4 track question

[JoanisT23]

Hello. I was wondering if any of you knew of a 4 track recorder that wasnt a portastudio (other than a reel to reel). Like a 4 track version of the 238?

[JC Lives]

Have you given any consideration to the 4 track mini disk systems, or are you looking for cassette only.

[rats]

AND WHAT PRAYTELL IS WRONG WITH A PORTASTUDIO? HUH!?

[JoanisT23]

I am looking for something that requires an external mixer for mix-down. I dont like the mixers that companies put on portastudios. So i want something with seperate outputs for each track. I would actually perfer anything besides casette because of hiss but like the sound and cant afford digital.

[James HE]

By the time you get a mixer, the recorder, all those cables... if you want effects you have to buy some boxes, plus some thing to mix down to... I just don't see how analog is any cheaper than digital, speking in the realm of DAW's.

..but, Tascam and Fostex used to make rackmountable casette four tracks. You could look for a used one. I had this old 3U 4 track made by ARIA, it was a cool unit, VU meters and all, but couldn't stand that it didn't have any noise reduction. had RCA ins and outs for the tracks. Most of those Portastudios have the ability to go directly out of the tracks, the mixer is there, but you can avoid using it. I do this with my 424, archiving and mixing old tracks into my DAW.

-jhe

[regebro]

Originally posted by JoanisT23
I dont like the mixers that companies put on portastudios.

Why not?

[JoanisT23]

They are cheap, make alot of noise, (this is the mixers that i am talking about), have crappy eq..... Does the 424 have a seperate tape out for each individual track? If so then that is the one for me. Also, is there a digital recorder that you could recomend to me? Since you said that they arent any more expensive than analog? One that has seperate tape outs for each track? Remember, i am poor.

[regebro]

A quality portastudio does not have mixers that induce a lot of noise. The high-end portas for cassette even have three-band semi-parametric EQ's. If these are not good enough for you, you need to get a mixer of mackie-quality and a recorder of at least reel-to-reel quality. You may be able to find that second hand for anywhere between $500-$1000 depending on luck and quality.

On the other hand, you can get a good second hand porta like the Tascam 464 or the 8-track 488 for a couple of $100's.

The next step up is to shell out for one of the digital 8-track portas with built-in effects, but now where talking over $500 again, I think.

[rats]

Are you talkin 500 Kronors?

[regebro]

No.

[Hot Rocks]

Joanis, It's called a Tascam 234. It's sorta like a 238 but it has 1/4 inch inputs.No eq's. I own a 238 a 424MKII a porta 1 a 246 and the 234 is the best in sound quality in a 4 track cassette. on par with the 238,maybe better. I love mine. great for recording gigs.They show up on ebay, Check them out there,look and read the descriptions. I paid 200.0 for mine + shipping and it was like new. Most people want porta studios and this model gets overlooked. It cost 1600.00 when it came out in the 80's.

[JoanisT23]

thankyou very much for the info on the 234. it is EXACTLY what i was talking about.

[Hot Rocks]

My pleasure, It's an amazing deck, I highly recomend it.Built in japan like a brick shi* house. Real analog teac level meters too!