb? I like dual utility products. Cheers
I guess you could do it by using the headphone socket as your return channel. Might have to be converted to to mono with a little adapter plug. But yep, it's possible :)
Hi thanks for the video, I picked one of these recorders up recently, whenever I record onto tracks 7/8 the volume is really low, happens on all inputs and if I am bouncing. Is this the same as your unit? Trying to figure out if it's faulty. It would be odd though as the unit is digital. Thanks!
@@gearfacts Hi many thanks for the reply! I think you're right. There was some strange goo around the fader when I opened it up. Still under warranty :)
Great video! Can you please tell me what kind of Studio Monitors are compatible with the br600? Active or passive speakers? Also, if I do not go the Studio Monitors route, can you recommend small, portable battery-powered speakers (if active speakers are necessary) so I can be fully remote and record and play back off-grid on a camping trip? I don’t want a power or solar generator but strictly use batteries. Any ideas?
Ooh, there are many options. You need active speakers and for real portability I’d recommend a Bluetooth speaker with aux input. They’re cheap, have long battery life and even the cheap ones sound pretty good ;)
@@gearfacts Thanks. I already have a Bluetooth speaker. I’m looking for Left Right panning options and where I can pretend I’m a producer. I found a pair of used, active Sony SA N11’s that have a built-in amplifier in the speaker and that don’t need batteries. Can you believe??
@@gearfacts No batteries at all to my understanding. Just plug and play. 25watts. The amplifier is built INTO the speakers themselves. Look up Sony SA-N11 on UA-cam and check out the sound samples. Some are not in English but you still get a taste of the sound. I just found a pair used for 50 bucks. They are circa 1995 but you can find some well-cared for ones if you keep looking.
I'm just getting set up in music production as a hobby and have seen lots of multi track recorders - i'm a Roland fan btw and stumbled across the BR 800 in a review and they commented that they preferred the sound quality of the BR 600 and i've seen one for £99 so maybe i should make this my starter unit rather than say the Zoom R20 which also caught my attention - i've also seen a b stock Zoom R24 at £244 but wondered if you could advise please? Thanks for the review.
Yeah I'm happy to advise :) The BR600 is the most versatile multi tracker I've seen. It's only issues are 1. Bit tricky to operate - full understanding comes in a flash rather than a learning curve. 2. Computer communications are really old-fashioned and slow. On the positive side though, it's a brilliant tool for learning real hands-on production, as it provides a bit of everything. 99 quid a a reasonable price, not a bargain. check it's got accessories like a 9v power adapter, manual and memory card and if anything is missing, make an offer of about 15 pounds less. That's what I'd do anyway :)
@@gearfacts That's great thanks for the quick response - i've been doing more research since i posted that and was shifting back to the BR 800. I've seen a BR 800 for around £175 with make an offer option so it's a tug of war between the two ! Any thoughts on that please given i'm a newbie that wants hardware recording for my synths/keyboards etc and won't be going DAW - and thanks for getting back to me asap.
@@twiglet2214 Well, the BR800 is more modern as far as communications goes, and the display & UI are clearly better. My only gripe with the 800 is that it just doesn't sound as good. Especially the effects. However, if you've got an effects setup already, that won't be a problem. Oh and to be fair, the 800 does have a lot more input options. I suggest tossing a coin - if you feel disappointed by the result, then you know which one your heart truly desires!
@@gearfacts Ok great thanks - i'm looking at other options too - the Tascam DP03Sd looks pretty good and the DP24sd is also a contender so jury's still out at the moment.Thanks for feedback,much appreciated.
Is this the best that it gets as regards having a small, portable multitrack/drum machine combo that is also battery powered? If not, what would you recommend?
@@MrSeeker42 n my opinion, yep. The R series has the benefit of USB connectivity but they're not as user-friendly and they can't do sample sequencing as effectively, the BR600's button array is just so much better. Just my opinion of course :)
@@gearfacts thanks. How do you export the files to a DAW or a laptop? I am not an audiophile though I was still wondering about the level of sound quality. Can vocals sound pretty decent using a decent condenser with this unit? I’m a simple singer-songwriter with simple needs.
I tried it just today, it didn't work . what am I doing wrong? When the pedal is off I have sound, yet when pedal is on I have no sound. It seems my br600, which I bought new in 2006, is obsolete 😒
@@bz3086 Hmm it sounds like there might be a fault. I remember there being some tricky bits in the menu that could prevent a sound from going through the effects, so have a good look through every menu option. I don't have mine anymore so it's a bit hard to give accurate info sorry
Need help mate; YOu seem like you'd know..xD Eh, I want to save separate insert effects, to different recorded tracks; So far, Ive figured I can do different effects per track for loop effects. (Why called loop effects? Like, amp loop effect chain for guitars in real world--??). I can also add ONE insert effect to ONe track of the eight recorded. AM I wrong? Thanks man
FOund this btw; "hmmm - that's not very encouraging. i wish i could just just record the separate tracks dry and then choose what amp model to use, tweaking each for the sound I want accordingly, during mixdown. I see your point though - record dry, add cosm, and bounce to new track. then do it again for the remaining tracks"
@@davidcogan9936 Just record your playing with minimal effects like your favorite distortion for example. Then send playback to the internal effects system (you'll need to read the online manual for that, I can't explain it in one comment) and record it to another track as it plays back (this is what's known as 'bouncing' tracks)
I've had one of these since 2006, and still use it all the time. It's such a handy tool for so many things. I've got much more professional recording gear, but I find I am often more productive and creative when I work with this little unit. It's a great stand-alone musical sketchpad.
Couldn't agree more :)
Can you use rechargeable batteries to power this unit?
@@MrSeeker42why wouldn't you be able to?
Are you able to use the internal condensers in Mono instead of just Stereo? Also… can I use a handheld condenser with my own phantom power supply with this unit? Thanks.
I've got a Boss BR600 - as well as other bits and bobs. It's an awesome little machine which is very use able for producing professional sounding mixes. Just subbed.
Thanks for the sub! Yes this is one of my all-time favorite devices. Such versatility.
I'm lovin this. Basically it's being used as an Akai MPC, but with easy track access.
I've just bought one to use on tour with Mairk. Your video has been very useful to me. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
I bought one, second hand with its soft case, for £20 a few years ago. Beautiful little thing, but I found a complicated to actually use, even managed to get the official dvd guide. Maybe it's just me being thick, guess I'll get it out again and try to make sense of it. :)
No you're not thick - I agree it's a tricky operating system. After prolonged use a lot of the most common key sequences just get learned by your hands and that's when you konw you've got it :) GF
I need one of those! I've been eyeing them for quite a while. Lately, I'm interested in portable and multi-purpose devices the most.
This is great thanks! Going to grab one.
Glad you enjoyed the video. There are still a few features that I didn't really show so I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it :) Gearfacts
Messing around with mine. Great effects. Great for capturing ideas. Great sound. And a drum machine?!
I'm recording my synth atm with it, as there so much hum from my mixer..
Yep I think I'm going to order another one
I still got my BR 600 but I used my BR 800 now.
I'm a BR lover
Woah, that was my first good keyboard. I was trying to remember its model number yesterday! WHAT A COINCIDENCE. I wasn't looking for it right now, but the Boss BR-600.
Excellent video, I love mine. I just wish it had looper functions, or a better A B repeat because it's not very accurate, even selecting it manually. But it is an amazing machine
Yep I think it's one of the greats. All time top 5 for me :) #gearfacts
Man! I am just learning all kinds o thingies from ya! WOW! I bought this dead, for $48USD on ebay recently so I need to get that electronic part, fix this thing and go to TOWN! Nice!
The BR600 is in my all-time top 5. 20 years on I think it still competes with anything similar on the market.
Great video! Have you ever tried plugging in electronic drums? Do you know if it would transmit through the guitar input and/or mic input using the 1/4" jack?
Great video. That what the creative process is about. Giving it a go! I use mine for live performance backing track. In 2022 I put together a virtual machine running windows XP that would edit the samples. It was a little tricky but I got these in the end. Let me know if you need any support with this.
Thanks for the good feedback, I think this is one of my best videos and it is indeed an awesome device :)
Hi thanks for these VIDS have learnt a lot from these. I've just purchased one and it's brilliant. But could you tell me please can you adjust the individual volume level of the drum pads. Eg lower the kick drum or bring up the high hat. Many thanks in advance. Keep up the good work. 👍👍
Well the pads are velocity sensitive, so that helps, but the only way you could set the volume of each pad would be by having the volume where you want it on the track that you lift the sample from. i.e. it has to be recorded at just the right volume. You can control the volume of each hit in the software though. Hope that helps :) #gearfacts
@@gearfacts thanks very much for the quick reply I will give that a try. Much appreciated. 👍👍
Like how portable it is.
still use mine with my pc studio watching your video you do a lot of stuff i have owned for long time like loads of your zoom pedal vids Yamaha Djx groove box and other synth this and other stuff how i keep bumping into you because that same interest i have owned a Yamaha sy35 since 1990 bet if I look it up you done that too lol or my Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution 309 lol
I love the old 90's gear, it had so much personality :)
I've got a micro br and still use it for it's excellent amp Sims. If you cascade some overdrives into it with a real tube overdrive it really shines then use a good reverb on the output side.
Interesting, I've never tried that. On the subject of amp sims, I recently reviewed the NUX MG300 processor and it's the first time I've ever heard an amp sim that's really made me say 'wow' :)
@@gearfacts I will check it out. For an old piece of equipment the Yamaha magicstomp has some great Sims too. I find the amp Sims on the Zoom ms50g are good when set up correctly too. Thanks.
I'll tell you, but the words, buy a br 600, came out of my mouth when I woke up one morning 😲
Total fun, even with it's fiddly operating system :)
Hope you will answer this! Can I use this unit as a fx processor for line level signals? Like putting as a insert fx on a mixer channel for my boards reverb? I like dual utility products. Cheers
I guess you could do it by using the headphone socket as your return channel. Might have to be converted to to mono with a little adapter plug. But yep, it's possible :)
@@gearfacts what about the line outs does it have to be the headphones?
Hi thanks for the video,
I picked one of these recorders up recently, whenever I record onto tracks 7/8 the volume is really low, happens on all inputs and if I am bouncing. Is this the same as your unit? Trying to figure out if it's faulty. It would be odd though as the unit is digital.
Thanks!
Never experienced that problem sorry! My guess if that it's a faulty fader. You've still got an excellent 6-track though :)
@@gearfacts Hi many thanks for the reply! I think you're right. There was some strange goo around the fader when I opened it up. Still under warranty :)
@@daynemin Knew it!
Great video! Can you please tell me what kind of Studio Monitors are compatible with the br600? Active or passive speakers? Also, if I do not go the Studio Monitors route, can you recommend small, portable battery-powered speakers (if active speakers are necessary) so I can be fully remote and record and play back off-grid on a camping trip? I don’t want a power or solar generator but strictly use batteries. Any ideas?
Ooh, there are many options. You need active speakers and for real portability I’d recommend a Bluetooth speaker with aux input. They’re cheap, have long battery life and even the cheap ones sound pretty good ;)
@@gearfacts Thanks. I already have a Bluetooth speaker. I’m looking for Left Right panning options and where I can pretend I’m a producer. I found a pair of used, active Sony SA N11’s that have a built-in amplifier in the speaker and that don’t need batteries. Can you believe??
@@MrSeeker42 oh cool, so they have rechargeable batteries?
@@gearfacts No batteries at all to my understanding. Just plug and play. 25watts. The amplifier is built INTO the speakers themselves. Look up Sony SA-N11 on UA-cam and check out the sound samples. Some are not in English but you still get a taste of the sound. I just found a pair used for 50 bucks. They are circa 1995 but you can find some well-cared for ones if you keep looking.
@@gearfacts sorry man, I was wrong. The Sony’s do require external power. My mistake.
I'm just getting set up in music production as a hobby and have seen lots of multi track recorders - i'm a Roland fan btw and stumbled across the BR 800 in a review and they commented that they preferred the sound quality of the BR 600 and i've seen one for £99 so maybe i should make this my starter unit rather than say the Zoom R20 which also caught my attention - i've also seen a b stock Zoom R24 at £244 but wondered if you could advise please? Thanks for the review.
Yeah I'm happy to advise :) The BR600 is the most versatile multi tracker I've seen. It's only issues are 1. Bit tricky to operate - full understanding comes in a flash rather than a learning curve. 2. Computer communications are really old-fashioned and slow. On the positive side though, it's a brilliant tool for learning real hands-on production, as it provides a bit of everything. 99 quid a a reasonable price, not a bargain. check it's got accessories like a 9v power adapter, manual and memory card and if anything is missing, make an offer of about 15 pounds less. That's what I'd do anyway :)
@@gearfacts That's great thanks for the quick response - i've been doing more research since i posted that and was shifting back to the BR 800. I've seen a BR 800 for around £175 with make an offer option so it's a tug of war between the two ! Any thoughts on that please given i'm a newbie that wants hardware recording for my synths/keyboards etc and won't be going DAW - and thanks for getting back to me asap.
@@twiglet2214 Well, the BR800 is more modern as far as communications goes, and the display & UI are clearly better. My only gripe with the 800 is that it just doesn't sound as good. Especially the effects. However, if you've got an effects setup already, that won't be a problem. Oh and to be fair, the 800 does have a lot more input options. I suggest tossing a coin - if you feel disappointed by the result, then you know which one your heart truly desires!
@@gearfacts Ok great thanks - i'm looking at other options too - the Tascam DP03Sd looks pretty good and the DP24sd is also a contender so jury's still out at the moment.Thanks for feedback,much appreciated.
Hi are there any other boss multitrack recorders that have the built in drum machine like the br600?
Thanks
Only the Boss BR series as far as I know, and a few of the Korgs but they sound terrible.
@@gearfacts ah ok.
And is the br 600 the only one to have touch sensitive pads plus a sampling feature?
That Casio xDxDxD
I had one and the only thing I didn’t like was that I couldn’t get the drums to record on a track .
Kim Thompson True, I think they’re kind of ‘anchored’ to the drum track
Is this the best that it gets as regards having a small, portable multitrack/drum machine combo that is also battery powered? If not, what would you recommend?
Personally I think it's a best available by a long way!
@@gearfacts better than the Zoom Mrs8?
@@gearfacts better than the Zoom Mrs8 or the R series?
@@MrSeeker42 n my opinion, yep. The R series has the benefit of USB connectivity but they're not as user-friendly and they can't do sample sequencing as effectively, the BR600's button array is just so much better. Just my opinion of course :)
@@gearfacts thanks. How do you export the files to a DAW or a laptop? I am not an audiophile though I was still wondering about the level of sound quality. Can vocals sound pretty decent using a decent condenser with this unit? I’m a simple singer-songwriter with simple needs.
I'd like to feed my turntable thru the br600 then into my mpc2000 how are the effects
The effects are passable, not brilliant
Can I use this with fl studio software in daw
Not as a direct interface, no.
The BR-532 has midi out but this unit doesn't.... I do like the sampling feature on this one tho.
True and agreed :)
Can the BR600 use pedal effects?
IMO the on-board soundgate does not do as good of a job as intended.
Yes, you can run external effects pedals into it.
Great news!
I tried it just today, it didn't work . what am I doing wrong?
When the pedal is off I have sound, yet when pedal is on I have no sound.
It seems my br600, which I bought new in 2006, is obsolete 😒
@@bz3086 Hmm it sounds like there might be a fault. I remember there being some tricky bits in the menu that could prevent a sound from going through the effects, so have a good look through every menu option. I don't have mine anymore so it's a bit hard to give accurate info sorry
Thanks for your kind feedback. I will look in the instruction booklet!
Need help mate;
YOu seem like you'd know..xD
Eh, I want to save separate insert effects, to different recorded tracks;
So far, Ive figured I can do different effects per track for loop effects. (Why called loop effects? Like, amp loop effect chain for guitars in real world--??). I can also add ONE insert effect to ONe track of the eight recorded.
AM I wrong? Thanks man
FOund this btw;
"hmmm - that's not very encouraging. i wish i could just just record the separate tracks dry and then choose what amp model to use, tweaking each for the sound I want accordingly, during mixdown. I see your point though - record dry, add cosm, and bounce to new track. then do it again for the remaining tracks"
I used to record them dry, then bounce them to another track with an effect applied. It's tedious and inflexible, but it works.
@@gearfacts Thats the one. Nice machine, no doubt..!!
@@gearfacts Can you explain how to do this sir..?
@@davidcogan9936 Just record your playing with minimal effects like your favorite distortion for example. Then send playback to the internal effects system (you'll need to read the online manual for that, I can't explain it in one comment) and record it to another track as it plays back (this is what's known as 'bouncing' tracks)
Thanks to this VID, bought a mint used one for $40 USD. Too bad input is 1/8" and not rca or 1/4 " :-(
$40 though! Nice :)
@@gearfacts is it possible to run LIN into the mic inputs ? Maybe lower the gain ?
@@seravenerdi Yes that should work, it's all about the gain setting.
Hallo, how I get this software fore PC ?
www.boss.info/au/support/by_product/br-800/updates_drivers/c30fd33d-3064-484d-b896-1bdc4f9e6e70/
@@gearfacts thank`s fore you, I did it, that help`s
can it quantise the beats ???
Yes
@@gearfacts thanks, I have another question, does it export separate individual wave files from each tracks ??
@@handel1111 yep, there’s an app you have to download from Boss, I think it’s called BR Wave Converter
Thanks...I actually know less after watching this...
Oh... I don't understand - why?