Help please: Tascam 2488 Neo owners......is a slight hum normal ?

A little off topic, but I am glad I found this forum. I was disappointed that the Tascam Forum was gone. I am hoping I can use this forum to address future issues with my 2488. You all sound very respectful and helpful.

Hi and welcome, goadma! I was also a long time member of the Tascam Forums, and learned a lot there when I first got my 2488 some 6 years ago. I have seen a number of folks here that I recognize from there, and I'd imagine other "stranded" TF users will also migrate in this direction. It's very unfortunate that the wealth of information and knowledge that was collected there is no longer available, but I'll try and offer whatever help I can if you have any 2488 concerns or questions.
 
i have it

same problem. it's the hard drive spinning. probably we have a bit of a defective unit. sometimes it's noticable on the audio/mic. or it could be a grounding problem as well.
 
same problem. it's the hard drive spinning. probably we have a bit of a defective unit. sometimes it's noticable on the audio/mic. or it could be a grounding problem as well.

Ahhh!

I knew I couldn't be alone.

Shame. I really wanted a Neo.
 
Hi Gdub,

I have no experience with the Neo, but can attest that the original 2488 Mk I is a very quiet unit, more than capable of making good quality recordings...for examples of the work my friends and I have done with mine over the past 6 years, feel free to have a listen at our web site - can't yet post a link, but if you follow the three w's with anitabob dot com slash crossroads slash music dot html, I think you'll get there ok!

The overwhelming majority of the music found at that page was all done on the 2488...as I listen to them now, I find they improve over time, which I think is due to trial, error, and experience gained more than anything else...the gear is the same.

I was tempted to pull the trigger this morning....B&H Photo in NY has a great reputation from my days as a shutterbug, and they're offering the DP-24 for a little over 650 US, which is the lowest price I've seen as yet. Were it not for the same reviews as you've cited (freezes up, tuner far out of calibration, etc.), I'd probably have gone ahead and placed an order. I think your idea is very good...be patient, wait a little while for them to make their way out to people, read reviews, watch for firmware updates, and so on. I think that'll get us a unit that's more reliable in the long run.

Bob

Hi Bob!

Bit late....missed this post at the time.

But thanks for taking the time to reply.
 
Hi Gdub,

Glad to pitch in! I'm watching all the threads discussing the DP-24 with interest, but from what I've learned so far, I think I'll be a lot happier staying with my 2488. Too many changes, both in the unit, and in my workflow to make it a logical upgrade path for me. If my 2488 were non functional, I'd have no choice but to make the move, but it's working (knock on wood) perfectly, so I think I'll sit this one out for the time being.
 
Hi Gdub,

Glad to pitch in! I'm watching all the threads discussing the DP-24 with interest, but from what I've learned so far, I think I'll be a lot happier staying with my 2488. Too many changes, both in the unit, and in my workflow to make it a logical upgrade path for me. If my 2488 were non functional, I'd have no choice but to make the move, but it's working (knock on wood) perfectly, so I think I'll sit this one out for the time being.

Hey bob!

I'm with you.

The more I look at the DP-24....the more I wish the Neo had 'worked out' for me.

I still might look to get a Neo....and risk the noise issues I had with the previous unit.....if I can get one cheapish, it depends if they drop the price a bit further as a last gasp discontinued deal.

Honestly....looking at the spec compared to the Neo (especially, for me, the loss of the S/PDIFF)....I don't want to pay £650 for the DP-24.
 
Hey bob!

I'm with you.

The more I look at the DP-24....the more I wish the Neo had 'worked out' for me.

I still might look to get a Neo....and risk the noise issues I had with the previous unit.....if I can get one cheapish, it depends if they drop the price a bit further as a last gasp discontinued deal.

Honestly....looking at the spec compared to the Neo (especially, for me, the loss of the S/PDIFF)....I don't want to pay £650 for the DP-24.

As the new DP-24 owners began posting their questions, experiences, and the issues they encountered, I mentally made a list of pros and cons....and the cons outweighed the pros, at least with the way I've been using my 2488 for years.

Back when the Tascam Forums were still active, and the 2488 Mk I was still relatively new, one of the members posted a procedure for replacing the hard drive with a larger drive...testing showed a Seagate 120 Gig to be the best alternative drive to switch to in terms of size and performance. Knowing the nature of hard drives, I printed the procedure for replacing them, and purchased the recommended Seagate drive, storing both away for a "rainy day".

I'll knock on wood here...the rainy day still hasn't arrived, I'm using my 2488 more than ever, and know it so well, I don't even think about track assignments, virtual track positioning, or any of that jazz...it's automatic. I have both my S/PDIF available, and the availability of MIDI patterns to lay out a rough drum pattern as a guide, *and* I can easily Mute my monitors when we track vocals...the lack of the Mute on the DP-24 was the final deal breaker for me.

I took the $700 I'd set aside for a DP-24, found an 8 year old Les Paul Studio (solid, not chambered body, original Burstbuckers) with a really nice tone, and added it to my "fleet".

I'll continue following along, and will do my best to help folks with questions on the 2488 family, but I'm going to stick with my 2488 until a better alternative comes along.
 
"I took the $700 I'd set aside for a DP-24, found an 8 year old Les Paul Studio (solid, not chambered body, original Burstbuckers) with a really nice tone, and added it to my "fleet".

Dude!

That sounds like a real bargain.

I'm primarily a (lead) guitar player...so I'm a tad envious. :)

...but I've sworn off getting any more guitars until I've bought another multitrack.
...'cause I've got some nice guitars but no current way to record them (other than my looper).

NB: The more I look at it, the more I want to try another Neo!
 
"I took the $700 I'd set aside for a DP-24, found an 8 year old Les Paul Studio (solid, not chambered body, original Burstbuckers) with a really nice tone, and added it to my "fleet".

Dude!

That sounds like a real bargain.

I'm primarily a (lead) guitar player...so I'm a tad envious. :)

...but I've sworn off getting any more guitars until I've bought another multitrack.
...'cause I've got some nice guitars but no current way to record them (other than my looper).

NB: The more I look at it, the more I want to try another Neo!

I brought it to my guitar tech for a "soup to nuts" setup, and he also said I got a good deal on it. I'm primarily a bass player, but where my friends and I write and record our own stuff, I do a lot of guitar and keyboard work while developing songs as well. I found myself using my Blacktop Strat more than my regular Strat because I like the humbuckers, so when I chose to take a pass on the DP-24, I decided to add the Gibson voice to the "choir"...

LP Studio.jpg

I think it was a good find for $650...it's in good shape and, after the setup, plays like a dream.

If you do wind up with a Neo that's nice and quiet, I think you'll be pleased...
 
That's sweet! ;)

As for the 2488 vs DP-24. The more I think about it, the more I think losing the S/PDIF I/O is a big mistake....especially as I was intending to (eventually) transfer mixes to & from my computer via S/PDIF for a 'better quality' final product. I also wanted to connect my MPC1000 this way.

....and really, what is with the lack of a monitor mute button ?? No, seriously! It's bad enough the dedicated track solo/mute button is gone!

Regardless of how much each individual user will miss these features, it just gives the impression that the DP-24 has had a 'features downgrade' on it's predecessor.
10 years we wait for a new successor to the 2488.....and we don't even get the features that made the 2488 aspire towards 'professional recording quality' status.

Oh well!
Back to the drawing board.....
 
Last edited:
Back
Top