an this be done on a 424MK II???

[formerlyfzfile]

I was wondering if that ol' trick where you pass a signal through the tape deck but directly out to a digital recorder in order to get the "tape" sound on digital can be done on my 424MK II???

I am not sure where the tape outs come in the signal path.

Am I correct in believing that they come right from the playback head....because the faders and EQ do not affect the Direct Out signals when I transfer recorded tapes to my computer.

-mike

[The Ghost of FM]

You can do that, minus the "directly" part of your question.

The Portastudio design is a two head system that requires that you record the part firstly to tape, then rewind it and playback what got printed to tape.

Even if it was a three head system, which it isn't, there would be a delay of several milli-seconds that would throw off your timing if you were playing live and relying on the tape's output for playing by yourself or, with other parts in the music.

Cheers!

[formerlyfzfile]

Well.....I finally found where I put my manual......after posting the question, I drove my self nuts looking for the manual......which wasnt on the bookshelf with all of my other user manuals...I dont remember why....

....anyway I found it and see that the Tape Outs go directly from the Tape only when the channel is switched to tape....and that the second head is an Erase head......for some reason I thought it was the Record head and the other was just Play.

Thanks though.

-mike

[johneeeveee]

...so, any ideas on different ways to get tape tracks to the computer?
i have a tascam 244 and a audiophile 2496 card into cubase on my pc. i realize i could mix down 4 tracks on the 244 and send a stereo mix to my stereo ins on my soundcard, but i would like to do the mixing on the computer.
i can send two tracks at a time panned hard left and right to the soundcard, but i'm wondering if anyone has had any experience syncing those tracks up once they are on individual tracks on the pc. i thought maybe a little metronome beep at the beginning of each tack for reference might work. any ideas?
thanks- jv

[The Ghost of FM]

Originally posted by johneeeveee
...so, any ideas on different ways to get tape tracks to the computer?
i have a tascam 244 and a audiophile 2496 card into cubase on my pc. i realize i could mix down 4 tracks on the 244 and send a stereo mix to my stereo ins on my soundcard, but i would like to do the mixing on the computer.
i can send two tracks at a time panned hard left and right to the soundcard, but i'm wondering if anyone has had any experience syncing those tracks up once they are on individual tracks on the pc. i thought maybe a little metronome beep at the beginning of each tack for reference might work. any ideas?
thanks- jv

Post your question in the Cubase forum.

Cheers!

[johneeeveee]

... i tried to get some feedback about this on another cubase forum, but the folks there thought recording on a 244 cassette deck was an outdated idea. i just thought some tascam 244 owners might have had some experience with exporting tracks from their porta's. the question i asked really starts with the 244, so i thought this might be the appropriate forum.
sorry - jv

[A Reel Person]

Of course, your sound card will have to have at least 4 line inputs.

[The Ghost of FM]

johneeeveee,

There's no need to apologize.

I just thought that because the heart of your question seemed to be concerned with how to sync up tracks in a specific computer program, that someone in that forum might know the trick to lining up non-synchronized tracks.

I have read on some of the threads in the mp3 clinic that some users apply short amounts of silence into the head of a track and experiment with different amounts until everything sounds in sync.

I am not sure about the click track idea but a four count lead in before the song starts that is on every track on the originating tape might be a good way also of visually and audibly line things up on the different tracks.

Cheers!

[johneeeveee]

... i understand that my question was two fold, no worries.

yeah, i think i'll try a click at the beginning of each track on my 244, and see if i can sync them up later on my pc. i only have a stereo soundcard, so it may get tricky with more than two tracks, and that is where my question probably is better off in the cubase forum. maybe i'll have better luck with that forum on this bbs. cubase users on another forum likened my using my 244 to track when i had good recording software at my disposal, to hooking a horse up to a corvette to pull it (ha ha). i understand the logic, but i dig analog sound, and get really good results starting there... even on a cassette 4 trk like the 244. what can i say, i dig the sound of tape. i'm saving up to find a 1/4" or 1/2" reel to reel.
anyway, thanks for the support, and for sharing your knowledge on machines that many consider obsolete (their loss).
peace- jv