The DP-01 has two 1/4 in. TRS mic inputs for dual mono or stereo recording. The DP-01 has a USB 2.0 jack for file backup and transferring files to a computer, There are analog RCA line outputs, a headphone out and S/PDIF line output, as well as each of the 8 channels having an effects send.

According to official specs the sampling rate is "CD quality 44.1kHz/16-bit." Problem is, no one with the capability to record at 24-bit would ever go slumming it in the 16-bit realm. Oh, how I wish I had read up more before buying. You will notice the difference.

It will record eight tracks uncompressed audio to an internal 40g harddrive, which is really nice. Each channel of the DP-01 has a 45mm volume fader, plus dedicated controls for pan, effects send, high EQ and low EQ. An LCD display shows meters, editing settings and locate points, though it is not a lighted screen so a desk lamp of some kind is a MUST to use this thing.

As far as knobs and faders, its like running a mixer and self-explanatory. Navigating the menus is a whole 'nother story. Some will find difficulty, other will adjust and learn the ins and outs. I don't have a lot of patience for overly complicated menus, especially on such a beginner bottom-run-of-the-ladder piece of equipment such as this so my opinion is that they could have streamlined it and given it a more user intuitive interface than a couple VCR style buttons. This thing is NOT a Portastudio. Getting started is pretty easy though, and the manual does help when it comes to editing/copying/pasting/saving/deleting functions.

The concerters aren't great. Maybe that is why Tascam just discontinued it because it won't be hard to replace it in their lineup of products.
There are no effects, because I skimped and bought just the DP-01 and not the DP-01FX, but I read the effects were terrible quality anyway.

I've had my Tascam PB32-P for about a year now and it works great as a patch bay. Its as simple as they come in terms of a patch bay, 32 inputs and 32 outputs. For me, it is more than enough points for my small home setup. I love having it because I can simply patch my outboard gear rather than rewiring my whole set up. I didn't try any other models, but I'm really under the impression that all working patch bays can do the job. I looked into a Behringer patch bay but this was more easily accessible so I went with this one, although I'm sure the Behringer would have been great as well. The price is really cheap and I wouldn't bother spending more money on a nicer looking patch bay because this does the job. There aren't many features or anything, its just a standard 1/4'' patch bay. While it would be nice to have a few more inputs and outputs, since they are so cheap it really wouldn't be a problem to pick up a second one if and when I need it. I will continue to hold on to mine for as long as I need a patch bay.

I've had my Tascam VL-S21 for about 6 months now and I really like the sound of these. Let me say first that I have a pair pf Yamaha NS-10Ms for mixing and primarily use my Tascams to listen to mixes on a separate pair of speakers and for just general computer and music speakers. It has a real full sound and I love the sleak design it has. Although I would prefer to have another set of studio monitors to listen to mixes on, this does the trick at a price that is unbeatable. I do notice that because of the sub woofer it does have a heavy low end to it that doesn't always show up on other sets of speakers, for this reason I never mix with these. All in all I'm very happy with these speakers for what I use them for, but if you are looking for some studio monitors to do mixing on, I would suggest that you spend a few more dollars and get a set of true studio monitors so you can get a fuller and more realistic response from your monitors as these do color the sound a bit.

The TASCAM brand US-122 interface quite simply allows you to use two line level inputs and two line level outputs to record professional sounding audio into your personal computer be it a PC or MAC brand. It's simple to use, easy to install (literally about 20-30 minutes) and it is really affordable. We purchased it on sale for about $185.00 at a local music shop shortly after it was released on the market.

Here are the facts: Most any computer has a crappy sound card. I don't care if you bought yours for 200.00 or more dollars. It is still crappy and produces good audio for your playback on the computer but not professional for professional audio recording. Now, I know, I know...you don't want to buy anything else. I get that. You've already spent too much money now to create you home studio. I did too. But, imagine a professional CD you produce that sounds great the first time, no pops, no clicks, no hisses and is CLEAN sound.

Note: This also instantly accepts non-powered microphones and it powers them with built in trinkle power (phantom power) and it also accepts guitar levels instantly. It features headphone and separate volume control and also full MIDI for your audio recording/keyboard and sequencing. It's not cheap plastic but steel. Buy you. You'll be glad you did.