Scrump, I agree with you about the use of the effects when recording. I've never used any of them on my R-1, preferring to have a flat recording which I can play with on my PC, with more control of the outcome and ability to undo any undesirable changes.

OTOH, I hadn't paid a lot of attention to the effects available until I got out the manual to do the above post. I recorded a few workshops this summer where I couldn't get an ideal placement of my mic, resulting in a wide variation of volume. I might try the mastering effect when I'm in that type of situation again, just to see if it provides a better recording. For the stuff I'm recording, sound quality isn't paramount, I just want to be able to get lyrics and tunes from any new material I want to gather.