See the video review of the Tascam DP-02

It’s been more than 25 years since Tascam unveiled its first Portastudio, a revolutionary, cassette-based multitrack recorder that enabled musicians to record inexpensively via a readily available format. These days, the sturdy and dependable cassette multitracker has mostly been replaced by computer-based software, such as Pro Tools, and stand-alone digital workstations. And while the very capable and versatile DP-02 we reviewed here falls into the latter category, it’s built around a familiar interface and control set that will be welcomed by those who enjoyed the hands-on simplicity of the old cassette Portastudios.

While the DP-02 has a more affordable cousin, the 1 GB flash memory-equipped DP-02CF ($499 list), we elected to review the more feature-rich DP-02, which has a built-in 40 GB hard drive, CD-RW drive, and ample digital effects.

FAMILIAR FEEL

Having experimented extensively with cassette four-track recorders, I found the DP-02 familiar right out of the box. The unit features controls for eight tracks, each with a volume slider, high and low EQs, and a pan control, all set up in the manner of a simple mixing board. In the area where you’d ordinarily find a cassette deck, however, there’s now an LCD, which is navigated via a data wheel and a few input buttons, and which displays the recording status and menus for the unit’s various functions.

The back control panel features a number of handy and easily accessible inputs and outputs: two XLR microphone inputs with 48 V phantom power; two 1/4-inch unbalanced analog inputs; RCA output jacks; 1/4-inch TRS stereo jacks for effects send/return; a MIDI out; a digital out (S/PDIF format); and a USB 2.0 connection, for importing or exporting files between the recorder and a computer.

CUTTING TRACKS

As a fan of the old cassette Portastudio’s easy, intuitive operation, I had high hopes that the DP-02 would achieve the same user-friendliness. To begin, I plugged a Fishman-equipped Martin OMC-16E directly into a 1/4-inch jack, switched the input to the more sensitive Guitar setting to compensate for the pickup’s lower output, and set up a pair of headphones to monitor the sound. Next, I tuned up using the DP-02’s built-in tuner (which can only be operated via Input A), selected Create Song from the unit’s digital menu, and gave my tune the highly imaginative title of “Song 001,” using the interface’s data wheel and cursor.

With the session set up and ready to go, recording moved along in a fashion that would be familiar to any old-school multitracker. I pressed the Record and Play keys simultaneously and improvised for several minutes. Upon first playback, I was very impressed with the machine’s superclean 44.1 kHz/16-bit, CD-quality sound. And it was immediately apparent that while the DP-02 worked a lot like a cassette Portastudio, the virtual absence of noise-like tape hiss will represent a welcome improvement—and incentive—to those who have been slow to move to the digital domain.

While the inability to record more than two tracks simultaneously may frustrate some potential band-oriented users, that limitation didn’t affect my own work. And by repeating the process used to create the first track, I overdubbed a total of four tracks in no time. Use of the pan, EQ, and level controls on each channel added some welcome dimension to the tune. I added even more depth and atmosphere with the unit’s onboard digital processor, which includes reverbs, modulation, delay, and more—all conveniently grouped in menus tailored for acoustic, bass, and electric guitar, as well as vocals and drums. Most of the reverbs—which include the usual Hall, Room, and Live settings, among many others—proved effective and realistic. I also felt free to experiment, given how easy it is to undo and redo actions. And by adding a Hall-type reverb with a decay of 1.5 seconds, I created a warm, lifelike wash that really brought the track to life.

I continued to tweak each track’s settings until I had a perfect mix, at which point I was ready to master the recording—which is as simple as pressing the Master key and hitting the Record and Play buttons one more time. Burning the song to a CD was just as hassle-free. I simply popped a blank disc into the onboard drive, pressed the CD key, and finalized the CD—a process that took just minutes.

THE WRAP

With its DP-02, Tascam puts an affordable digital recording system into the hands of players who don’t feel like dealing with a complex, computer-based system. Though I had minimal experience with stand-alone digital units, I was able to record a simple four-track song in less than an hour—and my experiment only scratched the surface of what this powerful digital workstation is capable of in the right hands. Indeed, the DP-02 represents a real value and is a great tool for anyone who wants to extend his or her creative potential.