| Fostex VF-16 Finally, a 16-track digital ministudio -- for $1,399
by the Harmony Central Editorial Team
July 21, 2000
Every now and then, a new product comes along that overwhelms us with groundbreaking technology -- something, say, along the lines of the ADAT (1990) or Line 6's first modeling amp (1996). The Fostex VF-16 is not such a product.
Rather, what makes the VF-16 so remarkable, so worthy of being an HC Hot Pick, is that it pulls down the barriers to owning a self-contained, 16-track digital recording studio … by coming in at just $1,399.
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Fostex's VF-16: 16-track digital price-buster
(Click for a close-up) |
You can record up to eight tracks simultaneously to the unit's internal 5.1GB hard drive (which will hold up to an hour of 16 continuous tracks), and there are eight additional "virtual" tracks for comping together those 16 perfect ones. The small LCD allows for basic waveform editing -- an unexpected bonus. Even better, rather than forcing you to switch between two "banks" of eight faders, the VF-16 has 16 actual faders to grab. There's no continuous built-in automation, but it will store and recall 100 snapshots of all settings. Add to this EQ, compression, reverb and other effects, a SCSI out (for additional hard drive storage), two balanced mic ins, and a jog/shuttle wheel, and there's plenty to crow about for the price.
Sure, it's not 24-bit, like Tascam's new 788 8-track Portastudio ($1,149). It doesn't come with a removable disc of drum loops, like Roland's new VS-840GX 8-track ministudio ($1,295). And if you're looking for moving faders and a built-in CD-RW drive, like Yamaha's new 16-track AW4416 ($3,799), you're out of luck. But if you're dreaming of an affordable, easy-to-use, all-in-one 16-track recording solution -- that has everything you really need -- now it's safe to wake up.
For more information, visit www.fostex.com.
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