TASCAM shows its versatility
Published: PRODUCTS
The breadth of markets covered by TASCAM is perfectly illustrated by the variety of products it has recently unveiled. The Japanese manufacturer has added to its range of solid state recorders, launched a rack-mount Blu-ray player for installation and added Bluetooth connectivity to its studio monitors.
Starting with the recorder, the SD-20M is a 1U rackmount solid state recorder which includes a pair of microphone preamps with phantom power for direct microphone recording. Both the mic inputs and line inputs can be recorded simultaneously in four-channel mode. The dual recording mode captures a copy of the audio at a lower level. There is also AA battery backup to keep recording even after power loss.
In more detail, the unit offers RCA stereo line inputs and outputs, variable speed playback, ¼-inch stereo headphone output and a remote jack for wired or footswitch control. The SD-20M supports WAV or MP3 recording formats and the SDXC media slot handles up to 128GB cards.
Staying with rack-mounted products, the BD-01U is a single-rack-space Blu-ray player for the installation market. The player includes control via LAN, RS-232C, and an included wireless remote. DVD, WAV, MP3, DTS, and Dolby playback are also supported. Media can reportedly be played back at up to 130 per cent speed. A pair of balanced XLR and RCA unbalanced outputs is provided on the rear panel, in addition to the HDMI audio/video output. The analogue outputs can be attenuated up to -12dB. Both optical and coaxial digital audio outs are also provided. Other professional features include a defeatable on-screen display, chapter repeat function, and JPEG slideshow.
Moving into the studio, the headline feature of TASCAM’s VL-S3BT studio monitors is the Bluetooth connectivity. Driven by a 14W per-side stereo power amplifier the two-way powered monitors include a 3-inch woofer with a rear ported design and a ½-inch tweeter. A pair of RCA inputs accept line-level input, and a stereo ¼-inch to RCA cable is included. The monitors have a frequency response of 80Hz to 22kHz and a crossover frequency of 8kHz.
The added Bluetooth feature allows playback from smartphone or tablet from anywhere in the room. Both aptX and AAC codecs are included and setup is possible with one-touch pairing. A ⅛-inch stereo mini jack is also available for plugging in MP3 players and other devices.