VF80 vs Tascam 788
- Thread starter jman
- Start date
I don't own either machine so this is a shot in the dark. My bet is that the Tascam is the better machine. It's been around for quite some time and managed to hold it's price, which is sometimes a good indicator of quality equipment. However, as an entry level stand alone multitracker, the VF80 represents great value for money. So if you are a beginner in this area, the Fostex machine is probably the way to go. Why? Because at some point you will probably upgrade to something that is better than either the Tascam or the Fostex. I hope you get more replies to this thread. I would love to hear how good the Tascam is.
Eric-Jensen
New member
I looked hard at both (so hard at the Tascam that I ordered a cd burner for it), then bought an MR-8. The Tascam has more inputs (at least 6 and maybe 8 with line ins). With the $100 rebate Tascam had (may still have?), price with burners wasn't much different. The Tascam also will do 24-bit recording, and I don't think the Fostex will. Neither one has a simple USB port, as far as I could tell, so you either burn CDs (slow) or use the digital output (slower--real time, I think). That, and the fact it was so cheap, pushed me to the MR8.
Garry Sharp
Lost Cause
Well you asked for views from VF80 owners - I don't know anything about the Tascam.
Eric's comments seem pretty spot on to me. The VF80 will only record 2 tracks at a time, and transfer to the PC is slow (digital) or relatively expensive (CD writer).
However I love mine to bits and wouldn't swap it, and it is all down to how it is used. We are working our band up, writing, arranging and practicing new songs, and the sheer ease of use of the Fostex, and the amount of stuff we can dump on it, makes it perfect. It's also very robust and gives me a great deal of confidence. People who know better than me have testified on this board to the high quality of Fostex components - I don't know how that compares to Tascam.
Transferring to PC, unlike the MR8, is a pain, but I do it rarely enough that in the scheme of things it doesn't matter.
It's 16 not 24 bit, but certainly at my level I just don't think that matters a bit; I don't think it would to anybody looking in this kind of price range.
In summary, if you are a solo artist sitting next to a computer the VF80 is not the best choice, but if you are working with many musicians and want to record stuff fast, and edit it later, its the business.
Hope that helps
Garry
Eric's comments seem pretty spot on to me. The VF80 will only record 2 tracks at a time, and transfer to the PC is slow (digital) or relatively expensive (CD writer).
However I love mine to bits and wouldn't swap it, and it is all down to how it is used. We are working our band up, writing, arranging and practicing new songs, and the sheer ease of use of the Fostex, and the amount of stuff we can dump on it, makes it perfect. It's also very robust and gives me a great deal of confidence. People who know better than me have testified on this board to the high quality of Fostex components - I don't know how that compares to Tascam.
Transferring to PC, unlike the MR8, is a pain, but I do it rarely enough that in the scheme of things it doesn't matter.
It's 16 not 24 bit, but certainly at my level I just don't think that matters a bit; I don't think it would to anybody looking in this kind of price range.
In summary, if you are a solo artist sitting next to a computer the VF80 is not the best choice, but if you are working with many musicians and want to record stuff fast, and edit it later, its the business.
Hope that helps
Garry
A Reel Person
It's Too Funky in Here!!!
I don't have either unit,...
but feature for feature, I'd say the Tascam 788 is better than the Fostex VF80. Admittedly, it's very dependent on your proposed application, but FWIW,...
The Tascam is 16-bit/24-bit switchable, with 6 regular inputs/8 including Aux's, and will do 8-track-simultaneous recording, if necessary. The Tascam 788 has 3-band full parametric EQ.
With the Fostex, you're locked into 2 main inputs, [plus Aux], and record 2-track-simul-max. The Fostex has 2-band fixed EQ.
I think the technical engineering, features & functions of the 788 to be slightly better on the 788, which definitely gives you more flexibility in production, & probably a slightly better sound, in the right hands,... [i.e., situantional dependent/YMMV].
but feature for feature, I'd say the Tascam 788 is better than the Fostex VF80. Admittedly, it's very dependent on your proposed application, but FWIW,...
The Tascam is 16-bit/24-bit switchable, with 6 regular inputs/8 including Aux's, and will do 8-track-simultaneous recording, if necessary. The Tascam 788 has 3-band full parametric EQ.
With the Fostex, you're locked into 2 main inputs, [plus Aux], and record 2-track-simul-max. The Fostex has 2-band fixed EQ.
I think the technical engineering, features & functions of the 788 to be slightly better on the 788, which definitely gives you more flexibility in production, & probably a slightly better sound, in the right hands,... [i.e., situantional dependent/YMMV].
a12stringer
New member
I have a friend who bought his Tascam 788 over a year and a half ago. When Fostex came out with the VF-08 a few months later, he told me he wished he'd waited because the Fostex appeared to be easier to work with. The Tascam came with a 200-page owner's manual that was incomprehensible to anyone without a background in electrical or computer engineering. My friend said a lot of what he was doing was trial and error because the owner's manual was about as useful as [as my grandma would have said] tits on a boar.
Whatever extra features the Tascam might have will be useless if it takes forever and a day to learn how to use them.
Whatever extra features the Tascam might have will be useless if it takes forever and a day to learn how to use them.
I checked out both...
I felt the VF80 was quieter mechanically, more robust physically, and very well set up with a CD/R. You can get the unit for $599. +100. (for the CDR) at JD Sound. Or have Musician's Friend match that price.
When I ran the TASCAM, I really noticed the hard drive cranking noise that a TASCAM tech said was "normal." Now the TASCAM has more inputs, NO phantom power, and records 24 bit. But the VF80 has phantom for both XLR inputs, plus uses 20/24 bit convertors. Plus the Plextor burner is excellent. I understand it has a very, very low bit error rate.
I've been using the VF80 for a 6 weeks now and love it.
The manual is not the best, a few spots are not well written, but that's not unique to FOSTEX.
I felt the VF80 was quieter mechanically, more robust physically, and very well set up with a CD/R. You can get the unit for $599. +100. (for the CDR) at JD Sound. Or have Musician's Friend match that price.
When I ran the TASCAM, I really noticed the hard drive cranking noise that a TASCAM tech said was "normal." Now the TASCAM has more inputs, NO phantom power, and records 24 bit. But the VF80 has phantom for both XLR inputs, plus uses 20/24 bit convertors. Plus the Plextor burner is excellent. I understand it has a very, very low bit error rate.
I've been using the VF80 for a 6 weeks now and love it.
The manual is not the best, a few spots are not well written, but that's not unique to FOSTEX.