Tascam

Explore Tascam vintage audio equipment in the Vintage Technology Archive.

Cassette Deck

• 78HR — Tascam DA-78HR — the first true 24-bit tape-based 8-track DTRS recorder, 108 min on Hi8, SMPTE, MIDI, 128-track sync.
• 98HR — Tascam DA-98HR DTRS 8-track: 24-bit/96k on Hi8 tape, full timecode sync, 1,000-hour drum service. The last great modular multitrack.

Digital Audio Tape

• DA-30 — Tascam DA-30 professional DAT recorder — 64x oversampling A/D, 18-bit D/A, AES/EBU I/O, $1,899 retail. The deck that recorded brilliantly but fought every other machine.

Digital Audio Tape Deck

• DA-20 — Tascam DA-20 DAT recorder — 16-bit linear SP, 12-bit LP, 48/44.1/32kHz, Sendust head. Reviewed at £799 in 1995.

Equalizers

• PE-20 — Tascam PE-20: four channels of three-band parametric EQ for the System 20 modular mixer. Sweepable 60Hz–8kHz, fixed 10kHz top. Patch-based, no switches.

Mixers

• M-144 — Little is documented about the Tascam M-144 audio model. A 1982 Studio Sound used-equipment listing prices it at £473.

Multitrack Recorder

• MS-16 — Tascam MS-16 1-inch 16-track reel-to-reel at 15 ips, with 16 VU meters, per-track punch-in, and dbx via the DX-8DS.
• MSR-16 — Tascam MSR-16 half-inch 16-track analog recorder — dbx noise reduction, 100+ dB dynamic range, 15/7.5 ips, autolocator, SMPTE sync.

Unknown

• CD-RW5000 — Tascam CD-RW5000 rack-mount CD recorder with balanced XLR I/O, AES/EBU, and CD-R/CD-RW/-DA support — a $1,299 studio tool.
• CD-RW700 — Tascam CD-RW700 standalone CD recorder — 24-bit converters, RAM buffer, coax/optical S/PDIF, digital fades, sample rate converter.
• CD-RW750 — Tascam CD-RW750 CD rewritable recorder — 24-bit converters, coax and optical digital I/O, sampling frequency converter, digital direct mode, and CD TEXT titling.

Other Models

• 122 MKII — Tascam 122 MKII three-head direct-drive cassette deck — 7.7 kg, ±0.5% speed accuracy, balanced XLR I/O, $1099 new. A rack-mount workhorse.
• 35-2B — Tascam 35-2B two-track mastering recorder — unbalanced −10 design, NAB 185 nWb/m, 15 IPS, dbx option, logic transport.
• 480B — Tascam 480B eight-track half-inch Commercial Series recorder — dealer prices ran £2,495 new in 1986 to £2,995 by 1988. Specs thin; period listings tell the story.
• 85-16B — Tascam 85-16B one-inch 16-track reel-to-reel with onboard dbx, servo transport, and SMPTE-friendly 15-track audio. A working studio workhorse.
• AQ-65 — Tascam AQ-65 programmable multipoint autolocator for the Studio 8 — ten-point memory, 19-second pre-roll, two-point repeat, full transport duplication via the 38-pin Accessory jack.
• AQ-85 — Tascam AQ-85 autolocator for the 85-16/85-16B 16-track — the period accessory that turned the deck into a working studio system.
• ATR 60/4 — Tascam ATR 60/4 — the four-track of the ATR-60 open-reel series, trusted by Clair Brothers on The Who's tour and by pro studios like The Plant.
• ATR-24 — Tascam ATR-24 two-inch 24-track reel-to-reel — dealer listings, ex-demo pricing, and what the trade press record actually shows.
• ATR-60-16 — Tascam ATR-60-16 — flagship one-inch 16-track from the ATR-60 line, listed at $15,999 in 1990. Pro tape deck with sync-mode EQ accuracy and punch-in circuitry.
• ATR-60-2N — Tascam ATR-60-2N: quarter-inch NAB stereo mastering deck from Tascam's top-of-range ATR-60 series, launched 1986 with 15/7½ ips and balanced I/O.
• ATR-60-2T — Tascam ATR-60-2T: quarter-inch two-track mastering deck with a 0.3mm IEC center time-code stripe, part of the five-machine ATR-60 family.
• ATR-60-8 — Tascam ATR-60-8 half-inch 8-track reel-to-reel — Omega Drive transport, in-house sync heads, 7.5/15 or 15/30 ips.
• ATR-80-24 — Tascam ATR-80-24 two-inch 24-track analog recorder — Tascam's 1987 bid for the working studio, with autolocate/remote. Used prices ran near Studer money.
• BR-20 — Tascam BR-20 two-speed reel-to-reel — gapless punch-in, memory back-up, 0.8% THD, 50 dB S/N per Tascam's own alignment manual.
• BR-20T — Tascam BR-20T: quarter-inch 2-track broadcast reel-to-reel with center time-code track, gapless punch-in, 15/7.5 ips.
• CD-301 — Tascam CD-301 budget broadcast CD player — balanced XLR outs, 18-bit 4x oversampling, rack ears, wired remote. The studio workhorse.
• CD-401 — Tascam CD-401 pro CD player: 18-bit 4x oversampling, dual DACs, XLR + RCA outs, fader start, $799 list. A rack-ready broadcast workhorse.
• CD-501 — Tascam CD-501 professional CD player — balanced XLR outs, TEAC ZD D/A conversion, dual mono converters, $1,249 list. A broadcast-rack deck.
• CD-601 — Tascam CD-601 broadcast CD player — half-rack, rigid disc clamp, frame-accurate jog, ±9.9% pitch, $1,699 list. A 1992 on-air workhorse.
• CD-701 — Tascam CD-701 professional CD player with balanced XLR outputs, linear-motor transport, and optional RAM buffer for zero-latency start.
• CD-RW2000 — Tascam CD-RW2000 professional CD rewritable recorder — 16-bit/44.1kHz, balanced XLR and AES/EBU I/O, 98dB playback S/N, 1U rack.
• DA-20 MkII — Tascam DA-20 MkII DAT recorder: 32/44.1/48 kHz, S/PDIF, defeatable SCMS, 3U rack, wireless remote. The affordable workhorse of Tascam's DAT line.
• DA-25 — Tascam DA-25 professional DAT deck from TEAC — 2-channel rotary head, 4.075/8.15/12.225 mm/s tape speeds, 240-min long play, 16-bit linear 8x oversampling D/A.
• DA-302 — Tascam DA-302 dual-well DAT recorder: two independent decks in 3U, 2x-speed dubbing, S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital I/O, 32/44.1/48kHz.
• DA-30MKII — Tascam DA-30MKII studio DAT deck — balanced XLR I/O, AES/EBU, 92dB S/N, $1,399 original price. The working studio's DAT master.
• DA-38 — Tascam DA-38 DTRS modular digital multitrack — DA-88-compatible junior deck pitched at project studios, ~£1700 in 1998 UK listings.
• DA-40 — Tascam DA-40 studio DAT recorder — $1,399 list, balanced XLR I/O, shuttle control, 32/44.1/48 kHz, defeatable SCMS. The 16-bit pro workhorse.
• DA-45HR — Tascam DA-45HR — true 24-bit DAT recorder at double speed, 60 min per 120-min tape, backward compatible with 16-bit. $1,999–$2,165 new.
• DA-50 — Tascam DA-50 — Tascam's first US-market pro DAT deck. $4,000, pre-SCMS, 44.1kHz CD mastering, four ZD circuits.
• DA-60 — Tascam DA-60 four-head DAT recorder with built-in chase synchronizer — 16-bit 48kHz, SMPTE/EBU timecode, and a price studios could afford.
• DA-60MKII — Tascam DA-60MKII: the $6,999 four-head time-code DAT with Sony P2 support and jam sync, built for post-production, not the bedroom.
• DA-98 — Tascam DA-98 DTRS 8-track modular digital multitrack — built-in sync, confidence monitoring, 16-bit DTRS tape, $5,999 projected retail in 1997.
• DA800 — Tascam DA800 24-track DASH digital recorder, $99,000 original price, ZD converters and 30-point autolocator. A rare digital flagship.
• DA88 — Tascam DA-88 modular digital multitrack — DTRS format on Hi8 tape, sync-card expandable, 8 tracks per unit. A studio workhorse of the 1990s.
• DX-4D — Tascam DX-4D dbx noise reduction unit — period used prices ran £175–£199; a utility rack box for Tascam multitrack rigs, not a collector trophy.
• DX-8DS — Tascam DX-8DS — an 8-channel dbx Type I noise reduction unit built as the companion for Tascam's MS-16 16-track; studios ran them in pairs.
• ES-50 — Tascam ES-50 tape synchronizer/controller — the mid-'80s post-production workhorse that locked tape machines and VTRs to timecode. Specs and years largely undocumented.
• ES-51 — Tascam ES-51 synchronizer controller — the expansion half of the ES-50/ES-51 timecode system that chased up to four tape machines.
• EX-20 — Tascam EX-20 — the 4x4 transformer-isolated mic expander module from Tascam's modular System 20 console. Twelve patch points, no standalone specs.
• FX-1000 — Tascam FX-1000 — the optional DSP expander board for the TM-D1000 digital console, doubling onboard dynamics and effects processing.
• IF-88AE — Tascam IF-88AE: a single-rackspace AES/EBU-to-TDIF converter for the DA-series, with four XLRs, a D-sub TDIF jack, and two channels of S/PDIF.
• IF-DA8 — Tascam IF-DA8: an 8-channel 24-bit TDIF-to-analog converter with balanced XLR outs, twin TDIF ports, and a £259 price that made it a bargain.
• IF-TD1000 — Tascam IF-TD1000 expansion card for the TM-D1000 digital mixer — adds 8 TDIF channels, two stereo digital inputs, and an SRC.
• LA-40 — Tascam LA-40 four-channel line amplifier and impedance converter — one rack space of -10 dBV to balanced level matching for Tascam tape rigs.
• M-2600 — Tascam M-2600 eight-bus in-line recording console — two independent stereo cue systems, eight aux sends, four-band EQ, and unbalanced RCA tape I/O.
• M-700 — Tascam M-700: 1989–93 flagship in-line production console, 40-channel/32-group standard, up to 128 inputs, MFA moving-fader automation, ~$70,000.
• M1600 — Tascam M1600 — 16-channel, 8-buss analog recording console built for digital multitracks, with 3-band sweep-mid EQ and 8 mic pres.
• M2600MKII — Tascam M2600MKII: an 8-bus in-line recording console in 16/24/32-input frames, six auxes, semi-parametric EQ, built like a tank.
• M308 — Tascam M308 eight-track mixer, sold alongside the Model 38 and priced at $1,195 in 1991 — 16 recording inputs, 24 for PA.
• M3700 — Tascam M3700 (1990) — fully automated 24/32-channel mixing console with snapshot and dynamic automation, SMPTE, MIDI, and onboard floppy recall for under $14K.
• M600 — Tascam M600 modular recording console — 120 kg, 4-band EQ with sweepable mids, balanced I/O, separate PSU. A serious studio desk from Tascam's professional division.
• MA-AD8 — Tascam MA-AD8 — eight-channel mic preamp and A-to-D expansion card for Tascam's digital consoles, sold in Sweetwater Performance Bundles.
• MD-301 — Tascam MD-301 pro MiniDisc deck — 20-bit converters, XLR balanced I/O, sample rate conversion, PS/2 keyboard port. The entry-level door into Tascam's pro MD line.
• MD-501 — Tascam MD-501 2U MiniDisc recorder with balanced XLR I/O, PS/2 keyboard titling, and SRC — a pro-rack MD deck built for radio and theatre.
• MD-801 — Tascam MD-801: 3U broadcast MiniDisc recorder/player with XLR, AES/EBU, S/PDIF I/O, PC keyboard titling, and 1/86th-second jog editing.
• MD-801R — Tascam MD-801R (1996) professional MiniDisc recorder — 74-min stereo/144-min mono, ATRAC v4.5, balanced XLR I/O, Auto Cue for live and broadcast work.
• MD-801RMKII — Tascam MD-801R Mk II professional rack-mount MiniDisc recorder — 20-bit A/D, AES/EBU, 8 kg 3U chassis, ±9.9% pitch.
• MM-20 — Tascam MM-20 — the six-input master module at the heart of Tascam's modular System 20 four-track console, with transformer-isolated mic inputs and patchbay flexibility.
• MMC-100 — Tascam MMC-100 MIDI Machine Control interface — the 1991 box that let sequencers drive Tascam tape decks over the new MMC standard.
• Model 144 — Tascam Model 144 (1979) — the first 4-track cassette Portastudio. Four tracks in sync at 3¾ ips, 4x2 mixer, full-logic cue. The origin of home multitrack.
• Model 32 — Tascam Model 32 — quarter-inch 2-track mixdown deck from the Series 30 line, 7-1/2 & 15ips, servo capstan with ±12% pitch.
• Model 34 — Tascam Model 34 four-track quarter-inch open-reel deck — modular electronics, 15/7.5 ips, dbx-ready; a budget workhorse Modern Recording rated a top performer.
• Model 35 — Tascam Model 35 — the 8x4x8 mixing console sold as the front end for Tascam eight-track studios, and customized by owners into far more.
• Model 5 — Tascam Model 5 — 8-input, 4-submaster analog mixer from the mid-1970s, priced under $1500. Transformer-isolated mic inputs, 2-band EQ, flexible monitor routing.
• Model 52 — Tascam Model 52 two-track quarter-inch reel-to-reel (1982–1989), ~$3,500 new, 70+ lbs, Series 50 editing facilities and optional dbx.
• Model 58 — Tascam Model 58 — half-inch 8-track reel-to-reel from Tascam's Series 50 line, with built-in auto locators, SMPTE sync compatibility, and front-panel service access.
• MODEL-15 — Tascam Model 15 (1978–1981): a 24-in, 8-out modular console with 16-track monitoring and a 48-signal cue system — the board that let an 8-track room grow to 16.
• MODEL-16 — Tascam Model 16 mixing console — modular 16/24-input analog desk with 4-band parametric EQ and 100mm faders. Built for 85-16 project studios.
• MODEL-244 — Tascam Model 244 Portastudio: four-track cassette studio with dbx noise reduction, four simultaneous record channels, and parametric EQ per channel.
• MODEL-30 — Tascam Model 30 — the compact 8x4 mixer of the early 1980s, rented by the week in British hire racks and bundled into budget multitrack packages. Watch the shared model number.
• MODEL-38 — Tascam Model 38 — half-inch 8-track reel-to-reel, full-size 10.5-inch reels, simultaneous 8-track record. Tascam's budget Series 30 workhorse.
• MODEL-388 — Tascam Model 388 Studio 8 — eight-input mixer plus integral eight-track quarter-inch deck with dbx, $3,995, aimed at demo and broadcast production.
• MODEL-50 — Tascam Model 50 — the 12x8x2 balanced production console from Tascam's Series 50, built to feed the Model 58 eight-track. A working desk, not a showpiece.
• MODEL-80 — Teac Tascam Series Model 80-8 — 8-track, 15 ips, half-inch tape recorder introduced 1977 at under $3,000. The machine that brought eight-track multitrack to the project studio.
• MODEL-85 — Tascam Model 85-16 (1979): the one-inch 16-track that undercut 24-track by tens of thousands — 15 ips, three servo motors, optional dbx, 62 dB S/N.
• MSR-24 — Tascam MSR-24 1-inch 24-track recorder (1990), dbx Type 1 NR, under $15,000. The affordable 24-track that undercut 2-inch machines by half.
• MSR-24/S — Tascam MSR-24/S: one-inch 24-track open-reel with dbx or Dolby S, $12,499–$13,999 new. A project-studio workhorse with a trusted transport.
• MTS-30 — Tascam MTS-30 MIDI/FSK translator — Song Position Pointer sync for MIDI and multitrack tape, $225 retail, LED measure display, auto-switched MIDI out/thru.
• PB-64 — Tascam PB-64: a 64-point non-normaled RCA patch bay for the Tascam Series studio. Metal box, jumper-wired, no normaling — flexible or fussy, depending on your patience.
• PORTA-05 — Tascam Porta-05 (1987-89) — entry-level 4-track cassette ministudio with dbx noise reduction, 4-channel mixer, and MIDI sync via the MTS-30. A little-documented Porta.
• RC-701 — Tascam RC-701 remote control for the CD-701 CD player — 5 kg chassis, ±6% pitch in 0.1% steps, 1-frame cueing, 25-pin serial link, 30 W.
• RC-71 — Tascam RC-71 wired remote control — full transport function for rack-mounted Tascam decks. Optional accessory; years and price undocumented.
• RC-848 — Tascam RC-848 multi-unit controller for DA-88 DTRS rigs — direct control of up to six machines, 48 tracks, 99-point autolocator.
• T-2640 — Tascam T-2640 cassette duplicator — 8:1 speed, 16:1 effective copy ratio, master/slave modular design, up to ten slaves per master.
• TM-D1000 — Tascam TM-D1000 four-bus 16-channel digital mixer, ~$1,199 list, 20-bit converters, TDIF/AES/EBU I/O, 128 scenes, MIDI automation.
• TM-D4000 — Tascam TM-D4000 digital console — 32 mono inputs, 8 buses, 100mm motorized faders, 24-bit conversion, three expansion slots. The D8000's architecture in a smaller frame.
• TSR-8 — Tascam TSR-8: 8-track, 1/2-inch reel-to-reel at 15 ips (1989). Microcomputer servo transport, gapless punch-ins, SMPTE/MIDI sync.