The Tascam DP-24SD is an easy-to-use 24-channel digital portastudio with eight XLR/jack combo inputs, all of which feature dynamic effects and phantom power and are switchable in two blocks (A to D and E to H). Input H can also be switched to Hi-Z to allow instruments with pickups to be connected, and users can record up to eight audio tracks simultaneously on the DP-24SD, while saving their recordings to an SD or SDHC card in up to 48kHz/24-bit quality. The portastudio's user interface features 18 channel faders and a selection of high-quality studio effects such as semi-parametric EQ, reverb, delay, and chorus.
The Tascam DP-24 SD's 8.9cm colour LCD screen and backlit buttons make the unit significantly easier to operate than similar models, giving busy producers all the info they need at a glance. As a neat addition, the twelve rotary controls to the right of the display, which are used to adjust the EQ, panorama, and send effects settings for each channel, are colour-coded to match what is shown on the display itself. A total of 21 faders provide continuous access to every track (including the master), and six of the 18 channel strips can also be switched between mono and stereo. The stereo tracks themselves can be used to record and play back synthesizers and other stereo sources.
With the DP-24SD, Tascam gives users of home recording setups a fully-fledged studio that's both extremely user-friendly and intuitive to operate and still covers every stage in the production process – from recording and editing through to mixing and mastering – in a single unit; producers can even upload the finished results to a computer via its USB interface, e.g. for publication on the internet. Almost more importantly, the entire process is genuinely enjoyable, thanks to the fact that users have real controls and faders at their fingertips, rather than having to do everything with a computer mouse. All of this makes the Tascam DP-24 SD a superb choice for home studio owners in the market for a device that both looks and feels authentic.
Tascam started out in 1971 as Teac Corporation's distributor of professional audio equipment. The name is the acronym of Teac Audio System Company of America. Tascam was a great innovator on the market and pioneered leading technologies of the time, such as multitrack tape and cassette recorders, digital multitrack recorders (DTRS), digital mixing consoles, and so on. Today, Tascam supplies the entire sound industry with products for television and radio studios, recording studios, concert halls, conference rooms, academic institutions, commercial facilities, theatres, internet podcasters and broadcasters, music producers, and musicians.
Each of the Tascam DP-24 SD's inputs is equipped with a compressor, de-esser, and exciter to allow the dynamics to be adjusted; eight dynamic effects can be utilised simultaneously. For guitar recordings, the desk additionally features a multi-effects unit complete with amplifier simulations, a noise suppressor, and a compressor, as well as chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, and auto-wah effects. Users should note, however, that only four dynamic effects can be used at the same time when the multi-effects unit is active. The icing on the cake is the package of mastering tools Tascam has included here to help users put the fininshing touches to their songs, including a three-band equaliser, a multi-band compressor, and three normalisation options for adjusting the loudness.