Like many musicians I have a home studio but most of my music making happens elsewhere. So a portable audio recorder is essential for catching the fleeting moments of my live performances. The DR-40 is as portable as it gets—fits in the palm of my hand—but are the features and sound quality good enough? Tascam DR-40 | (image courtesy Tascam)
Tascam DR-40 Recording | Using the built-in mics, I recorded my original composition, Bagatelle Five, on a Hirade H8SS classical guitar. No pickups or amps were used. This is a pure acoustic track. Your browser does not support the audio tag. Construction The body shell is dark gray plastic with good fit and finish. It feels sturdy but is a far cry from the beefy metal body of the DR-100 MKII. It's smaller than the DR-100 and comfortable in my hand, although I don't recommend handheld recording with the built-in mics due to handling noise. Use a grip or tripod. The stainless steel tripod socket allows easy mounting on tripods, grips or light stands. I use an Arca quick release plate on the DR-40, allowing quick mount/dismount from tripods. However, the tripod socket is shallow: most Arca plate screws bottom out in the tripod socket, allowing the plate to spin. The obvious workaround is to file down the screw. However, I found a shorter screw and fit is fine. The monochrome LCD is tiny, funky orange and 1990s tech but easy to read. It's the same LCD used in the DR-100 MKII. Honybal Sosa plays Distant | Tascam DR-40
Controls In contrast to the DR-100, the DR-40 has only basic physical controls: record, stop, play, solo, mode, levels, line, mic, forward, reverse and hold. That's it. Everything else is done in the menus making setup more tricky than the button rich DR-100 MKII. Level control is awkward and uses stepped button presses rather than a calibrated knob or slider. Plus, level adjustments are strictly global, i.e., individual channels can't be adjusted. While controls are labeled, they're difficult to read even in good light, so you'll need to memorize functions before using at a gig. Spartan Control Layout | Global gain control and only mini-plug output
Zoom H4n Pro Vs. Tascam Dr 40x
I live in the inner city and am surrounded by cellphone and radio station transmitters. RFI is a problem in my condo and every piece of gear needs shielding or it becomes a classic rock station. The DR-40 has a lot less RFI shielding than the DR-100 MKII. Normally RFI is not a problem for stage use but location recording near microwave towers results in enough static to ruin the track. Also, a smartphone within 5 or 6 feet causes a loud high pitched beeping reminiscent of Morse code. I figured this out while recording a classical guitar track with an iPhone 5S on my belt. Simple fix, put the iPhone on airplane mode but sheesh... Connectivity The input options of balanced XLR and TRS analog allow you to record from mics or line level sources such as mixers or mic preamps. The DR-40 has a switch to toggle inputs from mic, phantom power and line level. Unlike the DR-100, there are no digital or unbalanced inputs. Output consists of headphone and analog stereo line out from a single mini stereo jack. That's it. So adapters will be needed to interface with studio and home stereo systems. My SD card goes straight in my Mac for storage, editing and playback, so no biggie. The DR-40 has mini-USB for power or uploading to a computer, but not for playback or recording. A card reader is faster for uploads but it's good to have a USB port just in case. The headphone preamp is noisy and only good for basic field monitoring. During the first session I checked a track and heard eggs frying galore! Later, when editing at home with studio monitors, the tracks were clean. So decent mic preamps but terrible headphone preamp! XLR Inputs | Clean mic preamps with locks and TRS!
Batteries It's an odd bird with three AA batteries in its belly. I use Eneloop rechargeables and can last through a long rehearsal. No true AC adapter but you can power it from a USB port or most USB chargers. Sound Quality I wish the cardioid mics were black instead of glitzy chrome. However the ability to switch between X/Y stereo and A/B wide stereo is cool and one-ups the fixed mics on the DR-100 and DR-44WL. Most of my recordings are casual recordings of student performances so the built-in cardioid mics are fine. Preamps are a little noisier than the DR-100 MKII but still decent. However the build-in mics sound a little better than the DR-100 MKII: fuller and more balanced (DR-100 is too bright). I mainly record classical guitars and have to crank gain to 80% or higher. I assume gain range is optimized for clubs and garage band volume, rather than acoustic guitars. I normally record Wav files at 24 bits and 48kHz. If I go all out with external mics, I'll use 96kHz. The files sound excellent and process easily in Bias Peak Pro or Apple Logic. Once I have a polished track, I sync to video or export to MP3 for posting on ReverbNation or emailing. I would never record directly in MP3 format as the lower resolution limits post processing possibilities and fidelity.
Final Blurb While I mainly record stereo Wav files, being able to overdub additional tracks in an ambient space, e.g., concert hall, and edit them on my DAW at home is a big plus. And this little device is as portable as it gets: easily slips into a camera bag or coat pocket and feels comfortable in hand. And, indeed, tracks from the DR-40 sound great when played on studio monitors or headphones. Just keep your smartphone out of reach while tracking! Finally, please help support this website by purchasing this item at Amazon. Major Features XLR/TRS balanced MIC/LINE inputs with phantom power and +4dbu line level input XLR jacks have locking latches Cardioid microphones with Switchable position from X-Y to A-B 4-track recording: record with built-in microphones and mic inputs simultaneously Up to 96kHz/24-bit WAV recording Dual recording captures a safety track to prevent distorted takes 3.5mm stereo (1/8) LINE output jack Optional wired/wireless remote control (RC-10) Limiter and low cut filter Records to SD or SDHC card (2GB card included) Cable with mini USB 2.0 jack Included Built-in speaker Tripod mount Batteries: 3 AA Included accessories 2GB SD card USB and digital cables Manual 05/01/2014 | Revised 05/17/2016I own several portable digital audio recorders, and when I need to make a recording I usually grab my old Tascam DR-40. Why? I like how it sounds, and the controls are easy to use. I also occasionally record line-level audio, and the DR-40 has a simple switch that adjusts the input levels for that kind of signal. It’s been my go-to recorder for many years, but it was recently discontinued. Thankfully, the DR-40 was replaced by a very similar device: the new DR-40X. Tascam sent me one to try out, and I wanted to share my impressions of it.
Tascam Dr 40e Portable Digital Recorder
To fully appreciate the significance of the DR-40X, you need to understand its role in history of portable digital audio recorders. I’ve been deeply involved with field equipment before recorders like this existed. In the old days, people used portable DAT cassette and Minidisc recorders for field recording. They were somewhat large, had many moving parts (making them more likely to break), and transferring their files to a computer took a lot of time and effort.
Then in 2005, M-Audio came out with the MicroTrack, which was the first handheld device that could record great sounding audio directly to a card that you could just pop into a computer. It wasn’t a prefect machine, but it was a big leap forward. Several more of these types of recorders were released shortly afterward.
Everyone loved the new recorders, but we all wanted the same thing: a small device that had XLR inputs and delivered excellent sound at an affordable price. The Sony PCM-D1 was the first model that came close to filling this need, but it lacked XLR inputs and the price was too high. But the PCM-D1 was innovative and influential. It created a design language that many popular recorders echo to this day.
Used Tascam Dr 40 4 Track Digital Audio
The world is an extremely competitive place, and every company tried their hardest to make a portable audio recorder that was inexpensive, yet gave you everything you needed. It took years for the dust to settle in this race, but in my opinion, Tascam was the clear winner with the original DR-40, and I think the new DR-40X will continue this lead.
When it was first announced in 2012, the original DR-40 was $100 less expensive than the next portable recorder that offered dual XLR inputs and built-in mics, which was Zoom H4n. Today you can get the Zoom H4n Profor $50 more than the DR-40X, which costs around $170
The world is an extremely competitive place, and every company tried their hardest to make a portable audio recorder that was inexpensive, yet gave you everything you needed. It took years for the dust to settle in this race, but in my opinion, Tascam was the clear winner with the original DR-40, and I think the new DR-40X will continue this lead.
When it was first announced in 2012, the original DR-40 was $100 less expensive than the next portable recorder that offered dual XLR inputs and built-in mics, which was Zoom H4n. Today you can get the Zoom H4n Profor $50 more than the DR-40X, which costs around $170
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