Hooking up two 4 tracks.

If you mean syncing them up to get an "8-track", it basically can't be done.
 
Larger reel to reel 4 tracks, like Ampex
and Revox can be synced together
by adding a control voltage circuit to the two drive motors, so that one unit is the master and the other is the slave.
The Beatles had access to the best equipment available at the time.

I don't suggest that you try this. (unless you are a real electronics genius). I don't think it would work for cassettes any way.

HOWEVER: You can fill up four tracks on one machine, then do a transfer mix to stereo on the other deck. Then you still have two tracks left giving you SIX!.

Keep the old tape with the four original
tracks so you can re-mix later on if needed.

Dom Franco
 
Dom has the technically correct answer (as usual...thanks Dom!); I didn't want to raise false hopes by saying, "well, it can be done" (but only by spending $10K worth of engineering time and materials) since it's clearly not worth it.
 
Ya Know what? This question really got me ta thinking! (That can be dangerous).

IF:
1. You have two Identical 4 tracks (same model manufacturer etc.)
2. You can handle a soldering gun, phillips
screwdriver and some other basic hand tools.
3. You are willing to void your warranties on both machines.

THEN:
1. You could open up each unit carefully,
locate the wires going to the drive motors
and just use one set of wires to attach both
motors. (Tape off the bare ends from the slave machine).
2. Theoreticly both cassettes should stop/start/pause exactly at the same time.
3. This would enable you to record in sync
across all 8 tracks.

BUT: Don't get mad if it doesn't work perfectly. (You would have to keep a matched set of tapes together, and be careful not to let one of them turn with respect to the other).
If it fails completely, just re-connect the original wires to the 2nd unit, and go buy an 8 track!

Almost Sincerely;
Dom Franco
 
hey you can try this because the cost of used four tracks are going down so the cost is negligable, you probably wouldnt lose to much sleep if you fouled up a four track......

hmmmmm.?
 
well, seeing as i was barely going to have enough money to rent a second 4 track, i geuss i'll just record this album on 4 tracks. thanks anyway.
 
Dom, good points for trying, but just starting them at the same time won't do it. Because mechanical parts are involved, the motors and tape and things slip or speed up or whatever, and you will be out of sync within 30 seconds. True sync is only accomplished via sending a sync signal of some kind from one machine to the other which forces the second machine to be at the right place at the right time. This is how things work with time code and why it's used.
 
Dragon;
You are of course absolutely right. This would only work if the motor is a "Stepper"
type motor, that moves a precise amount when it receives a DC pulse.

I had an old 4 track reel to reel that could be controlled this way. The signal that the motor receives looks like a square wave on an oscilloscope. I am sure that most cassettes don't have this capabillity.

I am sorry to drag out this topic. I just thought it was interesting. My day job envolves some electronics and DC motors
etc. If I had a couple of decks sitting around I probably would mess with them.

I have sucessfully varied the speeds of Cassette decks, and brought them in to
"Tune" with others operating at the proper speed. This is important if you want to play along with a tape, without re-tuning your guitar!

Once again, sorry for belaboring the point.

Dom Franco
 
No prob, Dom...I bet we could talk about syncro motors all day (the ones with the 6 wires...).
 
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