I had a boss br-600 and always had a lot of 'hiss' sounds in my recordings. Not a problem with this model. The sound effects are OK, not great, but at least they dont have a ton of feedback when you record.

120 gb hard drive is really good , a lot better than the maximum 1 GB compact flash cards that my boss br-600 used. Built in cd burner is useful too. No drum machine built in or bass simulator.

This unit is A LOT more user friendly than the Boss Br products. And mixing with actual knobs is so much better than trying to mix with a tiny screen. Easiest multitrack recorder i have owned.

If you got good external effects for your guitar etc. and you know how to mix a master track properly, you will get awesome sounding projects. It also feels like a studio product, not a toys r us plastic toy like the BR.

I paid 350$ with taxes for it, cant beat that price with same features!

This product has the looks and the sound, great buy

I give it an overall score of 8 in the sound department. The actual fidelity is quite good, perhaps even great. It's the effects that drag the number back down. Skipping the effects gave me the best overall final product, very clean and robust. I recommend using an outside effect unit if you are recording something more ambitious than a demo. Guitarists, don't throw away your pre-amps and effects just yet. These will do for daily practice and for demos, but that's about it.

I love the thin profile and metal construction. The ability to burn CDs as data files, wave files, and regular CDs at this price is impressive. I wish it had more tracks, but acknowledge that this would drive the price up as well. It makes you think out your arrangement and record efficiently, which can be a good thing. I may get one because of this built-in limitation/paradigm. If the effects were better, it would get a higher number than 7 for features.

This was the easiest recorder I have ever used. I recorded two songs on it right away with little fuss. The recorder midi-synched a Triton sequencer keyboard, track by track, after a quick look-through both manuals. It is intuitive, but you may have to check a few settings in the manual from time to time. Beginners should not be intimidated by this machine.

The quality is a step up from the plastic units. Although many of the features are the same as the older ones, this model has a cool vibe and handsome, sleek appearance. With an "under $500" price you may imagine that it feels like a toy. It does not.

This is a great value. To think that many of us paid the same price, or more, for cassette recorders a few years back. This model has its limits, the effects are average, some even just poor, but for the money it is remarkable. Songwriters would be smart to look at this unit. Personally, I like dedicated recorders better than computers.

I have not used support.

This is a great looking piece of hardware. The design is much better than the older models that Tascam makes. It would be very interesting to see the same design in a 16 (or even 24 track) unit.

Active musician, recording engineer

Rock, Jazz, electronic, experimental, commercial jingles.

My ears tell me this unit sounds just fine. To the people that complain about it not being a professional unit....HELLO! It's not SUPPOSED to be a professional unit! It's $500 for Pete's sake! What do you expect? Sure the preamps are weak...I have a seperate preamp so no big deal to me. Only two track recording at a time. No problem for me either. It's sleak and clean and does what it's made to do......record CD quality at a reasonable price at home in your "studio". Not portable to take to the beach or camping or to the park.

Yes some of the effects are not the best but some of them are quite usable. The guitar distortions are pretty crappy but I have multi-effects pedals and other pedals for that.

To the people who think it's tough to use....READ THE MANUAL A LIITLE BIT! My goodness....it's not rocket science. A little patience goes along way.

This thing is a rock! Of course I wouldn't want to drop it but.......Beautifully made, I think. I have an old Tascam MKIII cassette recorder that still works so I am hoping this unit lasts a long time also.

$500? To me it's worth all that.

Never needed support.

Hobbyist playing for 40 years or so.

Rock, country rock, country , pop....a little of everything....except RAP!

The DP-02 has been a lot of fun to get to know. I have never recorded before, but the process has been pretty straight forward with this piece of equipment. I am a singer songwriter and wanted to be able to record my songs and create a demo CD. I have accomplished that with 4 songs so far and have another 6 to go. I have sent one song out to be mastered and they were very pleased with the sound quality of the tracks that I had recorded. Once mastered they sounded incredible. I'm sure someone who has mastering abilities could achieve a stellar mix on this recorder, I am just not that good.

I have used the vocal effects and some of the acoustic effect settings. They sound great. I did buy a tube mic preamp which greatly "warmed up" the vocal and acoustic sounds that I was getting. I have also just ordered a studio condenser mic. I have used a dynamic mic with pretty decent results, so I can't wait to hear what this thing does with a condenser mic.

I have NEVER recorded before. Other than checking the manual on some things, this has been VERY straight forward and simple to use.

I've had it about a month. Recorded 4 or 5 songs. Things seem solid so far.

For the cost, this thing is amazing. I considered more expensive units, but for what I need this thing does it all and more. This thing is amazing!

Haven't needed it. Can't say. I have heard good things.

Don't know about sex appeal, but once my album is out it may help my sex appeal...lol.

Active Musician

Americana

I get out of it excactly what I put into it,what I hear when I'm recording is what I get on playback,crisp and clear

the dp02 has everything I need as a keyboardist,when I lay down acoustic gtr tracks using my roland it passes as the real deal,I'm still learning all the tricks of it but it is very easy to use

it helps to keep the manual near-by till you get the hang of it,but just recording to the hard drive and laying down more tracks is easy

Teac/Tascam have been around a long time,I think my brother still has his Teac X10-R,or something like that,it is a reel to reel player/recorder and he bought in the early 80's

yes it is worth it,great starter and/or for small studio work

haven't needed it

I liked the way it looked online and in catalog,took it out of the box and ran into the only problem.....couldn't get it plugged in fast enough,I was excited to say the least....have some patience...even if your not a doctor....read the manual and enjoy,I bought a special table for it

song writer,choir singer,keyboardist

worship,blues,jazz

This product I never heard of before until zzsounds told me about it we purchased it and we love it as,always zzsounds has the greatest customer care and relible air es I be ever dealt with I see the,company staying in business for a very long time. Wish every experience online was as smooth and pleasant as zzsounds. Jessica Rosado

You can record mixes instuments vocals edit your mixes and beleive you me this product has all the bells and whistles.

Well at first we had to do a lot of reading but once your familiar with the buttons its a wrap.

Product looks and plays exellent

Yes,it is

No no problems yet

Very sexy lol

deejayp

oldschool music

I've used some compute software to record and thought the quality off the computer was good but after listening to the play back of the Tascam I was blown away and wish I didn't waist my time recording on my computer.

The full functions are easy to use simple and smooth the looks are speak the only draw back is the screen is a little small other than that anyone wanting to record at home for a good price at studio sound you can't go wrong with the tascam.

This thing is simple just glance through the manual and off u go and there are a lot of sound fx but I used my own and it was easily recorded to a great sound

This thing is sleek and not disturbing to look at well built and I travel quit a bit I trust this thing has handled some abuse

My computer and programs cost 120 times more the value u get verse what this thing does for u what great value

Have not had to use then this thing is easily user friendly

Sleek smooth easy if this were a woman we would be untrouble

hobbyist musician who helps record other bands

garage alternative

The sound quality is great, especially during playback.

This divice could use more inputs. Digital mixers nowadays (including my last one) have limited input options and the DP-02 is one of them. I have 2 keyboards, a drummachine, and a guitar. I had to buy a multi-fuction selector so that I could hook up all these instruments. So I wish it had more inputs. As a keybordist I must say that this device is more guitar-friendly than keyboard-friendly because it has no keyboard effecs (I have nothing against the guitar. Infact im trying to learn to play one, but until then Im not much of a guitarist). So I wish It had some keyboard effects. On a positive note, the dp-02 has more features than my last workstaion such as the CD recorder, phantom power, and the USB port that allows me to tranfer track to my PC for further arrangement.

My only problem as far as usage is that you have to hold down the assign key just to choose a track to record. It would be alot simpler if you just press a REC botton of a track -then RECORD/PLAY, but no you have to hold the assingn key first. I feel that this function is unecessary. Other than that, the usage is good.

The design is very good. I like the metalic finish. It make it more durable

Dont Need... Yet

AVERAGE

Hobbyist (hoping one day to be a active musician)

R&B, Pop, Jazz, Electronica, Contemporary

Retired Professional Musician, now write/produce songs at home

All Styles

I Bought it and returned it because of noise on recordings while the access light was on. I really wanted to like it, but this noise was too crappy. I'm thinking of getting the CF version, because the unit was so fun to use - maybe the cf won't have the access noise.

super cool - simple.

Easy - just that darn noise!

Seemed great - noise on hard drive access in recordings.

didn't try to fix it, just returned it.

I want the cf now - hopefully no noise.

20 yr recording hobbyist and muscian

rocky

The sound is really good. During play back, you hear what you recorded without a lot of noise.

It does have weak preamps and the effects are not as good as other units that I have had. That said, you can fiddle with the parameters of the individual effects to get something that you like. I will probably go ahead and buy a preamp with some effect modules on it. This is the biggest 'complaint' that I have with the unit.

I think this unit is easy as pie to use. I love that it is a one piece unit that can do all it does. The instructions are simple and I was recording very quickly. GREAT STUFF HERE!

Very sturdy and nice. I have owned a couple of tascam products and a couple of others. This is really good.

I gave it a nine because of the effects and the preamps. But really- I spent $450 on it and overall it rocks. This is a great deal.

As soon as I saw it I wanted it. It is all rolled into one. Not an interface, then my computer, then this, or that. It sits next to my bed sometimes and I can lay a track down with ease.

25 years of playing. now, mostly hobbyist

Blues, folk, rock

The Tascam DP-02 is a songwriter's dream. Great 16 bit CD sound production along with the ability to create well polished demo recordings. It also gives you the capability of producing more committed studio compositions. Tascam engineering is world famous and they have proved themselves time and time again as strong leader in recording work stations for the home studio enthusiast. This Tascam DP-02 also resonates with user friendliness in mind. I have recorded for many years now, using Tascam analog equipment. The DP-02 was my first venture out within the digital world of recording. The experience blew me away. What a great interface, mixer and recorder. Buy this recorder. You definitely won't regret it.

Everything you need is on board. A 40 GB hard drive, CD burner, phantom power for your condenser microphones, equalizers, and effect processors. A complete all in one studio.

It is extremely easy to achieve great sound from this recorder. Modification of sound is easy to achieve through the individual track equalizers and effect processors either while recording or on final stereo mix down.

The lowered price that I received mine for, was absolutely one of the best deals I ever received. 379.95 as compared to 499.95, well, you can't go wrong or beat a price like this.

I had no reason to contact Tascam or developed any issues that would have involved using my warranties.

Very modern feel, as well as a real state of the art appearance.

Active musician, singer/songwriter

Folk, Folk Rock

I am an amateur song writer and am taking it very slow, but I input a drum track following by a guitar track, and then voice. I purchased a condenser mic and a set of headphones for playback. When my wife heard my first attempt, she actually teared up, saying how beautiful it turned out. Can't beat that!

Love that reverb....

If I can do it, anyone can.

The Tascam DP-02 is very well made.

This is the only digital portastudio that I've owned, but it sure seems to be just what I need.

No experience with customer service, but thought I'd give them a 10 anyway....

It's very cool!

Hobbyist

Country rock

The playback sound is very good. New to recording but I was able to easily lay down a backing track and improvise over it.

I don't use any of the built in effects as I mic everything so far. I use my own pedals and amp effects to get my sound and it duplicates the sound very well.

The unit appears to be made well and is solid. I'm not too worried about the unit breaking down and it looks like I will be using it for a long time.

for 8 channels, the machine is well worth the price paid.

Have not had to deal with the company that made this product and I hope that I never will.

The look is very appealing and it's made very well. It should serve my needs in the studio for demos and practice.

Active Musician

Classic Rock, Jazz Fusion, Blues

The Tascam DP 02 is an excellent item for people with diverse recording needs. The sound quality of this product was able to fit my needs.

This product didn't come with any accessories, however the features were self explanatory. I wish that the features did include other formats that could be recorded and stored on the unit other than WAV.

This product is easy for those who are really computer knowledgeable, I would advise that even the people thoroughly knowledgeable with this type of equipment, read the manual.

This product is made every well. It is not a piece of plastic wrapped around electronics. This is a well made machine encased in metal. Rugged in appearance and feel, we must remember it is electronic equipment and very attractive.

I would say that this equipment is valued far above the price that I paid for it.

Not needed...

Very Attractive!

Former musician w/recording experience & knowledge

I am a preacher

digital quality, great sound

has everything you need built in and more

if you have done some recording it will be very easy but if you are new to all this it might take a little work

built strong and very sturdy

compared to buying a computer, software and all the other little things its a great value

havent needed it

recording, active musican

rock, acoustic, worship

The sound is unsurpassed for a home studio I do believe (within its price range)... I wouldn't trust anything else... and all this talk about hard drive noise is BullS***... not one peep from this puppy! Clear and crisp sound for clean, and deep chunky distortions (just running though my pedals)... Also, if you feel as if your DP02 is lacking in sound, make sure you have a good pair of monitors !!!!

Everything a guitarist/drummer could possibly need in a multi-track recorder... The EQ is not very good for guitar because you cant tweak as much as you think you could with just a high and a low, so you have to rely on your pedals for eq or a seperate eq rack mount... I do wish there were more effects with cab/amp modeling because just running my guitar through a distortion pedal into the input sounds horrendous :P (its a really hot distortion box) I use a Digitech rp50 for my cab modeling and it sounds much better (i will be getting a better modeler soon hahaha)

Pulled this thing out of its box, powered er' up and was off and running... I had to refer to the manual only a couple of times to understand how to arm the tracks ( ie hold the input letter ((a or b)) and what track number you would like to record onto, which is pretty simple)

Its guts are in a nice tough metal case and lots of shinny LED lights to boot hahaha but seriously I would trust this over similar plastic fostex recorders (even though they are GREAT too)

For me, it was pricy (still to young for a job T-T) but it was well worth the labor/money... It took my recordings another step up from my computer system and made everything happen quicker/faster... Not to mention this thing is a must to lay down fast tracks!! (so is its smaller hand held counterpart)

Have not delt with them yet, but I hope its good for the amount I paid :D

I would DIE for this thing... Its sad because I was worried if gas prices went up anymore i couldn't get it and once i got it id always tell my mom when a hurricane comes I'm gonna save my dog, a guitar, and my tascam hahahahha

Home studio engineer, Hobbyist

Death METAL and all forms of rock/metal

It recoerd a digital noise every time it acesses the hard drive. This noise shows up in your recordings, very bad!

It could be the best lookiong pieceof gear in the world, with the nicest faders and a full sVGA screen, but the noise and weakness of the preamps totally negates all that.

If the measure of value in a purchased product is that it performs its intended function at least as well as expected, then this one is a dud.

FAIL

Active Musician

good music

Preamps are weak. You NEED to use an external preamp to get any sort of usable signal

It has lots of features, but they are all a pain in the ass to get to

Plug and play is OK

Tascam has always had good quality

You can get more for less

This is my first home studio digital recorder so I don't have much to compare to. However, I've been playing guitar for over 30 years and have "some" idea of what is a reasonable sound! To my ears it sounds great. My muso friends agree.

Overall ok however most of the guitar distortions leave a lot to be desired. I've used one or two but not often. My only criticism would be the small monitoring screen. More tracks would also be nice, but "bounce" works well so you can get around that given the price.

Very easy once you've flipped through the manual just to be sure.

I imported this unit from Neveda USA to Sydney Australia, so I guess it may have taken some knocks along the way via FedX? If so, it hasn't made any difference. Very happy.

I paid a little over half the price via the States than what a DP-02 costs in Australia. :-)

Haven't need it.

Looks way better than the earlier models.

The sound of this device is terrible.

The DP02 is a dud.

The product looks really cool but the sound quality and plastic is a waste of your money.

No Technical Support.....I tried calling and it just rang and rang and rang and then your hold for hours....and then you don't even reach anybody. I would not waste your money on this product

Hard to get it to work to tell what the sound is like! (see below).

Still figuring out how to make them work properly (see below)

I purchased TASCAM's Portastudio DP-02CF two weeks ago and have struggled with the "printed in China" manual to figure out how to record and play a few simple audio samples. Using this unit requires several non-intuitive steps with buttons pushed and held; no common sense human interface design would ever require such mental gymnastics, but TASCAM has apparently figured out how to make a relatively simple procedure sufficiently complex to make their product nearly inoperable. One hint on how complex and non-intuitive the Portastudio has become as it evolved over the years is that the manual is now over 76 pages long (some of those pages actually have instructions, but most didn't work as stated). If you read someone's review that claims this is very simple to operate, I suggest you visit a music store to try even a 10 to 20 second recording...then see if you can play back the results...this dispels any notion of simplicity or intuivity (yes, a new word). I strongly recommend you first look at other manufacturers if you need a multi-track recorder. TASCAM's affinity to make a simple process complex and non-intuitive, coupled with its use of a Chinese-produced instruction manual suggests the company has their own ideas of how musicians should interface with recording equipment; they have NOT made the DP-02 intuitively simple. I plan to return my Portastudio this weekend and purchase a competing product. I will keep my old TASCAM PocketStudio as a backup (simple to operate, but six years old). Hope this helps you avoid the mistake I made. By the way, if TASCAM rewrote the user manual and reprogrammed some of the onerous button-pushing steps on their DP-02CF, I would consider repurchasing the unit because the audio portion is not all that bad....but it is a very cumbersome interface.

Physcially, it appears to be well made; intuitively, it is as poor as I've ever seen; and the instruction manual is an insult to anyone who can read; it lacks logic, operationally and sequentially, plus mixes the DP-02 (CD Version) with the DP-02CF (mem card version). See above

Called Tascam five times...not toll free, but all were long distance toll calls. Put on hold everytime and hung up after 6, 8, and 10 minutes of listening to their recorded announcement plus Cindy Lauper. There's no support at TASCAM...customer support is a dilusion.

Musician and Recording Engineer

Soft Rock, LA Country, Alternative