whats the difference between a Tascam 424 MkII and a 414 MkII?

D

dennnis

New member
Im looking into buying one of these 4 tracks, ive found a 414 MkII for a reasonable price which i dont mind paying, but ive seen that the most common used one by some big names(ones who got good sounds out of it) got it from a 424? is it worth the hunt? rather than the 414?
thanks in advance
 
dennnis...

The 424mkII/mkIII are a bit higher end in some features than the 414mkII, as you know.

The 414mkII has 2 XLR mic inputs & the 424mkII has 4.

The 414mkII has LED bar meters & the 424mkII has a flourescent display with lots of detail.

The 414mkII has only High Speed & the 424mkII has Normal and High Speed.

The 414mkII has 2 band fixed EQ & the 424mkII has 3 band EQ with 2 bands fixed and the Mid band sweepable.

The 414mkII has an AC/DC power module & the 424mkII has an attached AC power cord, (w/424mkIII having a detachable inline power module).

The 414mkII has piano key type buttons & the 424mkII has microswitch buttons.

The 414mkII has simple operational functions with Zero-Stop and no frills & the 424mkII has sophisticated RTZ, Loop, Repeat, Memory Locate and Autopunch operations built in.

The 414mkII has a dedicated "Guitar" input, and the 424mkII/III has no comparable feature, but (hint) each Mic/Line input on either the 414mkII or 424mkII can handle a "guitar" input. The only thing the 414mkII "Guitar" input gives you is an extra input jack and a "pad", (level control/attenuator). Nothing else. In other words, the "Guitar" input on the 414mkII is little more than a "gimmick".

In sound quality alone, the 424mkII/III should enable you to make a slightly better sounding recording than the 414mkII, in part by virtue of having a slightly better channel strip EQ section. The 414mkII should make a decent and comparable recording to the 424mkII/III, but the 424mkII/III also have a totally different electronics section and audio mixer than the 414mkII. The 424mkII/III would be more high end and finely tuned mixer and audio section than the 414mkII, but the difference in real audio sound quality is very minimal, with subtle differences perhaps audible to the acute or trained ear.

Choosing between the 414mkII and 424mkII there are many factors, but it's not between a bad/good choice. It's more like a good/better choice of factors.

One factor that's not equal is that the 414mkII is still available as a brand new retail product in some venues for a limited time, but the 424mkII and 424mkIII are discontinued eBay-only type of items.

Q: By chance did you catch my SC homepage featuring several recordings off the 424mkIII and dozens from the 424mkII ??? Just wondering, but they're out there. I've been able to get a good sound quality out of both of these units, the results of which are featured on Soundclick. FYI.

The 414mkII is decent, and is very well geared toward "backpack" remotes and casual-to-serious use in productions. The 424mkII/III is really more of a production machine, which then were both top-of-the-line. You'll generally find the best features and sound quality on the most high-end units, by virtue of better designs and components used in the topline offerings of the time.:eek:;)
 

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I'm sure there's a lot more, but some stuff I notice right off the bat:

The 414 has a 2-band eq and the 424 has a 3-band eq with a variable midrange.

The 424 has 2 tape speeds - 3.75 and 1.875 ips, the 414 can only do 3.75

The 424 has 4 xlr jacks, the 414 has 2
 
Great job on the reply.

Very good summation and I echo the information.

They are really fairly different animals, but, as A Reel Person said can result in similar quality recordings. The 424 series offers better potential though, the trade-off being a sacrifice in portability.

the 414 is a cool little unit...the 424 more better cooler but not as portable. :p

I am an owner of a 424 mkII BTW. I love it. It is a whole lot of fun. It is a great teaching tool as well as having some more "advanced" features (the auto-locate/punch in/out facilities). It, along with the 414 have a characteristic sound which I avoid comparing to other mediums (i.e. digital or open-reel analog). Its not fair to do so. It is a cassette 4-track. I've made some recordings on mine that came out with surprising results just because of the combination of source material, the unit itself (electronics) and the mixing. I think the results would have been difficult to do elsewhere because of the character of it, and the results were pleasing to my ears.

And I tell you what, sometimes it is just plain refreshing to truly plug and play. Inspirational even. Sometimes my brain needs a break from getting my analog system in order or using the DAW (20 rack spaces full of this that and the other thing...GUI patchbay...physical patchbay...USB dongle...OS maintenance..... . . . . . . . :eek:)

If ultimate portability is not so critical, go for a used 424...you'll probably pay less than a new 414 and gain flexibility and a more advanced transport.

Either is a neat/great machine though IMHO.
 
most likely

All the info is so much appreciated, i think ill get both! just to compare the two for myself.
Now all i gotta do is find the other one!

ps.reel, the recordings are so impressive for a four track, im really keen on getting the 424 now.
 
voltage

Ok, im from Australia and im trying to buy one from the US. Can they operate at 240 volts? I know they have 120 on it, but ive seen some info saying they
do operate a 240, but is that just different countries models? or are
they capable of doing both?
 
dennnis,

I think that each model is specific to the country of distribution. I looked at my 424mkII manual and there is no provision for voltage switching on the back of the unit and the manual lists the power supply specs separately by country so I think you'll need to find one originally distributed "down under" (240 V AC 50Hz right?) or get a converter.
 
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