Showing posts with label portable recorders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label portable recorders. Show all posts

11/28/2012

Fostex MR-8mkII 8-Track Digital Recorder Silver Review

Fostex MR-8mkII 8-Track Digital Recorder Silver
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I still have the 1st gen MR-8 (the red one) and when I got the silver Mk-II for Christmas, I wasn't sure I really needed it, as I thought it was no better than my red one but for throwing on a few more bells & whistles. Firing it up and laying down a few basic tracks and playing them back demonstrated that not only are there a couple more features but the sound quality is much improved over the original. I played it back through my stereo with my wife in another room across the hall and she thought I was playing the guitar and singing live. So, I'm looking forward to doing a lot of recording with this unit with more professional sound quality (I believe it is equivalent to PC sound quality, plus I like the silver finish much better than the old red model!) This is a very nice personal recorder for not a lot of money.

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11/23/2012

Korg Sound On Sound Unlimited Track Recorder Bundle With 8GB Micro SD Memory Card, 4 AA Lithium Batteries & Led Flash-Lite Review

Korg Sound On Sound Unlimited Track Recorder Bundle With 8GB Micro SD Memory Card, 4 AA Lithium Batteries and Led Flash-Lite
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I got mine in the mail. It took a few days at most. In a proper cardboard box with all the right shipping stuff tucked in there I thought I had the wrong package... it's so light... I got mine from Amazon.com and they said 2 pounds... but it's light.
This deal came with a formal memory card so I didn't have to run all over the place looking for the accesories for my Korg. I did buy a power pack or AC/DC thing but that was under twenty dollars here in The Confederation of Canada... and the Amazon deal came with enough batteries for a couple of days use.
I'm no brain surgeon... I'm a no brainer. The instruction manual is honest but not the best tutor for a guitar player that doesnt' double on sax and phone. What I mean is the unit is not a wind me up toy but a reel to reel studio on wheels...
I got mine working for me well and I must say that sounds nice... who is that?
I hope to add more to my review here as I have only had mine for two days so if you're shopping for studio time to cut a demo and such, this things only [...] bucks and lets you record the whole song you wrote... not just the first two chords... and then it lets you add track after track of guitar bass vocals and keyboards... or kazoo for that matter ... I glad I bought one but I need all the help I can get.

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11/21/2012

Zoom R16 Multitrack Recorder Controller and Audio Interface Multitrack SD Recorder Controller and Interface Review

Zoom R16 Multitrack Recorder Controller and Audio Interface Multitrack SD Recorder Controller and Interface
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This thing is awesome.
But let's start with the bad, before we get to the good. The Bad:
- The preamp quality is not that great. I want to be careful not to over-state this too much: they are certainly not BAD preamps, and they are certainly competitive with other preamps that can be bought eight at a whack for $300, but they are not fast-response, high-headroom, ultra-clean studio preamps. They are more like the preamps on a decent portastudio (duh). They have a bit of a tendency to flab out on DI bass tracks, and can turn a bit crunchy/hashy at the top with difficult program material such as cymbals or detailed condensers. Backing off the input gain and recording at lower levels helps but does not completely solve these issues. And ribbon mics are pretty much right out: there's just not enough clean gain to drive low-output mics while preserving sound quality. But they are perfectly adequate for midrangey, high-output dynamic live mics, such as Shure SM57s and 58s, and considering the price point and what you're buying, they are actually quite capable: VASTLY better than the 1/8" mic/line input on a typical consumer soundcard, and comparable with a typical budget/prosumer mixer or live console.
- Phantom power on only two channels. I imagine this is a limitation of using USB/battery power, and it's frankly kind of amazing that they can deliver 48V at all. But it is still a limitation. If you want to use this box for full-blown studio recording, for this reason and the above, you'll probably want to have some outboard preamps or a mixing console or some such (soundcraft makes some inexpensive mixers with pretty good preamps).
- Zero midi anything. I'm not sure if this is a "bad", so much as just something to be aware of. Inclusion of a simple GM synth or drum machine, or even the ability to record MIDI would have expanded the usefulness of this box, but also would have added a lot of complexity to the little menu-based LCD interface. Overall I think it was a better decision to leave it out, and keep the device easier to use, but it's worth being aware of: if you want to record midi instruments with this box, you will be recording the output as audio.
- Usability/latency problems as a computer audio interface. I found this box to be unsatisfying as a laptop audio interface using early 2010 drivers. USB audio interfaces can be iffy compared with firewire or PCI, and this was no exception. I experienced intermittent problems with crackly audio, dropouts and skips, and had to frequently adjust latency settings and/or restart the hardware. Such problems were intermittent, but even occasional meltdowns can make such a device almost unusable. It's easier to simply record standalone to the Zoom R16 and then dump the files into computer via USB for editing and mixing in your favorite DAW software. Bear in mind that every computer is a bit different, so YMMV, and future firmware or driver updates may help the situation. But for now I cannot recommend it as a primary multitrack audio interface for computer-based recording (although I certainly recommend it as a portable multitrack recorder that can integrate with a computer setup).
So much for the bad. The good:
- IT RUNS ON FRIGGEN BATTERIES. If you are new to recoding, it may not be clear what a revolutionary thing this is, to have a complete recording that you can leave on the coffee table or stick in a backpack and take a full project from recording, through mixing, with effects, and run the whole thing on six AA batteries. Battery-powered recorders are obviously not new, but this box is genuinely a full-capable recording studio that achieve the magic 8 simultaneous inputs, with effects and mixing. And battery life is actually quite good. The more tracks and more processing and effects you're using, the faster they deplete, but even at full load you're changing batteries maybe every two hours, more than enough time to re-charge a spare set of rechargeables.
- SD storage. Using SD cards as the storage medium means cheap and easy storage, but even better, no fans, no motors, no whirring/clicking hard disk... this box is *silent*. It also means that it records like tape: there is no saving, no file-management... just hit record or play, turn power on and off whenever you want-- no worries, and no inspiration-killing hassle.
- Ease of use is really good. Text- and menu-based LCD windows can be a nightmare to deal with, as anyone who was recording in the early days of digital knows. But if you're familiar with multi-track recording generally, this device is easy to use right out of the box. Reading the (pretty good) manual is not required to start recording and mixing, but it does reveal a LOT of deep functionality. If you are new to recording, this is a pretty easy way to get started: it doesn't have the graphical point-and-click simplicity of a computer-based interface, but it also skips over all the issues of latencies, drivers, file-management, and various computer-related headaches. The R16's true 8-input recording and 16-track playback allow it to skip/simplify internal routing, bussing, etc, making it very straightforward to use: every physical channel is a track, and there is a bank up/down key to determine whether you're working with tracks 1-8, or 9-16. Couldn't be simpler. Each channel has a play/mute/record toggle button with a color-changing LED to tell you what state it's in, and the transport controls work just like a tape machine. The menus for effects, project selection, track swapping, etc are all straightforward and well-thought-out, with clearly-labelled buttons for each menu. Connections are extremely simple and obvious. Each channel has a gain/trim control and a mix fader with a 4-LED meter that automatically switches from record level to playback level depending on the track status, and channels with switchable input status use separate physical switches to flip between phantom power on/off, built-in vs external mics, or instrument/mic inputs. Easy peasy, with no obscure or hidden settings or parameters to drive you nuts.
- The built-in mics are an outstanding feature. They are your basic electret omni mics, which means they are quiet, accurate, and have good dynamic response with both low- and high-volume material. Just flip the switch and set them to record and you can track all your rehearsals, live shows, living-room practice, whatever. You can make full multitrack demos using just this box and a pair of headphones.
- Built-in effects are comprehensive, quite good, and very well-thought out. The presets are very usefully-constructed for a box of this type, designed to minimize menu-based tweaking. The main "default" effects configuration is set up for semi-automatic per-channel eq/compression, a master reverb/delay with per-track send, and a full suite of guitar and bass effects on the hi-Z "guitar channel". Digging into the menus further allows you to assign any effect to any track, to change whether insert effects are "hard-coded" onto the incoming audio, or just applied as a bus effect (for example, if you wanted to hear the effect during tracking and playback, but keep the underlying audio "clean" for later processing in a computer DAW or whatever). There are also a host of nifty extras including preamp modellers, guitar and bass amp emulators, wah/modulation/etc "special effects", acoustic guitar and bass simulators, and so on. Not 10 years ago, this box would have been worth the price as a single-channel multi-effects processor alone. Some of the settings are a little weird, and I'd much rather do a full mixdown using hardware processors or computer plugins than using menu-based text inputs, but the effects are all real-time, and you can hear your changes as you make them, so it's certainly possible to do a full record with this box alone, and effects quality is comparable to other digital hardware processors.
- Overall sound quality is quite good. Even factoring in the preamp reservations above, 15 years ago you could have spent 10 or 15 thousand dollars EASILY and still not had the sound quality and capability of this little box (plus you would have needed 20 electrical outlets and a room to store it all in, not to mention hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of racks and cables). It probably won't replace your RME interface or Apogee converters, and it certainly won't replace a collection of API and Telefunken mic preamps, and you'll probably want to hang onto to your UAD card if you have one, but good luck sticking all that in a laptop bag and taking it to the beach.
This plus something like a Tivoli Audio iSongBook (or even a pair of headphones) makes a complete, battery-powered multitrack studio that fits in a backpack or laptop bag, with room left over to hold spare batteries plus a couple of mic cables and SM57s, if you want them. Laptop-based mobile DAWs have always seemed like an awesome idea, but in practice things like boot times, dongles, limited mobile interface options, mixing and control via mousepad, short battery life, self-noise, computer-related reliability and stability issues, etc have always tended to keep it a good "idea" as opposed to a truly mobile "on your lap" studio. This is perfect and easy to take on the road, record in the tour bus, in the rehearsal space, in the hotel room, at a picnic table, a house party, wherever.

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9/15/2012

Tascam DP-02 Digital Portastudio - 8 Track Review

Tascam DP-02 Digital Portastudio - 8 Track
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This is an outstanding system for demo recording and I am sure it would also be useful for live recordings with some added components.
After much research, I purchased the Tascam DP02 Portastudio instead of the Boss BR900CD. I had previously used the BR900 with much success and had my mind set on it for quiet some time. I kept my options open and the DP02 seemed to be the most comparable system. Despite some reviews stating the DP02 did not allow you to hear the effects while recording, I decided on it due to the on-board high, low, and reverb adjustment options. (I did not want to transfer to a computer for mastering) I was going to add an effects processor and pre-amp for the mic, but found all effects do play through recording.
The system has a lot of built in guitar (acoustic and electric), drum, bass, and vocal effects. It took me only a few hours to record several tracks, master them, and burn them to disk. Only being able to record to 2 tracks at once is a small drawback, but if you are doing all of your own recording shouldn't be a problem.
READ THE MANUAL!
Although it is not the easiest to follow page to page, if you know how to find what your looking for it's in the manual. For those of you that want to sit down, push record, and be on your way, you may want to look for a simpler system. Once you get it down, the DP02 is quite easy to use, but not something you can just turn on and go without some instruction. The trickiest part would would be mastering, but it is by no means difficult if you follow the directions.
All around this is a great system for a home studio and possibly more.
P.S. Thanks to Amazon for having the lowest price, and quick delivery.Just a quick update. May 29, 2010. I have put many hours onto this Portastudio and can say it has absolutely been worth it. The volume on the final track can be a little tricky, but nothing some time and patience cannot overcome. It has not given me any trouble and has never locked up as some people have said. Great piece of equipment for a very fair price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tascam DP-02 Digital Portastudio - 8 Track

With a classic, well-known interface that's easy to pick up by new users, the 8-track Tascam DP-02 Digital Portastudio sports dedicated controls for level, pan, effects send and EQ instead of the menu-cursor interface found on most other recorders. You can make music with two hands with the DP-02--just reach and twist a knob when your creativity strikes. The DP-02 records to a 40 GB hard drive, and it includes a multi-effect processor, stereo reverb and CD burner for CD masters and song backup.
A pair of CD-quality XLR mic inputs includes phantom power for condenser mics and a direct guitar input. High and low EQ controls for level and frequency are provided for every channel. It also includes a multi-effects processor, stereo reverb, even a dedicated stereo channel for recording your mix. You can transfer tracks and mixes to a computer using USB 2.0, or burn a master disc in the CD drive.

Key Features
Two XLR mic/line inputs with phantom power for condenser microphones
Eight-track recording at uncompressed 44.1k/16-bit audio quality
Portastudio-based interface with volume fader, pan, effect send, high and low EQ controls per channel
EQ frequency button to access high and low EQ shelf frequencies
USB 2.0 interface for transferring tracks, mixes and backup files to a computer
Dedicated stereo master track for mixdown
Internal metronome and bar/beat display for song position
Headphone output
Stereo line outputs on RCA analog and S/PDIF optical digital connectors
40GB internal hard drive
Multi-effects processor with guitar, bass, vocal and drum programs
Stereo reverb processor with send/return controls for multichannel mixing
Built-in chromatic tuner
Built -in CD-RW burner for CD mastering and song backup


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8/30/2012

Tascam 2488 Neo Multitrack Digital Recorder Review

Tascam 2488 Neo Multitrack Digital Recorder
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I write songs and play acoustic guitar, and going back many years have a number of audio cassette recordings which recently I converted to MP3's and transferred to my computer. I spent some time searching for a digital multitrack recorder which I could use going into the future. Inasmuch as I only use between 4 and 6 tracks per recording, I almost settled for a less expensive machine; but I'm glad I put out the extra few hundred dollars for the Tascam 2488 neo. I especially like the following features:
(1) The autopunch feature is great. It allows me to very easily correct my mistakes without having to re-record an entire track.
(2) The 250 virtual tracks available for each song allow me to do a number of takes for each track and choose the one I like best.
(3) The new Mastering tool is awesome. After reading a couple of books on home recording, I was left with the impression that the final step of mastering is one that perhaps I should hire a professional to do. While I'm sure I could achieve slightly better results doing this, the Tascam 2488 neo does an excellent job of mastering my mixes with the push of a button.
(4) The 80 gig hard drive is more than ample; and it is very easy to transfer both individual tracks and completed songs back and forth between the neo and my computer.
(5 The user's manual is very thorough and easy to understand. In today's world user's manuals often are vague and indecipherable; so anticipating this possibility when I bought the unit, I also bought the DVD tutorial which is sold separately. The tutorial indeed was helpful but turned out to be unnecessary. The user's manual covers everything in detail; and if anything, it spells out the obvious at times.
I could go on: But the most important thing is that I now can make (and have made) multitrack recordings of my songs which appear at least to me to be professionally done. The best thing is that the more I use this machine, the quicker it is becoming to make new recordings because I've discovered the settings I like best and can quickly recall them and use them for different songs.

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8/06/2012

Tascam DR680 8-track Portable Digital Field Audio Recorder Review

Tascam DR680 8-track Portable Digital Field Audio Recorder
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Can't comment on the mic pres because I come in from an external board, but the A/Ds sound very good to my ears. Biggest drawback for anyone who wants to capture at high fs and bit depth but with repurpose option for Red Book CD is the lack of 88.2 kHz sampling rate. This is a HUGE oversight in my opinion.


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7/30/2012

Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder Review

Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder
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I purchased the DR100 to record classical musicians on-location as a smaller and lighter replacement for a much larger hard disk recorder and a pair of external mic preamps. I was hoping that the built-in XLR inputs and +48 V phantom power would be all I'd need for quality 2-channel recordings. After some live recordings of professional musicians as well as a bit of bench testing, I have mixed feelings about the unit.
The good: Using the stereo line input, the DR100 is capable of creating very clean, low noise, low distortion recordings. The DR100 uses Asahi Kasei delta-sigma "Audio4Pro" digital converters which are excellent sounding and have a very low inherent noise spectrum and a S/N ratio of better than 100 dB. The Tascam v1.10 firmware upgrade allows for 96kHz-24bit recording using those converters and the resulting .wav files are superb. The recorder can use SDHC cards up to 32GB, with single files of up to 2GB, so long recordings are no problem. The line input matches any nominal -10 dBv preamp or mixer output. The menus are easy to navigate and the file structure is straightforward. The fast USB2 interface makes it easy to transfer WAV files to any DAW. When backlit, the LCD display is quite readable and the peak signal LED is fast and bright. The peak LED lights at -2dB and the bargraph meters cover a range of -49dB to -1dB where the device clips. The display never reads "0dB".
The "not-so-good": Having built-in, phantom powered preamps was one of the reasons I choose the DR100 over the many other available flash-memory recorders. I own a 24-channel, 96k-24 bit "portable" rack HD system as well as a laptop-based 8-channel recorder and wanted a high quality, but small and light system for 2-track recordings that could be used with high-end external mics. The DR-100's built-in unidirectional mics are probably OK for "snapshot" recordings, but are not acceptable for any serious professional use. During my initial testing using both an external small mixer and external mic preamps, (going in through the 3.5 mm line input) the DR100 worked very well. However, the internal mic preamps are not all that great. Although the V1.10 firmware update does provide for 24 bit, 96kHz sampling as well as 44.1kHz and 48kHz, it does not allow for 88.2 kHz recording, which generally is a better choice for final conversion to 44.1/16 bit for publication on CDs. Tascam should seriously consider adding 88.2kHz sampling, even if it means dropping 48kHz.
The preamp gain is adequate for most any modern condenser microphone and many, but not all dynamic mics. At higher gain settings the preamps do have a fairly high internal noise, which becomes audible when the preamp is switched to the "H" (high) setting and the recording level control is advanced into a usable range. This is when the unit is used for classical music recording with a fairly wide dynamic range of 40-50 dB. For compressed pop, and rock recording this is a non-issue. However, I've encountered a much more serious problem (for my use). So far, I've had problems when using the DR100's internal +48V phantom power with several sets of widely available phantom powered mics. I connected a pair medium-output (-70dBV/Pa) ribbon mics and was not surprised that the DR100 did not have enough gain. I then tried a set of "active ribbons" (with phantom powered internal amplifiers and found that everything worked fine if only one mic was connected, but connecting both mics caused a very audible (-30dB) high-pitched buzzing noise in both inputs. This only occurred when running on the fully charged internal Li-ion battery. When running on the PS-520 external power supply/charger, the noise disappeared, even with both mics connected. To me this indicates a weak +48V phantom supply. I tried another set of mics, a pair of very popular small diaphragm omni condensers and even running on the external power supply I had serious noise generated when both mics were drawing current from the DR100's phantom power source.
Please note that all of the mics I tried all work fine using any of my Mackie, SECK, Yamaha, True and Presonus mixers and preamps with absolutely no problems.
Bottom line: I'm keeping the Tascam, but will be carrying a couple of external mic pres or a small mixer with it.
For reference, I did document the recording levels at various gain settings using the internal mic pres.
The signal source was a balanced mic simulator signal generator. Output -41.5dB, one channel driven, phantom power OFF, limiter OFF. Signal = 700 Hz sine wave.
Levels listed are the indicated recording levels on the LCD display:
1. Coarse Gain Switch set to "L"
Gain dial setting vs (LCD displayed recording level)
dial 10 (-42 dB)
dial 9 (-42 dB)
dial 8 (-44 dB)
dial 7 (-47 dB)
2. Coarse Gain Switch set to "M"
dial 10 (-20 dB)
dial 9 (-20 dB)
dial 8 (-21 dB)
dial 7 (-24 dB)
dial 6 (-30 dB)
dial 5 (-34 dB)
dial 4 (-40 dB)
dial 3 (-45 dB)
3. Coarse Gain Switch set to "H"
dial7.5 (-1 dB) clipping
dial7 (-3 dB)
dial6.5 (-6 dB)
dial6 (-8 dB)
dial5 (-12 dB)
dial4 (-17 dB)
dial3 (-22 dB)
dial2 (-27 dB)
dial1 (-29 dB)
dial0 (-29 dB)
As noted above, the actual usable range of the attenuator dials is from "1" to "9" representing a maximum range of 29 dB. Changing the dial settings between "0" and "1" , and between "9" and "10" has no effect at all.
For actual acoustic recordings using a pair of sensitive, high output external cardioid mics, recording classical music with a peak acoustic level hitting around 85 dB SPL, I needed to set the coarse switch to "H" and the attenuator to "7.5" to get good recordings that peaked at around -4 dB or -3 dB on the DR 100 meters.
Other than the "wimpy" phantom power supply, I do like this recorder. It's capable of making fine, professional level recordings as long as you are aware of its limitations.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder

A great choice for recordists--from musicians to podcasters--who need a reliable handheld recorder with advanced recording features, the rugged Tascam DR100 portable recorder offers four built-in electret condenser mics (two cardioid and two omni) as well as a pair of XLR mic ins with phantom power for adding pro condenser microphones.
The DR-100 includes a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, but can also be powered by AA batteries or an optional AC adapter. A built-in speaker allows for instant playback, and the metal enclosure includes a tripod mounting hole for recording flexibility. A wireless remote control is also included for remotely starting the recording.
Playback can be looped or slowed down without changing the pitch, and locate points can be added while recording. The DR-100 records to SD or SDHC cards, and a 2 GB card is included with the unit.

Key Features
Four microphones -- stereo cardioid and omni condenser mics
44.1k to 96k sampling rates for WAV file recording
MP3 and WAV file recording and playback
XLR Mic Inputs with Phantom Power
High-performance microphone preamp with 60dB of gain
Premium AKM Audio4Pro A/D converters with over 100dB signal to noise ratio
3.5mm line inputs and outputs
Low cut filter, analog limiter and auto gain control
Built-in speaker
Integrated microphone stand mount
Runs on rechargeable Li-Ion battery or AA batteries
Optional PS-P520 AC power adapter
Dimensions: 3.2 x 1.4 x 6 inches (WxHxD)

SpecificationsXLR MIC IN (L,R) inputs
Input impedance: 1.2 kΩ
GAIN HIGH setting
Standard input level: -58 dBu
Maximum input level: -42 dBu

GAIN MID setting
Standard input level: -36 dBu
Maximum input level: -30 dBu

GAIN LOW setting
Standard input level: -14 dBu
Maximum input level: +2 dBu

LINE IN input
Connector: 3.5mm stereo minijack
Input impedance: 1.2 kΩ
Standard input level: -10 dBu
Maximum input level: +6 dBu
LINE OUT input
Connector: 3.5mm stereo minijack
Standard input level: -10 dBu
Maximum input level: +6 dBu
Recording media
SD cards (64 MB - 2 GB) and SDHC cards (4 GB - 32 GB)
File system
FAT partition: FAT 16/32


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6/20/2012

TASCAM DP-008 8-Track Digital Portastudio Review

TASCAM DP-008 8-Track Digital Portastudio
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After wanting a digital multi-track for a long time, I finally decided on this model, and I'm glad I did.
One thing that is not included in a list of specs is the usability factor. I've purchased my share of electronic devices for making and recording music over the years. Just looking at a dry list of specs has often been my method of deciding on what to buy. Well, on paper the DP-008 looks good, but it's not until you use this to cut a few tracks that you realize how well it is designed. I'm SOOOO glad I didn't buy the DP-004, as this model is clearly the results of Tascam eliminating the weaker aspects of the 4 track model just in time for the 8 track version.
I have seen a lot of digital multi-tracks that look good on paper, but to use them is a real pain. The fact that the DP-008 has all the individual track knobs means that you don't have to go flipping through pages on a menu or choosing the "hot track" in some other way. Here it's all laid out logically and makes tweaking the final stereo mix a piece of cake. Sure it would be nice if there were level sliders rather than dials, but these work just fine.
I use this model to record myself playing guitar and bass, run a Boss drum machine into it, and I record vocals with an external mic though a small mixer that has some helpful effects on it. You don't need a mixer, though, as the included mics are quite good. I am able to record several tracks, "bounce" them if I want to, and then write them to a stereo master mix. Then, I export that mix on the unit itself (sounds weird, but basically you're just creating a wav file that can be seen by a computer). The final step is connecting the DP-008 to a computer and merely dragging the song files over to the computer. I then use Audacity to convert it to an ogg file or mp3.
I use Linux and the process of transferring songs to the computer is very simple. In the past you would have received a useless cd-rom with a crappy "song transfer" program and maybe some crapware to go along with it. I'm glad that Tascam has decided to treat the customer right and state it clearly: There is no need for special software. Once you export the song, it will show up as an external storage device and you can simply transfer the files over to your computer, whether it's a PC running Windows or Linux, or a Mac.

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