Description
8-Track Digital Pocketstudio
Features at a glance
- Eight mono tracks
- CD-quality recording (16bit/44.1kHz)
- 2 Built-in omni-directional condenser microphones
- Phantom power supply
DP-008EX
Digital Portastudio Multitrack Recorder
Jot down ideas for your songs using these pro sounding multi-track recorders. For extra battery life, you can add the BP-6AA external battery pack. The DP-006 and the DP-008EX have two condenser microphones built into the front of the units. Record vocals or acoustic guitar anytime without the need for extra equipment or set-up time. TASCAM carefully chose the best sounding microphones for our recorders. Modeled after the top-selling DR series microphones, you can be assured high-quality sound.
Main Features
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Simple, Easy-to-Use InterfaceBoth models are optimally designed for on-the-spot recording. No unnecessary features were included that might complicate the recording to ensure easy functionality, and dedicated knobs make recording faster than digging through menus. Designed with Portastudio functionality, these POCKETSTUDIOs are the easiest songwriting scratchpads you can buy. |
Ultra Light Weight Design – Carry It With You EverywhereThe DP-006 and the DP-008EX both feature ultra light-weight designs to ensure portability. The DP-006 is 13 oz, and the DP-008EX is 21.5 oz. (without AA batteries) |
High-Speed Data Transfer via USB2.0Both models record to widely available SD/SDHC card media (4GB card included). In addition, both models can connect to PCs via USB2.0 for high-speed data transferring. All song ideas can be transferred via USB or SD card readers to and from the units at any point in the recording process. |
Two XLR Inputs with +48V Phantom PowerThe DP-008EX can supply phantom power for condenser microphones, even when operated with AA batteries. (Notice: Operating time becomes shorter when used with phantom power supply. We recommend connecting TASCAM’s BP-6AA or a power supply when using phantom power.) |
E. A Young –
The right mix
First off, I appreciate that Tascam still bothers to make Hardware multitrack recorders at all! They can be immensely helpful for a songwriting and demo production workflow.In researching which multi track system to buy, I looked extensively into the portable Tascam line, as well as the zoom line of portable multi track recorders. I already have a Tascam dr-40 which I feel very happy having for recording live performances and notes and ideas. It has fantastic mix of quality and options, but it’s multitrack ability amounts to basically a two-track recorder, with one track record and one playback. This requires a mixdown (aka, “bounce”) for each new track. For my actual song demo workflow, I find it much easier to have more than two tracks of simultaneous playback! Secondly, in the course of putting together a demo song, it is much easier to be able to queue and record on a different track at a specific point in a song. On the dr-40, however, you must play each take all the way through from the beginning. This has its benefits, don’t get me wrong. It really forces you to get your stuff together, and really know your song inside and out. But it can also make putting together a quality demo much more tedious and stressful. If the dr-40 allowed me to separate out the two stereo tracks into two mono tracks or even one mono and one stereo track, and it allowed me to record from a queued position, then it would fit all of my needs. But it doesn’t so here I am…While I appreciate zooms transparent WAV file recording, in studying their user manuals, I have found them incredibly tedious and confusing to operate due to a lack of dedicated controls. I record only with real instruments, so the extra features of the zoom and boss recorders do not appeal to me, and quite frankly they give the units a complexity that leaves me feeling anxious. That basically left me with the Tascam units as the most Hardware Direct option.In looking at the Tascam line, I considered this unit, the dp-006 as well as its larger siblings, the dp-008ex and the dp-03sd. I ended up going with the dp-006 for the following reasons:First, all three recorders have microphones based on the portable Dr recorder line of microphones, who’s sound quality is actually very good. However, microphone placement is one of the most important factors in getting a good recording. More important than the type of mic and the quality of the preamps, Etc. The only things more important are the environment, and the Sound Source itself, which basically amounts to a quality performance and composition. Confusingly, neither the dp-008ex nor the dp-03sd have a tripod mounting option like the dp-006! This sabotages our capacity to maximize recording quality through appropriate mic placement. The dp-008ex and the dp-03sd each have built-in microphone preamps, which you will need to make use of in order to get anything in the way of decent microphone placement. While the dp-006 does not have a built-in microphone preamp, you can use its internal microphones to maximum effect. More microphones means more gear and more complexity in the setup, which creates more inhibition in the workflow. If needed, we can always add an outboard mixer feeding the dp-006 to use external mics.Second, the dp-006 gets much better battery life then its larger sibling. It has a much more portable footprint. This means I am more likely to keep it with me and to actually use it to its fullest potential! The dp-03sd requires AC power, which drastically limits it’s use as a portable device and further limits the potential to use its internal microphones fully. The dp-03sd is honestly probably too large to consider any serious placement of its internal microphones by providing a tripod mounting option, and so internal mics do not make sense for it. The dp-008ex badly needs the same tripod thread mount that the dp-006 has!Third, when recording solo I like having the option of remote control. Interestingly, the dp-008ex and the dp-03sd use different footswitch options. The former uses a standard quarter-inch Jack single-function footswitch, while the latter uses Tascams RC 3F footswitch, which I already have. In the end, however, I decided that no footswitch and better mic placement was far more important. On that note, good mic placement usually leaves the recorder within relatively easy working distance for me, practically eliminating the need for a foot switch in the first place.Fourth, and Final, the dp-006 does not have any effects or EQ on board. It has only level and pan controls, which are easily the most important controls we need to determine the potential of a good mix. After that, we have EQ, and then after that we have effects. It confuses me that the dp-008ex and the dp-03sd dedicate a precious Hardware control to a Reverb send! Their EQ section while admirable for a few rough tweaks, does not provide sufficient options for doing any serious mixing. I feel it provides a dangerous distraction. The dp008ex and the dp03sd would be much better served by replacing the dedicated Reverb knob with a dedicated assignable EQ knob for a flexible EQ section, with an easy reverb or effects and even EQ bypass switch to hear the all-important dry signal. The dp-006, in foregoing both EQ and Reverb or other effects such as compression, really requires and allows us to focus on getting good quality recording takes from the start, focusing on mic placement, recording environment which we have much more flexibility over due to the portability of the DP-006, and in the end, more focus on the performance and the composition. We can then export all the finished tracks to a digital audio Workstation for much more powerful EQ and other effects processing. Although ironically, really good takes need a lot less in the way of complex post production work!Although having only six tracks versus eight seems Limited, it is actually even more limited than that, because it is basically a four track recorder with two stereo tracks that can be assigned as mono tracks. This gives the possible configurations of four mono tracks, 3 mono tracks and one stereo track, or two Mono tracks and two stereo tracks. This provides a huge upgrade to me over the extremely limited two track recording of the otherwise fantastic dr-40 portable recorder.If anyone thinks that this unit is too limited, I strongly recommend that they read the “applications” section on the Tascam dp-006 product website. It provides a fantastic example of a usage scenario and workflow that captures the full potential of this little portable recording studio! If Tascam ever made an 8-track version of this device that also allowed control with their rc3f footswitch then I would pounce on it like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh!This could be an incredible unit if they also allowed 24-bit recording and had dedicated left/mono and right line outs for outboard effects and/or EQ.
Baron –
Easy to use with high quality sound!
The Tascam DP-008EX is a great portable recorder. It has all the basic functions you need: pan, EQ, reverb, bounce, and more. The ability to bounce tracks endlessly means you can record 3 stereo tracks, then bounce them to 1 stereo track, then record 3 more stereo tracks, bounce again, etc., giving you the ability to record dozens and dozens of tracks if needed. I use the Tascam DP-008EX primarily to record multi-track music using synthesizers (Access Virus, Novation Nova, etc.), my own vocals, and a few other things here and there. The sound quality is top notch. There is no noise I can here, even after bouncing tracks several times, there’s no noise present at all. The sound is crystal clear.In the past I used my desktop computer to record multi-track music using Sonar, and other similar Windows desktop PC apps. While these PC apps are very powerful, I found that sitting in front of a computer tends to be counterproductive musically. No matter how many features a PC app might have, it’s simply a pain to use a PC when creating music. It takes forever to boot up a PC, the apps have no real knobs to adjust, they are all mouse driven, the apps tend to have tons of menus, options, etc. Plugging in all your equipment into the computer is awkward. A PC is just not the right tool for the job. The Tascam boots up in seconds. It’s easy to use. It’s quick and easy to plug in all your equipment. Everything you need is at your finger tips with real knobs and buttons. It simply does the job perfectly and it takes very little space. Sure, the DP-008EX lacks the vast number of features a PC app might have, but it’s so simple to use, and feels so natural in a musical setup, that I now never use my computer to record music on. After using the Tascam DP-008EX, I’m now thinking of upgrading to using a 32-track recorder, like the Tascam DP-32 in the future. The only reason I would ever want to use my PC for music now is for processing files after recording them. It’s just too awkward to use a PC for recording music, even for a software engineer like myself. It’s just not the right tool for the job.PROS* Boots up in seconds.* Absolutely NO NOISE. It has crystal clear sound even after bouncing tracks many times.* No latency, drops, or audio hiccups. Unlike a PC, this NEVER happens on this unit.* Reverb sounds good. It’s not cheap sounding reverb. It’s not the best either, but its good enough.* EQ settings work great. You can adjust EQ on a per-track basis.* Knobs are high quality with smooth fading and panning.CONS* The LCD screen can be hard to read at some angles (even with the proper LCD settings). I wish it had a better display.* It eats batteries like crazy. If you use it a lot, like I do, you’ll need to buy a power supply for it.* Power supply NOT included.* Proprietary native storage format. It stores your work on MTR partitions on an SD card which can’t be read by anything other than Tascam devices. This is a pretty big negative.* Making backups to a PC and transferring music to a PC require that you export your music to wav files on a special FAT partition on the SD card. Only after exporting to wav can you then read the audio you recorded. Exporting is a slow process. This is a big negative. Why did Tascam choose not to use FAT 32 and normal wav files to store all your recordings on in the first place? Why have this export feature? It’s a pain to deal with it. Fortunately you only need to do this when you’re done recording your music. But still, Tascam should not have done it this way. This is a really bad idea. I hope they stop doing this in the future. They should use 100% standard SD file partitions and standard file formats for all your audio work. That’s the proper way to do it.WISH LISTI love the DP-008EX because it’s so small and easy to use. I only wish it had more tracks to record on and a better LCD display. But it is an 8 track recorder, and I knew that when making the purchase. However, I find, being a synthesizer guy, that I really like having 16 tracks. I tend to use the bounce feature often to get more tracks out of this unit. I would prefer if this unit had the ability to record 16 tracks. That would be perfect. But the size would double if it had twice as many knobs, and it would be too big. It would be great if it had 16 tracks, but only 8 sets of knobs, and the ability to select which tracks the knobs were for (i.e., the first 8 or the second 8 of 16 tracks). Or possibly add a mode where you have 8 stereo tracks (16 mono tracks) instead of 8 mono tracks, were pan is a stereo balance control instead of a pan control. That way the unit would still be small and portable but support more tracks.CONCLUSIONThe only major negative is the proprietary storage format used by Tascam. This is a big drawback. Other than that, the unit is great. It’s easy to use. It boots up quickly. It has fantastic sound quality. The knob controls are smooth. I use it all the time and I love it. I highly recommend the Tascam DP-008EX!UPDATE: I bought this way back in 2013. It’s now nearing the end of summer 2021. 8 years have passed and it still works great! Absolutely no issues in 8 years. It’s really a quality piece of equipment. Money well spent!
Unimon –
Extremely well engineered, solid, and multi-talented
The only “bad” thing about this is it can only record two tracks at a time. That’s fine for it’s intended purpose.I have a Zoom mic/recorder for making quality recordings on the go. I originally got this to supplement the Zoom recorder, and have the editing capabilities and mixing capabilities this device adds while on the road, with no PC required. This is an important thing to consider in purchasing one of these that is rarely mentioned in other reviews:If you find ANY limitations in the editing/mixing capabilities of this unit, don’t sweat it. Export your tracks to a DAW on your Laptop, and voila!, no limits. That’s it!Nitpicking: It would be nice to have sampling rates higher than 48,000 HZ, and bit depth beyond 16 bit.The bottom line: This product does what it says and more. It is…. TOTALLY AWESOME.Buy a power supply for it, and a case to put it in so you don’t bang it up. Looks like it could last a lifetime if you don’t manhandle it or spill drinks on it. Pack a few audio cables, a good pair of earbuds, extra batteries, and maybe some additional mics if you need ’em and you’ll never be “away from the studio”.THANK YOU TASCAM!I use this unit for recording music (as in me and/or my band), and recording and producing radio programming for broadcast.I am stingy with stars, and this got 5. This should tell you something.UPDATE 3/2022 – I’ve been using this for purposes other than recording music now. Sometimes I sit it on the living room coffee table connected to a digital interface to the 4K Screen and use it to grab audio bits that I use in radio production. For any use of this device, learning how to use the interface is the key to satisfaction. If you can’t learn it, it’s not going to work for you. The user interface is designed for folks who are going to be recording and producing music and already understand multi-track workflow. If you don’t… that will be another hurdle. If you do, it will all make sense. Note that if you have big fat fingers, you may hate this unit. If you have reasonably small fingers, it shouldn’t be a problem. I play keys and sax, not guitar, so my fingers are delicate and don’t have a lot of callous like some stringed instrument players.I’m OK with the user interface despite its few limitations and not being as graphical as the most modern stuff, so I bought the big brother dp32-sd. Skills are transferable between the two. Unfortunately, audio files are not! To move between the 008EX and the dp32-sd I have to either export individual tracks, or master to 2 tracks and export. Then import on the receiving side using a PC to copy from one SD to the other. It would have been great if you could just swap the SD card. 32G SD cards are the maximum you can use.I’ve discovered that if you read the manual, there are some “hidden” features not visible on the user-interface or legends on the case. For example, F3/F4 (set in and out points) works from the home screen. This turns out to be a very convenient shortcut. Using a pedal to punch in/out works great, and that’s it. It can’t be used to help with editing which would have been a nice feature. The DP32-sd with its 3 switch pedal provides a lot more function that’s not available on the 008EX.Bottom line for this update. Non-fat-fingers, understanding multi-track workflow, and tolerance for not-slick graphical interfaces and the latest bling — you’ll be golden with this. Otherwise, you might not be satisfied. Could you produce a professional-sounding CD with this: Definitely, if you have the skills.
BW –
The best $200 I have ever spent
The DP-008EX is easily the best $200 I have ever spent.My background:-Intermediate acoustic guitar player + vocalist-Experienced in DAWs-Emphasis on writing songs, not “production value”I’ve only had this device for a few days and I can already say it is worth every penny. Here’s why:-The amount of functionality and quality you get out of a device this small and affordable is simply unheard of.-The built-in mics really are as good as other reviewers say. One could almost say the $200 is worth the mics alone. Audiophile snobs will surely disagree, but 90% of people using this device I think will find the mics to be more than sufficient.-I was able to lay down a 5-track recording, mixdown, and master in about 30 minutes from opening the box. Exporting and copying the song to my iMac using the USB interface was very easy and straightforward. The final product sounds better than anything I’ve done in a DAW, although I am not an audio engineer by any means.-While you will have to drill down in menus on occasion, there are enough dedicated buttons to make most of the useful functions only one button press away (sort of: I’ll get back to this).-You can monitor during playback and recording with absolutely no latency that I can tell.-The unit powers on in seconds. Once you’re at the home screen (and assuming you had a song previously loaded) you can immediately start recording. All your work will be saved when you power off the unit.-The simplicity of this device and the dedicated knobs makes the recording process a lot simpler and more fun than using a DAW in my opinion. I set this thing on my ottoman and crank out tunes from the couch. I record percussion tracks by punching the ottoman for a “kick” sound and tapping the guitar for a “snare” sound. It sounds amazing.I would like to take a moment to debunk some of the complaints I’ve read in other reviews:-Many say the battery life is weak. This doesn’t surprise me based on all the functions this unit provides. A little tip I picked up from reading the manual: you can set an auto shut-off time for the backlight. This might help the battery life a little bit. Just get the power supply if you’re worried about it, and pack a bunch of batteries with you if you’re going to go record in the woods. Get rechargeable so you can juice them up again when you’re at home.-One reviewer complained that the phantom power takes two button presses to enable even though there is a dedicated button for it. I assure you Tascam did this on purpose, so that you do not inadvertently turn on phantom power and kill your battery life (or a connected mic that doesn’t support it).-The most common complaint seems to be that it’s hard to use. I assure you that anyone with even a tiny bit of multi-track recording experience (in a DAW or elsewhere) should find this unit very intuitive and easy to use. If you are new to multi-track recording, take your time and read the manual. It is one of the best-written manuals I’ve seen in a long time. They left nothing out, and the quick start guide should get you up and running right away. I don’t know how they could have made anything any simpler on this device without sacrificing functionality or introducing problems/confusion. If you think this is too complicated, multi-track recording just isn’t for you.-Some complain about the real-time mixdown and mastering. If you are using the DP-008EX for its intended purpose, your songs should not be longer than 5 minutes or so. That’s 10 minutes of total wait time to export your master. Big deal. If you are trying to record 3-hour long band practices, look elsewhere. The DP-008EX is designed for recording individual songs. Don’t leave a negative review because you used the product for something it wasn’t intended for.-A couple people said the metronome is so quiet it is not usable. I agree that the metronome could be louder, but there is a very simple solution to this: turn down your master volume, increase your headphone/monitor volume. The metronome volume does not change with the master volume (it has its own dedicated volume setting). This should not have been hard to figure out.-Some complain about the 2-second count-in for auto punch in/out. I actually agree with this one. Tascam should just release a software update that increases this time (or make it configurable by the user). Not a deal breaker though.To summarize, this is the best piece of studio gear I have ever purchased. I can produce songs with this thing that sound as good as my $2k studio setup, and I can do it literally anywhere I want. Whether you are a professional or a beginner, this unit has something for everyone at a price for everyone.
Ken –
Great value, great fun
UPDATE: I originally said the manual did not list the power consumption of this unit. That is not correct, I noticed that it does — it lists the power consumption as 1 Watt maximum. That means the power adapter has to be 5 volts with no less than 200 milliamps. —–I have an old Tascam Porta 05 4-track tape recorder that I bought new in 1987. Yes, it still works fine after all these years. Hopefully the Tascams these days are as well made, we’ll see! I bought this DP-006 to replace it, along with a 2×2 USB audio interface for use separately with at DAW. I got both of these together for a small fraction of what that old Porta 05 cost me back in the day.It’s a great little machine. The manual is very good and thorough (don’t lose it!). It had me up and running in no time. I started downloading and installing the DAW software for my USB audio interface, and this always takes forever — these are multi-gigabyte downloads. Add to that the time it takes to install and update the drivers for the USB interface (which gave me trouble), and it easily can (and did) take pretty much the whole day. And then you have to learn the DAW. Meanwhile, while the downloads were going, I had plenty of time to go through the Tascam manual more than once, learn its features, and even put down a six track recording (vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drum machine, and ukulele). It even happened that one of the ground wires inside my electric bass had come lose, and I resoldered it — got it all in before the DAW (mine was a 30-gigabyte monster).So, it does take a little time to learn the features of the Tascam, but when you put in perspective, it hardly seems too much to ask.The great feature of this Tascam is its extreme portability. Also, it’s great to lay down basic blues, rock or jazz rhythm tracks to practice soloing and improvisation, for example. Or also to record yourself conveniently so you can listen back from the observer perspective and notice things you might not pick up on when you’re concentrating on performance. It’s very handy.Others have remarked about the power cord, well this is one thing that SHOULD have changed over the years. It was a bad deal back when the Porta studios cost hundreds and hundreds, but even worse when you have a $79 unit. They still price them at $40 a piece. You can get cheaper non-Tascam ones, I paid $9.99 for mine (hasn’t arrived yet tho). Disappointingly the manual does not list the power requirements, but rooting around on the Internet I found the specs of Tascam’s adapter.They are: 5V 2000mA 10W Max Tip Size: 2.5mm x 5.5mm (Inner diameter x Outer diameter). The pin on the connector is positive. So the adapter is capable of putting out a lot of current. I doubt the DP-006 uses the full 2 amps at any time, but as a rule you don’t want to run anything under-amped. You do need a 5 Volt adapter. Having more amps available than necessary is fine, but you don’t want less.That’s asking for trouble, so unless anybody can say what the actual engineered current draw for the DP-006 truly is, I wouldn’t recommend running any adapter on it that’s not 5 Volt, 2 Amp. That’s a change for the worse, my old Porta 05 4-track did list out these kinds of specifications in the manual. [UPDATE: The manual DOES list power consumption after all. It’s listed as 1 Watt maximum. That means you need to have 5 volt adapter that can handle at least 200 milliamps.]This thing does put down its own filesystem on the SD cards, one that Windows or OS X can’t read. So, there is a conversion step that has to happen when you export your songs or tracks to the computer. People have complained that it takes too long. I tried it with my one recorded song, and I didn’t think it was too bad. But I did mix and master it on the DP-006, as we do on the old Portas from before the age of the DAW. So I only had the finished song to export, no biggie, not six separate tracks.I saw some comments where people said the onboard mikes weren’t sensitive enough. You can set their level, though. They have three sensitivity levels: low, mid and high. Default is low. I had them on low, and I found them to be more than adequate. Quite nice actually. In fact, the air conditioner unit kicked on outside when I was doing my vocal track. It doesn’t make a lot of noise, just a new low hum. I didn’t think the DP-006’s mikes were going to pick it up, but dang it they did, had to re-take it.I tried out a few additional features, the metronome and the chromatic tuner. The metronome is useful, helping you synchronize things. It will appear in your headphones, but not in the recording (unless you tell it to show up in the recordings). I couldn’t get the tuner to work, but I didn’t give it too much time, this is undoubtedly user-error. I don’t really need it. Still operating off the trusty old 440 A tuning fork here.I think it’s a great piece of equipment. Well worth it.
Alejandro C –
Just perfect!
Super portable!, capture with very good quality! Very easy, just need a power AC but work fine with battery’s for a few hours…
Philip D. Miller –
A great unit with a few short comings
Although I am an amateur musician, I have been involved in sound and recording since 1984. I currently own 3 multi-track recorders. A Tascam 488 MkII (old analog 8 track cassette), a Boss Micro BR 4 track and now the Tascam DP-008EX. Not to mention DAW programs I have used over the years (Cubase, Sonar).Build Quality 5 Stars (out of 5)My first impression after taking the DP-008EX out of the box was wow! It feels very sturdy and well built. The knobs all have a very nice resistance when turning them. It also has separate inputs for the balanced (Microphone inputs) and unbalanced (Guitar/Bass/Line). This is a nice change from recent units that combine them. This means you can leave mics and line inputs connected at the same time. Combine the weight with the rubber feet on the bottom and you have a unit that will stay where you put it. That being said, calling this a “Pocket Studio” is bit of a stretch. The display is also very clear albeit a bit small. Even with my aging eyes I have had no problems reading it.Setup: 5 Stars (out of 5)Getting started was quite simple. Even if you have no experience with multi-track recorders, the quick start guide in the manual should get you up and recording in about 5 minutes. Understanding the mix down and mastering features will take a bit more understanding of the unit but there is nothing here that should be too difficult to understand. The manual is indexed and well laid out.Sound Quality: 5 out of 5I am very impressed with the built in microphones on this unit. They are very sensitive but quiet, even with the gain kicked up a bit. My Micro BR had an annoying hiss when you kicked up the gain too much. The line inputs are also very quiet and work well with keyboards, synths and drum machines.Features (3 out of 5)I am being a little harsh here because the unit basically does everything I purchased it for. There are however units out there that do a lot more but of course at a higher price. For example, this unit only contains basic effects such as reverb and compression. Units like the more expensive Zoom R8 have guitar multi-effects units that can give you distortion, phasers, flangers right out of the box, you just plug your guitar in, choose an effect and go. This unit also has no drum machine and cannot act as a USB sound source for your computer. Once again though given the price I paid for it, I really wasn’t expecting or needing these features but you should be aware of it. Here are some of the main features of the unit:8 recordable tracks (2 simultaneous record, 8 playback)4 Modes: Multitrack, Bounce, Mix Down and Master1 shelving EQ per Track (2 band)4 Effects (Reverb, Compressor, Exciter and De-esser)Auto and Manual Punch In/OutFull track editing including Copy/Cut/Paste/Move/ClearOne of my few complaints about this unit is the auto punch feature. For those of you who are new to recording, punch in and punch out is a feature that allows you to correct errors in a recording without re-recording the entire track. You typically set the “Punch in” point just before the mistake, and set the punch out point a few seconds later. You then start the recorder and start playing along with the track you are fixing. When the punch in point is reached, the recorder begins recording over the mistake area and continues until the punch out point. When done correctly you can seamlessly correct errors. The feature on this recorder works but only plays 2 seconds of the track before recording starts. This makes it difficult to sync your playing with the track you are trying to fix. Other multi-track recorders I have used allow you to start the recorder any time before the punch in point. The work around for this is to use the manual punch in/out mode but this requires you to hit the play/record buttons on the unit or use a foot switch (sold separately).Also, this unit only supports WAV files. In case you don’t know, WAV files are completely uncompressed and can be huge. In other words, if you want to actually share your recordings with your friends and family, you will have to transfer them to your computer and then use another program (such as iTunes) to convert the WAV file to a more portable format like MP3 or M4A. My Boss Micro BR can mix down directly to MP3 format which is rather convenient and makes the Micro BR a truly self-contained unit.ProsExcellent recording quality with the built-in micsSturdy well-built unitGreat sounding reverbMastering effects built inConsNot the greatest battery life and AC adapter is sold separatelyOnly 2 seconds of play back before auto punch in.No MP3 support means using an external program to convert to a more portable formatFinal ThoughtsOver all I give the Tascam DP-008EX 4 out of 5 stars. It is a wonderfully solid well-built unit with a few short comings, but at a price of $149, I don’t think anything else even comes close. If you don’t need all of the bells and whistles that units like the Zoom R8 offer, this unit is a great choice. The built in mics offer great sound quality for acoustic instruments such as guitar while still providing inputs for keyboards, microphones, bass and guitar.
Eric prevatte –
very easy to use
i don’t have any experience with this new technology and I am trying to figure out how to use things like this and I will say that I haven’t had any problems with this
JB –
Great product for the price
Very simple to use. The built in mics sound great, and I’ve used many in my lifetime. The built in reverbs sound good too. You’ll need a very silent room to use the mics, because they are very sensitive. You can hear a cat meow across the street from your living room, lol. I would definitely recommend paying a little more for this 8 track over the 4 track version, which I also own.
JOSÉ NETO –
É um exelente excelente produto! Original
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