The zoom works well with reasonably low latency for use as an 8 in audio interface. I use the Zoom with Cubase 6 and its use as a desktop controller is also quite handy. As a standalone recorder it does the job very well and inputs are reasonably easy to set on the mixer. Editing tracks on the machine is also easy and if you want to dump things on to the computer then you can do this simply via USB or with the SD card. The effects in the unit are of limited use as only reverb and chorus effect can be used on all 8 channels at once

I'm new to digital recording in general, but recently completed an intro course on Pro Tools and purchased that product to use as a DAW. I may eventually interface the Zoom R24 as a front end / control surface to Pro Tools, but for the moment I've been using it as a standalone recorder for capturing multi-track songs. I find it quite easy to record with it, add some of the built-in effects, and do minor editing and mastering. It's done well at recording demo tracks of my compositions for our band to learn - typically recording bass, guitar, keyboard, vocals, and using the included drum tracks or recording my own drum kit (which has 6 mics). For simple demos I've used the R24's built-in mic successfully, although separate external microphones produce better results. I have not yet used the R24 for a live full band recording, but I'm sure it would do reasonably well in that role (although because of the lightweight plastic construction, careful handling would be advisable).