TASCAM DR-40 Reviews 4.4/5.0 based on 18 customer reviews
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LEVARfrom PHILADELPHIA PA. August 11, 2012Music Background: RECORDING ENGINEER I LOVE ITEVERYTHING I COULD EVER HOPE FOR IN A RECORDER AS MANY OVERDUBBS AS I WANT CANT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT
from Chicago, IL February 22, 2012 Excellent RecorderI read many reviews on this and other recorders, and was a little worried about reports of noise or helicopter noises when using the line inputs. The only time I experienced anything like that was recording a line in when it was set to mic and I was using USB power. If I changed the togle from mic to line, or switched to battery power, no noise. I have recorded every practice and a couple live shows, and this is perfect. 3 feet away from the drum set and the bass, guitar, and vocals are all there. Same thing being half way across a bar. Slowing down recordings is excellent for learning new challenging parts, or for figuring out parts. Being able to record 2 lines in at the same time as the built in mics is great for live shows. I am really impressed with this, and am glad I took a chance and bought it over the others on the market. 5 stars all the way!
Linda Fullerfrom Irvine, CA December 5, 2011Music Background: Pro musician Easy to use....professional quality!Very convenient and easy to use ... When put with external mics, sounds like studio recording.
TomHfrom Dallas October 22, 2011Music Background: Hobbyist Excellent recorderPurchased this as an upgrade to my M Audio Microtrak II. I've been recording jazz, rock and solo piano live for many years. Bottom line is the sound is outstanding with the internal mics which move from both AB to XY patterns. The noise floor is very low, the soundstage is wide and deep and the audio has excellent detail with an apparent very flat and wide frequency response. I plan to test the mics inputs with my trusty Shure SM81s. Even without this test, this recorder does a great job. The battery life is rated at 15 hours and the recorder uses 3 standard AA batteries. This means that you are not limited by the life of an internal non changeable rechargeable battery. The sound and ergonomics have advanced from the excellent design of the MicroTrak II. Highly recommended.
Tracy Dayfrom Huntington, WV USA October 30, 2012Music Background: Sound Production DR-40This little guy really catches the vibes! Tried it first with some acoustic music, friends playing in a small living room, and was impressed. Took it to a Drive-By-Truckers show and taped from the table where the soundman was set up and when I listened later I was completely amazed. I could hear every instrument just as when it was live. Thanks for a great product.
Lorensfrom Johannesburg, SouthAfrica September 11, 2012Music Background: Post Production Engineer TASCAM DR-40Brilliant!! Easy to use, quick to transfer recorded files via USB, convenient input level control. Decent on board mics for ambient recordings. Still haven't encountered any negatives with this product.
Chip Brandstetterfrom Paducah KY August 24, 2012Music Background: Filmmaker/Musician Great production asset.Less expensive than the Zoom H4 and very flexible. Line-in, xlr, trs, phantom power; from mono to four track. Just used this on a 48HR film project and very impressed. I used it with a borrowed Rode NTG2 and that will definitely be my next snag.
chip brandstetterfrom Paducah, KY August 13, 2012Music Background: Music, Audio and Video production Great recorder for indie filmmaking.The DR-40 is a great value. I just finished using it on a shoot with a Rode NTG2 shotgun and the results were great. For 200 bucks it's a lot of recorder. Recommended.
Allen Kavefrom Washington DC USA August 13, 2012Music Background: Writer, engineer, producer, pro musician Positive review of DR - 40. Did a great job for me.I have used a couple portable recorders in the past. The biggest problems I've run into was difficulty just recording and playing back without going through the manual. I just finished some songwriting sessions in Nashville, where you need something small and dependable and easy to use. The DR-40 did the job. It was dependable and easy to use and when I downloaded the songs to my computer the sound was excellent!
MitchSfrom Pittsburgh, PA February 2, 2012Music Background: Narration, Recording Studio Manager Huge Value for the MoneyThe only feature I'd like to see on this recorder that's not there is a higher sample rate. Other than that, it's all here. TASCAM's menu system is easy to understand so setting it up is easy. The AB and XY positions for the internal mikes allow you to get the degree of ambient sound you want or the focused sound you need. The safety track recoding option can be a real lifesaver! I prefer to add special effects after the recording is done, but you have options for that too. A real plus for are the combination inputs for external mics: the same jack will accept either an XLR input or a balanced ¼ inch input. No more 3.5 mm mini-jack inputs!
Aaron Southerlandfrom Los Angeles area October 27, 2011Music Background: Production and Post audio for TV and Film, Recording Engineer Best recorder for the money!I'm really glad these little portable recorders have become popular, they are so useful! I've used a lot of these things in doing production and post sound for TV and film, and so far this is my favorite. $200 is a great price when you look at the features it comes with. The 4 track recording is awesome, but my favorite is the dual recording mode that gives you a second stereo recording at a lower level. Nobody is perfect and peaks will happen, but that saves the day! The on-board mics are amazing, but like all of these recorders they are EXTREMELY sensitive to wind. I mean even the tiniest air movement. Which is too bad since windscreens for these are way overpriced. But you can work around it easily enough. Would give it 5 stars if it had a wheel for level adjustment instead of buttons, but that's not a major thing for me.
Robert Randfrom Brunswick, ME November 5, 2012Music Background: Consultant in Acoustics, Pro Musician, Engineer. High qualityI use the DR-40 for instrumentation recordings of environmental noise from industrial equipment. The internal microphones are not suitable for this work. However the external line inputs are clean and quiet and well matched to the outputs from my instrumentation. The controls are well designed. The battery life is excellent, and the AA batteries are easy to replace. DR-40 settings are retained during bettery replacement.The internal microphones sound very good, but are sensitive to handling and wind noise. So they could be used for interior or no-wind conditions, if supported on a tripod or placed on a small mat or cloth. The optional remote is essential to eliminate handling noise when using the internal microphones.
Jimi Bethelfrom Maryland July 10, 2012Music Background: Singer and voice artist DR 40Still learning how to work it. Could use a little help. Maybe 5 star after I'm more familiar with it.
Mike Mora Gonzalezfrom Mexico March 6, 2012Music Background: Professional Video ExcellentVery easy to operateLock XLR connections are perfect
Edwardfrom Milford, CT January 27, 2012Music Background: Hobbyist Nice, portable piece of equipmentFairly user friendly, does everything it say it will do. compact and portable. It is also nice it uses common batteries and not some crazy hard to find you.
Robertfrom Wash DC December 29, 2011Music Background: Musician / Song Writer Great FunctionalityReceived my DR40 this am - and within a few minutes had it up and recording. Controls nicely laid out - overall a very intuitive interface. Only had to look at the manual to figure out how to turn it on. ;')Have not used it with external mics yet - and have only played it back through my Jawbone Jambox - but over sound is very good. Mostly I plan to use it for recording song ideas, melodies, riffs, lyrics, etc. So for that purpose I am very pleased with its functionality & performance. Not having to fire up the studio to capture some ideas is a very convenient. Over all a nice portable recorder for the money.
Karenfrom Upstate New York December 6, 2011Music Background: independent radio producer outstanding field recorder for the priceBought this as a back-up to bigger field recording gear but it's fast becoming my main machine. Sounds great with condenser mics, but not so with dynamics. Easy to use. Downside: no easy way to hold it: got to have it in the left hand, fishpole or hand-held mic in the right. A bit awkward. Wish they'd thought to have a way to have a shoulder strap.
from Ossining, NY November 21, 2011 great portable recorderEasy to use, adequate controls & the built-in mics are surprisingly good. This will primarily be used for recording guitar in remote locations, getting samples of ambient sounds & also for an oral history project |
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