four track recorder

[goodshipp]

I'm a long time musician, but I'm just starting out in home recording. I'm looking into buying the $99 fostex four track, but I've read that it doesn't use standard cassettes. What kind of cassette would I need and where could I buy them?

[A Reel Person]

It's not really a specialty item, but they can be hard to find sometimes at "normal" retailers. I found some TDK C-110's (Type II) at Target. Technically, mfgr's don't recommend anything longer than a C-90, but I figured what the heck! Maxell XLII C-90's are pretty common to find at your corner drug/retail store,... probably the most common Type II cassette you'll find on a casual basis.

I've purchased a load of Type II cassettes of all sorts from www.totalmedia.com , and I'd recommend this tape supplier at this time, though there are more if you search the i'net hard enough. I can't remember all the names of the tape suppliers, but there are dozens.

It's best to buy C-60's or C-90's, for the thicker and more durable tape stock it's made with. 110's are marginal, and 120's are a no-go.

I'd like to caution you about buying the lowest of low-end $99 multitrackers. IMO, you'll be a bit disappointed with it's limited capability, and will outgrow it rather soon. It might be better to drop more coin & purchase the Tascam 414mkII, which is $249 new, but offers much more in features, and will boost it's utility and ultimately it's useful longevity for you as a home recordist,... not to mention it will sound a heck of a lot better!

Just my 2¢.

[goodshipp]

Thanks so much for the help. I think that I will wait a little longer and get the higher end 4 track recorder that you recommended.

[A Reel Person]

It just occurred to me that Circuit City still carries Memorex CD2 High Bias/Type II/CRo2 cassettes. I've picked up a pack every few weeks, lately.

For a while, Walmart was carrying Sony CD-It High Bias cassettes, but now are harder to find and not a sure thing.

Totalmedia dot com still has a wide selection of Maxell and TDK Type II cassettes, of that I am sure.

It's funny to think of a Type II cassette as a "specialty" item, but I'll admit that they're not as easy to find as they used to be.

I also remember that our corner market, Stater Brothers, has Maxell XLII-90's in a 2 pack, as does Walgreens pharmacies, I believe. Those are convenient stops for me, here in town, but I'll buy a bulk of cassettes from Totalmedia, then I'll usually hit the Circuit City every few weeks.

/DA

[travelin travis]

Maybe try to find a tascam 424mkII in good condition used. Are those things still reasonably priced these days. I keep telling myself that I'm going to snatch one up.

[A Reel Person]

me too!.............

[travelin travis]

holy shit man! i see two of my old 4 tracks in there.

i do miss that 424mkII

what are you gonna do with all of those?

you got a pile of studers too?

[A Reel Person]

record more love songs to Yoko!...........

Notice that recorders go out of frame on both sides and the top. Did you see the full version of this spread???

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=224566

[travelin travis]

My god man! What's wrong with you?

Do you eat cassette? That's pretty damn impessive Dave. My god!

Did you work for Tascam or something?!

[travelin travis]

Which is your fav and why?

[A Reel Person]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Did you work for Tascam or something?!

I could build a homeless shelter out of Tascams!........

[travelin travis]

I can only imagine how many 4 track tapes you have.

[A Reel Person]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Which is your fav and why?

I like them all for their different attributes, but it breaks down like this:

~The 244, 'cause it was my first Tascam (1982), and I produces a sh-tload of stuff on it, for well over a decade before I got any other Porta.

~The 246, 'cause it was the pinnacle of the VU-meter style 6x4/4-buss recorders, which blows away most other Portas, hands down.

~The 424mkII, 'cause it was my second Tascam Portastudio, (1997), and I also produced another sh-tload of stuff on it,... ref: almost all of my Ramones covers, numbering 28 or so,... were all done on the 424mkII.

~The 424mkIII, just 'cause it's newest and last of the breed, (now discontinued), and who doesn't like new toys?? I've just cut 2 new demo/covers on it this week,...
(ref: "Ramones Rumble" http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=177014
and "John Lennon's..." http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=187358
posts in the Mp3 forum).

All the others are fine, though I've limited use on them as of yet, TBA. I've done more "Check, 1,2,3" -type test recordings on the others, more than actual "productions", which will surely happen as long as there's still a remaining breath in my chest! All as of yet TBD.

[A Reel Person]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

I can only imagine how many 4 track tapes you have.

Dude,... hundreds,... man,... hundreds!!!

If u count the blank/new TypeII cassettes I have in 'reserve stock', they number in the thousands!

However, I only have 182 covers up on my Soundclick page, (only about a quarter of which are off a 4-track cassette Portastudio)! I'm lagging! Not to mention, that I really need to produce more new stuff, soon. NOW!!!

[travelin travis]

I have to get around to getting another 424mkII. I know how those ebay prices go.

My first was a porta 01 or 02? I can't remember any more. It looks like you have three of them next to the red one. It crapped out with a crosstalk problem and I couldn't get anyone to see the problem, much less fix the thing. My second was the 424MKII, which I thought was a big step up from my first. I didn't want to turn that thing off when I got it. It sounded great to my ears. I recorded anything that made noise with that thing. I think I'd be alot better off with that old 424MKII and the pair of Audio Technica dynamic mics that I had over my current computer rig and condensors. Editing is just too damn easy (and tempting) on pc and the constant parameter tweaking is unproductive for me. Hell, my girlfriend even recorded some cool non musical projects on my 4 track with no problem and had fun doing it.

I'll check out your stuff in the clinic tonight. I don't go in there enough. The cave sucked me in a few months ago.

[A Reel Person]

See: http://www.tm-tape.com/catalog/catal...ID=&bustype=01

[dweeb]

Originally Posted by A Reel Person

record more love songs to Yoko!...........

Notice that recorders go out of frame on both sides and the top. Did you see the full version of this spread???

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=224566

Wholly Shit....I’m not sure my peddle collection is that extensive! You could wipe yourself down with mayonaise and roll around on them!

[Sirnothingness]

Fostex suck for metal. Dude you got to go with Tascam.

[A Reel Person]

that you shouldn't go for the $99 4-tracker if ur a long time musician with a semi-serious desire to make halfway decent recordings. The sound and features of the $99 model will leave you seriously disappointed. They are "scratchpad" machines only, or for rank beginners, and are not "production" machines in the way that the mid-level and high end cassette multitrackers are.

With that being said, then yeah,... skip the Fostex and get a Tascam. In the cassette class of machines, Tascams were always better, [IMO]. However, when comparing the $99 Fostex with the $99 Tascam,... they're roughly the same low end product. I'm still of the mind that $150 spent on a like-new 424mkIII is a way better idea. A high end cassette Portastudio has enough capability to give good demo quality sound, and features enough to "future proof" yourself a bit as your production scope and needs increase over time, which they naturally will do.

Best of luck!

[A Reel Person]

TASCAM PORTASTUDIO 424MK III WOW !!!!

Winning bid: US $50.00

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ended: Feb-13-07 13:04:54 PST
Shipping costs: US $20.00 (discount available)
UPS Ground
Service to United States
Ships to: United States
Item location: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
History: 1 bid
Winning bidder: joetore( 4 )

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=290080710486

------------------------------------
What you have there is asounding, phenomenal value! ($70 net cost!)
The only reason this isn't mine, is because I got distracted from bidding in the last few minutes.

[dweeb]

Originally Posted by A Reel Person

TASCAM PORTASTUDIO 424MK III WOW !!!!

Winning bid: US $50.00

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ended: Feb-13-07 13:04:54 PST
Shipping costs: US $20.00 (discount available)
UPS Ground
Service to United States
Ships to: United States
Item location: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
History: 1 bid
Winning bidder: joetore( 4 )

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=290080710486

------------------------------------
What you have there is asounding, phenomenal value! ($70 net cost!)
The only reason this isn't mine, is because I got distracted from bidding in the last few minutes.

wow...good deal!

[junplugged]

uh, why do you have all that gear?

my history is
fostex x-15
tascam 488
sony mdm-x4 mkII
fostex mr-8
korg D1600 mkII
the end, and i'm serious
ok played with my $99 emu 0404, but it doesn't count, i hate it.

...wait, i also goofed around with a 4 track thing, a zoom something, 4AA's and a drum machine and effects and flash memory...too hard to use

[A Reel Person]

Originally Posted by junplugged

... a 4 track thing w/a drum machine, effects and flash memory... was too hard to use

I hear that! The Tascam P5 seems that way to me. Actually, it's not difficult, just gadgety. Still, the analog decks are much easier, with no song-select-set-tempo-save-push-enter-and-all-that-bullcrap.

Originally Posted by junplugged

uh, why do you have all that gear?

I dunno. I just fool around. I have a setup for every occasion and situation, tho.

[A Reel Person]

Yo..........................