Tascam Portastudio 2488 User guide

01/15/04
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2488 Applications Guide
˘24-track recording at 44.1kHz/
24-bit
˘36-channel mixer
˘3-band EQ on 24 channels, 8
inputs and tone generator with
high and low sweepable shelving
bands and full parametric mid
band
˘Three aux sends on all input,track
and tone generator channels
˘Loop effect provides reverb, delay,
chorus and more
˘Up to eight assignable dynamics
processorsforcompressionduring
recording or mixdown
˘Assignable Guitar multieffects
processor for distortion, flange
and more
˘Dedicated Stereo Compressor on
the stereo output
˘Eight inputs: 4 XLR with phantom
power, four 1/4” mic/line inputs
˘Twenty 45mm faders including
master fader
˘Large LCD display for viewing
meters and edit parameters
˘CD-RW drive to record mixdown,
import/export WAV files and
backup hard drive
˘64-voice General MIDI sound
module
˘Standard MIDI File player
˘High-speed USB 2.0 jack connects
to PC for data backup and SMF/
WAV file transfer
2488 Integrated 24-Track Recording Workstation
drums to your arrangements. A MIDI
sequence player is also included so you
can import Standard MIDI Files.
The extensive 36-channel mixer
allows you to mixdown all 24 tracks,
the tone generator, the effects, and the
eight inputs. A 3-band EQ and three aux
sends are available on all input, track
and tone generator channels. The inter-
nal processor adds effects like reverb,
delay, chorus and more to polish your
tracks. Up to eight dynamics insert ef-
fects are provided to add compression
while recording or mixing, and guitar
FX and stereo mix compression are also
available.
When your mix is complete,the built-
in CD-RW drive writes your mix to a CD.
Premastering and finalize functions help
you to ensure that your mixes sound
their best before burning. The 2488’s
high-speed USB 2.0 port – backwards
compatible with standard USB 1.1 – can
also be used to import and export WAV
files or transfer your tracks and mixes to
a computer without using a CD, so that
your final mixes can be mastered on
computer or uploaded for distribution.
The TASCAM 2488 brings the hit- making power of 24-track record-
ing and mixing home to musicians
everywhere. With an incredible 24
tracks of recording – the same format
used by professional studios and big-
name rock bands – artists can create
the full arrangements listeners are
used to hearing. And with its built-in
36-channel mixing console, MIDI tone
generator, great-sounding effects and
built-in CD-RW, the 2488 provides all
of the tools you need to
create pro-quality CDs.
For many artists, 8 or
16 tracks isn’t enough.
Popular music these days
is layered with dozens of
loops, guitar overdubs,
synths and effects. The
2488’s 24 recording
tracks give you the flex-
ibility to layer guitars or
experiment with new
sounds. And since all 24
tracks record at full 24-bit resolution,
you don’t need to trade off your track
count for the best sound quality.
The 2488 can record 8 inputs simul-
taneously to its 40GB* hard disk. The
four XLR jacks with phantom power
welcome high-quality condenser mi-
crophones, and four additional 1/4" TRS
mic/line inputs are also provided. The
2488 also has a pair of digital inputs
and outputs for connecting to comput-
ers and digital effects.
When even 24 tracks isn’t enough,
like when you want to try a vocal per-
formance over and over, the 2488 has
250 virtual tracks so you don’t need to
record over previous takes.
A 16-part,64-voice MIDI tone genera-
tor is provided for adding synths and
* HD Size subject to change

Mic
Inputs
1-6
Inputs
7-8
Headphones
PA Monitor
PA Mixer
Microphones
Line or
Aux Out
Microphones
Guitar
Monitors
Mic
Inputs
1-2 Monitor Outs
Instrument-Level Input 8
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2488 Applications Guide
Home Recording
Live Recording
The 2488 does everything you need to record,
mix and master your own CDs. It features 8 mic
inputs – four with phantom power – for connecting
high-quality microphones. There’s even an instru-
ment-level input for connecting a guitar or bass.
Since it records at 24-bit resolution, you’re sure to
capture every detail of your performance. Even if
you only have one or two mics, you can build up
an arrangement, track-by-track, until you have a
24-track arrangement. For example, use the Loop
Paste function to automatically paste a drum loop
through your song.
The 2488 has a 36-channel mixer, which allows
you to mix all 24 tracks plus the eight inputs and
built-in MIDI tone generator.Each of these channels
has three aux sends and three-band parametric
EQ for shaping your mix. An internal loop effect
send and return are also provided to add effects
like reverb, delay, chorus and more. You even get
compression and guitar effects which can be as-
signed to any mixer channel, and a dedicated ste-
reo compressor on the master output bus. When
you’ve perfected your mix, you can capture it to
the drive for mastering, then burn it to a CD or
transfer it to a computer using USB or USB 2.0 for
MP3 encoding and sharing.
The eight low-noise mic preamps on the 2488
are ideal for capturing a dynamic live performance.
For a great live mix, first get a stereo output from
the live sound board. Since drums and guitars are
usually loud enough without going through the PA,
the sound board mix usually doesn’t have much of
these instruments. Take four mics and put them
on the drums and guitar so you can mix these in
later. Finally, put a pair of mics (or stereo mic) in
the middle of the crowd to record the audience and
the sound of the room. A flexible, easy-to-use digi-
tal patchbay lets you route any input to any track
while you monitor levels with the large, backlit LCD
display. There’s even a loud headphone output so
you can monitor during the gig.
After the performance, you can mix down the
eight tracks to create a stereo mix. Use the internal
effects or bring in a pair of effects processors to
polish your sound. You can even punch in over the
live recording to replace a wrong note after the
fact. Use the 2488’s eight dynamics processors to
keep your volume levels steady and add punch to
the bass and drums. When you have a mix you like,
you can burn CDs to sell at your next gig, make a
demo to get into better clubs, or transfer the mix to
your computer for uploading to your band’s website.
The 2488 is even compact enough to bring along to
band rehearsals, so you can record every practice.

Laptop
Microphones
Synthesizer Monitors
USB 2.0
MIDI
MIDI
Mic
Inputs
1-2
Line
Inputs
7-8 Monitor Outs
Monitors
Bass Guitar
Monitor Outs
Instrument-Level Input 8
Aux Send 1
Aux Send 2
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2488 Applications Guide
MIDI Sequencing
Project Studio Recording
The 2488 excels in a MIDI sequencing environ-
ment, especially when your computer and hard
drive aren’t fast enough to record audio. Use your
favorite sequencing program on your desktop or
laptop computer, connecting synthesizers to the
computer’s MIDI interface for recording. Connect
another cable to the MIDI input of the 2488 to access
its 64-voice, 16-part multitimbral tone generator.
The built-in synth module features great piano,
bass, strings, drums and more, all arranged in the
General MIDI standard. You can even transfer your
MIDI sequence to the built-in Standard MIDI File
player with integrated tempo map.
It’s simple to record audio tracks on the 2488
while staying in sync with your sequencer using
MIDI Timecode. Powerful track editing features al-
low you to fix mistakes, copy and paste sections, or
silence a track to quiet noisy sources. When you’re
As your studio grows, the 2488 will be powerful
and flexible enough to incorporate new processors
and other studio gear. Four of the eight microphone
inputs supply phantom power for high-quality
microphones, and a front panel instrument in-
put is provided for direct recording of guitar or
bass. There’s even a digital input and output for
connecting CD players, DAT recorders or computer
interfaces. A dedicated monitor section allows you
to monitor a variety of sources, adjust the playback
level and even check your mix in mono.
The 2488 sports a powerful 36-channel mixer,
enough for the 24 tracks of recorded audio plus
effects returns, the MIDI tone generator and the
eight inputs. Three-band EQ is offered on every
input, track and tone generator channel, plus a
loop effect and up to eight dynamics processors
to add compression to your mixer channels. The
high and low EQ bands are sweepable shelving
controls, and the middle band is fully parametric
for pinpoint control over your sound. The 2488
offers a choice of eight dynamics processors or
four dynamics plus a guitar effects insert, and
a stereo compressor is always available for the
master output. You also get three aux sends, one
for the internal loop effect and two for external
effects processors, to add the final touch to your
mix. When your mix is finished, you can burn a CD
with the internal burner, transfer to a computer
using USB or USB 2.0, or record it digitally to your
favorite mixdown device. The CD drive can also be
used for importing and exporting WAV files and
for backing up the hard drive.
ready to mix, use the 36-channel mixer to sum to-
gether all 24 tracks, plus the eight inputs for your
synthesizer tracks. The 2488 can even receive MIDI
volume and pan commands so you can automate
your mix. You can transfer the finished mix back
to your computer using USB or USB 2.0, or burn a
CD with the internal CD-RW drive.

01/15/04
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2488 Applications Guide
™
7733 Telegraph Rd • Montebello, CA • 90640 • phone [phone] • www.tascam.com
© 2004 TEAC Corporation All trademarks are the property of their respective holders. All rights reserved. Design and specifications
subject to change without notice. Product photographs are shown only to illustrate the types of product which are compatible with
the TASCAM 2488. These products are not manufactured by the TASCAM Division of TEAC Corporation.
2488 Connections
˘(4) Combo XLR / 1/4” TRS Mic Inputs
˘(1) Phantom Power switches (sends +48V
phantom power to mic inputs 1-4)
˘(4) W" TRS Line Inputs
˘(1) W" TS Instrument Level Input
˘(2) W" TRS Control Room Outputs
˘(2) RCA Stereo Outputs
˘(1) RCA S/PDIF Stereo Digital Input
˘(1) RCA S/PDIF Stereo Digital Output
˘(1) W" TRS Headphone Output
˘(2) W" TS Effect Sends
˘(2) W" TS Footswitch jacks (Punch, Expression)
˘USB 2.0 jack (backwards compatible with USB
1.1)
˘MIDI Input
˘MIDI Output
2488 Effects
Multi Effect
˘Distortion-Flanger
˘Distortion-Phaser
˘Distortion-Chorus
˘Distortion-Exciter
˘Distortion-Pitch
˘Distortion-Tremolo
˘Distortion-Vibrato
˘Distortion-Wah
˘Compressor-Flanger
˘Compressor-Phaser
˘Compressor-Chorus
˘Compressor-Exciter
˘Compressor-Pitch
˘Compressor-Tremolo
˘Compressor-Vibrato
˘Compressor-Wah
Mic Effect
˘Compression
˘Exciter
˘De-Esser
Single Effect
˘Reverb
˘Delay
˘Chorus
˘Pitch Shift
˘Flanger
˘Phasor
˘Gate + Reverb
˘Compressor-Wah
Tuner
˘Tuner