Things You'll Need:
- Tascam 2488 or comparable gear
- Any instruments you may need
- Proper recording space with minimal sound distractions
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Step 1
Learn your gear. The Tascam 2488 DAW offers 24 discrete channels that can be recorded at up to 24-bit resolution. 16 tracks can be recorded simultaneously, via eight XLR balanced inputs and eith 1/4-inch unbalanced inputs. There are several high-quality built-in effects, such as reverb, delay, modulation, compression and a great tool for guitarists: amp and effect modeling. So you can simply plug directly into the console and get live amp tones.
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Step 2
Record or program the rhythm tracks. Most Tascam products offer a large library of built-in drum loops to construct rhythm tracks, so you don't even need live drums just to get a song down. You can designate the tempo of your song from the transport located on the right side of the console; this is where you would use a variety of buttons to make edits, undo or redo and automate punch-ins
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Step 3
Record your base rhythm instrument. Let's say a rhythm guitar. There is a dedicated guitar input located on the front of the console, and once you're plugged in you can use the aforementioned amp modeling features to dial up a sound.
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Step 4
Record the remaining track or tracks. This could include bass, vocals, keyboards, horns or any other instrument. The process is always the same. Arm the track you wish to record on, hold in record and hit play, and the machine begins to record whatever you are playing. When you're done, hit stop. If you want to undo what you recorded, simply hit the undo button.
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Step 5
Repeat these steps on any other instrument you want to record. Plug a microphone into one of the first eight XLR inputs, the first 4 of which have phantom power for studio condenser microphones, arm a track and record.
