Tascam Portacapture X8 recorder

The Tascam Portacapture X8 is a very versatile portable 6+2-track audio recorder with a clear touch screen, USB sound card and two detachable condenser microphones.

Portacapture X8's user interface is uncomplicated. Immediately after using the device, in Launcher mode you can choose the best sound settings for your purpose. Using presets leaves more time to focus on the recording itself. However, if you prefer to adjust everything yourself, you can do it in MANUAL mode. The Recording Guide guides you through the required settings if you wish.

Portacapture X8 offers preset level control by utilizing sophisticated A/D converters and 32-bit recording technology. In this way, uncompromising sound quality is achieved even in low-volume recordings. Later, when editing the audio data, you can increase the volume without degrading the signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, internal normalization automatically balances the volume of the stereo mix after recording.

Driverless plug-and-go functionality and built-in microphones allow the Portacapture X8 to be used as a compact mixer for live streaming via OBS or similar platforms. In addition, you can directly record a soundtrack to a video image in a DAW and editing software.

Portacapture X8 streams up to 8 channels (six inputs + stereo mix) via USB. Through the USB-C connection, the recorder supports an external phantom power microphone with USB bus power. For conference calls, the Portacapture X8 works like a USB stereo microphone and is also capable of recording audio at the same time.

The Portacapture X8 contains two high-quality condenser microphones. Thanks to the detachable mechanism, both L and R microphones can be flexibly connected or disconnected from the unit in an AB or XY configuration.

With the separately sold AK-BT1 Bluetooth adapter, the Portacapture X8 can be remotely controlled from a smartphone or tablet using the free iOS and Android compatible Portacapture Control app. In this way, for example, you can record nature sounds without the rustling of the coat and other handling sounds affecting the recording.

Timecode Sync, which came with the update, makes post-editing considerably easier, as the recordings can be arranged in chronological order. Wireless timecode sync works with Atomos AtomX Sync, UltraSync Blue and other compatible products* such as Atomos Connect and Shogun Connect.

The recorder has locking XLR/TRS combo inputs for microphone and line level signals. Thanks to the 3.5mm input and output, you can connect a camera or other audio device to the recorder. Naturally, the recorder also has a headphone output.

Weighing less than 500 grams, the Portacapture X8 can be connected directly to a DSLR, camera or AV equipment via a cold shoe adapter. You can also mount it on microphone stands or wireless receivers.

(*check compatible products on the Atomos website)

Features:

• High resolution PCM audio recorder
• 3.5" color touch screen
• 192 kHz / 32-bit resolution
• Intuitive launcher system for preset configuration (6 recording modes: MANUAL, VOICE, PODCAST, MUSIC, FIELD, ASMR)
• Two detachable 14.6mm condenser microphones (AB, XY)
• Built-in USB sound card (8 in / 2 out): Microphones can be used as a USB sound source, the signal received via USB can be saved on an SD card
• 4 x mic/line inputs (XLR/TRS combo)
• Phantom power (24 V / 48 V)
• Multi-channel recording for up to eight channels (6 tracks + stereo mix)
• MS decoder, reverb
• Pre-recording, Auto-recording, Dual-recording
• Slate-Tone: can be added automatically or manually
• Built-in mixer with sound processing including EQ, low-pass filter, compressor, limiter, auto gain control, noise gate, etc.
• Camera/line input with selectable attenuation
• Audio monitoring via headphone connection or built-in speaker
• Wireless remote control with a mobile device using the separately sold AK-BT1 adapter
• Micro SD support (up to 512 GB)
• Power supply: 4 x AA batteries or separately sold Tascam power supply (PS-P520U)