Overdriving the hell out of my 388

peopleperson

peopleperson

I'm so sorry.
I'm not in a position to actually do the experiment at this time, but I was wondering...does anyone have any experience overloading the shit out of the preamps on a Tascam 388? I'm looking to make a few recordings that are intentionally mid to lo-fi and kind of blown out sounding for a lack of a better description. Anyone tried anything like this with this machine and had any results they liked?
 
I'd recommend against overdriving the crap outta the 388 preamps.

You may get a "phat" sound, but you're risking blowing the input right out.

Perhaps a better approach would be to get a separate outboard preamp to get the overdriven/saturated sound, then drive the 388's Line Inputs with a nominal line-level signal.

From following this forum and eBay for so many years already, I've seen (read about) numerous cases of input/channels being blown out by severely overdriving the preamps, in a search for a really "phat" sound!

It's not worth blowing the inputs/channels of the 388 for this experimental technique. That's just MO, at the moment. :eek: ;)

;)
 
Yeah, oh well. You guys are probably right. If there's a history of the inputs being destroyed from this, I probably shouldn't try it.

Big thanks for the responses fellas.
 
Yeah, well,...

It's preferrable to develop any hardcore overdrive in a an outboard unit that's specialized to handle it, then bring the distorted signal into the 388 at nominal levels. The OL LED is there for a reason, and if you overdrive the pre's too much, you risk burning them out. I'd try not to go there.

I'd not turn it up to "11" and redline the living heck outta the input for effect, however, a little sporadic redlining is no problem. Driving the inputs a little bit high can warm up the signal, and I'd gladly redline in moderation for effect,... so to speak. :eek: ;)
 
peopleperson said:
I'm looking to make a few recordings that are intentionally mid to lo-fi and kind of blown out sounding for a lack of a better description.
Click to expand...
You can achieve that also from eq'ing the top and bottom end out of the recorded tracks, making them "bullhorn" type fidelity.

If you have a guitar stomp box distortion pedal that has a variable amount of distortion, try using that as a processor too to distress the sound quality.

Cheers! :)
 
Try recording without DBX for a low-fi sound. Or, experiment by recording with DBX on, but playing it back without it, or recording without it and play back using it. You can achieve some unique "lower-fi" sounds this way.

-MD
 
Well you're not going to get a low-fi sound simply by not recording with DBX and I've never found it useful on play back to engage DBX if you didn't record with it, just a bunch of pumping and garbled noise. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.
 
Of course, you could always run the finished reel through a bath of sulfuric acid...that ought to distress the fidelity down a notch or two! :D

kidding. :)

Cheers! :)
 
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