choosing cassette recorder

  • Thread starter Thread starter sardineclub
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sardineclub

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Hi there,

Just wandering what anyones thoughts on the differences between a higher end but older unit and some newer but more 'lo fi', like those 4 track tascams that were popular for a while. Im thinking of getting something like a Sony TC-D5 Pro II or maybe something more solid like a tascam 234. Or go the other way and get a newer tascam 4 track or something.

Basically i suppose what im asking is, is it worth getting something older, of better build and possibly sound quality but have to worry more about technical issues or just go for something nineties and plastic. And is there likely to be a big difference in sound quality ?

Thanks.

Olly
 
Make no mistake: Tascam four track cassette machines have great sound quality and aren't "lo fi". It's how you use it that determines fidelity and sound quality.

As far as cassette recorders go the Tascam four tracks are better recorders than most other cassette decks, given that it records at double the typical speed of consumer cassette decks and has dbx noise reduction.

What are you hoping to do with a cassette recorder?
 
I really want to use it across the board really but mainly to record stereo guitar tracks within songs that will be multitracked digitally.....from what i heard in the past (admittedly a long time ago before i knew anything about audio) the 4 track home recording systems always sound very saturated and a bit too distinctively cassette tape. In fact i'd love something good enough to track a whole song without it sounding like the moldy peaches.

Im not sure if i've made a whole lot of sense, but there you go. Do you own a tascam cassette deck ? Any recommendations ?

Thanks
 
That makes sense. I think the big thing to point out here is that your recordings will sound saturated and "cassette tape-y" only if you record them that way. The Portastudio doesn't sound that way by default, you just need to watch your levels and use noise reduction judiciously.

The thing is that all cassette tapes are "four track" tapes; that is, each audio track (Side A Left, Side A Right, Side B Left, Side B Right) occupies 1/4 of the usable tape area. So, you're going to get roughly the same effect by using a regular, home stereo cassette deck. The difference is that Tascam's Portastudios allow you to record at a higher tape speed (3 3/4" per second versus 1 7/8" per second), which *will* get you a better recording than if you use a home stereo cassette deck.

You could also just use a home stereo cassette deck, but I'd personally go with the "higher fidelity" option.
 
Hey thanks for your help. I ended up picking up a tascam 414 MKII for around £30. Managed to find some tape for a reasonable price, just.......
danke schon
 
The tape speed is a big factor. The 3.75 IPS of a decent four track make a huge difference to me.
 
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