Wait a minute! HOLD THE PHONES! A cassette with 8-tracks on it??? "The crosstalk must be outrageous," you might say. Or maybe your first reaction is simply: "No way -- it could never be good enough for production." Whatever your doubts and questions about 8-track cassette recorders might be, this Test Drive should respond to a few of them.
Money is almost always the issue when it comes to upgrading the Production Department or studio. This is why this publication will always take note of equipment that is "affordable" and yet, still able to deliver. While half of our subscribers may work in nice six-figure studios, the other half have their hands tied in rooms equipped with "on-air studio leftovers." Nearly a third of R.A.P. subscribers work out of 2-track studios, many of which are equipped with only a compressor and an equalizer for added effects. This is UNNECESSARY! There are digital multi-effect processors out there for the price of a car payment or two. Equalizers, reverb units, and compressors can be had for mere pocket change compared to the cost of a cart machine. And then there's the TASCAM 238 -- an 8-track recorder that delivers, and does so for a price that's attractive, not only to small budget stations, but to the individual looking to equip a "garage" studio as well.
List price on the 238 is $1799. A few calls found prices around $1400. An optional remote control is available for $150 to $175. For a small market station with limited funds, the expense here is well within reason when you consider the doors that can be opened with eight tracks. For a station in a larger market already equipped with a high dollar multi-track recorder, the 238 can affordably turn that "dub" studio into a second multi-track room. Obviously, this reviewer was impressed with the TASCAM 238, but for $1400, there HAS to be some sacrifices, right? Let's look at some of those first.
Turning out an 8-track recorder for under $2000 is a trick in itself, and TASCAM's designers gave a good deal of thought to this unit before they made the sacrifices. One might first expect to see some control over input and output levels. You don't get that with the 238. The thinking here is that input levels and output levels can be controlled from the console, just as they are usually maintained with any multi-track set-up. Since there's no real need for level control on the 238 itself, you don't have it. The fact that there is no control over these levels also eliminates the need for any kind of "mix" monitoring circuitry and mix output on the unit. Therefore, on the rear panel, you have eight ins and eight outs -- just the necessities. There's no headphone jack to plug in to. To hear any kind of mix of the eight tracks, you need a mixer. Also, the inputs and outputs are unbalanced.
You don't get a three-head configuration, either. You only get an erase head and a record/playback head. If you're thinking, "Gee, there's no 'sel-sync' mode?" don't worry. Because the playback and record head are the same head, you have automatic sel-sync when you put any track into the playback mode. Don't expect full-bandwidth frequency response from the 238, and don't expect an impressive auto-locator with ten memory points. Aside from these reasonable sacrifices, there isn't much else missing from the 238. In fact, there are features you don't find on some high-dollar multi-track units. Now let's look at what you do get.
To begin with, frequency response is 30-16kHz. This roll-off at 16kHz isn't a factor if you're only looking for a recorder for broadcast purposes. With FM rolling off at around the same frequency, you couldn't broadcast higher frequencies anyway, so the sacrifice in frequency response is irrelevant in this respect.
You get built-in dbx circuitry on all eight channels. The dbx is switchable in groups of tracks 1-4 and tracks 5-8. With the dbx "in," the signal-to-noise ratio becomes an admirable 90 dB versus 54 dB with dbx out (unweighted, 20-20kHz). Adjacent channel crosstalk is a mere 70 dB with the dbx in. Speaking of crosstalk, TASCAM's special head format staggers the tracks to further reduce crosstalk between, say, tracks one and two. The record/playback head looks like two four-track heads sitting side by side, with tracks 1-4 on one side and tracks 5-8 on the other. They are staggered such that, from top to bottom, the tracks are numbered: 1,5,2,6,3,7,4,8.
Each of the eight tracks has its own LED bar graph, so rather than looking at your console to set levels, you simply watch the bargraphs on the 238 to make sure levels are not too low or too high. Beneath each track's bargraph is the RECORD FUNCTION button. Activating this function lights the red LED above the button and places that track in the "ready" mode. The output of that track is automatically switched from "tape" to "source." As mentioned earlier, when the record function is set back to "playback," the track is in a playback/sel-sync mode. Laying down tracks with the 238 is no different than doing so on an open-reel deck. The RECORD FUNCTION switches are also available on the optional remote control.
The micro-processor controlled transport mechanism is surprisingly smooth and fast. Two memory locations are available for marking points anywhere on the tape. You also get a "return-to-zero" function, giving you up to three actual memory locations to work with. The 238 is designed to be used with high bias, type II cassettes. Tape speed runs at twice normal cassette speed -- 3.5 ips. Obviously, only one side of a tape can be used, and the recommended maximum tape size of 60 minutes (typical C60) provides 15 minutes of tape time per tape. You can get 22.5 to 30 minutes of tape time using a C90 or C120, but the thinner tape used in these larger sizes is not recommended. Because of the very small track sizes on the tape, you should buy the best and be very careful not to damage the tape in any way. Massive dropouts can occur on a multi-track cassette where they might be minimal or unnoticeable on 1/2 inch tape.
Okay, so these are some of the basic functions and specifications of the 238. It was a pleasant surprise to find many added features one might not expect to see on such an affordable 8-track. You get pitch control variable to ±12%, and external speed control is even available. With the pitch control in the EXT position, the 238 can be controlled by a SMPTE controller or synchronizer plugged into the serial port on the back panel. (The capstan motor looks for a DC 5 volt reference signal for external control.)
No eight-track would be complete without a CUE function on it, and TASCAM didn't leave that off, either. The SHUTTLE control, when engaged, lets you cue/review backwards or forwards on the tape. The speed at which you move in either direction is variable depending upon how far you turn the SHUTTLE knob in either direction. The movement of the SHUTTLE seemed jerky, unlike the smooth movement found on open-reel decks; nevertheless, this cue/review function is available.
The LED display on the front panel is a two part display that gives you actual tape time, a standard cassette tape counter, and displays memory location values. The left side of the display can be switched from "tape time" to "counter." The right side of the display shows the positions stored in either of the two memory locations available. A memory point is stored simply by hitting MEMO1 or MEMO2 at any time, whether the machine is rolling or not. The tape counter value at that point will be stored in the memory location. The stored value can be checked by hitting the CHECK button which toggles between the two memory points. Pressing either LOC1 or LOC2 will cause the machine to roll (in either FFWD or REV) to the corresponding MEMO point. Again, the transport handled very smoothly and quickly with this function. The memory points are based on whatever the "counter" readout is, and the counter uses revolutions of the cassette hub for its calculations. The accuracy of the locate function seemed fine, however, TASCAM notes that the memory points are "subject to variations in tape pack. Slight drifting of a cue point after a number of fast wind operations is normal."
Yet another nice feature of the 238 Syncaset is the REPEAT function. During mixdowns, it's very handy to be able to set a playback loop while you adjust levels, set EQ, etc.. The REPEAT function uses the two MEMO locations as references and will playback repeatedly between the two points until the function is interrupted.
"What about punch-ins?" you say. There's nothing lacking here, either. In fact, there's a little more than you'd expect. There are two ways to punch in, and yet a third, automatic way to do punch-ins that frees up your hands. The first manual punch-in method basically uses the RECORD button next to the other transport controls and the INSERT button. To punch-in on a track, you first set the RECORD FUNCTION switch for that track "on" or in "ready" mode. Then press INSERT and hit PLAY. When you get to the punch-in point, you simply hit the RECORD button and off you go. An optional footswitch activates the RECORD button for those needing hands for other things (ideal for musicians). Tape and source outputs can be toggled using the INSERT button.
The second manual punch-in method uses the RECORD FUNCTION button instead of the RECORD button. (Don't get confused -- The RECORD FUNCTION buttons are the eight buttons below each track's bargraph which put that track in the "record ready" mode.) With this method, you simply put all tracks in the "safe" mode, hit PLAY and RECORD, then activate the RECORD FUNCTION button for that track at the desired punch-in point. The output of that track will switch from tape to source as soon as the RECORD FUNCTION button is pressed.
The third method of punching-in is the automatic method. It takes a few more button pushes and offers a REHEARSAL mode. Basically, what you get here is the ability to preset punch-in and punch-out points, then "rehearse" the punch-in as often as you like, until you're ready to actually record. Once the in/out points are set and the REHEARSAL function is activated, the 238 will begin playing from a predesignated start point (or pre-roll point). At the preset punch-in point, the selected track will automatically switch its output from "tape" to "source." At the preset punch-out point, the track's output switches back to "tape." After this, the tape will roll for three more seconds (post-roll) then return to the original start point, ready to rehearse again. Once you're sure of what you're going to do during that punch in, you just hit the AUTO IN/OUT button. This takes the 238 out of the REHEARSAL mode. When you hit PLAY, the 238 goes through all the same motions as it did during the REHEARSAL mode with the exception that it will actually record whatever you input to the selected track. This AUTO IN/OUT function worked very well while playing with it. Musicians will love it. Production types will find it handy in any situation where "rehearsal" is necessary before actually punching in.
"But wait! There's MORE!" They called this thing a SYNCaset for a reason. Track eight is specifically designed to be used, not only as a regular track, but as MIDI synchronizing track. A TAPE SYNC switch on the rear panel defeats the dbx for track eight to allow for the special sync code to be recorded properly. The FILTER switch on the rear panel sends the output of track eight through a midrange bandpass filter, making it "virtually immune to crosstalk interference from other tracks that could cause sequencer miscuing." If you're into syncing machines together, the 238 Syncaset is designed with you in mind. It's a serious promo that will need this function of the 238, and musician/production types are more likely to find a use for it. Write TASCAM for more info on the optional MTS-30 Tape Synchronizer if you plan to sync up with MIDI gear.
The rack-mountable TASCAM 238 takes up three rack spaces. Other specs include nominal input and output levels of -10 dBV. Total harmonic distortion is rated at less than .8% (400 Hz, 0 VU). Overall frequency response is 30-16 kHz, ±3 dB. Fast winding time is approximately 70 seconds for a C60 cassette. For more info on the TASCAM 238, call (213) 726-0303.
♦
