Tascam releases 4-track recorder – is it 1980?

OK, we give up - where do you put the cassette?
OK, we give up - where do you put the cassette?

Maybe we're just suckers for a bit of nostalgia, but we must admit to feeling a little wistful we learned that Tascam is launching a new 4-track recorder.

Tape-based 4-track Tascam Portastudios are what some of us were brought up on, y'see; the new product doesn't require you to record on a C90, but it still looks pretty simple.

The device, which is known as the DP-004, can record at 16-bit/44.1kHz quality and contains two mic/line inputs. It has an SD/SDHC slot, which means that you have access to up to 32GB of storage.

Each track's pan and volume settings can be adjusted, while the presence of a USB 2.0 port indicates that some kind of computer hook-up is possible (though we're not sure how this works).

The DP-004 is scheduled to be released in Japan on November 20 - no news on if or when it'll be available in other territories. I'll cost 24,000 Yen, which equates to around $257/£166.

(Via Boing Boing)

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.