eek! I just bought a Ross 4 track..

F

filmdude11

New member
Heya fellas,
I saw this Ross 4x4 thing on ebay and it looked pretty sweet so I bid on it. I didn't really think I would win it because I only bid about $75 and I thought it'd go for higher because they seem pretty rare. Well I won it for $66..

I found almost nothing online about it. Does anyone here have one?

I was attracted to it because it has VU meters, individual punch in/out buttons, left and right master faders, and indvidual tape ins and outs!

https://img120.imageshack.us/img120/8831/rossfrontqr6.png
https://img120.imageshack.us/img120/4448/rossbacktb7.png

Looks pretty cool, I hope it doesn't suck though..

Corey
 
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I remember seeing ads in Mix magazine for it back in the 80's. The ads were pretty short on detail and to be honest, it kind of seemed like a "me too" kind of product, copying the more famous TASCAM Portastudios of the day. Fostex was the next most popular to TASCAM and then after that a bunch of smaller market companies jumped on the bandwagon like Sansui, Marantz, AMX, Audio Technica and handful of others.

Looking at the jack panels on the front and rear, it seems to be a pretty basic unit and the piano key tape transport buttons also suggest it was designed to hit a price point first and foremost.

If you have a need for it and can make use of it then its 66 bucks well spent, so long as it works.

Have fun. :)

Cheers! :)
 
Good Machine!

That's a great little machine - I've had mine since 1986, and I still use it for preliminary drafts of multitrack demos, etc. I've only performed minor repairs on it (replace drive belt, resolder head lead), and it's still performed quite well.

There have been a few problems with the plastic construction (screws stripping, and the plastic door) which occur with most other molded plastic cases, but those problems haven't hindered recording in any way.
The only trouble with that door has been that the plastic tab broke early on, and it was just a matter of re-gluing it with rubber cement.

Also, the design of yours seems a little different in appearance, as mine probably is an earlier version than the one you have. Mine doesn't have the bright colours, but rather muted colours on the knobs and a gunmetal grey box with a smoked amber colour cassette door.

In the manual, an alternate version is listed as having separate cue level controls for each channel (I can see the die punches where they would go (just above the tape deck) when I take it apart and view the insides. There are four circles outlined in the plastic).

It's great for portable, quick recordings with the superlative Dolby C NR.

Enjoy! :D
Louis
 
Hi: I'm new here. I have both the unit AND the manual. I started an analog home studio many years ago with a Teac 2340 4 Track Tape Recorder, went pro with two Teac 3340's, then opened a 4100 sq ft pro studio with an Otari 1" Eight Track, and finally an MCI 2" 15 & 30 IPS machine and a Studer 1/2" Mastering Machine. I sold the business many years ago.

I bought this Ross 4X4 years later from a musician friend, and I have to tell you, as a former pro engineer and producer, this little deck is DA BOMB!

I am currently struggling to learn SONAR HOME STUDIO 4, SONY ACID 9, and ABLETON HOME, all of which have me in a tizzy, even though I am completely computer savvy. The learning curve is a b1tch.

Anyway, as a musician and songwriter for many years (which is why I got into recording in the first place) I must admit that I have just pulled this little puppy out of my closet, and dusted it off, as I struggle to become proficient at digital recording.

Whether analog or digital, it is such a pleasure to record music in my home, without the burden of running a full blown recording studio as well, although I will also admit, that it WAS a flukin' blast!

So, there you have it...
 
I've still got one that I've had since around '87. Still works great. Example youtube TheGuitarman160 Dos Guitaras Both guitars were acoustic/electrics and were plugged directly into the Ross 4x4.
 
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