Tascam 788

I got this through Music 123.com out of their "Refurbished" section which was a winner because I got the larger hard drive and the latest software. I paid about $650.

I love this thing. If you're not timid about basic computer operations and can use a basic four track, you'll be flying on this thing. I really enjoy the ease of use and the on board effects. No more cables all over the place to outboard stuff (although you can do that too), it's a real step up over tape based home studios. No waiting to rewind. It's so fast my singer doesn't have time to grumble when I blow a take. I like that!!!

The only setback is that the hard drive only has so much space, so eventually you have to pony up some more dough to get the CDRW 788 to make backups. But, you can also burn CDs off it too, so that's not too bad.

Granted, for the money, you're not buying a Neve Flying Fader rig. It's got a plastic top surface but has held up well. I do take care not to bash it because it has a hard drive in it.

Best bang for the buck 8 track digital out there, hand down. And...Tascam has an On-Line support forum that is exceptionally handy!!!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The 788 can record on up to six tracks simultaneously to eight tracks (or to an immense number of virtual tracks) at 24 bit, 44.1 kHz. It supports both MTC in and out, which is a feature not found on later Tascam eight multitrack recorders. On the latest OS, which can be purchased as a chip from Tascam for around $30, it can both import and export in the .wav format via an external SCSI CD-R drive. My $109 purchase price included an external SCSI drive. It has four mic/line level inputs, which are through 1/4". The lack of XLR inputs is a pain, but this is kind of expected for a budget oriented machine, even if it wasn't a budget machine when it was new. It also has two RCA auxiliary inputs that can be recorded on. There are a lot of available effects, but only two different channels of effects can be used. However, multiple effects (compression, delay, reverb) can be strung together as one main effect.

UTILIZATION

The manual clearly outlines the functions of the machine. Recording on this machine is a breeze, the only thing that makes it a little difficult is working with the EQ, since there aren't real knobs and this has to be changed via menus. By modern standards, burning CD-R's is slow, but bearable.

SOUNDS

The sound quality is excellent for a Portastudio. The only difficulty is running EQ and effects, since these are all menu-driven. However, for an experienced recordist who has worked with "real" EQ and effects, it's not too difficult to figure out, but I could imagine that for a first time recordist it might be a little difficult to understand and envision what he or she is trying to accomplish within the menus.

OVERALL OPINION

This machine has stood the test of time for a DAW, being limited only in its slow, separate CD burner and relatively small hard drive. However, for a cheap project/vacation studio, this is an excellent machine, especially if you can get it for under $150 with the CD burner. Upgrading the OS to the latest version is a great option in order to mix down tracks on a separate DAW.

I originally bought this for a classroom recording studio. It is perfect for this purpose, and is still easier than using a full on computer based DAW, with absolutely no latency or compatibility issues, while still producing high quality recordings.