Coinciding with their 50th year as a manufacturer of audio products, Tascam has released the forward-looking Mixcast 4 Podcast Station. Mixcast 4 makes it easy to record and mix up to four microphones and several other sound sources. The bundled Podcast Editor software operates like a simple digital audio workstation (DAW), allowing Mixcast 4 users to edit, mix and sweeten their tracks after recording.
Looking like a combination of mixer and drum machine, Mixcast 4 offers eight input faders, eight sound effect pads, transport controls, and a five-inch touchscreen. Faders correspond to the microphone, computer (USB), phone, and bluetooth inputs; the last fader controls the level of the eight sound pads. All eight inputs have a SOLO button; all but the sound pad fader have a MUTE button. A monitor output level knob controls the volume of monitors, useful in a control room-type setup. Mixcast 4's four headphone outputs also have individual volume control knobs.
A live "panel of experts" event would be easy to accomplish with Mixcast 4, as would a modest music recording session.
Mixcast 4 records 14 tracks of audio to an SD card, consisting of the four mono mic inputs, four stereo inputs, and the main stereo mix. STOP and REC/PAUSE buttons control the main record functions, while a MARK button makes it easy to locate a specific point in the recording when using the Podcast Editor software. You can also use Mixcast 4 as a 14x2 USB audio interface, should you prefer to record tracks directly into a Mac or PC computer.
Mixcast 4's eight pads come with preset sounds, but you can overwrite these with sounds from a computer or sound files recorded into Mixcast 4. Buttons can also be assigned to apply pitch shift or reverb to the first microphone. Don't want those effects in your multitrack recording? Mixcast 4 lets you control the multitrack audio source, either pre-fader with no effects or post-fader with effects.
Other microphone effects include equalization, exciter, compression, ducking (mic 1 priority), and de-esser. Most of these effects have presets for quick results, but TASCAM thoughtfully included detailed manual settings for more control. A simple on/off feedback prevention circuit engages MUTE on the offending mic if the mixer detects feedback. A more complex effect with no adjustments is Mixcast 4's automix feature, which promises to automatically control levels. We look forward to testing this feature, as well as the other built-in effects.
Pairing Mixcast 4 with TASCAM's Podcast Editor software allows for editing of audio regions, controlling levels, and adding music or sound effects. Audio effects include time-stretch/compress without pitch change, noise reduction, and normalization. In addition to its included effects, Podcast Editor will support other VST plug-in effects. Finally, Podcast Editor supports multiple output formats for streaming or importing to different recording software.
Mixcast 4 offers eight input faders, eight sound effect pads, transport controls, and a five-inch touchscreen.
Mixcast 4 records 14 tracks of audio to an SD card, consisting of the four mono mic inputs, four stereo inputs, and the main stereo mix. You can also use Mixcast 4 as a 14x2 USB audio interface, should you prefer to record tracks directly into a Mac or PC computer.
It's easy to picture Mixcast 4 surrounded by four people in headphones, microphones, and bottled water ready to go. Mixcast 4 could be used for much more, however, especially in a church setting. A live "panel of experts" event would be easy to accomplish with Mixcast 4, as would a modest music recording session. The mixer's technical specs imply excellent audio quality, and phantom power allows Mixcast 4 to use anything from inexpensive dynamic mics to studio-quality condenser mics. We'll report on Mixcast 4's audio quality with we put it to the test.
Fifty years ago, a product with these capabilities would have been right at home in a radio station's studio. Today, Mixcast 4 targets a new generation of producers creating podcasts and talk shows for delivery over the internet. With its simple controls and extensive feature set, Mixcast 4 seems poised to help churches record and spread their message with a minimum of fuss. We're eager to find out if this is true.
