rackmount multitracks - help

B

BUCAgator

New member
i am in the market for a rackmounted multitrack to record our mobile church services. i have NO experience with recording, so i have come to you for help. i have looked at the DA line but don't really understand the difference between the 38, 78, and 88. i have also found access to either a 234 or 238. i like the cassette idea but it appears that you are restricted in recording time. our services normally run 1-2 hours and i can't be available to change tapes at a moments notice. am i correct that you can get about 22 minutes on a 234 and 11 minutes on a 238 from a 90 minute cassette? if so, what is the time restrictions on the DA line? what about maintainance? i guess it costs about $600-800 to replace drums on the DA line. are parts available for the 234 and 238?

thanks in advance for your help. i know that newbie questions get old so your patience is appreciated. God bless.
 
:cool: Welcome BUCAgator!!;
The DA-series by Tascam 38,88,78 all have the same drive system, use the same type of tape DTRS, and the recording time is about 113 minutes of 8-trk recording. The sound quality is pretty much the same( excellent ! ). The DA88 was released after Alesis hit the market,Tascams answer to the competition.
The DA-88 has the ability to be used in movie/video production( timecodes). The DA38 is a musician friendly version of 88, same quality, but less expensive machine, fewer bells/whistles/etc.
I have a DA-38 and love it for remotes, use it with a small rackmount mixer......

Maintainance on DA's is fairly easy, manual covers this, DON'T over clean the heads with cassette type cleaners. The DA units are fairly reliable/rugged, and pretty darned easy to use......

Don't fool with cassette format for church services, unless you use a cassette deck to record the sermon, thats what I do........

Tascam does not make tape based 8-trk any more, Have looked into a 24 trk MDM?

If this doesn't help ask me ?'s I'll go deeper.........


da MUTT
 
thanks mutt, i have the opportunity to get a allen and heath mixwizard 20/8/2 recording mixer and a da88 for $1100, but i'm not sure if that's a good deal or not. i get real nervous about the expensive replacement heads on the 88. it appears that these are the only multitracks that will give me the recording time i need.
 
That's not correct,...

you'd get 22.5 minutes of run time on a C90 cassette in either the 234 or 238, inclusive.

;)
 
True Reel. I still have a couple of old 238's around. You may want to concider something like an Alesis HD24 or the Mackie HDR2496 or the Tascam MX2424. I run a HD24 myself. They use standard IDE drives. You can record for HOURS on one and there are two bays for drives (hot swappable). If you already have a mixer for a front end, you'd be set.
 
Wow, thanx Track Rat! That's an EXCELLENT idea,...

& should be doable for about $2K, or less.;) It's a compact rackmount 24-track that has ample record time AND track space, for your needs, mixer sold separately.;)

That's the only digital I'd consider getting,... which probably isn't soon,... 'cause I have this MSR-24 REEL 24-track, sitting right here, off to my right, within arm's reach.;)

[HD24]: Great idea, though, if you're higest priority is long record time.

Likewise, guy, have you considered the Tascam 788? I think that's a cool little unit that would give you just over 2-hours of 8-track record time, for about $600! GOSH, I'm SO glad I thought of THAT! I'm just gonna run right out and GET ME ONE!;)
 
:) BUCAgator: thats a fair deal, depends on how many hours are on DA, I seen better deals, but the recorder was loaded with hours, check and have the person selling unit confirm the hours on heads.........
The allen-Heath mixers are very good units, I have an older SR416 and at church we use a 2200 24input unit, It survives the youth dept. every week!!



da MUTT
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top