DP-008EX 8-Track Digital Pocketstudio Multitrack Recorder, Built-in Mics, Songwriting, Battery Operated

I'm coming to multi-track recording late in the game - doing it for the first time in my mid-30's and having actually learned to do it first on my iPad and iPhone (using a variety of interfaces for guitar and audio sources into a DAW). So it's a little hard to articulate why I was drawn to the TASCAM DP-008EX, when it arguably offers far less editing capability and flexibility than a DAW. But, for me, I found the affordability, variety of input options, and simplicity for capturing ideas quickly to be very appealing with the DP-008EX. It even motivated me to purchase a dynamic microphone (SM-57 copy) and mic stand to finally attempt to mic and record some of my amps at home! I will keep this review short, since I'm somewhat of a novice user and haven't put in the hours yet to fully explore this device. But I found relatively simple to get working "out of the box". There are a few design choices that feel archaic, such as the way inputs are assigned and pretty much anything having to do with the LCD interface. But keep in mind that those choices are part of what keeps this an affordable product for people who might not have used a multi-track recorder before, and for whom basic functionality (off a set of batteries, nonetheless) is more important than bells and whistles. I found that the purchase of the DP-008EX led to a few other inexpensive purchases, including a 1/8" to 1/4" mono cable and the XLR cable for the aforementioned dynamic mic purchase. (I've actually heard the on-board condenser mics aren't half bad, but positioning those in front of a guitar amp while trying to start a recording seemed like a non-starter to me). One early concern I've read about and experienced with the use of an external mic is that the recording levels seemed low. However, there are a number of settings that impact this, including a switch on the back of the device, and a series of recording levels you can designate in the LCD menus. So, come to think of it, I might not have explored all of those options, in addition to being a total novice when it comes to mic placement and recording levels. I did record some other audio sources (iOS instruments and Korg Volca synths and drum machine) and had little problem getting the levels where I wanted them. So, why buy a DP-008EX when you can purchase a $10 DAW and an interface and record directly on a mobile device? For me, it's much the same reason why I still enjoy playing real life guitar amps and effects pedals versus modeling software offering far more variety in sounds...it's just a much more satisfying experience working with physical gear. In my case, I already had the guitars, effects pedals, and even preamp "direct" pedals, so the DP-008EX was an affordable way to capture recordings without getting bogged down in a bunch of software. The lack of an included power supply is a bit disappointing at this price point, but I might try using Eneloop rechargeable batteries for awhile in lieu of being tied to a wall plug. Really liked the level control, pan, and reverb send knobs laid out physically on the display. Getting content off of the device sounds a little harder than it should be in 2016, but I'd rather have difficulty on that end than hassle on the front end when I'm trying to record ideas.

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.

If you enjoyed using the old cassette 4 track recorders, then you will find this is easier and better to use. The nuances of eq-ing, de-essing and so on have passed me by in this first week of use, but I've put together two passable songs in a very short period of time, bouncing down, mixing to multiple stereo pairs, using the very natural sounding automatic mastering function, transferring my mastered song to the FAT portion of the SD card.. the whole thing is so much easier than it should be. And no tape noise. People who complain about the proprietary format on the active part of the SD card probably bought the wrong recorder. This device is a stand alone device. If you wanted something to extract individual tracks and work with them on your computer, then this isn't it. And is the almost real time transfer to the FAT portion of the drive a problem? I don't think so personally. It's exciting - you've worked for hours on a song. Is three minutes while it processes such a pain? The internal mics are great. I was going to buy a mic, but honestly I don't see the point. I might get a vocal processing unit if such a thing exists, and if it does, I would get a mic. It would be nice to have the ability to do something with my voice outside of what this box can do with its fairly limited reverb. Still though - this box rules. Get an adaptor or you will be recharging like nobody's business.

Great for small-scale 'home studio production'. Incredible capabilities built in to such a compact device. Signal to noise ratio in the pre-amps is excellent. Used to have the 6-track cassette version of the portastudio decades ago; way more 'bang for the buck' in this version! Quality hasn't changed, it's less than half the size of its 'grandfather' and very rugged. Love that a final mixdown may be rendered without too much effort. The Phantom power feature on the XLR inputs enables long extension cords for on-site recording (using powered mics) without picking up much ambient EMF interference; good for live recording as a result. The display and firmware takes some getting used to, but it's logically laid out and uses protocols from the recording industry so learning how to use it is not a wasted effort as this may be helpful as you 'upgrade' your studio hardware and skills. Replaced the disposable batteries provided with rechargeable Li-ion cells with no decrease in performance. A 4-hour session drained the 2400 mAh a fair bit but they held up. If no replacement batteries are available, a quality power supply would be a useful investment. Best to get something 'Taskam approved' to cover any warranty if something goes wrong. Places semi-pro capability within the financial reach of those with tight budgets. Small enough to fit into a guitar case with the instrument as well!

8 track recorder that is easy to use. There are plenty of YouTube videos and the recorder comes with FULL printed user manual. This is becoming less the rule these days. You can download the manual if you wish. The quick start up guide takes you through the main features of recording, downloading to two tracks and mastering to .wav format. The quality of the internal microphones are very good but a good external mic will improve quality. You can also plug in electronic instruments directly. You can monitor as you go through wired headphones. The DP-008EX T provides a lot of options for inputs and outputs. All in all a good piece of equipment for anybody wanting to record more than one track with the advantage of being portable.

Just great. Amazing sound and features. No latency. No fussing with drivers and extra equipment and cluttered DAW UIs. Great presets for compression and mastering. I’ve had so much better results on this than with Logic. Let’s you focus on what matters - capturing your musical expression. I use an NT1A with its phantom powered input and the results have been great for vocals and percussion. It’s built in mic’s may be ok but I’ve always used my NT1A. If I don’t have the NT1A handy then I’m glad the built in mic’s are there! Line inputs for synth and guitars work great too. Only thing that I see as missing is the option to convert time code and in/out points to bars/measures (if recording with the metronome) instead of minutes and seconds. But this hasn’t really prevented me from working at all. Was just surprised. Works very professionally. This really is a portable studio. It gets deep, but you can learn all of its functionality in about one evening. It's worth investing the time to learn this machine's capabilities. The build quality is good. Knobs don’t wobble. Feels great. Bought a zippered amazon gadget case to protect it from dust and scratches.

I bought this machine as a step up from my wonderful BOSS MicroBR 4 track, which has amply served my needs for a number of years. The 8 tracks on the TASCAM give me a lot more flexibility and the controls are generally more intuitive than on the BOSS. The manual is clear and well written, and I succeeded in recording a professional quality demo' in a few hours. The mixing and mastering process is a little bit trickier than I'm used to, but I'm sure I'll grasp it better in time. As with all machines of this type, there's a lot packed into a small package and I don't think the unit would be any the worse if some of its more arcane functions - mastering tools, three different types of reverb, menu-driven individual track EQ - were quietly dropped from future versions in the interests of simplicity of operation. All in all though, a great machine and I hope it will serve me for many years to come.