1/4" of tape is 1/4" of tape...right???

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FZfile

FZfile

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I used to own a Porta-07, then a 424, then a 424mkII.
Now I've gradiated to 488mkII.

So.....my question is .........if my four track recordings done on cassette tapes were recorded across ALL 1/4" of the tape (and all four meters showed signal) then WHY do only tracks 1. 2. 7. and 8. show any signal when i play back my four track tapes on my 488??????????????????????????????????

At first i thought that maybe because it only recordes 4 tracks at a time it only showed 4 tracks at a time but thats dumb because when you have 8 tracks recorded....8 channels light up.

Any input anyone?????

- Mike
 
The head of an 8-track cassette machine is completely different than that of a 4-track cassette machine.

With 4-track, the heads rec/play each of the 4 bands of a normal cassette, full width.

With the 8-track, those 4 bands are split again (to give you the 8-track capability), meaning only half the normal band is used for a track.

So the tapes are generally incompatible.

Bruce
 
Here, Here!!!!!

Couldn't have said it better myself!!!! (Even though I had noooo clue as to why, how or even what) I really did like the flow of Bruce's response!!!! Bravo my good man!!!! Steve :rolleyes:
 
I don't get it Steve....

What's the problem with my answer??

Unless I misread the original post, he's playing 4-track cassettes in an 8-track machine and wondering why it won't work..........

:confused: :confused: :confused:
 
Am I missing something here? I thought most cassettes use 1/8" tape. Certainly the 424s do - I assume the 488 does also. Nit picking, I know - but it's the details which count, and which will often screw you if you ignore them...

- Wil
 
No, no.... Good answer!!!!!!

Sorry there Bruce, I was just giving a cheeky comeback in saying that I think you worded your answer well, in few words, and to the point. I guess I just had to do the "Jump on the Bandwagon and Post a Reply Even Though I have Noooo Idea as to how to Answer the Question".... LMAO In other words, I am a dork!!!!!!!
Steve :rolleyes:

Oh, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with your answer.....
:)
 
Oh sorry... it was your "rolleyes" icon that made think you were being sarcastic.

My bad... sorta! ;)

And Wil... yes, cassettes are on 1/8" tape NOT 1/4"...

Bruce
 
Heeheehee.......

Yeah, Bruce, I'm kinda goin' for the rolleyes icon to be my trademark, all the "Great Ones" have one!!!! LMAO!!!!
Steve :cool:
 
yes but......???

Thanks for the reply. Sorry for not getting to it earlier but, well i guess we've all been a little distracted.

Anyway, you are right bluebear. i am trying to play my 4 trk cassette tapes (1/8". oops.) in my 8 trk.
i realize that the heads are 'different' but i think i read somewhere that you could add tracks to a 4 track by putting the cassete in an 8 trk and essentially erasing half a track on each or all of the first 4 tracks.
and ive actually done this and it does seem to work, although it really doesn't sound very good.

my thinking, though, was that on a 4 trk machine, the heads are spead over the entire width of tape.
on an 8 trk machine the heads also cover the entire width of tape.
so why does it seem like my 4 track tapes which have 4 tracks of stuff recorded on them are suddenly 'missing' the 'middle' tracks when i play them on my 8 trk.
i know the track numbers on the heads are staggered but still, if the whole with of the tape has some signal recorded on it, it should show on my 8 trk machine that the entire width of tape has something on it.
i know all the meters work. when i start a recording on my 8 trk and i fill all 8 tracks. the meters show that all eight tracks have something on them.
so...............if you or anybody could maybe further elaborate.

thanks. - mike

B.T.W. This bbs is HUGELY informative and i appreciate everyone, especially the busy pros, for helping me learn about this art.
 
The width of tape each head reads is different between the 4 and 8trk... the gap between each head is different between the 4 and 8trk... even if they happen to align correctly for certain tracks by chance, as you already observed, it doesn't sound very good.

Seems like you'll have less loss (and less headaches) by bouncing your tracks over to the 8-track than the loss you incur by trying to play back tapes on incompatible gear.

Bruce
 
I Think, and blue bear please correct me if I'm wrong, the eyes on the 8 track head are overlapping half of each of your existing 4 tracks. Cutting what's already recorded in half when you try to record something new on there with 8 track machine. In my personal opinion, the tape in a cassette tape is too thin to get a good quality sound from an 8 track. Everything is too condensed. For really good 8 track sound you'll need to go reel to reel. That's why the big houses use 2" tape with the 24 tracks.

GoodLuck,
T.J.Hooker:cool:
 
Cool! I know a little more than I thought I did.
I just might make something of myself someday, so lookout.:D

Peace,
T.:cool:
 
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