Roland Edirol R4 (not Pro)

[gorillaonabike]

I have recently been told by a retired sound engineer that the old Roland Edirol R4 was a great piece of kit and I should buy it if given the opportunity. It is significantly better than, say a Tascam DR100 MkII and it represents a bargain at used prices.

Note that I don't need 101 XLR ports or the advanced capabilities of the Edirol R4-Pro, rather I need good pres, a limiter, some functionality, all of which the Roland Edirol R4 has.

I just wanted to check with the audiophiles about this. Is this a genuinely good piece of kit which is better than the ubiquitous Tascam DR100 Mk2?

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

I haven't done a side by side on every spec, and the audio experts will likely chime in, but on first glance I'd rather have the Edirol. Most obvious is 4 inputs, 1/4" headphone out, built in 40 GB drive, more built in effects, etc... What only somebody who has really used both would know is the quality of the preamps, but I suspect the Edirol ones are quite nice.

 

[gorillaonabike]

I haven't done a side by side on every spec, and the audio experts will likely chime in, but on first glance I'd rather have the Edirol. Most obvious is 4 inputs, 1/4" headphone out, built in 40 GB drive, more built in effects, etc... What only somebody who has really used both would know is the quality of the preamps, but I suspect the Edirol ones are quite nice.

Thanks for the input. On paper, a used Edirol looks way better than the DR100 Mk2 and would be significantly cheaper in the UK. Better, cheaper... it looks good.

 

[Alcove Audio]

Are you talking about the R-4 or the R-44? Either way, it's a very nice piece of gear. I've used it for field recording and, after I got myself oriented, I had no problems using it and was quite satisfied with the results.