I sure am loving the Tascam DM3200

It’s been about two months since I sold the Mackie Onyx 24.4 Analog Mixer and got the Tascam DM3200 Digital Mixer. My original plan was to use the DM3200 as a front end for my recording system that was to be based on the Apogee Ensemble.

I was totally in love with the sound of the Apogee One and really looking forward to upgrading my M-Audio ProFire 2626 to the preamps and converters on the Ensemble. A few months ago I did the big gear purchase and while the sound of the Ensemble was impeccable, the practical usage with the Tascam DM3200 was less than optimal. Particularly, the latest version of Apogee’s Maestro software is missing quite a few features.

Initially I tried to use the Apogee as my computer interface only to be stymied by the Maestro software’s lack of ability to save configurations on Lion. After that I purchased the Tascam IF/FW mkII thinking I could use the Apogee Ensemble in standalone mode as preamps and converters and just transport the digital converted signal to the computer via FireWire. This time I was stuck because the 2.0 Maestro software doesn’t support configuring standalone mode. Bummer!

After just over a month, I broke down and exchanged the Apogee Ensemble for a Universal Audio LA-610 mkII and a few other goodies, and decided to make the Tascam my be-all-end-all audio system.

That means that I am using the DM-3200 as my preamps (save a half dozen outboard preamps) my digital to analog conversion, and my audio interface to the computer. It also doubles as my mixer, routing system and control surface. This thing serving tons of purposes!

I am using Logic Pro 9 as my Digital Audio Workstation software and I am very impressed with how seamlessly the DM-3200 blends in to my system.

My basic configuration is as follows:

• 16 available mic preamps via Tascam inputs 1-16

• 4 External Preamps, Korg M50 and Digitech GSP1101 on Analog Expansion card

• All external gear patched to two patch bays

• 32 in/32 out to Mac Pro via FireWire Expansion card

• 5 MIDI via USB/FireWire

The end result is that I can enable any input I need from Logic Pro with no cable patching whatsoever. I can add any external gear to the signal chain on the front of my desk and I can route up to 32 channels back to the mixer from Logic to mix down completely in the Tascam if I so desire.

I don’t actually do that, but it’s nice to be able to use extra outputs in Logic for monitor mixes, re-amping or extra buss signal processing. I’ve already ran outputs through DI boxes back to guitar amps several times through a Logic output, works like a charm.

The DM-3200 also has loads of onboard effects. Unfortunately I find it a bit easier to just patch in a compressor or effect with the patch bay and have a knob I can just turn when I am trying to dial in a sound, but that’s mostly because I am still not quite comfortable with the user interface. I have to admit the experience of routing and configuring it is a bit clunky. It’s better as you get more familiar, but in the beginning I literally had to dig out the manual to figure out how to turn it off properly. By default the inputs are not routed to the outputs. Straight out of the box I had to get my hands dirty with the ugly routing schemes just to get sound from an input.

I made it through it, but I can’t say it wasn’t disconcerting. There are definitely a lot more things to keep your mind on when you are using a mixer like this such as where things are routed to, what aux and buss selections are made on channels you can’t see, etc. I had a few moments where sound was being routed to stereo and a buss that was also routed to stereo because I had no visibility of the routing without selecting the offending channel.

In addition to the mixer, I also added the meter bridge. I can say that for me it’s a necessity for this mixer. The timecode display from your DAW is nice, but the real trick is that unlike analog consoles, the meter bridge meters in the digital scale. Once I had modified Logic Pro to use linear instead of exponential metering, I was able to see my input levels on the meter bridge and feel confident that I am getting that same level to Logic. The meter bridge measures to a 0db maximum scale just like Logic. In my previous setup using an analog console, meters measured to an analog reference where there was considerable headroom over 0db that the mixer could tap into before clipping. Keeping an eye on analog meters as a way to judge digital signal is a losing proposition.

Overall the only second thought I have had about this mixer is actually wishing I had bought the DM-4800. The idea of an additional 8 faders and preamps, as well as the fat channel to operate EQ and Effects is extremely tantalizing now that I’ve gotten used to this puppy. I also wouldn’t mind having the additional two slots as I have already maxed out the capabilities of the DM-3200 by adding the IF/FW and IF/AN expansion boards.

If you are trying to keep hands on control of a computer based recording rig, need a lot of inputs and flexibility, and honestly have quite a few bucks in your budget (this thing is over $3k with the bridge) than I cannot recommend this board highly enough. The last note is it sure looks sexy as hell too :)