TASCAM CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Tascam, the professional audio division of TEAC Corporation,  celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The company had a huge effect on home studio and has influenced the way people make music and sound with its products. From the 4-track Portastudio to the Emmy Award-winning DA-88 digital multitrack recorder, on to the company’s Model series recording mixers and beyond, Tascam is proud to say that they “redefined audio production at all levels – from the home enthusiast to high-end production facilities and leading installations around the world”.

Tascam Celebrates 50th Anniversary in 2021

TASCAM AND TEAC

Tascam’s heritage dates back to the late 1960s when the Tani brothers – both engineers – and Dr. Abe, a senior engineer at TEAC, formed a special R&D group named TASC (TEAC Audio Systems Corp.) for the purpose of researching ways to apply TEAC’s recording technology to musicians and recording studios.

In 1971, Tascam (TASC AMerica Corp.) was established for the purpose of distributing TASC products in the USA and conducting additional market research. Then in 1974, Tascam was absorbed by the rapidly growing TEAC Corp. of America sales and distribution company, and Tascam became the official brand name of all TEAC recording products designed specifically for musicians and recording studios.

ARTISTS AND ENGINEERS

The Tascam name has a rich history, both in terms of the company’s technological achievements and the artists and engineers who have used Tascam products. The Tascam 80-8 tape deck was a half-inch, open-reel 8-track audio recorder. It was used to record the voices of R2-D2 and C-3PO in the making of the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, in 1977. Equally noteworthy, singer/songwriter/actress Lady Gaga’s father gifted her a Portastudio when she was roughly 11 years old. Reflecting on the gift, she said, “I could just sit at the piano and hook up a mic and record by myself. That’s probably the best gift that my dad ever gave me.”

Similarly, rock legend Bruce Springsteen initiated a home recording revolution using Tascam. With the help of his friend and guitar tech Mike Batlan, The Boss used a Portastudio 144 to record what would ultimately become 1982’s album Nebraska. Over the years, countless other artists have used Tascam products to further their careers, including rock artists Tommy Bolan and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, videographer Chris Beals, and producer/artist/engineer KC Porter to name but a few. Tascam products have literally been used on tens of thousands of recordings, and hundreds of gold and platinum records.

TASCAM 2021

Over the course of 2021, Tascam users and prospective customers will have much to look forward to including new products that address a wide range of applications.

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