what to expect?

[JustinBell]

so provided that my engineering skills, signal chain, ect. are up to par, what is the sonic quality I can expect from a 1/2 8 track? like a tascam 38.
should I just hold out and wait to get a 1" inch machine? Im not even opposed to trying to find a 2" 16 or resonably priced 24 track like a mtr 90 or something. bassically I wanna know if I dish out the cash to have a machine alinged ect. am I going to be dissapointed with the sound of a 1/2 machine? when I say dissapointed I mean Im looking for something thats not going to be all hiss and have that "analog body, warmth" whatever.

if anyone could please help out with some answers I would greatly appreicate it. I can tell you more info if you need like what mics Im using, preamps ect. thanks!

[cjacek]

IF properly aligned, both electronically and mechanically, for the tape that it is using and IF you know what you're doing, both as a musician and audio engineer, you can put out gold records, with a 1/2" 8 track, as easily as someone who owns a 2", 24 track STUDER.

The assumption that somehow a TASCAM or even FOSTEX can't do it, only suggests a problem with the name, by a few, rather than with the final product, which will be excellent and worthy of a commercial release.

--

[JustinBell]

thanks alot. thats really all I wanted to know. what about noise reduction though? Ive heard varying things, dbx, cut off all the high end ect.
also does anyone have any recomedations for a board to compliment something like a tascam 38, or 48?

[A Reel Person]

this?
Recorded the week of 02/27/00 on the Tascam 38 with M30 mixer, SM57 mics and no dbx.

[JustinBell]

niiice man. what did you mix down to? mastering process if any?
theres this old ampex atr700 at my work that Im thinking of buying for about 100 bucks, pros cons?

[A Reel Person]

I mixed down to my ol'puter.
38>M30>Y-cable>Soundcard>WAV file>CD