Tascam has a long history of providing great all-in-one recording solutions for musicians since early 4 track cassette recorders hit the scene. Since then, Tascam has been busy pumping out many different types of recording hardware that still follows the all-in-one approach. The Tascam 2488neo 24-Track Digiital Recorder is a cost effective machine that, while it tries to do everything, still manages quite well to record good demos. That being said, it is not as easy as recording with your PC and some audio software, such as Cubase or ProTools. However, the Tascam 2488 Neo is much more cost effective and portable (relatively speaking).
The Tascam 2488neo retails for around $699 and has a large and attractive mixing board combined with a generally pretty tiny screen (monchromatic colors), and even a CD burner (perhaps the most handy feature). The number of inputs that the Tascam 2488 Neo has is quite good, at 8 mic inputs, making this quite capable at recording and miking a full drum set, or for live performances using the Tascam 2488neo. Built in mastering effects such as reverb, compression, amp emulations, and EQ processing still do not match that of software offerings on a PC, but still manage to sound quite good in the Tascam 2488neo. The EQ is 3-band EQ on 24 channels, which makes this machine quite a flexible digital multi track recorder.
The Tascam 2488neo also has three(3) Aux sends, which will allow a person to have a bunch of digital rack equipment pumped into the Tascam recorder. Specifically regarding the 8 inputs, you get 4 XLR phantom power doublers as 1/4" mic/line inputs, plus four more 1/4" mic/line inputs. This is a great variety.
In the age of iPod Touches, iPads, and even high resolution cell phones, the colorless LCD display is pretty much the worst thing about the Tascam 2488neo. It is hard to view from side angles and is quite bright when working in low light conditions. Worse still, fixing and scrubbing audio waveforms is quite cumbersome and thus you should probably export your recorded tracks to a digital PC recorder such as Cubase or ProTools LE in order to properly fix your tracks. The Tascam 2488neo does thankfully have a high speed USB 2.0 plug for easily connecting to your computer. This small screen and the lack of the ability to plug in a monitor or mouse makes it very hard to use. That being said, the actual mixing board with physical knobs are made very well and make adjustments very easy and pleasurable.
All in all, the great debate in the DAW workstation world is whether or not these standalone multitrack recorders still have a place in our hearts now that the home PC or Apple Macbook has much more power than these little devices could ever dream of. Basically, it may be a wiser investment to but some digital mixing board that interfaces with your home computer and building your studio from there. Tascam will have a hard time selling these things as the years progress, unless they improve the displays and make them easier to work with. Again, Tascam has been wise and is now marketing these boxes to those who will be recording live music and need a portable DAW (digital workstation). That being said, even a notebook computer has more power than the Tascam 2488neo and is vastly more portable.
Weight the pros and cons of owning this machine. The Tascam 2488neo is a solid machine for the price, just keep in mind what your overall goal for recording are before purchasing this thing. DO NOT buy the Tascam 2488neo because you think it will convince people who visit your basement that you have a legit home studio just because this thing has a bunch of nice looking knobs and faders, the device is much less powerful than your computer!
Comments
9 Responses to “TASCAM 2488neo 24-Track Digital Recording Portastudio Review”
Leave Comment
I am in the market trying to decide what to buy as a new up and coming recording artist. This page has helped shed some light in regards to the pros and cons of using the 2488neo or the PC. I’m still not totally sure which way to go at this moment but this was very helpful. If you have anymore advice for me please email me at jadavis2470@hotmail.com thanks
I totally disagree with this review. As a former ( listed)Industry Pro ( now retired ), I discovered this unit is MUCH easier to use than most p.c. based programs, has a 160 GB hard-drive and if Alan Parsons does a You tube Vid proclaiming he uses one at home….. well, that says it all. There are reviews out there that claim the Tascam 2488 Neo is BETTER and easier to use than just p.c. based systems and so who’s right?? After trying one of these 2488 Neo’s out- I give it a thumbs up! Beats the overhead of leasing a building and buying tens of thousands ( or more ) dollars of equipment. In my final opinion, I think the ‘expertise’ of the person utilizing the 2488 Neo ( as well as talent ) makes all the difference.
I JUST GOT A TASCAM 2488NEO AND I WILL LIKE TO HOKE IT UP WITH MORE EQUIPMENT. I’M ALSO TRYING TO FIND A COMPUTER SOFTWARE THAT I COULD USE WHILE IM RECORDING WITH THE TASCAM… IT WILL B NICE TO B ABLE TO USE BOUGTH AT THE SAME TIME AND B ABLE TO DOMINATE EVERY RECORDED SECTION SO I CAN WORK IT IN THE WAY I WANT IT AS FAR AS EFFECTS AND SENDING SOUNDS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT… I HOPE SOMEONE UNDERSTAND WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY..
this review is a bit poor. i have used tascams sence the 90′s i started with a 488 porta 8 track. i cut two cd’s with it. the ability of the recorder was great. the 2488 is a good system. best of all it allows you to take it with you in one single unit. and w_mc you can do that easily as for effects you can use then inline with the tascam such as digitech voclizers rp or bp pedals for guitar or bass use two tracks to get the left to right effect your looking for. fact is you can record up to 8 tracks at the same time. so for stereo effects plug them in the 1/4 jacks exsample take a rp355 plug the pedal to the tascam then record the stereo effect you desire do rememebr this set the pan to full seperation.
Thanks guys question, i’m thinking about getting this model, this may seem niave and probably is but can I punch in and out without getting any glicks machine noises, beause i’m probably the king of let’s take it from here and keep what’s good and I don’t need anyone hearing this screech pop or wherever youi punched in. Seems very easy to use is this the case. Thank you.
@ J Davis
I read this article, and my jaw just about hit the floor. This guy is not right what so ever. I just recently bought one, and I am truthfully telling you as a new recording singer-songwriter. This is EXACTLY what you need. See what this guy doesn’t know, because he doesn’t create songs. Is that with this machine you will always have ZERO latency!!! Never have to fool with messed up drivers, partition you computer every single time or you may record over your master piece, it will never crash, and basically a computer will cause you to waste about 45 minutes to get that wonderful song you have just created down and you will probably lose it before you can tweak everything on your PC or MAC.
Also, I am a strong believer in not using the computer at all if you can, for recording. I mean you can back up the 160GB Hard Drive with External hard drives ones. I Always buy Western Digital. Highly recommend those. You can use it to master and mix after you record. But think about this, how many demos do you really want to store in your computers memory??? Do you see where I am going with this!!! This makes the most sense, THE ONLY CON, if you consider this a con is that it can only record at 44.1kHz, 16-bit or 24-bit. Not 99kHz. But Pro CDS you used to buy off the shelf at any store are only 44.1kHz anyway. So this is giving me very radio ready recordings. And, I have 2 albums for sale everywhere. My band is Li Li Can’t Drive, while it may not be your taste in music, at least I can prove I know what I am talking about because. We have never stepped foot into a “Real” studio except to be on other ppls songs.
And, the fact it has a Mastering Button none the less on the machine blew me away!!!! This is a service that cost several hundered even thousand dollars. You got it on the Neo at the touch of a button!!! Granted it will be a little lacking from what a Pro can do for you, but unless you have everything else, like solid rooms to record in and the best mics. Who cares, the sound will be clear, and I have heard from so many Engineers that the sound capture is better than even the best units like MOTU Firewire.
Trust me I am a seasoned pro at home recording. I am not lieing to you, you will be so happy you bought it. If you want to concentrate on making good music and creating songs instead of wasting so much time getting ready eventually beating your head on your computer screen because your computer didn’t partition right, or the ASIO drivers are not working. If you are like and are an artist who creates demos (many) and do not want all that on your computer to slow it down. Get this so you can have 99% less stress with the start up time before you lose it, or just want to record instead of be the IT Guy, Get the TASCAM 2488 Neo, I did and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!! Also, make sure and buy the DVD tutorial it will have you recording in hours instead of days, I mean since you are new there is a learning curve natually.
It’s the best of both worlds. Good luck to you!! And I hope you get exactley what you need. I have a MOTU 8 Pre, and I am recording my solo album on my New TASCAM 2488NEO and Love it.
Cheers,
Lee
Also, the CD Writer is made buy TASCAM, the stand alone CD writer that TASCAM sellers for pro recordings from the computer cost us about $700. And I think this one is just as good. You will grow into this machine, and you can buy a mod kit to allow you to hook it to your Computer Monitor. Check it out on Youtube, I am going to buy that sometime, the screen is not that bad though.
@ W_mc
I recommend Cuebase SX, or I think there is LE which is cheaper too, and the only difference I see between Cuebase and ProTools is that with ProTools you can add more notes on the actual track. Please anyone jump in and correct on this I am not the authority on ProTools. But, I always make track sheets and use a huge dry erase board anyway. I highly recommend track sheets you will need if for posterity, and you can become lost when you get to the crutial mixdown point if your going manual.
Oh one more thing to share and then I will shut up and go
I personally have found that if you are using a PC Windows XP Is a must have I have windows 7 like everyone else on my laptop and while the MOTU 8 Pre will record to the laptop, it CRASHES so much it’s a joke Lexicon Omega and about 99% of all the home DAWS I’ve seen run smooth as they are made to do only on XP!! FYI
All the best and to the writer I see you are a songwriter, I’m sorry I didn’t read that before. I didn’t mean anything about you not creating songs. My bad, but I bet you agree with my assessment of the NEO, latency and all that. Heck I still use a TASCAM 464 cassette 4 track for DEMOS and came very close to just doing the album on it, until I bought the NEO the other day. Because I would rather fill up high Bias type II tape than burning and erasing, and over and over into my computer’s hard drive.
I’m going to be recording a live movie script reading by about 12 voiceover actors, which will take over 90 minutes. Can I record that long, or longer on this machine? TS