I see that's what I'll likely do as well. Have yet to check out the ambisonic mode now that I've loaded firmware which includes it.
Somewhat OT-
I realize my use of recorders for the kind of playback I'm doing unusual, and is where I generally find all the multichannel recorders commonly used around here to be lacking in various ways in comparison to their recording modes. The features I wish for are all well within the realm of possibility but just not commonly used and requested I suppose. Each multichannel recorder provides a different limited set of output functionalities. If only one manufacturer would combine them in one machine. Shouldn't be difficult to implement, it's mostly just signal routing changes, but would need to be implemented in the design phase.
For instance, I'd prefer to have all the input options on the F8 such as delay, polarity, M/S decoding, (and EQ, sadly not available on the F8) as playback options where I'll actually make use of them.
R-88 does provide per-channel parametric EQ (as well as level and pan) to the 2-channel mix output, but just like the F8 delay and polarity options are record only. And although R-88 provides individual outputs for all channels (unlike the F8 and SD-mixpres) there is control over them whatsoever.
DR-680 provides 6 discrete channel outs but like R-88 without any control over them, provides level and panning for 2-ch mix output but no delay, polarity or EQ.
R-44 lacks panning control (it's most egregious omission), but goes further than all the others in providing discrete channel outputs for all channels with level control, as well as choice between a couple different EQs, M/S decoding, compression/limiting, or a few other filters I never use for all output channels. I was hoping that Roland carried this arrangement forward with R-88 and 8 channels with the inclusion of panning (and additional processing power and routing options), but they did not.