TASCAM - Portacaputre X8

TASCAM - Portacaputre X8

No!

This will not be another evaluation of this great handheld recorder, and why it is the greatest machine under the sun. There are plenty of YouTube videos out there, and we don't think anyone needs another review.

What we would like to talk about is why we like the X8 so much and why we use it so often.We acknowledge that the following is our personal opinion and that many people may have a different one.

We like the X8 because it has many features that we need when recording outdoors.

  1. The long battery life, or rather, the rechargeable battery life!
    With fully charged batteries, we can record for at least six hours in a row in the field. That is usually more than enough.
  2. The display is bright enough to show what it is doing, except the moment, when the sun is shining directly onto it.
  3. The "rec-armed" modus. When you push the rec button once, the X8 is in "record ready" mode. When you push the button a second time it starts recording. This may be a little bit confusing in the beginning, but one get used to it pretty fast. 
    In this mode you can listen to what you are going to record over the headphones. Very helpful and handy.
  4. Screwing a regular quick-change plate into the 1/4" thread on the bottom allows you to easily and quickly mount it to a standard camera tripod. This frees up your hands, allowing you to quickly check the status of your recording. 
  5. The build-in microphones. Not the best money can buy, but a great help if you are in a hurry or want to record an extra stereo track. Don't get us wrong, these "build-in" microphones are not bad, but ... you know.
  6. The USB-C power connector. This is great! We use it whenever possible. With a commonly available power bank and a USB-C cable, you can record for days.
    If you put the power bank in a small bag and attach the bag to your tripod, you're all set for the long haul.
  7. The ability to record with 32-bit float, makes it (almost) unnecessary to check the levels resp. gains. And you can record with 32 bit (float) and up to 192 kHz samplingfrequence. This offers a lot of headroom and the possibility your recording get nasty distortions are very low.
  8. What we also like is the "EXT IN" input. If you have an additional recorder or microphone pre-amp, you can connect it here and route the signal to any of the tracks. So, if you need two additional inputs, this can be your way to record them in sync with the four XLR inputs. We will provide some Tips and Tricks later
  9. ....