Tascam DA-38 // The Best 8 Channel Multitrack Recorder for the $$$$!!! 

I owned 3 DA 88’s they broke down on a regular basis. I don’t miss them.

Right on, thanks for the unexpected shout out! I’m glad you’re on the path to dialing in your own recording process. It’s great to know the time and work I put into the videos is informing and inspires others like yourself. Keep recording! Can’t wait to see what you make, those DA-38’s are cool machines. Cheers!

Dude. Your channel is great. And informative. You’re doing a good job. Damn.

On smashing pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album ,this was used (TASCAM DA-88)

You may want to consider an Alesis HD24. It’s a standalone 24 track unit. You can get them for $400 and up.

DA-88's ruled the whole studio scene in the mid to late 90's. ADAT's weren't considered professional, so it was either the 2 inch tape machine or the DA-88's. I would love to use these machines again.

Happy to find your channel, that review was awesome. Thanks!

Brother, your video made my day man! I began recording in 1993 on a Tascam 424 cassette multi-track and a few years later moved up to the eight track PortaStudio the 488mkII. Still own both and the sentimentality attached to them is tremendous.

Thanks for your videos. I used to run a tascam 388 aka the last boss of porta studios but had to sell it due to moving to a house where i wouldnt be able to run even a small home studio but cos of you my band decided to skip going to a local studio and spending 300 per song and we bought a tascam da38 for 160 and some cheap rack compressors and reverbs and we are going to record a full length on it come march. Ill let you know if it holds up lol

This video really sold me on getting one. Simplicity at it's finest. The outputs are great for sending back to your mixer, and you can do a TRUE mixdown, and play around with panning, effects, etc. I might just get one and then a TASCAM DP-02, then transfer the SD card to my computer to burn to a CD or whatever format I chose. Thanks for the great video!

I had a chance to get one and I passed on it. I'll definitely jump the next time. Thanks for a great vid.

Glad your a convert. I did have 5 of those baby's thinned out over the years and now have just the 2. They have a real nice warm sound similar to tape I just love em..

Lot of guys used these in Nashville back in the day a real work horse I still have two I couldn't sell them in 06 so I left them with a friend and moved to chile

The interesting thing about these machines is they won't record higher than 16 bit to tape, but they will pass thru 24 bit to a DAW. Seen someone use these machines as a front-end between a MOTU 2408mk3 into a 2009 Xeon PowerMac (used a PCI424 card) as a connection between an analogue desk of some sort with insert I/O snakes in/out of the console into the DA38s, then out via TDIF to the MOTU and onto the DAW. Could also use it for inserting hardware during a hybrid mix session, and could also slave the DAW to sessions done on DTRS tape using the MOTU as the master clock. Those machines are brilliant. And like you said, only "golden ears" can tell the difference (whole other video).

Also...there ARE people who service those. See if you can find them on line somewhere, but I do know that they are servicing these.

You have awesome stuff to work with and you do it very well

Dude.. im back at this video again... and i am listening to you... I literally have EXACTLY every single one of your thoughts exactly. buttons... meters... daw nonsense... solid construction... much love

I like the way you talk. It's pretty soothing, actually. I am using a Tascam Dp24 and can relate to the "throwing-$$$-at-a-problem" issue.

Great video. We use multiple Fostex D80s, circa the same time period, and they are excellent multitrack recorders. Hardware, is much better than software.

Love the video. I'm trying to get one. If the mechanisms do go south and you can't find an engineer to fix it... you can still go in and out of it and get use from the quality pre amps. These things are still a bargain when they break! Lovely warm sound for mic recording👍