TASCAM DP-006 Digital Portastudio 6-Track Portable Multi-Track Recorder

• 6-track Portable Multi-track Recorder
• CD-Quality Recording (44.1kHz/16-bit)
• Built-in High-quality Stereo Condenser Microphone
• Two Mic/Line inputs
• 2G SD Card and AA Batteries Included

I don't consider Zoom's recorders particularly user friendly, but you can figure them out easily and the manual explains anything that isn't obvious. TASCAM takes user unfriendliness to a whole new level with the DP-006. Nothing is particularly intuitive, unless you're used to the way you recorded audio in the 80s, and the manual doesn't make it much easier to figure out. There are just so many steps to actually getting your audio files onto your computer that I don't even know why you'd bother. There are many, many other better devices out there that require a far smaller learning curve. This thing would be really great if it just recorded to a file and that was that. Instead, it tries to pack the features of an entire studio into this tiny little box, all the while not offering phantom power or XLR inputs (you need the DP-008EX for that). Even if you learn how to use this thing and don't mind the way it works, you'll still likely find the export times frustrating. Exporting to WAV, so you can actually access your audio on a computer, takes about the same time it took to record the audio in the first place (e.g. a 25 second file takes about 25 seconds to export). That, alone, makes me not want to bother with this thing. Other recorders and portable workstations don't require conversion and export at all.

All of that said, the hardware is very nice. It feels sturdy, the knobs, dials, and buttons are all easy to operate. The screen provides plenty of information and doesn't feel cramped (despite being small). If you want an annoyingly featured-packed device that's difficult to learn and use but has great hardware, get the DP-008EX instead of this. But with either unit, there are several other better options available at similar price points.

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This is a wonderful unit and is the heir to Tascam's budget multi-track cassette recorders that revolutionized basement recording decades ago. This is for musicians who want a single unit recording solution or a simple piece of recording equipment for the road. I love the unit for its size and simplicity. I did need the manual briefly to work through a few of the menus, but you can start recording and mixing tracks very quickly. I have no qualms about the sound quality given the price. Track manipulation is, for the most part, very fast. It is slow, however, when creating a master (so much so that I thought the unit was caught in a loop, but it just takes time). It is also slow communicating with a computer. The LCD is small and not back-lit. Masters output as wav files.

Unless your needs are extremely minimal and you want something super small, my recommendation is to get the DP-008EX which has (among other things) 8 tracks, reverb control for each channel, and 2 XLR inputs. As I write this review, the DP-008EX is only $20 more. The DP-008EX is still quite compact and it does not add much complexity. Indeed, those extra tracks give you a little more room to experiment before you need to overwrite, backup, or mix-down. The DP-008EX will, of course, draw more power (it is rated at 5.5 hours on alkaline batteries vs. 8 for the DP-006). I think both units should have included a DC wall wart.

I had no trouble connecting the unit to a Mac, though all this allows is the transfer of files to/from the SD card. I don't recommend this unit for people who mix and/or compose on a computer; really, it is best for performers who wish to avoid assembling their own digital audio workstation. I found the unit to be solidly built and well-documented. Tascam has a page on their website that shows the trial-and-error effort of recording and mixing-down the included demo song.

Cheers

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Assembling a multi-track recording at one time required expensive studio time and very expensive equipment. Just as computing, which was once only possible on massive machines that filled entire rooms that only universities or corporations could afford has now been shrunk in terms of size and affordability until most people now have powerful personal systems the size of a tablet, recording equipment has experienced a similar radical change in size and affordability. Tascam's recording device is one example,of that. The DP-006 can record and mix up to 6 tracks in CD quality. Two microphones are built right into the unit to avoid the need to carry separate microphones, to maximize portability. The unit is plastic but feels solid and durable. There are 11 button knobs to adjust a variety of input levels. Set in 3 rows, the knobs are color coded to lessen confusion. There is a Jog wheel to move among data windows and several smaller buttons that serves as controls. The unit is small, easily carried in a person's palm. Fidelity of the built in microphones is quite good and results achieved are similarly impressive. The big disappointment, as other reviewers have mentioned is that the interface is very unintuitive and even confusing so there is a steeper than necessary learning curve. It does seem more like something out of the 1980's than the 21st century. That could be forgiven if the documentation was more clear. It isn't. Once mastered, the unit is very capable considering it's extreme portability. But factoring in the difficulty of initial use diminishes the unit somewhat, though, depending on your personal needs and patience quotient, for the price it might suite your needs as a musician or enthusiast.

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I worked for a radio station 10 years ago and would have loved this. I carried an MD recorder for interviews and I had a massive set up for band recordings just to get two tracks. This is amazing. If you work for a radio station, you must have this!

For amateur musicians or others who need to record multi-track audio, there is nothing like this anywhere near the size and price.

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This little unit is a blast. When I say little, I mean it literally -it's only about 4 by 6 inches, and a little over an inch tall.

It's a terrific musical sketchpad, great for practicing or quick recordings of your latest song idea. Thanks to the quick start section in the included instruction manual, I recorded a song within ten minutes of unboxing it.

It has six tracks, but just four channels -two of the channels are stereo, two are monaural. Theoretically, since it has bounce-to-track capability, you can record unlimited tracks.

What I like most is that it isn't technically overwhelming like some standalone recorders. It has a good balance of capability and simplicity. You can do some on-board editing, and you can even "master" by mixing down your tracks. But it doesn't have audio processing or effects like reverb -which, in such a small unit, probably wouldn't be satisfactory anyway. If you want to do that kind of thing, it's best to load your tracks into a digital audio workstation on your computer and take it from there.

It does not have XLR inputs. It has two 1/4-inch jack inputs, and they are versatile. One can be switched from mic/line to guitar. The impedance of both inputs can be set to low, medium, or high. You can plug a guitar directly in, or use a powered or unpowered mic of high or low impedance.

However, it comes with built-in mics, and they do a very nice job. That makes this an extremely portable unit -practically self-contained.

It comes with batteries, a USB cord (for connecting to your computer and transferring tracks), and an SD card already installed.

If I had one small suggestion for improvement, it would be that TASCAM would include a set of ear buds. A set of ear buds would make it a totally complete and ready-to-use system right out of the box.