Tascam DP-008 and PortaOne multi-track recorders

A comparison of old and new technologies: the 1980s Tascam PortaOne Ministudio (a four-track cassette recorder) and the new Tascam DP-008 Pocketstudio (digital 44.1/16 bit, eight-track recorder) from 2010.

While this video was meant to be more nostalgic than anything else, I guess it ended up as a review of the DP-008, which I am so very please with. I received my DP-008 one week ago and have used it every day since! I doubt I'll ever have these two units out again, side by side like this, so I decided to shoot a video.

I purchased by PortaOne new in 1987 and used it for over a decade until I became more and more involved with computer recording. It was always a very reliable machine.

Recently I decided to update some things in my studio and looked at what Tascam had to offer. I had been using their digital DR-1 for field recordings and for some of my musical projects, but really was in need of a multi-track recorder. Initially I was going to purchase Tascam's four track DP-004 (even had it in my "cart" on Amazon), but after looking up the price of the DP-008 (their scaled-up eight-track recorder), and comparing its features to my needs, it was a no-brainer. I couldn't be more happy, now that I own a DP-008!!

It is feature-laden, offers many user-changeable settings (input assignments, mic/line levels, etc....), and is quite intuitive to operate.

The only down side of the DP-008 is perhaps the way in which tracks and masters are transferred to the computer. Unlike a lot of things these days, where you plug in and software guides you through the transfer, the DP-008 has no such interface software. Tracks have to be prepared within the unit (Exported, as it's called) before they can be accessed on the SD card. This consumes time, and also memory of the SD card. It takes about 80% of the playing length time of a Master Track to be exported onto the partition of the SD card. After this, it's easily accessed on your computer. But, again, there is no "plug and play" type of file transfer. Not a big deal, but you'll be reading and re-reading the manual, then scratching your head more than once or twice as well.

Also, there's a typo in the Owner's Manual that may have you pulling your hair out! Unfortunately, they give a wrong page number in reference to a topic and it makes matters quite complicated if you find yourself needing the real page. Here's the line, from PAGE 68, first paragraph:

'As described in "Partitions and songs," (page 47), SD cards formatted......"

The page given SHOULD READ "page 36," NOT 47!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, this rather lengthy video was more a trip down memory lane than anything else, since I found myself coming across the old PortaOne lastnight while digging around in the closet in my music room. But it also turned out to be a review, of sorts, on the DP-008. So I hope it's helpful for anyone considering a quality, digital studio recorder.

Seriously, for the price, no musician should be without a DP-008! They're a great learning tool, and produce studio quality masters.

Hope this is helpful to some and not too boring to others. Thanks,

Dave

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Tascam
• TEAC
• DP008
• DP-008
• PortaOne
• ministudio
• pocketstudio

[madeyes4u]

Hey, how would I hook up a microphone to that PortaOne? I just got a hold of an old one, but I see that they only have Line-In inputs...obviously, my current microphones are XLR. What do I do? Am I just screwed?

[DavesTrumpet]

@madeyes4u Thanks for your comment. You'll need an XLR-to-1/4" adapter. They're fairly inexpensive.

[telj1]

Thanks for the video. Like you I had the gp as a kid back in the day. The new one is on the way and I can't wait. It's all of what I need to be with or WITHOUT my mac or pc when on the go. And I could also bout this up real quick instead of the MBP to catch ideas before I forget em.

[DavesTrumpet]

@telj1 Thanks for your kind words. You're really going to like the portability of the new Tascam. Good luck and have fun!

[blranch8]

Dave, Do you know if you can use the Tascam DP-008 as a mixing board for live gigs by plugging it into a speaker ?

[DavesTrumpet]

@blranch8 Hi. It probably would't work as a mixer for too many applications since there are only TWO inputs to work with on the DP-008. In a live band situation, the Tascam would be better to capture mixed sound (L/R) off of the mixer board. The only Tascam Portastudio I know of with more than 2 inputs is the 2488neo. It has EIGHT.

[LoveFoPrince]

I recently bought the PortaOne and realized it had no XLR inputs, and I only have microphones with XLR cables, do u think if I bought an XLR mini stereo jack and connected it to the mic cable and into the portastudio, it would work just fine? I use a mini jack for my headphones and it works just fine with the 4 track.

Tnx

Great vid!

[black47csk]

@miradassimplesrock + I use a different sdcard and the DP-008 gave ne the option of formatting the disk to work with the Tascam...so far so good...would stick with San Didk...PS if you can wait I order my SDisks fro Hong kOng, they take 12-14 days but for an GB disk for 10.US including shipping it is well worth it...I still haven't figure out how to properly partition the disk so that I can save to my PC and reuse the crad.

[Emilyg384]

hey, I got the DP-008 for christmas, but I can't work out how you put backing tracks onto the recorder to sing along to? please help me?

[miradassimplesrock]

@DavesTrumpet thanks for this review. I have two inquires...I'd like to know which SD card shall I buy with more capacity as I found that there are SD/SDHC cards class 2,4,6,10? I was thinking in buying one 8gb but there are different class ones...is it the same to get class 2, or 4 or 6 etc??

Another inquire....is it possible to connect electronic drums via line in and get it recorded in one of the channels? I asume that if it's connected to an amplifier like a guitar, then it should be posible

[miradassimplesrock]

@DavesTrumpet thanks for this review. I have two inquires...I'd like to know which SD card shall I buy with more capacity as I found that there are SD/SDHC cards class 2,4,6,10?? I was thinking in buying one 8gb but there are different class ones...is it the same to get class 2, or 4 or 6 etc??

Another inquire....is it possible to connect electronic drums (Roland TD-4) via line in get it recorded?? I asume that if it's connected to an amplifier like a guitar, then it should be posible

[7000ironman]

@stripes5150 i used to feel the same way a couple months ago until i went on ahead and purchased this dp-008, and man..i gotta tell you..its just like a porta studio user wise but the sound is incredible, man. i own a tascam 424 and 424mkIII and there is a big difference. the digital recordings are so clear and you can mix the tracks up any way you want. like piece together a guitar solo. man, give it a try, because like i said i used to feel the same way about digital, too

[stripes5150]

I'll take the tape 4 track over the digital shit

[CrimsonEmpire]

Hey Great Video! Very helpful. I just got the porta one and I'm trying to hook up an SM58 to it but I think there might be an impedance issue with it. Do you have any idea what the input impedance on the porta one is? Thanks!

[CrimsonEmpire]

yes! this is the model I just got! excited to learn how to use it.