DP32SD - Converted tracks 9/10 to mono.....how do I access track 10?

[Greg Hall]

Hello friends,
I just got a DP32SD and learned that tracks after 8 are by default in stereo track pairs and can be converted to mono tracks. I converted tracks 9/10 to mono, recorded audio onto track 9 and now I don't see any indication that track 10 is accessible.
Question - can I use track 10 after 9/10 have been converted to mono or am I losing that track and just able to use the mono track 9 now?
Please advise.
Thanks,
Greg -

 

[Jeffrey Saltzgiver]

I have the DP24SD, but in my research when I considered the DP32SD, I do recall that when you switch the stereo 9/10 track to mono, you are then forfeiting Track 10.

 

[.Strat Brat]

Digressing very briefly, Jeffery, may I ask why you chose the DP24 over the DP32 ? Was it simply the cost difference that informed that decision, or did you spot any design advantages of the DP24, over the DP32 ?

 

[Jeffrey Saltzgiver]

Actually, I started my Tascam Portastudio endeavors with a 244 in 1982. I loved that little deck and created a ton of songs with it and the Roland TR 707 drum machine. While I do play guitar, I am a down to the bone, a bass player.

I stopped playing for a few years and when I got back to it, the 244 didn't work. I didn't realize that it was only the belt. which i could have replaced. I went to Guitar Center and the salesman turned me on to Pro Tools. I bought PT, the Digi 002, a set of KRK studio monitors and built a big computer just for it. I never really got the hang of it,and didn't really like that I was always having to upgrade, it seemed to be a big pain in the ass just as something to create demos with.

At some point, my brother-in-law got the 2488. That was more what I was looking for. By the time I decided to go that route, the DP24/32 wee out. I went back and forth trying to decide between the 2, and ultimately figured the 24 would be enough for what I wanted to do. I was used to 4 track, so having 12 mono tracks to work with seemed to be enough.

At that time I think the DP24 was going for $399 on Guitar Center, Musician's Friend and Sweetwater websites. While I was giving it my final thoughts GC and MF raised the price up something like $459, but Sweetwater had it on sale for $360, so I bought it. Now it's $499.

The biggest shortcoming for me with these decks is all the stereo channels. I don't use many of them. Currently, with the Boss DR 880, I put the kick and the snare on there own mono tracks and then run the Drums L and Drums R on a stereo track. That leaves me 10 mono tracks for my vocals, guitars and bass. I have 5 stereo tracks left, 1 1/2 I use for my outboard effects return - 1 mono return, 1 stereo return.

I wouldn't mind the extra tracks of the DP 32, and the fact that you can change the stereo to mono, if need be. If I can't get this problem fixed, I will probably go with the DP32.

I'm dying to get back to creating, but this issue is consuming me!

 

[.Strat Brat]

Wow, your history with Tascam products does stretch back quite a few decades for sure. I do recall marveling at the now archaic Tascam 4-channel tape-based recorders back in the day, so it is good to see that the compactness of those early units is a design philosophy that has carried forward nicely into the current DP008 SD product lineup, long after the cassette and reel-to-reel era faded into the history books.

The fact that Tascam has earned a reputation as an industry standard for home recording equipment over such a long time-span is testimony to the reliability of these stand-alone recorders/mixers, even in the age when computer based DAW software is making major inroads in this niche market.

One hopes that Tascam weathers the storm and stays in business even as technology evolves further, but, even if the worst does happen and new Tascam products fail to materialize, these rugged DP24/32 units ought to provide many years of reliable service yet.

Apologies to the OP for this slight detour along the scenic route, as it were.

 

[Jeffrey Saltzgiver]

I while back I purchased a 464 for $50, because I have so many tapes from the '80's. I want to convert them the the DP24, so I don't loose them. I was shocked at how many ideas, in fact complete song demos I have. It's funny... listening to some of these tapes thinking, "Wow, did I really play that?"