Zoom R20 Multitrack Digital Recorder

This standalone recorder has it all: a 4.3" touchscreen, 8 mic preamps, 16 tracks, onboard editing, effects, drum loops, MIDI synths, and an 8x4 interface.

$449.99

  • 8 x  
    $56.25
  • No Credit Check
    6 x  
    $75.00
  • No Credit Check
    4 x  
    $112.50
Overall User Ratings (based on 5 ratings)
  • Overall:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    2.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
(5) (see rating details)
Submitted December 22, 2021 by a customer from gmail.com

"Missing basic functions"

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I received the unit a few days ago and I‘m surprised that it doesn’t have a “punch-in/out” function. I don’t know of any other digital multitrack recorder that lacks this function. It also doesn’t have a “repeat” function - another very useful feature that is popular with other recorders. The touch screen is a bit “jerky” and usually takes me a few extra “taps” or “drags” to achieve the desired result. The screen itself is bright and clear although any vertical scrolling is hard to follow because of the poor screen refresh rate. The iOS controller app might help here but it’s not available yet and there is no release date (early 2022 says the manual). It has some helpful features - drum track templates with prerecorded drum parts are nice but I would gladly trade them for the basic functions I mentioned earlier. One last thing - only 2 of the 8 inputs accept 1/4 inch cable. All other recorders in this price range allow 1/4 inch for any of the tracks.
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Submitted May 17, 2022 by John Z in Lansing, MI

"Too much lacking"

Overall: 1.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
So I own a couple zoom r16s, an r8, a boss br8, a couple tascam DB24s, and a few other multitrack recorders. I've been using them since the 4 track days of the Tascam 424 (which I still use today). I was very excited to purchase and use the zoom r20 thinking that it would help the workflow of my recording projects go smoothly. Unfortunately, the color screen and color tracks only provide a mild upgrade to a very lackluster product. For context, I record songs that require multiple overdubs for instruments and vocals. It is just a hobby and I do it for enjoyment. I found that DAWs are too "limitless" and it was hard to be creative when not forced to figure out how to do something on a finite number of tracks with a finite amount of options. So here are the missing features that made this model recorder more difficult to find immense joy in recording a song. 1) No JOG wheel - seriously painful to go back and forth on a track with ff and rw buttons or touch screen.2) No phase control - For those not familiar with recording drums and other instruments live, this may not be a big deal. For those that have worked with overheads and double mic snares on occasion, this one is big. 3) No bounce option - Yes, you can mixdown your tracks and then import them to a stereo pair... but come on4) Only 2 1/4 inch jacks and only 1 hi-z - This one was actually the least bothersome to me but did restrict things a little too much. 5) Software is buggy - Often I have to wait long periods of time after hitting stop for the recorder to be ready. Forget about hitting buttons quickly, it just confuses the machine. Anyone who has ever done any overdubbing knows the importance of being able to stop, rewind, start again quickly... forget about that dream with this machine, if you hit stop, it clocks while processing... then you have to tap rewind (remember, no jog wheel) and then hit play and pray. I do like that phantom power is provided to 4 tracks simultaneously. I also like the convenience of sliding recordings between tracks instead of tediously having to copy them. The faders and pots are nice on this machine as well. And the color does help. But for the money, this is the first multitrack recorder I regretted purchasing.

Musical Background:

I have been playing and recording music for about 30 years

Musical Style:

Rock and Jazz
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Submitted March 7, 2023 by a customer from gmail.com

"Very handy little tool."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Does it have auto punch? no! but this is a very nice tool to use in the process of hashing out ideas the boss katana with record out into track 1 and 2 sounds phenomenal and clear no lag. if you use the internal effects and drum tracks you are limited but they are useable. I just got into it but already have so many ideas tracked and I am satisfied with it. Also, ZZounds never lets me down. it arrived in about 2 days and on a Saturday after I bought it. Thanks you guys. This is definitely not an all-in-one box solution but its a very powerful as a tool and when used right will make you happy.
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Submitted September 25, 2022 by a customer from gmail.com

"Not liking the 1/4 inch inputs"

Overall: 2 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I got the Zoom R20 a couple of days ago, and am ready to return it. I needed it to have usable 1/4" inputs for instrument cables, and the 2 "multiport" inputs are not working properly. They add noise to my signal, mainly in the middle range. It won't EQ out. In addition, it takes more push to get the plug in and more pull to get it out than I've ever experienced with a normal 1/4" jack and plug. So, a plastic input jack that is also feels like I'm forcing a plug in or out seems like a piece that will break faster.If you need 1/4" inputs on your recorder, this might not be the one you want.
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Submitted March 20, 2022 by a customer from gmail.com

"Excellent for the price!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Such a great tool if you're on a budget and looking to record. This is basically an 8 track interface with gain/level controls, including a DAW capable of recording up to 16 tracks ALL IN ONE UNIT. Audio files stored to SD/USB-C memory card also make it easy to share projects with other musicians!
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