Tascam CD-BT1 mkII

ODDBALL · #1 07-19-2005, 08:35 PM

Sorry if this in the wrong spot, I did not know which forum this would fall under. Has anybody tried the Tascam CD-BT1 mkII ? What are your thoughts ? Worth the money or not ? Thank You for your help.

thumbplucker · #2 07-19-2005, 09:38 PM

wouldn't be without mine..
well worth the money,, (I got mine on ebay for < much than list)
use it in all my personal practice sessions...

be sure to get the AC adapter though,,, it eats batteries....

FenderHotRod · #3 07-19-2005, 10:30 PM

Worth the money I will say....I have the first one they came out with.
As thumbplucker said get an AC adapter. the batteries might last for two hours if your lucky. I use a radio shack adapter for mine and have had no problems with it.

BartmanPDX · #4 07-19-2005, 10:58 PM

I love it. I can wail away while my toddler sleeps in the next room.

Great for learning bass parts, too. However, if you use the feature that lets you really slow down the music digitally (not changing pitch) to learn a part, audio quality gets horrendous.

Excellent on the road. Took it on vacation with my Steinie XL-2 for a bass rig that fit easily in the overhead bin, no problems.

+1 on getting the AC adapter.

unity bass · #5 07-19-2005, 11:37 PM

Here's another "yes" vote. I use mine alot. I'm often asked to learn new songs on short notice and this thing has made a huge difference.

Personally, I think the slow down feature is great. you just have to mess with the other settings to make it sound right. Also, the loop feature really helped me learn the details that I might otherwise gloss over. Great product.

Oh yeah, the sound gets waaaaay better if I go into my Sansamp BDDI before the Tascam. That's a pretty expensive upgrade but I have it so I do it.

have fun!

Particle Man · #6 07-20-2005, 10:00 AM

Another thumbs up from me. I use it almost every night after the kids are in bed. I make use of the looping and the slow down, and some pitch control, but as others have said, the "built-in effects" are worthless.

lgrankin · #7 07-20-2005, 10:38 AM

+1 it's a great tool all around.

BassManic · #8 07-21-2005, 06:55 AM

I just got an mkII, good piece of equipment. Nice for practicing, but a bit weak on the phones output.

Any ideas? I've got an AKG K501, maybe this one requires an aditional headphones amp.

Seela dudes, 'manic

Showdown · #9 07-21-2005, 09:30 AM

I have one. A great tool for learning songs. As previously stated the ability to slow down songs without changing pitch is great, as is the loop function. Another thing that is nice is the ability to change the key of a song. I worked with a singer that changed the key of most of the songs we played, and being able to learn and practice them in the key we played them in really helped.

tplyons · #10 07-21-2005, 09:48 AM

I've always moved these things to misc. because they're not exactly 100% effects, just as much asd they are practice tools.

But I say get it, it's a great unit. I've owned two, and can't believe I keep selling them!

Pruitt · #11 07-21-2005, 09:58 AM

Great unit! I use it everyday. I just picked up a good set of Studio Monitors to hook up to it when I don't want to use Headphones. I was getting tired of using the 1W setup that comes with the case you can buy for it. lol

Have Fun!

emor · #12 07-21-2005, 12:27 PM

I have one of the older models and use it almost excusively for home practice. I tend to practice very early in the morning and my wife tells me all she can hear is my foot tapping. Along with the features mentioned above, I think the thing I like most about it is that your attack and playing style is the same as when you're playing at full volume.

I also came up with a different use for mine this week.
I was going to music stores and trying out basses and took it along.
I don't slap, don't play particularly fast, and am not much of a soloist, but I am a fairly decent groove player. Just not too impressive playing by myself. I took the unit along with some familiar CDs that I'd been working on and used it in the store to try out basses. I was able to give them a much more thorough workout and was a lot less self-conscious about it. I also played a little bit through an amp as well, but the bass trainer gave me a much more "real world" experience as far as my technique/playability of the bass was concerned. (IMO)

GSPLBASSDC · #13 07-22-2005, 10:52 AM

I have one and I agree with all the others.....this is a great unit!!!

Practicing solo is so much more fun and productive. Go and get one, it's money well spent!

kyttkat · #14 07-28-2005, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emor

I think the thing I like most about it is that your attack and playing style is the same as when you're playing at full volume.)

+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by emor

I was going to music stores and trying out basses and took it along.
I don't slap, don't play particularly fast, and am not much of a soloist, but I am a fairly decent groove player. Just not too impressive playing by myself. I took the unit along with some familiar CDs that I'd been working on and used it in the store to try out basses.

What an outrageously good idea - I absolutley hate trying out basses in shops.

Also, a tip if you're looking for one of these things: Don't buy the CD-BT1, look for a used CD-VT1 instead. For a vocalist this thing must lose 50% of its usefulness and as far as I can make out it's actually the same product in a different box. Why the VT1? I scored one on eBay for just over $35 c/w a set of speakers that cost $40 retail. Most used BT1s go for 3-4 times that amount. I'm using an active Spector NS4CR and there's no problem with the line level - even the frequency cut seems to do as decent a job as I would expect of the BT1. A winner all round I think.

kyttkat · #15 07-28-2005, 01:19 PM

Whoops, forgot to answer the original question.

These things are worth every penny, and then some. I wouldn't trade in a Mk1 for a Mk2 though. Using my knackered Sennheiser HD480 headphones the sound is far, far better than I'd expected, given some of the comments on TB. I was expecting a tinny POS that was only useful for figuring out tricky passages, but this thing gets used every night after the Kids and wife have gone to bed and has probably increased my practice time by a factor of 4 or more.

Sound quality on the slow-down varies with the speed but quality isn't what you're generally after here, just being able to hear the note is sufficient and it is fine for that.

Don't delay - buy today...

lowrez · #16 07-28-2005, 08:47 PM

This is one of the most "fun" devices I have bought in a long time. I toss in a couple of fun covers, and some of our current material and just dig the no pressure jam session. I can't say enough good things about it. I wish it had a 1/4 inch headphone out though instead of the 1/8th, so far that is my only dislike. I got mine for 150 shipped with AC adapter through someplace in Florida...