TASCAM Celebrates 50th Anniversary in 2021

TASCAM is celebrating the company’s 50th anniversary in 2021.

As the professional audio division of TEAC Corporation, TASCAM’s heritage dates back to the late 1960s when the Tani brothers — both engineers — and Dr. Abe, a senior engineer at TEAC, formed a special R&D group named TEAC Audio Systems Corp. (TASC) for the purpose of researching ways to apply TEAC’s recording technology for musicians and recording studios. In 1971, TASC AMerica Corp. (TASCAM) was established for the purpose of distributing TASC products in the U.S. and conducting additional market research. Then, in 1974, TASCAM was absorbed by the growing TEAC Corp. of America sales and distribution company, and TASCAM became the official brand name of all TEAC recording products designed specifically for musicians and recording studios.

The TASCAM name has a rich history, both in terms of the company’s technological achievements and the artists and engineers who have used the company’s products. The TASCAM Series 80-8 tape deck was a half-inch, open reel eight-track format recorder. It was used to record the voices of R2-D2 and C-3PO in the making of the first Star Wars movie, “A New Hope,” in 1977. Pop star Lady Gaga’s father gifted her a Portastudio when she was 11 years old. Reflecting on the gift, she said, “I could just sit at the piano and hook up a mic and record by myself. That’s probably the best gift that my dad ever gave me.”

tascam.com