The days of Analog are coming to an end

[Krakit]

At least for porta studios. I see the prices for digital studios dropping every month.

Now you can get the Zoom MRS-4 for $229 (the same price as the Tascam 414 MKII).

I think it won't be long now before tape cassette as a recording medium goes the way of the vinyl record.

Anyone wish to rebut this?

Carl

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Krakitwide Open:

I think you're right Carl. But, analog is not really gone. Whenever it comes through the speakers, it's analog. Ears can't hear 1's and zeros.

But, I think tape will be around a long time as it is a cheap and flexible medium.

For example, I can run stuff out the stereo outs of my Yam2816 onto tape and it has a very hi quality sound.

I took an old cut I did on a Tascam 488 of a professional entertainer singing -- the music was also taped background music. I sent him a copy and he called and was blown away by the wonderful rich sound made by the 2816. So, I think tape, and digital tape will be around a while. I also have digital outs on the back of my unit but I don't have a DAT to run them into. I might do that soon though. And, I still have the capacity to burn a CD which I haven't gotten to yet.

Cheers,
Green Hornet

[dr.colossus]

most likely krakit, but one tape based 4 tracks have going for them is you come back to the mix years later (as loong as you keep the tapes in a neat orderly fashion... plus four tracks look so damn cool!!!!!

[bubinski]

No way....I got rid of my Roland VS840EX and went back to a Tascam 414MKII. I put stereo drum machine tracks on 1 & 2 and bass on 3 and rthy guitar on 4 and record as a wave in my puter, then take that back to fresh tape as 2 tracks, add vocals, lead, whatever and do this over and over and it sounds great and is a whole lot less trouble than scrolling and cursosin through the 840.
Power to tape ! ( and the puter ).

[heylow]

plus four tracks look so damn cool!!!!!

(nodding head)

True, true.....



heylow

[kid_nova]

i'm still kickin' it with my tascam 4-track, then again i'm on a limited income, but that's besides the point

[Buffalo Bob]

I still have my first 4-tracker. Tascam Portastudio Model 144(the first cassette multitrack)! Don't use it , now have an MD4. I still mix to cassette, and like the sound of tape saturation over digital.

Green Hornet -
Last night the wife and I were working on a mix and she said she wanted to put three background vocals on the song, and I told her I'd have to bounce them in. Explained how if I had that neat new Yamaha 2816 like my hero, The Green Hornet, I could give her all the tracks she wanted! As you can imagine, this was not the first time I've mentioned this to her (like every week or so); but this time, she says "Well, after April we should have enough bread to get the Yamaha, so you won't have to bounce anymore".
I just celebrated 25 years with this girl. I'm one lucky sonabish!
Come springtime, I no bounce no more.

Bob

[TexRoadkill]

I will not lament the loss of the 4track casette deck. They were great at the time but they always sounded like shit no matter how hard you convinced yourself otherwise.

[dr.colossus]

Originally posted by TexRoadkill
I ...... they always sounded like shit no matter how hard you convinced yourself otherwise.

lol, i think you've mapped the entire psyche of the four-track user in on sentence there....

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Florida Man of "de" Great Buffalo:

I'll tell you Bob, the 2816 is such a cool box. Just for the hell of it, if you send me a cassette copy of this vocal/tune, I'll run it through the 2816 and send you back a copy of what comes out of the stereo RCA outs on the back of the box. Running good sounding tape is faster than doing a CD; however, I will eventually burn some CD's.

When you get your 2816, look immediately on page 12 of the English manual, [hee hee, they also send you one in French or Belgium or something] and write down the shut-down process. It's very similar to shutting down a PC as the 2816 is really a small PC recording unit.

Also, buy a UPS emergencing power box. This is around 70 dollars and worth every penny. In case the power goes off while you're recording this little box will give you about 11 minutes of power while you get a flashlight and shut down the unit properly.

There's more "routing" in the 2816 than anthills in Florida; however, once you get your hands on the box, you'll start getting around it in a short time.

Good luck and congratulations on having such a great gal backing you up.

Green Hornet
You can send me a E-post if you want me to do a re-cut. If so, I'll send you my snail mail address. GH

[Buffalo Bob]

Thanks for the tips, GH. Especially the UPS power box - in the summer we lose power in every storm! I don't think the 2816 could improve my crummy mixes on my MD4 (1st generation ATRAC!)- unless it has a feature that tunes guitars and vocals!
Gotta run- gotta hook up the boat trailer - playing hooky and goin fishing tomorrow on Biscayne Bay!

Cheers,

Bob

[harley96]

I tend to disagree, At the Disc and other big studios 2" tape is still the preferred format.At home I've got a 1/2" reel to reel and use it all the time.If I part with my reel to reel I'd buy a 1" or 2" machine to replace it.I believe the analog format will make a comeback I just wish the damn price for 1/2" tape becomes more affordable.

[Track Rat]

Harley, very true on the 2" tape being the weapon of choice still at most major studios but I have to believe that its death is within sight. Higher sampling rates and deeper bit depth coupled with FUTURE (it ain't there yet) tape saturation plug ins will put it to sleep, mainly because of the high operating costs and maintainence on the 2" machines. In a few years time when we have 128 bit/ 2 GHz sampling rate machines with the affore mentioned future tape saturation plug in running, it'll replicate 2" and no one's going to want to spend $300 for a pancake of tape.

[CMiller]

This is an interesting question, but who knows what the truth will be? I think that they'll still be around.

I think that the real question is if the companies who make the analog machines and the companies who make analog tape will continue to make money producing this stuff. Much like 8mm film, a lot of the companies who produced it just don't make money on it anymore, so they cease production. There are only a handful of companies producing the stuff (8mm), and I suspect that the same will be true of analog tape eventually.

That said, there are a ton of pros who just love analog and no matter how great plugins get will not switch. But those people will not live forever.

I guess what I'm saying is...who knows? It sure is fun to speculate though.

[dtb]

4 track units will always be around as long as there are poor stupid people like me around. he he he
dtb

[Krakit]

But, dtb
the Zoom digital costs LESS than at least one of it's analog cassette competitors.
Carl

[ismaelson]

i would like to believe the future belongs to the analog loyalists but CMiller is right...once the economic viability of cassettes becomes nil, it will go the way of the dodo.

some of the best recordings made have been done on four-track recorders (e.g., Sgt. Pepper, Axis Bold as Love). some stuff being made now is good ole analoggy stuff (like East River Pipe or Steve Albini's work).

it'll be a long while before analog recordings bite the dust. then there will be revivalists.

[dtb]

Man, I didn't hear about the dodo. Bummer.
dtb

[holler boy]

The Do Do isn't gone, many are alive and well on this board!!!

[Krakit]

Originally posted by ismaelson

it'll be a long while before analog recordings bite the dust. then there will be revivalists.

Like there were for 8 tracks?

Carl

[M.Brane]

Originally posted by Krakit


I think it won't be long now before tape cassette as a recording medium goes the way of the vinyl record.


Carl

You mean companies will be selling custom machines made from machined billet steel and glass, selling them for $10K and people will be hording old, clean cassettes?

[trebles]

For those who still like the past :-)

http://www.musicianassist.com/databa...acture/record/

http://www.daveyd.com/makerecord.html


http://www.heckler.com/old_heckler/4.5/records.html


http://www.low-life.fsnet.co.uk/pressing/

[Grizzly]

Well I see it like this. Taking my analog tape recorders away would be like trying to take my guns. It ain't gonna happen any time soon. I'll be persuaded to give up my 3 potastudios when some of these engineers pull their heads out of there asses and make a hard disk recorder as rugged and versitile as a casset 4 track recorder. To be honest it's a bitch to record a live gig on a hard disk. Just try recording a set then go on break come back and get it Q-ed. With a tape deck just load up a new tape, punch the record button and your good to go. If a tape bounces off the floor it usually isn't turn to toast but what happens to a hard disk? I hate to think about that .. All of that work inside and now I can't get to it!!! such a nite mare. Yup I'm not trusting my live recordings to a HD recorder..

[Track Rat]

Luddites

[dtb]

you go griz,
same here.
dtb