anyone here using or recently used a 688?

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heatmiser

heatmiser

mr. green christmas
Just curious...

Seems like most of the folks here who still use cassette use 4-track recorders. I went from a Fostex X-15 that I had for almost 15 years to a Tascam 688 about a year ago. The results are certainly better, but I wish I could hear what this machine is really capable of to get some perspective on where I'm at sonically.

I noticed Dave (if you don't mind me singling you out), that in the photo of the 6 zillion analog recorders in your collection, there is one 688 right in the middle. However I don't know that I've ever heard anything that was recorded on that machine. You are sort of my barometer for cassette based fidelity, so I would love to hear anything you or anyone else has done with this deck.

Despite being "just" a cassette machine, I find the advanced features kind of overwhelming and although I've read the manual several times, I still have a lot to learn. Searches on this site and online generally have yielded little info about this machine. I can't for the life of me figure out what tracks 9 & 10 are for. Or 11-20 for that matter.

I guess I would just love to hear anyone's thoughts on this machine and also any recordings made with one of them. Mine's in the shop for repair right now...if things go well I'll be back in business soon. Otherwise, should I take the opportunity to go in another direction and change recorders?

Thanks...
 
It's definitely a fine machine that's capable of hifi recording.

It has a lot of features that are hard to grasp at first, that's for sure.

Channels 9-10 & 11~20 are extra input channels, not tracks. All channels route to any or all of 8 output busses and tape tracks. All the extra inputs were geared toward the "midi musician" or "Midi-studio",... where perhaps you'd have 7 recorded tape tracks, and 1 sync track that's driving a huge bank of external midi sound modules,... all of which need inputs to route back into the final mix. That's it in a nutshell.

I appreciate your input, and I don't mind being singled out on questions. I obviously set myself up for it, y'know. Unfortunately, I don't have any "production" from the 688 to showcase at this time, but I'll put that on my list of things to do. Of the few test recordings I've done on the 688, I was very impressed with the sound!

I often consider my best recordings a 'barometer of fidelity', and I appreciate when people may concur. Though I don't want to come off as big headed, the fidelity is there, but overall I'm just doing this for fun.

There may be other heads on this board who may have specific examples of 688 recordings. It's quite a fine machine, IMO. :eek: ;)
 
688

hey heatmiser,
i run a little studio on the great tascam 688. If you have any questions just ask em. Dave was right by the way...
see myspace below...
always use tdk sa 60 or 90 or sa-x 60/90 I think that combination is realy the best! The 688 rules...
 
Yeah, I should have remembered Bobby Darko and Casa Cassette!

My apologies! I've checked your posts and site before, and it's great and inspiring! It was just on the tip of my tongue, I'm sure,... but it's late & I'm tired!

Goodnight! :eek: ;)
 
thanks!

This is encouraging...thanks for the input.

Dave: While I'm disappointed to learn you have no examples, I am relieved the 688 gets your stamp of approval. It seems like channels 9-20 are essentially useless to me as I am (thankfully I think) midi-less. I did find that during mixdown, I can record live onto channels 9 & 10 and those sounds do translate to the final stereo mix, but this means I have to play guitar, sing or whatever while simultaneously mixing all 9 or 10 signals together. I found this to be impossible.

I've just been looking for ways to add more tracks without bouncing and was hoping that maybe I could route a signal from a channels (1-8) to one of the dual channels (11-20) in real time to double up a track for a stereo effect or something...

Bobby Darko: I saw your site once before and really enjoyed it. I checked it out again today and really enjoyed all the photos. I particularly like "Darya" and "Belly Button". Your recordings are encouraging for me as I think they have a lot more clarity, separation and sense of space than mine do. Most of that probably comes from technique and experience.

I wonder though, do you use the 688's onboard pre amps, or do you use external pre's? I find, with vocals and acoustic guitars in particular, that the more trim I have to use to boost the signal, the tinnier and hissier the signal becomes. I have less problems with louder sources like mic'd amps, keyboards and drum machines. I am thinking about purchasing a mic pre or two but wonder if a $200 pre will be much of an improvement over the onboard ones. I want to improve the clarity and the signal to noise ratio...at least I think that's what I need to do.

It was kind of funny, because I was so happy and proud to be upgrading to a 688 (a huge step up for me), but when I bought it at a local music store, the kid behind the counter (who I honestly think was trying to help me) was like, "dude, you're fighting a losing battle with tape...what do you want that huge thing for? You gotta go digital." Kind of took the wind out of my sails, but I'm over it...
 
I would have wanted to punch him, but probably would have left it at...

kid, you don't have a clue! :eek: ;)

Or, "Naw, I don't wanna be like e'one else!" :eek: ;)
 
"You gotta go digital" is a very familiar term to me and so overused, especially by little clueless pricks at my local music store, that it makes me wanna scream every time! :eek:
 

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First of all: thanks guys for the kind words. I wanna thank you (especially Dave) for learning me stuff and always answering my questions about recording to tape. I've learned a lot in two years.

heatmiser: Untill now I always used the preamps of the Tascam and I didn't have any big problems with them really. However I need phantom power fast, so I have to buy some pre's myself. It all depends on the mic you're using I guess, but for most dynamics the pre's of the tascam should do the trick. Condensers and Ribbons are another story off course. What mics are you using??

Actually Darya was done on a tascam 244 with the crappiest mics you could imagine. Came out okay I guess.
About my experience and technique: I am just starting out so I have very little experience. I was lucky enough to record my friends who write great songs, that helps a lot. (and I read everything about analog recording/mics/micplacement etc. I can get my hands on, that helps too)

About the kid: Fuck 'em. No seriously, everybody has to decide for him/herself about digi/ana. I'm sticking to my non sticky cassettes! I don't wanna watch a screen or sub-menus. I wanna hear music form speakers and turn knobs.
 
Thanks guys.

I really wasn't angry with this guy. He's a genuinely good kid and we joke around alot when I'm in there. I think its just a generational thing.

All the salespeople gathered around the 688 and kind of stared at it like some sort of historical curiosity when we put it up on the counter. It was kind of an embarrassing mini-event...like, "Check it out! Someone is actually buying a tape deck!"..."No way!"..."Way!". They were all turned off by the size and weight of it. I find its considerable bulk to be oddly appealing.

As for mics, I'm using dynamics - an SM57, an AKG 3700 & an old AKG d200 e1 circa 1980. I can get a decent signal from all of them, but I just prefer the sound quality when I use the least amount of trim on the pre amp as possible. I want to try a condensor mic (am thinking about an AKG perception) for acoustic guitars & vocals, so I'll probably get a mic pre and see what I can do with it. I just firgured they put 8 pre amps in this thing along with all the other features so they had to skimp somewhere.

I am sold on cassete. It is what I grew up on and the hardware is fun to use. I just hope they don't stop making them. I don't want to go through the same panic that the reel to reel guys periodically go through.
 
Oh yeah...

I ordered "The Musician's Guide to Home Recording" on Amazon the other day. It was written in 1994, so I am hoping it will be relevant to my gear and techniques and stuff...Most of my reading on the subject has been online and a lot of what I've found is skewed towards digital recording.

Are there any books that anyone recommends that are relevant to cassette home recordings?
 
...

"The Musician's Guide to Home Recording" was originally written in 1986, with updates in 1994. It will be plenty analog-centric, for sure.

There's another one, "Using Your Portable Studio", also by Peter McIan. It's an excellent work that focuses on the Portastudio and porta-clones, with plenty of practical how-to info throughout. :eek: ;)
 
Miser

Hey dont worry about those couple of people who might laugh at your interest in analog stuff, for every few assholes there are a few who envy. I wouldnt doubt if there is some guy out there right now whod kill to have a setup like yours. Once i went to guitar center and asked if they had 1/2 inch tapes and the guy in pro audio said "ha, why would you want that old stuff?... i mean thats like dinosaur old". And i was laughing with him to be nice and all that but really i was embarrassed for him not only for being an idiot, but because i could tell that analog or digital the dude wasnt makin shit for shit artistically. Id've bet both balls on it.

Plus you never know whats going to be hip. One day its hip to have digital, then the next day its hip to have lo-fi cassette, then one day people are buying digital plug-ins to emulate analog, then even further down the road after a few brilliant albums come out using fake tape plugins people are striving for real-fake faked but still semi real sounds, just like they heard on their favorite albums of their youth. So dont let anyone stray you. Dont stress about your limitations because after time passes you will upgrade but a part of you will still miss your old sound and it will become something with depth rather than just black and white. Man i listen to Dark Side of the Moon on vinyl through a tube receiver one minute then ill go listen to Tegan and Sara's crappy digitally hideous home laptop demos the next and both "sounds" have their place.

I refuse to torture myself over audio perfections and imperfections.
 
Well said, not my actual friend. I will strive to be stress-free.

I wouldnt doubt if there is some guy out there right now whod kill to have a setup like yours.
Click to expand...

That guy was me 12 months ago...fortunately no one died.
 
Cassette

You want to know whos got the right attitude, its that Casa-cassette guy.
 
Also

Also, and im no expert, if you havent recorded much with this setup id say that you should just try recording things and listening to them without "songs" in mind. Of course continue to write and record ideas, but im going to tell you from my tiny experience what happened to me and maybe itll save you some heartache.

When i started getting the setup id been wanting for years i was pretty eager to start recording. As if because i was a natural musician and a decent writer with alot of close listening experience it would grant me the ability to make my recordings sound good. But the real reality was that i ended up frustrated with my sounds and starting to hate recording. How could i be creative while i was doing all this wire switching and eqing and all this non musical (comparatively) shit? So i just started seperating recording practice from writing practice. Since your equipment is new to you, id suggest just going through all controls. Learning all settings. Record things and just see how different they sound from the source and listen to what your particular room sounds like. Then listen to how your mics sound and listen to how drastic to subtle eqing sounds. Basically just listen to what sounds you ARE getting from your stuff rather than dream about what it should or could be then try to get those sounds.

Listen and take note of all useable sounds you know for sure you can get, then apply them. This may or may not be normal but im just saying thats how i learned to learn.
 
Good Friend said:
But the real reality was that i ended up frustrated with my sounds and starting to hate recording. How could i be creative while i was doing all this wire switching and eqing and all this non musical (comparatively) shit?
Click to expand...
Amen to that. I have a Sonar computer, a Roland digital multi-track, a reel to reel multi-track, and a Tascam 488 which is like the 688 but without midi. Now I'm looking for a Tascam 424 mklll just because it's so easy to use and will fit on the space next to my bed. :rolleyes:
 
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