Tascam DR-40 Initial Review and First Impressions (Plus Audio Test)

I just received my Tascam DR-40 yesterday and quickly opened it up (filming it so you can watch it below of course) and began testing out it's capabilities. It is very easy to use right out of the box as everything you need to get going, 3 AA batteries and a SD card, is included. I inserted batteries, turned it on, and in no time was testing recording capabilities of the DR-40 with it's built in mics. 

With just a little practice (emphasis on little little) I was able to get some good, quality-sounding audio tracks out of Tascam's budget minded recorder. I found that the mics were able to capture vocals, dialogue, instruments (piano), and field recordings (a fountain, a car, bees, a basketball) all pretty accurately. The recording quality also improved as I got better at setting the input levels and mic placement. Check out the video below to see my unboxing of the Tascam DR-40 as well as some sample recordings to give you an idea of the sound.

So far, the Tascam DR-40 has impressed me on all fronts. It offers the ability to record audio that is instantly way better than what you are already getting with your camera's built in mic at a price $100 cheaper than it's main competitor (the ZOOM H4n). I can't wait to try more of the features that the DR-40 offers as well as just spending more time using it because as they say: "Practice makes perfect" (or at least makes better).

My Video Gear

Here is a list of the main products I use to create my videos:



For software I use either iMovie or Final Cut X (depending on how complicated the video is going to be), Pixelmator and iPhoto for editing images, and Garageband for audio.

First Blog Post: 100K Views, New Videos, New Products, and Much More (Not Really)

As the first post on my blog, I would like to thank everyone who has watched my videos on Youtube. I recently surpassed 100k views and literally (not just in the cliche sense) couldn't have done it without you guys and girls. 

Now I know not many people will read this first post, but I would like to say that a have a very cool video coming up. It will be a comparison of the video quality of the iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy S3, Canon SX50 HS, Panasonic HDC-TM700 camcorder, and the Canon T4i DSLR in hopes of finding which is the best for Youtube videos.

Since I am going to be filming this on my vacation (away from my home recording setup) I had to purchase a few gadgets. Below are a couple of the products I purchased. You will likely see reviews/unboxings of them on my channel in the coming months. (Btw it will really be helpful if you buy the products using the below links since I will get a percentage from Amazon.com).

Kata D3N1-30 Camera Backpack: http://amzn.to/151MxKp

Rode VideoMic Directional Video Condenser Microphone w/Mount: http://amzn.to/W8P3tM

Opteka 58mm 0.3X HD2 X-TREME Super Fisheye Lens: http://amzn.to/XvdoaC

That's about it for now guys. Remember to subscribe to my Youtube channel to get notified when I release a new video. I hope you are having a good year so far :)