The hardware surface itself contains six XLR inputs plus two combo inputs, to feed 16 tracks of recording (8 simultaneously) - enough for solo musicians to full bands. The touchscreen user interface is simple and intuitive, even allowing Zoom to offer audio-assisted instructions for the visually impaired with VoiceOver and VoiceOver Gestures. As Zoom describes it, "a familiar touchscreen interface" that allows users to track, edit and mix complete songs with the R20. The whole design is inspired by the fact that we can now have a 4.3-inch full color touchscreen (basically a built-in smartphone without the phone) that totally emulates a (small) DAW interface. The new Zoom R20 Multi-Track Recorder is a great example of what's possible with the concept, trying to cram as many cutting-edge features as possible in the most compact surface - even if portability in this context is basically irrelevant (yes, the R20 fits in a carry-on suitcase, but you will need to ship 60 pounds of cables and accessories in a large trunk). By the way, iPads are still the best touchscreen controllers, and are increasingly used in professional applications in live shows and even broadcasting for real time interaction. Apparently, we've gone full circle, from everyone offering hardware with no displays and simply allowing integrations with computers, tablets or smartphones, to now seeing the return of dedicated hardware designs with fully integrated interfaces and screens. ![]() We have seen also a recent trend in the music production market, with manufacturers of musical instrument workstations and music controllers now integrating fully-featured recording and DAW features that can be used with built-in touchscreens - not even needing to be connected to a computer (even if they still do, most of the time). Over the years, Zoom Corporation (the original Japanese audio manufacturer, not the Chinese version of Skype) has offered quite a few of these integrated digital consoles and multitrack recorders, and currently offers the LiveTrak family, of which the L‑12 model is the most recent. Of course, this is 2021, no one records to inconsistent cassettes, and the mini "portastudios" are in fact powerful integrated recording and mixing studios that use large capacity solid-state memory cards (SD), offer updated USB-C computer connectivity, work as both an audio interface and controller, and have fully integrated digital processors, effects and much more.
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