Roland R-07 - The Perfect Practice Tool

Dave Plez, the famous golf instructor, wrote an article titled “If You’re Not Practicing with Feedback, You’re Wasting Your Time.” He concludes the article by saying,“I realize that practicing with feedback doesn’t always feel glamorous and exciting, but it’s the background work that grooves good fundamental habits. Do it a few nights a week for a few months and see if your rhythm and confidence don’t skyrocket. Then you’ll be on the right track.“ I could not agree more but, as musicians, how do we practice with feedback?

The problem with getting accurate feedback as a musician is that it is difficult to assess what is happening in the moment. That is because you cannot apply 100% of your concentration to assess your playing and still play as you intend at the same time. You could ask someone for feedback but is someone there to listen to you every time you practice? Are they going to listen for the same things you would? That is where a digital recorder like the Roland R-07 come in. This digital recorder lets you quickly hear an accurate account of what you just played. This type of feedback is essential for improving as a musician. On top of that that, it is full of a set of features that provide quality recordings in any environment.

What Is It?

The R-07 is a portable digital recorder capable of stereo recordings of WAV files up to 24 bit / 96 kHz and 320 kbps MP3s. Roland describes the R-07 as a “Stylish, Ultra-Portable Recorder with Wireless Listening and Remote Control.”  I am probably not the one to judge if it is stylish. I think jeans and a t-shirt are formal attire. However, it is portable. You could easily slip this into your gig bag or even your pocket.

Why Not Use My Phone?

The recording quality is amazing given how small it is. I was expecting far less than the quality I have been able to record. I used to record my practice using an iPad. The iPad could never seem to capture the richness of my upright bass. One practice session with the R-07 and I was sold. On the R-07 recordings I could clearly hear the details of my bass. Using this as feedback, it helped me refine my technique till I got the sound i was looking for with the bow. I could never do that with a tablet or phone.

How Do I Use It?

I have used the R-07 at rehearsals and gigs too.  The bluetooth, scene, and rehearse features make it perfect for those environments. Because it has bluetooth, I can control the recorder from anywhere in the room via phone or tablet. This allow me to place the recorder in a good location and still control the recording from the stage. I can start and stop the recordings, set levels, and basically everything all from across the room by using my iPad. That is very handy.

The scene and rehearse features make setup incredibly easy. Scene is a set of presets that have different recording modes, sampling rates, limiters, etc. The scenes I typically use are "Music Long", "Instrument", and "Music HiRes". I think those names are self explanatory. Once you have the scene selected, the next step is to set the level. This is simply done by pressing the "Rehearsal" button then playing for a few minutes. The R-07 analyzes the sounds and set the levels appropriately.  That is it. Now you are ready to record. Very simple.

Another interesting feature is provided as part of a software update. With the update, the R-07 can be used as an audio interface to your computer or iOS device. I was able to record directly into my computer's recording software using the USB connection on the R-07. The recording came out very clear. This is a great feature if you do not already have an interface, preamps, and microphones to do home recordings.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I have been very happy with the Roland R-07. Because Roland made the recorder as simple to use as can be, I end up using more often that I thought I would. That in turn has given me more feedback as a player. As a result, I can honestly say it has helped me improve as a musician. For what I need, I have found the R-07 to the prefect tool even if I am not sure if it is stylish or not.


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• Roland R-07 High-Resolution Audio Recorder With Bluetooth In Black