TASCAM Model 24 Mixer / Interface / Recorder

[Roy Carroll]

Has anyone used this new recorder? 24 in and 22 out.
I am wondering what the drawbacks would be?
Seems to be very portable. Thanks for the opinions and info.

[ajm]

I believe that they also make another similar product, a Model 12 or something. User, a.k.a. you, to verify. ;>))

I have been curious about them as well.
I have a very old Tascam 788 that I love.
Just like my recorder, I too am a dinosaur.
That means that I don't ask much, and the 788 meets all of my needs.

I have not found a replacement should it ever bite the dust, and have pretty much resigned myself to going with a computer based system in the future.

However...........
Because of your post, I did some quick re-snooping of the Model 12 and 24.

It appears that the Model 12/24 will do *some* of the things that my old 788 will do, but not all of them.
Some of the missing functions include digital editing, virtual tracks, some auto punch functions, etc etc etc.
It appears that the model 12/24 are intended as primarily a means to only record tracks, mostly in a live environment.
If you want to do any further digital edits, "special" punch ins/outs, etc, you need to transfer the tracks to a computer.

MIDI: It appears that it will not provide a master clock to sync up with a drum machine.

Also, it does not look like it will work/function as a DAW controller.

So, if you are looking for a stand alone recording studio/system, it may fall short of that.

The ideal situation would be to go to a place where they have a Model 12/24, and someone there knowledgeable on it, and ask them a list of questions.
Good luck with that.

Support: My experience with Tascam support is that it is basically non-existent. This is from several encounters over a 20 year period.

[Jim Fogle]

The TASCAM model 12 and 24 are essentially mixers that also can record. I can understand where they are nice for recording church services, conferences, legal proceedings and practices but I'd hate to use one in a home studio.

Your 788 is an eight track digital portastudio which has the tools needed to record, edit and mix a song. Most would consider the 788 to be a hardware recording studio.

Tascam's equivalent are the DP-03SD and DP-08EX. Both are book sized 8 track recorders that can run from a power pack or off batteries. One big difference from your 788 is neither unit has a CD burner or use a hard drive for storage. Instead they use a SD card.

Zoom makes the R8 which can be used as a recorder, computer audio interface or computer DAW surface controller. https://www.zoom-na.com/products/produc ... er-sampler

Tascam also makes two desktop, AC power only, hardware DAWS; the DP-24SD and DP-32SD. Both devices have eight inputs and offer either 24 or 32 tracks.

https://tascam.com/us/category/PortaStu ... d_Trainers

Hardware recorders are computers designed to perform one job, handle audio. They rarely crash, require little maintenance and few updates.

All of these recorders are nearing end-of-life in the product cycle. That means they are mature products and available for surprising low prices.

TASCAM got caught up in the great Gibson money drain and bankruptcy so support slipped. It's now a standalone company and support seems to have improved.

[ajm]

Jim Fogle: Thanks for the detailed reply.
I think that your first paragraph sums up my feelings about the Model 12/24.

However, a couple of minor things.

None of the current Tascam stand alone porta studios, nor the Zooms, have any MIDI capability.
Nor CD. (As I said, I could live without the CD feature.)

So in that sense, IMO, Tascam has taken a step backwards with respect to my 20 year old 788.
Why? I'll never figure it out.
The DP24 SD and DP32 SD actually HAD the MIDI as well as the CD burner at one time.
They were the DP24 and DP32.
Why they stripped those features out, I'll never know.

There was a post on here a while back, I believe from Greg Cutshaw.
He still needs/uses a computer and DAW, but he has a way of using a Zoom to record the non-drum instruments.
Basically:
- Record a drum arrangement/song/click track on the computer using your DAW.
- Transport it to the Zoom as a WAV file.
- Then use your Zoom to record the other instruments.
Note that they will be in time with your "click track".
- When you have the other instruments recorded, transfer all of it back to the computer/DAW as WAV files.
- Now, you can use the drum program in the computer to enhance the drums.
After that, then you do your final mixing/mastering on the computer.
Very clever.

[Jim Fogle]

My guess is the MIDI ports were removed to justify selling at a lower cost. The retail cost of a DP-24 was $999 US when it was first introduced as a replacement for the TASCAM 2488neo. Now the DP-24SD retails for $399 and sometimes it is bundled with other TASCAM products like headphones. Most owners would feel bad if they paid $999 for something now selling for $399.

Like you, I'd prefer a recorder with MIDI but there are workarounds when it's not available.

I believe it's a good recording practice to introduce a tempo mapped click track early in a song project whenever possible. Some people do not use one but it sure is helpful to have it when you do want one.

I use my rough draft guide track to create a tempo map click track. I believe the tempo map humanizes my music and helps retain the mood.

[George Biner]

Tascam has historically made good stuff, but be careful, a couple of years ago they changed their warranty period from one year parts and labor to one year parts and **90 days** labor -- so after 90 days, you to pay them to fix it. I'm not aware of other manufacturers doing this.

That's a deal breaker for me, after years of using Tascam, no more. If they can't stand behind it then forget it.

[ajm]

Tascam customer service: When I got my 788 back in 2001 they weren't awful, but nothing to write home about either.

Since that time, over the years, with questions on not only the 788 but other newer items as well, I now basically consider them non-existent.

YMMV.

[Jim Fogle]

In Tascam's defense, consider that the parent company, Teac, was owned by Gibson when Gibson went into bankruptcy.

Teac is now employee owned but the sale was not completed until March, 2020. https://www.lincolninternational.com/tr ... rporation/

[Roy McKinney]

I have a 2488 and a 488 I would like to get rid of!

[Jim Fogle]

Roy,

Which model of the 2488 do you have? There is the 2488, 2488 MKII and the 2488 neo.

The 2488 has a 40GB hard drive, green display background, built-in 64 voice general midi synth and a tap tempo button.

The 2488 MKII has a 80GB hard drive, white display background and looses the synth card and tap tempo button.

I don't remember the difference between the MKII and neo, maybe someone will add that information.

The 488 is a four track cassette recorder with an eight channel mixer, correct?

[Roy McKinney]

Jim, the 2488 is a neo with 80gb hard drive.

The 488 has 8 channels and is a 8 track tape (not 4 track)