Akai DPS12

super easy. just route, assign and record. punch ins and effects are super easy. took me about a week to get it down. and i'm a newb

250 virtual tracks that can be swaped in and out!. 12 tracks are just what i needed for my music... hip hop with turntables an mpc 200xl and an mp-7. midi sync is easy. and you can put massive hard drives in them.

sound is as clear as can be immagined. using beta 58 mics and standard 1/4 cables my ish pounds great. never hickups no lost data.
and you can use mesa to tweak it all right. just wish it had 2 more 1/4" inputs and a separate mic input. but a preamp solves all of that,

never had a prob... just swap out the jazz for a cheap 10 or more gig hd and your really rolling. especial considering how cheap those drives are now. never had it crash!

great... no probs. the answered my ?'s when i was swaping out the jazz drive.

i'd buy again in a heart beat as i find it easier and cheaper than just a protools set up. plus alot of the time i use it just for it's great mixer!. thinking bout getting a second to midi chain! plus there so cheap i mean what else can you get for under 350 with 12 digital tracks?... just name it. i think they must've forgot it!

v 2.10 with effects installed.
Manual is extensive, but the online faq's by ben hall are better.

Very easy to record. Love the 250 virtual tracks. Also, you can download the Deep12 extracter, which converts your file into WAV files, that can be further tweaked in Protools, etc.

It's a nice little and inexpensive unit (ebay ~ $350) that fulfills the goal of home recording. With the online software, it can even take your home recorded stuff into the big studios for completion. Definitely expands creativity. Some of the effects are less than pro.

Never failed on me. The Jaz drives are phased out, but be sure that the one you get has the hard drive. There's an AKAI DPS group on Yahoo that tells of people swapping their hard drives for 60G ones, check it out.

Never had to use them

I bought this the year it came out, wanting to expand from 4-tracks. I have seen no need to upgrade to the 24 track units, since I have virtual tracks that can easily be migrated to processing software. Even the newer 24 track units can be had for about 1400 used. AKAI made these recorders simple and easy to use.

If stolen, I'd get on ebay and find another one.

v2.10


very easy to use if you are familiar with analog tape decks.
Need to use SCSI or JAZ disks for storage which can be a hassle.

Dont have the FX board.
12 tracks.

Recording quality is good - no compression like the Roland stuff.

*here's why i wrote this review*
it is a reliable unit, but the backlit display has a problem. this is the second one ive owned and they both had bad displays. I traced the problem to a small neon bulb at the bottom of the display. I am waiting to hear from Akai about a part number.
PS. I wouldnt recommend an attempt at replacing this bulb unless you have a good deal of experience with repairing/disassembling electronic equipment (which I do) it was not an easy task suitable for an amateur.

This depends on the answer I get from Akai! I should probably have waited to write this review, but i was on the web chasing Akai info when I decided to write this.
Hopefully Akai will give me the part number for the bulb and tell me where I can get it.

I have two DPS12, waiting to get display fixed on one of them. I bought the second because they are cheap now & I liked my 1st one. Im going to try linking them via MIDI for 24 tracks. Id prob replace with a DPS24 eventually but this is a cheaper alternative.