Would it surprise you to know that not every-one needs or wants eight or more tracks of digital audio? It's true! Often less is really more: Faster, more intuitive, easier to use. The new four-track Fostex FD4 Digital Multitracker is just what the doctor ordered for those of you who want flexibility and infinite choices along with your 16-bit, CD-quality audio.

See, the FD4 doesn't ship with any internal media. Does that sound weird? No, it's actually a pretty cool concept. Think about how fast the world of digital information storage has changed lately. Makes your head spin, doesn't it? Why commit to something that will be ancient history next year? Why pay big bucks for something that will cost you a fraction of the price in a month or two? Something to think about, isn't it?

That's exactly what the product designers at Fostex did: They gave it a lot of thought and decided to build a multitrack recorder with four input channels, two Aux sends, dual stereo Aux returns, two balanced XLR mic inputs with trim controls and a 3-band EQ on every channel.

What this means is that you can connect the FD4 to absolutely any SCSI or IDE hard drive of your choice thanks to its built-in SCSI-II interface. Or any removable media (Iomega Zip, SyQuest EZFlyer, etc.). Or anything the industry releases later this year or next. Now record on dual Virtual Tracks for extra takes, rehearsals, mastering and additional choices at mixdown. Edit your material entirely within the digital domain: Cut, copy, move or erase with full undo/redo convenience.

The FD4 even allows you to input digital audio from any two-track source (like a CD, a DAT recorder, your computer, just to name a few). You even get a two track digital output — standard (a costly add-on with some other digital recorders). What's more, you can take the FD4 out of its box and start recording almost immediately. There's no ridiculous learning curve.

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