- Two XLR mic/line inputs with phantom power for condenser microphones
- Eight-track recording at uncompressed 44.1k/16-bit audio quality
- Portastudio-based interface with volume fader, pan, effect send, high and low EQ controls per channel
- EQ frequency button to access high and low EQ shelf frequencies
- USB 2.0 interface for transferring tracks, mixes and backup files to a computer
First, even though you are using a CF Card and you can use up to an 8 gig card [which is great] you are limited to .wav format in FAT 32 which burns 1/2 a gig of space off the top, and limits the length/size of your files per song. Plus the usual FAT 32 file corruption issues which can sneak up on you in a hurry, trust me. Also, be careful, very very careful when buying a card for this deck. The approved media list has a big list of cards that made me cringe, several of the 8 gig options cost lest than $30 on Amazon, Gasp! I mean, you get what you pay for and if you're using ANYTHING less than a Sandisk Extreme 3, you're going to end up cussing out the unit and tascam within 2 weeks! Trust me on this one...
Second, where do I begin?
When you setup a recording and start adding tracks, each time you playback and listen to what you recorded, you are required to go back and reassign everything from scratch, including track sends! Nice huh... This doesn't sound like much at first, but after you use the unit for a while it becomes a time consuming adventure in frustration.
Next, the Deal Killer...
This unit should be described as a very limited Mixer, with a 2 track recorder with bounce down capabilities slapped on the top. This is not a multi-track recorder like any I've ever owned before or even a decent mixer, since NO EFFECT SEND is available during recording! You heard me right, you can't even add compression to a vocal as you record, but more on this later.
So, I was expecting PRE and POST eq [as almost every other deck I've owned from Tascam in the past] but alas even though there is nice eq, effect sends and controls, they are all POST. In fact in Record mode you only have 2 tracks, dry to the card that's it. Only in POST final mix-down to a DVD, or whatever you make your master on [No bounce-down eq/effect capabilities either since EVERYTHING IS POST HERE!] Like I said, this makes this unit a mixer with a recorder slapped on, not a full featured recorder as it appears to be. I mean if your 15 and this is your first recorder for band demos, great! Otherwise you will be sadly disappointed.
This means if you plan on using the eq, and effecting your signals during bouncing down, NONE of the adjustments you make during mixdown will record to the track, it's just a mixer kids! So, if your vocal stack of 4 tracks needs a little hi end added during bounce, or if the bass guitar/guitar/keyboard mixdown needs a little extra push, or you need to do anything during the mix-down process getting to your final 8 tracks, tough luck! Only in the final mixdown to another device, can you use any of the eq/effects. This is why the unit is so inexpensive, and why it's useless for anything other than live 2 track demos and practicing bounce down, so that later when you buy a real recorder you'll know what to do.
This is the reason why I was in shock when my unit arrived. Just remember when looking for a multi-track, always ask up front if your deck has PRE and POST options for eq/effects. I should have asked, oh well...
Here's another example of the frustration.... Let's say your recording live and you want to add in some compression to the vocal track as it's live going into the deck. Tough luck! You can't use the effect send to add your $1000 compresser/limiter and Exciter. How about adding a little eq to the bass guitar from the line in, same deal tough luck! NOTHING can be added to the instruments as they go in, or as they are bounced down, it is ONLY during final mix-down TO ANOTHER DEVICE that you can you add anything!
One last time, everything on this mixer [aka multi-track] is post. You might as well buy a nice mixer, and a zoom, you'll have more options and a better final mix. Plus, you won't have to worry about your CF card corrupting from the Fat32 formatting after spending 3 days recording and bouncing down tracks.
If they had only been honest in the description of this unit [and it's NOT Amazon's fault, they just list the factory description which is totally misleading] then I could have avoided wasting a week trying to find out why I couldn't save any of my mixdown settings.
Buy Tascam DP-02CF Portastudio Compact Flash Multitrack Recorder Now
After having the fortunate opportunity to play with both the Tascam DP-02CF and the Fostex MR-8 MKII in a local music supply store I was very impressed at how much easier the Tascam DP-02CF was to operate than the Fostex MR-8MKII. For roughly the same price (and the advice of the sales clerk) I opted for the Tascam over the Fostex.The user-interface is as friendly as Mr. Rogers on laughing gas, after using the device for ten minutes I was recording vocals and guitar tracks. The unit has a recording limit of two tracks at a time so this might not be the appropriate tool for professional use. However, for small-time/home use it is perfect.
It is very apparent that Tascam has designed this unit with the outmost simplicity in mind. I can tell after using other high-end 8-track recorders the DP-02CF was made recording tracks quickly and with no technical hassles. This is really convenient for amateur musicians who are just getting started in recording and editing music.
For a limited time (so I'm told) Tascam is including a 1GB flash card with the unit so buyers can start recording as soon as the recorder is plugged in. One thing I will mention is the lack of USB cable. In order to drag and drop music files from the unit to your PC or Mac you will need to purchase a separate USB cable (like the kind that printers use) because it is not included with the DP-02CF. Something to keep in mind if you are buying online or in stores.
The quality of the sound is as close to CD-like as I've ever heard with using an digital 8-track recorder of this caliber and in this price range.
Note: For a limited time some units have been mislabeled with the Tascam "Portastudio" logo reading "Portastud" (sounds like a blow-up doll for women) and some websites are offering discounts because of this misspelling. I am one of the proud owners of the "Portastud" models!
TASCAM DP-02CF Digital Portastudio Specifications:
Recording:
Recording Medium: Compact Flash memory card
Recording Resolution: 44.1 kHz/16-bit
Number of Recording Tracks: 8 tracks plus Stereo Master track
Number of Simultaneous Recording Tracks: 2 tracks
Frequency Response: 20 Hz 20 kHz (+1/-3dB)
Signal to Noise Ratio: >85dB (A-weighting, 22kHz LPF)
T.H.D.: 0.02% (1kHz, 10dBV, 22kHz LPF, master fader at nominal)
I/O:
Analog In (INPUT A/B)
Connector: XLR-3-31 type (Pin2:hot) and 1/4" TRS phone
Nominal/Max Input Level: -8 dBu/+8 dBu
Input Impedance: 2.4k ohms, >10k ohms on guitar input
Phantom Power: 48V (on/off selectable)
Line Output:
Connector: 2x unbalanced RCA jacks
Nominal/Max Output Level: -10dBV/+6 dBV
Output Impedance: 1k ohm
Effect Send:
Connector: 1/4" phone (unbalanced)
Nominal/Max Output Level: -10dBV/+6 dBV
Output Impedance: 1k ohm
Digital Out:
Connector: Optical (TOSLINK) digital audio output
Data format: S/PDIF
Headphones (PHONE 1, 2)
Connector: 1/4" stereo phone jack
Max. Output: 25mW + 25mW (@32 ohm)
Physical:
Dimensions (w x h x d): 16.4" x 2.6" x 11.8"
Weight: 4.1 lbs.
Power Requirement: 12V, 2.5A (TASCAM PS-1225 power adaptor)
TASCAM DP-02CF Digital Portastudio Features:
Two XLR mic/line inputs with phantom power for condenser microphones
Eight-track recording at uncompressed 44.1k/16-bit audio quality
Portastudio-based interface with volume fader, pan, effect send, high and low EQ controls per channel
EQ frequency button to access high and low EQ shelf frequencies
USB 2.0 interface for transferring tracks, mixes, and backup files to a computer
Dedicated stereo master track for mixdown
Internal metronome and bar/beat display for song position
Headphone output
Stereo line outputs on RCA analog and S/PDIF optical digital connectors
1GB Compact Flash card included with enough room for a dozen songs or more
1GB Compact Flash card included as a launch promotion
Read Best Reviews of Tascam DP-02CF Portastudio Compact Flash Multitrack Recorder Here
Yep, this recorder is pretty easy to use, and handy, and fun and all that, but it has one bug that drives me nuts. In the heat of recording, when you are doing multiple takes, it's easy to hit the stop and play keys too quickly in succession. When that happens, the unit freezes up and you cannot play back, or record, or save data, or do anything at all. Your only option is to pull out the power cord and start over. You will have lost everything that wasn't saved before the freeze.This is a piss off, and probably something the Tascam engineers can't or won't fix anytime soon. Caveat emptor, fellow artistes. Other than that, it is a pretty nifty unit.
Also, make sure you clear editing history fairly often (you'll see what I mean), or the unit thinks you've run out of storage space. I think this is a RAM and not a flash card problem, but the 1GB compact flash card won't hold that much in any case. Get a bigger one (or three.) They're getting cheaper all the time.
Want Tascam DP-02CF Portastudio Compact Flash Multitrack Recorder Discount?
Amendment to review: I should mention that you should familiarize yourself with the features of the DP-02 before buying this. It's about $150 more, but I think, in retrospect, it would have been a better choice for me. You'll have to lay out $100 or so for a decent-sized Flash card, anyway. Why not just get the built-in disk drive plus the other extra features? If I could, I'd trade mine in for the DP-02.original review:
I've had this unit for a few weeks now. I like it. It's relatively easy to use. In my opinion, it's much easier to use than any software I have used, mainly because you don't have to deal with compatibility issues with sound cards, etc.
I found it a bit confusing at first, trying to figure out how to get a song from the main partition into the FAT partition from where you can then copy it to your computer. Not a big deal, though. My main complaint is the lack of accessories.
They don't bother to include a USB cable, and it's one of those unusual USB cables with a different fitting that you're unlikely to have sitting around from a digital camera or MP3 player. I had to pay $35 for one at Best Buy after searching around the house for it for several days. (I could hardly believe they wouldn't have automatically included it with the unit, so I assumed I must have set it somewhere when I opened the package and forgotten about it.)
Also, the 1G Flash card gives you hardly any space to work with. The main review says it has room for a dozen songs or more. This is not true. I started running out of space after playing around with only four very short demos (anywhere from 45 seconds to 2 1/2 minutes), most of which did not use all eight tracks.
I think you need a 4G card minimum. That's going to cost you upwards of $75 extra, in addition to the $35 to pay for a USB cable. So be ready to invest $110 more, at the very least, to make this unit usable. (In reality, an 8G or 16G card would probably be more appropriate if you want to have a decent amount of space for your recordings. These are not cheap at all. I priced 4G cards in the $70-$80 range at Best Buy, and those larger cards are sure to be quite a bit more.)
Again, though, it's a great unit. So, if you don't mind laying out a bit of extra money for accessories, it's definitely worth the price. (Cheaper in real dollars than the original Tascam 4-tracks were back in the 80s. Imagine how much cheaper if you take inflation into account!)
COMMENTS ON ISSUES
1) No you don't get any special effects on this machine.
But I read that the effects on the DP02 were bad anyway so no loss there. Besides, as a guitarist, you should already own an effects processor before owning this machine. (It just seems like the logical order to do things).
I like that this machine HAS NO BELLS OR WHISTLES. That's just more stuff to confuse you with. I bought this to do recording not to get lost in a wave of features and technology.
2) No, it is not the end all for recording.
It is just the opposite. This is a basic machine. I don't plan on making professional CD's from it just acid tapes or whatever. However, I'll bet a really skilled person could make professional quality recordings from this machine.
3) Yes, the manual is poorly written.
And you CANNOT just start recording "right out of the box." If so, then you are either a genius or you probably owned one of these machines before.
Is it my imagination or are some things not even written in the proper order?
Like, shouldn't the details for Formatting the CF Card come at the beginning rather than on Page 39?
And it can be confusing as they talk about something but you are not sure what it applies to until later! (e.g. For AUTO-PUNCH: the "In-and-Out Marks" are explained on page 30. But Auto-Punch is later explained on Page 33).
However, you can start recording fairly quick and learn the key features as you go along. There will be a little learning curve if you are new to this (as I was). But hey, I HAVE RECORDED 3 SONGS IN MY FIRST WEEK!
4) The 1G Card holds about 8 minutes of music using just 4 tracks.
I don't know why they say "holds dozens of songs." That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen. One key thing: ERASE YOUR HISTORY once you have finished the song. Otherwise, you won't even get 5 minutes.
5) Annoying Trait It Can Lock Up So Save Often!
THIS IS FOR UNSKILLED MUSICIANS LIKE ME WHO DO 50 TAKES PER TRACK.
If you keep messing up and keep hitting Stop-Rewind-Record really fast, the machine locks up and you have to unplug it losing everything IF you did not Save it.
SOLUTION: I finally learned after my 10th Lock Up to use the Location Mark so that you just hit the "Insert" button and it takes you back. IT IS SOOOOO MUCH NICER to record with this feature. So the LOCK UP PROBLEM HAS BEEN RESOLVED.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A good machine for the price. And it looks better at home than in the picture. It is also a little bigger and heavier than I thought. By this I am implying that it does indeed seem like a well built machine. A Solid Machine for Beginning-Intermediate users.
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