The TASCAM analogue DB-25 is a 25-pin D-subminiature connector used to carry eight balanced analogue audio channels on a single cable, operating at a nominal level of +4 dBu. The format was introduced with TASCAM’s DA-88 DTRS tape recorder in 1992, whose pin assignment became the de facto industry standard for professional multi-channel audio interconnection. In 2012 the Audio Engineering Society ratified the pinout as AES59-2012 (“Audio application of 25-way D-type connectors in balanced circuits”), reaffirmed in 2023. Major adopters include Avid (Pro Tools HD 192 I/O), MOTU, SSL, RME, Metric Halo, Dangerous Audio, and SPL.
TASCAM Pinout
| Channel Number | DB-25 Pin Number |
|---|---|
| Hot | Cold |
| 1 | 24 |
| 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 21 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 5 | 18 |
| 6 | 4 |
| 7 | 15 |
| 8 | 1 |
Notes
Each of the eight balanced channels occupies three pins: Hot (+), Cold (–), and an independent Shield/Ground. The full pin assignments for all eight channels are as follows — Ch1: Hot=24, Cold=12, GND=25; Ch2: Hot=10, Cold=23, GND=11; Ch3: Hot=21, Cold=9, GND=22; Ch4: Hot=7, Cold=20, GND=8; Ch5: Hot=18, Cold=6, GND=19; Ch6: Hot=4, Cold=17, GND=5; Ch7: Hot=15, Cold=3, GND=16; Ch8: Hot=1, Cold=14, GND=2. Pin 13 is not connected (NC). All 8 channels travel in one direction per cable — a single cable carries either all inputs or all outputs, never a mix.
AES59 specifies that equipment chassis connectors are always female (DB25F) and cables are always male (DB25M). Jackscrews use 4/40 UNC thread (not metric M3). Analogue input impedance on the DA-88 is 10 kΩ balanced; analogue output impedance is 75 Ω.
Yamaha equipment uses a physically identical DB-25 connector with a different, proprietary pin assignment that is electrically incompatible with the AES59/TASCAM scheme; connecting the two directly without a pin-swapped adaptor snake will cause wiring errors.
References
- AES59-2012 (r2023): AES standard for professional audio — Audio application of 25-way D-type connectors in balanced circuits (Audio Engineering Society)
- Digidesign 192 I/O Guide — Appendix B: DB-25 pin assignments
- TASCAM DA-98HR Technical Documentation
- Tascam DA-88 User Manual