Tascam DR-40X Four Track Handheld Recorder and USB Interface

Product Information

The case has an on-off switch, a USB Type A output connector (power only) and a compartment for the batteries. This front-panel button brings up a context-sensitive menu, and means you don't waste time knee-deep in menus. colour touchscreen allows the user to navigate menus and adjust settings including the onboard DSP, which includes compressions, limiting, low-cut, noise gate, and automatic gain control, and reverb – to which there are six different room presets.

The 128 x 64 pixel blue LCD screen allow users to view settings such as the limiter and 40/80/120Hz low-cut filter, which is switched using the device's menu-based controls. You're flexible with the combination of the sources: record with the built-in microphones along with a pair of external mics for close-up and ambient sound, for example. Nonetheless, you can choose whether the stereo input is captured from the built-in mics or the external mic/line preamps. A self-timer function inserts a five or ten second delay between pressing the 'record' button, and the recording starting. Whilst the four combination (XLR/Jack) inputs allow the user to input microphones and instruments, including those that require 24/48V phantom power, there is an additional 3.There's no USB cable either, which is arguably a touch miserly — it's not that I begrudge spending the small amount these things now cost, but rather that it wouldn't cost the manufacturer much and most people will prefer the device to be record-ready out of the box.

DR-40X has a Dual Recording mode that captures a copy of your take but at a lower level, as a safety track in case of sudden distortion. Wide Covering Range DR-40X allows high-quality recording with its stereo built-in condenser microphones. A photographic tripod may be fitted using the 1/4 inch BSW threaded aperture on the rear, between the internal speaker and battery compartment.That said, the switchable (off, 40, 80, 120 Hz) high-pass filter can mitigate that to some extent, and it would be fine using it like this as a dictaphone. Combined with Auto Level and Limiter for preventing distortion, you never have to worry about sudden level changes. The microphone preamps include 48-volt phantom power and plenty of gain to capture everything from small whispers to loud live sounds. The dual recording feature provides two extra modes - 'Dual' mode allows the recording of one input source (mono or stereo pair) to create two concurrent files with different input level settings. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers.

The external inputs come in the form of Neutrik Combo jacks, which can supply +24 or +48 V phantom power, and can also accept line-level sources.Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.