This review is from: Tascam DP-004 Pocketstudio Digital RecorderAs a songwriter who needs something that will allow me quickly to jot down song ideas and fragments, as well as completed songs, this unit is a little cumbersome. In order to create a song, you must do the following:1. Turn on unit2. Press "Menu" button3. Scroll to "Song" menu item4. Click a function button to select5. Using the data wheel, scroll down to "Create"6. Click a function button to select7. Use data wheel to enter name of song one laborious letter at a time (optional step: you can forgo naming a song and it will be named "Song023" etc.)8. Click "Home" button9. Click "Rec" buttons for tracks 1 and 2 (assuming you want to record in stereo).10. Click the record transport and play transport buttons together, to start the recording process (I'm assuming you have already set the input levels and want to use the built-in mics)11. Click the stop transport button when you are done recording your song12. Repeat steps 9-11 if you wish to overdub another voice or instrument on tracks 3 and/or 4.13. Click "Menu" button, then "Play" to listen to playback14. Click stop button at end of song15. Click "In/Out" button16. Click function key "Out" to set the out point17. Click "Rec Mode" button18. Using data wheel, scroll down to "Master Rec"19. Click function key to select20. Click the record transport and play transport buttons together, to start the recording process for the "master" track (this is simply a stereo mixdown of the four tracks)21. Click "Rec Mode" button22. Using data wheel, scroll up to "Multi Track"23. Click function key to select24. Click "Menu" button25. Scroll using data wheel to "Wave"26. Click function key to select27. Scroll down to "Export Master"28. Click function key to select29. Use data wheel to enter name of song one letter at a time (optional step: you can forgo naming a song and it will be named "Song023" etc.)30. Click function key to execute exporting of the master stereo tracks to the FAT partition of the SD card within the unit.31. Attach unit to your computer via the supplied USB cable32. Open folder to view the files on the Tascam33. Click the "Wave" folder to find the master tracks you just created.34. Go to a file conversion program to convert the ".wav" file to an ".mp3" file, so you can email it to your friends, etc.Whew! Not exactly a quick, friendly, intuitive process! What you want is a two-click process to start recording (as on my old mini-disk recorder), and then be able to connect to a computer to copy the file and convert. There are an awful lot of extra steps involved, but of course you are talking about four tracks, not just stereo, so there's just no getting around the necessity of the mix-down/mastering. What is a little odd and annoying are those extra steps to export the master to the FAT partition of the Tascam SD card (steps 27-30, above).Also, since each song file must be loaded before you can listen to it, there is no way to play songs one after the other unattended, or zip quickly between songs like you can do on an iPod or CD player, to audition which is which (thus naming them is critical). Anyway, a word to the wise if you want something quick and easy. You pay for the ability to make a multi-track recording. On the other hand, if you want something with great quality recording sound, ample storage (a 16 GB SDHC card gives you 1300 track minutes in the 8 GB partition you can create (the largest possible), very nice and senstive built-in stereo mics,and something you can use to create an excellent mini-demo, then this will definitely do the trick.TIP: Purchase a PSP-100 power adaptor. It is made for the Sony Playstation and is identical to the more costly PS-P520 Tascam says you have to buy (i.e., 5V, 2A, correct plug and polarity). I paid $5 for mine, not $30!...
This review is from: Tascam DP-004 Pocketstudio Digital RecorderThis is my favorite toy at the moment. I bought it to use it for what it's supposed to be used for - a multitrack recorder. I wanted to record myself playing rhythm guitar and then do some lead over the top.I own a decent Yamaha cassette tape 4-track from the late 80's. How far things have come since then! The DP004 runs from 4AA batteries and fits in the pocket of a pair of baggy shorts. Sure, it's only got 2 audio inputs, no EQ and you can only record 2 tracks at once, but for the price it's fantastic functionality. The user guide is well written and very comprehensive - 111 pages in all.If you're trying to use it to record lectures or other lengthy stereo performances, you've picked the wrong tool. It will do it, but it only records in 44.1kbps, 16bit WAV format - big files! If you need to record lectures, buy a dictaphone. The supplied 1GB SD card (ATP brand for mine) is only useful for learning how to use the machine. I put an 8GB Transcend SDHC card in and it says I have 408mins worth of record time on a 2GB partition. (It made itself 3 x 2GB partitions).The four track recordings go on a proprietary MTP partition on your SD card and the WAV files end up in a FAT partition that your PC can read. The bigger the SD card you put in, the more and the bigger the partitions you get. It wants to format a card as soon as you put a "new" one in. It won't format the whole card into one partition. To the bloke who reckons it ate his card - read the part in the manual (p85) that tells you how to reformat the whole card to FAT32 after you've finished using it.True, there are several steps involved in mixing down your four tracks into a stereo master and then exporting the stereo master to a WAV file. You can fiddle with the level and pan settings during the mixdown, so that's why it takes place in real time. Remember - it's supposed to be used for recording garage band ideas, not bootlegging orchestra recitals.I have done just that however - I tried recording my son's school percussion ensemble. I just ...
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