OVERVIEW:
This is the Tascam DR-60D ii, and it's an affordable, 4-channel XLR (and 3.5mm mini plug) audio recorder. It's a popular recorder, that looks impressive (and is CAPABLE of capturing good audio) but it's not as portable or easy to use as I would prefer, so it didn't make it into my final KIT PLAN.

MAIN POINTS:
PART 1: IS IT PORTABLE?
PART 2: IS IT AFFORDABLE?
PART 3: IS IT COMMON?
PART 4: HOW’S THE QUALITY?
PART 5: IS IT EASY TO USE?
PART 6: NEEDS ADD-ONS?
PART 7: WHERE DO I BUY?

PART 1: IS IT PORTABLE?
It isn't for me, but my requirement for portability includes the ability to mount an audio recorder onto my "dual-camera cage" and due to the fact it holds two (2) cameras already, it has little room left for this DSLR-sized audio recorder. So, it's not portable according to me, but it might fit into your kit plan okay...it takes up about the same amount of space as a (Micro Four Thirds) camera with lens in my camera backpack.

PART 2: IS IT AFFORDABLE?
I think it is, especially for a 4-channel audio recorder that has both XLR and 3.5mm (mini plug) inputs.

PART 3: IS IT COMMON?
It’s fairly easy to find used (on Ebay, OfferUp, etc.) so I would say it’s “common”. It's also available new on Amazon, but it was difficult to find, until I went directly to the Tascam store (on Amazon). Version 1 (with silver vs. red handles) is also out there, but people like this one (version 2) better so make sure to pick up the “Mark 2” version if you’re going for this recorder.

PART 4: HOW’S THE QUALITY?
This recorder IS capable of producing high quality audio files, but I must rush to say that it requires a bit of skill and experience to make this happen. The reason is there are two ways to adjust the gain, and if you don't get it right, the audio isn't very clean (and low signal levels are part of the problem, not just high levels). The two ways to control gain are MENU PRESETS (such as LOW, MID, HIGH, etc.) and then the GAIN DIALS (KNOBS). So, you might think all you would need to do is to read the audio level (the meters) and use these two controls to keep it in range, but THE GAIN DIALS ARE NOT GRADUAL (they kind of jump betweem 3 or 4 main levels when you turn the dial). So, it's tough to fine-tune the level to manage the peaks. Plus, the lows aren't clean enough to trust so you have to always monitor with headphones to find the sweet spots of these pre-amps. It's a struggle, and it's certainly not fun or stress-free like using a 32-bit float recorder (which requires no more than turning it on to get quality...though mic placement is still important, of course).

PART 5: IS IT EASY TO USE?
My systems are all about not being stressful to use, and this recorder wasn’t what I consider easy to use (when compared to my other budget audio recorders). There are a number of reasons I say this but remember they all come down to the ability to operate it quickly while you're under stress. The first thing is, the battery life is really short. I was using Energizer rechargeables, which are pretty good, and it lasted for about an hour. To work with this, I power it from a power bank as often as I can, but this makes it even less portable. Also, it’s important to make sure you always put batteries inside too (so it won’t shut off if the power bank gets unplugged). Next, there are just way too many buttons for me to like. I appreciate all of the options, but it just seems like it makes there more things that you can do wrong. I felt like I did understand most of the features after diving through the menus, but there was just too much information for me to be able to process everything under stress. Then, there's the strange gain knob situation; as I mentioned above, the knobs seem to adjust the gain level in STAGES, not gradually (as a knob/dial would suggest). That makes fine-tuning sort of...impossible. Then, there are the multiple output options (on the right side of the recorder). They are fun to have, and can actually be helpful if you're trying to get tricky, but there just seems to be no simple way to use this recorder, and that's why I'm having to categorize this as an ADVANCED level audio recorder.

PART 6: NEEDS ADD-ONS?

PART 7: WHERE DO I BUY?

CONCLUSION:
I think this is a good tool for an ADVANCED user, who doesn't have a lot of money but needs XLR input and a bunch of 3.5mm output options. I don't personally like the idea of mounting it underneath my camera (because I'm using a "dual-camera cage") and I don't typically do XLR audio (for budget "fake filmmaking") so, for me there are better options available, so I'm giving this one up.