Tascam Bridge - Any good?

[Slouching Raymond]

I've been thinking for some time 'Why doesn't someone make a 24 track tape deck digital substitute?'.
Just the recorder and an inline console, and no computer. The good old days.
Lo and belold, Tascam have made the Bridge.
It is limited to 48KHz sampling though.
I have a theory that it has less than 24 A/D D/A converters.
Possibly just 6 converters, each doing 4 conversions per sample period, but that's not a show stopper though.
If they were really really clever, they would allow you to connect two together to make a 48 track recorder.
I don't think they were that clever.

 

[TalismanRich]

So it operates like a 24 track "un"tape machine? I wonder if this is derived from the Model 24 and 2400 machines with I/O added and the preamp/EQ sections removed. I can see where it would be pretty useful for a small studio that already had a nice board and didn't want to go direct to a computer.

As for not being able to sync two units together, ... well, for some people, it's never enough! We're spoiled having 24 tracks when our ancestors had to make do with 4 or 8! ?
I wonder if the big boys (API/SSL/Trident) have done like Tascam did with the Model 24 recorder. Slap AD/DA converters on each channel and go directly to a pair of swappable SSDs in raid format inside the console for reliability. A little control panel to do PLAY/FF/REW/REC. Stick it all inside the frame. You don't need an extra box and wires everywhere. What's another couple thousand when you're spending $30, 50 or 100K on a console aready?

 

[Slouching Raymond]

It can operate as a 24 track interface, or as a stand alone SD card recorder. For sub £1000, that's not bad.
3 25-pin Dsubs IN, and 3 25-pin Dsubs out.
The SD card is not restricted to 32G, like other kit.
With pro studios closing, and more people recording at home, those big boys can't really ignore the lower fat end of the pyramid.
I'm tossing over going for an SSL XL-Desk, for which this could be a good companion.
I've read/watched all the negative comments about them, but I think it is a cool desk.
Even the modest XL-Desk can mix down 40 tracks. (I've never even used 10).