Old Tascam versus New Tascam

[bayswater]

Is there anyone out there that has used Tascam equipment over the long run?

I did some work with the Tascam DA series recorders that could be hooked up to the MOTU 2408 via TDIF. To my ear, despite their 18 bit converters, they sounded great. Since, I've used a series of MOTU and Focusrite converters, but compared to the old Tascam equipment, the sound is OK, but has a hint of harshness or distortion, and is never as good as I remember with the DA recorders. Of course, it might be because of the analog stages of the signal chain?

I actually still have a DA and it sounds good, but integrating it with a DAW is a huge PITA, and I'm not going to do that.

I was optimistic about the new MOTU M2/4 but with all the issues raised here on these units, I've decided against them.

Tascam still makes converters, and for the most part they are quite inexpensive. Four in and four out is all I'd need.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether Tascam today sounds like Tascam yesterday?

[mikehalloran]

TEAC/TASCAM is now owned by Gibson since 2013 — still in bankruptcy. They abandoned support for older devices by not writing 64 bit drivers for Mac and iOS, That’s enough to scare me away.

If I have time this afternoon, I will write up my review of the M-Audio 192/14. Tomorrow at the latest. It should interest you.

[bayswater]

TEAC/TASCAM is now owned by Gibson since 2013 — still in bankruptcy. They abandoned support for older devices by not writing 64 bit drivers for Mac and iOS, That’s enough to scare me away.

Not sure if that's a Gibson thing. Tascam was never that good at updating drivers. My DA-xx units never got a OS X 10.0 driver, don't think they even went to Windows 7. I could only use them because I had the 2408 with the TDIF connections.

[mikehalloran]

TEAC/TASCAM is now owned by Gibson since 2013 — still in bankruptcy. They abandoned support for older devices by not writing 64 bit drivers for Mac and iOS, That’s enough to scare me away.

Not sure if that's a Gibson thing. Tascam was never that good at updating drivers. My DA-xx units never got a OS X 10.0 driver, don't think they even went to Windows 7. I could only use them because I had the 2408 with the TDIF connections.

Lots of weepin’ and wailin’ when iOS no longer supported 32 bit. Gibson’s response was that no 64 bit drivers were going to be written and they were as good as their word. Zoom and Shure among others stepped up even if it took awhile for to get it right. Just sayin…

[mhschmieder]

I went through this not too long ago when my excellent best-ever Onkyo Integra tape deck from the late 80's finally required a repair for which parts are no longer available. Tascam came out with a dual-cassette model after many years of having nothing in the catalogue, and though it has no Dolby NR (to save costs on licensing) and can be a bit boomy, overall my ears have adjusted to its sonic signature and it is unquestionably the most stable capstan mechanism and motor of any deck I have ever owned.

The problem now is that my coast-to-coast move means it is sitting in CA unplayed, which could cause problems as one shouldn't leave a cassette deck mothballed for more than a month at a time. And for a dual-deck model, which I have no use for otherwise, I'd have to remember to rotate which deck I use so that the second one doesn't develop problems.

As for other recent Tascam gear, my impression is that their portable Zoom-like recorders and rack gear is the most dependable and well-designed that it's been in a couple of decades. They did however go through a bad time for a few years -- I forget if this was related to Gibson's ownership?

Regarding buying used Tascam gear, I've never had any problems with stuff as people have been honest about condition and it's never been anything that got in the way or couldn't be easily and cheaply fixed. These days, you'll probably get your most honest assessments of condition on Reverb.com.

[mikehalloran]

My reply was about the USB and iOS gear, not the tape recorders.

One of my tape machines, the 35-2, has a broken belt but the other 6 all work fine, last I checked. I even have a 238S 8-channel cassette deck with Dolby S and the remote — mygawd, people are asking $650–$1499 on Reverb for the less expensive dbx version without remote—why is that still in my basement?!? A buddy called a few weeks ago asking if I wanted a barely used TASCAM 103 for free — hell yes.

Unlike my FOSTEX gear, you can still get pretty much any replacement part for TASCAM machines. I'm looking for a new pinch roller for my X-26 as this one can't be reconditioned. I'd send it to someone to install new belts and a roller if I knew where.

[bayswater]

From what you said about Tascam being part of Gibson, I don't have a lot of confidence that Tascam converters sold now would sound like the converters in the DA series tape decks. Unless someone knows otherwise ???

I see they actually still sell some expensive equipment in the DA series, but for those prices I can get into some of the very high end converters that will no doubt sound the way I want. But I'm not going to spend several thousand on a A/D/A. Management wouldn't stand for it.

(Just as a side rant, what the &*#$ is going on with those guys? They're pricing $1200 guitars at $5000. Is the situation that desperate?)

[HCMarkus]

Although whether they will work with any particular tape deck is unknown, one can purchase "Bag o' Belts" from any number of sellers...

https://www.amazon.com/Recorder-Rubber- ... ooghydr-20

[mikehalloran]

Although whether they will work with any particular tape deck is unknown, one can purchase "Bag o' Belts" from any number of sellers...

https://www.amazon.com/Recorder-Rubber- ... ooghydr-20

Belts are easy to find and not hard to replace. I even have directions on replacing the roller that I could probably follow if I could just find the part—a little tricky one-handed but I think I could. OTOH, I need this for a project and if I could find someone willing to recondition it with new rubber, I'd be glad to send it out. Someone had stored it with the Play button engaged and that left a deep divot in the original roller. The project was recorded on an X12 or X15, neither of which have discreet outputs for the 4 tracks. The X26 is one of the few units that has the same Dolby, 4 outs and can run 1 7/8 ips like the 12/15.

[mhschmieder]

Yeah, I got confused at first thinking the original question was about DAT recorders so figured the analog tape deck feedback would be useful in terms of dependably and repairability of the transport mechanisms and other parts, but then I looked up Tascam ownership and was surprised to see they are still owned by Gibson. I can't keep track, as TC Electronic and a few other firms have changed owners a number of times as well, with Gibson sometimes the parent company as I recall. Anyway, I'm not sure how much Gibson is mucking with parts and design team consolidation once they buy a company.

[Gravity Jim]

Gibson has a pattern regarding Henry's acquisitions... find a company on the ropes (Tascam), decide they have a piece of IP you want (DSP recording), buy them for a fire sale price, and then apply the technology to a guitar product (remember the guitar cable that recorded everything you played through it?) that nobody wants. When the new product fails, lose interest in the acquisition and watch them die.

I'm a Tascam fan. I used one of their digital consoles for years, and it was an amazing piece of kit for the price. But man, so slow with driver updates, firmware updates... it was like nobody was home after Gibson bought them. The gear is probably still fine, but the company, IMHO, has regressed into a "lights on, nobody home" model.