Porta 02 mkII users UNITE!

[Bandana8472]

Hey - anyone on this board using a Porta 02 (mkII or otherwise)? Since it looks as though the folks on this board push their cassette multitracks a bit harder than the rest, I was interested to know what you thought. I've been using the Porta02 for about six months, and I'm quite impressed. After doing my homework online, I noticed a lot of folks dogging the unit for it's questionable preamps, no Dolby/DBX, no ping-ponging ability... the list goes on. However, I've been having some remarkable success with the recorder. Granted, I've been using some high quality condenser mics (Rode NT2 and Shure SM81's), but I've had luck with standard dynamics (Shure 57/58), too. Last year I bought a Behringer 802 mixer to use with my setup, but I rarely use it for anything sans the phantom power... and I've been powering the Rode with a standalone Stewart phantom power supply, right into the Porta 02 as of late. I'm getting some of the best drum and vocal sounds I've ever gotten. Even the dedicated "guitar input" is quality - it especially smooths out my direct bass, sans D.I. box.

Anyhow, I guess I'm interested to know if anyone else around here is in the same boat as me. I've got the cash to buy a newer, more feature-laden multitrack. I've actually got a Cool Edit/Pro Tools FREE setup on my laptop, but I only use that for a mixdown tool. It's just that I like the immediacy of the Porta02. I've investigated all the digital workstations around, but there's always a deal breaker (records to smart cards, too much amp/mic modeling, learning curve...). I guess I just wanna get to the music, you know? And until they make a stripped-down digital workstation that doesn't try to lure the buyer in with a bunch of unnecessary features, and only tries to do one thing well (namely, recording!), I'm not sold on the technology.

-Bandana8472

[The Ghost of FM]

I gave up on the 4 track cassette Portastudio format some years ago and graduated up to a 16 track, one inch TASCAM reel to reel with a 40 input console but, I admire your spirit and determination to work in the analog realm and share your likes of its immediacy and non cryptic, mixing with a mouse, digital shortcomings.

If I were you though, I would not brag about owning FREE software around here. Most serious home recording enthusiasts take pride in their purchases and realize that the high prices of software often reflects the amount of pirated software out there that they are indirectly paying for through higher prices for the legitimate copies.

Cheers!

[DigitalSmigital]

ProTools Free is a freeware version, available(you guessed it; for free) for download at Digidesign's website, or by snailmail on CD for $10 shipping/handling fee. It is designed to get you wanting more, which is where the money is exchanged. Yet the Freeware is unusually cool. Of course, it's not analog, so I won't touch it...

Bandanaman, share a link to the tunage!

[The Ghost of FM]

My apologies!

I didn't know this stuff was free?

Is this the case for Cool Edit also?

Cheers!