TASCAM 2488 24-Bit 24-Track Digital Workstation
3-band EQ on 24 channels. 8-inputs. 3 aux sends.
Overall User Ratings (based on 208 ratings)
Submitted November 11, 2005 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Tascam 2488 is affordable & great quality according to a nashville guitarist I know."
a long time
Sound
Sound is very clean & has very good loop effects but the sound on the stereo eq could be fuller on the vocal mix.A high quality set of monitors is a must to get a great cd sound from this portastudio.
Features
It has everything you need for instruments & solid midi compatibility.
Quality
It will collect a lot of dust if I dont keep it covered when I'm not using it butoverall it has been made pretty tough.It is very handy to take places & record music for people.
Value
I'll put it this way.A salesman at one music store tried to sell me a 16 track boss he said was better for a $ more100 & I'm like get outta here.I've talked to a nashville guitarist a while back & he said the Tascam 2488 is great quality & better than his analog recorder.
Manufacturer Support
Oh yeah,where I boughtit the salesman ordered the Tutorial for me at 39.99 & it really enhanced what little bit of recording knowledge Ihave.
Musical Background:
musician & teacher
Musical Style:
christian music
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Submitted December 18, 2006 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Better think twice before getting this unit!!"
Sound
Sound is good. Overall performance is not what I expected. Lots of little quirks with this unit and the faders are el-cheapo. I expected a little more from Tascam but then again a 24 track machine for this price... Well, you get what you pay for.
Features
Records well and sounds pretty good. FX are okay. Not stunning but they'll do the job.
Ease of Use
Getting around this box is fairly easy once through the learning curve. Manual could've been better.
Quality
The machine locked up on us a few times and we received a few error messages during tracking and mixing. had to reboot the machine several times. what a pain!! I don't expect this machine would last that long in a studio environment. You're better off spending the extra $$$ and getting a Roland or Yamaha. Even better, get the Akai DPS24 if you can find one. It's the best 24 track recorder out there for the value and very professional on every level.
Value
Okay at this price. I mean 24 tracks for under $1000?! If only it didn't keep locking up...
Manufacturer Support
I never had to use support so I can't comment.
The Wow Factor
No thanks. Tascam can keep it! They need to refine this unit and make it more reliable and durable. It's really a toy and again I expected more from a company as good as Tascam.
Musical Background:
Engineer
Musical Style:
Just about everything...
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Submitted May 18, 2008 by a customer from gmail.com
"Stay away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I will ride this thing until the warranty falls off and then I'll bury. I wouldn't even sell it to some poor kid with big dreams so he could hit this brick wall. I will never buy TASCAM again. I wish there were more reviews on the MK2 when I bought it. I chose this beacuse it has 24 tracks a decent effects section and the price point. If stolen I would pissed that I lost $800.00 but I'd be leieved that the headache was gone. I have this thing or two of them for what 35 days or so and it's been down for a weeki and I probably won't get it back for three more weeks!
Sound
Going with a 7 because the darn thing never worked long enough to get to mixdown ad premastering. The dry recording sounds good with a good signal to noise ratio but I'm no engineer.
Features
Coming from a DAW I was suprised to be able to add as many tracks as 24 with effects on a stand alone. The most useful features to me are the mic effects with available preset compression and reverb etc.....
The CD burner is a nice touch as i was determined to get a good premaster to a mastering house without using pro tools! It's me against the world.
Ease of Use
The manualsucks. If you get the basics you can record immediatley the interface is simple but sometimes menus kick you right out to the home page vice the previous page when you want to back up and there you are going back through sub menus. It is extremely easy for me to get the sound I want.
Quality
Take this toi a gig and you'll be the laughing stock of the city! It's not reliable. I'm on my second unit in less than 40 days and that too was shipped to the factory yesterday at my expense. It seems that if they do fix it the unit will spit out another bug in another couple of months.
Value
It seems this product was rushed to the shelves. It's cheap and it acts that way.
Manufacturer Support
I'm a pretty easy going guy. But had I showed how upset I was and I have the right to be I probably would have gotten a bad reception. Most people on the second unit and expecting a third in less than 40 days would ask WTF?
All that being said, the factory manager was a good guy and very attentive to my concerns. His receptionist is a (insert your favorite curse here)
The Wow Factor
It looks good to me. Easily integrated but boy I would be scared to take it on the road because it feels light and well.....plastic.
Musical Background:
hobbyist
Musical Style:
Hip Hop
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Submitted May 12, 2005 by a customer from aol.com
TASCAM 2488 Multitrack Customer Review
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I'm very happy with this purchase. I upgraded the hard drive to 160GB. (piece of cake)! Works awsome, tons of storage. Easy!
Sound
I'm very impressed with the sound quality of this machine.
Features
More features than I need here. A great all-in-one system.
Quality
For the money... I'm shocked. This deck should cost $2000.00, not $1200.00.
Value
Second to none. I'm so glad I bought this...
Manufacturer Support
Great support available from Tascam and Tascamforums.com, excellent!
The Wow Factor
I hate going to work now... I miss this thing after 5 minutes.
Musical Background:
songwriter / hobbyist
Musical Style:
alternative / pop
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Submitted March 22, 2006 by a customer from gojo.com
"2488 is great as long as you don't experience any problems. A error code or in-depth troubleshooting guide would have been helpf"
I like to keep the 2488, but if problems persist, I will search for another recorder from a different vendor.
Ease of Use
Very easy to use. User's manual could be clearer in explaning things about the 2488.
Quality
I only had the unit for 6 - 7 months before I received an unrecovable error message - Error 04 & 01. SDRAM and DSP problems. I had to take the unit to a local repair shop.
Value
Much to expensive to be having problems just after 6 months of use.
Manufacturer Support
Unit is currently in the shop. Will let you know whenever I receive my unit back.
The Wow Factor
Unit looks good.
Musical Background:
hobbyist
Musical Style:
r&b, rap, rock, drun, bass
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Submitted October 29, 2004 by a customer from bellsouth.net
"All the pro recording studio time you want at REASONABLE rates!"
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
For making music, I can't imagine making any improvements. Except, the paint finish and a larger hard drive for greater storage capacity. Maybe a 1/2 Hr. DVD to go along with the manual. I plan to use and care for this unit for perhaps 10 or 20 years.
Sound
I really love it now. Sounds smooth and silky when I want it to and bold and harsh if I need it to be. The glitch I had experienced with it misteriously dissapeared. THAT alone makes the unit sound great! Like anything new, it did take some time to get used to. However, I'm still experiencing nice sonic surprises at each level of recording.
Features
I'm glad it didn't require any "accessories".
Quality
As far as quality is concerned, I havn't owned it long enough. Ask me in two or three more years. I would say not to mix any projects on it while wearing a wrist watch. You'll scratch the paint off the palm rest. (lower side corners) I would recommend NOT taking it to "the clubs".
Value
BIG BANG for the "buck"! If you know what you're doing as a recordist and, you know what you want to hear, you will achieve results. Tascam has finally leveled the "playing field" for musicians W/out a major label recording contract.
Manufacturer Support
Nobody home.
The Wow Factor
It's pretty. I get a lot of girls hanging around it in my studio.
Musical Background:
45+ years. Recording since late fifties, composing/preforming/recording.
Musical Style:
many influences, many
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Submitted November 30, 2004 by a customer from yahoo.com
"NEWSFLASH- TASCAM'S RECORDER IS WORTH THE BUCK!"
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I shouldn't need to buy any other HD recorder for 50 years.
Sound
The sound is good, overall. The vocals sound a little tinny, though.
Features
Good features. Great FX. Now that I am recording bands, I wish it had more inputs, especially more XLR inputs. I bought an additional mixer to supplement the recorder. The built in-CD player is sorry. You can't record from CD to a track, and you can't search through a song- you can only start it at the beginning. Also, this thing is supposed to be able to burn to CD-RW's. It doesn't do it well at all. I did it once, and the recorder froze up.
Quality
It is very good. For the first 6 months or so I had it I didn't have a case. It got banged around pretty good, and it still works fine. If you travel with this thing alot, get a case.
Value
This recorder is a very good value. I needed a hard disk recorder for my studio, and I did not have a lot of money to spend- this recorder was the only one that had all the features I wanted at a reasonable price.
Manufacturer Support
When I first got this recorder it froze up in the middle of recording occaisionally. I downloaded software update 1.01 from tascam.com, and now it works fine.
The Wow Factor
It looks very nice. I needed this gear though, and the color, etc. didn't matter to me.
Musical Background:
active musician, recording engineer and producer
Musical Style:
I play gospel, I record gospel and punk rock
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Submitted August 16, 2004 by a customer from aol.com
"Great portable home studio."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I really like this digital recorder and do not intend to replace it for years. For an analog guy like myself, this product is fairly easy to use.
Sound
I like the sound of the 2488 except for vocals. I've added a Focusrite Voicemaster Pro and a DBX mixer to try to attain the warmth of the analog recordings that I'm used to. I still seem to like analog vocals better.
Features
I've had to add a footswitch for punching in and out, an absolute necessity in my opinion. It really should have liked that included. I like the built-in reverb.
Quality
After about 3 months so far so good.
Value
I believe this product gives a lot for the price.
Manufacturer Support
No dealings with the company to date.
The Wow Factor
I would recommend it to other muscians looking for a good quality product for the price.
Musical Style:
Rock, Folk
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Submitted March 31, 2004 by a customer from bellsouth.net
"Fast and easy to use. Super sound and superior TASCAM quality."
Verified Customer
zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
As with all technology, there will be better products. This machine, however, should continue to provide a viable tool for recording for some time.
Sound
For under $1200.00 this 24 bit 24 track Portastudio produces a high quality recording.
Features
I came from the old Teac 3340/3440 school. This Tascam 2488 offers the same ease of operation and transport logic. The 24 bit really gives depth to the sound. To get more quality you would need to go to $3000.00 range for the next step. Tascam could have included the Foot punch/RC-30P and a remote 'transport' would be nice too.
Quality
The quality, so far, is typical of Tascam products. Production standards are high and everything feels well designed. The USER'S GUIDE, although good has several errors (translation etc) and sometimes unclear. I think you need to be careful with this because it is not made for heavy bouncing and shakin'.
Value
You could go 200.00 more for the ROSS or KOSS but I think ASCAM produces a better product all around. Most people go for ROSS because of the 8 XLR. You would need to go to the $3000.00 Range for the next step in home recording.
Musical Style:
Rock, Roots, American, New, Old and Original.
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Submitted March 13, 2008 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Worst piece of junk I have ever purchased."
The name says it all. taSCAM.
Sound
Like everybody else I keep getting the "error 04" code and it locks up. It also does othe weird things.
Features
Has alot of features but you can't use any of them when it's locked up.
Ease of Use
Cant't use it. It's in the shop (1 1/2 hours away from Nashville)
Quality
See above.
Value
I wouldn't take another one if somebody gave it to me.
Manufacturer Support
I have dealt with them and just from that experience alone I will never buy another Tascam product again.
The Wow Factor
See above.
Musical Background:
Active Musician
Musical Style:
Alt country rock
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Submitted April 12, 2004 by a customer from kiskil.net
"Great Piece of Equipment!"
I like everything about it.
Sound
24 bit recording sounds excellent! I'm an old analog guy 16 track tape deck, and I think this Tascam blows it away.
Features
Wish it came with the foot switches for punching in and out. The master fader could be smoother when you do fade outs.
Quality
It seems well made, although it just sets in my home studio and doesn't get moved around. I like the quality.
Value
It is well worth the price, you won't find another 24 track as good in this price range.
Manufacturer Support
I sent them an e-mail and I never got a reply. It doesn't seem like they answer any questions.
The Wow Factor
The best purchase I ever made!
Musical Style:
Rock, Country
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Submitted July 14, 2009
"a great piece of work"
Sound
great unit,if you cant do it hear,find another hobby
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Submitted May 17, 2009
"Spend your money on something else!"
I'm looking for another way to record now. This thing constantly crashes, I'm about to lose 2 1/2 years of recordings
Manufacturer Support
What tech support? Out of warrenty by 4 months and Tascam wants $560 to repair this thing.New they are $800. When I was talking to a tech guy at one of the major music stores around here, he said he wouldn't recommend Tascam, because their tech support is awful!
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Submitted August 11, 2007 by a customer from sbcglobal.net
"2488 II is getting a bad rap for no good reason."
This unit has suprised me on all fronts. What it can do exceeds my current needs for recording/editing and I dont expect to outgrow it any time soon.
Sound
I only rate it a nine because I know that there are better units out there. Still it does everything I need as a part time pro. I have not experienced any problems that others have seen.
I would like to have better access to the patch bay. The manual is a little sketchy for a beginner.
Features
Again, I am sure that there are better units out there but for the price PLEEEEZE! I am still finding out features, short cuts and cool goodies that make my life easier.
Ease of Use
Like I said, the manual could be more user friendly. Some of the instructions are vague. Controlling the features are easy once you get the hang of it. The recalling of scenes is a little mystical still. Also the detail about not being able to set in and out points util the display stops flashing gave me a fit. Probably newbie syndrom.
Quality
I would love to see the unit be a little more sturdy as far as the chassis is concerned. I wouldnt want to carry it around alot as the case is mostly plastic.
Value
Bang for the buck, I will have to say Tascam is the top. I did considerable research before buying including talking to other home recording freaks like me and It came highly recommended
Manufacturer Support
It seems as though there are some problems with all tech support, but I have found that if you supply ample info and are prepared they tech support guys are good at getting you pointed in the right directions.
The Wow Factor
The look of the unit is good but not easy to find all controls. There are better looking and arranged units but still, you cant have everything
Musical Background:
Lifetime muscian, 20 years music editing, relatively new to live recording
Musical Style:
Country, Texas style country, 70s rock and blues
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Submitted February 23, 2006
"Great unit-but with serious reliability issues"
Overall I'd have to give it a 2 because of the quality and dependability issues. I would NEVER buy one used or off of the internet because of this. As I said above, when it is repaired and working I am going to try to sell it and get something comparible.
I will settle for less channels to get more reliability.
My recommendation on the 2488 is to pass on it and keep looking.
Sound
Unit has good sound quality. Although the guitar effects (multi-effects)are not real flexible, the vocal effects are good.
Like any other digital, be careful with imput levels. Distortion is not pleasant on these.
Features
Features are good. The virtual tracks and the stereo tracks (13-24) leave lots of room for recording, bouncing, and mixdown.
For the price, nothing on the market can compete with this 2488.
Ease of Use
It is not too bad. The "6" I gave it mainly comes from the difficulty in following the manual. It is confusing and some important details that would aid the ease of use are ommited.
Trial and error are the only ways tot learn, but that is not recommended due to what I posted in the next category (quality)
Quality
I have had freeze up problems, error codes since the day I got it. I did manage to record one complete song, but I spent more time turning it off and on than recording.
As I write this report it is drawing dust in a shop. I have read the many bad quality issues on the independent Tascam forum and now I am a member of that unfortunate club.
I can't recommend the 2488 for this reason. When and if it is repaired I am going to sell it before something else goes nuts on it.
Value
Again if it is working properly it is a bargain, but if there are issues that keep it in the shop more than it is used it is worthless.
Manufacturer Support
A neutral 5 because I haven't dealt with them yet. I sent them an email and received no answer.
The dealer where its at is a Tascam Service Center so I'm waiting to hear from them. The tech said it could be a processor and a new motherboard would have to come from Tascam and this might take an extremely long time.
I bought a new unti, I don't want a repaired unit, but I'm willing to take anything at this point.
The Wow Factor
The 2488 is a very attractive machine. Everything on it is well placed and functional.
Musical Background:
active musician
Musical Style:
pop
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Submitted January 6, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com
"It looks great, but is very fragile!"
I like that it's a pretty looking board and stupidly easy to use. It's just that it's not something I would trust to work all the time. You gotta walk on eggshells with this thing, or it may freeze up on you. Again, you should see a Tascam 2488 review at: http://www.geocities.com/tascam_2488
which shows that the problems are not just me either. I ain't crazy!
Sound
Sounds a bit digital on held notes in certain frequency ranges, but not too distracting. Won't cut it for professional takes, but sufficient for the average home user.
Features
Self-contained unit, so not much else in the box. Just a power cord.
Quality
Looks are deceiving! Looks like a pro, but breaks down pretty easily. I just sent my unit to the shop after about 5 months of owning it. check out this tech review on the 2488 at: http://www.geocities.com/tascam_2488/
it may be of some help to others in the same situation. The thing is made with low-cost parts to help keep it below the $1200 price point.
Value
There's not much else that can record 8 tracks at 24-bits at 44.1kHz on the market for under $1200. So it's decent, so long as it works!
Manufacturer Support
Tascam Support is tough to get a hold of. They're understaffed. This is an industry-wide, known fact.
The Wow Factor
It looks great. Yes, it looks "sexy". But don't judge a book by its cover though! It's like having Pamela Anderson for a girlfriend - all looks, no brains. You get used to the looks, but there are too many problems to deal with.
Musical Background:
Band Director
Musical Style:
Jazz
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Submitted March 7, 2005
TASCAM 2488 Multitrack Customer Review
Sound
The major problem with this desk is the EQ only really being 3 band and only having the 4 xlr inputs i would prefer more. the mixer itself is very clever and deserves the praise as this is definately one of the better desks available. Loads of preset and user made effects available, compression used right can sound very professional. Some of the guitar presets are a bit dodgy though. I rate this desk highly as it is very easy to use and the channels don't bleed though on to other tracks whilst recording several instruments at once. 8/10
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Submitted February 2, 2005 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Awesome Value"
overall i give it a 6
Sound
It was one of the best 567 style in homes I have ever tried.THe punch in and punch out was hard as hell though!All in all I give it a 7.
Features
Cool klonics,but the meter was a little better.
Quality
Quality was job 1.
Value
Too much.....
Manufacturer Support
Everybody was always there!
The Wow Factor
Yes
Musical Background:
alot
Musical Style:
fine
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