New Tascam Model 24: Reactions?

[-mjk-]

SocProf, after the inputs, and up to any output, everything in the DP machines resides within the digital domain. What Phil is saying is basically, when you put something into the analog input and it's converted to digital, from there it's like a Y cable to the SD card and monitor system in parallel. The recorded signal is exactly like what's being monitored because there is only a single conversion process and signal pathway.

There are a few possibilities such as perhaps a Guitar insert effect that was set on Play instead of Rec, and when de-assigned made the track sound significantly different. If all things are equal and it does sound different on the playback, something is definitely wrong. But digital systems tend to fail rather completely as opposed to analog systems, where for example, a capacitor in the audio path will start to fail and the audio still passes through it, but it really sounds bad. I'm stumped. Mainly because even if some component was going bad, why would it sound bad only on playback?

 

[SocProf]

Thanks, mjk. I'll give my individual (unprocessed) tracks another round of listening.

I'll also be recording a new song, which consists only of a solo acoustic guitar track, later this month. I'll report back if I hear the same thing again.

 

[Phil Tipping]

Phil, are you sure that is the monitor routing? I definitely heard a difference in sound quality between monitoring and playback....I wonder if the published schematic is less than fully accurate.

Well I'm only going by the published block diagram so you make a good point. Try repeating the test after a factory reset - that will ensure all FX and EQ are off. If there's still a difference, we'll have to re-think

 

[-mjk-]

Thanks, mjk. I'll give my individual (unprocessed) tracks another round of listening.

I'll also be recording a new song, which consists only of a solo acoustic guitar track, later this month. I'll report back if I hear the same thing again.

Sounds good. I sure would love to know the results. Thanks!

 

[Mark Richards]

If I'm understanding correctly this Nov 2018 review of the Model 24 that I came across, it seems all the heavy lifting has to be moused in a DAW. The Model 24 provides for the input side of the process and then after DAW manipulation provides for the DAW tracks to come back into the 24 for stereo mixing (??).

If so, then for me there isn't enough there to move away from the DP24/32 platform.

https://www.harmonycentral.com/expert-reviews/tascam-model-24:

• "This is an analog mixer. There are no motorized faders, there is no DAW control surface capabilities...there is no automation for things like panning or level changes outside of whatever you might apply using your DAW."

• "There are no alternative tracks or track layers for the built-in multitrack recorder."

• "You can't move a recording from one track to another without either transferring it out to a computer and bringing it back on a different track, or by bouncing it using the Sub outputs and patch cables and re-recording it to a different track (or pair of tracks)."

 

[-mjk-]

Mark, I came to the same conclusion.

 

[Steven L. Stevens]

The 24 adds nothing of value for me either. Unfortunately it is neither very innovative or cutting edge. Too bad.

 

[Gloria]

It has an ANALOG mixing board and it sounds fantastic! I traded in my Zoom R24 and L12 as it is so wonderful to have real knobs. I am very happy with the Model 24 and will be for many years ahead....

 

[SocProf]

I think the key issue again is that the Model 24 is very different product than the DP series.

 

[Mark Richards]

It has an ANALOG mixing board and it sounds fantastic! I traded in my Zoom R24 and L12 as it is so wonderful to have real knobs. I am very happy with the Model 24 and will be for many years ahead....

Welcome to the forum, Gloria.

Great to hear your enthusiasm for the Model 24.

There are a lot of folks on this DP-24/32 forum hoping new Model 24 owners like you will post about their experiences with the 24, the the pros and cons, etc.

Would you be kind enough to share what it was about the Model 24 platform v the DP-24/32 platform that won you over to the Model 24?

I think lots of fence sitters would like to hear about those sorts of things to help with their own decision process.

For example, it appears that for the 24, all the heavy lifting that could be accomplished completely within the DP-24/32 environment instead has to be moused in a DAW. It seems the Model 24 provides for the input side of the process and then after DAW manipulation provides for the DAW tracks to come back into the 24 for stereo mixing, but the 24 has no DAW control surface capabilities for things like panning or level change automation , editing, etc. within the DAW environment, yes (???).

Confirming or debunking these types of speculations would be a valuable contribution, I think.

 

[-mjk-]

It has an ANALOG mixing board and it sounds fantastic! I traded in my Zoom R24 and L12 as it is so wonderful to have real knobs. I am very happy with the Model 24 and will be for many years ahead....

Hi Gloria, and welcome to the forum. I like analog too, and real knobs, which is why I have both a large frame analog console and a DP-32. But the Model 24 is not designed for session recording, which is what I need. Model 24 is great for live mixing and live show recording. But one really couldn't practically record a solo album with overdubbing because there is no track routing. No automation either. A totally different animal and not really comparable to the DP machines.

What are you using your model 24 for? Thanks.

 

[-mjk-]

@Mark Richards I think one would be better off using a DM series for mixing DAW tracks.

 

[Arjan P]

@-mjk- That's right, and it's why I was initially under the impression that Model 24 was the new follow-up to the DM series. But it doesn't live up to the DM either - it's somewhere in between the DM series and the DP machines.

 

[-mjk-]

@Arjan P you called it, exactly.

 

[Gloria]

Yes there is no track routing, I enjoy manually patching the instruments! It is a task but having the jacks on top as opposed to in back really helps., I also have all the keyboards on a good sub mixer so many sequences and performances can be applied to 2 tracks at a time. Then at the end the mix gets sent to a second recorder...

 

[Arjan P]

@Gloria Good to hear that you found your match with the Model 24. It does have some great specs on its own - we're here simply comparing to what we know..

 

[-mjk-]

Hi @Gloria. I read that one can patch out and back in. I prefer to not go through the A/D-D/A conversion process each time though. And I can't help but notice the irony of using an outboard mixer to submix to a mixer to overcome routing limitations. But as Mr. @Arjan P said, we are happy that you found what you need to get the job done, and we are all hoping you'll let us hear some tracks you've done with it!

We are going to need a new forum for the Model 24, and soon.

 

[Tagaboum]

That « modèle 24 » (in French, sorry for zee aksant) in fact, is not what a part of us are waiting for.

It interests mainly those who prefer nobs, that’s sure, and TASCAM has bet on it, but inside these people, who are mainly also older and has been used to that kind of stuff! There are some people who are doing their own musical product, from scratch, A to Z and to a CD Audio, and maybe even a DVD! I am part of them.

And I tell you my story briefly, I am using a FOSTEX MR 8HD, I can overdub of course that’s the first thing I need! But my inside HD is getting old and can’t run at the speed of an actual PC with 32Mo RAM when before it was the PC that was so slow to get all the info from the HD, anyway, I decide to renew my gear and like a witch! I set my sights on the Allen & Heath machine SQ5!!! Ouaaaa! I received it, so beautiful! A lot of nobs changing colors, motorized and... everything I can dream of…
But in fact it was a real nightmare, for 10 months I surge and fight to get one overdub! Go to see sound ingeniors, no one found it! Finally I sold it 1 month ago, near to get depressed by frustration and that guy who bought it told me: “normal you don’t find overdub, there is no one” ?!?!?§ iogfcbcfxibgfnclifb !!!!
F…GOSH!! I couldn’t believe it, the seller in the shop assured me it was possible, yes passing by a DAW!! At that price!! I lost 500 box in that stupid buy, persuaded I could! But I am 69 years old and I realise that it is the desert on the market place for what I am looking for!!!

I was thinking to buy the Lynx Hilo, great machine passing by a daw, yes, but with a great quality, but very expensive too, and shall I be able to use it at my age? And also, it is quite old stuff: 2011!

We must not forget that a DAW lose quality compare to a direct machine what does everything! With my FOSTEX I have a real great sound with my Yamaha Tyros 5 and my mike passing through it!

Zoom tell the same, you can overdub ha ha ! but through a DAW, only TASCAM DP 32 SD (and DP24) are doing the job, but I am looking for a better quality, I thought I found it with that MODELE 24, and they say it yes, written black on white in the notice:

“THE MODEL 24 ENABLES YOU TO RECORD AND PLAY BACK ANY COMBINATION OF 24 TRACKS OF DIGITAL AUDIO AS WELL AS PERFORM OVERDUBS AND PUNCH-INS QUICKLY AND EASILY.”

Bullshit, same than Zoom, through a DAW yes!!

But it is true for punch-in/out, yes, and not like Zoom, but an automatic one! I got the complete notice it explains how to do it on the machine. Restriction only on 8 channels.

But That is NOT what is the most important for some of us OVERDUB!

 

[telengard]

I'm considering purchasing one of these and had a few questions that I couldn't figure out from the manual or by searching online.

- It seems I can do true overdubbing just like my tape based portastudios. This seems obvious in the manual, but there is a review on Sweetwater saying it doesn't, all tracks have to be recorded
+at once... I doubt this is the case, but just want to be 100% sure before purchasing. Link below, review is right at the bottom of the page.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Model24--tascam-model-24-mixer-interface-recorder/reviews

- Is there any way to utilize a USB channel to act as an insert? i.e. I want to route audio coming in from say a microphone, to my computer to use a VST effect, but have it print the effect when
+writing to the MTR (on a different channel). I know there are the 2 inserts on channels 1 and 2 which I would use for my rack gear, but wasn't sure if this could be done somehow using the USB
+interface and some creative use of the aux/sends/inserts, etc. Just wondering if anyone has tried anything like this. I realize there could be some extra latency introduced.

- Pretty sure the answer to this is no based on the manual, but is there any way to shuffle tracks around on the MTR? I won't have a lot of stuff connected and to utilize all the tracks I picture
+having to swap cables a lot. Also, only the first 2 channels have hi-z and inserts which are nice to have available. If not, I'm hoping a firmware update might enable this. Just a simple, move
+track #1 to track #3, for example in your project.

- I love the pre-amps on my tape based portastudios, they start to pleasantly distort a little when overdriven unlike a digital mixer/interface. Given this is an analog console, I'm hoping
+something similar is possible with the Model 24.

 

[filip.celen]

I'm getting a lot of problems with mine unit.

I'm here to warn any potential buyers:
This hardware isn't "finished" product for sure, more sad is that support is shitty, and documentation is even more shitty.

My main problem is that two of channels stopped working in MTR("
recorder") mode. One of them went down DURING my recording.

Skipping song, and utility of recorder itself is I would say - ABSURD.

Example: if you want to skip let say 15 minutes, you have to PAUSE, skip selection to get to minutes, select time, then SKIP forward to hour, and again, to get out of "clock", and only after this 4 steps you can press PLAY - is it 1980 at Tascam?

Next thing:

Recorder should work like EVERY multitrack recorder on the market: if you STOP recording, it should save itself, and start the new "song". But again, we went back in time with Tascam, and in '80s, you have to start new song manually.

It's not only "retro design"... it's retro thinking about user experience.

Oh btw: Sound quality of my line inputs is very very bad...

I'm so, so badly disappointed with it - DON"T BUY IT, it's a crap