The 2488 records and mixes up to 24 tracks of audio at 44.1kHz/24-bit quality, has powerful editing and looping functions and sells for under $1,500 MSRP. Its 36-input mixer plays 24 playback tracks (with up to 250 virtual tracks available) each track with an individual three-band (full parametric mid-band section) EQ. There are eight analog inputs, a built-in 64-voice MIDI tone generator and stereo effects processor using an Analog Devices' SHARC ADSP-21161N chip.

Three aux sends for each mixer channel send to a loop effect with internal effects like reverb and delay or to any external effects units. Up to eight assignable dynamics processors including a guitar multi-effects processor can be utilized while recording or mixing, and an additional stereo compressor is dedicated to the stereo bus output. All the 2488 operation, editing and processing parameters are visible on a large LCD display and accessed with a familiar (by now to most people) jog wheel and cursor navigation interface. When your song is mixed, the 2488 can pre-master and burn a CD using the built-in CD-RW drive, or transfer your song's audio to a computer for further work over the USB 2.0 connection.

There are eight inputs: four XLRs with phantom power and four 1/4-inch mic/line inputs. With 20 faders total, 19 channels and one master all 45mm in length; the 2488 is this year's ultimate PortaStudio. TASCAM at: 323-726-0303 or www.tascam.com