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Tascam 244 tutorial / Part 1: RECORDING / “Do it anyway you wanna” - People’s choice
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- čas přidán 13. 01. 2018
- In this tutorial I'm recording a part of the song “Do it anyway you wanna“, by People’s Choice, on a Tascam 244.
Part 1: • Tascam 244 tutorial / ...
Part 2: • Tascam 244 tutorial / ...
Part 3: • Tascam 244 tutorial / ...
Part 1 covers recording of 3 tracks:
Tr. 1 - Drum loop out of Garageband
Tr. 2 - Bass guitar, through a Crate bass amplifier, miked with a Sennheiser e602
Tr. 3 - Electric piano, played live in Garageband
Part 2 shows how to bounce tracks 1+2+3 to track 4.
Part 3 contains recording of 3 extra tracks:
Tr. 1 - Electric guitar, through a Crate bass amp (!), miked with a Sennheiser MD421
Tr. 2 - Grand piano, played live in Garageband
Tr. 3 - B3 Organ, played live in Garageband
Part 3 also shows how to mixdown, with a Lexicon MPX500 reverb connected to the Aux Send.
I had a 244 I bought in 1983...had it for 11 years and am SO grateful! I learned so much in the way of recording with limitations and problem solving. Best recording education ever!
Great tutorial! I just bought a 244 and the user manual is overly technical for a dope like me. This video made learning how to record with this machine very easy. Thanks!
One of the best guides I've seen. I've been trying to use that thing in my head since I was a kid.
I cannot thank you enough for thid video. I have been looking for information on my 244 since 2011, to no prevail. Thank you!
DJ Clark Thanks for your comment! Currently I have a little problem with the idler tyres of my 244, but there will be more videos after it’s been repaired
I really want one of these! Have you heard the album Rock And Roll Nightclub by Mac DeMarco? It was made in 2012 but to my knowledge he recorded the whole thing on one of these!
cause I‘m a MAAAAAAAAAN
You’re listening to 96.7 the piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipe
Me and Jon, we're hanging on
Could not get better than this! Awesome videos man, keep going! 😄
Thanks for watching!
I bought a 244 some weeks ago. Thanks so much for this video. It is very useful!
OMG This is where home multi- tracking became affordable. I had one of these in the 1980's. Didn't think there were still any working units still out there. So many great memories.
This machine is great.
Very cool!!😀🎶
¡Muchas gracias por el video!
Javier Foxon Thanks for watching! (“Gracias por ver”?) 😀
Great video!
Thank you!
great vid :)
Dennis, I think your awesome my friend. You are bringing back some great memories for me with old school recording techniques which to me is just the best. I've noticed a kind of revival coming a long with the love of analogue multitrack machines. I'll try and do some myself for my 488 mk1. Kindest regards. Paul.
Paul thank you for your kind words. Analog recording is the best for me, too, it’s limitations keep me focused, and it sounds sweet and lively.
Please do some 488 video’s, I’d like to hear that. Let me know if you need any help
Hi Dennis, Please feel free to look me up on Facebook if you have it, under the name of Paul Erroch. It would be great to share some recorded material that I already have with you my friend. Kind regards Paul.
Hi Dennis, here is a little live karaoke singing performance I did in summer of last year. I hope you like it. czcams.com/video/78eGzugiez0/video.html
Paul Erroch I’m not a Tom Jones fan, but your performance is quite impressive. It takes some nerve to do such a song live
Snare sounds great when it distorts
Hi Dennis, fijne videos! Ik ben mijn Tascam 246 aan het voorbereiden op opname sessies en jouw instructies helpen mij enorm!
thvsch Hey dat is leuk, een Nederlandse reactie 👍, mooi dat je iets aan de videos hebt!
Wat & waar ga je opnemen? En wat moet er aan je recorder gebeuren?
Groeten, Dennis
Multitrack Cassette Fans De recorder is volledig prima. Ik ben alleen nog aan het knoeien met de setup van hardware die ik tussen pc en recorder gekoppeld heb. Waarschijnlijk maak ik het mezelf te moeilijk, eerst maar eens simpel beginnen.
thvsch Okee, wat zit er tussen? Ik gebruik zelf een focusrite scarlett 2i2, die bevalt heel goed
Multitrack Cassette Fans Meerdere effect apparaten (reverb, delay, compressor) voordat ik via monitor out naar Mackie mixer ga. Via Mackie mixer kan ik ook rechtstreeks microfoons en geluidsbronnen aansluiten, oa via tussenweg stereo tube input. Vervolgens vanuit mixer naar Tascam interface naar pc.
thvsch Ik ben benieuwd, zet het maar op youtube !
Informative
Thanks for your content denis (Denys). Sorry if i butchered your name. But i appreciate you and your content so much. I will give a shout out to you on my album.✌🏻🌾
Wow great, keep me posted! Thanks for watching 👍👍👍
Thank you for making this video. Are you using the headsphones out for your monitors? The tape cue section puzzles me quite a bit. I have tried to record tracks separately and for some reason they have been bounced so that all the previous stuff from say tracks 1 and 2 have been on the track 3 instead of just the stuff I tried to record on the track 3. There is something about the way this machine works that is incredibly hard for me to understand. I just printed the owners manual and am about to dive into that in order to get a grasp on how to for an example record a drum machine on tracks 1&2 and a guitar on the track 3 and then afterwards record another guitar on the track 4 without it bouncin other stuff on the track 4 in the process. I love the aesthetics and the sound of this unit and will definitely put in the hours to understand how to use it. :)
Timo Juntunen Thanks for commenting! Do yourself a favor and try to understand how the BUSS system works. If you get a good concept of this, things are becoming pretty straightforward. And you will have a great time recording and producing on this machine
Hi! Im looking one to add some colour to my recordings, does it adds to many noise??? Thank you! Really nice channel!!
Ansel Williams Thank you very much! The amount of noise it adds depends on things like the recording level and EQ. And also the use of dbx, but on the 244 there is no option to switch dbx off. This recorder will definitely do “something” to your sound...!
I suppose you record digitally first?
Great video, looking to delve into multitrack casettes as I want to move away from using computers as a musician. Can this unit record all 4 tracks at the same time, and if not, would you be able to reccomend one that does? Thanks in advance.
housekeys Thanks for watching! Yes, the 244 is able to record 4 tracks at once. Have you seen the “Record function” switch? It says SYNC, SAFE, and 4 CH REC. The latter enables you to route the 4 mixer channels onto 4 separate tracks.
I still have a 144 that I got new when they came out. Wish I'd waited for the 244! The 144 can only record up to 2 channels at one time, and it lacks the tape out jacks the 244 has. Lack of tape outs was a huge problem when I wanted to transfer my old 4-channel cassette masters of the music I did back then into the computer. I wound up recently getting a 424 mkII off ebay to do it. I think the 144 (and probably the 244) are the best made Portastudios. Certainly the heaviest! Also, the 144 used full-time Dolby B noise reduction. I think the 244 and later used DBX. So tapes made on the 144 are not noise-reduction compatible with later machines. One good thing the 424 has is a DBX that can be shut off. When I transferred the 144 tapes I shut the DBX off and used a Dolby B VST to handle the Dolby encoding. I was very happy with the results.
So how long can these machines stay functional? I know they have work done to them and they get serviced and moving parts get replaced or whatever...but all the circuitry...I mean how long are the boards and all that able to last before they just become totally broken down? I have a Tascam 464.
Hello Dennis, just a quick message to wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous new year dear friend. Kind regards. Paul.
Hey Paul, happy 2020 to you too...Long time no see on CZcams! I saw you post a new vid last week, haven’t watched it yet :) I expect to start posting new ones in a couple of months from now. Nice to hear from you again 👍
@@MultitrackCassetteFans thank you for your reply Dennis. I've missed your channel content. I've been doing a bit of recording recently for a charity album in aid of people who need financial help. All of the recordings are being done on the Tascam 488MK1 with some fantastic results. I can't wait to see your future post's.
Tascam 488MK1 Home multitrack recording What a great way to contribute in 2020...with analog recordings 😀
Well helping people helps me, and I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I know only too well what it's like to have nothing. Not do long ago I was homeless, and truly feared for my own wellbeing. But I believe wholeheartedly that I learned from that experience and how to really appreciate what I do have in my life now. So what else can I do but just try and help raise money for people who are really struggling. I have a gift that is not being used commercially or for self gain. So it would be a shame to waste it.
Tascam 488MK1 Home multitrack recording That’s a great thing to do Paul, especially from your own personal experience. Are you going to publish this album when it’s done?
Hello there. I have been left a Tascam Teac 244 that I am selling. I can't use it and wish to find it a home where it will be loved. I am in Ireland. Do you know how is the best way to show that it is for sale.
are you plug in into monitors? Ive been pretty confuse in how to plug in monitors to the tascam
Bass track: *drops out*
Davie504: *wait that's illegal - checkmate, Dennis!*
Hi,I'm glad I found this channel,can I ask what type of cassette use to record? Normal cassette will do? I have lots of old cassette..if can..boy I saw 1 244 at a good price here at my area..let me know please😍🙏🙏
Hi Topa, you can use Normal (Type I) cassettes, but Tascam strongly recommended Type II (or chrome) cassettes back in the day. TDK SA 60/90 were good, and Maxell XLII 60/90 were the best! Don’t use 120 tapes, they’re too thin
@@MultitrackCassetteFans thanks you very much 😍😍🙌🏻😍🙌🏻😍🙌🏻
Is it possibly to record stereo sounds? I have it setup now to record a stereo delay L to track 1 panned hard left R to track 2 paned hard right. They sound lands in those two channels properly but, if I turn channel one all the way down I can still here it in the master out? Am I doing something wrong?
Torrey Taralli Is channel 1’s “pre / off / post” set to “post”? It should be, if I understand your question correctly.
If it is “pre”, (pre fader), the fader position doesn’t have any effect
I have a 424 mk3 and haven't used it yet, have a pet input that's wrong but seems to work. Question,
Will it not acknowledge any functions in the recording section (or rec button) if there's no tape?
And there's a little reel at the bottom of the tape deck that's constantly turning.
I'm beyond excited to use this thing when I get everything I need for it, does it sound like any of those are issues? Thank you very much
That little reel at the bottom must be the capstan, and if it is, it is perfectly okay
Hi, great video, very helpful, thanks! I have some issues with radio interference in the recording process. I can't figure out where it comes from. Have you had these kinds of issues in the past? I am recording with various sound sources at the same time: tape cassette, contact microphones, through a tape echo and then into 2 channels and the radio seems to be present in the playback. Also I can't seem to isolate track 1 from track 2. (they are bleeding into eachother) Hard to tell if the radio interference is actually on the recording. What I have found is that depending on the jack cable positions I pick up more or less interference. Cheers!
Gmo C Radio interference can be caused by various things. Try to rebuild your setup gradually from the ground up, and maybe you will find the element thay t causes the interference.
I’m not sure about the lack of isolation of track 1 and 2, I would have to see the recorder in front of me.
Hope you find a solution!
@@MultitrackCassetteFans thanks for your reply. Have you ever recorded 2 tracks at the same time in sync mode? On your video you record one at a time. Maybe that's the issue, as you have to bring the level down on the track recorded while recording the next. I will also check the manual. Thanks again!
Gmo C if you want to record on track 1 and 2 simultaneously, in sync mode, pan 1 input hard left, and the second hard right. That way you should have two fully isolated tracks
@@MultitrackCassetteFans Thanks!
Shouldn't you have the pan knob turned all the way to the left when you record on track one?
That routes the signal to the proper buss.
Burt Reynolds Basically you’re right, but for bouncing to a mono track it doesn’t matter that much. The right buss will be fed the whole mix even when all channels are centered. But I believe hard right would have been slightly better. Thanks for watching!
Hey Dennis, I noticed when you recorded on track 3 the VU meter lit up on the track 1 VU only even though you selected track 3 and recorded to track 3, is that normal?
Also noticed this! Answers anyone?
Did you record the GarageBand drums/keys from an interface to 244 or straight from your computer to 244? Which cable/cord was used for this?
Wondering the same thing
I had one a while ago then it was beyond repair, just got another today. Definitely needs new rubbers. I’m noticing all my channels are getting signal just fine and all VU meters are lighting properly with corresponding selections but no needle movement on any of the VUs. Is it possible for the VU’s to be dead but still have working lights?
I think that is possible. Please check a channel called Tetrakan Supermonobloc, he has an incredible technical knowledge of these machines
Miss your videos, Dennis! Hope you're doing well
Thanks Eric! I currently have no plans on making any new content, I might in the future. Thanks for your kind words
@@MultitrackCassetteFans Whenever the inspiration strikes 🤞🏻Take care!
Can I play four track cassettes made with the Tascam 234 on this 244?
dreamvue1 I haven’t tried that, but I think you can. Please note that the 244 has dolby noise reduction permanently switched on, so if your 234 tape was recorded without dolby, you’ll get a messed up sound at playback. You can’t disable dolby on the 244
Hi, thanks for this useful video. I have a problem with mine: the line out/aux out won't work in stereo, only left is working though de aux send works in stereo. How can I use it in stereo? I mean as a mixer (I am waiting for new belts to test the tape part).
Hi Jean (are you from Belgium?), I haven’t found out how that stereo function was meant to work either. I did manage to connect a reverb to left and a delay to right, and feed them back into the mixer, so it kind of worked like 2 sends in one. But if only your left aux out is working, it may be a part of the right aux signal path electronics that’s broken. Perhaps a condenser or a transistor. But I’m by no means an expert in electronics. I hope you manage to get in working condition. Keep me posted! 👍
@@MultitrackCassetteFans Thanks for your message, I am from North of France. I managed to use effects too, I just can't line out in stereo. I will check the signal path!
Jean Debaecker Ah okay, bonne chance 😀
I’m almost brand new to tape, is this a good unit to buy for beginners?
One of the best!
I'm gonna buy one of these as it's at a pretty decent price. Right now I just use a focusrite interface. Would you say that the tascam sounds warm compared to digital?
David Picarazzi I rarely use the word “warm” for audio. All I can say is that recording to tape “does something” to your sound. In the past, I have recorded on both 4 tr cassette and 16 tr harddisk, and of course the audio quality of digital is much better, but with digital I never seemed to get a mix right, for example. It felt like there was no natural connection between the individual tracks. Sound quality of cassette is much less, but I think it has more character to it, and that character might very well be the thing that makes mixing a more “natural” experience.
I hope this answers your question.
(When I mix down, I also use a focusrite interface to capture the stereo mix into the computer)
This was an honest answer, thank you! It definitely isn't as clean as digital, but it's more natural and unique. I might pick one of these up in the near future, unfortunately they're quite pricey! Do you recommend buying a broken one and having it repaired or just buy it working?
David Picarazzi The 244 can be a little expensive sometimes, indeed. I’d look for one that looks goods, that has been treated well. I’ve seen recorders that were so dirty (and smelled after cigarette smoke) that I’d rather not touch them. But there are also recorders that have no scratches on the surface etc etc. That says at least something about the way it’s been treated.
We’re talking about devices that are 30 years old, so if you buy a working one, it might as well break in your first week of ownership.
You just need a little luck in life :)
Multitrack Cassette Fans I might bite the bullet and buy an already broken one, I'm sure I could get it repaired anyways. I can't wait to have this thing, it be nice to step out of ableton for once, lol.
David Picarazzi I totally agree, keep me posted!
Hey Dennis, is the playback audio in mono? If so, how can I record true stereo, say for example if I had a keyboard melody coming from my daw
David Picarazzi No, playback can be stereo, but all my videos are mono, because I film using the mic input of my iphone.
If you want to record a stereo signal, you’ll have to sacrifice 2 tracks, and while mixing, pan them hard left and right. Welcome to the beautiful world of the 4-tracker’s limitations...:)
Multitrack Cassette Fans it’s quite fun to work with a 4 track, after only using digital it’s “new and fresh” for me which is funny. Also, thank you for these videos! They’re extremely helpful
Thanks David!
On the 388 (which I have) you have to pan left to record on odd tracks and right to record to even tracks. I assume that's not the case with the 244
Yes, that’s also the case on the 244 (in sync mode) and many more cassette 4-trackers, not only Tascam but also Vestax and Fostex. Even an 8-tracker like the 488 has this principle. The 244 can also record on 4 separate track though (in 4CH mode).
Wow...a 388...that must be a joy to work with. Thanks for your comment!
@@MultitrackCassetteFans It is. Though I tend to baby it, so I don't use it very often.
But I don’t see you panning the tracks
What is the common process to cleaning the heads?
back in the day we used alcohol and a Qtip
Hi, what do I do if the cassettes I have already have sound on them, is there a way to erase them using the tascam?
just record with nothing plugged in I believe :)
Hi, I'm super new to recording in general. I just bought a 244 and I'm a bit confused. When I record my drums on track 1 and play it back they start playing a lot later than when I initially started the recording. Then when I record my guitar with the drums and listen to the playback the whole track starts 50 seconds into the tape running. Followed by all that each time I rewind the tape to listen to the track it starts up even later at around 70 seconds and so on and so forth. Am I doing something wrong or is it the machine? Sorry if that doesn't make sense, again, I'm very new to all this.
Dream Daze Are you rewinding to 000? Maybe the little belt that drives the counter is worn out, so you rewind too far while the counter hasn’t reached zero yet
I have it set to stop at zero, but I just find where the song starts then hit the reset button so it starts about 2 seconds in.
Dream Daze I think your counter is not properly driven by the motors. Probably a thin little rubber band that drives the counter mechanism that needs to be replaced.
Do you need tape to get any audio in?
No, you can use this machine as a mixer onky as well
What brand of cassette tapes do you recommend? I just purchased one of these and this tutorial is gonna help so much
Not Me: thanks for watching and subscribing! I use my old Type II tapes, TDK SA-60 or 90, and Maxell XLII 60 or 90. These were also recommended by Tascam. I think the Maxells sound a bit better.
If you have any further questions about the tascam 244, let me know
Any way to record a bit of guitar and then if I don’t like the part, I can go back and record again ? What is the method for ‘erasing’ a part?
Multitrack Cassette Fans I accidentally recorded a guitar track and vocal track on input 1. So is there a way to ‘erase’ or redo it ?
Not Me: just rewind and record again. Your new recording will erase anything that’s on that track, until you hit STOP.
Multitrack Cassette Fans Thank you for the help !
Just got one and think its all functional, however, are Track 3 & 4’s VU Meters intentionally not lighting up when you are recording individually on either TRK 3 or 4? Seems kind of counterintuitive that only Track 1/2’s VU Meters are responsible for tracks 1-4, but thats exactly how yours is shown here so I guess thats normal?
TheNohcim Great question! I have asked this myself too, when I first started to use the 244:
It’s perfectly normal! See the labels above the VU meters? It says “buss L/ trk 1”, “buss R/ trk2”, and 3 & 4 have only “trk3”, “trk4”, no buss indication. If you record on one or two tracks at once (SYNC mode), it will record any sound that comes from Buss L or Buss R. So the VU meters 1 and/or 2 will reflect the buss levels.
But if you record 4 tracks at once (4CH REC mode), all 4 VU meters will light up. Also during mixing they all light up.
Multitrack Cassette Fans Great! I seemed to be doing just fine, starting my session with it, using correct (and expensive!) tape and all, and it just started eating it all up like the guy below had a problem with. I’m pretty confused as to what is causing this since the shop I got mine from just replaced the belt and pinch roller... any thoughts? I’m pretty upset haha I thought it was going to be a great finished piece and then bam...tape everywhere
TheNohcim I think the rubber of your idler tire is gone. The capstan and pinch roller are okay, but the wheels in your cassette are not driven. That’s why the tape is being eaten. At least that’s what I understand from your words.
Here’s a useful link on how to repair the idler tire:
www.mzentertainment.com/studio_workshop_tascam_244.html
Click “replacing idler tires”
Hi, I have a question regarding running my mixes through my Tascam 244 back into my audio interface / DAW.
How would I go about doing it? I tried doing the line out from my audio interface going into track one, and then send the signal from the Tascam's headphone jack back into the line in of my interface, but it came out super distorted. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks so much in advance.
De Dee You should use the 244’s line outs instead of the headphone jack. (The headphone signal is way too strong for your interface)
Do you record your mix onto the tape first?
@@MultitrackCassetteFans No I don't, I'm very new to using it so I'm not sure how to honestly. Do I have to put a tape into the recorder, record the mix, and then export it into my DAW from the tape recorder?
De Dee Yes, exactly. That way it will get some analog “color”. And if if you drive it hard enough onto the tape, you might get some “tape saturation”, or “tape compression” (use the VU meters, they should go well into the red area, but not TOO much because the signal will get distorted). You’ll have to fiddle around with different recording levels to get the sound to your taste.
Multitrack Cassette Fans thanks so much for your help! One last question, where do I get tapes that will work with the Tascam? Since it says it needs a specific type of tape
De Dee You ideally use Type II (aka Chrome) cassettes. These were recommended by Tascam. Try to find second hand cassettes, Maxell XLII are the best, in my opinion. (TDK SA are second best) Use 60 or 90 minutes cassettes, don’t use 120 minutes!
When I want to start using a preowned cassette, I always record complete silence on the full length first, to avoid having an faint old recording in the background.
If you can’t find type II cassettes: I have occasionally used Type I (normal) ones, without any problems. Audio quality will be a little less, of course.
teacher i want to ask you about my problem. my tascam can't start recording but just blinking when i push rec button. how can i solve this?
sibal beats Which Tascam model do you own?
ummmm play & record at the same time
Look at that! A Tashcam with vu metersh..
how do you record more than 4 tracks, like 8 or 16 for example. thanks!
Andrew Sjostrand The 244 (and the majority of all other cassette multitrackers) can only record 4 tracks. There is a trick to do more than 4 tracks though, it’s called “bouncing”. Bouncing is covered in part 2 of this video series
Do you have a 246 that’s what I have and i would like to learn to bounce or I’ll just buy an eight track
Hi! I recently got a tascam 244 and have had some troubles with it, the machine is ripping up my tape and getting caught in the section just to the right of the head, do you have any ideas of what is going on and how to remedy it?
Hi David, I think this problem has something to do with your idler tyre. It sounds like the capstan (the metal pin on the right side of the head) and the pinch roller (the black rubber wheel) are doing their job just fine, the pull the tape over the head at the correct speed. But behind the cassette, within the recorder's housing, there is a plastic wheel with a rubber tyre around it (idler tyre), that moves the tape spindles in the cassette. If there is not enough tension on the tape spindle, the capstan will keep pulling tape, which will be all over the place. The idler tyre is a little harder to replace (it needs a few more parts to be unmounted), but it's definitely possible! If you also want to replace the belts in your 244, you can check out my repair video on this: czcams.com/video/k_imS2iNhVY/video.html
Thanks for the info! I think I've figured it out, the pinch roller has deteriorated into a black sticky mess and was catching my tape (you wouldn't happen to know where to buy a good replacement?). I suspect that the idler tyre will need to be replaced as well due to age, since I've already replaced the belts which were previously a sticky mess as well.
David Reynolds A sticky pinch roller, that sounds nasty...I’d just google for a replacement. These are very old machines, so you just have to be a little lucky :) Hope you find a good one!
David Reynolds I also found some well documented repair on this website: www.mzentertainment.com/studio_workshop_tascam_244.html
For the idler tire, he cleverly uses a rubber ring from a water tap. On one of the links, there is a picture of the pinch roller replacement
I have one more question about the tascam! (by the way I was able to replace everything and get it all working!) Whenever I try to rerecord something because of a mistake, it always seems to record over the music already on the tape (from the same track) So I have muddy duplicates playing over each other. I followed the same steps as you did when you rerecorded the bass part in your video but it still seems to happen. Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong?
I have a Scarlett 2i2, and wanna go out of my DAW , into my 244 and back into my DAW, would I need a few outputs to do this? My Scarlett only has two monitor outs on the back
David Picarazzi How many tracks simultaneously? On the 2i2, you can go 2 in - 2 out at the same time. For example stereo in - stereo out. What are exactly your plans?
My plans are pretty much, to make my music in ableton, and then put it through the 244 to dirty it up abit, and then put it back into ableton
David Picarazzi Since the 2i2 has 2 ins and 2 outs, you can “dirty up” a stereo signal. So yes, that’s possible, at least for your stereo mix
Multitrack Cassette Fans awesome! Could you recommend a link where to buy cassettes?
David Picarazzi Unfortunately, no. The TDK’s and Maxell aren’t being manufactured anymore, so you’d have to look around in second hand markets, thriftshops etc.
There are more tape brands, for example Quantegy, but I don’t have any experience with these
Sold mine a couple of decades ago for £20, still think about it sometimes
Does it still hurt 😀
@@MultitrackCassetteFans lol made some great mixes on it using turntables and an old Amiga, unfortunately all lost in the midst of time
@@a.i.m.projectrecordings7844 As long as you had a good time playing with it...👍
Hey there! How do I record two tracks at once? If for example I wanted an acoustic guitar mic and vocal mic recording at the same time? help!
Johnny Lewis Hi Johnny, thanks for asking...here you go:
Record function: SYNC
Buss L: TRK 1 (or 3)
Buss R: TRK 2 (or 4)
Plug mic 1 into channel 1, pan to left
Plug mic 2 into channel 2, pan to right
The BUSS settings (L and R) determine to which track(s) your left panned signals go, and to which track(s) the right panned ones.
So you could, for example, plug 3 mics in ch 1-2-3, pan them all to left, and that mix would go to track 1. Plug a 4th mic into ch 4, pan that to right, and that goes to track 2...go wild :)
I've tried the panning with channel 1 left & 2 right panned and when I record it sounds fine but then on playback it only gets channel 1. Am I doing something wrong?
Johnny Lewis Do you listen to the mix or the tape cue?
Johnny Lewis And have you tried recording only on track 2?
What's the difference? Is the mix on the "remix" function? I switch the tracks to "tape" and then I believe I have it in the "cue" function.
So I just got it and I’m playing tapes but they play REALLY fast and sound bitcrushed, any idea why it might be like this?
were these tapes recorded on a regular cassette deck? The tape speed of the 244 is twice as fast as normal
Multitrack Cassette Fans Turns out I ordered pre recorded cassettes lol. Anyway, I put in an order for a few TDK PRO SM 60s. Was looking on the forums and people said type 2 high bias 60 or under is the way to go
David Picarazzi Yes, double speed means more tape per second: better sound quality. Type II tapes are the best for these multitrack recorders. I have good experience with TDK SA or Maxell XLII. 60 or 90 minutes is okay
Multitrack Cassette Fans I saw on the manual something about fast forwarding and rewinding your new cassettes all the way to smooth it out. Do you do this too
David Picarazzi Yes, always with new tapes, to remove any stretch
how did you manage to sync all of the tracks together? you had to hit play on your computer at the right time when the rec on the tascam was activated?
Shady No, that was just for the first track, the drums came out of the computer. The rest of the tracks were all recorded directly into the 244. (I’m not sure of I understand your question correctly, let me know)
@@MultitrackCassetteFans Thank you I now have my answer! I'm planning to run group of tracks of my songs or maybe only the master (as it seems almost impossible to sync them if they are already prerecorded 😅) thru a portastudio simply for the sound it will gets. Do you think to run a whole song (the master) thru the tascam would really make a difference? Thanks
Shady That will definitely make a difference. It will add some analog character to the sound, as well as tape hiss and some loss in the high end frequencies. I heard that “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”, Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, was mixed down to a Portastudio 244.
@@MultitrackCassetteFans Thanks a lot for your quick response! Yeah I've heard it aswell. That led me to an other question, so supposing I get a multi output audio interface, will it be possible to record simultaneously different tracks into different channels of the portastudio? That would be the only proper way to mixdown prerecorded tracks in the portastudio I guess..
Shady Yes. But I wouldn’t go that far for this purpose. I would mixdown in the computer, and then record the stereo signal onto 2 tracks of the 244. Just to add a little analog flavour to the whole mix
is this a two speed?
No it’s just double speed
I am the 666th sub
Reese Davis Thanks for subscribing, you multitracking devil 😜
I just found out why you have a very familiar face Dennis. I was watching the movie called get out and there's an actor named Bradley Whitford who stars in it. The resemblance is quite uncanny. Anyway I hope you are well dear friend. Kind regards. Paul.
Hahaha I don’t know him. Does he do 4-track cassette movies as well 😂
that's funny, but no he doesn't. I'm just watching your Vestax MR200 MKII, it's really great sounding machine. ave you ever thought of recording an album with any of your 4 track machines?.
Tascam 488MK1 Home multitrack recording Well this year, I’m going to record a set of 3 or 6 songs with some old friends, on a Tascam 238. (These will be 8 track recordings)
Superb Dennis. I love my 8 track recorder because it provides real studio like qualitiy. I have found that it's all in the way the recordings are made. If you record with a good strong but not overloaded signal, that it cancels our any potential for tape.hiss. I tend to make all my recordings with the DBX NR switched to the on position, which yields good clean results without compromising on bias quality.
Is it a dirty record head that courses drop outs? It happens to me every now and again, I clean my heads regularly.
Ben Williams That’s an interesting question, thanks for bringing this up! To be honest, I don’t have a clear answer to that. Keeping your heads clean and demagnetized would be one of the first things that come to mind, but I also have the feeling that the quality of the tape is a big factor. After using a lot of TDK SA and Maxell XLII tapes back on the 90s, we preferred the Maxells for their overall sound quality. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they’s have less dropouts.
Another thing that points to tape wear: the first seconds of recordable tape ALWAYS has more dropouts. So the inevitable streching of this part of the tape (repeatedly rewinding and suddenly stopping) must cause some dropouts
Multitrack Cassette Fans I might try using some different cassette tapes then, thanks!
Ben Williams No problem, let me know if you experience any difference!
Multitrack Cassette Fans any chance you could make a video explaining what all the inputs and outputs are for on the 244?
Ben Williams I had actually planned to do a video about the insert connections on the 244. So stay tuned on my channel!
The 244 was the first 4-track recorder I saw with inserts, I was quite surprised