It's Now Official - DM3200 Discontinued

cmaffia

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2 x DM3200, DA-3000
http://tascam.com/product/dm-3200/

Coincides with the release of the Track Factory Project which is not a replacement. The Tascam quality bar has been greatly lowered IMHO.
 
Real bummer! Now the only mixer they list is the LM-8ST — they show no desk whatsoever on their Website. It certainly strongly implies they've left the mixer business.
 
Well, it was coming some day. The sad part indeed is that Tascam has left the mixer business and if we ever want to replace the DM with another studio mixer there's no such thing. Mine is still working fine, so no immediate probems.

And that Track Factory thing is a poor excuse for a DAW.
 
All of a sudden, the idea of purchasing an identical mixer as a backup, working or not, sounds like a splendid idea, if only for the parts.
 
Tascam has transformed into an entry level consumer company. Ever since I stepped into the home studio arena back in nineteeen hundred and eighty three, there was always a Tascam product I wanted to upgrade to. No longer the case....
 
I've wondered where I'll go once this mixer dies and this announcement has me thinking about that again. While there are others that I like (e.g. Yamaha 02R96VCM), we're talking more money, and I'm not even sure they'd offer as much flexibility in very important aspects, such as routing. Avid has several desks/surfaces that I'd really like, especially because they support the EUCON protocol. But their ridiculous pricing puts you up into what feels like SSL territory — not exactly something I could justify. Plus, who needs a 2nd mortgage?
 
That looks like a pretty good contender indeed!
 
Here's where I'm looking. The new StudioLive 32. Series III sells for $2999.
http://www.presonus.com/products/Mixing-Systems

Pretty cool! I have no experience with Presonus products. I realize that you must like them to be considering one of them, so what are your general thoughts about usability, functionality, and reliability? (Not looking for a tome, just some observations to get someone else's read on them.) Thx!
 
The Presonus product is NOT a contender - it IS the future and a great product. I was discussing this with my class last week. Their built in plug-in screen alone is incredible.

As long as my board and my computer work - so will I. When they are no longer functional, I hope I'm long gone!
 
@jamsire I somewhat agree but it is the CLOSET product out there which just happens to be at around the same price point as the now legacy DM series. For some of it's deficiencies it offers an awful lot of new functionality and useful bells and whistles that I believe close the gap. I have my 2 DM's currently in working order but I won't rule out either this or similar products in the near future. Not for nothing but something like this Presonus model should have been Tascam's next gen mixer. Presonus must have done the research that there's still a viable digital mixer market out there before sinking their money in R&D. Tascam had the upper hand for decades when it came to semi-pro quality mixers (and back in their heyday, reel-to-reel machines) but decided to give up this slot which is why I believe Presonus swooped in with this offering.

I wouldn't be surprised if in addition to forfeiting the mixer business, they are also ending their PortaStudio line with the release of the Project Track Factory which is a $1300 joke. I look at Tascam's current product line and the word "irrelevant" comes to mind. I doubt TEAC/Tascam (Gibson) is listening but if they are, they need to regroup and restructure their organization if they want a future. If they are content with an inferior entry level product line with poor quality control, zero innovation and crap support then so be it. Question is how long can they survive with that resume? Gibson will either absorb and disolve or sell.
 
I'll check it out - thanks!

A friend also mentioned offerings from Midas and Behringer; I know the latter now owns the former, but it's still difficult for me to consider them similarly.
 
After a little research, it's quite clear that Gibson is pushing the Tascam's division off the rails by poorly justifying its acquisitions with crap like the Track Factory Project...It's unfortunate that Gibson is forcing radical product decisions. Seems like end state Tascam management no longer was asked for input or were terminated back in 2013.

http://cdm.link/2013/09/breaking-gi...eating-rd-division-tascam-pro-audio-software/
 
Quite a discovery, cmaffia! I've not been watching Gibson of late and completely missed that they had acquired so many companies recently. I was surprised to see they own Onkyo and Cerwin Vega, but especially that they also own Teac, which started Tascam. You're correct that this is now making sense and that the boat is being steered by Gibson.
 
We all discussed the Gibson acquisition here when it happened. I just didn't know about the Cakewalk acquisition but now it all makes sense. Also KRK.. that totally explains the Gibson speaker line they released a few years ago that were made to look like Les Paul finishes....Oy Vey!!!!
 
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I think we all knew it was over in 2013 when a few months after buying TEAC, Gibson proudly advertised this...

http://www.gibson.com/Memory-Cable.aspx

Learning about this forum and joining only last year, I was late to the party and missed those discussions. And while I also receive several pro audio publications, I admit to not following industry trends as much as I should. Perhaps that's because there are trends that I'm not enjoying, such as using iPads and other touch screens (e.g. Slate's Raven surfaces) for control. Call me old fashion, but I really like the feeling of a physical fader or knob under my fingers that I can instantly (and assuredly) grab and set exactly where I want it. On my phone or iPad, that touch just doesn't feel as firm and exacting, at least to me. Mind you, I do like that a screen allows the manufacturer, and sometimes even the user, to more fully customize colors and what's on the screen. But it just doesn't give me that satisfying tactile sensation like that of handling a real control.
 
I know of at least 2 users here that went the Raven route. Jim Gravity praised it for a month before ditching it. Gerk was another adopter who I believe continued to use his DM3200 simultaneously. iPad integration is awesome as additional screens and controllers and is now a welcomed standard.
 
I didn't say it was bad, rather, I said that it doesn't give me the satisfying feeling I get from using physical controls.
 

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