Guest HRB853370 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 Anybody have one of these and what has been your experience? I think its time to upgrade my Portastudio 424MKIII. Its almost 15 years old.
t0aj15 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I just got one two weeks ago. For $499 (Sweetwater) it's an unbeatable deal. 24 tracks with a built in CD burner, and even though they claim 80 GB of memory it actually came with an upgraded 160 GB drive. It's rather easy to use but I would still suggest getting the DVD tutorial, it will help you get into some of the deeper functions faster & easier. It was just 10-12 years ago that I spent $2700 for a 16 track with 10 GB and no CD burner, and now this comes along for less then 1/5 the price, I couldn't pass it up. Anybody interested in recording will have a lot of fun with this machine and IMO the price is just unbelievable. Get the DVD here; http://www.proaudiodvds.com/Tascam-2488-MKII-Neo-DVD-Video-Training-Review-p/2488.htm
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I just got one two weeks ago. For $499 (Sweetwater) it's an unbeatable deal. 24 tracks with a built in CD burner, and even though they claim 80 GB of memory it actually came with an upgraded 160 GB drive. It's rather easy to use but I would still suggest getting the DVD tutorial, it will help you get into some of the deeper functions faster & easier. It was just 10-12 years ago that I spent $2700 for a 16 track with 10 GB and no CD burner, and now this comes along for less then 1/5 the price, I couldn't pass it up. Anybody interested in recording will have a lot of fun with this machine and IMO the price is just unbelievable. Get the DVD here; http://www.proaudiodvds.com/Tascam-2488-MKII-Neo-DVD-Video-Training-Review-p/2488.htm Thanks- I saw that deal on Ebay that Sweetwater is selling it for that price, free shipping. In their uberthick catalog, the price is $699. So when I saw it for $200 less I got excited. Did you get the upgraded drive without asking for it? I didn't see where that was advertised anywhere. Is the DVD worth the $30?
t0aj15 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I knew nothing of the upgraded drive until I literally opened the box and saw the notice explaining it. It was a very pleasant surprise indeed. The manual like most manuals can be cryptic in places, so yes I have so far found the DVD to be worth the money, it really makes all the functions very clear. Of course you could always skip the DVD and study the manual to find out whether or not you'll need the DVD but I found it faster and easier with the DVD.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I knew nothing of the upgraded drive until I literally opened the box and saw the notice explaining it. It was a very pleasant surprise indeed. The manual like most manuals can be cryptic in places, so yes I have so far found the DVD to be worth the money, it really makes all the functions very clear. Of course you could always skip the DVD and study the manual to find out whether or not you'll need the DVD but I found it faster and easier with the DVD. Thanks t0 and did you order direct from Sweetwater or did your get it off Ebay through Sweetwater?
t0aj15 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I deal directly with Sweetwater, NO EBAY. And because they're not that far from me I usually get my order the next day.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I have a personal rep, Mike Arrango. Everytime I order something, I get personalized service, a nice letter, a followup phone call AND email. Now thats what I call customer service!
Tim Posted January 22, 2012 Posted January 22, 2012 I've got a 2488 MKII and have recorded somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 or 17 hours of music on it. It's a wonderful deck for those non-Pro Tools types (like me). A couple of things to keep in mind... 1. Always shut the unit down correctly!! I have read so many complaints about people who have had issues with losing data/music. Why? Because they didn't follow the owners manual and shut the unit down correctly. There is a button on the top of the unit called "Shut Down". Push that. The unit will ask if you want to shut down, push yes...it automatically saves everything to it's hard drive. 2. Having an 80 gig hard drive, I've already had to download and delete data (i.e. my songs). I have the data stored on my computer and can upload at any time (although I have yet to do so...I have all of my "masters" on CD... Again, it's a great unit if used correctly...HAVE FUN!
t0aj15 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 I have a personal rep, Mike Arrango. Everytime I order something, I get personalized service, a nice letter, a followup phone call AND email. Now thats what I call customer service! I agree, they obviously have their game together when it comes to customer service because from day one I had a customer rep, (something I've never heard of before) and since then he REALLY has made dealing with them SOOOO....MUCH.... easier then any of the other online purchases I make. I often kid Ryan Murphy (my rep) about the time it takes for him to respond once I make an online order, because quite often it is literally a matter of minutes. The last couple of orders I've made I've actually kidded with him about 'what the hell took you so long' (meaning of course the follow up phone call). Combine that with the fact that their prices are very competitive and they give you free shipping AND a two year warranty, and I just gotta give these guys a 5 star retailer rating.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 I agree, they obviously have their game together when it comes to customer service because from day one I had a customer rep, (something I've never heard of before) and since then he REALLY has made dealing with them SOOOO....MUCH.... easier then any of the other online purchases I make. I often kid Ryan Murphy (my rep) about the time it takes for him to respond once I make an online order, because quite often it is literally a matter of minutes. The last couple of orders I've made I've actually kidded with him about 'what the hell took you so long' (meaning of course the follow up phone call). Combine that with the fact that their prices are very competitive and they give you free shipping AND a two year warranty, and I just gotta give these guys a 5 star retailer rating. Me too. Where you located t0?
t0aj15 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 I've got a 2488 MKII and have recorded somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 or 17 hours of music on it. It's a wonderful deck for those non-Pro Tools types (like me). A couple of things to keep in mind... 1. Always shut the unit down correctly!! I have read so many complaints about people who have had issues with losing data/music. Why? Because they didn't follow the owners manual and shut the unit down correctly. There is a button on the top of the unit called "Shut Down". Push that. The unit will ask if you want to shut down, push yes...it automatically saves everything to it's hard drive. 2. Having an 80 gig hard drive, I've already had to download and delete data (i.e. my songs). I have the data stored on my computer and can upload at any time (although I have yet to do so...I have all of my "masters" on CD... Again, it's a great unit if used correctly...HAVE FUN! 1. I agree, after the the first couple takes I quickly realized you need to learn the proper 'shut down' sequence or you WILL loose tracks you 'think' you have recorded. 2. This newer 'NEO' unit has as I stated previously a hard drive that has been expanded to 160 GB so I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
t0aj15 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Me too. Where you located t0? Suburban Detroit.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Suburban Detroit. Cool. Got one on the way!
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Good luck & have fun. PM sent to you. A quick google search revealed plenty of free tutorials for the 2488, some of them specific to things like mastering, mixdowns, etc. Just food for thought.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 I have to admit, I am scared to death of using this thing. Scared that I wont understand how to use it and then I will feel like I have wasted my money.
TalismanRich Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Slammer, these recorders are great, and you have a distinct advantage being a drummer. Lay down a scratch guitar track and start layering on the drums, bass and other parts. If you don't like something, just back it up and redo it. You can have a boatload of 'virtual tracks" which is a distinct advantage over tape. Do three or four guitar takes, compare and use what you like the best, or combine bits and pieces of each. I only wish these things were out years ago. To me it is so much easier to use than tape. I've got a Yamaha AW1600 and use that in lieu of going the protools/computer route. It just feels more natural to me to use the all in one unit. Once everything is recorded, I mix it down and export it to my computer as a stereo wave file. From there you can always embellish it with added reverb, or eq or compression as you see fit. The only thing to do it to hook up the mics, adjust the faders and dive in with the music. Learn by doing. There are no "mistakes" (ok, working for 3 hours on a track and not doing a shutdown and losing it all might be a mistake). Have fun!
Tim Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 You can buy a video tutorial off of Amazon (with David Wills as the host...he has also done tutorials for my Korg Triton, and my Roland Juno G). It's and excellent supplement to the somewhat difficult to understand manual. After viewing the DVD, you will be good to go with no worries. If a bonehead like me can get it, so can you...
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Slammer, these recorders are great, and you have a distinct advantage being a drummer. Lay down a scratch guitar track and start layering on the drums, bass and other parts. If you don't like something, just back it up and redo it. You can have a boatload of 'virtual tracks" which is a distinct advantage over tape. Do three or four guitar takes, compare and use what you like the best, or combine bits and pieces of each. I only wish these things were out years ago. To me it is so much easier to use than tape. I've got a Yamaha AW1600 and use that in lieu of going the protools/computer route. It just feels more natural to me to use the all in one unit. Once everything is recorded, I mix it down and export it to my computer as a stereo wave file. From there you can always embellish it with added reverb, or eq or compression as you see fit. The only thing to do it to hook up the mics, adjust the faders and dive in with the music. Learn by doing. There are no "mistakes" (ok, working for 3 hours on a track and not doing a shutdown and losing it all might be a mistake). Have fun! Rich, thanks much for that. I am usually terrified of new technology-and I already scanned the manual online. I like to keep things simple. What kind of mikes do you usually use? I have a Cadd condenser and some SM-57's. Will those fit the bill? Do I need a mike preamp? You can buy a video tutorial off of Amazon (with David Wills as the host...he has also done tutorials for my Korg Triton, and my Roland Juno G). It's and excellent supplement to the somewhat difficult to understand manual. After viewing the DVD, you will be good to go with no worries. TIm-thanks, you know I viewed some clips of those videos and the guy's accent (Australian?) drives me nuts. I think Tascam should include the video for the with the unit, but unfortunately they dont and they stick you with a manual written by techies for techies. If a bonehead like me can get it, so can you...
TalismanRich Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 I started out with a pair of Studio Projects B3s, an SM57 and an old EV electret. Since then, I added a 3 pack of Senheiser 835s (for vocals, I like them better than 57s) a pair of MXL 992s, and a CAD 7 piece drum set. The snare/tom mics in the drum kit do really well with guitar amps and vocals. I haven't used the condensers in the pack much. I've used the MXLs a lot lately for acoustic guitar and vocals. Many people dis them but I like the way they sound. Lots of people like the MXL V67G for a good low cost condenser. They run about $100. Check out the Home Recording forums. They have a whole section on mics. Sometimes the conversations mirror the pickup conversations... some guys won't breath on anything less than a U87, others are perfectly happy with a $50 mic.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 I started out with a pair of Studio Projects B3s, an SM57 and an old EV electret. Since then, I added a 3 pack of Senheiser 835s (for vocals, I like them better than 57s) a pair of MXL 992s, and a CAD 7 piece drum set. The snare/tom mics in the drum kit do really well with guitar amps and vocals. I haven't used the condensers in the pack much. I've used the MXLs a lot lately for acoustic guitar and vocals. Many people dis them but I like the way they sound. Lots of people like the MXL V67G for a good low cost condenser. They run about $100. Check out the Home Recording forums. They have a whole section on mics. Sometimes the conversations mirror the pickup conversations... some guys won't breath on anything less than a U87, others are perfectly happy with a $50 mic. 57's are primarily for instruments anyways. I have a bunch of them, and one 58 for vocals then my Cad condenser, which is in a floating cage and requires 48v phantom power. So when you record, you usually just do a dummy guitar track (I guess you call it a scratch) and then lay down drums and bass first, then add more guitar layering? I wish there was a good book on this. I saw one called Recording for Dummies. That might be what I need.
TalismanRich Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 If I can get a drum machine to keep time (I hate metronome clicks), then I can lay down the guitar track with the chord changes and a rough vocal. This becomes the base. Once you get that down, you can work through each instrument. Of course, if you have 2 friends over, they can handle a couple of parts while you do the drums. Also, I just use the preamps in my AW1600. I do have a Yamaha MX16/4 mixer that I can use for the preamp, although I don't know if its much better/different from the one in the AW. Lots of people pick up a cheap ART Tube MP preamp to give a bit more control over the signal. You'll find that your room plays a big part in the sound. My basement really doesn't sound that great. My living room sounds really good for doing vocals and acoustic guitars. I even used my bedroom closet once.... open the double doors and set the mic up facing the clothes. It gave a really dry sound... almost like a sound deadened vocal booth. I haven't tried recording in the shower yet! Use your imagination and have fun.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 You can buy a video tutorial off of Amazon (with David Wills as the host...he has also done tutorials for my Korg Triton, and my Roland Juno G). It's and excellent supplement to the somewhat difficult to understand manual. After viewing the DVD, you will be good to go with no worries. If a bonehead like me can get it, so can you... This is the guy with the Australian accent yes? Drives me nuts!
t0aj15 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 You can buy a video tutorial off of Amazon (with David Wills as the host...he has also done tutorials for my Korg Triton, and my Roland Juno G). It's and excellent supplement to the somewhat difficult to understand manual. After viewing the DVD, you will be good to go with no worries. If a bonehead like me can get it, so can you... That the video I linked to in my first post.
Guest HRB853370 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 If I can get a drum machine to keep time (I hate metronome clicks), then I can lay down the guitar track with the chord changes and a rough vocal. This becomes the base. Once you get that down, you can work through each instrument. Of course, if you have 2 friends over, they can handle a couple of parts while you do the drums. Also, I just use the preamps in my AW1600. I do have a Yamaha MX16/4 mixer that I can use for the preamp, although I don't know if its much better/different from the one in the AW. Lots of people pick up a cheap ART Tube MP preamp to give a bit more control over the signal. You'll find that your room plays a big part in the sound. My basement really doesn't sound that great. My living room sounds really good for doing vocals and acoustic guitars. I even used my bedroom closet once.... open the double doors and set the mic up facing the clothes. It gave a really dry sound... almost like a sound deadened vocal booth. I haven't tried recording in the shower yet! Use your imagination and have fun. Rich, do you ever find yourself just using your Yamaha to record what you practice or just to capture new ideas (on a single track)?
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