Product ReviewsKorg D3200 Digital Recorder

Refurb but good choice overall with Factory QC paperwork included.

I saved a considerable amount of $$ by purchasing this unit as a 'refurb.' It was in much better condition than I expected, with only the minor scratch here and there, although the two wood side panels needed work...I removed them, sanded and re-stained them, but this was only for my taste and had nothing to do with the actual operation of the unit itself. It came with a factory QC Rep sign-off, the Operator Manual (new)+ power cord and had been packed very well. The only true "con" to this unit is the abysmally small view screen, which I conquered by buying and installing the "2seemy" kit (www.2seemy.com) for the Korg D3200. I now view all presentations on a 19" VGA monitor, which is what this unit should have been provided with by Korg. I've been a musician for well over 50 years and have some experience with recording, so no surprises there...but...a new user may find the learning curve somewhat extensive, and the manual has definitely NOT been written for the beginner. Verbiage used to instruct a feature does not always exactly match the actual tab, button, or knob. Otherwise, the Korg D3200 does exactly what it says it will. I've already laid down eleven tracks without too much difficulty as a learning start, but will readily admit I have much to learn about digital recording vs a performing musician viewpoint. I have three condenser mics, a V67G and a matched pair of MXL 990's (all with shock mounts). I also use two Shure dynamics (I have the TC-Helicon VoiceLive 2 unit as well, and one tract features background harmony voices which when recorded by the D3200 is impressive as hell, considering there's only one guy singing...me!). The D3200 seems born to function throughout the full frequency spectrum permitted by these microphones. The sensitivity is incredible, the board layout very practical, easy to understand and operate. I built my own DIY recording booth using PVC pipe for the frame and new moving blankets for the walls, as well as acoustic sound panels from Guitar Center. The D3200, located outside and immediately accessable, functions well with this scenario. I do question why Korg provided plenty of 'monitor' type outputs, but only one headphone jack. I purchased two high-end recording headsets (one for the Korg operator, one for the artist in the booth), and had to buy a "Y" adapter to use both at once - but this does function well. Conclusion - overall, an excellent piece of equipment and only a few very minor gripes. Caveat Emptor...be careful purchasing refurbished equipment unless you know exactly what you're buying and who you're buying it from. I'm happy with my purchase.Read full review...

Great price for a very nice unit

I've owned the D3200 for about three years now and it has performed flawless. The unit is built sturdy and all of the controls, knobs and inputs are easy to access and operate. The pop-up display screen is a bit small but serves the purpose. My biggest complaint is maneuvering the pointer via the track-ball system. Again a small deal. My last issue would be the session drums - which are to me only appropriate for simple drum beats and patterns to keep timing. I highly suggest using real drums for end results or a good drum session machine.

Having said the above and what I don't like about the unit - which to me is petty to be quite honest. The rest of the unit and functions are great for the price and design. Setup and recording tracks is very simple and straight forward - as well introducing effects, EQ etc. I was able to record a complete song with multiple instruments without even using the manual - it's that simple if you have basic knowledge. The sound quality is very good for the price and unit components. Editing and mix down are also fairly easy once you have some basic instruction. Burning a finished product to CD is a breeze as well writing tracks to CD, backup etc.

Overall I'm very satisfied with this unit and would certainly recommend it to anyone who has moderate knowledge of recording as well great for beginners = perfect unit. Do not hesitate to buy this machine - it certainly is a lot for the money and worth every penny.

4 out of 5 stars - missing 5 stars only due to minor short comings aboveRead full review...

Upgrading to D3200 from D1600

I have been using a Korg D1600 for 20 years. I recorded over a dozen albums and hundreds of demos and video soundtracks on it. Unfortunately, it is physically wearing out.

The D3200 is similar in basic operation but laid out a little differently, so it's taking me a little time to get as comfortable as I was on the old machine. Still, it has all the advantages I prefer over a computer DAW -the all-in-one nature, the fact that it never needs to be upgraded, lack of compatibility issues, supreme portability, the one-time investment, wealth of features.

Disadvantages: the small screen is more densely packed than the previous model. I'll get used to it as I get used to the layoutRead full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: christine422*

Lb for Lb, buck for buck,

I'm looking for a disk copy of the operating system but the DX3200 is a great on the fly real time 12 track recorder and easy to set up. I use a 16 channel snake but combined individual inputs to 8x2 (each instrument/mic have 2 outs) one which goes directly to the DX3200 and the other to the P.A. Add the Roland V-Drums (left & right) so thats 10 channels with 2 more to play with. Screen is small (but can adapt) and a mouse would be nice. Lb for Lb, buck for buck, burn to CD or connect to your PC. Be sure to get a restore disk.Read full review...

Excellent Home Studio

I had the D1600 little brother and now have had the D3200 for awhile now. Bottom line, if you're a guitarist/singer/songwriter and want to do great sounding demos quickly and reliably without EVER having to worry about CPU usage or latency issues, pick one of these up. Everybody talks about how the built-in drums suck, but the built-in drums are meant to be like loops for guide tracks until a real drummer can come in and overdub. Which he can because you can record 12-inputs simultaneously. If you have a band that likes to record live, it's perfect. I got the Korg because I think it actually sounds a bit like tape. There's a warm quality to it. As for the tiny screen issue, don't let that put you off unless you have to get into waveforms and tweak as a part of your recording process. It should not be a dealbreaker. The effects are like 56-bit and totally tweakable and they're Korg, like in their synths, Pandora, etc. Add a decent set of monitors and mics, and you've got an instant 16-channel 24-bit 48kHz home studio with no latency EVER and no CPU issues. And did I mention total reliability? It does not crash, period. One last word - it is not a simple machine, but the manual is excellent. You have to read and learn how to use this machine, but it will handle 98% of the recording jobs most of us have. If you know what you're doing, you can cut an album on this that sounds really great!Read full review...

Helpfull hint

Portable, 12 track recording at once, high quality bit-rate = NICE!
But the screen is small & so are the many icons & windows on it.
The drums are *Meh*. The learning curve is steep.
What drove me nuts: I could not get it to record!
I read the 200 page manual over & over. But was focusing on the wrong sections. Finally, after reading 300 posts at an online forum...I discovered:
It defaulted (new song) into the *song protect mode*.
I could not arm a track until I unlocked it.
Took me a week to figure that out....DUH!Read full review...

Korg D3200 80 GB Digital Multitrack Recorder DPS24

The Korg D3200 is a major home run. It's easy to use and sounds great. I've found the preamps warm with plenty of headroom. There are plenty of analog inputs to record your songs with the whole band and enough tracks to add the parts you hear in your head later. Compared to computer recrding the D3200 is a snap. No latentcy monitoring problems and no year long learning curve. Importing and exporting is easily done from the CD burner. Editing and marking your "in & out" locations points is rediculouly easy. I especially loved how easy it was to do a stereo mix of your recorded tracks and burn a CD on the spot. How could you not like this machine? Way to go Korg!Read full review...

VGA video output available for D3200

Pros.
I can set unit up in about a minute and start recording.
Sound quality is excellent.
I synch D3200 to computer for writing midi tracks to go with audio recordings.
A VGA and USB video output can now be fitted to D3200 called a '2seemy' unit solving the main drawback being the too small LCD screen on the D3200.
Internet forums such as Studiotrax provide great knowledge base. This is relevant if you have or are thinking of buying a D3200.

Cons
You'll have to spend a few hours getting familiar with how the unit works.
It doesn't have input for a mouse, yet.Read full review...

Sorry I got it

It's better than nothing. That's the only good point.

The screen is very small with very poor contrast. Also dialing in the best setting for one screen (such as it is) means you will have to re-adjust for the next. They are not even consistent in their poor contrast. If you are an older person like me (I was in my 40's when I bought it) you should have your reading glasses handy.

The system is difficult to navigate and it is annoying and time consuming to perform the most basic tasks.

I find the fader operation annoying - you can't just pull a fader down to drop a level. No. That would make too much sense. Instead, you have to "activate" the fader by pushing it up first. I am unable to get used to it.

The drum section is near useless. You cannot program it with anywhere near the flexibility of a normal drum machine. You are given pre-made patches and you can only decide how loud each drum, cymbal etc. is - you can't create your own rhythm.

It does not appear very robust. You could say I'm afraid to touch it sometimes. The on-off switch went bad early on -it is sticky and fussy and no longer works with a single tap.Read full review...

Awesome Recording Studio!

Recommend it to anyone! Very easy to use for new beginners, and has Professional sound quality.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: robbylloyd