TASCAM's GT-R1 records impromptu guitar / bass jams

For you axe-slingers who blame your inability to write a new song on the inability to afford a simple, portable recorder, your excuse is officially lame. TASCAM's ingenious GT-R1 affords musicians the ability to simply plug their guitar and / or bass directly in and record using the built-in amp simulator and effects. Better still, the stereo condenser microphones up top allow users to record ambient noise, vocals, off the cuff jam sessions or anything else for that matter. The unit captures in MP3 or WAV format (16- or 24-bit), includes an SD card slot (1GB bundled in) and a USB 2.0 port for offloading files and charging the battery. Newbies can even queue up an MP3 and jam along, and the integrated metronome / chromatic tuner are just icing on an already über-sweet cake. Word on the street has a price of around €200 ($308), which actually sounds like quite the bargain from here.

[Via Engadget Deutschland]

Gallery: TASCAM's GT-R1 records impromtu guitar / bass jams

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[SonWolve @ Aug 7th 2008 2:52PM]

Sweet!

[LT73 @ Aug 7th 2008 8:19AM]

Looks pretty cool, but why Orange?

[jbarrychristian @ Aug 7th 2008 8:27AM]

Roland has had something like this for years and, based on the brief description of the TasCam mentioned here, the Roland does more (drum machine included) and is cheaper. It is called the Boss MicroBR and it sells for less than $200.

[somekindarobit @ Aug 8th 2008 2:57PM]

I own the Mirco BR. Haven't played with Tascam's latest, but I can tell you that the Micro BR is most likley better (and cheaper!). Tons of features, sounds great, and looks slick. Plus it's Boss/Roland so it'll last forever.

[ipubs bastard child @ Aug 7th 2008 8:27AM]

NO WAY A POST WITHOUT AN IPHONE REFERENCE

[SeeScottRock @ Aug 7th 2008 9:45AM]

congratulations, you killed it



douchebag

[ipubs bastard child @ Aug 7th 2008 9:55AM]

feel that love. I can do meaningless insults too, cocknose.

[SeeScottRock @ Aug 7th 2008 11:22AM]

indeed you are far more meaningless than I.

[WarMouse @ Aug 7th 2008 1:10PM]

goddamnit, why is "cocknose" so funny

i keep laughing at my desk and it's drawing attention from my coworkers

[Joseph @ Aug 7th 2008 8:31AM]

For a second, I thought that was a video projector.

[Mike @ Aug 7th 2008 8:58AM]

that engadget's humor...they made that picture the main one for that specific reason

[601210 @ Aug 7th 2008 8:52AM]

300 is a bargain?
That's around as much as a secondhand/cheap guitar.

[Eric @ Aug 7th 2008 9:13AM]

Includes the Tascam tax.

[Mustaine @ Aug 7th 2008 9:18AM]

Who knows? $300 could be the difference between capturing your 'magnus opus' and forgetting it.

[jbarrychristian @ Aug 7th 2008 1:01PM]

Our you could get the Roland BOSS MicroBR for less than $200 and record your "Magnum Opus"

[Dave @ Aug 7th 2008 9:08AM]

I've had a Tascam DR-1 (looks a lot like this model, but more blackerer) for a few months but I keep getting dropouts in the audio, no matter what the input setting is at...

[fashionista @ Aug 7th 2008 9:51AM]

this is great and all, but everyone knows the guitars are there merely to decorate the stage while the drummer goes to work. Tama FTW!

[Stiv @ Aug 7th 2008 10:23AM]

You're a girl. What do you know abut rock or music or things?

[fashionista @ Aug 7th 2008 12:02PM]

You must be a big Steve Vai fan.

[stardash @ Aug 7th 2008 2:14PM]

Wait, they let girls on the interwebs now?!?!?!?!

[Allen Jazeera @ Aug 7th 2008 10:37AM]

Eh. Whatever.
For $100 more (two years ago), I bought a Digitech GNX4 full multi-effects pedal with tremendous amp/cabinet modeling, every effect you could possible want, a built-in 16-track recorder, drum sequencer, MP3 playback for playing along with any song, mic input for vocals, a mixer for all inputs and PA output, and USB output to hook up to a PC and do 32-track recording. That's just a little of what it does. In my opinion, Tascam is over-priced and living off their legacy -- and I used to own a Tascam recorder.

[jeff @ Aug 7th 2008 2:54PM]

uh the point is that this is small and portable and not for the same thing as a giant digitech gnx4 at all, so i dunno why you're comparing them. i don't know whether or not it'll be a good product, but it's silly to compare a full-size guitar effects process with a miniature portable recorder.

[whowhatme @ Aug 7th 2008 12:40PM]

rock on dudes!

[teej @ Aug 7th 2008 12:44PM]

i'm in a metal band, and as a musician, i don't think NOT having a portable recorder is the problem. i think not always having a guitar w/ me is the problem. i work a 9 to 5er, and i always come up w/ some bada$$ riffs while i'm working and forget them by the time i get home :-\

[BeniRose @ Aug 7th 2008 1:09PM]

There's a million and one of these units out there, why is TASCAM's the only one to get covered by a tech blog?

[GETYOID @ Aug 7th 2008 1:32PM]

This device looks very cool. I used to get all of my video lessons at www.iPlayGuitar.com Spent a considerable sum there...

[Fernando G. @ Aug 7th 2008 6:02PM]

Can i use it for "butter, milk, eggs." as well?

[Griffo @ Aug 8th 2008 8:58AM]

Finally...actual guitar and instrument related news on here and not the toy ones!

[blackfeather @ Aug 8th 2008 3:14PM]

Sorry "GuitarHero"/"RockBand" fans - this only works with real guitars.

[Star @ Aug 24th 2008 3:11PM]

Hi,

I keep getting that problem with my DR1 as well, drop-outs throughout the recordings. its extremely disappointing. All the levels sound great, recording is going and then all of a sudden it gets super quiet. Did you ever figure out a resolution to this problem? I just recorded last night and experienced this issue. calling tascam tomorrow morning.. let me know if you figured something out.

thanks!

[Nuno @ Sep 23rd 2008 10:37AM]

You guys who have experienced dropouts...

The Tascam GT-R1 has a built-in Limiter, amongst several other features.
I don't know if the Limiter goes before or after the signal that's being recorded. If it's possible to place it before, I'd imagine it would be easyer to deal with the dropouts.

I've been using an AIWA Mini-Disc for about ten years now, and it has the same "problem".
I suppose it's an automatic (non-deactivatable) feature that avoids the audio to get distorted when the unit receives higher peaks, and it happens whatever the input settings.

So as I said, it would help if you can apply the Limiter before the signal goes in.

But is it possible to do that?

Any info will be appreciated, as I'm looking to buy one of these, but I'm wondering how big that downside really is...
The Roland R-09HR is another option but I'm leaning towards the Tascam GT-R1 because its features seem to suit me better.

Thanks...

[Nels @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:09PM]

Well this thing is pretty cool. I like it a lot. But a _huge_ disappointment:

No power adapter.

It didn't come with one. It came with a rechargeable battery, but not the AC to 5v DC adapter required for charging it.

That's another US $18 to 35. Oh, and it's out of stock everywhere I look.

I'll be checking RadioCrap tomorrow, but failing that, I have paid hundreds of dollars for 7 hours worth of recording.