Tascam SS-CDR250N

Tascam SS-CDR250N

The Tascam SS-CDR250N is a 1U rackmount solid-state and CD recorder/player designed for professional installations where recording and playback have to happen reliably, on schedule and often unattended. It records stereo or mono audio to SD cards, USB flash memory and CD-R/CD-RW, plays back from the same media, and connects to a network so that finished recordings can be transferred automatically and the unit can be controlled remotely. Broadcast studios, houses of worship, conference facilities, schools and public venues use this class of machine because it has no moving parts to wear out in daily service, starts instantly and keeps working to a timetable without an operator standing over it.

Two SD card slots sit at the centre of the design. Used together they allow backup recording, where the same programme is written to both cards at once so a card failure cannot lose the session, or relay recording, where the unit rolls from the first card to the second for very long unattended captures. An automatic file-closing process protects recordings against sudden power loss, so a session survives as usable files rather than one corrupted take.

Key features

• Records to dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots, USB flash memory and CD-R/CD-RW
• Backup (mirror) and relay recording across the two SD card slots
• WAV recording up to 96 kHz / 24-bit, plus MP3 and CD-DA recording to disc
• Ethernet networking with FTP client and server functions and automatic file upload
• Event lists automate recording, playback and file transfer at set times, with SNTP time synchronisation
• Balanced XLR mic/line inputs with phantom power, unbalanced RCA inputs
• AES/EBU and S/PDIF digital inputs and outputs with sample rate converter
• Optional IF-DA2 card adds two-channel Dante input and output
• iOS and Android control app, RS-232C serial and parallel remote ports
• Pitch and key control, auto cue, program, random and repeat playback

Network Operation, Explained

The Ethernet connection changes the SS-CDR250N from a standalone deck into part of a facility’s workflow. As an FTP client it can upload each finished recording to a server automatically and download files for playback; as an FTP server it lets staff pull files from the unit over the network. Event lists schedule recording, playback, downloads and other operations against the clock, and the SNTP client keeps that clock accurate, so a service, lecture or broadcast segment is captured and delivered without anyone visiting the rack.

Connections for Installed Systems

Analogue inputs cover both worlds an installation meets: balanced XLR connectors that accept line sources or microphones with switchable phantom power, and unbalanced RCA connectors for consumer-level equipment. Digital sources connect through AES/EBU on XLR or S/PDIF on coaxial RCA, with a sample rate converter accepting incoming rates from 32 kHz to 192 kHz. Outputs mirror the inputs in balanced XLR, unbalanced RCA, AES/EBU and S/PDIF form, and a front-panel headphone output with its own level control allows local checking. Serial RS-232C and a 25-pin parallel port integrate the recorder with building control systems, and the optional RC-SS150 remote adds flash-start playback from a colour LCD controller.

Where the SS-CDR250N Fits

This is a machine for fixed racks rather than mobile kits: recording services and events for archive or distribution, playing scheduled announcements and background material, capturing meetings and proceedings, and standing in broadcast chains where media handling must be predictable. The CD drive keeps it compatible with the disc-based material many venues still hold, while the solid-state and network functions carry the day-to-day work.

Full technical specifications for the Tascam SS-CDR250N are listed in the Additional Information table on this page.