Tascam DP-32 Portastudio

Reviews | Tascam DP-32 Portastudio
92
F
or recording projects, the
DAW route is an attractive
proposition – flexible and
scalable – but once you start
to plug all the bits together, it’s actually
a bit of a minefield. At the other end of
the spectrum is the Portastudio
concept: self-contained, predictable
and often considered too basic for
serious production tasks. However,
while other manufacturers have come
and gone, Tascam have stuck with the
concept, incorporating the latest
technology to maximise performance,
robustness and scale. And they’ve
turned out some units capable of very
credible results.
The DP-32 is the latest Portastudio
addition, following quickly in the
footsteps of the slightly more compact
DP-24, and it’s now their flagship
Portastudio device. It uses SD (512MB
to 2GB) or SDHC (4GB to 32GB)
memory cards for audio data storage,
but also incorporates CD-R for
mastering and USB for data transfer to
and from computer. The default layout
includes eight mono and 12 stereo
tracks, although you can set the 12
stereo tracks to mono if you like, and
recording is at 16 or 24-bit and
44.1kHz or 48kHz. Each track gets a
dedicated fader plus Select and Record
buttons. ‘Select’ ties in with the main
display and control panel (see below)
which includes physical knobs (rotary
encoders) for track EQ, panning and
effects sends, as well as access to other
functions. Meanwhile ‘Rec’ doubles as
a solo or mute button when used in
conjunction with the global mute and
solo buttons above the transport.
The DP-32 has eight inputs on
XLR/jack combi connectors, and all are
equipped with phantom power
activated in two banks of four. Input 8
(H) can also handle high impedance
guitar sources (there’s a selector switch
on the back panel). All inputs can be
freely routed to any tracks or to the
stereo output, giving the DP-32 a
theoretical maximum of 40 channels at
mixdown. Although to achieve this
maximum, 12 of these would have to
be stereo. In terms of outputs, there’s a
main monitor output on balanced jacks,
main stereo output on unbalanced
phonos, and one front-mounted
headphone output. You also get
physical outputs for sends 1 and 2.
Rounding things off are a mini USB
socket, MIDI in and out for MIDI sync,
and a front-mounted mini jack for
Tascam’s RC-3F pedal remote.
Control screen
The DP-32 includes a small but
hi-resolution colour LCD screen, which
provides feedback and control of many
of its functions. The main homescreen
includes two pages – Time Line and
Meters – offering good overall feedback
of track usage, levels, routings and
song position. The function buttons to
the left – Assign, Mixer, Dynamic and
Effect – access additional features, and
combined with the four function keys,
jogwheel, cursor buttons and dedicated
rotary controls mentioned above, help
you access all the relevant parameters.
Further settings and features such
as song management, SD formatting,
preferences and the tuner are accessed
via the Menu screen.
The use of combi input connectors,
an external PSU and SD cards for audio
Tascam DP-32
Portastudio | £899
WHAT is iT?
Tascam’s latest flagship
Portastudio
ConTACT
Who: TEAC UK Ltd
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.tascam.co.uk
HiGHLiGHTs
1 An all-in-one solution
2 Integrates well into
Reason workflow
3 Colour LCD screen
EXTRAs
RC-3F Footswitch
£45
Portastudios are a Tascam speciality and the DP-32
could be the most powerful yet. But can it still deliver
in a world run by DAWs? Jon Musgrave investigates
FMU262.rev_tascam.indd 92 12/21/12 3:51 PM