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Rating And Reviews: Tascam DP-03 Recorder

Tascam continues to innovate home recording with the DP03 digital 8-track Portastudio.

User Ratings
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
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"Right Tool For The Job" submitted June 1, 2011

By a customer from aol.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Former pro, current hobbyist.
Music Style: Blend of hard-rock, gospel, big-band swing, blues, country, classical, and Zydeco
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Sound: The sound is plenty good enough. If you want to tweak every last feature of the finished sound on every last track, you obviously need a bigger box or a computer (you can upload your tracks). If you're trying to lay down perfectly good tracks without a lot of setup knob-turning and mouse-clicking, the DP-03 is for you. Feature: Ease of use and high-quality sound and control are the most noticeable features. Has the usual reverb-by-channel, EQ-by-channel, etc. Ease of Use: If you record at home, and you like to play and sing more than you like to navigate menus, the Tascam DP-03 is your best choice. After 2 computer-based systems, 3 or 4 digital home-recorders, a cassette-based portastudio, and a reel-to-reel-based home recording system, this is the FIRST box I actually enjoy using. The learning curve is near zero. Almost any function (assign input-to-recording-track, tuner, mixdown, metronome, bounce tracks, phantom power, save your work, not to mention track-by-track EQ and reverb) take only 2 or 3 button pushes. Plug in and record. 8 tracks to work with. If you write songs frequently, you'll be delighted with the lack of set-up time needed. And it's got enough horse-power so you can produce a presentable finished product. Quality: I've only had it a few weeks. So far the construction seems solid. It would be foolish to guess on the unit's longevity. Value: If other items were this easy to use in relation to their horse-power, it would be easier to rate their price compared to this one. Manufacturer Support: Haven't needed it yet. The Wow Factor: It depends on what you want. If you want to tweak every parameter on every track, you should rob a bank, and then get a computer, software, and an analog-to-Midi computer interface box. If you want to record your vocals, guitar, base, keyboard and drum tracks shortly after you dream them up, and be able to mix it all down to nice-sounding full-band arrangements, get the DP-03. Overall: If I was filthy rich, I'd still use this unit to record full-band arrangements, and then turn the tracks over to my staff to do the million-copy studio work.
74 of 75 people (98.67%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"More Than What I Imagined!" submitted January 18, 2012

By Sylvester J in Washington, DC
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: I've played music casually for "several" years. I play piano/keyboards but do more producing than anything.
Music Style: Primarily Christian and Jazz.
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Sound: The EQ and Compression features allow you to deliver "crisp" and "tight" product to disc. Feature: Most useful: EQ, Compression, metronome and punch in (I could go on) The tuner is probably the least useful but it's great if you don't have a piano, tuner or great ear with you. Ease of Use: Simply put, if you can read, you can use this product. Additionally, if you are intuitive and have some previous experience with recorders, you will feel like a pro with this product in no time. Quality: The product is by no stretch of the imagine rugged. However, I don't anticipate dropping it or throwing it around in the back of the car traveling either. It was purchased to be used in a small "home" studio where on a good day, 2-3 people will touch it. Value: In short, YES!!!! Manufacturer Support: I have not needed to deal with the manufacturer as of yet. The Wow Factor: The design is compact but bold. It is something I'm sure my sons look forward to showing off. Overall: I am in the midst of setting up a "starter" studio for my sons (guitar and piano) and wanted a product that wouldn't overwhelm them but meet my expectations at the same time. Well, the DP-03 "exceeds" my expectations.
11 of 11 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Tascam DP-03 ( w CD burner ) is a Real Winner" submitted August 30, 2012

By a customer from gmail.com
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Been playing piano & guitars for around 40+yrs.Now 61 years old, record music at home and put it online.
Music Style: Folk,jazz,Christian,experimental,rock,blues.
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Overall: When you have one of these little machines you have a recording studio that's far better than what many musicians had years ago. Of course you still need to have monitors, mics, talent, work etc. etc. and most importantly you really need to learn as much as you can about this little gem to get the full potential from it. And believe me, it has a lot of potential.
7 of 7 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"Quality Home Recorder" submitted February 10, 2012

By C J in Stafford, VA
Overall
Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: Been playing for several years. Keyboard and Guitar. I mostly jam with my sons.
Music Style: We play all types of music but Christian and Jazz is the music of choice.
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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW
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Overall: I purchased this recorder for my 12 and 13 year-old boys. In a matter of weeks they were rocking and rolling with this piece of gear. Setup is a breeze. Mixing, Mastering, EQ, Compression, Assign, mute and Reverb are just a few of the awesome features we've employed with this gear. The ONLY negative with the recorder for me is the copying, moving, inserting, etc. a bit of a challenge because identifying locations is about time and not bars/measures. Nonetheless, I would purchase this again as the above mentioned issue isn't much of an issue at all as I do most recording on a Korg sequencer and then drop that to the TASCAM.
19 of 21 people (90.48%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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"mastered CD wont play" submitted March 21, 2013

By Mike McFadden in Valencia, CA
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Sound
Features
Ease of Use
Quality
Value
Manufacturer Support
The Wow Factor
Musical Background: guitar, piano, writer
Music Style: all music
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Overall: When i finalize and burn a cd it will not play in my home computer or cd players, it does however play in my car. what's up with this, can anyone help.thanks, as far as suppor goes i do not know who to contact.MIke
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"Totally Awsome" submitted November 29, 2011

By a customer from sbcglobal.net
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Sound
Features
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The Wow Factor
Musical Background: it was for my son
Music Style: Christian songs they write themselves
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Sound: I got it for my son in prison who is into music. He is totally in love with it and has been using it to record his groups music. He is in 2 music groups. C4C is Champions for Christ and DOE Discipels of Eternity. There are a total of 8 inmates in these groups and they are fantastic. I went to a concert Oct. 31st at the prison and they are awsome with their Gospel Music. A year ago I got him a beat machine which the use alot and now with the recorder they are all in heaven. My son is a ordained Minister and most of the songs they write themselves. Now with the recorder they can now burn their music. The prison music group is called Music with a purpose and it is a fantastic program. The only problem now is he is always on the recorder and don't write as much. The prison wouldn't get a recorder so that is why I got permission to purchase it for him. Next I would like to get something where they can also video their concerts to make a DVD. If you have something like that please let me know. They can't keep money they will make so they choose to donate their money to Abused Children of Ohio since they are in a Ohio prison. Also a % goes back into the music dept. Thank you so much for all the help that I received from your people on purchasing this. May God Bless all of you for your help. Quality: My son is very pleased with it. Value: I was very pleased with the price but the best is I can make payments so it didn't hit me hard cause I live on a fixed income. The Wow Factor: The group says they are in heaven and very pleased. Overall: The next purchase if there is one so they can film them doing their concerts.
8 of 14 people (57.14%) found this review helpful. Did you?
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