Akai DPS16

Extreemly easy to record with. The Patch utility is well organized and simple to route any input to any other channel. I have my entire studio wired through the DPS-16. I wanted something Physical to get my hands onto, not that I don't admire computer based virtual recording, but the Akai offers something that can quickly record.
Manual is ok, but I found myself re-reading chapters as I needed them. For some reason, I found the signal routing portion to be complicated as well as the effects routing, but eventually got the hang of it. My system is at the last software revision. Note that Akai does not support any additional software updates. Ther version I have is 3.02 I believe and is very stable. I've never had an issue with anything other that there appears to be a project cap of about 178 or so. This is a problem especially if there is still room left on the hard-disk and you wish to keep everything as I do.

Sound Quality is excellent. Akai was one of the first multitrack's at the time to integrate 24 bit 96khz sampling recording. I've never had to use it, but doing so limits the number of tracks you can record on, so I've normally used 24 bit at 48khz to be able to record 8 channels at once. More can be obtained by simple integrating a digital mixer through the Channel 9&10's digital in.
Effects are good, although I tend to use the effects on my outboard mixer since it has a built in effects processor.
I am recording with the Akai with many sound emulators such as the PodXT, V-drums, and direct Keyboards.

This unit is Rock Solid. It uses standard IDE hard- drives which are very inexpensive now. The newer hard drives are a bit smaller and don't contain the elevation underneath to provide clearance of the housing cover below, but all that is needed is a few thick washers to elevate it and the door closes fine.
The unit itself is a little noisy because of the fan, but can be clearly overlooked if the unit is setup a bit further away from the environment. Also, it may be worth trying to find a quiet fan at any computer supply and it should be no problem replacing the original.

I've delt with Akai early on when I purchased it in 2000. That was six years ago. Unfortately there is no easy way to upgrade the software except with a SCSI drive. I had to use a ZIP SCSI drive on hand to perform the function. I've haven't delt with it since and operating system is rock solid. The software appears to be loaded into hard memory and not on the Hard drive itself. (I know this since I added two additional drives in the last few years). I save all of my drives.

If you are mastering with this unit, my recommendation is to get a good CD Recorder that supports RCA type digital in. I master in real time to an inexpensive Sony CD Recorder and I have received excellent results.

I found the unit to be great for recording and mixdown the sound is good quality.
The computer aspects of the unit are easy to follow, patch editing tools are readily available. The manual is a little hard to follow. Take the instructions literally. My unit has not been upgraded which is why I initially started this search for an ins. manual for the unit. The only problem I have found w/ this unit is "MASTERING" I am not getting enough compression to feel really full compression upon mastering my songs.

I am using the unit to record full vocal and electronic music tracks. It runs moderately noisy after warming up. The effects on the unit are average. The stero chorus is a good effect. Most of the other effects are not very strongly felt in the mixdown.

I have never had a problem w/ reliability very dependable unit. As a general rule I always use a back-up for gigs but this is a unit I would trust without a back-up

Not had to use the company. I am now looking for upgrades.

I play mostly Hip-Hop. The DPS 16 has been a good match. I've been playing for over ten years and am now pre-producing acts using this unit. I also use the Reason's software. If the unit were lost I would get something else only because technology changes so rapidly and my musical curiousity would drive me to try something else. I love the ease of use, my favorite feature is 16 track playback, I hate the amount of compression for mastering. It is an over-all good value for the money I paid.
It really helps me make music!

I have come from the analog world and found computer based systems to be difficult to learn. Using a daw seemed to be the best answer. It is a fairly easy unit to get results quickly on. I know most folks with a recording background can get up and running almost immediately, but I wanted to learn the unit as best I could before committing something to memory. I read the manual (which is long,and dry) before starting. My patience was well rewarded. After immersing myself for two or three days I found manuvering through the unit to be easy. It's a fairly intuitive piece of equipment. I say that because I've never seen anything involving computers to be user friendly. This unit is the natural transition to the digital world that those of us who were tape lovers needed.

I have a home based studio that runs many instruments through this machine. Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Drums,etc. I wish the cooling fan were a bit quieter. You really have to watch mic positions to ensure that you don't pick it up. Additionally setting levels can be a little frustrating, especially if your recording wide ranges in dynamics. Digital Distortion has ruined more than on take. They suggest using the imput overage light and backing off a touch to set the level, but i've found that that doesn't always work. I use outboard mic pre's and set the level at it's lowest. I also like to add outboard compression and limiting to avoid overage. The effects are useful but not fantastic. The reverbs has some digital tails that can sound artificial. The delays and chorusing are nice. The onboard compressor is much better than the competition. Makes the Korgs look silly. The exciter is useful in mix down to tweak parts to stand out. When recording guitar amps or pods I prefer the effects to be recorded from the outboard amp and not the machine because I feel like you have a little more control as long as you gate the effects. Pod's seem to translate really well. I am not always able to achieve the sound I hear in my head but that's not the machines fault, I'm just not technically adept at making that happen. I'm sure that if I had more knowledge there is no sound that this machine won't make happen. I play contemporary folk and the acoustic instruments sound absolutely awesome through this recorder.

When I first purchased this machine the SCSI drive I had broke. It was not the easiest thing to find. Even though Akai sent me a preferred list the drives on that list were few and far between. I went to Ebay and found several though and bought two to have a backup. They were reasonably priced and I suggest buying a back up to start with. You won't regret it at all. The initial Harddrive broke within two weeks of receiving the unit. It was replaced under warrenty and the replacement has run flawlessly for two years. The folks at akai were very helpful. As I said earlier this is a harddrive based system which mean things can happen. I haven't let that bother me too much. Stuff happened all the time with tape machines and I don't remember freaking out then, so why start now.

The Folks at akai don't have the best website for customer support but after a few phone calls I was able to get what I needed. The tech folks were afable and responded quickly. They provided me with the correct answers and had a good knowledge base. I have no complaints except that they no longer make this unit so I'm worried they may not have as good a support base over the next few years. I will say that I found an authorized repair man here in my hometown and he says these units are terrific. He said they rarely break and when they do it's generally as a result of user error and not mechanical failure. I trust him a great deal and so far he has been right. The Akai people were very engaged when I had any issue and they were patient and forthcoming with information.

I've used Rolands and Korg's before buying the Akai. I will keep my eyes peeled for another resonably priced unit, because if this broke permanantly I'd want another one. The unit is light years better than both the Roland vs 880 and the Korg d 16. I've been recording for 30 years and if you are a small home project person this unit is great. Small footprint and user friendly. I wish it had better mic pre's but at this price that's impossible. After having recorded other projects in multitrack studios before, I'm extremely happy with the results of this unit. My newest CD has been nominated for "Best Folk CD" by the local media against 400 other releases this year. My secret is the Akai. It provides extremely professional results that are moderately easy to achieve. My suggestion is that if you want to do everything, write, record, mix and master by yourself dont' go any farther, go buy one of these machines. My only suggestion is to by the Alesis masterlink, run digital out for your two track master, Master it on decent monitors and believe me people will ask you where you recorded. When I tell them it was an Akai DAW they look at me like I'm crazy. If saving an enormous amount of money for a great product is crazy well then yes I am. I'm crazy about this unit.

Think of a tune, plug in an instrument, arm a track, hit record... it could get easier, but somehow i doubt it... I had a DPS12 before i got this and AKAI ironed out any niggles from that machine when creating this one, it really is a doddle to use. The only times I've ever opened the manual were when I assumed that what i wanted to do would be hard and need a long explaination, I was usually wrong.

Sound quality is exceptional, in fact, the only noise I've ever noticed has always been down to outboard effects or noisy guitars. The hard drive is pretty noisy, but so long as you don't try recording quiet vocals with the mic next to the DPS then you won't notice, and if you're prone to that kind of recording techinique then you deserve all the noise you get!

had mine for 3 years or so, never had a problem with it yet, I backup all projects to an external SCSI hard drive just in case the worst should happen but i've never needed to reload any due to data loss.
If my DPS16 ever died I'd sell my car and go buy another, I'd rather walk than do without my 16 track baby.

never needed to use them, which is a credit to the machine itself

The DPS isn't exactly built like a tank, but it's a home recording studio and shouldn't need to be. Yes, it's plastic, yes, the print on my play and record buttons is wearing thin... but if it were steel cased and had embossed buttons we'd be all complaining about the price. As it is it's suspiciously cheap for what you get. One of the major selling points for me was the fact that I had a DPS12 for a year before i bought this and the DPS16 is fully compatible with the DP~S12 backup project files, it even used the same SCSI CD drive to load them from, class stuff... Almost all my recording have been made on the DPS16 and can be heard here www.iddod.co.uk any lack of talent is a failing of myself and not the DPS16

We have found the DPS-16 to be very easy to use. We have two of them in the studio. We have both of them upgraded with Internal CDRW drives and they work great. If you want yours done with Internal CDRW just contact me and we will help you out. (Nomad1@LocalNet.Com) We have brought both machine up to v3.02 and also found that very easy to do as well. The manuals are good help and the DPS-16 itself makes learning easy to do.

Sounds great. No doubt about it. The FX,s are ok and do the job. We also use some outboard FX's sometimes where needed. We have found that by doing the Internal CDRW drive upgrade I do here has made the drive noise become somewhat less due to the fact that the drive has to be relocated in the case and we can pad the drive some at it's new locaton. There is some noise in these units but never heard any of it in the mix.

We have never used the DPS-16's outside the studio as we have other recorders we use for that. We bought the two DPS-16's new here for the studio and have used them alot over the years and never had any problems with them. The only thing that bothered us the most was the fact that the CDRW was External and we have changed all that.

The only time I ever called AKAI was when I was interested in making the CDRW become Internal. AKAI told me that it could not be done. However it is done and works just fine. I will say that they were very nice to me when I called them. Every upgrade I got from them installed very smoothly and AKAI is a very good company with many great products.

We record most any style of music here and weclome any new ideas. I have been a musician all my life and have been to school for electronics and love to put the two together all the time. Overall the DPS-16 was a good choice back then and still would be for anyone today too. It's great machine and the only thing it should of had in it's making was an Internal CDRW and both of mine do now.

The DPS16 does not memorize its recording status, so you have to switch channels to record mode each time you switch the device on. Some of the editing action could be easier. But overall it's fairly simple to use. In contrary to the other opinions posted below I do need the manual when it comes to routing input and output buses - this one seems quite complicated to me.

The buttons will give you an uncomfortable plastic user experience, it takes quite a pressure on these little things. The knobs' values are difficult to read because the indicators are just too small (especially annoying when adjusting and controlling INPUT GAIN). Leveling the input signal could be easier since the input meter display does not have many steps.

Having reached 2005, 24bit/96kHz is a home recording standard, so there may be better sounding machines around - but I didn't feel the need to upgrade to any of them. I bought the DPS16 new in 2001 and use it now for almost 5 years. Fantastic sound. Using 24Bit/44.1KHz most of the time using all 16 channels. 24/96 would steal eight channels.

Sometimes it hangs itself up, about once a month on daily use. But I never lost any data. Sometimes you might encounter the VU output meter showing some arbitrary level although playback was stopped.

Got a quick answer - just two hours later - that was not satisfying though (question was about the internal hard disk, but they would refer to external SCSI devices - I gave up after the third attempt...)
The German support by NOSE AG was quite busy, too but they had to admit they didn't know the answer.

The question was:
What maximum size of hard disk can I use with the DPS16, sin ce the AKAI drive compatibility list was hopelessly outdated.

Here's what I found out:
I fitted a Hitachi Desk Star 120GB into the DPS16 after the original HD went broken and it works just fine - no noise, no "DISK BUSY" indicating at all. I created three partitions of 38GB each, because NOSE gave me the advice not to use larger partitions than 45GB.

Step 1: FULL FORMAT the whole disk first (takes almost 3 hours!)
Step 2: do FORMAT>ERASE.
Do the partitioning in step 2! It wouldn't work the other way round. If the disk search does not finish on power-on, press SKIP to ignore this. The disk search may only be successful after completing step 2.

Would always buy it again !!!

Well to be honest, Initially I disagreed with a lot of the ' it's dead easy to use, you won't need a manual' type praise, then I realised where I was going wrong..I had a VS880ex and learnt the 'menu' system for recording, the 'menu' system for effects application and the 'menu' system for mixing.....BIG MISTAKE....I now realise I was tripping over the obvious.....there are virtually NO menu's...DOH!....forget the menus....it's all there in front of you, it was a case of re-learning to be simple minded....you want to adjust the eq?....forget tapping into a menu driven eq system...it's there on the damn screen!!...just tweak a knob!....so I now wholly apologise for the negative intro....it was all down to MR Roland clouding my brain with menus...and MR AKAI taking them away and making it easy-peasy.....nice one Akai...

Pathes...what a dream...dig the simple screen with the routes on it....click away until the routes goes from input to track....easy...again...I was working on Roland Time....not Akai time....It was all there if you just look...I was expecting it to be difficult and 'menu' driven....its not...it's all laid out...

Effects...well,,to be fair. Roland had the edge, nice guitar mulit effects and some killer verbs, but I have traded them all in for a really awesome recorder.....what's the point of 3584789 effects if you take hours to set them up?....far better to have less and record MORE!!!...
I dont'use an amp ...I DI my nylon git into the XLR and take it from there, my gits do go thru a Behringer Vamp floor pedal thing for #59 ....excellent and more than enough for my dubious talents..I dont do vocals so I guess I dont qualify for a word on this subject...

I aim to sound like Earl Klugh, The Rippingons, Marc Antoine, Peter White, and with a little mic placement it's a pretty darn close one....I use a real cheap Audio Technica and I had an email from Torcuato Mariano who thought my hobby demo was a full band ready to go into a studio and lay an album down...it's just me...a #100 guitar, a Roland R5 drum machine and a Korg N364 synth....and my Akai...say no more...this thing rocks....the clarity is utterly glitchless and sonically pure.....sure its got a noisy hrd drive but the recordings themselves are pristine, even in 16bit...it's a different league than the 880......and one i'm proud to be part of...

Sound Quality?.......what a daft question.....absolutely perfect.
Sure I dont know how good a VS1680 or above may sound like or a Tascam 2488 etc but for me?...a hobby player who tries to be a smooth jazz pioneer in his own bathtime?.....it's a bloody marvel....sometimes I soend ages just listenig to the same guitar part over and over because it just sounds so damn clean and clear...what a saddo.....

It's third hand and I got it for #450 8 months ago....and it's working fine...it's got a noisy hard drive ( 10gig) but the build quality is very good, and the faders, inputs, outs, buttons are all fine, some of them need a little heavy figer work...but heck at least you sort of know your not pressing the wrong button...dig?...I wouldn't take it out of the house pal.....daft really as I dont know where it's been with it's previous owners but it's come to a good home with friendly neighbors.....dare say I'll open the door in 15 years time and some spotty recording will accuse my Akai of fathering it in the back of some dodgy club.....but it's now safe and clean on my desk at home....

never called 'em.....can't comment..

I play smooth Jazz and the occasional Mike Oldfieldish stuff...it's a damn good match as it's all centred around a quiet nylon semi that needs a quiet clean recording base.....
Been playing for 18 years but that's with crappy continuity...technically it's been about 6 years to proper musicians..
I'm not sure I'd buy it again, I like the Tascam 2488, but that's only because it's got 24 tracks and as you know, us Oldfield fans like a lot of over dubs......
I love the simplicity, the unbelievable clarity, the patching is a right handy tool for dubbing gits and harmonising parts with minimal fuss etc....you know what im saying.....fave feature is the tiny japanese girl that tells me to press any button to continue....she makes me fell I have done it right when really ive just deleted an entire song by accident......nice......only kidding...I love the LACK OF MENUS!!!!!!!!!I REPEAT ROLAND.....LACK OF MENUS!!!!
I wish it had better reverbs,,,,,give it it's due the VS880ex had some beatiful verbs....and good guitar effects too.......
It's helped me make some excellent grooves......
No..ive got nothing else to share...it's just a great device, Akai should feel very proud....
9/10 because the fx could do with an update..etc,,, btu for #450?...what do I want?......

Very easy to use, I had a dsp12 before and the dsp16 is a lot easier.

Sound quality is super, when I use the 96khz 24 bit it sometimes makes a click sound,But I try to use the other options, because the
96khz only gives 8 tracks anyway.The effects are great no need for other effect units.I record acoustic and synth.

Yes can rely on it havce had one for 3 years and no problems done around 75 songs on it 10 hours each plus live recording of around 24 hours.a couple of the buttons are a bit hard to push down.although
does not interfere with recording probably just a little dirty.

Has a dsp12 problem but that was just a hard drive and the retailer
fixed it.

I have been recording since the 1970s and am real happy with the dsp16 would probably get a dsp24 although a little expensive in NZ.
And akai don't do a lot down here.
REal easy to make good music on. quickly!

The Akai sounds great with no experience at all, but there is so much to learn every day about the potintial of this machine i've got to give it an eight (in a good way, you dig!?)

Untouchable sound quality compared to similar Rolland, Yamaha, Korg, and Tascam (i've heard and tried 'em all). Put simply, I love this thing. Mostly because there are virtually NO ARTIFACTS when i am recording. The signal is pure.

It's a computer based system, so i get frustrated when my hardrive gets so full that I can't edit any further, but this can easily be solved by defragmenting the disc, which takes up to two hours. Occasionally it will freeze like a computer, but very rarely, and never at crucial times...yet.

Their phone service is awesome with skilled people to answer my thousands of bizzare questions to get the max of this baby. Never failed me yet.

I have been using the Akai to produce and record local bands and my weakest link is definately not the Akai. My recordings sound amazing with the acception of the drums, they sound average, but i need some better drum mics. Vocals, accoustic and electric guitars, bass, and piano have all sounded nothing short of professional. Once I get some Audix drum mics i will be able to comfortablly charge the local going rate for studio projects. I would recommend this to anyone, plus its portability pushes it into a dimension that computer only programs wouldn't dare touch. If you want to sample a sound in the middle of the desert you just need the akai, a decent mic and mic pre, and a power generator. Amazing.

This machine is very straightforward to use. If you have any basic experience with recording machines then you will just switch it on & start recording without opening a page of the manual. I know people who have seriously struggled with the Rolands & Yamahas, but this thing is a piece of cake.

Using the DPS on it's own produces a pretty good sound. I use mine with good quality preamps (Dbx 386 & Joemeek Twin Qcs) & mics - the results are nothing short of "professional". Just had a phone call from a client telling me how astonished he was with the quality of the sound for a piece of music that I haven't even mastered yet! You guessed it - I'm using this machine for part time pro work & in a month the machine has paid for itself. I'm a very satisfied customer.

I have used this for a few months & I've had no problems. It's been out on the road several times & it's as reliable as ever. I also have a DPS 12i which has run for over a year without a murmur - even when I cut out the power TWICE while machine was accessing the drive! It just carried on where we left off. I know many others who have had good experiences with this machine.

I've only dealt once with Akai in England. I had a German manual which needed swapping for an English one. Akai posted me a manual that day & I received it a day later.

This is a great machine if you want easy operation & a dedicated reliable/stable recording platform. I have to dock one point for the reverbs, but to be honest there are plenty of other useful effects - especially the multi-band compressor & vocal pitch corrector which is great. You can get the reverbs to sound better with some tweaking, but that's all part of the fun isn't it?

This ia the perfect unit for someone new to digital recording as it
is very intuitive and user-friendly. It might take you just a little
while to learn how to get around, ie. EQ applications and effects
routing, but it all spelled out clearly in the well-written manual.

Great sound from this box! I was totally surprised as this was my
first digital recorder and I fully expected some of the glitches I
always hear my friends complaining about with their digital home
studios. Absolutely clean and real with almost zero noise.

Here's where I have a problem....my hard drive has failed after 8
months of moderate use and the jury is still out on whether my backups
are corrupt or not. Plus I sent it back for repair through my retailer
and it was returned many weeks later NOT FIXED. I had left very clear
and detailed instructions concerning the problem and the remedy advised by the Akai tech and they failed to do the work, opting for a
simple reformat. I had of course done that already to no avail. I'm not happy about this and my home studio has been out of commission for
most of the summer as a result....as I watch my warrantee expire.

The Akai folks are just fine in our correspondence, but the repair center help is fairly surly in their attitude. They assume that I could not possibly have a clue what's going on or that I would ever even crack the manual to try and diagnose a problem for myself. I really didn't appreciate that.

I could have easily given this recorder a straight ten of ten if it
were more reliable. I'm hoping this is my last problem as they've told
me that the new hard-drive warranty expires with the Akai original
warranty, which is about three weeks away and I won't even have the
machine back in my hands by then. I have to consider a different unit
if I were ever to replace this recorder.

The manual is extensive and can take several weeks to truly get a gripon what this device can do for you. But, there are also instructions that show you how to use this right out of the box to start making recordings... and oh so easily. For all the robust qualities and features available, the DPS16 is incredibly easy to use. I kept the instruction manual by the bed and bath and read a little each day. So when I got down to a recording, I knew where to look and what to do. With only minor references to the manual, I found that everything was accessible for use, with ease, and help from the manual being more than sufficient.

I have used the DPS16 for vocals and have also run my guitar and other effects through it. It sounds great with not a trace of any artifact or noise. I don't use much of the effects, but have found the EQ and compression to be pretty much all I need. The range of effects available is extensive and should satisfy most demanding users. If you don't want to invest in a lot of outboard effects and processors, this is a great unit for a home studio. I usually just make recordings, either live or from other sources, and download the mix into my computer via the spdif line and audiophile 24/96 sound card and then use the plugins to enhance or embellish or otherwise edit the recording.

So far I have had one channel circuit burn out, which I think was already on the way out when I purchased this unit new. The store I bought if from gladly sent it back to Akai and they fixed it and returned it in three weeks. And since then it works just fine. It is built well and has sturdy control surfaces. I wish it had a carrying case as I move it a lot and would like to protect it better.

I emailed Akai about one of the channels that was outputting a noise signal without anything plugged into it. They said to return it and they would fix it. However, I had to email 3 times to get a response. I think if I would have called it would have happened sooner. So I took it back to the store that sold it to me and they happily took care of everything for me. Besides it was only 2-3 months old when I noticed a failing channel circuit. The fixed it and I had it back three weeks later. I was happy. I wish their instructions for upgrading the firmware were understandable as well as their instructions about installing a bigger hard drive. Mine has the 10gigabyte drive, but they are now selling the same unit with 20-40 gig drives.

Overall I am very pleased and have no regrets about buying the Akai DPS16. It does more than I need and that inspires me to think of additional ways to use all the many robust features. I did about one year of research, tried other brands, and settled on this unit because of the excellent reviews by others... which I now endorse wholeheartidly myself.

As everyone else says, super easy, manual is only needed for very complex or onusual operations. I had it running in 5 mins. Patch screen is great for selecting which inputs go to what tracks. I have had rolands, korgs, alesis adats (16 and 24 bit) zooms, boss(yes I know it is roland) (still have a br8 for hacking around)and this is the all around best sounding and easiest to use. Mixing is quick with knobs like an analog mixer, so you can jump from one track to another and have all the eqs or fx sends right there , no menus.

10, 96 khz 24 bit mode can record 8 tracks, 48 khz 24 bit can do all 16 (specs are wrong, unofficially confirmed by Alesis, this is for more hard drives that might be slower).
96khzz 24 bit is amazing, not digital sounding at all ,very good dynamics and responce(I still listen to records)
48 khz 24 bit is great, and even 44khz and 16 bit is fine.
Pitch correction is amazing, I sold my antares rack unit because this is just as good. Some fx are a bit cold and need tweeking.

Had it about a year, no probs, and I am a little rough on my stuff.

They have an 800 number, which is tough to get, but once you do, they are fine, I have called a few times with super high tech questions and they always were right on the money

I do everything from acoustic to rap to metal to punk to rock to country to reggae and this can do everything. I wish it had more xlrs, that is my only complaint, but I use converters or an external board. This is the best product out there. I dont need all the extra stuff in the dps24, so this is fine.

This machine is INCREDIBLY easy to use. It was designed with the same kind of thinking that a person would normally apply when recording, therefore all of the functions are right where you want them to be. It is very easy to move between the different menus, and nothing requires too many adjustments.

The manual is great (see customer support).

The sound quality is at the same high level as any recording studio I have used - that is to say that the dps 16 records just as well as the ADAT machines that I have been using for years. Since I am recording bands, I only use the 16 / 44 setting. However, the fact that it can operate at even higher fidelity without having to compress the data will be a real plus for people working in DVD applications. Also, it is worth mentioning that both the built in reverb and compressor sounds fantastic. The Enhancer effect is very useful as well. The effects are very "tweakable", which is convenient. Everyone who has heard the recordings has been amazed that they were done on a portable studio.

I haven't had it long enough for reliability to be an issue, but I consider it to be extremely well built. The pop-up screen is the only concern, but it is super convenient to have, particularly if you have to play and record at the same time. Akai should make a hardshell case specifically for the dps16.

I sent them one email, and they answered two days later. I consider this to be very acceptable. The fact that the manual is so well written is also a great help - most of the things that you need to know are already answered.

I wanted to make mention of the two things that I would change if I could (or at least would like to see on a subsequent version).

First of all, I would like more XLR inputs. At least four, though eight would be great, and all with phantom power please.

Second, it would be really convenient to have a monitor output - that is to say if I could plug my computer monitor into the back and use it instead of the built-in one. Even though the dps16's monitor is big for a recording unit, it is nowhere near as comfortable as a real monitor, particularly for monitoring waveforms.

Still, this is a fabulous piece of equipment, and is capable of producing totally professional sounding recordings at a fraction of the price.

I wanted to get in the digital multitracking and I was looking for what seemed to be an impossible match: a powerful machine + an intuitive operation easy enough for novice to get. As I designer I knew it was possible. As a consumer I was surprized it existed. That was Akai DPS16. I also wanted to buy a multitracker from a company that has an extensive experience building them (ie with all lessons and gotchas already incorporated). I looked at Roland, Fostex, and Korg units. Then narrowed the list down to Roland and Akai. Akai was a clear winner. Why? Because I was recording in 5 min with analog style controls. I didn't even read the manual. Roland was like a computer -- and that's exactly what I didn't want to have (I get enough of it at work). To date I haven't made even one phone call with re to DPS16 operation.

Very nice, likable, and accurate sound. 24-bit mode audibily adds more substance and punch to the sound (actually, didn't think that I would hear it). Currently I record, mix, and post-process everything in 44.1 X 24-bit and only then dither to 16-bit. It's interesting that all 16 channels work in 24-bit (contrary to the manual). Akai has unofficially confirmed it and explained that the spec is limiting the playback to 12 channels as a safety net against slow hard disk performance... but only on paper.

Effects on the unit aren't top-notch, especially the reverbs. But this is not to say they are not usable -- I do use them on my tracks. I guess I think about them as a bonus and that's why I don't have high expectations of them. Thus my rating for this category doesn't include effects.

No problems so far.

I couldn't find their support phone number on their Web site (eventually got it off the Yahoo Akai support group). Their Web site is confusing, hard to read, e-mail may go unanswered for weeks. They are a strange company because they don't appear like a sturdy / solid company on the surface but will take care of you once you got a hold of them. If you need help you'd better ask a question on Yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akaidps12/). If you need urgent help call Akai at (817) 831-9203.

I play guitar and record it direct, processed and very processed :-). I also use Roland guitar synthesizer, Roland drum machine. I also play bass on all of my tracks. My main recording style is overdubbing (no live, no jamming).

Akai DPS16 is the very best-engineered piece of music gear I've ever owned. I feel at home with it. I understand what's going when I press the buttons.

Just to give you a frame of reference: I'm still trying to understand how my Roland R-8mkII drum machine really works after reading the manual 3 times! Yes, I use it. But I'm never sure about some things. Know the feeling?

THIS IS THE EASIEST 16 TRACK RECORDER ON THE MARKET!!! This thing is ready once you take it out the box. You don't even have to open the manual because everything is self explanatory. It has a huge LCD that displays ALL important information without having to go into sub-menus. It has dedicated buttons for just about every main function. Finally, it has the Q-Link system which provides 5 function keys, and 6 control knobs that are mapped to important functions such as EQ, FX, etc.
If you do need the manual it is very easy to follow, and provides step by step examples for 90% of the functions.
I have version 3.0, and this adds features like export .WAV files to CD, improved 4 band compressor with presets, and the ability to copy scenes from one project to another.
Although it does not have onboard automation like the VS1680/1880 it can be automated with any sequencer that supports MMC. Akai also provides a program specifically made for the DPS16 which allows automation of almost every possible aspect.

The sound quality is virtually flawless. I record from drum machines, and synths, and what I record sounds EXACTLY like it sounds when played from my instruments.

LIKE A ROCK!!! Mine is 1 year old, and does not have a scratch. I have also traveled with this machine several times, and all is well. The reason that I am giving this an '8' is due to the fact that one of the XLR inputs went bad a few months after I bought it. Also for the professional machine that it is you would expect it to have a durable metal case (like the MPC2000XL).

EXCELLENT!!! I have called several times (for my MPC2000XL), and have been given spot on answers to my questions. As for support for my DPS16, I sent it in for the XLR input, and it was handle at no cost, and sent back in less then a week. There is also a user group at www.yahoogroups.com that has a very large userbase, and it is a great source of information. I am only mentioning this as there is at least one person on the list that works for Akai, and he is very helpful at all times (thanks David).

I record Hip-Hop music, and this machine is perfect although I think that it can handle any kind of music. I have only been making music for 3 years now, but the DPS16 has taken me to the next level. If it were stolen I would definitely get another if not upgrade to the DPS24.
I love everything about this recorder, especially the ease of use, and the rate at which Akai has provided OS updates. The only thing missing is onboard automation, but it is easily made up for.
When doing research before making the purchase I considered the VS1680, but was pushed toward the DPS16 because of the ease of use, and the included FX board.
The DPS16 is the perfect tool for home recording studios as it seems made for non-technical people, and it provides all the functionality of an expensive multiple unit system that would take years to master.

DPS = Da' Perfect Studio

Our band purchased this board with no recording experience at all. We were up and running in less than one hour. We've only had the unit for about a month, but I have no doubts the DPS series is exceptionally easy to use.

Absolutely amazing. We've recorded drums with a mix of Audix and Sennheiser mics. SM57s on guitar and bass, and a AT 4047 on vocals. We've also run bass and guitar direct on the hi-z input. This thing sounds amazing!!! No compression or random white noise.

We've only had it for a month, but the unit seems sturdy enough for studio use. I would not transport this unit without some sort of hardshell case.

Another concern of mine is for the flip up display...it's a great feature, but I don't know how sturdy it actually is.

No idea at this point...never had to use.

We play hard rock and this unit is working wonderfully for our style of music. Because of the fact that it doesn't run a compression algorhythm (unlike the Roland VS series) I believe this unit would be excellent for any one and any playing style.

We compared this one to the Roland VS 1680 & 1880 and found that though this one lacks a lot of the bells and whistles of the VS series, the sound quality and ease of use far outweighed the backwards interface and compression the Rolands use.

I wish the unit came with a built in burner...but other than that...this thing is great.

I would highly recommend anyone looking at the Roland VS series to check these out. In my eyes, the Akai is definitely not only a competitor, but may actually have the upper hand in the home/project studio department.

What Can I say? This machine is so intuitive, I have a hard time believing all of the stuff it can do. I just sold my Tascam 788 and got this machine. What a dream. I am a seriously happy musician. I have been using everyday for a week now and the learning curve was puny.

Hmm. I don't use 24 bit, there is no need since all redbook cd's are converted back down to 16 bit anyway. The Effects are 56 bit so there is no bit degredation when processing. The sound is Super clean, Ultra quiet and simply pristine. Not even hard disk noise. Very Awesome. Total uncompressed audio.

Don't know yet. I have only had it for a week. I am very gentle with my gear but I like stuff to last. The knobs and faders are sturdy and tight. That was a plus.

I only rate this a 6 because Tech support never answered my emails. I sent 3 over a 4 day period. No 800 # so my calls were on my bank account. My question was simple and had to do with a certain way that I like to record sometimes. The tech made a comment about how that wasn't the 'best' way to record. Well I have been recording for years and sometimes you do things simply because you want a certain effect. His comments were irrelevant to my question.

The USA made machines come standard with 20 gig hard disk and the effects card already. (I guess they used to have 10 gig but not anymore). Tons of routing features, 4 internal AUX's, 4 External Aux's, Mute,Solo, Real pan knobs, real EQ knobs, Real effects parameter knobs. Great effects. I am recording a complete album on this machine and with ease. It has the ability to back up data to CD. ANY CD burner with a digital in.. Not some 'special' unit that will only work with this machine or that you have to buy from them. That was very cool. You can also back up to DAT. Very Awesome.

This thing is so easy to use its amazing! I had all the major functions down withen 30 min and EVERY function down like the back of my hand in about a week (3-4 recordings). I have only taped into the manual 1 time, and that was for a specific way to edit an effect, besides that you will NEVER need the manual. The big screen is layed out perfectly, and you will never be searching through long menu type setups (like the roland). My friend has the roland and he openly admits that my akai sounds way betetr and is much easier to use.

I am mostly recording onto the dps from digital outs on both my mpc 2000 and Proteus 2000. The sound quality is 100 % perfect. Whatever you put in is exactly what you get when you press play. No hiss at all, none, if your source does nto have hiss. Thats what i like best about it, whaver i hear before i record out of my mpc is exactly how it sounds once recorded, not to mention the perfect sound quality of the 24 bit reording. I dont really use a lot of the effects but compression, delay, chorus and reverb (i record hip-hop) and they have not let me down. they are not the warmest effects available, but for vocals and such effects should be subtle anyway and the dps does a fine job. THe compresor sounds great too. I use the Alesis RA100 amp and Event 20/20 monitors to listen and they work great. The DPS has a digital out as well which i run to my Phillips Burner. With the monitor setup i have, the cd will sound 100% the same as what i hear during mixdown, no difference, perfect sound transfer all in the digital domain. You can make perfect recordings on the dps with out much other equipment that a good mic and a good mic preamp.

Never had a problem, all the buttons and sliders are very sturdy, as is the whole unit itself.

I called once the first time because the out put was very low. I figured there was a dB boost somewhere but i couldnt find it. I called Akai and they were quite friendly. The showed me where it was and all is fine now. You can boost the output up to 12dB.

I make hip hop on the dps and there is nothing betetr out there for it, full albums have been made on these type of units. The quality of my recordings in 2 weeks have sounded much better than my friends group at so called "professional" studios that use ADAT. The sound of the dps is just as warm as ADAT too, so dont believe all that jive about digital recorders sounding cold, totally false. There is nothing i dotn iek about it, i swear. Its a perfect unit and i HIGHLY suggest it. It is effortless to use. It has waveform editing that really gets down close. It is much better that the over priced roland VS series.

I originally started in digital recording with a Roland VS-880EX. My band recorded our first CD on it. Although the 880 has some great fx it is very expensive for what you get. I sold the 880 and bought the new DSP16. It is a lot easier to use than the 880. With its Qlink and large screen, you won't have any trouble recording right out of the box.

With uncompressed 24 bit audio , the DSP is far and above the 880. It is lacking in fx that the 880 has, but with a little treawking, you can get most any fx that you might want and you have 4 busses to work with.

Both units gave me no problems. The DSP16 is noisier than the 880. This is due to the 10 gig hard drive Akai installs. I'm not sure what brand it is, but it is loud. However, it doesn't pick up in the same room you are recording in and if your set up with a closed control room, you won't have any problems. Just something Akai should address.

Great. I have used Akai support on many occassions and they have always been there and very helpful.

The DSP16 is a good match for any style of music. I have been playing and recording for 30 years. This new digital recording equipment is the best thing since sliced bread. I wouldn't ever go back to analog tape. For the money, I would buy the same unit again, however, I do think that Akai will have to add more fx and mastering tools if they truely want to stay in the market and take it away from Roland. I know this can be done for very little money and would put at the top of the pile of new desktop digital studios. I can tell you that this baby rocks.

For such a complex piece of equipment, this thing is easy as hell to use... It is all so self-explanatory, that I have been recording & mixing a whole bunch of stuff without even cracking the manual... I am used to simple analog equipment, and this digital recorder is just as easy to use!

THIS THING SOUNDS KILLER!!! For the last year I have been recording an album on 2" tape... I just got the DPS16 about a month ago and I started doing some of my new songs on it... I really think that it sounds better than 2" tape... The DPS16 is dead quiet and it's so great not having any tape hiss!! 24-bit mode sounds so totally amazing, but 16-bit mode still sounds so killer... I am using both modes on my new album (depending on the song)... The average person woundn't even be able to tell the difference between to two modes... 24-bit mode seemed to have much higher resolution and detail and more high frequency response... I didn't think that I would be able to do a fully professional album on this thing... BUT I CAN... AND SO CAN YOU... I can't really comment on if the mic preamps are any good because I have been using a Presonus MP20 preamp going into the line inputs of the Akai... The sound of this thing is so sparkly clean... This is a pro unit, kids... This is the real deal... I have been recording for years and I haven't seen anything like this...

It kicks ass... I have been bringing it to and from another studio to record drums and it definitely can handle some abuse... No problems with it so far...

I have heard other people say that Akai has poor customer support, but that is bullshit... Ever since I got this DPS16 I have been calling them all the time and they have been very helpful and they are always there... Don't listen to anyone who tells you Akai support sucks... And when I mailed in the coupon for the effects processor, they sent it to me almost instantaeously... I got it way faster then they had originally told me...

I record heavy rock music and this thing just kicks so much ass... I was originally in the market to buy a Roland VS-1680, but then I read the spec sheets for the VS-1680 and the DPS16... There is no doubt that the DPS16 has much better specs... It seems to me that Akai is moving up with the times and Roland is still putting out the same stuff from 2 years ago... I am sure that the Roland sounds great, but it can't beat the 24-bit 96kHz A/D D/A converters and the uncompressed sound quality and the 10GB hard drive in the DPS16... Plus, the DPS16 has more inputs and more simultaneous recording tracks... The Akai DPS16 is 16 tracks of pure perfection...