"A stereo recorder, on which to record finished mixes, is an essential item in the pro studio. Over the years, various formats have been used – analogue reel-to-reel tape machines and DAT to name just two – but the latest is 1-bit audio, and this is what's supported in Korg's new rack-mounted MR-2000S. Now, we've all heard of 16-bits and 24-bits, but the beauty of 1-bit recording is that it's future-proof. With 1-bit, the recorded material can always be re-created natively in any other format. Overview The MR-2000S goes beyond the 1-bit/2.8224MHz format used in creating Super Audio Compact Discs and allows 1-bit/5.6448MHz recording, which, says Korg, preserves the clarity, ambience and true dynamic range of the original sound source with unprecedented accuracy. The MR-2000S can also record WAV files in any of the current 16-bit and 24-bit formats (from 44.1kHz up to 192kHz) if desired, and the unit also comes with Korg's Audiogate conversion software that can convert 1-bit audio into all of these formats. The MR-2000S has a versatile set of interfacing options. Analogue ins and outs are provided on both balanced XLRs (with selectable reference level for matching with any audio source) and RCA phono jacks. Wordclock and S/PDIF ins and outs are also provided for interfacing with digital sources, and there's a USB 2.0 connection to computer for transferring audio files – the MR-2000S appears as a FAT32 external drive on your desktop. Recording takes place to an internal 80GB drive, which allows a maximum recording time of 120 hours of CD-quality stereo sound at 16-bit/44.1kHz or 14 hours at the maximum 1-bit/5.6MHz resolution. In use Getting started recording with the MR-2000S is pretty straightforward. Once all the connections are made, it's a matter of going into the menu and selecting the correct input source (RCA, XLR or S/PDIF) and the recording format. If recording through the digital input, there's no need to adjust the input level, but with the analogue inputs you can use the front panel knob to set the level while the MR-2000S is in record-ready mode. The LED meters and a numerical readout let you know exactly how hot the signal is. When you start recording, the MR-2000S creates a date folder for that day. Up to 400 of these can be created on the hard drive, and each can contain up to 400 'projects', which is what the MR-2000S calls individual recordings. Overall, the results we obtained sounded uniformly excellent both in 1-bit format and 16/44.1 CD-quality WAV – the high-quality converters obviously doing their stuff – and the MR-2000S' s housekeeping was always tidy with a display that clearly showed the file name, audio format and elapsed time. The Audiogate software - once installed on computer and authorised by plugging in the MR-2000S - is straightforward to use too, making it easy to take any 1-bit audio from the unit and create whatever format you need: perhaps a CD master or a 24/96 DVD soundtrack. Summary Because of its high price, the MR-2000S is unlikely to feature in many home studios. However, with the facilities it has on offer and the ease with which they can be used, it would be an asset to any pro studio that deals with digital audio in its various formats. For safe-bet archiving or multi-format accessibility, it's perfect."And MixOnline review:"Korg MR2000SThe 2-channel Korg MR-2000S can be ganged and controlled for multichannel recordings.The Korg MR-2000S is the company's top-of-the-line MR Series 1-bit recorder. For audio pros concerned about future-proofing their creative work, this unit provides an “insurance policy” against audio file obsolescence. The MR-2000S will play and record DVD-Audio, Super Audio CDs (DSDIFF) and 1-bit DSD at 2.8- and 5.6MHz sample rates. It will also record in PCM WAV up to 192 kHz and 1-bit DSF and WSD at 2.8- and 5.6MHz sample rates. For file archival and management, all audio is stored on its internal 80GB drive and is accessed using a USB 2 interface. Multiple MR-2000S units can be linked for multitrack recording via S/PDIF interconnection.Toe-to-Toe With 1-BitFor the setup, I configured my Pro Tools system so I could record simultaneously to a stereo pair “inside the box” and to the MR-2000S using both the unit's analog and digital inputs. For my first recording test, I clocked the system from my Benchmark Media ADC1 converter/clock at 44.1 kHz and recorded 24-bit WAV files inside Pro Tools and in the MR-2000S. Next, I recorded the same mix using the analog outputs of my Digidesign HD192 IO connected to the MR-2000S' analog inputs. I chose 1-bit at 5.6 MHz as my sample rate and calibrated the Korg's analog input to -18 dB (18 dB of headroom) just as my HD192 is calibrated.I was shocked. Logic tells me that extra D/A and A/D conversions should be detrimental to sound quality; in this case, they were not. The 1-bit “analog” version sounded warmer, more transparent and clear, plus apparently slightly louder. The 44.1kHz digital and inside-the-box versions sounded okay, but not as good as the Korg's.Next, at a local studio with a large vintage '70s API console, I A/B'd the output of the console with MR-2000S' output, made possible by simultaneous operation of the Cirrus Logic CS4398 D/A and Burr-Brown PCM4202 A/D converter sections while in record or record/pause modes. After calibrating the analog input with a 1kHz tone so that the MR-2000S and console levels matched exactly on the console's stereo meters, I recorded a mix of an acoustic jazz trio at 96kHz/24-bit in Pro Tools.“Difference” is almost too strong of a word to describe the extremely subtle change between the MR-2000S at 5.6MHz/1-bit and the console's stereo bus. The console output “might” have a very minimal and better sub-bass, but the 1-bit was nicer in the top. This test completely sold me!AudioGate 2.01While in USB mode, I copied all audio files in the MR-2000S to my computer to use the included AudioGate (Mac/PC) software. AudioGate allows for playlist generation, audio file-format conversion, file division for parsing long performances into individual segments, file joining, gain change, normalization of individual files or entire playlists, fades, adding or removing markers, link mono files into stereo and more. Other formats supported include MP3, Broadcast WAV, AIFF, DSF, AAC, ALAC, FLAC files and WMA.Projects (songs) of disparate formats can be arranged in any order in a playlist and then exported in any of the previously mentioned formats. There is direct burning of music CDs and DSD (2.8 MHz only) audio discs and support for album artwork and CD-Text data. A choice of either Korg's AQUA or standard TPDF (Triangular Probability Distribution Function) dither is applied before PCM word-length reduction. I found AudioGate extremely easy and intuitive to use, and I recommend a fast computer and disc burner as DSD files are large — offline processing takes some time.The Future Is NowThe Korg MR-2000S uniquely provides a future-resistant and elegant archival solution for audio/studio professionals. The MR-2000S' portable single-rackspace size, ease of operation, internal 80GB hard drive and AudioGate format-conversion and editing software make it a prescient and prudent investment for anyone who wants to step up to 1-bit."