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Like the DA-88, the MX-2424 is housed in a four-rackspace chassis, and multiple recorders can be locked with single-sample accuracy (1/44,100 sec) if additional tracks are required. However, the MX-2424 makes the DA-88’s feature set seem rather primitive by comparison; the MX-2424 includes onboard MIDI and LTC SMPTE synchronization, standard S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital I/O and outboard control capability via the included ViewNet MX software for Mac or Windows.

Speaking of formats, the MX-2424 will support Broadcast .WAV files on FAT-32 formatted disks in the next software revision. Pro Tools Session file import/export is not currently supported, although the unit can record files in Digidesign’s Sound Designer (SD2) format to a Mac-formatted disk for import into a Pro Tools session. A software upgrade to allow the MX-2424 to import SD2 files directly is slated to be available this month. The MX-2424 also supports TimeLine’s Open Track List (Open TL) format.

Although the MX-2424 has a host of useful record/edit/play/ sync features, it should be emphasized that the product is a recorder and has no internal mixing capabilities. The MX-2424 is designed to replace or augment MDMs, analog or digital multitracks or workstations. When operating in its (soon-to-be-implemented) high-res, 24-bit/ 96kHz, 12-track recording mode, the MX-2424 will be equally at home as a multichannel mixdown deck for storing surround mixes. The 12-track format should be adequate for both a stereo version and 5.1, 7.1 or even 8.1 mixes—and there’ll still be a track or two left for controlling the popcorn machine.

NUTS ‘N’ BOLTS
Before I began working on the MX-2424, I went through the patented George Petersen “let’s-take-it-apart-and-reassemble-it-before-the-session” routine. Popping the top cover, I was impressed by the clean circuit layout. The drive is a 9.1GB Quantum Atlas V, a solid, high-reliability unit that’s mounted in the bay above the open slot for a second internal drive. The user can pick from a list of Tascam-recommended drives, ranging from Travan, DVD-RAM, hard disks (HFS+ support is due later this month) or hot-swappable, removable Kingston carrier frames for drives such as Rhino Jr. or Data Express. Additionally, a rear panel wide-SCSI port is provided for external storage and/or backup devices. Also on the rear panel, two empty slots accommodate a variety of I/O options. The analog option occupies the large slot and has 24 quality AKM 24-bit/96kHz ADCs and DACs (one per channel) built into a heavily shielded card cage terminating in six D25-sub connectors wired in the Tascam DA-88-style pinout. Trying to cram 48 XLRs on the already quite full rear panel would have been impossible, so if you’re planning to use the analog I/Os, you’ll need to put six breakout cables on your shopping list. These are readily available from numerous manufacturers, so there’s no need for costly custom cabling.

Key to the MX-2424’s appeal is its versatility: The large number of available options allows the user to configure the unit to meet most needs precisely. The “core” MX-2424 is priced at $3,999, and the aforementioned analog board costs $1,699. Twenty-four-channel digital I/O cards include the TDIF (three D25-sub ports, $499), the Alesis ADAT (six Lightpipe sockets, $499) and the AES/EBU (three D25-sub connectors, $999). Standard amenities include AES/EBU, and S/PDIF 2-channel digital I/O is routable to/from any stereo track pair. The rear panel also has a punch in/out footswitch jack, MIDI and word clock in/out/thru, TRS balanced LTC SMPTE timecode in/ out/thru, a port for attaching the optional $1,499 full-function RC-2424 remote, a TL Bus for cascading multiple MX-2424 decks, video sync in/thru and an RJ-45 Ethernet connector for connecting a personal computer to the MX-2424 for operating the ViewNet application or for loading software upgrades from Tascam’s Web site.

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Reprinted with permission from Magazine, October, 2000
© 2000, Intertec Publishing, A Primedia Company All Rights Reserved