Target Shift - From Broadcasting Studio to Music Industry

The recorder was originally developed to target needs in broadcasting studios. However, the market was quite small, consisting of only a few dozen companies and they required only 2-track machines. The development team reconsidered and decided to seek out a larger market and so set their eyes on the American music industry. The timing was just when the CD era was to begin. There was a strong demand for multi-track recording capabilities using digital pulse code modulation, and the development team, having the experience and unique technologies accumulated from bringing the X-80 to the market, went to work and released the worldÕs first 32-track digital recorder, the X-800, in 1982. But despite apparent demand, the unit did not sell well initially.