Tascam Porta One - forgotten how to use it.

F

fulbourn

New member
I have a Tascam Porta One 4-track machine which I have not used for 20 years.

However, now approaching 70, I have decided i'd like to take up songwriting again.
I've forgotten how to use most of the controls.
However, I have persevered to the stage where I have recorded a new song on to all 4 tracks.

I have now encountered a massive disappointment ... I cannot remember how to transfer my completed 4 tracks (all carefully balanced) to a 'finished' product on to another blank cassette. I do have an old tape cassette recorder with 2 'mic' line ins (L and R). These both have mini-jack inputs.

I believe I need to use the 2 line-out sockets (L and R) - but what do I connect to? If its to the cassette recorder, do I use phone plugs (from the Tascam) to mini-jacks on the cassette recorder? Stereo or mono?

I am so disappointed! Are you able to assist, please?
 
It's hard to find a free manual for that model. You can probably find the manual for a more recent model for reference and to jog your memory, as the basic operation will be very similar.
 
I believe the outputs on the Tascam are RCA style connectors and they would go to the Line In of the cassette deck. The hardware is readily available at Radio Shack.
 
Hello fulbourn, I too have a Tascam Porta 01. You will need to do as you say and plug into the main outs, L and R, which are phono connections, and play your songs. That part you guessed (or remembered) correctly.

Your cassette player may not and be ideal recipient if the two inputs really are mic inputs. Try it and see if it works.

Just a thought: as you have posted your question on the forum I guess you have a computer. It might be worth thinking about getting an audio interface, which is a box that accepts the output from your 4-track as well as mics and instruments and converts the sound(s) for your computer, with the right software (eg. Reaper) to become a 21st century multi-track recorder - with full digital quality and much more than 4 tracks.
 
Tell us what kind of wires you have. I'm not finding the wire you need on radioshack.com so they may not make them anymore, but when I used to mix down to a tape recorder I used a Dual Phono (RCA) Plug to Dual Phono (RCA) Plug X-cable (red & white plugs to red & white plugs). All I'm finding is the 1/8" Stereo to the red & white plugs, the Y-cable. Search for Model: 42-495 on radioshack.com for a picture of it. The Y-cable will also work if you pop a 1/4" adapter on the 1/8" and connect from the 1/4" tascam headphone jack to the tape recorder.

It's funny, ten years ago I could connect my tascam directly into the sound card on my PC using the Y-cable (red & white from tascam to 1/8" input behind computer) and mix down using a simple program. And I could pan! Ten years later I have a desk mac and I need to break down and buy an overpriced interface doodad just to get my tascam to play into the computer. And damnit I can't pan anymore.
 
Tascam Porta One Ministudio Owner's Manual

You can find the Owner's Manual for the Tascam Porta One Ministudio on one of my web pages.
I alss have the Service Manual there too.

w w w dot synthmind dot com / midi1 dot html

sorry for the cryptic url... I'm new , trying to help you and cant post url until I have posted 10 times on this site
 
If you want to record to the computer, you should be able to get an adapter that goes from the two RCA phono jacks on the PortaOne output to the stereo line in on your computer (1/8"). Of course your computer soundcard's A-to-D converter isnt't very good, but you could record the PortaOne's output to a free software like Audacity.
 
This is kind of crazy, but also kind of on topic for this thread:
I had some four track stuff that I had saved from my long gone Porta One.
I recently transferred it into my DAW with a standard cassette deck by first recording track one and two.
I then flipped the tape over to record tracks three and four.
They were backwards of course in the mix, but I just flipped them and nudged them into the correct time line using the tools in my DAW.
It ended up working perfectly!

Bill
 
I have a tascam porta one, when recording track one came out all right, Realize procedures (mic / line, cue, the other channels off, record function 1), but when I tried to do the same to record on channel 2 (with the exception of activated record function 2 and 1 in SAFE) record me, somebody help me!
 
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