Tascam 2488 / MKII / Neo Tutorial

I`ve had the 2488 for around 9 years. After moving house I had to convert my garage to find room to fit my studio equipment. So my trusty 2488 was in a box for around 14 months and as a consequence I forgot how to use all the snazzy facilities in this amazing portastudio.
The DVD presented by Mr. David Wills is simply irreplacable. It introduces one to all the techniques and methods of using the 2488 but also includes some basic sound recording lessons such as microphone placement for the newcomer to home recording.
I reviewed the DVD after this long break from recording and found it to be well organised and intuitive. David introduces us to little tips and tricks that are well nye impossible to find using the manual alone which is really heavy work!
I would give this DVD 10 out of 10 in all respects and one a 2488 owner should have at their disposal at all times.

As a complete novice, I was desperate to find a genuinely useful source of tuition and advice. Having exhausted the scarce YouTube videos, and having done battle with the characteristically opaque user manual, I was still in a state of considerable ignorance.
This video tutorial (I bought the online version) although dated - like my 2488 - is an absolute gem!
I worked in education all my life and ended up as a college principal/head, so I recognise high quality teaching when I see it. Even though there are a few aspects of the use of this sophisticated equipment which David Wills could spend a little more time on, in an ideal world, in general this course of tuition made all the difference to me. He is a very affable tour guide and from what I can see of his online presence he seems to be an all round good guy. It helps, for the purpose of this tutorial, that he is also an accomplished musician: he understands how most home recordists will want to work and he can explain the technicalities in (mostly) sufficient detail to avoid common pitfalls.
I should have said that I have also scoured the primary online forum (TASCAMFORUMS.COM) but that is often a frustrating exercise since you have to scroll through so many screens in the hope of finding someone who has posted a query similar to your own.
It's interesting to see - when you visit the ProAudioEXP site that other people are buying this same guide for the 2488 and its successors. I wonder if there would be any mileage in ProAudioEXP hosting a user forum or finding some way of allowing users to contact each other, provided of course that they give consent for the sharing of email addresses. I'd certainly be willing to be contacted by other 2488 users.
All in all this is a godsend for the beginner hoping to make home recordings and learning to tap into the incredible wealth of the 2488's capabilities.
Thank you David and keep up the good work!

need to have it clear and easy to understand

Very helpful and informative overview. Definitely a great way to get you started quick on this multitrack recorder.

The tutorial is very very good, It will get you started with the 2488 much faster than just reading the manual. It should encourage you to experiment with some of the ideas in the tutorial before setting up for an important recording session. The respect for the 2488 as high quality recording equipment is apparent in the enthusiasm expressed in the tutorial. The importance of understanding the signal path from mic to disk is properly stressed so that mapping your setup eventually becomes second nature.

It would had taken me three times if I only used the instructional booklet. The video takes you through each area of coverage in a watch/see format! Order this video with any Tascam 2488 purchase. Great Video...

Excellent video, covers almost all the features of the 2488. The host not only explains each function but shows the keystrokes and demonstrates how to record some guitar and vocals. If you are new to home recording there is even an introductory section titled "Recording School" which explains the basics of recording. I started recording on my 2488 immediately after watching this video. The visual demonstrations are like they say `Worth a thousand words'. I learned faster watching this video than I would have by reading the manual.

This DVD is a must have if you own the tascam 2488. The 2 hour tutorial is much easer to learn from then the book that comes with the recorder . You must have both the dvd and the book to recorded on the complex And great sounding 2488 . Dave does a GREAT job explaning the ins and out of this great tascam recorder . Thanks Dave for a must have dvd .

If one purchases a Tascam 2488 they will find the manual lacks a lot. David Wills who narrates the video brings to light the ins and outs of home recording on the 2488. I'm very computer ignorant, but was able to start recording the second day after watching the DVD. Highly recommended.

User manuals are well and good, and Tascam provides excellent manuals with their products. But with a tool as powerful and versatile as the 2488, having a video tutorial is almost a necessity.While nearly impossible to go into depth within the confines of a single DVD, host David Wills does a superb job of introducing the 2488, 2488 MKII, and the 2488 NEO. Wills uses the 2488 for the tutorial, with pop-ups informing the viewer of any changes in the MKII and NEO versions, and there's a separate section going into the MKII and NEO in greater detail.From the basics of recording in RECORDING SCHOOL, to the step-by-step process of recording, editing, mixing, mastering and burning your songs, the viewer is given a guided tour of basic theory, processes, and features of the 2488.I purchased and watched this video a couple of times before purchasing my NEO, and it was an invaluable tool in getting up and running quickly.