4 track cassette as pre-amp?

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Wayne8999

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Can I use my Tascam cassette 4-track recorder as a preamp for recording my Shure57 directly onto my computer? It doesnt work when I plug it directly in with adapters, and I gather from reading other posts that I need a mixer/preamp of some kind. I dont want to spend money if I dont have to. I'm using Audacity.
 
I have a Tascam 424MKIII which I can to plug directly into the USB port of my laptop using an RCA to USB adaptor.

The stereo main/line outs on most of these tapes decks is RCA.

I have also plugged directly into the line in of my desktop computer using an RCA to 1/8" adaptor.

What kind of 4Track do you have?
What kind of computer do you have?
What kind of outputs are on the back of the 4Track?
What kind of inputs are on the computer?
What kind of adapter are you using between the 4Track and the computer?
What output are you using on the 4Track?
What input are you using on the computer?
 
ido1957 said:
I have a Tascam 424MKIII which I can to plug directly into the USB port of my laptop using an RCA to USB adaptor.

The stereo main/line outs on most of these tapes decks is RCA.

I have also plugged directly into the line in of my desktop computer using an RCA to 1/8" adaptor.

What kind of 4Track do you have?
What kind of computer do you have?
What kind of outputs are on the back of the 4Track?
What kind of inputs are on the computer?
What kind of adapter are you using between the 4Track and the computer?
What output are you using on the 4Track?
What input are you using on the computer?
Click to expand...


I have a Tascam 414. It has RCA outputs, so the RCA-> USB or RCA--> 1/8 should work. Is one preferable to the other?

I just have a cheap Compaq notebook with standard I/O's, USB, 1/8 mic, 1/8 headphone. I'm new at computer recording and am not looking to do anything fancy, just experimenting with what I can do. I just wanted to hear the difference between the Shure (actually a clone) and the cheap computer mic I'm using now, and it wasnt working with a direct hookup.
 
Wayne8999 said:
I have a Tascam 414. It has RCA outputs, so the RCA-> USB or RCA--> 1/8 should work. Is one preferable to the other?

I just have a cheap Compaq notebook with standard I/O's, USB, 1/8 mic, 1/8 headphone. I'm new at computer recording and am not looking to do anything fancy, just experimenting with what I can do. I just wanted to hear the difference between the Shure (actually a clone) and the cheap computer mic I'm using now, and it wasnt working with a direct hookup.
Click to expand...

RCA to USB would be the best way. The mic input on your computer is not good for sending a signal from a tape deck - it will give you distorted sound.
Radio shack might have an RCA to USB adapter. I use this converter:

http://www.pricebat.ca/ADS-Technolo...ic-USB-Audio-Capture-Device-Mac-Win.p_105269/
 
That converter will work fine if you don't need to monitor the signal using the headphones on the computer. You can monitor using the headphone or monitor out on the 4Track to hear what is being sent to the computer.

If you want to hear what is going on in the USB input you will need an RCA to USB adaptor with monitoring capabilities....such as this one (not great quality but cheap) It has a headphone jack so you can hear what is going through the RCA/USB converter into your computer. That's nice to have to ensure the sound is actually going through the interface. I got one on eBay for $25.

http://www.behringer.com/UCA202/
 
Tascam 564 as mic preamp to M-Audio 2496, etc.

I've been using a Tascam 564 (multi-track MiniDisc recorder with a "dead" MD transport that I haven't gotten around to fixing yet) as a mic pre (running RCA line-out to an M-Audio Audiophile 2496) for multi-take DAW recording for about a year now. The results, while not stellar, are certainly acceptable for a home/project studio. The 2496 has on-board RCA inputs and outputs (which is why I bought it) and I consider the 2496 to be ~$70 well spent. Unfortunately, that means nothing to you because you're using a laptop.

Before I got the 2496, I used the same Tascam from RCA to 1/8" line input on an Audigy2 ZS (Soundblaster) and also for the AC97 integrated motherboard sound. So I have a few years of experience using Tascam equipment for feeding line-level signals to the computer. Make sure that you're plugging in to a line-level input on your computer and not a mic input. I guess you could feed a mic input with RCA>1/8" if you keep the levels really low.

If you turn the Tascam's mic trim down a bit (to counter the noisy Tascam preamps) and keep the levels on the Tascam's mixer below "unity" (which should leave you with plenty of headroom at the computer) you should get decent results. If it's distorted, your levels on the mixer are too high (so turn that racket down). Make sure to leave at least 6dB of headroom when recording analog to digital (noise floor permitting). You can always boost the volume but you really can't "fix" a clipped signal.

That last statement is actually not entirely true. I have "repaired" some recordings that "clipped" by zooming all the way in (in a sound-editing program) and making single-point volume adjustments to the waveform but it's a lot of work and it's really not worth the trouble unless the recording is irreplaceable. Anyway...

Good luck!
 
Hey guys I am new here and loving this site. I also have a tascam 414 4 track that I want to use a a pre amp into my pc. I was just wondering when you do this, do you still need to record to tape on the 4 track and then transfer it to digital or can you use it as a pre amp without tape and be able to record on a program like audacity ? And which way would give me a better quality recording ?

I just got it so I don't have the wire to hook it up to my pc yet , but was just curious about how you record ?

I also have a m audio fast track pre amp that has a guitar and mic plug in. Would the recording sound better if I went through the 4 track and into the maudio and then into my pc? or would you just skip the m audio and go straight from the 4track to the PC?

Like I said I am new here , so any help you could give would be much appreciated
 
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Directly through the M Audio would be my preference - it is made specifically to attach to your computer. It also would be the device the computer would recognize in you recording software. The Tascam can be connected in a variety of ways RCA out -> Converter -> Line in but use the M Audio. You can connect your Tacam line output to the M Audio if you're using it for convenience as a mixer for your various instruments. I do that a lot - mixer to USB interface to USB port on my laptop.
 
Do you have line in on the M Audio (What model is it) Some don't have line in - only MIC and GUITAR. Some models have a line in built into the MIC input, sort of dual purpose.
If you have no line in, then I would connect my mic (or guitar) directly to the M Audio which connects to the computer via USB.
If you have line in, then you can connect Tascam RCA->M Audio->computer.
The sound quality will be affected by the number of units you are using. If using the Tascam make sure you watch the gain/volume levels you use throughout the signal chain to make sure that it's not too loud and distorting or clipping.
 
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