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APPEARANCE & BUILD: The body—plastic with aluminum side panels—feels sturdy but is a far cry from the beefy metal body of the DR-100 II. The large monochrome LCD isn’t a touchscreen, but is easy to read and an upgrade over the DR-40 and DR-100. Unlike color displays, it’s visible in bright sunlight!
A steel tripod socket makes for easy mounting on tripods and light stands. I use a small Arca quick release plate on the DR-44WL, allowing fast mount/dismount from ball heads.
CONTROLS are ample but feel flimsy compared to the DR-100. Unlike the DR-70 and Zoom H6, it has a phantom power switch! Operation is intuitive save for setting levels: 1. press input level button; 2. select tracks; 3. turn level wheel; and, finally, 4. press input level button to exit level adjustment mode. Yikes, I actually had to read the manual to figure that out! The good news is paired stereo tracks, e.g., tracks 1 and 2, may be adjusted simultaneously, shaving off some toil. Channels of a stereo pair may also be adjusted separately, something not possible with the DR-40.
The iOS app, Tascam Control, is smooth and superior to the physical interface of the DR-44WL, especially setting levels. After inputting a password it was up and running in a matter of seconds. The only gotcha is Wi-Fi mode goes through batteries much faster than physical controls so use the USB port for power or keep spare batteries for long sessions.
CONNECTIONS: Combo XLR and TRS allow recording from external pro mics or line level sources such as mixers or outboard mic preamps. Mini or 3.5 mm TRS connectors are not directly supported but can be used with an adapter. In stereo mode, XLR inputs only work with tracks 3 and 4. Tracks 1 and 2 are reserved for the built-in mics. However, tracks 1 and 2 may be assigned to the XLR inputs in multi-track mode if that makes any sense. The DR-44WL has a switch to toggle inputs from mic, phantom power and line level. There are no digital or unbalanced inputs.
A mini (3.5mm) stereo jack is the lone output source. So adapters are needed to interface with studio and home stereo systems. My SD card goes straight in my Mac for storage, editing and playback, so I haven’t bothered to hook up to anything. The DR-44WL has a mini-USB port for power or uploading to a computer, but not for playback or recording.
BATTERIES: The DR-40 is an odd bird with three AA batteries in its belly. Thankfully the DR-44WL uses four AA batteries. I use Eneloop Pro rechargeable batteries and they last through an all day rehearsal. Standard Eneloop work fine also but the slightly larger size make them really tough to install/remove from the battery compartment. You can also power it from a USB port or most USB chargers.
MICS & SOUND QUALITY: I record my rehearsals and live shows, so a fast and simple setup is paramount. The built-in X/Y stereo cardioid mics are a level better than DR-40 and DR-100 MKII mics: warmer and fuller bass and midrange but slightly bright in upper frequencies. Stereo imaging is excellent, with each musician precisely placed in the stereo field. Listen to my video with headphones and you can hear where each guitarist is sitting!. I loved the DR-40’s ability to switch between X/Y and A/B wide stereo and disappointed Tascam omitted said feature from the DR-44WL.
Preamps are surprisingly clean: using a pair of KM-184 in a soundproof booth, I could detect no noise in classical guitar solos recorded at -12 and 75% gain. In other words, significantly cleaner than the DR-40 and perhaps slightly better than the DR-100 II. I only record soft finger picked guitars and the DR-44WL has plenty of gain, typically set 50 to 75% for -12 dB.
RFI RESISTANCE: I’m surrounded by RFI: radio station transmitters and everybody is packing microwave emitting smartphones! Audio gear needs shielding or it records static, microwave beeps and classic rock stations! The DR-44WL has exceptional RFI shielding (DR-40 was a beeping mess around cellphones). Tascam had to beef up RFI shielding since the DR-44WL partners with iOS/Droid remote control apps.
LAST BLURB: I'm pleased with the DR-44WL: excellent recording quality, good built-in mics, clean preamps, RFI resistant and great iOS remote control app. The cons are awkward level adjustment and controls feel flimsy. Considering the reasonable price and sound quality, the DR-44WL is a winner for me.
