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TASCAM > Pump Up the Volume, and Everything Else

Words by Jone Devlin

November 2007

TASCAM bills itself as the company that started the home studio revolution. A quick look through its huge website portfolio makes this claim very hard to dispute.

TASCAM is one of four worldwide divisions of TEAC Corporation, headquartered in Japan. Started in 1953 with the development of two-reel tape recorders, TASCAM has in the 53 years since branched out into four continents and just about every kind of software and hardware digital based audio one can think of - with more being updated and developed every day.

For instance, in October TASCAM released the DM-4800. Billed as the "ultimate digital console for professional users who demand a flexible, 64 channel mix platform that configures to fit their needs" the company followed with the IF-FW/DMmkII FireWire Interface Card. This card interfaces with Mac or Windows systems using Core Audio, WDM and ASIO.

So what does that mean in English, you ask? Johnny DeLeon, Computer Products Channel Manager for TASCAM, broke it down for us this way, "The DM-4800 is firing right out of the gate! The amount of features that it offers for the price - you want to talk about bang for the buck - 64 channels for the mix platform, multiple card configurations...it's really flexible so it fits a lot of criteria, either live console or studio or a video mixing environment. So a lot of people have been really impressed. There's so much there - there's a lot of wow!"

Speaking of wow, one of the things DeLeon admires most about TASCAM is its ability to create products that provide their users with "the ultimate studio experience." He compares the drive and capability he's found during his tenure with TASCAM to another company he admires, Apple. "One of the beautiful things about the Mac is that Apple has done such a phenomenal job branding their name and products to create a huge loyalty for this experience for their users. I mean you buy an iPod and they give you the software and where you can shop for extras and tons of products to choose from and all kinds of protection to ensure that you have a system that works, that doesn't crash. So with our products whether it's the DM-4800 or portable USB interfaces or FireWire, the same concept has always applied."

He went on to tout what he called "the whole iPod revolution," saying "it's literally changed the way people listen to music and now it's also changing the way people communicate through their music. And because of the iTunes model and the whole concept of podcasting it's really just kind of energized the whole community of online users. I don't know anyone who owns a computer that isn't involved with podcasting, webcasting, et cetera."

So how is TASCAM responding to this revolution? According to DeLeon, TASCAM has been actively involved in it for over a year, developing a software bundle called the TNT bundle box. This bundle is "perfect for podcasting and for the holidays. It comes with a mic, cable, and mic stand, its USB 2.0 and can connect to your Mac laptop or desktop and do any kind of pod casting. It's all inclusive and only costs about $199." Users can go to TASCAM's website to get more information about their TNT bundle, the DM-4800 (or the more affordable DM-3200) and the FireWire Interface card as wellas a multitude of other products.

DeLeon was quick to warn that TASCAM's product sales are limited to specific dealers around the country. The good news is that many of these dealers do ship so "users still have that option." Word of caution, though, the DM-4800 sold out quickly when it was first introduced, so DeLeon recommends that those who'd like to purchase one order it as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, TASCAM's products continue to be used by everyone from Public Enemy's Chuck Dto composer Danny Elfmanto local DJs. But no matter how diverse the musical style all of these individuals agree on one thing - TASCAM makes their life - and their life's work, much easier.