Cassette 4-Track To Computer: Any Way To Maintain Track Separation??

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Mike Freze

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Hello! Is there any way to record on a 4-track cassette recorder (I have a TASCAM) and then send the recording through your interface to your computer to work on it in your software recording program (I have Cubase LE) and still maintain the 4 separate tracks when it goes into your recording project? Or will it all show up as all four tracks combined (like "bouncing") as one track in your recording program?

I would like to maintain separate tracks for editing and mixing purposes. Maybe this isn't possible. Any suggestions on how one would record from 4-track cassette (with, say, three instruments on three tracks and one vocal on the fourth) to a computer and still get track separation to work on in your project?

Mike Freze
 
if the tascam does not have four 1/4" or RCA outs corresponding with the four tracks on the machine, i would do tracks 1 and 2 at the same time, hard panning them L and R into separate channels of your interface, then do tracks 3 and 4 in the same way, then synchronize them (assuming your interface has more than 1 input. if not, your pretty much stuck doing 1 track at a time)
 
Thanks! No, I only have one output jack in the back of my Tascam recorder. Yes, I have two line level input jacks on my audio interface (also Tascam).

Any chance you could explain how to "synchronize" them as you suggest? What does that mean and how do you do it?

I realize I could record one track at a time on my cassette recorder and send the recording to my computer, all four cassette track recordings to four different audio tracks in my Cubase LE program. That will give separation. But that could be done with a cheap cassette record without 4-tracks, too.

But what if someone gives me a cassette of their home recording (say, a vocal with guitar) on a standard tape cassette that doesn't separate the vocal and guitar on separate tracks. Am I stuck with that recording to my computer as a one track copy? No way to separate the vocal and guitar later? Someone may want me to add other instruments to their home cassette recording, do the effects, mixing, editing, etc. I guess I could add other instruments or backup vocals on separate tracks, but I still can't control the vocal/guitar cassette track (they sent me) to separate the vocal and guitar. Is that true?

Mike Freze

Mike Freze
 
if what you have is a cassette mixdown of a guitar and vocal performance then your options in terms of mixing instrument levels are pretty limited unless that vocal and guitar happen to be hard panned to the L and R respectively, in which case you can just go from the stereo headphone out on the cassette deck to the two inputs on your interface in the same way I described going out from the 4-track using a cable like this:
Hosa Insert Cable S 1/4 in. to Two 1/4 in. at zZounds

by "synchronize" I meant click and drag your tracks to correct any timing issues between them, which you will almost certainly have after transfering your 4 tracks of audio to cubase, due to having to execute 2 real-time transfers.

hopefully that helps, I'm not good at explaining stuff.
 
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You my have trouble getting tracks that were played back at different times to sync.
The belt driven 4 tracks drift around a bit.
So it could be perfect at the start of the song, then way out of time by the end.
 
I've got basically the same issue..

I have a Teac open reel 4 track, and lots of OLD tape needing to be digitized. Unfortunately, most of these recordings will probably only survive a single pass. I could TRY the hard-right, hard-left pans with one pass, and do the same with tracks 2 * 4 for the second pass, but hope the tape doesn't disintegrate before I finish! Wish there were desktops designed with 4 or 6 analog audio inputs! Now, that's my idea of Utopia!
As for synchronizing, I've always had trouble with it, especially with tracks having no click track, or tracks that tend to slow down near the end by a slight percentage. Would have been much easier if all the digi techno was available way back.. sigh...
 
fat_fleet said:
if the tascam does not have four 1/4" or RCA outs corresponding with the four tracks on the machine, i would do tracks 1 and 2 at the same time, hard panning them L and R into separate channels of your interface, then do tracks 3 and 4 in the same way, then synchronize them.
Click to expand...

I do exactly that, and it works great. :D
 
Thank you, everyone! Helps a lot. About the panned tracks that are left and right, going into your interface with two input jacks to capture that separation. Do you need to set up (open) two new blank tracks in Cubase to send each signal to two separate tracks, or does it all get recorded to one track on your recording program?

I suppose if someone sends you a home demo on cassette to convert to digital and edit in your computer, if they didn't pan anything (say, they just used a standard cheap cassette player without the 4-track option). I guess you couldn't separate a vocal from a guitar performance from their cassette because it would show up "combined" on one track in your computer, right??

Mike Freze
 
Slightly OT from OP

For those that don't want to invest in a multi channel sound card (like a Delta 44 -- US$150 or so) here is a way to get more inputs with a bit of coax and a soldering iron as long as you have two or more of **exactly** the same soundcard:

http://quicktoots.linuxaudio.org/toots/el-cheapo/
 
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