How to get my 4-track recordings into my computer?

skywaveTDR said:
I just looked at the OM that I have online and there are 4 separate tape outs. Why not take them into an appropriate 4 channel interface device.
Then you can do all at once.
Click to expand...

I think you're thinking of the Tascam Porta Two, which is a different machine than the Porta 02.

I actually have a Porta Two HS, and it's a great little machine.
 
So I thought I'd update my progress. I purchased a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and transferred the tracks, two at a time into Audition. I just found a some sharp spikes in the recording to line up at the beginning and end, then stretched the audio to match. Essentially what FAMOUS BEAGLE said, I'll try recoding clicks for the next song, that's a good idea.

The first song worked perfectly. The second had some phasing issues but was fixed with some panning and slight adjustment. Worked well. Mind you, as I stated earlier, these are loud noisy recordings with lots of distortion, might not work as well if it was quieter, cleaner music, I suppose. But I'm very pleased with the results.

The 2i2 is a nice interface and sounds great. And I'm really liking Audition, great ease of use, some basic effects, etc. Next will be to look into some VST plug ins and see how they sound. I was also thinking about adding some simple keyboards to one part of a song but learned that Audition isn't compatible with midi, so I'll have to look into options for that.

So at $120 for the Porta02, and $110 for the 2i2, I'm satisfied with how it turned out. Onto the next songs...

Thanks for the input.
 
Hissfit, Reaper is good, no argument but you have AA and like it. Cubase Elements 6 is about the same price and you can download a 30 day trial and there is no better DAW for MIDI than Cubase.

Tip, do the trial and if you decide to get Cubase go the extra $20 or so and buy a dongle. You can run the DAW without but it is then locked to one PC, with a dongle you can install it on any number of machines and just move the dongle.

Dave.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. It's frustrating to have started in AA and then have to find a workaround. I will probably wish I had started this in Reaper, if I do take this further. For now maybe Ill try to add some simple midi with garage Band since I have that and if I feel limited I'll move to Reaper.

Do GB and Reaper have sounds or will I need to buy some package?

I don't think I'll look into Cubase since if I use any midi it'll be minimal, more complimentary, not my focus.

Is there a simple controller you can recommend for this? I suppose any small USB controller will do.
 
Hissfit said:
...
Do GB and Reaper have sounds or will I need to buy some package?
...
Is there a simple controller you can recommend for this? I suppose any small USB controller will do.
Click to expand...
GarageBand has dozens and dozens of built in instruments, synths, sounds, whatever. It's light on real, acoustic piano (only 1, "Steinway Grand" that is probably not up to some folks standards, but if you're a real pianist, you'd already have an 88-key MIDI keyboard). Plenty to get started and you can, of course, add packs or individual instruments as you progress.

If you have a Mac, why not just install it and give it a whirl? Same thing with Reaper - doesn't cost anything to try, and that's the only way you'll figure out of its workflow is going to make you crazy or if it makes a little bit of sense from the start.

There are all kinds of keyboards and pads for MIDI. I can barely make a few 3-finger chords and know the notes so I have a basic 25-key that lets me do some chords or tap in some extra kick, snare, cymbal hits if I have an auto-drummer track that I want to tinker with. It really depends on what you're going to do - I'd just buy one that looks like it'll do what you are planning, without sinking a lot of money into it, until you see how much use you get out of it.

Some also can duplicate as a control surface for your DAW, and that can be useful if you find the mouse and keyboard stuff annoying. (Personally I'm an old code slinger so never use the control surface, but I keep saying I'll give it a better try someday.)
 
famous beagle said:
This was with a Tascam 414 4-track.
Click to expand...

For future reference, there IS a way to get all 4 tracks out of the 414 simultaneously.

Here's how:



Tracks 1 and 2:
- Move all of the INPUT selectors to TAPE.
- Raise the faders on channels 1 and 2.
- Pan channel 1 left. Pan channel 2 right.
- Lower the faders on channels 3-8 all the way down.*

Track 3:
- Turn all of the the MONITOR switches OFF.
- Set the EFF2/Cue switch to CUE.
- Open the Cue knob on channel strip 3.
- Turn down all the other cue knobs.*

Track 4:
- Set the DBX switch to ON or OFF, to match the way
the tape was originally made. DO NOT set it to SYNC.
- No other control settings are necessary for track 4.
It is permanently connected to Sync Out.

Adjust the channel 1 and 2 faders, and the channel 3
cue knob to match the level on track 4 (which can not
be adjusted).

* This keeps other signals out of the selected bus.

The output jacks are as follows:
Track 1 = L out
Track 2 = R out
Track 3 = EFF2/Cue out
Track 4 = Sync out

Tracks 1, 2, and 4 are on RCA outputs, but track 3 is
on a 1/4" output. So you would need at least one 1/4"
to RCA cable.
 
dug dog said:
For future reference, there IS a way to get all 4 tracks out of the 414 simultaneously.

Here's how:



Tracks 1 and 2:
- Move all of the INPUT selectors to TAPE.
- Raise the faders on channels 1 and 2.
- Pan channel 1 left. Pan channel 2 right.
- Lower the faders on channels 3-8 all the way down.*

Track 3:
- Turn all of the the MONITOR switches OFF.
- Set the EFF2/Cue switch to CUE.
- Open the Cue knob on channel strip 3.
- Turn down all the other cue knobs.*

Track 4:
- Set the DBX switch to ON or OFF, to match the way
the tape was originally made. DO NOT set it to SYNC.
- No other control settings are necessary for track 4.
It is permanently connected to Sync Out.

Adjust the channel 1 and 2 faders, and the channel 3
cue knob to match the level on track 4 (which can not
be adjusted).

* This keeps other signals out of the selected bus.

The output jacks are as follows:
Track 1 = L out
Track 2 = R out
Track 3 = EFF2/Cue out
Track 4 = Sync out

Tracks 1, 2, and 4 are on RCA outputs, but track 3 is
on a 1/4" output. So you would need at least one 1/4"
to RCA cable.
Click to expand...

A good bit of lateral thinking there!
 
gecko zzed said:
A good bit of lateral thinking there!
Click to expand...

Indeed. I wish I could take credit for it.

I can't recall where I found the explanation about 10 years ago, but I think the guy's last name was Robinson. He said something like, "Well, all I did was follow the block diagram in the instruction manual."

EDIT: I may have found the info on this very forum but my old posts are gone.
 
This is why it is required to state the model number correctly as they differ a lot as they make them smaller with more plastic and some made in China. The real way to do the job is to just transfer the tape on a Tascam 234 and be done with it or have someone take it into the computer for you from a like unit. Doing a sync job with two different runs will be a constant drift issue and keep in mind the cost of these and how they built them. Real recording Engineers call them a toy and they are for concept development not a final production.
 
Hissfit said:
So I thought I'd update my progress. I purchased a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and transferred the tracks, two at a time into Audition. I just found a some sharp spikes in the recording to line up at the beginning and end, then stretched the audio to match. Essentially what FAMOUS BEAGLE said, I'll try recoding clicks for the next song, that's a good idea.

The first song worked perfectly. The second had some phasing issues but was fixed with some panning and slight adjustment. Worked well. Mind you, as I stated earlier, these are loud noisy recordings with lots of distortion, might not work as well if it was quieter, cleaner music, I suppose. But I'm very pleased with the results.

The 2i2 is a nice interface and sounds great. And I'm really liking Audition, great ease of use, some basic effects, etc. Next will be to look into some VST plug ins and see how they sound. I was also thinking about adding some simple keyboards to one part of a song but learned that Audition isn't compatible with midi, so I'll have to look into options for that.

So at $120 for the Porta02, and $110 for the 2i2, I'm satisfied with how it turned out. Onto the next songs...

Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

I guess you've already got the tracks moved to the DAW, but if you need clicks after the fact, you can reverse the tape and as long as you have enough space, you can record clicks as if it's at the end of the take. The clicks will be backwards, when you put the tape back on correctly, but a click should be short enough that it won't matter. I've done this before, when I needed a count before adding a track where the first note was necessary. It's like punching in some audio, but just make sure you don't record over the beginning of the song.
 
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