Cheap tape deck vs computer mixdown test results

GreenDank

New member
I know you can get the compression and tape simulation with plug ins and such, but I thought this was interesting nonetheless. Lately I've missed recording to tapes, so I've been experimenting with stuff...

So I tried a little sumthin' today. Picked up a halfway decent Realistic tape deck at Goodwill. Mixed down drums, guitars, and bass into it. As a test, I mixed the same tracks to a WAV file in my computer. After getting the peak levels similar, I found that the taped version (once I recorded it back into my computer) was better sounding! It was warmer and fuller. I also noticed that the wave forms looked fuller, like it had been compressed. I settled on a pretty hot record level (peaking between +3 and +6 db). It did slightly muddy things up, but in a good way.

I tried some tape simulators before, but they just seemed to cut back on the highs.

In short, I think I'm going to mixdown to the "crappy" $8 cassette deck during my actual mixdown/mastering process after I do the vocals. Who woulda thunk.

I had also tried to mixdown to my home hifi VCR. Talk about a pain in the ass, since you need a TV to control the settings. Then it sounded like complete shit once I got it working. Noisy, cumbersome, etc...
 
yeah, i hear you...Beck came to mind...the sgt. pepper sessions....

now that everyone can have the cookie cutter 300 track digital recording set-ups from Guitar Center...

next phase may very likely be, imo, right here...

the rare few trying innovative ideas, sometimes out of pure boredom or genius!!....and we'll all laugh at the crazy ideas and posts.. :p

until someone gets a gold record using the "GREENDANK NATURAL GOODWILL COMPRESSOR"............ :eek:

then it'll be forums upon forums... discussing and arguing!
the technical sonic discrepencys of the new "GreenDank Analog Warming Function generator" versus the "GREENDANK NATURAL COMPRESSION" alias the "Goodwill line" original unit.
... which one is better??
what wire gauge did Greendank use on the original!!
it was 16 now its 14 gauge!!!! :mad:

i can see it now... a frkn Smithsonian statue of Greendank and his patented "Goodwill Natural Compressor"

and the company will grow to huge proportions...
then the new weasel greedy CEO will lay everyone off as he moves the assembly to Hiyangua....Robot Monkeys will build the new line!!
..but it won't last long the quality will have been ruined and the Greendank company will fall into ruins and bankruptcy!!!

and,,,and,,,er... uh.... hold on... i have to go get another drink...

buuurrrrpp....ok.... yeah..

and you'll die broke....leaving nothing but a statue that birds poop on.

sorry...i'm bored tonight. hiicccuuup !*&(!
 
yeah Big G.....
after the first one its really hard to remember which one it is. :p

Green Dank
my brother had a 4track Fostex he swore up and down how much he liked the pre-s in it... so it may not have been all tape deck..maybe the pre circuitry?
 
COOLCAT said:
yeah Big G.....
after the first one its really hard to remember which one it is. :p

Green Dank
my brother had a 4track Fostex he swore up and down how much he liked the pre-s in it... so it may not have been all tape deck..maybe the pre circuitry?


Yeah, I had a fostex 4-track that I swear had the best reverb for vox and guitarz. I don't know what it was, but it slayed.

Beer or no beer, funny stuff on that one post. But it's more like "watch GreenDank try to construct a home studio out of $50 and some match sticks like McGuyver." I swear real home studio guys would laugh my setup out the door. I don't even tell people that sometimes I use the free recorder Audacity. But when I post sound bytes, people don't seem to notice that kind of stuff if the playing is tight I guess. Ahh, who cares anyway.

Speaking of alcohol, I hit the wine tonight, and consequently I had to type this like 3 times because I kept hitting a key that would send me back a page and erase everything I wrote.
 
It sounds like you like tape, and that's cool.

I freakin' hate all the noise and fluttery crap of cheap tape decks. F'ck 'em all.
 
Give me McDSP Analog Channel on the mixdown buss and I'm happy. Screw messing with that analog crap. I already did my time in the trenches with tape and I'm happy to say I've moved on to better things.
 
Just my personal observations but what I was missing from digital recording I got back with analog PATH and summing on an analog console. And as far as cassette goes, I've got a Nakamichi deck but I just can't live with the occassional drop outs and hiss. Mixing back from the box through a real console back to digital rounds things off plenty fine for me. YMMV.
Also, the way I approach tracking in the first place has made more of an impact on the final product. Miking things as much as possible and avoiding direct feeds has made a big difference.
 
Funny. I just bought a 1/2" 8-track because I'm kinda bored with digital. I love it, its just... yeah, cookie cutter is a good phrase.

Sure, in Pro Tools I can throw a T-Racks mastering suite on the 2 buss and get a nice, fat, warm sound... but I realized that I've never really heard tape compression and warmth...

I did a couple tests slamming an PT mix (without T-racks) to tape and bouncing it back. Oh. That's an example of tape compression and "warmth." Try it again a little harder. Oh, that's *distortion*- yuck. Hmm... let's try slamming some drums to the tape... OK, that sorta worked... how 'bout compress then slam? Ah, that worked much better.

There is a reason they are called Audio *Engineers*

If you like the sound you get from the cassette deck... cool!

-Chris
 
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