Tascam DR-40

The DR-40 is a standard recorder in the videography world. Especially for DSLR cameras and camcorders without XLR mic inputs.

It is simple and easy to use. With a 16 Gb memory card it will record days of audio. I am not sure about the noise floor as I am doing location recordings of shows which are never absolutely quiet. I record in 24-bit mode at a lower gain and then boost and compress in audacity which works for me. I can hear the audio purists gasp

I have recorded both phantom powered mics and unbalanced line level mixer outputs and both work well. As to batteries, I work around that problem by using an external USB battery pack. You need to remember to connect it and set it as an external power source before you start recording.

I am very happy with my DR-40 and at less than $100US for a used unit, a very good value.

The thing I like the least is the 1) sound quality, 2) the WAV file format (bulky) and 3) unreliabilty (broke down twice in 6 months). Please see details below.

1) Sound Quality

Having used condenser mics with excellent results I was expecting similiar from this unit. However when I received and unpackaged the unit the mics were the smallest condensers I've seen which may not be a problem however, they give nothing like the quality in playback I get from even the cheapest nastiest, "real" condenser mics. The sound quality is comparable to what you'd expect from a phone, a cheap phone, and I have actually heard recordings made on phones of the same concert I was recording with the Tascam which sounded alot better.

2) Bulky unusable files.

The WAV file format is so bulky its almost unusable when uploading files, for example 1 minute of WAV might take 15 minutes to upload to Soundcloud for instance, while the MP3 format is only usable on 96 k setting and is still at times audibly shabby. Which when combined with the terrible mics makes for some seriously crappy sound.

3) Reliability.

In my personal case after about 4 months of use several times a week one day it just wouldn't turn on. Sending it back under warranty, after about 9 weeks and many emails I received a replacement without any explanation of what was wrong, or even so much as a "we are sorry for the inconvenience". UPDATE: this happened again a month later after getting it back.

Cons aside, the DR-40 is useful as a very basic reference, similiar to how you might use an old school hand held tape recorder. Capable of taking 3 batteries, with rechargables it does allow a good deal of recording to take place before going flat, ie: comfortably records about 3 hours of a music performance for instance.

I am glad I was able to discover the "DIVIDE" feature which enables me to cut out the parts of the recording I don't want but only from the beginning or the end of each file. Each unwanted part remains as a seperate file and has to be deleted manually. At least with this option each song in a recorded performance could be editted to have its own file, and dead time between songs, for instance could be removed.

It is a pity it doesn't come with a protective case or an AC adapter, especially given it is quite an expensive unit, and these would be handy features.

I haven't used any of the mixing, or multi track features, with the low sound quality it is a bit of a waste really. Nor have I used better mics with the XLR inputs. If transporting stands and extra mics, I might as well bring a higher quality portable studio along as well is my thinking, however I might try the XLR inputs with some decent condensers just out of curiosity at some stage and check the results. The extra features probably for most people will never be used and not really worth the extra dollars over the more base models.

UPDATE: A few months after writing review the TASCAM DR-40 died again. This time I'd had enough so asked for and recieved a refund. I assuming there is a known fault with this unit. Hopefully they can sort out the probs with this recorder so to make it a nice unit.

I want to start off by saying this is a very good recorder. Tascam truly delivered with this unit and I'm surprised other companies don't follow in their footsteps.

What I liked Least:

I hate the floor noise, the preamps are a lot noisier than other recorders in this price range, but not by much. I making this non because it could have been a little quieter. But still, fantastic recorder and the noise is nothing that can't be cleaned

Other Recorders:

I've tried tons of recorders: Zoom H1, Fostex FRle, Zoom H2n, Olympus etc... I'd like to focus in on the main competitor this recorder rivals which is ZOOM's H4n.

The DR40 doesn't have as many features as the H4n, but it has enough as well as 2XLR inputs and it's $70-$100 cheaper than the H4n. There is no record in the DR40's price range that offer 2 XRL inputs, that's something major to consider.

The stock mics switch from XY to AB pattern and they have a guard which helps reduce the chances of the mics breaking when bumped around unlike the most recorders.

I also love the fact that the DR40 has "Dual Recording" Mode. This means it has a auto safety track so if one track clips, there is a another track (a back up track) which is recorded lower than the original.

That allow is a really great feature and one that has saves me time and time again.

Sound Quality:

I would say the Dr40 sounds just as good as most recorders. Especially it's close rival the H4n. I've put the recorder up against a more expensive recorder like the FR2LE and could hardly notice a difference.

The stock mics sound good, but not as good as a shotgun mic so I would suggest using this recorder a long with a shotgun mic.

If you're planning on getting this recorder, know that it accepts 3 AA batteries. I would buy lots of rechargeable batteries and keep them on hand.

When you use the Phantom power (to power mics) it eats at the batteries a little quicker, so be prepared