Recent content by sackbutcharlie

Good evening. Maybe someone has some feedback for me regarding microphones. I have a TASCAM 246 portastudio that does not have phantom power. I am making an assumption, please correct me if I am wrong. If I buy a condenser mic that uses a 9V battery, I do not need phantom power. What are...

Hi everyone. Thanks to a lot of great suggestions from many of you, I ended up finding a great used TASCAM 246 4-track. Now I am ready to go on the scrounge for something to mixdown to. #1 - There seem to be quite a few good "home entertainment" decks on the market such as the high end...

Hi everyone, I am looking for software and could use some guidance. Let me tell you what I want to do and maybe someone can tell me if Cakewalk will do this (I cannot quite tell from the product descriptions). I know how to write and arrange (piano, score paper, pencil). I am looking for...

Thanks for all the great help from everyone on the BBS! Just today I was working out of town in Albany, NY and found a used Tascam 246 that works. It was very cheap! I had to get it. My wife will be delighted. :-) This should give me something good to learn on. Thanks again for the great...

Since the portastudios such as the 424 or 488 have built-in boards, is it feasible to use that board like aregular mixer into another tape machine? Thatis, can I start with a 424 and then later if I find a really good deal on an open real like a 34b, can I use the 424 as a mixer? (Yes, I am a...

I have been looking at the 424. But I am also curious about a used 488. If I have a small cassette divided into 8 tracks instead of 4, don't I lose some quality? But if I can avoid bouncing by having 8 tracks, do I come out ahead with less noise? I can find a used 488 for just about the price...

I may be forced to begin setting up my "studio" in a finished basement that has a low ceiling. The ceiling is painted drywall, not hanging acoustic tile. The room it open otherwise, rectangular, and reasonably large. How tough is this ceiling issue to work around? I am looking to record...

I would appreciate any input on the following item. I have read a little bit about bias and have a general idea what it does. But what I can't quite figure out is this: On a 4 or 8 track, does the bias get laid down across all tracks even if only recording on one? So if I do 8 tracks, one at a...

I used to play and have recorded in the past. But I am not very familiar with the equipment on the market today. I want to record small primarily acoustic combos (folk, jazz, etc.). I am looking at the tascam 424. Cassette sound quality used to be pretty poor. How would today's cassette quality...

I am hoping for some guidance. I used to be a musician but have not been in a recording studio in 20 years. I am interested in recording a family member who sings and plays acoustic guitar. I am thinking about getting a 4-track cassette. My questions are: #1 - Can I run a mike right into this or...