Multi-track cassettes???

T

trag-o-caster

New member
Is there any talk about them being done away with??? Are they still selling well enough for TASCAM and others to keep making them? I certainly hope so! I actually quite like them for home demos. I'm not a techie, and don't have the time to immerse myself in phone book sized users manual that seems to be the norm for the digital recording gear that I've ran across. If you're not concerned with state of the art sound quality, and just want that instant gratification, multitrack cassettes are hard to beat!

I personally like the sound of the cassette machines - but I'm the kind of guy that sits around listening to bootlegs, and old 78's from the 20's so what do I know about sound quality?!?
 
I'm not an official spokesman for anyone but myself. I disagree. I'm of the belief that cassette is dead, in terms of Tascam anyway. I believe the last of the cassette based Portastudios have already been produced, and the ones for sale now are "use-til-gone", discontinued stock items. Get in on multitrack cassette while you can still can get the new-in-box item from retailers. Before long, those retailers will stop offering them, and you'll be funnelled into the Ebay used-gear market.

That is, if it's anything to'ya.

I started in '82 on the Tascam 244, & skipped over everything 'til the '97 424mkII. Then, I went on a binge playing catch up, going to Ebay for everything else I missed, including: The Porta One, the 246, the 234, and the 238. I did, however, also score the new-in-box 424mkIII, retail. Cassette multitrack is special. Tascam, and everyone else, has abandoned the cassette multitracker, for greener pastures, it seems.

Anyway, there IS one new contender in the field of cassette multitrack, and it's KORG, of all people. KORG has produced a SIMPLE cassette 4-tracker, which is a merge of the Tascam MF-P01, a Korg guitar effect, and a boombox. Yes, I said boombox. It's a great message to send other manufacturers about cassette, so I hope it's successful. On the other hand, the mixer and cassette sections of this NEW KORG cassette multitracker is a bit "lite" for my tastes, remember, I have a 246. But, that being said, I'd like to commend KORG for even THINKING of producing a NEW CASSETTE based multitracker. I think TASCAM should hop back on board.

Call Tascam, and I'm pretty sure they'll tell you that production of cassette based multitrackers has ceased. There last offering was the MF-P01. Whoop-dee-doo. No one who's sophisticated about cassette Portastudios would want that. The MF-P01 is for 6th graders.

Out
/DA
 
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I have a 414mk2, and a C-port running Sonar 2.2
I would much rather bring my 4 track into practice and make a demo than use the C port. It's just so much less stuffing around. The sound quality it not as good (well der it's cassette!) but I like the sound.
 
Ease of use of the cassette multitrackers is awesome. I'm adverse to anything with menus. Sound quality of cassette is still decent, IMO.
 
:rolleyes: Yo Trags:

Well, I used cassette stuff for a long time as it came before digital SIABs; however, once you push the button to rewind on a digital box and you don't have to wait for the tape to rewind, well, man, it's very nice.

Everything has menus I think; from cell phones to automatic beds; I guess it's the times.

You ought to audition a couple of the SIABs and see what they can do and you "don't have to wait for the tape to rewind."

Green Hornet ;) :D
 
None of the cheaper digital multitracks can record to more than 2 tracks at once - completely useless for when I'm recording my drums. I just think tapes are easier. It would be nice to have lossless bouncing though...
 
MichaelM said:
. It would be nice to have lossless bouncing though...
Click to expand...
That's why god invented the professional reel to reel which you do have to wait while it rewinds but, the 15 seconds gives you time to think and breath which is not a bad thing when recording.

It's sound quality will walk all over most digital recordings as well and is the stuff that all the digital users crave and long for in their sound by adding all those exotic pre-amps and tube compressors to bring back some life and warmth to the sound that digital recorders by themselves leave cold and two dimensional without all the analog helpers.

Open reel tape running at 15ips gives you the same medium that every rock legend used for the past 40 years and many of them created incredible recordings on analog equipment.

Seriously though, if digital's only claim to fame is that you don't have to wait for it to rewind, that's not saying a whole heck of a lot.

And it is very true that today's world is filled with menus and sub-menus to do anything with our devices of convenience but is it really a convenience to dive 3 to 5 levels deep to turn up the bass on a track?

I prefer to just turn the knob sitting in plain view along with all the other real knobs in plain view.

If that's old fashioned, I'm fine with the label and happy too.

Cheers! :)
 
I rather my cassette 4-track for demos, but I would much rather get a PC based recording system that I'm happy with than an open reel tape one. I think I like the flexibility better. However my band did some recording for a friend who was at SAE in their analogue studio, and I really liked using the gear. (Yeah I kinda got in her way at times). 2" tape, 24 tracks, mixer channel for each track, no stuffing around with plugins and routing.

I cannot stand using the mouse to tweak eq and effect parameters. Thats why (Even though it's a behringer) I play the tracks back out to the mixer to mix, and then back into the computer to get the 2-track mix.
 
:D Yo great Spirit of Ectoplasm:

[et.al]

A very good SIAB that can record 8 tracks at once is right around 1k. No names but you can find them if you look.

Ghosty one, I, too, like simplicity and I enjoyed my Tascam 8 trackers which did a great job considering how small the cassette is. Never had the opportunity to use a wide tape deck but I imagine they are very good.

Tape rewinding also causes the talent to lose focus and maybe the engineer too. I don't think anything is old fashioned; rather, it's just a matter of preferences and time. I hate complicated menus and, even more, dumb manuals written by people who try to write in English while thinking in another culture -- it doesn't work too well most of the time.

But, the bottom line is FUN. Music has always been fun for me. Always enjoyed getting the dance floor filled when doing gigs--kind of uplifting and no menus envolved.

So, whatever makes one happy is good. I enjoy your expertise dealing with the Tascam line.

Green Hornet ;) :D :cool: :D
 
Menus and sub-menus and sub, sub menus

Ha! Just look at the posts from the poor folks who are lost in the maze of menus, sub menus & 3rd level sub-sub menus on the 2488! Or better yet...take a look at the manual online!! YIPES! :confused: :mad: :eek:
I would much rather wait 10 or 15 seconds to rewind some analog tape and have a few simple knobs to turn to set the EQ or tweak a simple line out! Not to mention that most of these digital recorders sound like someone smashed a glass against the wall when they are overdriven>>>>>>>Analog forever!
 
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