The BOSS BR-8 Digital Recording Studio is the world’s first 8-track digital recorder designed specifically for guitar players and other musicians seeking an all-in-one workstation with exceptional sound quality. Capable of everything from recording to mixdown, the BR-8 offers amazing internal effects processing with Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM), along with dozens of features musicians will appreciate—like an onboard Rhythm Guide, a built-in chromatic guitar/bass tuner, a Phrase Trainer and an optical digital output. Quite simply, the BOSS BR-8 redefines the personal recording studio.

Introducing the BOSS BR-8 Recording Studio

All the right connections Recording with the BR-8 is as simple as plugging in and pressing the Record button. No matter what the source—guitar, microphone or other instrument—the BR-8 has all the right connections. Dedicated Mic and Guitar/Bass inputs mean you won’t need direct boxes or transformers. The Guitar/Bass input can even double as a second microphone input. In addition, stereo line jacks are provided for recording CD/MD/DAT/cassette players or other line-level sources.   A world of effects The BR-8’s internal effects processor is capable of producing a variety of effects for virtually any application—everything from high-quality reverb, delay, chorus and flanging to COSM guitar and bass amp models. With a single button press, the BR-8 lets you select the effects that’s best for a variety of instruments. GUITAR JC-120 CLEAN CRUNCH MATCH VO DRV BLUES BG LEAD MS(1) MS(2) MS(1+2) SLDN METAL METAL D BASS AC AMG Tune up in seconds Guitar and bass players will appreciate the BR-8’s built-in chromatic tuner. The LCD display provides visual confirmation of your instrument’s tuning with a single button push, making it easy to have perfect pitch every time without unplugging your guitar. Simplified Recording and Bouncing The BR-8’s convenient recording mode buttons take the guesswork out of recording live instruments and performing track bounces. There’s no routing to worry about—simply select INPUT to record a live source, BOUNCE for automatic track bouncing, or INPUT + BOUNCE to blend a live input while bouncing to another track.

Familiar tape-style controls If you can use a multi-track cassette recorder, you’ll be right at home with the BR-8’s familiar transport controls. With random access operation and 100 markers, you’ll get where you want to go instantaneously. And thanks to the Auto Punch feature, you’ll be able to punch in and out perfectly every time.   Graphic display The BR-8 features a large, backlit LCD display with graphic icons for easy navigation. These icons instantly confirm recording status, effects settings and other functions at a glance. Eight-track digital recording with effects has never been more intuitive.   Integrated Phrase Trainer Learning those lightning-fast licks is easy using the BR-8’s Phrase Trainer. Capable of slowing down a recorded performance from tape or CD to half-speed, the Phrase Trainer allows you to practice your favorite guitar riffs and solos at a more comfortable pace. With the Repeat function, you can jam along with selected phrases as long as you like. Or use the Center Cancel function to remove vocals or guitar solos completely from many songs.   Mixdown with effects The BR-8’s internal effects processor is extremely flexible, allowing any of its reverb, chorus and delay effects, plus an equalizer, to be used globally at mixdown—perfect for giving your song that “finalized” sound.   Innovative Rhythm Guide The BR-8’s built-in Rhythm Guide features a variety of backing rhythm patterns to keep you on the beat. Recording your guitar was never this much fun—just set the tempo using the Tap button and play along. And because the Rhythm Guide is separate from the eight playback tracks, it doesn’t use any of the Zip® disk’s recording time.   Convenient 100MB Zip® format The BR-8 records audio to its internal 100MB Zip® drive. This format uses convenient, low-cost Zip® disks that can literally fit in your pocket. Working on music with other BR-8 users? Just exchange Zip® disks and collaborate without even recording together.   A powerful 8-track recorder The BR-8 features eight individual faders and recording track buttons linked to each track for simplified operation. Luminous buttons enable quick confirmation of track status: red for record, green for playback, and off for indicating that the track is blank.

Plug in and play

The simplicity of BOSS guitar effects pedals is known worldwide. With this in mind, BOSS designed the BR-8 for ease of use, giving guitarists and other musicians a convenient way to tap into the power of digital recording. This compact recorder features eight recording tracks and 64 Virtual Tracks—plenty of room for capturing ideas and songs—while its interface is ultra-intuitive, even for those with little experience with digital recorders. The BR-8’s portability and 100MB Zip® drive format make it perfect for musicians on the go, allowing the free exchange of ideas and an unlimited recording capacity—just pop in a new disk and you’re ready to go!

More than meets the eye

The BR-8 is more than just an 8-track recorder. Capable of recording to two tracks simultaneously and playing back eight, this recorder’s real power lies in its bank of 64 Virtual Tracks (V-Tracks). There are eight V-Tracks for each primary track, for a total of 64 tracks (8 tracks x 8 V-Tracks).

V-Tracks can be used for recording different takes or arrangements without sacrificing earlier recordings. These V-Tracks can then be assembled on a single track for creating the perfect take. Additionally, the BR-8 offers a choice of three recording modes which can be selected automatically or manually based on the recording time needed.

High-quality BOSS effects inside

If it’s BOSS, it’s got to have effects. True to form, the BR-8 delivers with 200 amazing effects Patches for a variety of instruments and applications. For example, guitar and bass players can choose between several COSM-based guitar and bass amp models and multi-effects, making recording with effects as simple as plugging in.

There are also vocal multi-effects algorithms and a powerful Voice Transformer, capable of accurately changing vocal gender or creating robot voices. The BR-8 even provides 200 User Patch and 200 Song Patch locations for saving and recalling your own effects Patches.

• See BR-8 Insert Effects
• See BR-8 Insert Effect Algorithm

Try this with tape

Because the BR-8 records to Zip® disk rather than tape, a whole new level of editing is possible. The basic editing tools consist of Copy, Move, Exchange, Insert, Cut, and Paste. Ever record the perfect vocal in one chorus and blow the others? Now you can use the BR-8’s Copy feature to place that perfect take throughout the rest of the song. Or, use Cut and Paste to assemble pieces from different Virtual Tracks to one primary track, giving you the ultimate performance. And unlike tape-based recorders, all editing is non-destructive. Just hit UNDO/REDO and you’re right back to your last version of the song!

Additional features

• Onboard Rhythm Guide keeps your playing in time
• Built-in Phrase Trainer slows down guitar licks to facilitate learning
• Eight scene memories and 100 markers per song
• Convenient Zip® format for portability, plus digital output (optical)
• Onboard chromatic tuner for guitar and bass players
• External control through footswitch, expression pedal or MIDI

Specifications