Tascam announces the Studio Bridge Multitrack Recorder / USB Audio Interface, designed to be a highly functional ‘bridge’ between the analog and digital recording domains. By connecting analog consoles, it is possible to use the Studio Bridge as a USB audio interface for multitrack recording, or record directly to its internal recorder, which utilizes an SD card slot that can accommodate storage sizes up to and including 512GB. “The new Studio Bridge makes it easy to connect analog consoles and even full racks of outboard gear to capture the analog signal chain that engineers have painstakingly created and wish to preserve,” the announcement states.
With the Studio Bridge, recording engineers have the option of recording to a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) using the Studio Bridge as a 24-In/24-Out USB audio interface or, alternatively, recording directly to the Studio Bridge itself. This flexibility exists because the Studio Bridge has its own internal 24-In/24-Out multitrack recorder—with support for Punch In/Out—that uses an SDXC SD card as its media format. The recorder supports 24-bit digital audio at 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz.
As a device that allows users to combine analog and digital audio sources, the Studio Bridge creates a solution for mix summing. Recording sessions that have been tracked directly to a DAW can be output from the software through an analog console and the outboard gear that goes along with it, summed, and then recorded back to the DAW or to the Studio Bridge’s internal SD card. Summing can also be performed from tape or anything tracked to the internal recorder of the Studio Bridge.
To help make interfacing between the analog and digital domains as seamless as possible, the Studio Bridge has an internal ¼-inch audio click out to assist with timing operations. Further, the Studio Bridge has its own DAW transport control feature for Record, Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind. Equally important, the Studio Bridge has its own tactile track arm buttons to arm / disarm individual tracks as well as to Punch In/Out on the user’s DAW of choice. Record Ready is also supported via HUI (Human User Interface) and MCU (Mackie Control Universal).
For interfacing MIDI instruments and other equipment, the Studio Bridge also serves as a USB MIDI interface. The unit’s IN/Out ports and support for MIDI Sync allow users to synchronize the analog recorder and DAW with a full MIDI rack of equipment such as drum machines, sequencers, and MIDI controllers.
The Studio Bridge includes a built-in metronome with click output to keep live performers in line with the already captured tracks. There is also Dual Footswitch control for assigning different control functions to multiple foot switches. Additionally, the Control app (available for both Mac and Windows) facilitates visually monitoring various signals, adjusting Peak Hold time, and other similar functions.
Tascam Product Specialist Sean Daily reflects on the new Studio Bridge Multitrack Recorder / USB Audio Interface, “The Studio Bridge enables a wide range of existing 8-bus or more analog mixing consoles to make the transition to a 24-track digital multitrack recording studio. Now, with a computer, DAW software, the Studio Bridge, and an external mic preamp, users can have a compact and very capable recording setup. Best of all, this potent and very versatile studio tool can be rack mounted to conserve space. I’m confident that a wide range of musicians and recording professionals will find much to like.”
For more information, visit https://tascam.com/us/product/studio_bridge.