2-trk mix down options on a budget?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cliff K
  • Start date Start date
C

Cliff K

New member
Hey folks,
I'm hoping you can help me with some general ideas about what machine to mix down to. I have gradually pieced togther a funky little home studio with gear that I've scrounged up over time. Here's what I've got so far: Fostex A-8 1/4" analog 8-trk tape machine, Tascam M308B mixing board, an SM58, a drum machine, a synth, some guitars. Now I need something to mix down to.
Here's where I'm at with this: I'd like a stand alone machine to mix down to, I don't want to use my computer because it's a piece of crap and I don't have a sound card. I don't have a meduim preference, and I don't mind new or used gear, so long as it does what I need it to, I'd like to be able to do some editing and sequencing of tracks without having to cut-up my 8-trk tape, I'm on a low, low budget.
Now there is a Teac 35-2 1/4" open reel 2-trk for sale here for $100, but I don't know much about these machines, but I'm comfortable with an open reel analog machine, especially for editing purposes.
Can someone tell me about the Teac 35-2? Is it a good machine? Is $100 a good price, will it sound good, what problems come with these machine, and are there better options out there for around $100? Can I get a good digital recording machine, or a cassttte deck, etc., for about the same price that will be a better choice? I've just spent way more money than I should have on a synth and drum machine, so I really am on a low, low budget, and this is really just for my own fun and demo stuff, so pro-quality is not much of a factor. Sorry to be so clueless, but I'd much rather get a sense of what I should be looking for from this froum rather than from a sales person or a magazine.

Thanks very much for your help!
Cheers,
Cliff
 
I know you said you dont wanna use the computer, but a Delta Audiophile is a really good card for $139 and less headache than tape machines....and you dont need much of a computer just to use as a mixdown unit......

and the editing capabilities are endless......

my 2 cents.....
 
You might want to ask some questions down in the Analog Only forum too. There's a couple of guys there who know reel to reels and they always seem willing to help.

DD
 
Another option for a nice 2 track would be to get a standalone minidisc recorder used off somewhere like e-bay for around $100.
Sony and Sharp are known for putting out good units.
Editing will be much easier than analog BTW.

Chris
 
Thanks for the ideas, guys, this is the kind of info I need!

Cliff
 
I was gonna say,... but chess beat me to it,...

Minidisc.;)
 
Thanks for the advice! It sounds like minidisc is something to look into. I just posted a new thread asking for minidisc recommendations.....any ideas?
Cliff
 
One interesting idea might to get a minidisc multi-track recorder that can record on both DATA (4 track) and consumer audio 2 track MD's. Then you'd greatly expand the available tracks over a simple 2 track, and get another mixer in the process.

Like the...
1) Tascam 564 (per what "Reel" has told me:))
I sold mine because it's not mentioned anywhere in the
manual that it can record audio MD's!
2) Yamaha MD4 or MD4S
3) Sony MDM-X4 or MDM-X4 MKII

FWIW, the MD4S and MDM-X4 MKII use 4.5 ATRAC data
compression, which is (slightly) better than the older versions
in the other units shown here.
A minimal concern if you record reverb after initial tracking IMHO.
Be very careful buying ANY multi-track recorder used,
I got burnt one time on e-bay with a MDM-X4 MKII.

Chris

P.S. You need to call Yamaha to get the "code" to make the
MD4 record on audio MD's. The MD4S doesn't need it.
 
The Tascam 564 MD Portastudio records 4-track onto DATA MD's,...

and also records normal 2-trk stereo onto normal 'audio' MD's. It sounds really good, & like chess says, you get the 564's awesome 12X2 mixer in the deal.

The 564 will record 2-track stereo onto 'audio' minidiscs, [the cheap ones, you find at BEST BUY]. Really, it works!

I didn't read the manual.;)
 
Otherwise, I'd recommend a SONY component-style MD recorder,...

& definitely not one of those mini-handheld MD recorders. The handheld's are just for bootleggers, anyway. For a real mixdown recorder for the home studio, you'll want a component-style MD recorder, that HAS INPUT/RECORD LEVEL adjustment, and not auto-level. SHOP around, because features vary on different units.

TASCAM also has a nice line of MD recorders, and they're more studio-oriented rackmount units,... a cut above your stereo-component-style MD recorder.

Back to SONY, they also have a few MD recorders that are more pro-oriented, so again, shop around.

I have the Sony JE-320 and Sony JE-510. I know them pretty well, and I like them a lot. Of course, what's to know, since the MD recorder is designed and scoped to be as identical to the common cassette recorder as possible.

Unless you're from another planet, or one of Jerry's kids, you won't have any trouble learning or using the Minidisc component-style recorder.

Likewise, beyond Minidisc, there's the ever-pervasive standalone CDR-recorder, also designed and scoped to be as identical to the cassette recorder as possible. A lot of people have gone this way, [CDR/CDRW recorder] because the CD is a de-facto standard, and it's nice to have universal compatibility, something the Minidisc format does not have.

However, keep in mind that although the Minidisc is not CD-player-compatible at all, the Minidisc has read-write-editing capability, which is a point you asked for on your original post.

CDRW also has read-write-editing, true, but CDRW discs are not largely compatible with most average CD-players, lest you consider the absolutely newest units, which do play actual CDRW's.

Point being, that some people may gripe about Minidisc's basic INcompatibility, but to get what MD offers in CDRW format, you're basically on an incompatible format again,... until you make that last transfer to CDR,... which you could do from MD anyway.

Anyway, I guess that's much ado about nothing. I have MD's and also CDR/W capability on my old 'puter, and I like them both.;)
 
Last edited:
Thanks a lot, guys, for that info: that's the kind of stuff I need, something specific to start with. The Tascam 564 looks really cool, and it would be cool to have the extra tracks and mixer to add to my Fostex A-8 and Tascam M308B, but I suspect that the 564 may be a little hard to come by, and may be more than I want to spend right now. Now that I've got my little home studio mostly together I think my money would be well spent saving up and getting some sort of computer. I'll look for one the Sony JE's, or some like deck; that should be fine right now, and then move on to something with more power, probably a computer with an audio card and software, when I've got more money to play with. Thanks again, and thanks for helping me and indulging my complete ignorance: this is a very good forum.

Cheers,
Cliff
 
You'll do fine with your A8 and M308B.

Anyway, most people probably mix down directly to their computer and normal stereo soundcard. It's easy.

You'll just send your LINE OUTs from the 308B to the soundcard's LINE IN, with an RCA-to-1/8"-stereo Y-cable. Record with audio recording software into 16-bit/44.1Khz/stereo WAV files, and then use CD creator software to lay the wav files out into sequences, and burn CDs.;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top