See how this recorder stacks up in our portable recorder comparison chart.

The TASCAM GT-R1 is a stereo WAV recorder with guitar effects, overdubbing, drumbeats, and looping playback for practicing riffs.

In the ever more crowded world of portable digital recorders (see my 11 previous reviews), the TASCAM GT-R1 stands out. Some clever soul thought to combine the company’s popular DR-1 flash recorder with an MP series music trainer, an MP3 player that slows down recordings so you can work out tricky parts. The result is a device that goes well beyond the capabilities of either. What we have here is a recorder that will make you a better musician.

In its shiny red aluminum jacket, the GT-R1 looks like the DR-1’s dressed-up younger brother. Right away, you notice the two condenser mics on a swivel mount — handy when the recorder is in a shirt pocket, because you can aim the mics forward towards the music rather than up at your nostrils. Flip the mics up instead, and they’re positioned well for handheld interviewing or stand-mounted concert recording.

The display is a generous 1-7/8” X 1” and the top panel sports all the usual transport and function buttons. An LED ring indicating record status surrounds the record button. As with the DR-1, a scroll wheel handles a variety of functions depending on which screen is active.

The power switch, hold button, and jack for the optional power supply are on the left side. A sliding door provides access to the USB 2.0 port and SD memory card. (The GT-R1 comes with a 1-gig card, enough to hold over 90 minutes of CD-quality stereo WAV audio; cards up to 32GB are supported.)

Figure 1. GT-R1 batteries are pricey, but at least you can replace them yourself.

Unless you spring for the optional $29 AC adapter, you'll need to open the door often, because the only other way to charge the internal battery is via USB. (Unlike the M-Audio MicroTrack and Korg MR-1, however, the GT-R1 has a user-replaceable battery; see Figure 1.) Battery life is touted to be up seven hours when recording MP3s; I never got anywhere close to that, but I was pushing the little puppy for all it was worth. Fully charging the battery can take as long as six hours. TASCAM recommends picking up a spare battery, but at $60 a pop I’m not sure how many people will.

Because the GT-R1 locks in to USB mass-storage mode when connected, essentially transforming into a thumb drive, you cannot use a portable USB battery pack to power it. You can, however, run it from the optional 5V AC adapter, so a custom-wired external battery pack could work.

On the right-hand side you’ll find up/down switches to set playback and mix levels (more about that in a moment), a dedicated Settings button that shortcuts to the input menu, a thumbwheel for setting input level, and a 1/8” stereo headphone/line-out jack.

Rounding out the tour, two 1/8” stereo jacks between the two mics handle external mics (with plug-in power) and line sources, while a 1/4” instrument jack for your guitar or bass resides at the opposite end.

GT-R1 controls are easy to operate. I particularly appreciated the thumbwheel.

Overall, the layout is clean and uncluttered and the switches, dials, and buttons all display TASCAM’s usual high quality.

As I said, the GT-R1 combines two distinct devices in one shell. First off, let me talk about the recorder side. Since the GT-R1 takes most of its recording functions directly from the DR-1, just about everything here applies to that recorder, too.

Flash Recorder in Action

Like most flash-RAM recorders on the market, the GT-R1 records both uncompressed WAV (44.1 and 48kHz at 16- and 24-bit resolution) and MP3 (32 to 320kbps). To facilitate both handheld and tabletop recording, the stereo electret condenser mics swivel 90 degrees. Here is an audio example so you can hear the difference:

• Mic Test (MP3)

The GT-R1 lacks a tripod socket, but TASCAM offers this bracket and windscreen kit.

Incidentally, unlike much of its competition, the GT-R1 does not have a socket for a mini tripod. TASCAM sells a mic clip/table stand that adds a windscreen — another essential item for field recording — for $75.

Recording on the GT-R1 couldn’t be easier. Once you’ve selected the input and file type, a single press of the Record button arms the recorder. I like being able to set input levels via hardware, plus there are three basic input sensitivity settings. You can also choose Autogain or use the analog limiter to tame loud sounds. Autogain makes loud sounds softer and soft sounds louder; the limiter just lowers peaks, helping prevent overload distortion. The only settings are On and Off. Best save the Autogain for spoken-word recording; the effect can be too strong for music. A second press of the Record button commences recording.

As with my other reviews, I recorded my big Taylor guitar as a 44.1kHz, 16-bit WAV file so you can judge the microphones and preamps for yourself. The most common question I get from readers is “How quiet are the preamps?” If you listen to the recording as the guitar fades to nothing, you will have your answer.

• Acoustic Guitar (Wav)

The GT-R1 also accepts both external mics or line sources, and can even mix the mic input to mono.