Toll Free 866-SHIP-SDM (744-7736) Mention service code L2Z9H1L

Site Map | FAQ | Contact Us | Order Tracking

Same Day Shipping SpeedPlay

Zoom HD16CD Multi-Track Recording Studio

Web Item #ZOMHD16CD

This product can only be ordered by phone. Please call us at 866-SHIP-SDM (744-7736).

Overall User Ratings

Overall:: 8.7 out of 10
Quality:: 8 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 9.1 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 8.8 out of 10

Features:: 7.7 out of 10
Value:: 8.8 out of 10
Sound:: 8.6 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 6.2 out of 10

User Reviews for Zoom HD16CD Multi-Track Recording Studio

Overall:: 9 out of 10
Features:: 8 out of 10
Quality:: 10 out of 10
Value:: 10 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 10 out of 10
Sound:: 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 9 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 10 out of 10

95% of users found this reviews helpful (21 votes).

Was this review helpful to you?

Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?

We appreciate your feedback. It will help us organize user reviews more effectively.

Submitted: 3/8/2008

Style of Music: Rock (wide range)

Experience: Hobbyist

"Outstanding recorder - no buyers remorse."

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

Excellent quality. We've recorded a number of songs of widely varying styles. After recording all the tracks and getting the mix just right, the mastering function puts the final finish. I've played CDs for a number of people and, when I tell them that it was recorded in my home, their jaws dropped. Very professional finished product.

Feature:

The only reason I say "8" is because there's always something more that could be added. This is a very, very complete package. From heavy metal to environmental ambient to folk to pop, I haven't been frustrated in any attempt to capture what I hear in my head. The zoom recorder offers a wide range of tools to capture and manipulate music allowing you to get exactly what you want.

Ease of Use:

There is an initial, short learning curve to get very decent tracks down. Because the product is fairly rich in features, we've continued to discover cool options 4 months after starting out. One of the best things about this recorder is the number of sliders and knobs - each track has it's own so you're not constantly cycling a single knob (okay, now it's controlling track 2... now it's controlling track 6).

Quality:

I've owned lot's of equipment over the years. This is built tough. All the buttons, dials, sliders, and knobs feel solid. The case is metal (not plastic). All the jacks have a clean, tight snick - no wobbles. Outstanding quality.

Manufacturer Support:

I have had no need to call support.

Value:

I made my own comparison grid of the Zoom and a number of other similarly-priced digital recorders. I think the Zoom is by far the best bang for your buck.

The Wow Factor:

It looks cool. I've worked in professional studios and this gives the sense of that right in my own home.

Overall:

I believe I'll use this product for many years. With the deep level of features, solid construction, and excellent output, I see no reason to swap the Zoom out for another recorder. I am extremely happy with this product.

Overall:: 7 out of 10
Features:: 9 out of 10
Quality:: 9 out of 10
Value:: 7 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 8 out of 10
Sound:: 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 9 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 1 out of 10

100% of users found this reviews helpful (4 votes).

Was this review helpful to you?

Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?

We appreciate your feedback. It will help us organize user reviews more effectively.

By a customer from gmail.com

Submitted: 8/27/2009

Style of Music: Just about anything, seriously

Experience: Long time One-Man-Band

"Most Excellent Product, But Pray You Never Need Support!!"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

Great-sounding unit, but you really need to work with it to get good loudness without distortion. I put a few songs I created with it onto my music player along with some commercial tracks and the loudness differential was significant. Had to go through several remixes to get a loudness level that was comparable to commercial tracks without distortion, and it's still not quite there. Some of this might be my inexperience though. Of course, I realize it's not a $300,000 studio I'm working with, but still...

Feature:

This machine has an excellent set of features and those features are pretty easy to access. Reading the manual will get you up to speed a lot quicker, but there isn't much you can't figure out if you're just a litle bit savvy about this kind of equipment. Very well thought out machine. You really do have a completely self-contained studio with this machine. Could use more effects, and some of the included ones aren't really mind-blowing, but it's still adequate. I especially like the 10 takes per track and the easy bounce function. Headphone jack might have been better on the front instead of the top; it sometimes gets in the way. Built-in CD burner and computer connection via USB is excellent and makes the unit an even more powerful production tool.

Ease of Use:

Not too steep a learning curve, unless you're new to recording and/or mixing, in which case the excellent manual will have you proficient in the time it takes you to read it and experiment a little. The workflow is a breeze and hardly interferes with the "creative process". I'd like to see it boot up a bit faster, but that's really minor.

Quality:

Very solidly built machine (metal instead of plastic housing), all knobs and sliders have a high quality feel to them. I would expect over time that the lettering on the rubberized buttons will wear off, but I doubt that's unusual. By that time, you'd likely be used to things anyway and won't terribly miss the lettering. One odd thing is that, If I am recording and make a mistake, I quickly hit the stop button, followed by the rewind-to-start button. If I hit those two buttons too quickly, the state of track 1 will change (from record to play if I was recording that track; from play to off if I was recording a different track). It's little annoying to have to deal with when I am in a creative flow, but it's not that serious.

Manufacturer Support:

Support is absolutely TERRIBLE! As much as I love this machine, I'll probably not buy a Zoom product again for just that reason. After about 4 months of ownership, suddenly I could get no sound output; nothing from the Master Out, nothing from Headphone Out, or even from the USB connection. It looks like it' playing, but I can't hear anything. I sent it in for repair almost 2 months ago and still don't have it back! I got no confirmation that they had even received it, no status updates and they have already missed 2 promised repair/return dates. The only way I have known what was going on was to contact them. They now say it will be fixed and returned within a week (I'm not holding my breath!). I realize sometimes things break, but the way this has been handled had soured me on Zoom products.

Value:

The reason I rate value at 7 is becaue IF something goes wrong, which in my case it did, Zoom support will probably frustrate all the excitement over an otherwise great product right out of you! If you never have to deal with support, then it's a great value, hardly beatable by any comparable product.

The Wow Factor:

I really wanted it. I mean like badly! I'd used a previous hard disk recorder from Zoom and fell upon hard times and had to sell it. Was making great music with the HD16 until the thing crapped out. Whereas it was a sexy, darling of a thing, it's now just a piece of equipment I need as a tool to get things done musically. Any sex appeal is gone because of atrocious support and handling of warranty repair.

Overall:

I can see using this for a good number of years to come (assuming it won't need furter repair). If it does break again, or when it's time to replace it, it's highly unlikely I will get another Zoom product, even though it will mean paying more. This machine seemmed to have a better set of features for the price than just about anything else I looked at. It can do everything I need to do with it right now. Originally, I got the HD8, but when the price of the HD16 dropped about two weeks later, Same Day Music was kind enough to give me full credit toward the HD16, which I wanted at first anyway.

Overall:: 9 out of 10
Features:: 9 out of 10
Quality:: 10 out of 10
Value:: 10 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 10 out of 10
Sound:: 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 9 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 6 out of 10

87% of users found this reviews helpful (31 votes).

Was this review helpful to you?

Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?

We appreciate your feedback. It will help us organize user reviews more effectively.

By a customer from gmail.com

Submitted: 12/9/2007

Style of Music: Rock, "Alternative", "Country", "Jazz", "Drum and Bass", "Techno","Soundscapes" etc.

Experience: I have been playing all my life home recording since reel to reel Ampex Tascam cassete based now days just my much loved hobby..

"The ZOOM HD16 great hard drive based recording unit for he price looks as good or better than units costing twice the price!"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

The sound is very good but only as good as the sound it is recording or reproducing garbage in garbage out...go figure!

Feature:

No accessories and it can benafit from expression pedal ZOOM FPO1 or FPO2 and the on off comtroler FSO1. The ZOOM HD16 and HD8 do come with Cubase LE. It is a very nice multitrack recording unit that doubles as a control surface for many computer based software systems.

Ease of Use:

Well that depends on how famniliar you are with the newer recording hard drive based multitrack units. The manual is very general a bit more explanation on certain features would not hurt but all in all if you work with it you will get it.

Quality:

This is a rock solid unit no plastic casing nice LED meter bridge instead of a little on unit viewing window. No it looks very professional very very nece.

Manufacturer Support:

There does not seem to be any support at all for this unit I guess they feel those who buy it will be able to figure it out. Like I was saying it would'nt hurt ZOOM to elaborate more on some features. A tutorial video would be choice.

Value:

THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK NO DOUBT.

The Wow Factor:

Like I said this is a very well made solid recording unit verey good looking SEXY they did not scrimp on the manufacturing of this unit I would like to see a case made for it but I am sure one can be found that would work.

Overall:

This unit will last me until I can afford something on thge next level up which I have priced at $2999.99 and up so 4 or 5 years for me.

Overall:: 1 out of 10
Features:: 4 out of 10
Quality:: 1 out of 10
Value:: 8 out of 10
The Wow Factor:: 8 out of 10
Sound:: 4 out of 10
Ease of Use:: 8 out of 10
Manufacturer Support:: 8 out of 10

67% of users found this reviews helpful (21 votes).

Was this review helpful to you?

Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?

We appreciate your feedback. It will help us organize user reviews more effectively.

By a customer from aol.com

Submitted: 3/19/2008

Style of Music: Folk

Experience: Folk,Rock, Blues

"Buyer Be Ware!"

This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.

Sound:

sound would distort easy, suspect not much headroom.

Feature:

Drum machine sound was good but lack of "Fills" is disapointing. With 512 patterns you would think they could put in a few fills. On some of there literature it said "Fills" included. They are not! I called them and they said I needed to select a diffrent kit, then they said I need to program fills.

Ease of Use:

Quality:

The first unit worked for 3 hours then the chanel button locked up. Powered down many times, did not help. After 48 hr's it booted up again and worked for about one hour, then the same problem. Got the second one and it did to many thing's to mention. It did not think it had a cd-drive. Master fader went full blast at infinity and levels changed for no reason, ect., sent back for refund.

Manufacturer Support:

easy to get hold of but some of thr people did'nt know much about unit.

Value:

if it worked I would keep it, for the money it was nice. Now I'm trying to decide if the Tascam-2488 will do or should I splurge for the Yamaha-AW2400.

The Wow Factor:

built nice,took to work to show off.

Overall:

looking now for something better.