Feature:
Brilliant. A perfect design. Plenty of Audio i/o, bass/guitar inputs, MIDI i/o,smooth motorized faders, a pro feeling jog shuttle wheel, ADAT and wordclock, and SPDIF. It works beautifully with Logic Pro. And it's expandable with the Fe8s. I wish it had a talkback system built in, though it's simple to set oneup and I also wish it had a SMPTE IN (just in case I ever have to slave off a video.)
Quality:
It is solidly made...it certainly feels so....though I wouldn't like to take it out on the road. Ideal for studio--only use.
Value:
Remarkably well priced for what you get. Basically replaces audio interface, midi interface, surround matrix even analogue cabling with ADAT and SPDIF i/o.
Desirability:
I think it looks great. I think it looks very professional ...especially with the Fe8s. Check out these picks. www.argosyconsole.com/fw1884.htm Sexy!!!!
Sound:
A very clean sound...not at all "fluffy" sounding, which you get with cheap preamps.
Ease of Use:
It works beautifully with Logic and it is intuitive in use. The manual is well written too, though I found it hard to understand the "programming section." It would be good to be able to tweak plug-ins more easily, though I guess I could just use Logic's "learn automation" feature.
Support:
The website has all the drivers, manuals, etc you will ever need. It is supported by Logic Pro to run natively. Haven't had to deal with Tascam directly, so can't comment on that side of things.
Overall:
I don't want for anything else. Okay...maybe an Argossy desk to house it...and the expanders (though I don't really need them.) I have a Behringer ADA 8000 ($400) attached to it from my booth via ADAT i/o. This replaces the need for an expensive analogue cabling setup between rooms and of course means I can convert to digital early on in the chain, without having to travel through analogue cabling, which is so prone to RF interference. The ADA 8000 as an add on is a must actually. The Fw 1884 can even route its outs to the ADAT outs so I can send separate headphone mixes through the lightpipe via the ADA 8000 to a Behringer headphone distribution box. Tips: When mixing set the thing to computer control for full flying faders. When tracking, set the control to Monmix/Both, so that you can record with zero latency (Tascam has thought of everything.) The Tascam 1884 really is the ultimate digital studio solution. It's the best piece of studio kit I have ever bought. If you don't want the surround features and flying faders and want a perfect solution to just sit away in your rack, the Fw 1804 is even more of a bargain!!!
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