Tascam's new digital 8-track exudes pedigree and style, but is that enough to knock the Alesis ADAT off its perch? Paul White puts it to the test.

I must go on the record at the outset as saying that I don't really see Tascam's DA88 as a direct equivalent of the Alesis ADAT — though the fact that both are digital 8-track recorders retailing at a similar price must invite some comparison. The fact that both machines use different tape formats is also less relevant than some of the publicity might lead you to believe — though both manufacturers put forward an excellent case for why their format is the logical one to adopt, the reality appears to be that both are well-conceived, viable systems and that only time will tell which is the most reliable.

So, what is the real difference between the machines? The answer to this question is only fully revealed when you look at the accessories available for each. The Alesis ADAT complete with BRC remote control offers a number of features and facilities designed to make life easier for the musician. That's not to say it can't be used in a pro environment — it does have a wealth of interfacing options — but its number one design aim would appear to be musician friendliness. Tascam's system, on the other hand, while being a perfectly viable musician's recorder, seems to have been built with the pro-audio and AV markets very much in mind.

Before getting into the review proper, it might be prudent to dispense with the remaining ADAT versus DA88 points, as I know that this is causing a degree of uncertainty and confusion.

DA88 & ADAT: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Alesis utilise a fairly standard S-VHS video transport backed up by some pretty impressive electronics, whereas Tascam have developing their own transport running Hi-8 8mm video tape. Tascam's is a solid and sophisticated transport, and I suspect that it will be used in other Tascam data storage products to help share the R&D burden. The Hi-8 cassette itself uses metal particle tape which provides a greater recording density than S-VHS — but as the tape is narrower than S-VHS, and running at a far lower speed than ADAT, this ability to store large amounts of data is essential.

Both formats use helical scanning — rotary heads scan the surface of the tape in diagonal strips in the same way as a video recorder does — the main difference being that the Tascam format uses a system known as Automatic Track Finding (ATF) which uses information buried in the recorded code to maintain head tracking whereas the the Alesis system uses the combination of a conventional linear sync track and an additional embedded code of their own devising.

Again, both companies cite advantages for their adopted method — but let's face it, neither company is going to invest in such a mammoth project without first doing their homework. However, Tascam's adoption of Hi-8 for the DA88 allows their machine to offer a maximum recording time of 113 minutes from a PAL standard '90' tape which makes running costs exceptionally low.

The DA88 is physically impressive and follows the distinctive Tascam livery of light grey paintwork and dark grey buttons and plastic mouldings. Power comes in via a standard IEC socket and the fan-cooled power supply has exposed heatsinks at the rear. The fan is reasonably quiet, but no fans are particularly welcome in a control room.

Running time is normally displayed in the SMPTE format of hours, minutes, seconds and frames and an optional Chase Synchroniser card, the SY88, provides SMPTE/EBU compatibility as well as RS342 supporting the standard Sony P2 protocol. This allows control from a video editor while also providing MIDI Machine Control and MTC compatibility. This card was not available at the time of review, so none of these functions could be checked.

At the rear of the unit, horizontally-mounted plug-in boards carry the input interfacing and A-to-D conversion, the output interfacing and D-to-A conversion, the SY-88 timecode/sync board blanking panel, the DSP board with digital signal I/O and connection for the optional 24-channel remote meter unit, and the system board which handles remote/sync operations. Audio connections can be made at +4dBm (balanced) or -10dBV (unbalanced), on a 25-pin D-sub and phonos respectively.

The tape transport controls are essentially similar to those found on analogue machines, and there are also two locate points plus auto punch in and out — a familiar feature on Tascam's analogue machines. Strangely there is no set zero or return to zero function so, unless you go for the optional autolocator, you're limited to two locate points only.

Metering is handled be a set of eight slimline peak reading bargraphs which read green all the way up to the 0dB mark, when a red LED indicates an overload. As with other digital machines, overloads are instant and, unless very short, audibly unpleasant. Tracks are selected as Record Ready via a switch beneath the appropriate LED meter; the record LED flashes to indicate Ready mode and then stays on when you go into Record.

The audio signal path employs 16-bit linear A-to-D conversion, with 64-times oversampling, with a choice of 48kHz or 44.1 kHz sampling rates. D-to-A conversion system is 18-bit linear, with eight times times oversampling.

Punch in and out are subjectively gapless and glitchless, a trick achieved by performing a rapid crossfade at the drop in and out points. This contrasts with analogue tape which, with the exception of some more expensive machines, leaves a slight overlap at punch in and a gap at punch out. A drop-in/out footswitch socket is available on the rear panel — great for musicians working alone. Another significant difference between digital and analogue is that the locate functions and auto drop-in/out are frame-accurate.

Up to 16 machines can be run in sync as one 'combo' machine simply by setting the machine ID numbers using the rear panel switches, and daisy-chaining the sync sockets. Lock up is claimed to take no more than a couple of seconds, but as no second machine was available at the time of review, I couldn't check this. On paper, this seems around the same lockup time as offered by an ADAT system, so I have no reason to doubt the quoted performance. Synchronisation is to individual sample accuracy, and no audio tracks are used in this operation.

In order to enable it to function in various professional environments, you can switch the the DA88 to run from its internal clock, input Word Sync or Video. The optional SY88 sync board can extract a video frame-sync signal from a composite video signal source. In a multi-machine setup, all the units must be referenced to the same clock as the master machine so their local Clock switching will not operate when they are switched to Remote operation.

An audible 'shuttle' search facility is fitted, another clue as to the AV leanings of this machine, and there's a choice of two remote controllers available. The RC808 duplicates the essential front panel controls for control of a single DA88 while the more comprehensive MU8824 provides record switching for up to six DA88s, a shuttle/jog wheel and full 99 point autolocation. This was supplied with the review model and provided a very professional means of driving the system.

FACILITIES

Without the RC848 remote only two Locate points are available; you can set these up either on the fly or with the tape stationary. This is achieved by pressing Locate 1 or 2, and, by setting Repeat, the tape will cycle between the two locate points. Auto-play forces the transport to switch automatically to the Play mode following a locate operation.

Auto-Drop works in a similar way to Tascam's analogue machines by providing Rehearsal mode to set and verify the In and Out points. Pre and post-roll ensures that you get a run-in to the drop-in point and, after confirming everything is OK, you simply set Auto and go for it. Because the location points relate to the recorded subcode there's no drift, no matter how many times you go over the same part.

The Monitor arrangement is pretty standard offering All Input, Auto Input, or Insert. All Input monitors all eight inputs regardless of the record status, while Insert is linked to the record status so that you hear what's on tape prior to a drop-in point, after which you hear the input signal. Auto Input causes the machine to switch to Input monitoring during stop or fast wind. This system will again be familiar to most people who have used Tascam's open-reel analogue machines.

The DA88's LED numeric display shows Absolute tape time in hours, minutes, seconds and frames. This is accurate as it is derived from the format subcode. The display mode may be cycled to show the locate points points, the varispeed value, drop-in/out crossfade time, machine offset, track delay, and pre-roll time. Increment/decrement switches are used to change the displayed values if required.

Additional status LEDs are incorporated into the display to show Record Inhibit, Error, and Warning. Warning normally accompanies a text message in the display, but as I couldn't provoke the machine into giving me a warning, I've no idea what it might say! Error shows that the error correction system has come across a problem that it can't reconstruct and is being forced into making an educated guess (interpolation). This may happen if the surface of the tape is slightly damaged or if a small piece of debris gets between the tape and the head, but during my tests this LED stayed resolutely off.

Tapes must be formatted in use, which is a real-time procedure, but the system does allow tapes to be partially formatted and then the formatting continued at a later date if required. It is also possible to format the tape in sections with blank tape between, but I can't see any real advantage in working this way as it wastes tape. You can also record audio at the same time as you format, though you can't format a tape that's already been used for video recording.

Before formatting you have to decide on either 44.1 and 48kHz sample rate. There is no subjective difference in audio quality, so which you choose depends on whether you need to transfer any of the data in the digital domain at a later time. Once a tape has been formatted and rewound the display reads 'bot', which I assume stands for 'beginning of tape'.

Shuttle may be an unfamiliar feature to analogue tape users, though it roughly equates to moving the tape reels by hand to find a precise cue point. The Shuttle control allows the tape to be replayed at a speed set by the position of the control; the playback rate is one quarter to eight times normal playback speed; clockwise plays the tape forwards, while turning anti-clockwise runs the tape backwards. The audio when shuttling is similar to that heard when cueing a CD or when fast cueing a DAT machine. It's very lumpy, but you can tell where you are — which is the main thing. This type of control will be of most use to AV users, who use similar shuttle controls on their video gear.

The Shuttle/Jog Wheel on the RC848 remote comprises two concentric dials; the inner one has two finger-detents and spinning this dial in one direction or another will play the audio back as a rate proportional to the rate at which you turn it. The outer wheel duplicates the front panel shuttle wheel.

OPERATION

When you first power up the machine the meters display the word Tascam scrolling from one side to the other, but once the light show is over and you've formatted a tape, you're ready to go. Like Tascam's analogue machines, making a recording requires Record and Play to be pressed simultaneously once you have put the desired track (s) into ready mode. If the tape is running in Play mode, then you can go into record just by hitting Record; dropping out is a simple matter of hitting the Play switch. It is also possible to put the machine into record and then use the track record status buttons to drop in and out.

However, the machine doesn't feel exactly like an open-reel machine in use because the tape has to thread around the head system before it can run. When you hit fast wind from Play, the response is instant because the tape stays threaded, and there's no lack of winding speed either. For the first few seconds, the tape winds at a modest rate after which is accelerates to the audio equivalent of warp factor 9, spinning through each minute of recorded audio in less than one second. In many respects the transport feel more like a DAT machine than a video machine — especially the fast wind speed.

Precise audio location is achieved using the Shuttle facility, as rotary head machines are notoriously poor when it comes to precise manual location using the transport controls. The shuttle system provided works very well in practice, but to prevent excessive tape wear, it disengages if it has not been used for 10 seconds. The auto punch in and out facility also work beautifully but, for the musician working alone, the good old low-tech footswitch is arguably the most useful facility of them all.

The Track Delay facility is a luxury you don't get on analogue machines, allowing a musical part to be moved backwards or forwards relative to the remaining tracks. The maximum delay is 150ms which goes beyond the range required to tighten up musical feel.

You can make backups in a multi-machine system by digitally cloning the tape from one machine to another and, though I didn't try it, the paperwork seems to indicate that data could be copied from one track to another simply by patching the appropriate connections from the 25-way D-sub digital I/O . The TDIF-1 format handles track pairs, which restricts copying in this way to going from even-numbered tracks to even-numbered tracks (or odd to odd), but you can copy just one track of the pair by setting just one of the destination pair into record.

APPRAISAL

Not surprisingly, the DA88 sounds much like a good DAT machine, the greatest advantage over analogue — other than lower noise — being the complete absence of wow and flutter and the lack of any noise reduction system. Drop ins and outs are quite gap-free and smooth, and though some classical recording engineers may want to set a longer cross-fade time, this is no problem; the cross fade time can be set from 10ms to 90ms.

Even though Tascam have obviously designed the DA88 with audio post-pro very much in mind, it still offers the musician flexible and affordable access to digital multitrack. There's no routine line-up or even cleaning to worry about, and all the issues regarding the pros and cons of various noise reduction systems becomes quite irrelevant. Also appealing is the fact that a large multitrack system can be built up in blocks of eight tracks at a time, and though the lockup time of multiple transports is mildly convenient, there are certain very definite plus points to a multimachine system. For example, if one machine breaks down, you still have the remaining ones fully working. If you want to get a guitar solo from your chum who lives in the States, you can just post him a tape with a rough mix on one of the tracks. When his tape comes back with seven alternative solos on it, you can digitally clone the best one to a spare track on one of the other recorders without having to worry about sync codes, drift or quality loss from bouncing. The ability to back up a tape from one machine onto another is also a very reassuring feature.

Unlike the Alesis ADAT there is no 'freebie' remote control, but the single unit RC808 remote controller is relatively inexpensive and does include the record status switching. The more serious RC848 combines multiple machine operation and general remote control facilities with a 99 point autolocator in a package that will be familiar to studio engineers and AV pros alike.

There can be no doubt that the Tascam DA88 is a beautifully designed machine which inspires confidence, the only unfortunate fly in the ointment being the fact that we now have two competing formats trying to do essentially the same job. Whether one will win outright or whether the two will co-exist remains to be seen, but I'd imagine there's too much at stake for either of the main companies involved to back out at this late stage. The fact that Fostex, Tascam's arch rivals, are also building machines to the Alesis ADAT format must serve only to fuel a potential format war. From what I can see, the Tascam DA88 is an expensive machine to build, and I can't see it staying at its current price for long. It was originally designed specifically for the pro market, and I can't help but think Tascam had a somewhat higher selling price in mind before ADAT came along and threw down the glove.

There are no figures for hardware or data reliability for either format — they simply haven't been around for long enough — but if there is to be a winner in a format war, I feel that it will be decided on the track record that these machines establish in the field, and not by the PR propagated by the various proponents.

Further information

Tascam DA88 £3,999 inc VAT.
RC848 Remote £999 inc VAT
RC808 Remote £129 inc VAT
SY88 Sync Board £499 inc VAT

TEAC UK, (Contact Details).

Remote In/Sync In and Sync Out Jacks: When two or more DA88s are synced together, a sync signal and transport commands are sent from the master unit's Sync Out jack to the first slave's Sync In jack, and so on from the Sync Out of the slave. The optional RC848 remote control may alternatively be connected to the Sync In jack, handling a maximum of six DA88s separately.

Word Sync In and Out Jacks: The DA88 may to be slaved to other digital tape machines via the Word Sync In jack, or they can be slaved to the DA88 clock present at the Word Sync Out jack. If the DA88 is to be synchronised with other digital machines, the optional SY88 sync board is required.

Remote In Jack: Connects to the optional RC808 remote control unit.

Remote Punch In/Out jack: Accepts non-latching footswitch for hands-off drop-in/out.

Machine ID Switch: Rotary switch to set the machine ID number. The master should be set to 0 and the slaves from 1 in ascending order.

Digital I/O TDIF-I Port: This is a serial digital interface carrying the data from all eight channels allowing digital cloning of a whole tape from one machine to another. An optional PW88D dubbing cable is available for this purpose.

25-Way Multipin Inputs/Outputs: +4dBu balanced audio connections.

Phono Inputs/Outputs: -10dBV unbalanced audio connectors.

Meter Output: Carries the signal level and power for driving eight of the 24 meters on the MU8824 optional meter unit.