24bit to 16 bit recording? Tascam DP01FX multitrack and MPC

what up 4000 fam.

I'm thinking of buying a Tascam DP01FX for a good price. But, I'm wondering if I should pass because I did the specification research and it's a 16bit recorder. I sample everything @ 24bit in the 4000. Will I lose sound quality (noticably) when tracking out to the Tascam? Does anyone else have a 16bit recorder that would have some insight on this? I'm want my tracks to sound like they do in my 4000 or pretty close. As of now, I just sample my entire song as a WAV file and then transfer it in itunes to mp3. I notice I do lose a little quality in my current approach. I've also been looking @ the Tascam 2488 Neo, man the pricetag on that looks real sweet and it's a 24 bit workstation. Any thoughts/suggestions? Much appreciated.

kaybee wrote:what up 4000 fam.
I want my tracks to sound like they do in my 4000 or pretty close. As of now, I just sample my entire song as a WAV file and then transfer it in itunes to mp3. I notice I do lose a little quality in my current approach.

Yes, you will lose the defenition you got from recording 24 bit if you decide to take it down to a 16 bit only recorder.

Guess what, I still have an analog 8 track cassette recorder, but does that mean I need to record my material to that?

You get way better results if you stick with using a good 24 bit sound card and your computer. There's so much you can do with a daw that you can't even begin to scratch the surface with using a (excuse the term...half a$$ recorder) to capture the detailed image you're after in the first place.

Forget the past, go with the future...it's worth it any way you look at it.

edit: Personally, I can't ever see myself drooling for something that can't do an eighth of what's available at our fingertips these days in terms of productivity and features.

Knowledge is power if you want to have an edge on the competition.

Guess what, I still have an analog 8 track cassette recorder, but does that mean I need to record my material to that?

edit: Personally, I can't ever see myself drooling for something that can't do an eighth of what's available at our fingertips these days in terms of productivity and features.

Knowledge is power if you want to have an edge on the competition.[/quote]

...word

-I mean, if you got something better than an 8 track cassette recorder should you use it? of course. i don't have one so i resort to resampling of my own beat and export .wav to mp3 from bullsh!t itunes.
-My computer is the family computer, not my beat toy, wifey bought it and it's not going down like that. LoL
-I'm not drooling over the recorder itself, but unlike your 2 mpc 4000 havin azz and dope studio gear (i seen a few pics dog), i had to hustle like a mexican to get my 4000 after 'drooling' over it for about 3yrs cuz i couldn't buy that. For the deal I can get on the recorder, I was considering, but after reading your suggestion, nope. i need that 24bit sound.
-I don't care about the competition, cuz I'll never win, my stepsons beats whoop my beats @ss. It's not fair, i birthed that little punk! I just want the sound I hear from my 4000, that's all. I'm good with that.
-i'm not FX dude. that sh!t don't excite me. i sample probably 99.8% from vinyl. so i'm like, well basically do i need a daw and all that? i don't make club pop type joints, i like sampled type beats. that NY type ish. the filters and sampling capabilities from the 4000 is straight for me. that's all i need. i do have a keyboard, but i sample that too put the distortion on it, beautiful. would software benefit me that much versus a multitrack recorder? plus, i'm looking for the cheapest way to the sound i'm looking for. or maybe i'm missing something and should just save up and do the software thing...
-i see your from MD, are you near Falls Church? DMV?

^^^ Ha ha, yeah I'm in Woodbridge at the moment. Ol lady started tripping on me so I had to vacate the premises. Dude, if you can gather up enough cash (about 3 or 4 bills) you can build your own computer. We have advance 2000 off of van dorn & south pickett in alex. va. along with micro ctr. in fairfax off of nutley & i66.

Then there's guitar ctr. off of rt. 50 in annandale if you need to grab a used sound card for your daw. Then I can hook you up with some s/w to get you going.

I normally shop at chuck levins in wheaton, md but I haven't been there since early last year. I purchase my apogee big ben & motif rack there so I haven't seen that place since.

Holla when you're ready to make a move.

Hoodbridge! LoL. Yeah, I'm gonna have to stack for a little then maybe I can do something. Man, I saw those apogee joints, even the little duet is mad expensive! Worth it though from what I've read.

kaybee wrote:Hoodbridge! LoL. Yeah, I'm gonna have to stack for a little then maybe I can do something. Man, I saw those apogee joints, even the little duet is mad expensive! Worth it though from what I've read.

Nah man, I'm over in the port potomac area. A lot of military and money makers live in this area. But I noticed not far from here it def looks like hoodville.

Yeah, I cringed when my boy spent around $2k this past weekend on a apogee ensemble for his new mac...ouch!

But I also notice one of the police stations is a block or two from this area as well.

And as soon as the weather breaks, I'm going to see what the fishing is like over at Leesylvania park.

One thing to consider...if your sampling vinyl and your used to recording down to MP3, 24bit isn't going to make much of a difference. 24bit is very noticeable when recording live instruments correctly (good mic's, pre-amps, proper mixing etc, or sampling from a 24bit source. This explains why you only hear a slight difference in your recorded MP3's.
A 16bit DAW will be fine for you but like Dab suggested (and since $ is an issue) go with software. You can record 24bit, and you have waay more options. You can get a used G4 Mac on Craigslist for approx $200.00, download Reaper (free) and find a used interface box for about $65.00 on up.
* The links below are only to show that you can get a 24bit recording system for very little money *

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/sys/2169690087.html
http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/msg/2234131926.html
http://www.reaper.fm/