788 vs. DP-02?

[Cliff Kane]

Hi folks,
I am new to this forum, and I know I'll learn a lot here.
Of course I have a newbie type of question:
Is the newer Tascam Portastudio DP-02 significantly better than the older Tascam Portastudio 788?
I want to set-up a home studio for personal recording/song writing, and I've decided to go with something digital for convenience. I think 8 tracks is enough for me. I have a lot more background with analog tape, and the last time I had a home studio setup I was using a Fostex 1/4" 8 track reel-to-reel machine with an older Tascam analog mixer. It sounded great, but it's long gone and I don't want to hassle with tape for what I want to use this stuff for. I'm not really nuts about using computers and software, so a self-contained Portastudio type of thing appeals to me (my band already has a ProTools setup at our studio, so I have acccess to that sort of gear if I need it).
I have used the Tascam 788 before, and it seemed pretty good. I don't mind the idea of adding peripherals like a CD burner or a hard-drive, or using my laptop for storage and burning CDs.
Anyway, to get to my question, I was looking at the DP-02 on-line and it looks pretty neat, but I've noticed that 788's are selling for pretty cheap on Ebay. So, seeing as I was happy with the 788 the few times that I've used it in the past, how much better is the DP-02, and is it worth the extra couple of hundred dollars it will cost?

Any opinions and advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks! I'm glad to be aboard and I look forward to many happy hours of home recording!

Cheers,
Cliff

 

[shockingcandy]

It's swings and roundabouts really.

The DP-01/02 isn't really a direct replacement for the 788 as it has far less inputs and records at a lower bit depth (16 bit only). To give you some background, the 788 was sold at a price point closer to that of the current 2488.

On the other hand, it does have some more up-to-date features like USB (the 788 has only SCSI) and a much larger hard drive.

Also, the 788 hasn't be made for many years now and although I can vouch for the longevity of these machines if they are looked after then who know how long they will last?

 

[mrmoe]

....having just upgraded from a dp01fx-cd to a 2488 mkll (I know these are only similar to the machines you mention), I'd recommend sticking to the 24 bit 788......2488 mkll's can be found at a great price since the 2488 neo has replaced it.....I'd spend a few extra dollars and look for one of those....

 

[leddy]

I had a 788 for a few years. Rock solid, good sound. The only drag was file transfer. Your only option is to use their proprietary CD drive to burn the Wavs to CD. I leterally had hundreds of CDs around from transferring files to mix in Cubase. You can just do your mixing in the 788 and delete the multitrack info afterwards if you like.

Of course, you also have to have external mic preamps with the 788.

I never had one, but a Yamaha AW1600 always looked good to me.