TASCAM is the professional audio division of TEAC Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo Japan.TASCAM established the Home Recording phenomenon by creating the "Project Studio" and is credited as the inventor of the Portastudio, the first cassette-based multi-track home studio recorders.TASCAM also introduced the first low-cost mass-produced multitrack recorders with Simul-Sync designed for recording musicians, and manufactured reel-to-reel tape machines and audio mixers for home recordists from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s. Since the early 00's, TASCAM has been an early innovator in the field-recording and audio accompaniment to video with their DR-series recording platforms. TASCAM celebrated its 50th anniversary[1] in 2021.
TASCAM tape Portastudios were cited by Reverb.com as one of the top used gear pieces to increase in value in 2020, with original units jumping 30-65% over their price two years prior.[2]
History
TASCAM started out as a research and development group to research how to use TEAC's recording technology in musician and recording studio products. The group was called TASC (TEAC Audio Systems Corp). The founders included Mr. K. Tani, one of the founders of TEAC-Japan and Dr. Abe, a senior TEAC-Japan engineer.
In 1971 TASCAM (TASC AMerica Corp.) was founded to distribute TASC products in the U.S. It also conducted additional market research in the US for the Japanese parent company.
The company's first headquarters was at 5440 McConnell Avenue in Los Angeles.
In 1974 it moved its headquarters to 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California.
In 1973, they introduced the first TASCAM-branded products:
On March 4, 1973, TEAC merged the Tascam Corporation into TEAC Corporation of America (TCA). TEAC-Japan retains the exclusive worldwide rights to the TASCAM brand name for their professional audio related products.[3]
In 2013, Gibson Brands Inc. bought a majority stake in TEAC Corporation, the parent company of TASCAM.[4] In October 2017, TASCAM partnered with Philly punk band the Dead Milkmen and philanthropic record label The Giving Groove to sponsor a remix contest.[5] TASCAM stakes were later returned by Gibson during their internal restructuring in 2018.
TASCAM released the new Model series in the Fall of 2018 with the Model 24 integrated 24-track production studio for mixing, recording, and use as a DAW controller. TASCAM followed up with the Model 16, a lower-priced 16-track mixing/recording studio in 2019, and released the Model 12, which introduced MIDI controller capabilities, hardware improvements, and stereo Bluetooth inputs and routing.[6]
M-10 modular 12x4x2 mixer
Series 70H-X MTR
Series 70H-8 MTR
Notable and industry-recognized products
Portastudio and pocketstudio
144 - 1979, World's first four-track recorder based on a standard cassette tape - 2006 Mix magazine TECnology hall of fame[7]
Porta One Ministudio - 1984, A battery-operated portable studio.
388 Studio - 1985 World's first eight-track 1/4" multitrack and mixer combination.
564 - 1997 First MiniDisc-based digital Portastudio.
788 - 2000 World's first 24-bit eight-track hard-disk Portastudio[19]
2488 24-Track Hard-Drive-based digital portastudio - 2004 Music Trades Magazine Product of the Year,[20] MIPA Desktop Recording Workstation of the Year[21]
DP-02 eight-track digital recorder - 2008 Music & Sound Retailer Best New Multitrack recorder [22][23]
DP-3 eight-track digital recorder captures music to SD/SDHC cards.
DP-006 six-track digital battery-powered recorder captures music to SD/SDHC cards.
DP-008EX eight-track digital battery-powered recorder captures music to SD/SDHC cards.
DP-24SD 24-Track Digital Portastudio.
DP-32SD 32-track Digital Portastudio
Audio recorders
TASCAM 80-8 Eight-channel 1/2" analog reel deck, TASCAM offered an external optional eight-channel dedicated DBX interface module. 1975. 2017 TECnology Hall of Fame Inductee[24]
90-16 - 1978, first 1" format 16 track open reel machine.[25]
DA-50 Pro DAT - 1989, First US-legal DAT tape recorder with SCMS Copy protection.
MSR-24 24-track 1" Open Reel Tape Deck - 1990 TEC Award Nominee[26]
DA-800/24 DASH 1990, 24-channel digital tape Recorder.[27]
DA-88
Mixers
M-5 Analog Mixer - The Model 5 was released in 1975 in conjunction w/ the 80-8 eight channel 1/2 inch reel tape deck. It came as an 8x4x2 board, expandable to 12 channels w/ optional talkback module
M-312 Analog Mixer - 12 channel mixing console
M-520 Analog Mixer - 20 channel 8 bus mixing console
M-700 Analog Mixer - 1989 dubbed "the Baby SSL"[51]
