Review: Korg MR-2000S 1-Bit Studio Recorder

I’m still not sure if this thing represents a step forward or a step back. It certainly suits my circumstances at the moment, though I suspect mine aren’t typical of the working methods of most mix engineers in 2009. I’m talking, of course, about the new Korg MR-2000S; a stand-alone (as opposed to crowd-surfing) single rack unit hard disk recorder that records (and plays back) digital formats ranging from 16-bit/44.1k to 5.6MHz DSD, and almost every sample rate in between. Indeed, it seems the MR-2000S is almost without peer, so perhaps it does indeed stand alone. Apart from its more portable relatives, the MR1 and MR-1000, the MR-2000S only appears to have one serious recording rival, the Tascam DV-RA1000HD, a device I’ve not clapped eyes on, but which seems designed for a slightly different application.

HIGH RESOLUTION, BY RESOLUTION

The MR-2000S does something very strange… it records in high-resolution, and that’s basically all it does – how droll. It can’t even send text messages. The 2000S captures superbly clear pristine audio files at sample rates like 24-bit/192k and 5.6MHz/single-bit DSD: resolutions shunned by the regressive, backward-looking universe of MP3, which can send text messages, as well as phone calls and emails on occasion. It’s certainly not designed for those who prefer their mixes squeezed through an MP3 meat grinder; anyone in this camp should look elsewhere for a master recorder, although curiously, the MR-2000S can convert DSD files to MP3 if you insist on it…

RESOLUTELY HI-RES

The sonic integrity, depth and detail with which the MR-2000S records is pretty amazing. If I were blindfolded I don’t reckon I’d be able to pick the difference between the output bus of my Neve console and the 5.6MHz DSD replay off the machine. If there’s a difference at all, it’s that the DSD recording is ever so slightly shinier in the top end, but I’m not convinced I’m not imagining it, or that the difference possibly lies in the External Input circuitry of the console rather than the file. Suffice it to say, it’s the splitting of a hair molecule.

I’ve been using this device for about two months now. In that time I’ve mixed two full albums to it via the analogue domain, at predominantly three resolutions: 24-bit/88.2k, 24-bit/96k and 5.6MHz/1-bit DSD – clocked internally (though an external work clock can be fed into the unit if you think another timepiece is more accurate). To ensure there’s no confusion – should you suddenly forget which resolution you’re recording at – the unit also has a small menu to the left of the backlit LED screen that indicates, via an LED, which resolution you’ve selected.

Without exception, the unit has operated flawlessly over the extended period I’ve used it, happily recording at all these different resolutions silently and without fuss. It has never crashed, glitched in any way, nor caused any of the files to suffer any form of corruption. In other words, it does the job for which it was intended, and it does so nonchalantly.

LOOKING FORWARD, HARKING BACK

Apart from its obvious capabilities as a high-resolution recorder, it’s as if the 2000S hails from a different era. ‘Is it a glorified DAT machine?’, I kept asking myself. No, its resolutions are wide ranging and you can’t take the files with you unless you have a computer to access the unit’s internal hard drive via USB. ‘Is it more like a half-inch tape recorder then?’ Certainly not. It’s silent, takes up a paltry 1RU in the half-forgotten outboard rack and light enough to drop on your foot without incident. Try doing that with an Ampex ATR 102 two-track tape machine.

In all seriousness though, the Korg MR-2000S does work on quite antiquated principles in some respects. The idea is that you mix your track to this device, rather than rely on the computer, which, in all probability, is already struggling to sum the digital mix in the first place. Then, once the mix has been recorded externally, you can painlessly import these files back into your computer via USB, to be stored in a mix folder ready for the mastering session. This all sounds very much like the ’90s to me. Of course, the unit is a recording device, so it doesn’t care whether you’re feeding it a mix, a live recording session or an old 1930s 78 shellac. Regardless, it’s more than up to the task.

LABELLING & LEVELS

Using this device has been a pleasure from start to finish. Apart from having to deal with a small blue screen and a file labelling system that’s about as hi-tech as a handheld Label Maker, most of its other basic functionality is straightforward enough to have you up and recording within about a minute. Plug in your input source, choose a recording level and sample rate, and you’re away.

One issue I do have with the unit is its lack of a direct and tactile interaction with the recording level. Trimming levels is only possible via a three-tiered manoeuvre: pressing ‘Menu’, scrolling down to ‘Input Level’ and hitting the ‘Enter’ key, scrolling down again to ‘Input L/R Gain’ and hitting ‘Enter’ a second time, adjusting your levels, and then finally, once you’re satisfied, hitting the ‘Exit’ key – all pretty tedious. I’d imagine this would be rather annoying if the input source were unpredictable: at a gig or during a two-track classical recording session. As a mixdown device, however, where the levels are basically static throughout the session, it’s no big deal. You can be hitting the red ‘Record’ button and capturing audio files via the analogue XLR and RCA, or digital S/PDIF inputs mostly without frustration once the recording level has been established.

The other process that’s a doddle (at least on a Mac) is importing files off the machine. Pulling files back into your computer is simply a case of connecting the USB lead, choosing ‘USB Mode’ in the main menu of the recorder, and within seconds the unit appears on your desktop like any external hard drive. From there it’s no different to importing files off any other drive.

The MR-2000S can also create playlists, session folders, add markers to files as well as edit file names, but this is where the power of a dedicated computer program with keyboard access and complex editing functions makes the MR-2000S seem a little old-hat. The unit can also convert files from one resolution to another via Korg’s AudioGate software, but beyond seeing that it worked, I had no use for this function – others surely will.

WHY DO I STAND ALONE?

The fact that there aren’t 20 different high-resolution PCM and DSD recorders on the market offering similar specs as the Korg is an interesting topic in itself. If you want to purchase a microphone or speakers, for instance, it’s more a case of ‘how high the sky?’ so why not master recorders? Presumably, the countless computer-based, DAW-driven options are seen by other companies as more than capable of fulfilling this role. But what if I run a DAW program that can’t bounce my mix at any other resolution than the one it’s recorded at? And what if my computer is on the verge of exploding, like the diner in The Meaning Of Life? “Would sir care for just one more plug-in?”

There’s a big hole in the marketplace here, one that Korg has filled rather cunningly, in my opinion. In many respects the MR-2000S flies in the face of fashion, but I’m with Korg all the way on this one. Polyester slacks and ties be damned, I want a recorder that’s dedicated to the role; one that sits in a rack and does its job. It doesn’t need to send text messages or surf the net, just record audio files at high resolutions without incident. This is that device.