Akai DPS24

DPS24 OS 1.60. This is something for the "big kids" to play with.... not for the "home enthusiast" or the faint of heart. There is a large learning curve but the results are stellar. I have owned the Roland VS2480 and this thing blows it away. Take the time and be patient. There is alot of online support and several DVD's available to guide you along. This is about as "Pro" sounding as it gets for home studios.

Editing, effects, preamps, automation...It's got it all.

Nothing else comes close in this price range. I have used the Yamaha MD8, Roland VS2480 ( a very "blah" sound), Pro-Tools M-Powered, and the Akai DPS16 (great unit...needed more tracks). The DPS24 is the one! Incredibly clean, clear tracks....if you know what you're doing. Has an almost "analog" quality to the sound.

Going on 5 years and still cranking out the rawk.

Never needed to call. This thing is a work horse.

If you are serious about producing your own material, then this is it! Use higher end mics, a few higher end preamps and let her rip.

Everthing has a learning curve. This unit is low depending on you general experience with signal routing and 8 group recording architecture. If you have the slightest clue, it's intuitive and well laid out. The maunual is sort of like an engineering specification, nothing is step 1, step 2, you are left to your own devices and the resources on line, dvd instructional products sold ebay, etc. These are very good. I was tracking, mixng, and mastering in two days.

Comprehensive, quality throughout, covers all the bases in a single unit...awesome.

Excellent very analog sounding results. Effects are good, if you wnat really high quality go outboard, but they are usable and add some good subtle ambiance where needed, during tracking as a reference to make the sounds more interesting, etc. This thing shines on the quality of tracks...awsesome and actually could almost be considered "warm" in the digital world do mostly to the great preamps.

So far so good, a few hiccups, but nothing I can't handle.

Excellent, the still stand by the stuff when you take the time to get hold of them. Call...don't write.

All in one pro recording for the budding producer, songwriter, musician. Automation is flawless, once you get a hang of this, you won't look back...grab one of you can find one.

OS V2.0 for surround sound mixing. The DPS24 is the most professional all in one work station period! There isn't another SIAB that even comes to close at this price. The manual is okay. Could've been better but the machine itself is laid out well and very easy to use.

The FX are very good IMO. If more are needed I'll buy an external FX unit. For now I am very happy with what's in the machine. It is loaded with features. Far to many to list here. 24 tracks at 24 bit, 8 channels of ADAT with the option to add 16 more. It is a pro 24 track environment with options that can make it even more powerful. Even the new DPS24 hasn't made any major improvements (Color and a extra bay is about all). Even new models from various manufacturers today still can't compete. Akai had it down right from the start.

The sound is amazing! Very warm and natural. For a digital recorder it is the closest sounding to analog I've ever heard. It can handle anything you throw at it. Lots of headroom in this unit. The mix engine is incredible. I owned a Korg (their flagship model). Sounds were okay but it was very digital and there was always something missing in my mixes. Not enough 3D or ambience? I don't know but it certainly isn't a problem anymore!

So far so good. I haven't had a single glitch or hiccup. I bought it used with very low hours in excellent condition.

Haven't had to deal with them personally but the OS updates have been truly astonishing. There have been several already.

I'd definitely have to get another one if something were to happen to this one. It's worth every penny I paid and then some. The DPS 24 competes with machines costing 3 times as much... even more! The Korg and Roland don't even come close. USB 2.0 would've been nice for faster back ups and file transfers but it's not needed. There's an option to add a SCSI board to back up/transfer to external drives and it's very fast if you are transferring large amounts of data. The Akai DPS 24 kills the competition!!

Once you understand it, Then no problem.

The best in features

There is nothing that sounds this clear and precise on the marjet for the general public at this time.

This is what the recording industry should have been building all along.

Numark/Akai The best of both worlds. The merging of hte two has given more power for support and innovation

Grab the DPS24 while you can. They are being unloaded at incredible savings to the consumer in response to the new Akai DPS MkII being released (little differnce in the units except the color and an added drive)

Using Beta OS for v.2.0 (surround). The DPS24 is truly a pro-level machine, with 9 individual fader banks (108 total user faders) and full automation (faders, static, and FX), - there is almost no limit to what can be done on this unit. The sound quality is amazing, and we usually record at 24-bit, 44.1k!
The DPS 24 is a professional level machine with an amazingly broad feature set. Certainly it is expected that learning such a complex machine takes a bit of time (just ask any Pro Tools power user!) For those who are impatient, or who may want to learn the features and shortcuts quicker, instructional videos are available from wfstudios.net The newest release "Straightline" is targeted at new users and even features a video "Quick Start Guide" to get you tracking fast. Once you learn this machine, you will be blown away with the sound quality of what you can produce with it.

With 56-bit internal processing, the mix buss on the DPS 24 easily surpasses Pro Tools sound. The clarity is there, no coloration of sound, VERY flexible EQ, Dynamics, and 4 great stereo FX with a versatile library. Akai is also very on top of their OS (which has NO BUGS!). There are many new features which have been implemented in recent OS updates (available free at the Akai Pro web site) as well. Things like "Audio Recovery" which allow you to retreive tracks deleted by mistake, "Fader Flip" which allows you to turn the motorized faders into Aux Sends (for quickly setting headphone monitoring levels), and many more. The on-screen editing works right down to sample level, and is a s good as it gets.

I'd have to say it is a cross between the best analog system and Paris. Very clean, with a detailed stereo panorama. I work with several "big name" studios in LA, and have often received comments like; "How did you get such pristine sound on that?" The converters on this machine are excellent and overall sound quality is top shelf.

Here's where the DPS 24 shines; I've been a DPS 24 user for 4-years now, and in that time I have not had a single crash, lockup, or loss of data. The machine is a rock-solid platform. A Maxtor Diamond 9 Series hard drive is recommended for the most reliable and quiet performance. If your machine has any problems, it may have been shipped with a Seagate drive, which has now become incompatible with the latest operating system. Change out to a Maxtor and you?ll be running smooth as silk!

Akai is a great company, very eager to make sure their customers are happy. Robert Ray at Akai Pro has gladly fielded calls from me and is an excellent testimony to their commitment to support. If you have general questions about the DPS 24, check out www.wfstudios.net where you can buy instructional DVD?s for the machine. They also offer paid phone support for studios.

I think the DPS 24 is by far the best sounding platform out there in the under $30k class. Having worked with projects tracked in Pro Tools, Sonar, Nuendo, and Digital Performer, the sonics of the DPS 24 stand out above all these. Sure it takes a bit of work to learn and understand all the many features of this "deep" machine, but after you do, you'll be working smoothly and turning out very "pro" sounding material with a minimum of effort. If you get stumped; buy the instructional DVD and it will help get you going.

If you understand how to use mixer this piece is quite intuitive. If you have never used a mixer before, I recommend that you download the updated user manual from Akai Pro's website. The included manual is less than exhaustive.
I am running the most current OS (1.6) and the additions that Akai has implemented (at no cost to the user) have considerably increased the units value and functionality. Another update (which adds 5.1 surround capability) is slated for spring release (I think...)
Editing patches is quite easy, again if you understand the concepts behind such things. If you are new to pro audio (mixers, compression, effects editing etc.) than your learning curve will be steep, but worth every minute...
I give this an "8" rating...mainly due to it's "pro" features, which take some learning...tha manual is a bit deficient.

The onboard effects are quite good. You may find yourself wanting an outboard effects unit to supplement the included ones, but it's hardly necessary. The previous reviewer stated that four effects were not enough for 24 tracks. Well, if you need a seperate effect for every track this can easily be done with track bouncing at the mixdown stage...Personnaly, I use mostly reverb and delay, and these can be added to any or all tracks at once.
I do not currently take advantage of the midi functions...

The sound of this unit is excellent. I record almost entirely acoustic instruments, and if you use good quality mics and a good sounding room you will not be dissappointed in what this unit can do.
the onboard effects are "quite good" not "great". Certainly as good as some other units I have tried (Roland VS 880, Korg).

So far, I have had no problems with reliability.
I would use it at a gig without back-up, but if I was a pro audio engineer I would always have a back up regardless of the system I was using...just common snese.

The previous reviewer has some basic misunderstandings about how this unit is designed. Although I understand his/her frustration at having lock ups, his/her experience is not the norm.
The OS does not reside on the hard drive, and transferring his projects would have taken very little time (although it seems he could hardly have recorded much with the anamolies he was experiencing). If he/she had stuck with it (replacing a hard drive in this unit is very easy, especially if you
have any experience with computers...) he would have been a very happy owner...oh well.

So far my experience with the company itself has been minimal. But I will say that the OS development has been nothing short of awesome. The company has (I repeat; at no extra cost) has continually upgraded the functionality and ease of use of the DPS over the 2 years that I have owned it, and will be doing so again in the near future.

I am very happy with my purchase. I have had almost three trouble free years with it and it has met or exceeded my expectations every step of the way.

I only give a "9" because there is always something out there that can improve on whatever I have...one day perhaps a "10" will conme along...but not likely at this price.

The DPS learning curve can be steep, especially if you don't take the time to learn the signal flow. This was my first recorder of any kind and I've had not problems learning how to use the machine. Probably because I did not have any 'habits' to unlearn.

It's got everything I need. And the ADAT connectivity to my PC allows me to use most software plugins for near realtime processing.

The sound quality is what sells the machine.

So far, no problems for me. There have been issues with new distributors not quite knowing what hard drives to install here in the US. But the current distributor is working with new users to sort that out at no charge.

I've had direct access to an Akai rep that was directly involved in the development of the DPS software and a regular over at the primary BBS for the recorder. The DPS World BBS is a community of very helpful users which made learning the machine a breeze. Numark has taken over distribution of the DPS here in the US and I've only had 1 email question...but I did get a same day response. So I'm hopeful that customer support here in the US will be good once Numark gets up to speed.

Compared to the competition, the sound quality alone is worth the cost. Continuing to get software upgrades that actually add features rather than just fix problems is an added bonus that I did not expect.

Anyone who can't figure this machine out just hasn't taken the time or really didn't care to learn it in the first place.

Using Beta OS for v.2.0 (surround). The DPS24 is truly a pro-level machine, with 9 individual fader banks (108 total user faders) and full automation (faders, static, and FX), - there is almost no limit to what can be done on this unit. The sound quality is amazing, and we usually record at 24-bit, 44.1k!

We bought this machine primarily for live location recordings, but now own three of them! (Two in studio, one for location work.) If you have any questions about the machine, go to: the DPS World user forum http://dpsworld.vibestudio.net/viewforum.php?f=1 and ask. Many friendly and helpful folks therewill be happy to answer any queries regarding this fine machine. The manual is lacking, but an instructional DVD is available here: http://www.mixcritique.com/order_get_started.htm - that will get you up and running quickly. Once you put some time in on the machine, it is extremely intuitive!

With 56-bit internal processing, the mix buss on the DPS 24 easily surpasses Pro Tools sound. The clarity is there, no coloration of sound, VERY flexible EQ, Dynamics, and 4 great stereo FX with a versatile library. Akai is also very on top of their OS (which has NO BUGS!), and releases updates with major improvements quite frequently. There are many new features which have been implemented in recent OS updates (available free at the Akai Pro web site) as well.

Let's put it this way; I work with several "big name" studios in LA, and have often received comments like; "How did you get such pristine sound on that?" The converters on this machine are excellent and overall sound quality is top shelf.

I've been a DPS 24 user for 4-years now, and in that time I have not had a single crash, lockup, or loss of data. The machine is a rock-solid platform and I don't ever see myself switching to anything else!

Akai is a great company, very eager to make sure their customers are happy. Robert Ray at Akai Pro has gladly fielded calls from me and is an excellent testimony to their commitment to support. If you have general questions about the DPS 24, there is an excellent user forum at: the DPS World user forum http://dpsworld.vibestudio.net/viewforum.php?f=1 - where you can get almost any question answered quickly!

We own three machines now...don't ever see us switching platforms (*you can slave two machines together with a single MIDI cable for 48-tracks) If they quit making them tomorrow - I'd buy 4 or 5 used units off eBay and hang onto them...just in case. It's really like the Maytag repairman though - the thing never breaks down!

The DPS 24 has really made my life easier; it combines analog-like sound with ProTools ease of editing (actually, easier - no mouse needed!). If you want a pro-level machine - this is the one!

Software Version 1.60

First off, the DPS24 is LOADED with features. Akai has built a well laid out, farily intuitive UI for the machine. Considering the complexity of the device, I've never found it very difficult to figure things out. My previous SIAB (Studio In A Box) was a Yamaha AW2816 which, for me, was much more confusing. Once you learn any device's quirks though it's not that difficult to get around.

One particularly nice thing about the DPS24 is its physical size. Being larger than any other SIAB on the market, though somewhat of a hindrance as regards portability, gives you plenty of room to grab knobs and not feel cramped.

While the manual is adequate, it's certinaly not stellar. Also, since Akai has consistently upgraded the OS, it's vital to download the addendums to understand the many changes you're going to find to the OS. Akai has now put all the documents together and made them available on their international site.

I feel compelled to react to some of the opinions expressed by the last reviewer since he had a negative experience and it's clear that some, if not all, of his problems were due to a lack of understanding of the DPS24.

The DPS24's signal flow is laid out very much akin to a multi-track studio only with enhanced flexibility. The routing possibilities are almost endless. While this is versatile, it also makes things more complex. It hardly seems fair to criticize the DPS for not being a simple 8 track sketch pad since it's clearly marketed as a professional 25 track studio.

As for shutting the unit down. There is no procedure. There is only one thing to be aware of and that's to not shut down while the unit is writing to disk. Hardly complicated.

In a word "LOADED"! The DPS24 has almost everything you could ask for in a SIAB.

Among the most important things are the excellent A/D converters and truly pro-quality pre-amps. While most SIAB skimp here necessitating the need for using outboard pres to get the quality one expects, Akai has put in what are, hands-down, the best mic pres in any box. The sonics of the DPS24 are far superior to anything else on the market. One only needs to talk to the many users who have converted from Yamaha and Roland to find out this is true.

The DPS24 routing is extremely flexible. Almost any In can be sent to any Out. There really isn't much more you could ask for.

Another area where the DPS24 excels is in interfacing. It comes with 8 channels of ADAT installed and there is an option for an additional 16 channels. This means that you can send all 24 tracks to a computer for additional editing or other enhancements. Some of the users have even come up with a method of sending tracks out to a computer for processing and back to the DPS24 IN REAL TIME and it works!!! There is also an optional SCSI card for adding outboard hard drives.

In spite of the nonsense of the last reviewer regarding IDE (I'll get to that in a moment), using these drives means it's very inexpensive to have multiple drives. Many people replace the CD burner with a removable hard drive bay to facilitate this. The unit also has USB and there are rumors (nothing concrete yet) of some kind of high speed interface card coming in the future- either USB 2.0 or firewire. Instead of putting a VGA port on the machine, Akai opted to offer a couple of free programs Ak.sys Trackview and Aks.sys Server. These allow interfacing with a computer for a number of functions including editing and transport control as well as offering scrolling waveforms, a detailed graphical representation of meters, markers, track view, track names, etc. In addition, the software allows you to transfer files between your computer and the DPS24 for project backup, WAV/AIFF import and export and OS updates via USB.

Now, about IDE and FAT32- I'm not qualified to debate the reliability of IDE vs. SCSI. My guess is that the previous reviewer is probably incorrect though. There are literally millions of IDE drives in use at this point, I'm sure their numbers are vastly higher than SCSI. It's clear that it's a proven technology and quite reliable. I think Akai opted for IDE for the obvious reason of the the drives being readily available and inexpensive. Heck, some users with pro studios actually give customers a drive with all their files on it at the end of the session!

That last points up a piece of mis-information in the last review. The OS is NOT on the drive. It is contained on a flash ROM chip on the mobo. This brings up another important point. While the file system is FAT32, it's important to understand that the OS is designed specifically to minimize the fragmentation of the files and is quite efficient. Still, Akai offers utilities to clean up the inevitable odds and ends that are inherent in any digital recording system.

The specific issue he has regarding the incompatibility of Seagate drives is a valid one and, perhaps, Akai could have handled it differently. Unfortunately, there is no way for them to know which units were shipped with Seagate drives and which got something else. They chose to deal with this on a unit-by-unit basis rather than a blanket recall. Because these machines are in such short supply and the demand outstrips their ability to produce them currently, that might have factored in to their belief that the number of affected machines is probably small.

Sure, replacing the drive is a hassle. It's not difficult to be sure, but it's understandable that someone wouldn't want to do it themselves. Of course, Akai would do it for you, but, obviously, that's going to take time. At least you have the option.

It's also important to understand that this problem, as I unde

If we're talking about the quality of the sound the DPS24 reproduces, then the answer is "superb"!

My experience has been excellent. I know there have been some issues with the processor and bad motherboards and of course the hard drive issue mentioned above.

Perhaps this is the one area where things could be improved. Parts have been difficult for servicers to get and turn-arounds have often been long, especially for European customers.

Does the DPS24 have a greater level of failures than other comparable units? I doubt it. While Akai has had some hardware problems, they've done everything they can to remedy the problems. Other manufacturers have had serious software issues due to rushing products to market before properly testing them (at least that's my take). Often, these issues have taken considerable time to be corrected, if they're corrected at all. Akai has gone to great lengths to offer a solid OS and have offered numerous free upgrades to not only correct problems, but to enhance features. To my knowledge, no other manufacturer comes close.

Perhaps some of my comments in the above category belong here, but the two issues are related.

I haven't dealt directly with Akai, but I know from other users that they are responsive to problems and seem to make a concerted effort to correct them. Altnough the previous reviewer seems to believe that it was Akai's responsibility to contact him, had he made any effort to resolve his problem by contacting Akai, I think he probably would have been able to sort things out.

I think it would be good for Akai to prominently post this problem and its solution somewhere on their web site so users would at least know what was happening when the problem occurs.

Like any company, it's probably unreasonable to expect a company to contact YOU to solve your problem.

I wanted to get a DPS24 from the first time I read about it. It was obvious from the specs that it was superior to any unit on the market. Just having 24 line inputs and 12 mic inputs alone told me this was a unit I wouldn't quickly outgrow.

When these units debuted, the street price was $3700.00. Not unreasonable considering all they're capable of, but well beyond my means as a hobbyist and part time composer. So I settled for the Yamaha AW2816. A fine unit, really, but it was confusing (to me, at least)but, truly, there is NO comparison. Now, Akai has dropped the price to $2700.00 and used units are selling for under $2000.00. At these prices, there is nothing even close to this box!

The knock on SIABs is always that they aren't upgradable compared to a DAW environment. To a large extent, this is true. But, if a unit is well designed, with solid hardware and an excellent UI, well then the need to upgrade vanishes or, at least, is pushed back a long while.

I would definitely buy another one if I lost this one.

Does it help me make music? I think anything short of a device that automatically records everything you play and then edits out the crap is going to be somewhat of a hindrance. ;) I think the better question is- How little does this device get in the way of committing my ideas to a permanent media and how easy does it make it to work with those ideas once they're recorded? The answers? Very little and very easy!

Simply put, the DPS24 is the most professional, most powerful and best value in the SIAB market right now.

People will make the argument that a DAW is a better option, but the REAL "best" option is to have both! With the DPS24, you will have the ability to move between both approaches easily and this opens up all kinds of possibilities!

I know it's not usually accepted to question someone elses review since it is really only one person's opinion. Still, I felt that some of the inaccuracies needed to be cleared up and corrected. In no way is this a personal attack. I understand the frustration of spending a lot of money and not being able to accomplish what you had hoped.

One other thing. The users forum, though not directly supported by Akai, is, without a doubt, the most helpful, positive, constructive source I have ever found. The people who populate this forum know the DPS24 inside out and will quickly come to the aid of anyone who asks for assistance. This is a great resource and adds a lot of value to the DPS24.

I'll preface my remarks by saying that anyone with analog multitrack experience should feel at home rather quickly with this machine. In my opinion, most of these machines (and their computer-based counterparts) are way oversold. People take these things home having done little recording and are shocked they can't produce a hit CD the next day. It DOES take work and study to get good at recording...if it came in a box, everyone would do it and what you have here is an honest-to-goodness 8 buss digital mixer and a kicking digital recorder (uncompressed) in one fairly manageable package. Having said all that, the DPS24 is a marvel of simplicity and power...a seeming contradiction. It's obvious that the thing was designed by people with pro studio experience as there's very little proprietary gobbledegook to get beyond. The entire system is geared towards recording breathtakingly clean audio with as little in the way as possible. The converters and clock must be exscellent because I've done A/B tests with and without expensive outboard converters and clocking and the waveforms side by side are indistinguishable until you zoom way...way in. The mic pres are clean and have sufficient gain...if rather neautral. However, compared to what's out there in similar machines...these are top-of-the-heap.
Editing is about as wonderful as it could be. Ridiculously easy and the machine can edit all the way down to the sample level as you would expect of a machine that calls itself "pro". Furthermore, the DSP features like "reverse", "timestretch", "pitch shift" etc. are part of the same editing routine...wonderful!
Automation is similarly powerful and simple. Because of the touch-sensitive faders (and they're actually 100mm units!)...much of the automation input can simply be done by grabbing a fader to activate it and just recording the movement. There's also an excellent "trim-faders" mode whereby you can add/subtract from a fader's position in a particular region using a graphic-interface and movements of .5db. So you get either automation on the fly...or micro-type automation for specific regions...take your choice. Of course, there's also "static" automation available for both "scenes" or global setups as well as "snapshots"...on a channel basis.
The machine comes with several patch presets that configure it for different recording tasks and methods and you can of course easily store your own. Whipping up your own patch setups is a breeze too.
It also comes with presets for eq and dynamics on every channel and fx presets as well as user-storeable locations for all three...nice!
The fx are quite good and internal processing is 56 bit. Because of the ease of routing on this machine, I often run the fx channels back into inputs where I can then eq them and even add dynamics processing. You can also chain multieffects this way...as well as also on the fx channels themselves.
The eq is three-band with the center band parametric...but each band has a full 24db of cut or boost! I find the eq to be fine for most tasks.
Akai has just come out with a new manual that should be a help for new users, but there's a helpful community of users at DPS World, everyone oughtta go there when they get the machine. Here's the address:

http://dpsworld.vibestudio.net/index.php

Besides the above features, the machine has some excellent expansion abilities. For one, a wide/fast scsi card can be added with pretty blazing transfer speeds. It also allows direct recording and playback from a remote drive...EVEN WITH NO INTERNAL DRIVE INSTALLED! This possible both because of the type of scsi used as well as the fact that the OS is not stored on the hard drive but rather on flash rom. In the event of a drive failure (and assuming the user has been diligent about backing-up, just make the scsi drive the working drive and keep right on working. You can also of course use the scsi drive as a "backup" option and it's so fast you can backup (actually a "project copy") a 4 minute 24 track project in about two minutes...maybe less!
The machine also comes with a usb1 port that can be used for both direct import/export or .wavs or entire projects...as well as for running the free "ak.sys" software that interfaces the machine with a PC for more feedback.
Another "homerun" is the fact that the machine comes standard with 8 channels of ADAT in/out...no proprietary nonsense. That can also be expanded to a full 24 channels with a reasonably-priced expansion card. Look around to see what else anywhere near this thing's category has that. There doesn't seem to have been any fear by the manufacturer that the user might actually want to interface with other equipment...rather, they have actually done what they could to facilitate it...what a concept!

The sound of this thing is incredible and that's no overstatement. I would put the recorded output of the DPS24 easily up there with setups costing many times the price of this thing...including some very pricey modular setups. The fx themselves are good, but because the machine comes with ADAT in/out, you can easily run plugin fx on a computer IN REAL TIME when mixing...a monstrous capability that's easier on theis thing than just about anything else like it.

I've had the machine since it was first released and actually pre-ordered it a few months before they were shipped. In all that time and under fairly hard use I've only had a hard drive failure. That's about 3+ years...not too shabby eh?

Right now, Akai is in transition as it has been bought by Numark. Support is still apparently getting up to speed, but the above-mentioned community at DPS World is more than capable of answering questions. As far as standing behind the product, Numark seems intent on doing the right thing...good!

An absolute winner with nothing anywhere near it's capabilites STILL after 3 + years. Akai hit this one out of the park. New users should be aware though that some machines inadvertantly had Seagate drives installed that are no-monger supported by the OS. This will cause error messages and is corrected easily by installing a Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 9...or making sure the distributor has installed the correct drive. If you can't make great recording with this machine...it's not the machine that's holding you back.