I’m not impressed, Tascam Portacapture X8 

Comments were far more helpful than the video. Thanks everyone, I'm going to get an X8 today!

There may be a lot of legitmate reasons for not purchasing the X8, but fear of breaking the screen is not one of them (unless there is an inherent defect in the screen, which wasn't mentioned in the review). When using a piece of gear like the X8, you are probably also using a lens that costs multiples of what the X8 costs and is arguably as fragile as the X8 screen. Does that mean you would never buy a lens? Most camera gear is both fragile and expensive, so on the logic of this review, one should never buy camera gear. While I appreciate the effort, this review is baseless and not helpful at all.

1. 32 bit is standard on most recorders ???? (in which price range?) 2. Comparing it to ZOOM H8???? ZOOM H8, does not have 32 bit.

This "reviewer" talks about the touch screen not being to his liking, however it appears that he does not actually own the field recorder he is reviewing. It seems unlikely to me, that someone could seriously review a device's touch screen without actually having used it. Very suspect.

I don't understand. The concern is that if you break the touch screen it becomes useless? Isn't that the same with an iPhone? Has that ever stopped "anyone" from buying an iPhone? What I wanted to know was ... how does it sound? If it sounds great, I'll do my best to try not to break it. If I break it, because I don't know how to carefully handle an expensive piece of equipment... then it's my own stupid fault. Does it sound impressive or not?

you are wrong...and the Zoom F3 is not available in most online/shops for more than 14 weeks, while the Tascam was available...so I bought it... and it works like a treat. And, like Ronseal....it does what it says on the tin.

So don't break the screen. I have had mine for a month and it's great. And even if you do break the screen, you could use the bluetooth option.

Is this a review based entirely on an opinion formed from just reading the tech specs online?

Thanks for just reading the spec sheet for five minutes.

It's an awesome device.

Thanks for sharing your opinion but I disagree with the screen being a concern and that there are many alternatives in this price range with 32bit. I am only aware of one other at this point and that unit doesn't do everything the X8 does. I own the X8 and Zoom h1n. I had the Zoom H8 for about two weeks before returning it and purchasing the X8. The H8 was too bulky for my purposes and the track capabilities were overkill for anything I used it for. But I am a guitar player so I'm a gadget guy and love a good processor display. There is value in esthetically pleasing gear that inspires you to want to use it. Besides lacking 32bit capabilities, I did not enjoy using the H8 at all. I mainly use the bluetooth adapter and app for the X8 so screen damage is not a concern for me. For me the X8 is a Swiss army knife of audio solutions but I mainly use it for folley, sound effects and sound design for my RU-vid videos and documentaries but I also use it to run a condenser mic into it for a vocalist while I mic my acoustic guitar using the stereo config with the unit's mics and it sounds amazing with both. The preamp noise is the same or better(according to some audio channel tech analysis) than any of the other portable field recorders in this price range. Recently I have been using the X8 with included mics for voice overs on my channel and it stands up pretty good next to my Rode NT1 that I typically use. I wish the screen rotated but the Bluetooth fixes all of those concerns. The mics are terrifyingly cheap feeling but I haven't had any durability issues with them in the last two months and I switch configs a lot. Not sure how Tascam can make something so cheap feeling sound so good. The X8 is also very sensitive to handling noise which seems worse than my h1n. I mainly use my h1n with a lav mic for walking around narratives. I always have and still do really like that unit also.

I just picked one up. So far it is awesome. Seems to provide exactly what I need in an audio recorder: versatility. The touchscreen makes it easy to handle as well.

Is it possible to simultaneously record sound to an SD card in 32 bit quality on the tascam device and record the sound of the camera on the smartphone when it is connected via usb c, when the smartphone automatically recognizes it?

Dude, that’s a moot point. 1) screen protector 2) Bluetooth adapter lets you control it from any phone or tablet Lmao

I would never have bought this if it wasn't for my DR-100 MK3 breaking and that Amazon were doing interest free payments as I find it was a little more than I think it should be, but Tascam do make very good sound devices in the prosumer category so I'm excited to try it. In terms of the screen, just get a glass screen protector.

If you break the screen you can still use bluetooth remote (2:30) !!

I got it and now i have great sound ....can it break? every tech can break...and you can get screen protectors for it, PS there is the app if the screen breaks...Options you have them.

if you drop and break anything it's not going to work any more, irrespective of what kind of control interface it has. If you drop something and it doesn't break then you're ok. Not dropping things and not breaking them seems like the thing to do. Or only buying unbreakable gear. Let me know if you ever find anything that's unbreakable.

The big question I want to have answered is how does it function as an audio interface? How is the latency with a guitar as the input? This unit has a DeEsser which no other unit like it has for Podcasting and 32 bit float for recording a band situation is absolutely perfect. I've got a Zoom L-8 at present and as a mixer it seems to work great but is causing me tons of issues with connectivity and getting audio from the computer back out to speakers or headphones as well as latency issues as an interface etc. It seem I just need a whole pile of different devices between live band jamming, live stage use, in home recording, podcasting, in home RU-vid work, it's like each application needs it's own freaking device since there are cripples on each unit. It's very frustrating.

I just got the Tascam x8 and I actually am all for the touchscreen! It is fast and easy to use, especially when setting up tracks for recording and gainstaging. However, the fragility of having a non-gorilla glass touchscreen freaks me out too, I cannot find a tempered glass protector(which solves both our problems) and more concerningly, the removeable microphones feel cheap AF. I hope some third-pary manufacturer comes up with a bag or case that will protect the unit on all sides. I think having dedicated controls like on the Zoom H6 would have been good, but on usage, I don't mind the touch interface at all. Also, timecode and 32-bit? I'm sold. Besides that, it sounds phenomenal and is very intuitive to use. Quite happy with my purchase. Thank you for your input! EDIT: Also, the screen is about 2-3mm recessed, which is plentyyou'll break a whole lot of other things before you get to the screen

After unboxing it and using it over the last couple of days, I've got to say I was shocked at how crap the build quality is of the mic capsules on a device of this price. Even my Zoom H1N has better quality capsule housing. The capsule's locking mechanism is also plastic so it would be easy to damage. The device body doesn't feel as bad but it still feels delicate and cheap, but the splattered pattern helps with grip and doesn't make it feel too bad. If you have a Zoom H1N, the feeling of the plastic body is the same on the X8, minus the rough splattered pattern. That being said, the software and sound quality is excellent and I'm very pleased with it. I'm glad I made the purchase and also glad I purchased accidental damage cover! Hopefully cases will be made soon! Personally I wouldn't ever purchase another of the Zoom H line of recorders as they aren't made with preamps that are suitable for nature recording due to their noise.

Not all that many portable recorders have 32 bit. Unless you go with Sound Devices, this recorder is one of the few portables that does have 32 bit Float. The possibility of the screen breaking is about the same as any piece of equipment breaking. I'll take the Tascam X8 over the Zoom H6 any day, due to the 32 bit float.

I suppose you might be wrong. As a musician 32 bit float is a must for me

I wouldn't shy away from the Tascam for fear of breaking the screen as there are much more delicate tools in my arsenal but I'd agree that the ZOOM products seem to be more robust at this time. I've used and continue to use Tascam and ZOOM products with good results but have come to favour the ZOOM due to their user friendliness and road worthiness. Over the years I've had many of the Tascam products lose remote operational function due to failures of the battery compartment connections (no battery leakage). They still work fine when plugged into external power but the battery compartments fail for no apparent reason and repairing them is cost prohibiting so they get dedicated to recording in locations where they can be permanently powered via external supplies, usually connected to computer outputs or home stereo systems.

Surely you could control it via the remote app if you broke the screen .. in addition the H8 does not offer as many features as the X8 ( or a remote app ) but does have more channels

Bluetooth is only £26 not an issue, I bought a camera hard case and it works a treat and the secret is don't drop it, if it does break then it's like all other products on the planet tough repair or replace

Who in the fresh hell told you the Zoom H8 is $100 less?! It's about $50 MORE!

Have you cracked this tascam device? Of course if you smash the display in youre gonna have issues. If you crack the glass, why would you lose the display? Ive cracked numerous touch displays that i can still properly use, and the thing is thay each time i never used proper screen protection

Damn what a stupid review! Every portable recorder in this price range will break if you drop them or abuse them. I have owned the Zoom H6, the Zoom H8 and now the Tascam X8 and none of them are designed to be dropped. if you drop a Zoom H8 portable recorder, you are going to break it. I bought the Zoom H8 and used it for nearly two months. It is a pain in the ass to use - but then you haven't used it have you? The Zoom H8 is just a breakable as the Tascam X8, they are BOTH made of plastic and they BOTH have glass touchscreens. My Zoom H8 was so buggy that I returned it. The record function would not work on the Zoom H8 sporadically and I would play an entire song and the record function hadn't started. I read the manual and followed the instructions and it still did not work every time. The touch screen on the Zoom H8 is slower and much more difficult to use than the Tascam X8, it's not even close. The recording sensitivity on the Tascam is FAR better than on the Zoom H8. The Tascam X8 does a million things that the Zoom H8 doesn't and it is FAR easier to set up and use. If you are going to review a portable recorder, don't tell people not to buy it because if they drop it, it may break. That's just stupid. NONE of these portable recorders are going to survive a couple of drops to a hard floor because NONE of them are designed to be dropped. My Samsung S22 Ultra is a $1300.00 phone and it has a glass back and front (Gorilla Glass Victus). The first freaking thing I did was buy a UAG $65.00 case to protect it. This isn't rocket science. The phone is not designed to be dropped and neither is the Tascam X8.

Hi. Thanks for the review, and I do appreciate your honest concerns. That's why I watch reviews, to weigh up the pros and cons. The reason I would think of buying this is the 32 bit float recording, which is hardly mentioned even in the comments below. As a one-man-band videographer, often filming live music, I really appreciate a 'fire and forget' audio device where I can concentrate largely on the camera work. 32 bit float means that if audio levels are awry, I can fix it in post with little or no loss of quality. Even the on-board apps are an attraction to make up for my fairly basic audio skills. The real contender here (for me at least) would be the Zoom F6 or the newer TASCAM Portacapture X6. On balance I say the X8 wins, especially as there are now plenty of used ones available.

I have not had/tested the X8 yet, but I have had the DR100 MK3 for a few years now. It took me a while to fully understand the Tascam and how to get what I wanted out of it. Speaking from my DR100, its better than I had thought and its tough too. I have gotten a lot of mileage out of mine in rough conditions like light rain, heavy moisture of ocean and fog, exposure to sandy environments, etc. As for the screen, I do not think the screen is any more issue than your phone. Most every Mfr is using Gorilla glass as standard and its pretty tough so would not be a factor for me to worry about. At some point I'll get an X8 to test and can evaluate it in hand, but based on my DR100 experience, I would not shy away at all.

With the Bluetooth tho don't u get all the sMe features even if the screen is damaged . Well unless u need the screen to connect to your phone at first

If it drops, It will most likely break entirely. Especially the mics.I don’t believe that any of those type of devices are drop safe. Please correct me if i’m wrong, I still can return mine.

Hey, just like smartphones, they make screen protectors for this thing. Idk about you, but i treat this thing like an expensive microphone, or just like my actual phone. One of the biggest aspects that you couldnt speak on was the out of the box capabilities without taking into consideration of any building microphone or audio collection. For a lot of people, this will be the best option to get into serious portable sterio recording. For instance, theres so much you can do with this, but when i unboxed it i was under a hail storm. After turning it on i realized "wait, i have the perfect tool to record the sound of this storm and get some unique moments." Without doing anything but putting batteries, an sd card, and turning it on i was able to record the storm throughout numerous moments. Funny thing is that my whole device withstood light misting and running around as i tried to not drench my new device. Easy to say that this review is absolutely pointless as its clear youve not owned the device

the x8 gives u tuner and metronom inside and u can use it as a audio interface while recording wav in the unit simultaniously, 32 bit should prvent ure audio from clipping in every situation.

i don t need 2 more xlr ports for what. And if you let the other recorders fall down they may have also been damaged.. and if the mic is damaged and it is making some noise you could also say that it s a waste of money.

Yea so uh I got an X8 recently but still need to figure some stuff with it…but yea some other guy had a video with some other zoom’s and he was going on how he liked the Tascam mixer and all its functions

The nagra 7 has also a touchscreen,can it break........

We buy protective cases for our expensive phones. Could we not possibly do the same for one of these?..........

I love mine, it does everything I need it too.

If you drop anything and it breaks, you’re going to lose functionality. While fragility is a concern, gear occasionally breaking is an inevitability, and every product will have a weak spot

air what is panthom Power..!?

What happens if you break your zoom h6 screen? The same thing. Do people have problem with it? No. Are we going back to Nokia 3210? Nope we have smartphones and everything is OK.

Well yeah, a good phone costs more than the Tascam and if you break the screen on it you are out of luck also. You can do a LOT more with a touch screen than you can with knobs. And I bet if you drop that Zoom H8, it will break also. I have an H5, not nearly as impressed with it as I am the Tascam X8. Recordings on the Tascam sound much more professional with little done during mixdown. The Zoom preamps sound harsh and tinny to my ears. Not bad, but not warm and full like the Tascam preamps. The Zoom does record more tracks, but it's also much bulkier and 6 tracks for a field recorder is more than enough in most cases.

I was going to buy a car but I might crash it so I didn't...

please don't buy any gear with a screen or camera with a lens. 😂

The tascam x8 looks like a plastic toy but do the job very well in recording session. The only con for me is the size of the sreen !! Too big .

What would've impressed you?

Well been saying that means that the cell phone has the same Issue so return them ! 😵

Touchscreen only functionality is anathema to field recording.

Good to see Mancow doing reviews. 😂 jk Thanks for the review. Even though I like this product a lot, I appreciate your work. 👍 subscribed.

The problem I found is: The preamp noise is simply unacceptable.

X8 preamp noise is not as good as others competitors it's look not solid at all the two plastic mic X/Y. The screen it's just to blow eyes. in field recording the zoom H1N 80 bucks gave a hard time to the X8 500 bucks . This is my personal experience.

Does put this under the plane and don't drop it! It's no different than a phone.

Portacapture x8

This review just didn't seem helpful at all. I think you tried to bait the title but all the points you made don't make much sense. Sorry. But if this video Is the only reasons to not buy one. Then it looks like I can comfortably buy one.

haha sorry but this review and concerns are pretty absurd

The F3 isnt sufficiently cheaper than this to purchase the pair of MIC's you need to make the F3 functional ..

I think you failed because i didnt want it before but now i do... if uour laptop breaks its screen youll lose most functionality like monitoring... if your phone's lcd breakes beyond minor crack youll also lose functionality. I think you are either promoting this product subliminally or you just may be nit picking

this is the reason smartphones will never be a success - u can break the screen and its totally useless. thank u for protecting me from horrible buying decisions^^

Is ok but preamp mic self noise is too high 😭

i feel its overdesigned.... i feel they tried to get too fancy, but left out the main stuff we actually cared about.

The X8 got terrible reviews due to many issues. It was nearly it for me, but decided to give it a miss. The 3.5mm input doesn't even power PiP mics. This was almost nearly there for me on paper, but after reading so many extremely poor reviews it's a clear - avoid at all costs !

Oh dear. So I presume this guy doesn’t have a smartphone, tablet or laptop. After all, if their screen breaks, they can’t be used any more. Plus, he probably doesn’t ride a bike, because if you break its wheels, you can’t ride it…

97/67 likes następny z bólem dupy który mówi ze to gówno bez pokazywania nagrań

Those top mics are plastic junk

You are wrong.

Stupid, stupid, stupid thinking such as like if, you broke an iphone screen you will lose possibility control your device

Yeah, cause not owning something cause you might breaking it is the dumbest life strategy ever and probably, a totally disingenuous premise for a video on the device. I own one, I bought a case for it, its fantastic for my podcasts when I'm on the road. If I break it so what!

The most useless not real review of the X8.

Well we know your channel is not going to grow.

The Tascam Portacapture X8 is excellent. Loving mine. Although the ap isn't worth a rats rear. When it's decides to link up it's great. There's a big BUT! It rarely does :( It may Take up to half an hour... 🪰🪰💩🪰🪰