Dubbing from CD BACK to RtR

[Ladnar]

As an experiment, I recorded 4 tracks on my Tascam 48, mixed it and burned a CD of it. So I figured, why not dub that back onto Track one of the 48 and then add additional instruments. It sounded okay, but I was wondering what limitations will I run into if I take it further? Will the sound of the original track drop out, become muddied?

Thanks for your input.
Randal Berry

 

[jjones1700]

As an experiment, I recorded 4 tracks on my Tascam 48, mixed it and burned a CD of it. So I figured, why not dub that back onto Track one of the 48 and then add additional instruments. It sounded okay, but I was wondering what limitations will I run into if I take it further? Will the sound of the original track drop out, become muddied?

Thanks for your input.
Randal Berry

I'm no expert on this but I'm thinking that you are creating a 3rd generation copy of the source onto track 1. I would think that the quality would start to deteriorate, especially if you are doing any digital editing of the mixed down tracks. I could be wrong, as I've been told before.

 

[Beck]

You experience generational loss as you add bounces back and forth. The sound will become more muddied, distorted and noisy with each bounce. One or two generations of bouncing are usually ok. Some people do a lot more than that… it depends on the type of music you’re recording

You don’t need the CD in there at all. Just bounce three tracks directly to a fourth through your mixer. You’ll save a generation of bouncing, and you’ll have three tracks freed up for more recording just the same. If you really need those four parts together you can record a part on each of three tracks and play the last part in real time as you are bouncing.

Are the other four tracks on the 48 already full?

 

[Ladnar]

Beck,
Thanks very much for the info.

I have a Tascam M-30 mixer and I don't know how to bounce the first 3 tracks tracks back to the mixer.
The other 4 tracks on the 48 are not full.

Thanks in advance for any information you can give me, and PLEASE be patient with me if I ask for more q's!

Thanks again,
Randal Berry

 

[The Ghost of FM]

Randall,

Think of bouncing tracks the same as you would approach 3 microphones plugged into your mixer, Mic'ing a drum kit as an example. The three Mic's would all be assigned to go to track 4, levels, eq and effects mixed to taste. Replacing the idea of the microphones with taped tracks instead and now you're mixing tracks 1-2-3 to taste, assigning them to track 4, arming the 48 to only record on track 4 and then pressing the record button. As the tape plays the first 3 tracks, its also now taking that mix and copying it over to the 4th track...get the idea?

For getting recordings done on tracks 5 thru 8, just double up the 1 thru 4 buss output jacks on the mixer with a few extra patch cords and then you can record on all or any of the 8 tracks of the recorder. Use your assignment buttons on the mixer as follows;

Button 1 will feed to tracks 1 & 5
Button 2 will feed to tracks 2 & 6
Button 3 will feed to tracks 3 & 7
Button 4 will feed to tracks 4 & 8

That's how you make a 4 buss mixer work with an 8 track recorder.

Cheers!