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Alesis ML9600 Masterlink Recorder
24-bit 128x oversampling. Full AIFF compatibility.
Overall User Ratings (based on 118 ratings)
Submitted January 3, 2005 by a customer from cox.net
"Nice recorded"
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A very nice recorder. Lots of features for editing songs. Support for high sample rates and rendering of 24-bit CD's.
Sound
Output quality is very good using digital or analog outputs.
Features
Everthing that is needed is provided. The Normalizer DSP is very usefull.
It would be nice to have more than 16 playlists. It would also be noce to be able to drop a 100gig drive and use all the space. The only real knock I have is the unit has no RS-232 port for computer control.
Quality
Top notch. This is a very solid device. The buttons feel solid and high quality. Front panel is thought out and logical.
Value
$799.95 for this mastering deck is outstanding deal. Big bang for the buck.
Manufacturer Support
I had questions that were answered in 24 hr.
The Wow Factor
I have it!
Musical Background:
N/A
Musical Style:
N/A
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Submitted June 27, 2004 by a customer from yahoo.com
"a lot of features"
to be honest before I know about computers this machine was the best for me, because this machine does not need any computers to work.but right now I know a lot of computers and make to many works that the masterlink does not make. I sugest that in future models of this machine,you include anothers features like makes Mp3 music not needing computers, and dvds and put c.d.burner faster at least 12x spedd.
Sound
this machine came iriginally with 4 g.b. hard drive and I change to 60 g.b. for mayself,but the problem was when I tried to change de burner for another faster it dint not worked.you can not use this machine for too long time because it turns off by itself and this machine damages to many blanks c.d.s.If I would have the chance to get back my money,I would do it,because definitely I make better work in my computer,this machine does not have the capacity to make mp3 music like computer does,is very complicate to learn to work well,the speed of the burner is too low,however I burn my c.d.s only at 8x speed.I would like to get the leatest sofwear,from you to see what happe with the marterlink
Features
I dont use this machine like musician
Quality
The only thing that I can say about this,is that this machine must be factory in Japan, I belive more in produts from this country,too many companies make the products in countries like China Taywan etc,to get cheapets price in builts their products,but in America peple like me know a lot about electronics products.
Value
When I boutgh this product it was the best in the market but not right now
Manufacturer Support
The only time that needed from you it was very fine
The Wow Factor
good
Musical Style:
I like latin jazz and salsa music
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Submitted January 23, 2004 by a customer from sbcglobal.net
"I got burned properly, CD's DON'T."
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If mine worked as advertised, it would be the heart of my post production efforts, and I would keep it as long as it worked. An optical in/out would be icing on the cake. In good working order, I'd have given this unit all 10's.
Sound
Sound is great except for an occasional click - very irritating, ususally have to re-record. Also, mine is flawed and wont do andy of the higher spec (20, 24 bit) recording.
Features
An optical in and out is desired.
Quality
Can't trust mine to do anything but straight forward 16 bit CD burning, and then there are artifacts such as clicks between trax, even after updating the OS. My unit also will not perform the data back-up. I'm thinking of buying another one and checking it out totally before the warranty expires, and just putting this one in my home stereo rack.
Value
My attitude would be different if all of the features on mine worked.
I may purchase another, grudgingly, and will be very happy if all the features work per manual instructions works.
Manufacturer Support
Unfortunately, did not discover problems til after warranty expired because of my wife's very serious illness, but there is virtually no support after the warranty expires. My only solution is to buy another one and check it out thoroughly before the warranty expires, and put the lemon that I got into my stereo system as a cd player.
The Wow Factor
I badly want one that works as advertised. My singer/songwriter wife died of her illness, and having to purchase another one to master and archive her DAW based recordings is like a kick in the head. Now I have to buy another one, or take the old DAT out of mothballs.
Musical Style:
Native American Flute, pop, ambient, blues, new age, and
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by a customer from aol.com
"A non-tech opinion..."
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The ability to mix, burn a CD and immediately listen to exactly the same sound that the mastering engineer will hear on a variety of sources - Monitors, home stereo, car, boom box... - has changed the way I mix. I always hated cassettes...
Sound
Clean, clear digital sound. If you're okay with with digital this is as good as it gets.
Features
The ability to mix and burn a CD right then is a major factor with me. And while I rarely use the mastering features, I prefer to send a finished mix out to a fresh set of ears with mastering specific equipment, for demos it'll do the trick.
Quality
Arrived flawless and in 2 years of studio work it has never failed.
Value
The combo or price, quality and features make this a lot of bang for the buk!
Manufacturer Support
I've never had a problem. No news is good news...
The Wow Factor
I don't know if it's sexy, I'm more into the practical applications. It's a piece of rack gear.
Musical Style:
Rock n roll
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Submitted February 4, 2005 by a customer from hotmail.com
Alesis MasterLink ML-9600 Customer Review
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Sound
Good sound once u figure out what the thing takes to come out correctly...
Features
nice addition of the internal DSP, but it has no computer port for remote control... also, if u choose to apply a DSP, it will double or triple the time it takes to burn the CD
Musical Background:
Performance Engineer
Musical Style:
Christian Alt
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Submitted May 24, 2004 by none of your business
"Maybe I got a lemon"
Perhaps I have a lemon, but I don't trust this company and sure as heck woudn't buy this product again.
Sound
I have no problem with the sound of this unit...it's the fact that the damn thing doesn't work properly. For $999, it should have a thing wrong with it.
Features
Has lots of features...if only it would work on my unit. I guess I got a lemon.
Quality
First, there was static instead of sound. Had that fixed. Then, it would burn a CD but wouldn;t complete the process. Had that fixed. Then, it wouldn't burn a CD at all !!! Haven't had it fixed because I'm about ready to throw it against a wall !
Value
For $999, it shouldn't be this problematic. Again, maybe I just got a lemon, but mine doesn't work correctly at all.
Manufacturer Support
Can't comment yet.
The Wow Factor
I'm no fan of Alesis. I think I'm going to get a Tascam CD burner next. I have a TSR 8 open reel that's about 12 or 13 years old and it works perfectly.
Musical Style:
pop / rock / anything that I like
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Submitted June 2, 2007
"Five-year owner, completely satisfied."
My next purchase will probably be a high-end CD burner like the Tascam CC-222mkIII (which takes out some of the middle steps in transcribing a library, and provides simultaneous archival backup on a separate medium), but I'm in no hurry, since the Masterlink does just fine.
Sound
I have one of the first available with the 60GB drive. Sound has been perfect, never a single artifact - with one exception. I tried increasing the volume on a 16-bit track, and felt it produced distortion (I'm assuming it's inherent in the process), so now if I have to do that, I'll use 24-bit - which is what it's for.
Features
I use it for concert and demo recording, off a mixing board, track it (and do simple editing like track length and dropping tuning sessions); if I need more editing, I send it to the computer. I also use it for digitizing our library of old albums and cassettes (after passing them through a mixer for track level adjustment and occasional EQ). For that, it's been almost perfect. Wish list: keyboard for naming tracks, faster CD burner (it's only 4X - although I've never had an unplayable CD from it, and maybe there's a connection), more than 16 playlists. 30 hours of recording is plenty, although it encourages me to be lazy in cleaning up, and it's 50% more than 16 burnable playlists.
Ease of Use
Takes some figuring out, but fairly easy once you get the hang of it. Easy to mark, trim, join tracks, shift audio files to different playlists. Especially handy to be able to just turn it on and forget it - no elapsed time to keep track of, no media to change - and edit it down and track it later.
Quality
I'd have given it a 10 except that when my disk got full, and I tried deleting audio files, it hung and I had to reformat the drive. That incidentally wiped some critical unburned work, but luckily I had simultaneously recorded to DAT. Now I never let the disk get full, and reformat periodically.
Value
Paid $1000 for mine five years ago, and don't regret it.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to use it, so I have no idea how good it is.
The Wow Factor
Nothing sexy about it, just a very useful piece of gear.
Musical Background:
Active acoustic musician/singer, volunteer live sound/recording engineer
Musical Style:
Folk, traditional, country
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"A Love/hate thing"
Beats any PC program due to the learning curve
Quality
I had mine for about 18 months and really liked everything about it until one day when I turned it on the screen read fatal error . I knew from past experience this was not good . to make a long story short , the power unit went bad and distroyed the CD burner and the hard 20 gig drive. the repair cost me around 475.00 after shipping cost. I starting to rethink Alesis products.
Manufacturer Support
Quick response using e-mail
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