is there such thing as an 8 track tape recorder?

M

mattfrye14

New member
my brother told me there isnt such a thing and that tapes can only hold 4 tracks...but in the classifieds some guy is selling a "Tascam 8-Track tape recorder" for 200 dollars (which i though was a steal)>
 
I assume you're talking about cassette tape. Yes, they exist. I can't imagine they sound very good, though, since you're talking about 1/32 of an inch of tape per track. That ain't much.
 
If it's a Studer or Stephens buy it, and I'll give you $250 for it!
(valuable reel to reels)

"Tape recorder" can mean a reel to reel or a cassette multi-track.
If the rest of your recording chain is strong, even the humble 8 track cassette recorder is capable of making fine recordings.
In fact, there was a #1 hit in Britain a few years ago using a
Tascam 8 track cassette recorder! ("Your Woman" by White Town)
The Tascam model 238S is rarer than the 238 with dbx BTW,
if either of these are the one you're looking at.

One trick if you play the guitar is to find a model that plays at both
regular and fast speed (3 3/4" per second).
Play your solo at "normal" speed, then play it back at fast speed.
Fools a lot of people on how fast that solo can be played!
(take that digital)

Taking a look at the Tascam support website www.tascam.com
is a good idea too for more info on whatever unit this is.

Chris
 
Yep, they're out there & they're not too bad. I've played on a few 8 track cassette demos that came out ok.

OT: I used to own an 8-track (and I mean a real 8-track) recorder. If you weren't around in the 70's you won't know what I'm talking about.

HINT: *song...fadeout...KERKLICK...fade in... song* :D
 
You need more info on the model # - I have a Tascam model 38, which is an 8 track reel-to-reel recorder that uses 1/2" tape at 15 IPS. It's not an Ampex MM1000, but it's head and shoulders above any cassette based multitracker I've heard.

Tascam made a 30 series, 40 series, and 50 series of reel-to-reel decks. There were (if I remember correctly, a 2, 4, and 8 track version in each series. All were reel-to-reel decks, the 30 series were the basic decks, 40 series were heavier duty, and the 50 series were too expensive so I don't remember what extras they had. There were also forerunners to these, such as the 80-8.

Tascam also made some 8 track cassette models, which ran at twice the normal cassette tape speed. One of them, I think it was the 388, had a pretty comprehensive built-in mixer - although, the 388 may have been their reel machine combined with a mixer, don't remember now.

For some of Tascam's 8 tracks, $200 would be a good price if it's in complete working condition. Others arguably weren't worth that much new, even though they sold for a lot more... Steve
 
8-track cassette multitrack recorders

Tascam 488
Tascam 488 mkII
Tascam 688 Midistudio
Tascam 238 (dbx)
Tascam 238S
Yamaha MT8X
Yamaha MT8X II
Fostex 380S (?)

I've had the MT8X, and I still have a 488 mkII. Both of these machines were and are great for what they are. They're not digital, but they do make some excellent recordings nonetheless if you work within their limitations, paying close attention to the recording process and being careful to keep your signal chain as clean as possible. Most of these machines can be purchased on e-bay for very reasonable prices.

Of those that I listed, the absolute best quality machine, hands down, is the Tascam 238-S. The Dolby S noise reduction is reportedly very effective.

Bruce in Korea
 
Tascam made a 30 series, 40 series, and 50 series of reel-to-reel decks
Click to expand...

Don't forget the 60 series.

ATR-60/2N Professional 1/4" 2 channel half-track recorder.
ATR-60/2T Professional 1/4" 2 channel half-track with center track time code.
ATR-602HS Professional 1/2" 2 channel half-track mastering recorder
ATR-60/4HS Professional 1/2" 4 channel mastering recorder
ATR-60/8 Professional 1/2" 8 channel 8-track production recorder
ATR-60/16 Professional 1" 16 channel 16-track production recorder
 
I just scored a 38-8, two DBX DB-4 NR units and an M-30 console on e-bay. WOOHOO!

With cables, tape, manuals, new pinch roller and alignment.

Anyone wanna buy a near mint 488 MkII? $300.
 
More than Four? You Bet.

knightfly said:
... Tascam also made some 8 track cassette models, which ran at twice the normal cassette tape speed. One of them, I think it was the 388, had a pretty comprehensive built-in mixer - although, the 388 may have been their reel machine combined with a mixer, don't remember now....
Click to expand...

Your latter guess is the right one -- the 388 was a 1/4" reel-to-reel 8 track with a built-in mixer.

In reel machines, Tascam made the 38, 48 and 58 (as well as the 80-8 and even a 70-8), as you mentioned, and also the ATR60-8 and the TSR8, which was the last one. All 1/2". Fostex also made several iterations of 8 track (A8, 80, R8, maybe others), most or all of which were 1/4" I believe,

Of course Tascam and Fostex -- not to mention Studer, Ampex, MCI, etc. etc. -- also made 16-tracks and 24-tracks as well. I believe there was even a 32-track or something at some point, but it may not have got very far.

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread (and others), Tascam and Yamaha made 8-track cassette decks. Vestax, if I remember correctly, had a sixtrack deck ahead of them, though I'd be pretty stunned if there are many in existence. Incidentally, a cassette 8-track has 1/64th of an inch per track (8 times 8 is 64, right?), not 1/32nd.

Nobody ever had the nerve to try to put 16 tracks on a cassette.

Akai also made the MG1212 a long time ago, which was a sort of all-in-one recorder/mixer with 12 tracks on a proprietary tape cartridge (actually, I think it even had a 13th track for timecode).

And, lest we forget, ADATs and DAxxs are "tape decks," even though they're digital ones. They certainly have 8 tracks. There a variety of reel-to-reel digital tape decks, too, with up to 24 tracks (maybe more, though I don't know of any).

So ... yes, I think it's safe to say that the original poster's brother is not winning any awards for perspicacity with his "tape can't hold more than 4 tracks" notion.

I suppose if we take the theoretical maxima for analog recorders to be (i) 2" tape width (wider and you have mechanical problems) and (ii) 8 tracks on 1/8" like a cassette 8-track (more tracks and you have signal problems), it would be accurate to say that an analog tape deck can't hold more than 128 tracks.
 
Akai also made the MG1212 a long time ago, which was a sort of all-in-one recorder/mixer with 12 tracks on a proprietary tape cartridge (actually, I think it even had a 13th track for timecode).
Click to expand...

I did some recording on an Akai 12 track in the early 90's @ some friends' local music store/studio - I thought those tapes were of the (9mm?) variety like the mini cam cartridges... dunno, long time ago. I don't recall the particular model I used as having an integrated mixer, I mixed through a console...

If there was a 13th track though, I'm positive that the only function was for time code striping 'cause I put that machine through the paces & got everything possible out of it. :D

I'm not questioning your post, just sharing my experience with this now obsolete gear. :)
 
Incidentally, a cassette 8-track has 1/64th of an inch per track (8 times 8 is 64, right?), not 1/32nd.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's less than that. You have to take in account track spacing and guard band width on the edges. Measured in thousands and it's quite small.

I'm at work and I don't have access to the manual for the 488, but the specs are listed along with other popular widths and track configurations.
 
A friend of mine just loaned an old Tascam 8-track Cassette recorder, which uses standard cassettes. I've never heard anything off of it, or used one myself...but it does definitely exist.
 
In my "old" homestudio I used an Tascam 488 (eight tracks on casette), together with an Atari Mega-1 running Cubase. Used a Midex to smpte-sync the Tascam to the Atari, loosing one track on the Tascam for the smpte-sync signal. It was quite a nice setup and I've done some great tracks on it, mixing was done with live midi-sequenced synths and the 7 remaining tracks on the Tascam for guitar and vocals. I never did any overdubs. The Tascam has a nice marker system for multiple punch-in/out points and the Atari/Cubase was always giving rock-bottom sync and auto-location from positioning the Tascam somwhere on the track.

Peter.
 
Before switching to a DAW I used a Fostex A-8, which was 8 tracks onto 1/4" reel-to-reel tape. Not too bad given the price and how many years I got out of it.

That model's claim to fame was that supposedly the Eurrythmics recorded their entire "Sweet Dreams" album on one.
 
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