Cassette to DAW, or DAW to Cassette to DAW?

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kmaster

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I feel like I've been bombarding y'all with cassette questions as of late, but that what this forum is for, right? ;)

Anyways, to get the most out of my Tascam's abilities, I am trying to figure out whether it would be best for me to track into Logic first, send the tracks to my 246, and then re-import back into Logic... or would it be be better to record straight to cassette and then import that into the computer?

The first way guarantees I'll always have "clean" and drop-less versions of everything, but I've read that some things (like drum transients) sound better (at least, the tape compression effect is stronger) when recorded straight to cassette than from a computer... but the second way forces me to use the console more like a console and less like an elaborate tape deck (that is, I could actually track with a physical board, which is one of the reasons I got the 246), and there is only one signal conversion – A->D – as opposed to 3 signal conversions the first way.

What would you suggest?
 
Track it to tape first! A clean running 246 with good tape (Maxell XLII, TDK SA, etc) @ 3-3/4 ips will have no problem creating good solid drop-out free tracks. Don't use tape lengths greater than 90-minute, with 60-minute being best for cassette. Keep the tape path clean... clean heads and vacuum/blow dust out of the tape well with compressed air before each session.
 
Well ... IMHO, the most obvious reason is that the first way you listed is much more of a pain.

Assuming that dropouts aren't a concern (and I've worked with literally dozens of 4-tracks and never had an issue with it---I just maintained the machine well), then it's much less of a run-around.

Besides that, yes I think it's different recording a live signal to tape, because you're able to interact with the tape saturation a bit. Although I can't state it definitively (because I've never done it), I don't think recording a live drum kit to tape is the same as recording a pre-recorded kit to tape.

And third, it's much more fun (IMO) to track to tape first and make use of the mixer, like you said!

To be honest, I'd never even considered doing what you're suggesting. But maybe that's just because (I assume) you've intended all along to get your tracks into the computer (for mixing, I guess?), and I never intended that.
 
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