Zoom's New Portastudio

[Soc Prof]

I've been recording songs on a Tascam DP24SD. It's easy to use and it gets the job done, but I find the sound to be closer to demo quality than studio quality. The preamps and converters are dated, being almost 10 year old technology. Their Model series supposedly has better recording quality, but aren't true portastudios. The Zoom R16 and R24 portastudios use even older technology, and the LiveTrack series is comparable to the Model series.

I was starting to lose hope that either Tascam or Zoom would release a state-of-the-art portastudio when I stumbled on this new release from Zoom. I am certain that they will follow up with a 24 track version in the next 6 months. This is a game changer for sure. I'll wait to see if Tascam responds with a new portastudio of their own. If not, I'll gladly pick up this or the hypothesized larger version.

Anyone here interested?

https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/digital-m...recorders/r20/

[Top Cat]

I've been recording songs on a Tascam DP24SD. It's easy to use and it gets the job done, but I find the sound to be closer to demo quality than studio quality. The preamps and converters are dated, being almost 10 year old technology. Their Model series supposedly has better recording quality, but aren't true portastudios. The Zoom R16 and R24 portastudios use even older technology, and the LiveTrack series is comparable to the Model series.

I was starting to lose hope that either Tascam or Zoom would release a state-of-the-art portastudio when I stumbled on this new release from Zoom. I am certain that they will follow up with a 24 track version in the next 6 months. This is a game changer for sure. I'll wait to see if Tascam responds with a new portastudio of their own. If not, I'll gladly pick up this or the hypothesized larger version.

Anyone here interested?

https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/digital-m...recorders/r20/

Hi Soc Prof, hope you've been busy working on new music.
I mainly work in Cubase, I find the workflow faster and easier than dedicated multi-track recorders.
Every now and then I get the urge for hands on recording, and nostalgia kicks in and I start looking on ebay for used Tascam 8 track cassette decks, but then my senses kick in and I stop.
I did pick up a new Tascam DP24SD over a year ago, and recorded an entire song Maya Darshan using it, and sent the final mix to Cubase to master it, and added a couple more synth tracks.
I'm VERY happy with it's sound, I love the sound the converters add to the overall sound, and I think if they're dated, that's part of the charm and magic it adds to the tracks.
The preamps are average to me, and equal to some of the audio interfaces I've used in the past.

A couple of years ago I had the Zoom LiveTrack L20 and it also sounds excellent. It has a nice sheen it adds to the tracks and mix. And one thing I've missed is track meters with lights. The L20 gives you that, it's like Christmas every time you fire it up and use it.

But I keep coming back to my DAW for the workflow, and I love and actually NEED to see my track waveforms as I record and it's super important when editing tracks and for final mixing.
If you become familiar with your recording software, it's pretty easy to move quickly.

I don't see Tascam coming out with a new PortaStudio. Their Model 12, 16 and Model 24 series are very popular, and I think if they upgrade some of the features that users have asked for, it's quite a good machine. But I don't see myself sell my DP24SD anytime soon.

This new unit looks good, but at $399, it also includes a built in synth sounds, drum loops, and I can't wonder what shortcuts they've done to afford having the large LED Touch screen.
With home recording, you can never have too many inputs, so if you think there is a possibility of the 24 or even 20 input version, good to wait. Although I have a feeling the next will be a 16 or 20 version.

Thanks for posting and sharing. Have a great holiday.

[Soc Prof]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Top Cat. I tried to transition to software, but I found that every DAW these days, even the "lite" versions, has so many options that it felt like a chore wading through it all. That's why I plan to stick to portastudio recording for now. I'm hoping the new Zoom portastudios use the same preamps and converters as the LiveTrak series, which I believe borrows tech from their USB interfaces.

[progmatist]

I used the Zoom R16 because it was the only reasonably priced portastudio capable of recording 8 tracks simultaneously. What's more, 2 could be synced via USB for 16 track simultaneous recording.

[MudShark22]

I use a Tascam Model 16.
Records to SD card - 24/48 max.

can be used with DAW with drivers from Tascam

https://tascam.com/us/product/model_16/top

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Gizmotron]

Very cool! Thanks!