Tascam 688 equivalent in reel to reel

[A Reel Person]

Yes, certainly the ATR-80/24 is a serious piece of kit!

I was tempted to buy one about two years ago for ~$4500, but at the time I couldn't justify it in the budget, not to mention I have nowhere to keep it.

If I saw an ATR-80/24 in excellent condition today in my local area, I'd surely be temped to get it! I always watch for that one-in-10,000 deal to float along. Budget be damned!

The ATR-60/8 half inch 8-track would yield a more robust sounding recording than the 388. There's a qualitative boost in the punch and sizzle that 1/2"-15ips-8-tracks delivers over and above the 1/4"-7.5ips-8-track format of the 388.

The 388 has the integrated mixer and all-in-one-Portastudio format, but that's probably another issue.

 

[A Reel Person]

The Beatles used 1" 4-tracks on the early stuff.

I don't know much about the 8-tracks that the Beatles used, but I'd presume they were 2"-8-tracks. I'll research that point some day, as I have a truckload of Beatles books, or maybe someone who's more up on their Beatle lore will hop on and post an answer.

 

[KPI]

What would be the practical application for a 2" 24 track recorder? Would you do all 24 tracks simultaneously?

 

[A Reel Person]

You could record bands, live performances, almost anything, eh?

I record by myself lately, for the most part, and I don't know if I have huge 24-track production aspirations, but you could pretty much do anything with up to 24 tracks as a solo artist, couldn't you?

Plus, as I see it, when you go to 24 tracks, you then record each drum separately, maybe using 6 tracks on the drums alone, then use 3 tracks each for rythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, keyboard, then maybe the remaining 6 tracks dedicated to vocals.

I'm not saying that's how I produce stuff now, but I think that's how I'd produce stuff if I were to go up to full-blown 24-track production.

 

[BMWerks]

Introducing

The Tascam 2488. Done. Dave, If you could find one used, I'd throw in the 1.02 upgrade!



I really love all the photos. Brings back a lot of wonderful memories.

 

[A Reel Person]

I've considered getting a 2488,...

new of course,... but I'm not sure it would fit stacked on top of my 244, 246, 488mkII, 688 & 644 too well.

 

[BMWerks]

Of course. New.

For what you'd get anything off on it, you might as well get the new one with the 1.02 upgrade already installed. (And other features as well.) Thats if you could find a used one in the first place. I've seen a lot of "new" used Fostex, Rolands and Yamahas. See where Yamaha just put out their 24 tracker? Roland has had theirs on the market for quite a while but nobody could afford it. Besides, I'm a musician. Not computer programmer.

Can't wait to see the photo of your 2488!

Might look just like mine minus a few scratches.

 

[true-eurt]

Tascam 688, the one that started this whole post.

Ahhhh....thats the baby I have!!

 

[Eurt-True]

True........Sell that dead in the water thing.

Ahhhh....thats the baby I have!!

Sell the 688 and add some things to the digital world. Things will never go back to tape. It will be digital getting better and better. Unless the bomb goes off, then we can all ride mules and eat grass and wait for nucular sores to appear. If things keep on as they have been... and that just might (as you say) Foulking Happen soon. Blow me up, but leave the geetars alone.

 

[cjacek]

Things will never go back to tape. It will be digital getting better and better.

That's what they've been saying for the past 20 years.

 

[VESSEL2020]

I've often wondered, did Tascam ever make a straight mixer like the 688 (but without the tape recorder side)?

I know this thread is old..but...
I would say the Tascam M-1016 & M-1024 would be the closest mixers to the 688's mixer.

 

[A Reel Person]

Well,

channel for channel it may look similar, but the 688 was an 8-buss mixer. Not to mention the soft-assign matrix on LCD (menu). I've not seen that on any other same-era standalone Tascam mixer.