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When the cassette-based Portastudio (with four tracks) appeared in 1979, Q-Tips and alcohol were essential recording tools, backups always sounded worse than the original, and "editing" consisted of doing a part over. Yet people managed to make music with them.
Fast forward 25 years: For not many more bucks than the original, you get 24 tracks of 24-bit digital audio, an internal digital mixer, eight tracks of simultaneous recording, virtually no noise, computer interfacing, a built-in General MIDI playback module, lots of editing options, and effects. When you're done with a project, burn it to an audio CD or back it up using the internal CD-R/W drive, or save it to your computer.
Yes, times have changed - the "all-in-one" studio has gone from a handy sketchpad to a viable recording medium that can do more than just record demos.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The 2488 feels substantial, as if there's a lot packed into its diminutive frame. Hitting a price point and size means some compromises, such as 45-mm faders instead of 60- or 100-mm. But there are pro-inspired touches, too - combo XLR/phone jacks and phantom power on four of the eight ins, digital I/O, and a decent- sized backlit LCD.
The operating system is obvious; I could do most recording functions without cracking the manual, which is thorough and reasonably clear. (Do read the cautions, though, such as how to shut down the machine properly.)
While the interface is simple, it shows intelligence. For example, in the LCD menus, small pictures and text indicate a function - a picture of a hard drive for disk functions, a waveform for WAV, etc. Eye candy? Maybe, but in the heat of a session it can be easier to parse images than words.
EFFECTS
There are three effects types: "Mic" effects (compression, exciter, de-esser) you use while...