The Portastudio style has been adapted and abandoned by various manufacturers thus far. However, TASCAM has maintained the studio style and incorporated the most advanced technology to get the most out of it. This is evident by many of their models as they have shown some really impressive results.
Their latest addition, the TASCAM DP-32SD is Tascam’s latest and their flagship Portastudio equipment. This model follows the design of a more compact variant, DP-24. The DP-32 uses SDHC memory cards or SD to store audio data. However, it also comes with CD-R for audio production mastering and USB support for transferring data between your computer and your audio recorder.
The base layout of the TASCAM DP-32SD comes with 8 mono and twelve stereo tracks. You can also set the stereo tracks as mono whenever you want. Whereas the recording can be done at 16 and 24-bit and at 44.1kHz and 48kHz. Every track comes with its own Fader and Record and Select buttons.
The Select button is connected with the control panel and the display. The control panel includes knobs to track EQ, effects sends, panning, and accessibility to other features. Whereas the Record button also alternates as a mute or solo button when you use it along with the solo and mute buttons that can be found on top of the transport.
- Tascam DP-32SD Recorder + Pro Headphone + Pair EMB XLR Cables + Gravity Phone Holder Bundle
- Records an unmatched 32 tracks to solid-state media, and up to eight tracks can be recorded at a time via the XLR/TRS combo jacks
- Features studio-quality input processing like compression and limiting, and guitar amp simulation and multi-effects on the instrument-level input
- An intuitive user interface delivers stress-free recording, and a color LCD and channel strip knobs make mixing fast and creative
- Even in loud environments, the high output powered amplifier makes headphone monitoring easy
TASCAM DP-32SD comes with 8 inputs on the XLR/jack connectors, all of which feature activated phantom power. It can also deal with guitar sources through a select switch at the back. You can easily route all the inputs to the output of the stereo or any tracks, giving the TASCAM DP-32SD a whopping 40 channels. However, twelve of these will be required to be stereophonic to achieve this.
Coming to the outputs, the TASCAM DP-32SD has a primary monitor connector on balanced jacks, a fount-mounted headphone jack, and a primary stereo connector on unbalanced phonos. There are also physical connectors for sends one and two. Lastly, there is a USB port, a jack for RC-35 pedal remote at the front, and a MIDI in and out for MIDI sync.
Track Timer
TASCAM DP-32SD features a track-based file system where you can select the bit rate and sample rate. Once you have selected and set up your song, the Remain indicator at the top right of the screen will show the recording time you have left. The time is displayed in minutes and hours, indicating the total track time. So even if you choose more than one song, the indicator will update according to the current track length.
The Assign page lets you easily route the signals using the Select and Source buttons or doing it manually with the cursor. It lets you route a single source to multiple destination tracks.
The headphone output of TASCAM DP-32SD gets the similar monitor signal as that of the main monitors, which may feel limited. But if you do require an additional feed, you can connect an outer headphone amp by using send 2. Moreover, you can also deploy the Dynamics, the Guitar Effects, and the EQ blocks before recording, by using the included effects routing
- Tascam DP-32SD Recorder + Pro Headphone + Pair EMB XLR Cables + Gravity Phone Holder Bundle
- Records an unmatched 32 tracks to solid-state media, and up to eight tracks can be recorded at a time via the XLR/TRS combo jacks
- Features studio-quality input processing like compression and limiting, and guitar amp simulation and multi-effects on the instrument-level input
- An intuitive user interface delivers stress-free recording, and a color LCD and channel strip knobs make mixing fast and creative
- Even in loud environments, the high output powered amplifier makes headphone monitoring easy
Once you have sorted the signal routing and monitoring, recording with your TASCAM DP-32SD is quite simple. Thanks to Rehearse and Auto Punch, you can easily fine tune the recording in various ways.
As for the multiple takes, you can set up a maximum of 8 virtual tracks for every single track, making it easy for you to stack more than one takes. But the editing options of TASCAM DP-32SD are a bit complex. All the editing functions depend on setting the edit points with transport locators. Although the scrub wheel lets you zoom in to view all the waveforms of all the tracks, editing your recordings may feel a bit too much.
However, with AudioDepot, you can easily export and import the WAV files of your tracks through a shared folder on your SD. You can load these files into DAW after transferring them to your computer. All of your files will be rendered from 0 in a sequence, allowing you to edit and mix right after.
Control Screen
The TASCAM DP-32SD comes with a compact high resolution colored LCD screen. This screen displays the control of its functions as well as the feedback. The home screen has two pages, a Meters and a Timeline page. Both of these pages offer great feedback on levels, track usage, song position, and Routings. You can access more features and all the related parameters using the function buttons on the left, the jogwheel, the cursor buttons, and the rotary controls.
Meanwhile, the Menu screen lets you access additional settings such as SD formatting, song management, tuner, and your preferences.
TASCAM DP-32SD Specifications
- Simultaneous Rec Tracks: 8
- Simultaneous Play Tracks: 32
- Sample Rate: 44.1kHz, 48kHz
- Bit Depth: 16-bit/24-bit
- Analog Inputs: 8 x XLR-1/4″ combo, 1 x remote input (using RC-3F footswitch)
- Analog Outputs: 2 x 1/4″ (monitor Out), 2 x 1/4″ (effects sends), 1 x 1/4″ (headphone), 1 x stereo RCA
- USB: USB Mini-B
- Effects: Yes
- EQ:3-band
- Compression: Yes
- Phantom Power: Yes
- Number of Mic Preamps: 8
- Computer Connectivity: USB 2.0 transferring files
- Storage: SDHC optional card (up to 32GB), SD card (4GB included)
- Faders: 1 x master, 20 x track faders
- Power: AC Adapter (Included)
- Height: 4.1″
- Depth: 13.4″
- Width: 20.2″
- Weight: 13.67 lbs.
- Manufacturer Part Number: DP-32SD
TASCAM DP-32SD Pros
- Compact, solid, and reliable
- An all-in-one solution
- Colored LCD screen
- Small and lightweight
- Intuitive interface
- Multiple effects and tracks to play with
- Clean recording
- Easy to mix
- Integrates easily with Reason workflow
TASCAM DP-32SD Cons
- Clunky editing for master recordings
- Basic monitoring features
- No CD drive or midi ports
- All the inputs are located at the back
- Small display
- Grey text labels on the buttons are not easily visible
Customer Reviews
According to the majority of customer reviews, the TASCAM DP-32SD is worth its price. It is a great portable studio with intuitive controls. They find it very easy to set up and find the design very capable. The only thing it needs, according to customers, is a CD drive. It also takes a bit longer to learn but once you do, you will love recording on it.
- Tascam DP-32SD Recorder + Pro Headphone + Pair EMB XLR Cables + Gravity Phone Holder Bundle
- Records an unmatched 32 tracks to solid-state media, and up to eight tracks can be recorded at a time via the XLR/TRS combo jacks
- Features studio-quality input processing like compression and limiting, and guitar amp simulation and multi-effects on the instrument-level input
- An intuitive user interface delivers stress-free recording, and a color LCD and channel strip knobs make mixing fast and creative
- Even in loud environments, the high output powered amplifier makes headphone monitoring easy
Conclusion
The TASCAM DP-32SD delivers an excellent combination of features in this all-in-one portable studio. It has impressive features mounted in a compact and solid design. You will definitely find it worth the price! Find out more about your favorite recorders here.