TASCAM DR-40X 4-channel Handheld Recorder Reviews

I love it!!

Really simple operation and great recording quality. A lot more robust and durable build quality than other units in a similar price range.

Very happy with this recorder. Highly recommend

I have a Tascam Model 24. I fill up a bunch of the tracks in my home studio. The problem as always been getting those multiple tracks into one stereo file that I can put on (in my case) Dropbox to send to family and friends in a quality that is acceptable to me.
I am computer challenged (and don't have a recent model computer) so using a mix software program was not reali$tic and, as it has ended up, unnecessary overkill.
I saw this recorder (Tascam to the rescue!) and now I can take all my individual tracks and put them in a single stereo file, and the sound is AWESOME! SD card to SD card. I can mix the different tracks for level as I record making "perfectly" (are they ever?) mixed recordings.
You have to get this level recorder with the XLR connects. Recording through the mics is not up to par for this job.
This discovery has made my year! Clear. Mixed. True Stereo. Files.

Love my new Tascam DR-40! All the features I need are in this device! Good clean sound when I used it yesterday. My songs played beautifully! 'Lone wolf' of RaWoodshed.com - Ned Burgos - YouTube -
My personal salesman 'Paul Lafemina' has been a
Blessing to me! My little studio is looking sharp!
God Bless him for his help and knowledge!

Recording is easy and the results are fabulous. The switchable on/off on-board speaker is a unique addition. Battery life appears to conform to manufacturer's claim. Highly recommend!

I have not bought any gear from anywhere else for15 yrs. No need, they have it all at best price and service.
That's no BS. Thank you SWEETWATER

It works really well! It's very sensitive, so be cautious. But it does the job right every time!

I thoroughly enjoy interacting with everyone at Sweetwater. They've continually been extremely helpful, especially recently when I needed to return an item. Sweetwater makes everything so easy and the sales and support staff are very attentive.
I've enjoyed using this particular product ~ the DR-40 (now 40X) for quite some time. The recordings come out clean and full sounding and the manual is pretty easy to follow.
Lastly, I have personally been telling my students and those with whom I interact that they should buy their gear from Sweetwater. Thanks for everything! :)

I've tried all the zoom models, even spent 1k on a sony pcm-D100 and found this $ Tascam to best the best sounding recorder out of all of them for my uses. I use it for recording classical guitar which is does amazing, I don't have to worry about unwanted squeaks or nail sounds anymore as it has such a beautiful warm presence picking up only the tone of my guitar.

The Reverb setting is what seals the deal for me, You can dial it in and make your bedroom recording sound like you are in a hall or small studio - and best part is that it sounds like natural reverb (not that thin fake reverb that sounds like you are recording in a damp metal pipe lol)

Over all I would definitely recommend this unit, I bought the demo model here and it was like brand new. I just love it

I bought this to record band practice so I could practice with the same music, in the same key as we will be playing. Sound quality of the recordings was excellent. Four of us were practicing in a basement, so I kept the recording level quite low. Still could easily distinguish the bass, drums, guitar and vocals. I just used the built-in stereo mics. I wanted the flexibility to use my own mics in the future, but haven't tried that feature yet. I bought the foot pedal to make it easier to start and stop recording during practice. I recorded 30+ songs 3-5 minutes each, and used about a third of the batteries. Relatively easy to transfer the songs on the memory card to the computer. I needed the reference manual to figure out some of the operations, but is convenient for download. All my bandmates wanted me to put the recordings on Dropbox for their use too. I haven't tried importing the files into Audacity yet.

I bought my recorder at the Sweetwater store in Fort Wayne. The sales associate named Daniel was more than helpful. He helped me select the right unit, and explained its function . The store is a great place to try out guitars. Highly recommend it.

The sound quality is amazing on this unit. I record a lot of vinyl into the line in and record band practices via the microphones. Some reviewers complain about the manual, but there is much more detailed manual on line. I think it pretty easy to use. Cheers to 24 bit recording in your pocket, sans computer.

Amazing what this little recorder can do! Well worth the investment..

I've had the H4n pro for just about a week and love it so far. It's extremely versatile and I'm discovering new uses for it almost daily. For instance, I just learned that it works great as a way to convert old cassette audio tapes to digital, if you have a way to play old cassettes (I used a Sony Walkman) and it would even work for 8-tracks if you had a way to play them! I also like the tons of great guitar effects which I use by simply plugging my guitar into one of the Line inputs. Speaking of the line inputs.....I bought the Zoom H4n to replace a Tascam DR40X which I returned because of the horrendous floor noise in the preamps. The Xoom preamps on the H4nPro are significantly better. I'm quite satisfied with this Zoom product so far.

Purchased by a church to record audio for video broadcast online during COVID19. The unit does all we need - it records sound accurately. Our sound person is able to monitor through the headphone jacck and adjust our board for best mix. It replaced the DR40 which died recently. Sweetwater was great, but FedEx was not up to snuff with delivery - in an admittedly rough time.

This device is user friendly and has a very good recorded sound.I use
his ones used for various sizes (7 to 20 musicians) indoors and outdoors. musical groups.
I would be hard to find another device with all it's features that can do a better job.
I am still experimenting with different placements in the groups but all of them
so far have given me good results. Highly recommended.

If it hadn't been for Sweetwater's sales and tech support (Thanks Ben and Travis!) I would have been sending this unit back in frustration, unable to navigate its features.

It should be noted that I am a total novice at recording, and this was my very first purchase of any quality, sophisticated recording device, so operator failure was a major issue.

But the owners manual that comes with the unit is all but useless for even the knowledgeable. It might as well say "Put the batteries here, and good luck to you!" in the six different languages offered.

But Travis found and forwarded the "real" manual (i.e. the 80 page, all English "Reference Manual" found here: https://tascam.com/downloads/products/tascam/dr-40x/e_dr-40x_rm_vd.pdf

With that in hand, okay, NOW you can start actually using the thing!

Sound quality is awesome (use headphones, of course...the alleged "speaker" that is built in is *cough* "marginal" to be kind), very sensitive, great for practicing whatever instrument you play and then playing back to find your flaws (just as golfers do by videoing themselves to correct their swing), and coupled with any decent editing software out there, plenty good enough to cut a demo file for sharing.

Would have given it five stars if they had made that reference (versus owners) manual easier to find. Doesn't change the fact that the Sweetwater Team still gets their usual five stars.

This recorder has a good set of features and an intuitive layout. All of the functions that I need most often either have a dedicated hardware button or are no more than one menu click away. The internal mics are adequate and the recording quality from external sources is great. On a whim I tried plugging a guitar into one of the trs jacks and was very pleasantly surprised at how well it was recorded. I plan on using this now when in the field as a more portable alternative to my usual DI and laptop combo for throwing down some guitar on the fly. The battery life is alright and the build quality is just nice enough to feel like a proper piece of equipment. Overall a good jack of all trades for quick recording/interfacing.

No problems with the unit...it works fine-especially with the AC adapter. As for battery life..."Up to 17.5 hours of operation from 2 x AA batteries"...Is totally inaccurate. The unit holds three batteries and battery life is nowhere near 17 hours. Perhaps 3 or four. Add condenser mics and battery life becomes even less.

Records clear & clean once you get your levels correct, especially if your recording from a console output. I haven't used it using the external mic's yet.

This recorder is a really great all-around mobile recorder especially for the price. While I generally try not to have the input volume of the built-in mics up TOO high, the condenser mics I plug in sound pretty wonderful and clean. This thing can eat up batteries (3 AAs) pretty quick when you're using phantom power, so rechargeables are a must-have.

I think the only drawback for me is that I'm using this more often than not outside as a field recorder. So, two things: the bulk that comes with having external inputs means i really need to have it on a stand, it can be tiring to grip for long periods of time.

But the MAIN frustration and reason why i only gave it 4 stars is: the input volume is two buttons, instead of individual attenuating knobs like the Zoom, which lets you adjust while recording without any noise. So I need to press buttons to pick which source i want to adjust, then grip the recorder and click-clack the input volume on the side. Not great when you want to make realtime adjustments.

ut this recorder is GREAT for small-scale room recordings and laying down ideas in the moment.

First off, this is a solid recorder with decent-ish build quality. Anything that will damage the casing will also result in the onboard mics damage.

The audio from the onboard mics is excellent (with one caveat), and the mic preamps are of decent quality. The user interface is excellent and straightforward to use, though some of the lesser-used settings are hidden behind menus. All in all, it is an excellent field recorder for my use. So why three stars? Read on.

So the main issues with this recorder are that the connection from the onboard mics to the preamps does not seem to be shielded. If there is a cell phone, wifi router, or high voltage powerlines nearby, you WILL pick them up in your recording. If all your doing is recording your music practice with the onboard mics, it may not be an issue (It's not for me), but if you are thinking of recording professional audio with the onboard mics, you might want to look elsewhere. This issue does not seem to affect anything connected to the combi jacks.

The second main issue with this device is that the onboard preamps, while clean and quiet are weak as all get out. If you are connecting Line level, instrument, or an external mic requiring phantom power, they work well, but dynamic mics like the SM57 will require something like a CloudLifter to get a hot enough signal to avoid noise issues.

After purchasing this recorder, which I planned to use to mix down from an old multitrack recorder to stereo via line inputs, and transfer to my computer, (not the best way to record, but I am not great with recording software), I read many reviews of this devise. What I learned was that it has good features but one main weakness. That weakness is noisy preamps if your recording live with dynamic microphones. A better choice would have been the ZOOM recorder... So I plan to return it and get the ZOOM in case I decide to use it with microphones instead of direct line inputs from my multitrack. But it is a good devise for certain uses and does have good built in microphones which have two positioning options.

I may be the most ignorant person to ever review a product. Ha! (Can you forgive an old man?). But based on my stated intentions to my rep about what I needed it for, it was a good recommendation. Sweetwater has never steered me wrong over many years!

I have enjoyed using this portable digital recorder, but these things are only as good as the weakest link. I haven't abused this recorder, just used it, but the headphone input jack broke off and that renders it useless after I guess was about 2 years of use. I would offer that that part of this device is not built strong enough and likely breaks for many owners too. I will be buying another one to replace this one, but it won't be one from Tascam as I suspect that their quality control in the design of the product isn't good enough for it to last long.

How very helpful it would be if there was a simple set on instructions as to the function and how to use each feature. The manufacturer's directions explain very little. You can spend hours with trial & error button pushing.

Think of it this way, a experienced player or engineer will buy a lot more equipment than this unit, leaving the midstream and beginners just sitting around pushing buttons. Perhaps your company could print a page or two (on slow days) for some of the many electronic items you sell.

Thanks

JP

I recently purchased the TASCAM DR-40 audio recorder only three years ago with high hopes of utilizing it for my professional audio needs. However, after minimal usage, I quickly discovered a significant flaw that has left me utterly disappointed and frustrated. The audio port, a crucial component of any audio recorder, is shockingly made of low-quality PCB material. This choice of material is not only cheap but incredibly impractical, especially for a product marketed as professional-grade equipment.

The main problem with the PCB audio port is its fragility. With the constant plugging and unplugging of audio devices, it is no surprise that the port breaks easily. This design flaw raises serious questions about TASCAM's commitment to providing durable and reliable products. A company that claims to offer professional-grade equipment should know better than to compromise on such a vital component.

What baffles me even more is the minimal cost difference for TASCAM to opt for a higher quality solution. A simple metal female audio port costs as little as $8 for ten pieces. For a reputable company like TASCAM, investing in a durable port wouldn't break the bank, especially considering the potential savings when buying these components in bulk for mass production. This oversight makes me question the company's dedication to quality and leaves me thoroughly dissatisfied as a consumer.

Given my experience with the DR-40, I have serious reservations about investing in the DR-40x, the supposed new version of this recorder. If TASCAM hasn't rectified the fundamental issues with the audio port, it's difficult to believe they have made significant improvements in the new model. Paying the original price of $120 for the DR-40 feels like a significant waste of money considering the subpar quality of the product. TASCAM's failure to address this glaring issue reflects poorly on their commitment to customer satisfaction and their reputation as a professional audio equipment manufacturer. I am deeply disappointed and frustrated with my purchase, and I strongly urge potential buyers to think twice before investing in the TASCAM DR-40 audio recorder. Save your money and invest in a product that truly lives up to its professional claims.

I opened the package and IMMEDIETLY upon looking at it I knew it was cheap looking.

Picked it up and my heart sank - I was ready to record but this unit felt so cheap in my hands I hated it.

I then noticed it didnt even come with a USB cable..and I spent too long looking online for the right cable.

I called customer service and even he had trouble for a long moment finding the right cable.

The box and manual made no mention of it.

I put it back in the box and ordered the Zoom h4n Pro...

My friend has the Zoom and he says it has a heavier build and also one main thing I keep reading is that the Dr 40x gets lots of ground noise with dynamic microphones..

The h4n pro is the way to go for dynamic microphones.

You get less storage capacity, but it is worth it just to get extra sd card or to get a large external hard drive.

Guess I'll be real and say its frusturating because now I have to wait and this is after i did hours upon hours of research dr 40x h4n pro

I bought this unit to replace a 15-yr old Zoom H4. I was pretty happy with almost everything about the Tascam. I liked the fact that it could be powered through the USB connection, thus saving battery power. They controls were pretty intuitive and the screen relatively large and easy to read. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the floor noise through the Line 1/2 input preamps. When recording, and no signal was present, the audible noise sounded like a rain shower outside the room. Even when there was an input signal, you could still hear the noise in the background. I compared the preamp noise to the old H4 and noticed that the Tascam noise was significantly louder. So I sent the Tascam back, spent a few extra dollars on a new Zoom H4n Pro and am happy to report that the Zoom is far better with respect to the line noise.