Podcaster Rafael Cardenas Thrives with TASCAM

March 2024... For photographer, content creator, and filmmaker Rafael Cardenas, (AKA Rafa), the ability to interview and shine a light on a variety of artists and their creative endeavors is the motivation that fuels his online presence known as Dancng Sobr w/ Rafael Cardenas. Podcasting is a big part of Rafa's activity and at the center of his endeavors are two popular products from TASCAM: the Mixcast 4 Podcast Mixer, Recorder, USB Audio Interface and Streamer, as well as the Portacapture X8 8-channel 32-bit float Portable Audio Field Recorder.

Rafa refers to himself as a constant creator. In his own words, "I have always had my toes in some kind of art form. I am an exhibiting photographer and have several photographs in museum collections (https://www.rafa.la/). Further, I am currently doing a podcast that is at 100 episodes, and I am also working on making short films for festivals." His TASCAM Portacapture X8 and Mixcast 4 have proven invaluable to his artistic efforts, as he discussed.

"I have been using the Mixcast 4 for about 50 episodes of my podcast," Rafa reports. "It is the easiest system I have ever used. I use the Mixcast with TASCAM TM-70 microphones, and I love how simple the system is to set up and breakdown—it captures dialogue beautifully. I just recently acquired the Portacapture X8. My first project with it is for a short film. I have run a variety of test scenarios at home, and I love it. Like the Mixcast 4, this is a tremendously intuitive piece of equipment to get up and running with. I love the touchscreen and the easy access to presets that work like magic. I also look forward to using my Portacapture on traveling podcast episodes. Its compact size makes it so much easier to take on the road."

Regarding the various capabilities of his Mixcast 4 and his Portacapture X8, Rafa shared those aspects that he finds particularly appealing. "I love that the Mixcast 4 records all tracks separately so that I can adjust the sound accordingly for each guest," he explained. "I also love the easy set up and colorful display that is easy to read."

As for the Portacapture X8, Rafa reports, "The Portacapture X8's touchscreen and presets are a lifesaver. I am not a big gearhead, but I do understand the basics, so for me these features are intuitive and work beautifully. The display is big, colorful, and easy to read and likewise, the presets are easy to access and provide a terrific setup for a variety of creative scenarios. Equally important, you can choose a preset and then fine-tune it more to your liking, so they end up being a great starting point. As an example of my work, you can visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIoxXs_yVJc."

Rafa reports that he has been using his Mixcast 4 for roughly one year at this point and that his Portacapture X8 has been in his creative arsenal for just over a month. When queried about TASCAM's customer support and technical assistance, he offered the following, "My actual contact with TASCAM has been limited because the gear itself is so well designed and intuitive to use. From my limited contact with the company, however, I get the sense that the TASCAM team is ready to assist should I need it, and that inspires confidence."

As he prepared to shift his focus back to the business of the day, Rafa offered these parting thoughts, "Without these products from TASCAM, I wouldn't be able to do what I am doing now. They are really important to my efforts, and I am extremely grateful to TASCAM. I love these products and am eager to use the Portacapture X8 on another project this coming weekend."

To learn more about Rafael Cardenas, visit him online at https://www.youtube.com/c/RafaelCardenas71/videos.