Tascam Pocket Studio 5
Four tracks, a General MIDI synth, and an MP3 encoder in a package that only technically fits in a pocket.
Overview
The Pocketstudio 5 is 5.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall and 1.75 inches deep. That stretches the definition of "pocket-size" a bit, and the documentation admits as much. It weighs 1.5 pounds and feels substantial in the hand. The built-in condenser mic lets you capture an idea the moment it arrives. Tascam's manual puts the pitch as a question: who says you can't take it with you?
This is a four-track digital recorder built around Compact Flash storage, with a 64-note polyphonic, 16-part multitimbral General MIDI tone generator onboard. The internal data format runs 44.1 kHz at 24-bit, though A/D/A conversion is 44.1 kHz, 16-bit. Storage tops out at 128 MB per card (3.3V, Type I), with a maximum of four songs per card. The included 32 MB card is enough to get started, but owners learn to manage space quickly. The manual's workflow includes a "Card Optimize" step to reclaim space from redundant edit data.
The tone generator is the sleeper feature. It's GM-compatible and plays back Standard MIDI Files (both Type 0 and Type 1). The onboard MIDI files are arranged by song sections - intro, verse, chorus - so you can assemble structures quickly. A MIDI In port lets you trigger the tone generator from a keyboard or controller. The unit is playback-only for MIDI, though. It doesn't record MIDI data or sync to MIDI Clock or time code.
Five 24-bit effects processors run simultaneously: FX1 (100 presets) for acoustic and electric guitars including bass, FX2 (26 presets) for vocals and drums, two effects for the tone generator (chorus and reverb each), and a master reverb. The preset effects are tweakable and, per contemporary accounts, largely usable. The reverbs in particular drew praise.
Inputs are two unbalanced ¼-inch jacks, each with a trim pot and overload LED, switchable between mic and line (and guitar on one). There is also a built-in condenser mic and a headset mic in the box. Outputs are a ¼-inch TRS stereo main and a ¼-inch stereo headphone jack. A USB port handles file transfer, and the unit runs on a 9 VAC adapter or six AA batteries (not included), reportedly for about two hours. EQ (April 2002, p.30) placed it in the lineage of Tascam's original Portastudio. It noted that the earlier cassette machine had packed four tracks of reasonable quality onto a standard cassette, and that the Pocketstudio 5 carried that idea into the digital era.
The measured specs are respectable for a portable: signal-to-noise ratio of 87 dB, total harmonic distortion of 0.01%, and frequency response of 20 Hz-20 kHz (+0.5/-3.0 dB). The backlit LCD measures 2.28" by 0.90" and shows text menus, input levels, and track/master playback levels. A large data wheel with an Enter/Yes button sits at the center of the navigation cluster. Function, Menu, and Exit buttons and a four-direction cursor pad surround it. Except for the data wheel and channel faders, the buttons are rubberized, and most illuminate to reflect status.
Editing is where the Pocketstudio 5 shows its limits. Auto punch-in/out, track bouncing, and copy/paste of audio and MIDI (by bars and beats) are all present. There are two bounce modes, one that adds input signals during the bounce and one strictly internal. But there are no virtual tracks, so alternate takes have nowhere to live. Once you record over a take, it's gone unless you save a copy to a computer first. The unit also has no track-erase feature, so leftover data has to be cleaned up with Card Optimize. A cue function (hearing tracks while fast-forwarding) is absent as well. The built-in mic drew criticism too. One reviewer found it papery and noted it lacks a gain control, and the user guide itself recommends an outboard mic for anything beyond guide tracks.
Final stereo mixes save as 16-bit, 44.1 kHz MP3 files, and the USB port lets you offload them for further processing or posting. MP3 compatibility also lets the unit serve as a player. Contemporary coverage placed it alongside Korg's ToneWorks PXR4 as one of a pair of handheld four-track recorders in the portable digital studio format. The PXR4 recorded to SmartMedia with MPEG-1 Audio Layer 2 compression, and the Pocketstudio 5 recorded to CompactFlash with MP3.
Pricing varied by source and moment. One review listed it at $499, another at $599, and a retailer listing showed a list of $499.00 against a sale price of $399.00. It was a single piece of gear to write, record, and swap song ideas. The weaknesses are real: no virtual tracks, a weak built-in mic, no MIDI recording.
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