The TASCAM Model 12 and DR-40X Keep the Creative Juices Flowing for Spencer Lere

January 2023... For most musicians, flexibility is the key to working steadily. Such is the case for Spencer Lere, whose activities span the full gamut from performing musician to recording engineer to technician and more. The ability to handle these various tasks requires both musical and technical proficiency and, on the technical side of matters, Lere relies on his TASCAM Model 12 Integrated Production Suite and DR-40X 4-track portable recorder to keep the creative juices flowing.

As a professional musician, Lere works with several artists as a drummer for studio, live, and touring projects. Some of these bands include the pop rock artists Bleached featuring sisters Jennifer and Jessica Clavin, formerly of Mika Miko, Low Hum, Dengue Fever, Pablo Dylan, Haunted Summer, and others. In addition to his playing / performing work, Lere is also the drum tech for the punk rock act The Linda Lindas. When he is not performing or working as a drum tech, he engineers music for many of these same artists. Regardless of the musical endeavor, his TASCAM Model 12 and DR-40X are consistently part of the musical equation.

"The Model 12 is currently set up in my lockout studio (shared rehearsal space) and is ready for just about anything, including production, writing, and rehearsing," Lere explained. "Utilizing all the Model 12's inputs, its high-quality mic preamps, and EQs, I find it immensely helpful for capturing quality sounding drum takes, percussion, synths, or whatever else my clients and I want to record during a writing and pre-production session. When I rehearse with bands there, we use the Model 12 for everything, including playback of the songs we're working on in addition to a wide range of other audio material."

When asked about some of the Model 12's key features that he finds most beneficial to his manner of working, Lere offered the following thoughts, "I should start by saying that I've had the Model 12 since March of this year and, while I've learned a lot about it, this piece is deep, so there is still more to learn. For starters, the unit's Ultra HDDA (High-Definition Discrete Architecture) mic preamps are terrific. They sound great, they're very transparent, and they offer plenty of headroom that enables them to work well with all types of microphones, including ribbons."

"The Model 12's Input / Output architecture is extremely versatile and makes it a great choice for everything from multitrack recording to interfacing with all sorts of other equipment, including DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations)," Lere added. "The mixer's selectable PFL/AFL modes and solo in place (SIP) allow for flexible monitoring of individual channels—eliminating the need to mute each single channel when dialing in the mix. Further, having compression available on each channel is terrific, as it can serve as the glue that helps keep everything together. To sum it all up, the Model 12 has excellent build quality, packs a lot of punch, and is remarkably portable for all that it offers."

In addition to his Model 12, Lere has also become a big fan of the TASCAM DR-40X 4-track portable recorder. "The DR-40X is my musical sidekick and is rad," he enthused. "I use it during rehearsals with new bands outside of my studio to keep myself sharp and to learn new material. I also take it to singer/artist meetings to capture song ideas for their projects that I'm producing. I use it when I teach lessons and to capture the student's progress. While traveling—particularly to places I've never been—I also use my DR-40X to record nature, ambient sounds, and more to incorporate into my music production and future artistic endeavors. I pretty much take it wherever I go and use it to help keep me organized."

In addition to his Model 12 and DR-40X, Lere also uses TASCAM TH-07 headphones, which he is also enthusiastic about. "The TASCAM TH-07 headphones have a perfect balance of being comfortable, clear sounding and reliable," he reports. "They enable me to focus on my work without ever getting distracted. I use these headphones while working in my studio, on my computer, and tracking live performances. Their versatility makes them a great choice for all types of work."

Before turning his focus back to his musical efforts, Lere offered these parting comments, "All in all; community, gear, and support are what fuel my creative livelihood, and TASCAM has been the best in all those areas. The company has been very supportive of my music career and very responsive when communicating. My thanks to everyone there for everything!"

To learn more about Spencer Lere, contact him via email him at sleremusic@gmail.com.