Best sound from a cassette portastudio?

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famous beagle

famous beagle

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I'm curious to hear what people consider the best sounds they've heard from cassette portastudio. It doesn't have to be Tascam --- I'm just using the term generically. I'm mostly interested in 4-tracks, but 8-tracks can play too.

This can be sheer recording quality or just most effective recording (which would mean the song is so good that it transcends some poor recording quality). And it can be a signed band/unsigned/your brother's band/your band/whatever.

Links are of course preferred.

This is pretty nice. It's an 8-track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRSjlQcFpBg

What do y'all have?

Thanks!
 
Well, I guess Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska should be talked about. It's sort of a benchmark.

Mike Uva recorded an album with an 8-track portastudio of some kind, and the album sounds great, I think:
Lady, Tell Me Straight | Mike Uva
 
Yeah Nebraska certainly falls into the "songs transcend the recording quality" category. While I love some of the songs on there, the recording itself sounds very much like someone who was just learning how to use a recorder. Obviously, Bruce had spent plenty of time in real studios, so he most likely had learned a bit about mic technique and all, but you can still hear frequency issues all over the album (woofy acoustic tones, etc.). Nevertheless, it's not an album I would point to as what can be achieved on a Portastudio in terms of sheer sound quality. (I know I said that all types of portastudio successes are welcomed, so it certainly should be mentioned, as you said.)

That Mike Uva stuff is very nice indeed. I listened to about half of the tracks --- nice recording, performances, and songs. Thanks for sharing!
 
Well I honestly have to say a benchmark for me is that song you covered with your wife using your 414. I think it was a 414...and was the song "Eyes On Fire"? But no joke, I hear that song and I'm like "there's no way that's cassette multitrack." Great performances and recording technique, but the fidelity is unexpected. I'm sure you weren't looking for or expecting a plug by starting this thread, but you begged the question and that's my response. Do you have a link to that you can post?
 
Sparser recordings seem to work better for cassette multi-tracks or small format tape decks than heavier productions.
I think the more you add to the production and the tracks, the harder it is to retain the sonics...the crosstalk, the loss of frequencies, etc...so yeah, less is more with cassette recording.

Also....with some of the pro releases that were "recorded to cassette"...you really never know how much post-recording work was done to those tracks on pro gear and during mastering to get them to their final sonic stage releases.
 
sweetbeats said:
Well I honestly have to say a benchmark for me is that song you covered with your wife using your 414. I think it was a 414...and was the song "Eyes On Fire"? But no joke, I hear that song and I'm like "there's no way that's cassette multitrack." Great performances and recording technique, but the fidelity is unexpected. I'm sure you weren't looking for or expecting a plug by starting this thread, but you begged the question and that's my response. Do you have a link to that you can post?
Click to expand...

Ha! Well thanks very much Cory; that's very kind. I think Miroslav is absolutely correct by saying it's more difficult to retain the quality the more instruments you add, and our recording was a prime example of that. Here's the song you're talking about.

I really am on the lookout though for more fleshed-out productions on cassette that sound good. I'm sure it can be done, and now that I've finished a year-long book I was writing that ended up being 256 pages, I'm determined to record an album on my 246, and I'm determined to get some good quality from a four track. :)
 

Attachments

I think this one rates.

Commando

Recorded in 2001 on the Tascam 424mkII with an SM57 & mixed to Mono using the Cue buss, i.e., using the onboard EQ during recording and no EQ on mixdown. What you hear is the raw off-tape signal. Enjoy!
:spank::eek:;)
 
Didn't Springsteen use a 388 and not a cassette porta?

The majority of Sublime's Robbin The Hood was done on a 246.
I'd say it's a bit of both (some solid examples of recording-to-cassette quality and material that transcends the lower fidelity offerings)
 
A Reel Person said:
Commando

Recorded in 2001 on the Tascam 424mkII with an SM57 & mixed to Mono using the Cue buss, i.e., using the onboard EQ during recording and no EQ on mixdown. What you hear is the raw off-tape signal. Enjoy!
:spank::eek:;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the share Dave -- sounds great! I've always been too chicken to mix a whole song in mono! :)
 
haunt said:
Didn't Springsteen use a 388 and not a cassette porta?

The majority of Sublime's Robbin The Hood was done on a 246.
I'd say it's a bit of both (some solid examples of recording-to-cassette quality and material that transcends the lower fidelity offerings)
Click to expand...

Bruce used a Tascam 144 for "Nebraska." I'm not aware of him using a 388 ever. (Someone else may know differently?)

I've heard some Sublime, but I don't know if I've heard anything off that one. I'll check it out. Thanks!
 
Thanks! ;)

famous beagle said:
Thanks for the share Dave -- sounds great! I've always been too chicken to mix a whole song in mono! :)
Click to expand...

I mixed 28 Ramones covers to mono in a 2 month long session. An entire album's worth of material. All 4-track on the 424mkII except one song on the 388. (All featured on Soundclick). Some of them I accidentally recorded in Normal speed & they're decidedly Lofi. There's a tangible difference between Normal & High speed recording on these units.

It was a back-to-basics or roots recording phase I was going through at the time. I've thought of revisiting those tapes & remixing them into proper stereo, as the original recordings were.
:spank::eek:;)
 
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I've been recording quite a lot with the 244 over the last year or so, and was quite surprised with just how good it can sound. My next project, which I'm working on right now, is an electronic album tracked entirely on the 244 using my Minibrute analog synth, mixed in Pro Tools. I've even incorporated the 244 into my live setup for one particular piece, tracking stuff live in front of people. When I get the album compiled and more finished, I'll be sure to post something.
 
Hammerstone said:
I've been recording quite a lot with the 244 over the last year or so, and was quite surprised with just how good it can sound. My next project, which I'm working on right now, is an electronic album tracked entirely on the 244 using my Minibrute analog synth, mixed in Pro Tools. I've even incorporated the 244 into my live setup for one particular piece, tracking stuff live in front of people. When I get the album compiled and more finished, I'll be sure to post something.
Click to expand...

Great, sounds good, and looking forward to it! :)
 
Sounds interesting. Can't wait to hear it!

I might be able to sift through some 244 recordings to find one with optimal sound quality. TBD. I agree it's a fine sounding recorder.
:spank::eek:;)
 
I think...

This one has exceedingly good fidelity from a Tascam 246 Portastudio.
Remember
:spank::eek:;)
 
ianbernacett said:
here's a song I did with a Yamaha Mt8x think it has a cool mid fi vibe

(all the stuff on my soundcloud were done with cassette recorders except shine ei which used a 388. the two I used were the Yamaha mt8x and a tascam 424 mkii.)

https://m.soundcloud.com/ian_bernacett/let-us-go-to-bed-ft-rose-v
Click to expand...

Ha! Yeah this is a nice little track -- very happy sounding. Reminds me of a cross between Noah and the Whale and Velvet Underground. The vocals, especially the male, are a bit pitchy at times, but it's all in good fun. The drums sound quite nice, actually. Good stuff! :)
 
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