TASCAM CD-GT1

Very poor user interface, poorly written manual. Frustrating to use if you've ever tried a software based unit e.g., Riffster, et al.

Because it the sound is produced mechanically, there is a very noticible warble if a tune is slowed much while maintaining the original key. It is impossible to raise the pitch and slow the speed on this unit, unlike inexpensive software.

As any mechanical device, it wears with use. Software will never wear out but can always be improved.

No experience with support for the unit.

While it does slow down the tones on the CD, it is not with the clarity of software on a computer such as using Riffster. And it is far more expensive. It is more portable unless you have a license for Riffster on a laptop. There is virtually no comparison to use of a software utility when compared to this. Twenty years ago, the GT-1 might have been a bargain at US$150. Today, who doesn't have a computer and Riffster (there is a 'free version' has far more utility, flexiblity and a VERY friendly user interface.

This is an update of my prior post. It took the factory 11 weeks to provide me with an estimate for repair. The repair quote was $114. I'm not going to have this repaired. For those who may be interested, there's PC software available now for about $50 that does everything the CD GT-1 does and more. My advice is get the software and stay away from this POS.

Well the manual, as mentioned before, does little good. But it is easy to figure out. The effects, more on that later, are very strange. But that is not what you should be buying this for. This is great for slowing down songs and learning the riffs. It's also good for playing along with songs that are 1 (or more) step high or low. No need to tune up or down to play with the CD. Can just adjust the pitch and not speed up the song. Awesome.

If you use it to play along with, run it into the PA or a CD input. You lose a LOT of gain if you run your guitar through it into the amp. And it basically ruins the sound of your guitar. The effects are a joke. There are 4 of them. All the time. So, if you want JUST distortion, or just chourus, out of luck. You can't even dial the effects down to zero. Well, you can, but they are sill there. And it's noisey, hissy & crappy. BUT, you shouldn't be buying this for effects. Buy a real pedal for 150 bucks. The particularly nice thing about this is, that it runs on batteries. And as mentioned before, they eat a LOT of them. Use rechargeables. You can bring your CD and the GT1 anywhere, plug in your guitar and headphones pop in your CD and practice without disturbing ANYONE. I sometimes no even use the CD player, and just practice using headphones. GREAT bonus. Yeah, the sound quality on half speed sucks, but you can even use it to pick out lyrics. But sound quality is also NOT what you shoud be buying this for. Use it for learning riffs, and not sound quality. There is also a loop function, you can loop a solo endlessy so you can prctice that way too.

Don't know. Still new. Wouldn't even consider using it for a gig, so Yeah I'd not have a backup...... Oh. it was mentioned earlier that teh CD top/cover is flimsy, I have to disagree. It's no more or less flimsy than any other portable CD player I've seen. Seems durable enough

Don't know, hope to never find out.

We play cover stuff, so this is a great tool to learn from. Speed up slow down songs, change pitch so we can play along with he CD, without tuning up or down. This is an awesome learning and practice tool. Don't consider buying it if you want sound quality, great effects, and quality when you change the speed/pitch. I don't know why people whine about the sound quality when that is not the putpose of the unit. It is a Guitar TRAINER. Not an Guitar Multi Effects pedal. I'll get off my soap box now. Sorry.

OK, relatively intuitive once you get the hang of it.

Very poor sound quality when you slow things down. The slow you go the worse it gets.

This thing is a real POS. It died after very little use over 13 months-just after the warranty expired.

ZERO-ZER0-ZERO. I sent the thing back to the factory in Calfornia in October and they have not yet sent me an estimate. It's now January. It took 10 weeks for them to answer an email. They don't answer telephone calls. Tascam/Teac has the WORST customer service I have ever experienced. Apparently, they just don't give a damn.

If you are willing to throw away $150 on a unit that works OK but has very questionable reliability and awful customer service, then go ahead an buy it. Otherwise, look elsewhere. If you want to see for yourself how bad Teac/Tascam service is, just go to their website and send them an email with a simple question like "how long is the warranty and what does it cover?" Wait and see how many WEEKS it takes for a response. Caveat emptor!!

The manual must be an attempt at condensing information. This thing does so much! I found it easier to insert a CD & just start scrolling throug the menus and referring to the manual. After about 30 minutes I had what I needed figured out. If your having trouble, give yourself some time. I'm sort of impatient, but, I figured it out so anyone can!

This thing has tons of effects that you can adjust in about any direction but, there's a lot of hissing. I didn't buy it for effects. Some of them aren't too bad. The cool thing is, if you don't know what a Flanger for instance, or another type of effect does, you can sample it here, and mix them together and come up with almost infinite sounds.
I mainly use a signature strat with noiseless p.u. through headphones. Haven't tried through an amp. Yes, the sound quality on CD's goes a bit strange at 50% speed but what are you trying to do with a $150 piece of equipment? It works for me!

I bought the extended warranty 'cause I figured I'd be using this pretty heavily. Only had it for one week.

I've been playing for 35 yrs. This is great for practicing quietly! I almost bought the Sabine, it's much cheaper, but does less. I don't know anymore about it. I read all the negative reviews about the Tascam. I bought it for practicing with CD's, not the effects. I don't know what they expected but for $150 this thing gets the job done!

This thing is great. VERY easy to use the loop function and easy to slow down a CD to learn fast parts. The manual is kind of weak but, it hits all of the must know stuff.

Ok, it's not pristine sound quality but, for 150 bucks it gets a 10 easy. It's not a POD or GNX4 but it is great for what it is. If you tweak around with the settings a little you can get some really great sounds. I play an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and I have some presets made that sound JUST LIKE the Led Zep and Metallica and G&R cd's that I am playing along with. When you use the slow feature yes you lose some sound quality. But, you keep PLENTY to make the device worthwhile and easily usable.

NOt sure yet. I have had it for about a week. But Tascam is a good name.

I just sent them an eamil today. I will update when I hear back from them.

I just switched to guitar from drums. I have been playing for about a year now. This thing is great! One of the other reviewers mentioned a Sabine (I think) I don't know about that piece of equipment but, this one is fantastic. I have been in bands and have been around music for 14 years. I can't say enough about what a great tool this is. I pick up chords and rhythm stuff pretty easy but, I can always use help on the other stuff. This has really helped me with lead stuff and trickier licks. The presets are pretty good. But, again if you tweak them a little you can get some really nice usable sounds. I haven't run it through an amp yeat but, if I can get what I hear in the headphones to come out the front of an amp I will be plenty happy.

The manual is a bit weak, but the product is not that complicated to begin with...within a few minutes you can easily be looping a Van Halen solo in slow motion and learning it withyour guitar plugged in.

I disagree with the other reviews which state that the sound quality is poor...even with the speed reduced to fifty percent, the resulting sound is more than adequate for th purpose here which is TO TRANSCRIBE OR LEARN FAST SOLOS!!

Have only used it for a couple of days now, but seems reasonably well constructed.

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I play mainly classic rock and blues, with Gibson Les Paul and Peavey Wolfgang through Digitech GNX4 or Peavey 5150 stack. I've been playing for about forty years now, and sure wish they had this product many years ago. The two best features are the looping and of course, the speed reduction.

This unit is very easy to use. I basically figured it out in 15min without the manual. I have to admit I was a little scared at first to buy this product due to all you guys that posted reviews that stated how UNuser friendly the unit is. I am no rocket scientist and figured it out quite easily. It really could not be much easier to use.

I am going to give it a 7 on sound quality. True, it does not sound like it cost a thousand dollars. When you slow a passage down to 50% you get some digitized weirdness but I fully expected that for $150 dollars.

Do not know because I just bought it, should be fine if taken care of and not abused.

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I play Neo-classical/heavy metal. This is an excellent PRACTICE tool. If lost or stolen I would definately want another. One negative thing I did notice right away was that the CDs are a little hard to get in and out of the unit but thats really no big deal just be carefull. BOTTOM LINE: The unit is very easy to use, sounds fine for what it is intended, could be a smidge less expensive and should INCLUDE the power supply. Feel free to contact me if you can not figure it out.

MAAAANNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!! I read a bunch of these reviews, trying to decide if this unit is superior to the Sabine (which only costs $79.99 @ Musicians Friend), and it seems every freakin' aspect of the device is covered ad nauseum except the details re what it was supposedly made for - TRANSCRIBING SOLOS! Screw the crappy FX - what did you expect - a $500 rack FX sound in a little plastic craptoid! Only about 2 guys out of all these reviews actually seem to have bought this thing for it's original purpose - AS A LEARNING TOOL. I read about 5,000 lines of useless rhetoric before I finally found out it doesn't work for TRANSCRIPTION - at least not $179 worth. Go read the Sabine BT-300 Riff Decoder reviews here at Harmony Central. There's only 3, and all 3 of them tell you EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. Obviously this gadget ain't being bought by anyone who has a clue what to do with it! As for me, I'm buying the Sabine.

I found the unit quite easy to use. Not the greatest manual, but a fairly intuitive machine. Spend quite a while to dial in some useable effects though. I had some problems with the input level initially, but I finally figured it out the same way James suggests below.

The machine does what it was meant to do, and I really don't understand why people are so harsh with it! Definetely not the greatest effects but, hey you know that from the start; it's got a low bit processor (8 I think?) so you know it isn't a 24bit monster like a POD or Berhinger, can't expect much. However, if you are a player that uses a modest amount of distortion you will certainly find some sweet spots; the low levels (20 or less depending on pickup output) are very useable. Generally LOW levels are the key to useable sounds with this machine. I admit that high gain and metal players will probably not manage to find useable distortion and, yes, this is a minus. All in all if you're conscious of what you're buying the sound of the machine is descent. I give it an 8 because I am aware that alot of kids will buy this machine to practice their favourite high powered guitar heroes and they will be rather dissapointed.

Yeap, no problems after six months. And it has taken quite a bit of beating in luggage, etc.

Never used it.

Good machine for the price. When I'm at home I use a 'slow downer' on my PC, which of course is superior to this machine (the 50% slow down is a joke, by the way!). I play with a boutique custom made point-to-point amp loaded with EL-84's, voiced through a home made pine cabinet with one Celestion GT12H and I use a Behringer effects unit in the FX loop. Great tone for home recording and jamming with friends (I don't gig anymore). I don't plug in my GT1 with this 'sonic picture' in mind, it's thousands of miles away! Even if it was possible it would cost hundreds. But it does a certain job, which is learn from your favourite artists and jam wherever you are and it's got a descent sound for it and a descent price.