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Click on one of the icons above to access the different content & services related to the brand Tascam.

List of user reviews Tascam

Product Tascam FW-1082 By moosers on 01/17/2010 Music is my profession

Characteristics

The Tascam FW-1082 is a digital mixer and audio interface combined.  It is firewire based, containing eight channels of faders and inputs, and four built in microphone preamps.  It also has two MIDI channels and 1/4 inch outputs for stereo monitors and a headphone jack.  Each of the channels has a fader, a gain knob, as well as solo, mute, and selection buttons.  There is a three band assignable EQ built in, which can be applied to any of the channels, as well as built in panning.

Utilization

I find the Tascam FW-1082 to be quite easy to use, as you've really only got the basics to work with here.  This unit is aimed at making it user friendly, as there isn't anything more than what you would need to do some basic recording and mixing.  Having said this, it still has a lot of features to work with, and it will take a bit of use to understand everything and to use everything to its full potential.  However, the typical function are right in front of your face and easily accessible.  Unless you're a beginner with interfaces and mixers, I think everything can be figured out on its on for the most part without the use of a manual, but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have it around anyway.

Sounds

The sound of the mic pres on the Tascam FW-1082 is about average, and while it will definitely get the job done for small home studio recording, don't expect all too much from them.  They come through pretty clear, but they are bit too transparent and lack the depth that I would look for in a set of good pres.  However, considering this price and the overall make up of the unit, I would imagine that users aren't looking for the world when it comes to the pres.  The EQ is of course assignable, so it doesn't actually make any sound without linking it to a plug-in.  For building a small home studio around and getting some demos and basic recordings done, the Tascam FW-1082 will certainly do the job...

Overall Opinion

Recently, the price of the Tascam FW-1082 has dropped in further than it was in the past, as it looks like they are trying to get rid of these to make room for the newer products that Tascam has to offer.  This is definitely your gain if you're in the market for an audio interface and mixer combination, as this is a great deal as of right now.  While it does not have the best sounding pres in the world, if you're just looking to get started making recordings and want to build a home studio, this would be a perfect place to start in my opinion. Definitely a unit worth looking into for those who want to start up a small studio...

Product Tascam US-122 By moosers on 01/11/2010 Music is my profession

Characteristics

The Tascam US-122 is a compact USB audio interface with both audio and MIDI capabilities.  This is aimed for the user who wants a small audio interface to build a small home studio around.  The US-122 has two XLR mic inputs and stereo 1/4" connections as well.  It also has a MIDI input and output and 1/4" outputs for monitors and headphones.  In total, you've got the ability to record two tracks at once, whether it be by mic or direct line.

Utilization

The make up of the Tascam US-122 interface is very straight forward.  Everything is clearly labeled and easy to understand, as it is indeed catered for those who are new with audio interfaces and computer recording.  You can use the interface with pretty much any software, but I've used it with Cubase.  Since I wasn't using this within my own recording rig, I'm not sure about the specs that I used with it, but I do know that the interface ran smoothly and that I didn't get any latency will using it on a Mac Book lap top.  This only has the capabilities to record two tracks at a time, but I was able to run a bunch of pre-recorded tracks along with it as well.

Getting Started

The process of getting the Tascam US-122 up and running is one that I wasn't involved with as it was already set up when I tried using it.  However, judging by looking at it and from what I know about audio interfaces, I would say that this should be a fairly simple process to set up depending on what type of configuration you're running the interface with.  I've never had a need to check out the manual for the US-122, so I can't say anything about its make up...

Overall Opinion

While I can't say that the mic preamps on the Tascam US-122 have all that great of a sound, for those who want a low priced audio interface to get your home recording studio up and running, I believe that this should be tried out and investigated.  I love how compact it is, as it makes it easy to move from place to place if you wanted to get a mobile studio going.  It also has a good amount of features for such a small interface.  This is definitely a good budget audio interface to check out if you're looking for one to get started with.

Product Tascam Portastudio 424 By moosers on 01/08/2010 Music is my profession

Overall Opinion

The Tascam Portastudio 424 is a cassette based four track recorder and mixer.  Of course this is an older piece of technology, so I will review the unit based on what it is capable of doing, and not fault it for being a product of its time.  If you're looking to get into recording music, I would definitely recommend looking into a computer based system rather than this one, but if you're looking for four track tape recorder like this one, please continue reading.  Let me start off by saying that this is a popular four track recorder as far as these go, and for a good reason.  For a compact mixer, its got a lot of different features and options including equalization, dbx noise reduction, and some nice faders.  The interface is very user friendly as everything is easily located.  Even if you don't have any prior experience with recording or machines like this, I think you should be able to catch on pretty quickly.  The quality of the recordings you will get as a whole will probably be nothing better than average since you are recording to a tape medium, but at the same time it has a cool quality to it that is hard to replicate without using an actual tape cassette recorder.  The price of the Portastudios 424 has fallen significantly, so if you're looking to play around with a four track tape recorder that is put together well, this is a great time to buy this one.  Tascam is one of the best at their game, especially with products made around this time period.  These are readily available on eBay, so if you're interested in picking one up you'll be able to find one no problem.  If you're going to go the four track tape route, either for your main set up or for playing around with on the side, the Tascam Portastudio 424 is the model I would definitely recommend.

Product Tascam US-2400 By moosers on 03/19/2009 Music is my profession

Overall Opinion

The Tascam US 2400 is a MIDI based control surface designed for use with various digital audio workspaces. While it looks like a console, it merely controls what you would control inside of the box with a sequencer. This is helpful for those who want the feel of real faders and knobs but don't have a real console. I believe the US 2400 is compatible with just about any type of DAW, but I have used it primarily with Cubase SX. While this unit is a bit big for smaller or home studios, it is nice to have 24 faders and channel strips to control any and all tracks you might have within your sequencer. If 24 is not enough you can shuffle between whatever tracks you would like to control. Each virtual channel has a fader, as well as buttons for mute, solo, and record ready. Each also has a knob on top that is programmable. On the right side of the controller, there are transport buttons like play and record, as well as a master fader and a number of buttons to control various options, some of which are programmable. The overall look of the US 2400 is nicely laid out, which makes everything easy to access and even easier to understand. Learning this control surface is quick, and its capabilities are wide. A lot of us out there don't always like controlling our DAWs with our mouse, and the Tascam US 2400 can make that a thing of the past. While this is bigger than other control surfaces like the Mackie HUI or the Digidesign Command 8, it doesn't get as in depth in terms of what you can control as these other options. For me, this is fine as I prefer to control a lot of things in the box, and the US 2400 covers all the ends that I would like to control outside of my DAW. The price of the US 2400 is quite reasonable, and is a lot cheaper than you might think. Overall, I highly recommend the Tascam US 2400 for home studio owners looking to get a control surface of this nature.

Product Tascam FW-1884 By Audiofanzine FR on 03/15/2009

Characteristics

(Originally written by samuel k/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Non-rack mixer.
Eight balanced inputs, 48 V phantom power, channel bass with guitar/bass input.
Eight analog inserts.
Eight line outputs (ambiophonic compatible).
Spdif input/output
Adat input/output
Four Midi inputs/outputs
Phones out
Wordclock
Two Firewire 400 ports.
Nine motorized faders (one master fader), bank function for track layer control (1-8 and 9-16).
24-bit/96khz resolution.
Automation
Sync via Internal clock, worldclock, Adat and Spdif

Utilization

Easy to use.
It works seamlessly with Cubase via the Mackie Control protocol. It's important to understand how the mixer works: Monitor mix mode is to manage inputs, while Computer mode is for sequencer control.

DRIVERS v1.6 ARE NOT SIGNED SO THEY ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH VISTA 64 PRO unless you disable the driver check function that protects your PC! I already mentioned this to customer support but I didn't get an answer! This decreases the sound quality of your PC!
It's impossible to work seriously, but with XP it's great!
I also connected an MM6 to my PC via USB and two line outputs to the Tascam. I made the same thing with a Kore 2 and I also plugged a mic and inserted a Behringer 2024 effects processor.

Everything is perfect except for the driver problem...

Sounds

Almost no noise, very clear sound except with extreme preamp settings, EQing directly in Cubase. I previously had an M-audio 2496 Audiophile sound card and a Soundcraft Compact 4 mixer. With the new setup all my songs sound different, the sound is richer and clearer! Very good sound for making demos.

Overall Opinion

I've been using for two weeks.
Once you got used to it, it's a very good product.
I bought it secondhand via Audiofanzine! Great value for money!
I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.
But the Vista compatibility problem is not mentioned on the Tascam website. It's very disappointing and I can't use it with my new PC.

Product Tascam Portastudio 2488 By moosers on 02/27/2009 Music is my profession

Characteristics

The Tascam Portastudio 2488 is a digital multi-track portable recording unit. It has 24 tracks, with four mic preamps and four 1/4 inch inputs. It has hard disc that you record to and also has a CD burner. While it has 24 tracks, the last couple of tracks are stereo tracks and can't be split.

Utilization

The configuration and general set up of the 2488 is pretty easy, but does take a bit of getting used to, just in terms of toggling between the screens and finding your way around the menus. It is easy to use after a little practice and really has a lot of options built in. The manual is thorough and clear and is definitely worth having around while you are using this.

Sounds

The sound quality of the converters and preamps are surprisingly pretty good, and so are most of the built in effects. While the preamps definitely sound a bit tinny at time and aren't the fullest, they are usable and will work fine for the project studio. It has a lot of capabilities in terms of different effects and with a few good mics you can get some pretty good sounding recordings with this if you know what you are doing. The only downfall of this unit is that it is nearly impossible to edit the audio and isn't ideal for mixing with.

Overall Opinion

The Tascam 2488 was the first recording unit I got about six years ago when I wanted to get into recording. It worked great for two years for me until I upgraded to a computer based recording system. To me, a computer based system is better than something like this because it has wider capabilities in terms of editing and mixing. This being said, this unit is well made and will do the job when recording demos or other home studio ventures. The price has fallen considerably since everyone is using computer based systems, so if you are looking for a portable recording unit like this one, this is a great deal!

Product Tascam Portastudio 424 By spiritfingers on 02/04/2009 I'd like to make music my profession

Overall Opinion

I have used this Tascam cassette 4 track for over 4 years now. These machines are pretty out dated but I enjoy the simplicity of recording onto cassette tapes. You can buy cassettes at many stores making it easier than memory cards. and you are recording analog! I also use the machine to make mix tapes so I can listen to them in my car. So many different uses for such a versatile recorder.

I enjoy the mutitracking and simple equalizer controls. I have no complaints with the machine. It fits the easy 4-track recording I want. Perfect to record a simple demo for a new song or to record that real tape sound. George Harrison said 'I like a little bit of tape hiss' and don't we all.

There are micrphone XLR inputs as well as guitar cord 1/4'' cords for easy connection. Also has main stereo outs and headphone jack.The recorder only has two inputs between XLR and ¼” so only two track simultaneous recording can happen. Each input has a gain level to keep the tracks from peaking out. Each input also has 3 equalization controls, low middle and high, and left right panning controls. Recordable cassette tapes can be bought that have normally 45 minutes of recording time on them. Any cassette used can only be used one sided – remember – otherwise you will record backwards over everything you have already recorded! Recording on tape can be tricky but very rewarding.

I bought my model used for 50 US dollars at a trade show. A rare find that was between other outdated tape recorders. 50 US dollars was a very generous price because if you want to buy a new 4-track cassette recorder it would run at least 150-200 US dollars. I love this cassette recorder and wouldn't trade it for an other one.

Product Tascam US-122 By M Elise on 12/10/2008

Characteristics

This is an inexpensive USB powered external audio interface for your computer; the purpose of which is to replace your computer's built-in sound card and provide superior sound and better audio hook up options. It features two XLR mic inputs with phantom power option, two quarter inch line/guitar in jacks, two quarter inch insert jacks, adjustable input levels, RCA line out jacks, midi in/out, headphone out jack, headphone level knob, line out level knob, direct monitor level knob, switch for mono or stereo monitoring, and plenty of LED lights that help you see whats going on. The unit is solidly built and is housed in a metal case.

Utilization

When I first installed this on an old G3 Imac there where a few timing issues but I was able to resolve them by adjusting the buffer. I once tried to install this on a friend's PC laptop and was never able to get it to work. It could have been the laptop or it could have been the US-122s software. I don't know.

Getting Started

I only used this unit briefly to make multi-track recordings. I have never had any problems. In recent years I use it occasionally to input cassette and LP recordings into my computer for conversion to audio CDs and MP3s. The unit works nicely with no issues. I like the unit ergonomically with its knobs on top, small size, and strong construction. Its easy, clear and straightforward to use. The unit sounds good but not as good as my Motu 828 Firewire audio interface. I can hear the difference but I don't know how to describe the difference. The US-122 is powered completely by USB so it makes sense that the amplifiers are not as sophisticated as a unit such as the Motu 828 which is powered by more juice.

Overall Opinion

I bought this when it first came out and at the time it was a ground breaking product for its price range. Now Tascam has a newer version and there are many other similar brands on the market. I have not heard or used any of these. However for my needs I have no reason to ever abandon this unit in favor of a newer one.

Product Tascam FireOne By Audiofanzine FR on 11/07/2008

Characteristics

(Originally written by Dunce/translated from Audiofanzine FR)

Which technical specifications motivated your choice?

The price, the ergonomics, the low latency, the two headphone outputs and the transport controls.

What do you use it for?

Mainly to mix in my home studio, read mp3 files and edit concert footage.

What's your setup (motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive,...)?


Motherboard: Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe
Processor: Athlon 64 X 6400(3.2ghz)
4 gb ddr2 dual-channel corsair RAM
4 sata 2 HDD (80 Gb: os , 80 Gb: audio log, 250 and 320 Gb: backup / 2x250 Gb Rai0 for recorded audio data)
700-watt fsp PSU and Antec P180 tower

Do you use it with other instruments or systems (mixing console, preamp, DtD, ...) and what's your setup?

I use it mainly for guitars, R300 InterM and Monitor One mkII for monitoring, 8-input SM Pro Audio and Art Tube MP preamps, Sonar 6 PE sequencer.

Utilization

Did you have any problems during the installation?

No, not really. I installed the latest driver and playback was very unstable. After checking all my applications, I installed the driver provided with the interface (downgrade from v1.1 to v1.0) and everything went smoothly.

Did you encounter any incompatibility problems?
Yes I did, with the latest driver, which I guess is conceived for Vista!

How complicated is the overall configuration?

It couldn't be easier, a real surprise!

Is the user's manual clear and comprehensive?

The printed manual is very clear and there is also a printed addendum.

I'm giving it a 7 because the installation made me sweat a bit (I used driver 1.00)

Getting Started

Is the driver stable?

Yes, no complaints: no dropouts, no noise, no unexpected stops, no Windows blue screen.

Are they up-to-date?

Update policy seems to be ok.

What's the latency of your system?

This really amazed me: 2 ms using 35 audio tracks and 25 plug-ins. I can click anywhere on the playback area without having dropouts.
The best and ultimate test, at least for me, was when I started playing with the position markers in my songs (assigned to F6 and F7 keys): I would let the track play 2 or 3 quarter notes and then get back to the previous marker during playback, I also did some scratching and didn't experience a single crash.

How many tracks can you record/playback simultaneously ?

I haven't tested it yet, but probably not more than two due to the interface's setup.

It's worthy of a 10.

Overall Opinion

How long have you been using it?

Since twelve o'clock and it worked 6 straight hours with Sonar 6 without interruption.

Which feature do you like the most / the least?

Pros: the transport controls and the programmable F1-F8 keys in Sonar (that's pure joy).

Cons: I want the same interface with 8 XLR inputs, the second headphone output freely assignable to any sequencer output, and at least 4 additional outputs for Aux sends or monitor mixes.

How would you rate its value for money?

Unbeatable, given its reliability and the transport controls!

Based on your experience, would you buy this product again?

Yes, although it's a matter of luck. I just sold my Alesis i/o 26 which wouldn't work reliably on my system with less than 6 ms latency.

I was looking for an interface on Audiofanzine and I saw this gear.

I wrote this review because a playback latency of 2 ms is the best thing I could ever wish for my new demo tapes.

Product Tascam Portastudio 414 MkII By FP User Reviews on 10/31/2008

Overall Opinion

The features are pretty good. I havent used the effects channels yet, but it has a nice 'mini mixing board' with treble and bass. Four 1/4" jacks at the front, and two XLR's in the back. It can be tricky to work with, but understanding it isn't that hard once you get the hang of things.

$68.00 USD

I bought my first four-track recorder off of ebay, 76.00 with shipping. I recieved it, and had only one mic. I started to fiddle around with it, and it sounds pretty good to my surprise. I can record three tracks, and bounce it to one, then record two more, bounce it to one and then record two more on top of it. This is going to sound great with my mixer and drum mic package i am buying. SHop EBAY! It's great. This was in NEW condition, with a carrying case!

It's easy to use. Record your first track, mix it, move on to your second, and etc... The only bad thing is getting the right channel on. Sometimes when you use the XLR inputs, it's not divided up by 1 and 2. The first XLR is for tracks 1 and 3, and the other is for 2 and 4. And trying to record without bouncing your track is kind of hard. Buy a lot of tape. It can be quite useful, especially when testing.

Very durable! I have beat this things to peaces so far and it still looks new to me and the rest of my friends and family.

I love this thing. It is my first analog recording studio, and I can't wait to get bigger and better equipment. I hope to hook up an 8 channel mixer for the drums alone all on one track when I purchase a drum mic package. This is great for all recording musicians!

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Kenny_viper2 (January 0-, 2005)

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