Tascam DR-08 Portable Digital Recorder

by Tascam

Product Features

• Portable digital recorderWAV recording from 44.1/16-bit up to 96kHz/24-bitMP3 recording from 32k-320 KBpsRecords to MicroSD media (2GB card included)Two cardioid microphones with variable angle mechanism to adjust width and angle of microphone elementsVariable Speed Playback: adjust the playback speed from 50% to 200% without changing the pitch to learn new musicAuto recording mode starts recording when the input reaches a certain sound levelTimer recording mode for beginning recording at a cert

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches ; 10.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0036UO4ZI
• Item model number: DR-08
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,053 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #29 in Musical Instruments > Recording Equipment > Portable Recorders

Product Description

TASCAM's compact DR-08 portable digital recorder packs serious audio quality into a handheld dynamo that fits in your pocket. It captures audiophile-quality 96kHz/24-bit WAV files - or web-friendly MP3 files - to robust MicroSD media. The built-in microphones have a unique mechanism to change the width and angle of the elements, allowing you to tailor the pattern for the perfect recording. There's even a built-in kickstand for placing the recorder right where you want it. A pair of AAA batteries allows you to record for hours to the included 2GB card, then transfer the recording to your computer using high-speed USB 2.0.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Product / Sub-Par User Guide, March 29, 2010

By 

William A. Schafer (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tascam DR-08 Portable Digital Recorder (Electronics)

I'm a do-it-yourself singer/songwriter and recording artist. I bought the DR08 largely for capturing ambient sounds to include in my home recordings and for recording band rehearsals and gigs. Overall I'm happy with the DR08. The interface is simple and intuitive to use. It's done a good job capturing and representing band rehearsals and live music. Of course, it's not what a pro would use to mic a show, but for my purpose of providing fairly faithful feedback of what the music sounded like at a particular position in the room, it does the job well. The ambient stuff I've grabbed has been solid fidelity with minimal background noise/hiss--to my ears, definitely good enough to incorporate into DIY recordings. I've also recorded some interview-type conversation, which sounded great.

Key problems are two-fold: the device is highly sensitive to wind (even light breeze) noise and to noise from the hand holding it. Which leads to my biggest disappointment...the lack of practical tips-and-tricks TASCAM could have included in the Manual. The Owners Manual covers the technical stuff clearly, but it offers little practical guidance on how to get good recordings from the device for the non-super-techy/audiophile (who, I suspect, based on where this falls in the spectrum of products and prices, is TASCAM's market for the product!). I'm left wondering...

How to deal with wind noise? No mention at all of this as a potential problem (which it is for outdoor recordings) in the manual. Do they sell a windscreen for this product? Would pantyhose or some home-made contraption help?

The device is very sensitive to picking up noise from the hand holding it. Not a shocker, but it would be great to have some tips on dealing with this issue besides the obvious one of setting it on its back on its stand--a so-so solution that is (1) often not practical based on the recording situation and (2) can create the issue of picking up reflected noise from the surface it's on). Are any of the "Low-Cut" settings meant to help here?

When, specifically, might I want to apply the different "Low Cut" settings of 40/80/120? What do those settings even mean? What difference in result can I expect? Some examples/scenarios would be appreciated.

For the EQ boost feature, when, specifically, might I want to use the TREBLE/MID/BASS boost feature? Again, some common examples/scenarios would be great.

There are three different mic positions. For each position, where exactly is the field of sound capture? In other words, which direction do I want to point/orient the devices to best capture certain types of sounds? How close/far should I be to capture the most "real" sound?

I realize I can and will figure this stuff out with extensive experimentation, which, sure, is part of the fun. But who wouldn't want some practical tips for a head start? If you're like me (and I'm guessing you are if you're considering buying at this product level/price point), then I'd say just about everyone would benefit from a more instructive "Manual."

So overall, a good product at a good price for the hobbyist/semi-professional, but it comes with a frustrating lack of guidance on how/when/why to use the technical features and get the most out of the device.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Use it almost daily for a year, December 8, 2010

By 

Mark McInerney - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tascam DR-08 Portable Digital Recorder (Electronics)

Tascam makes good enough stuff, but as with most of their products I've used, the DR-08 has similar issues that I would consider if buying from them again:

1. Many of their products, and the DR-08 especially, have a lightweight, cheap plastic feel to them. The DR-08 feels so fragile, from the mics to the buttons and even the battery cover, that I am always concerned when I have it in my bag or pocket.

2. Using batteries with this unit is horrible. I use NiMH rechargeables and they usually last around 2 hours recording mp3s.

3. The controls can be a bit glitchy and slow in response. You get used to it, but it's not ideal.

4. No editing file names on the unit. This means that if you record 20 tracks on the unit and then want to import them from the file on your computer, you'll be faced with 20 file names like, "000110_553", which may not correspond to the track number on the unit. Sound confusing? Well...

5. The external speaker is so quiet, it's essentially useless. The line out jack to phones or stereo is the way to go, and works well.

6. The rubber feet/stoppers on the back and on the folding stand will eventually slide off and be gone forever. I've emailed Tascam repeatedly about getting replacements, but they do not respond.


What I really like about the DR-08 is that the mics are quite nice, and manually adjusting the input levels almost always yields good results for me. Granted, I usually rest the unit on a table or flat surface. Holding it in your hand will usually get poor results.

The DR-08 is great for capturing quick, decent quality sound. I use it for songwriting and music ideas, and it's been pretty efficient. I've also had good results recording concerts and band practice sessions. The features like play speed, playlists, and split all work nicely. I don't use this in the field or to conduct interviews, but I imagine it might disappoint in those circumstances.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice device with a couple of quirks, May 6, 2010

By 

Wingnut (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tascam DR-08 Portable Digital Recorder (Electronics)

Editing my previous review below, I still like this recorder (and now it's way less bucks than when I bought it), but, I recently used it to record a live performance of my friend's band and the results were not good. Even with the input set to the low level, with the TR-08 on a table 40 feet back from the nearest speaker in a medium-sized venue that wasn't particularly loud, there was considerable distortion -- much more than from the video cameras I had set up, and I don't get that at all.

This thing is great for quieter recording -- several people playing instruments in a small room, you and a guitar, a dinner conversation, a talk with your boss who's telling you there's been some cutbacks -- that kind of thing. But not live rock-type concert recordings. And hand-holding it is a noisy nightmare; don't even try.

I guess if I were really serious about this stuff I'd invest in the Zoom H4n, which looks really, really cool.

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This is my first digital recorder, so I can't fairly compare it to others on the market, but for what it is, I am very happy with it. The sound quality is excellent, and the microphones are pretty decent. Very small and light. Recording quality goes up to 24-bit, 96kHz, although I can't imagine why I'd need that; I don't have an audio application that will work with files of that quality. But, you can select from various MP3 and PCM qualities.

A couple of things though. First, the new lithium batteries cannot be used -- only alkalines and rechargeable NiHM batteries. I haven't done an exhaustive test, but it seems that the AAA alkalines last less than an hour. There is no power adapter available, although the USB port and supplied cable can be used to provide bus power from either a computer or one of those little USB power adapters that plug in an outlet.

Second, the unit is likely to only work with the tested microSDHC cards listed on the Tascam Web site. It comes with a 2GB card but, depending on your needs, you might want more storage. Check the list first. Also, although I installed an 8GB card, the "time remaining" still shows what it would be for a 2GB card. Not sure if that's a problem yet.

Third, while it's nice to have the microphones that rotate out to provide wider stereo separation when recording, they feel a little delicate. In the wrong situation, I can see them breaking off.

Otherwise, nice device, great recording quality, some useful features that may not ever be needed...and a pretty sweet price.