Four Track Cassette Recording: Problem with Cross Talk Between Tracks.

[Thewildpalms]

I just started recording on a Tascam 244 Cassette four track recorder for the first time. There is a lot of cross talk between the recorded tracks when I listen back to them. Like when I mute everything but one guitar track, I can still hear the other guitar track and drum track playing too. I recorded each track independently while using headphones so the unwanted sounds couldn't have been picked up by the microphone. I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong and how to fix it. The machine just got fully serviced at the Teac factory service center so I don't think anything is wrong with the unit.

 

[A Reel Person]

...

Just because you used headphones doesn't mean that the cue track sounds couldn't be picked up by the microphone & recorded to the new track. In fact, I think it would be quite common.

Try some direct line-in recordings onto the tracks and then listen back for crosstalk.

Cassette tape is a very narrow medium & crosstalk would be worse with hotter levels, but it should be negligible in most cases.

 

[Thewildpalms]

Thanks! I found the problem. I had the monitor switch set to remix instead of cue while recording. Once I changed that it stopped. At least I hope thats the right way of doing it.

 

[A Reel Person]

Typcal rookie mistake!

Everyone's done it. Join the crowd!

What you did was an inadvertent track bounce. Different than crosstalk.

Some people have trouble coming to terms with the cue function & cue mix.

Looks like you burned on it for a few hours and got it wired.

Crosstalk is there, you know... there's a spec for it, but it's usually not a significant issue.

 

[Beck]

Thanks! I found the problem. I had the monitor switch set to remix instead of cue while recording. Once I changed that it stopped. At least I hope thats the right way of doing it.

That was going to be my guess, but I scrolled down the thread and saw you figured it out. Yeah, stuff happens.

And like Dave said there will always be some crosstalk, but dbx noise reduction minimizes that to the point of inaudible to even the best ears.

 

[Hammerstone]

Everyone's done it. Join the crowd!

What you did was an inadvertent track bounce. Different than crosstalk.

Some people have trouble coming to terms with the cue function & cue mix.

Looks like you burned on it for a few hours and got it wired.

Crosstalk is there, you know... there's a spec for it, but it's usually not a significant issue.

Funny, I just did the same thing myself on Wednesday. Gotta remember to record on "Cue!"

 

[Thewildpalms]

Glad to see I'm not the only one
One more thing I'm wondering about though is now when I'm recording on cue, the levels in my headphones are extremely loud. Like to the point of hurting my ears. I can't for instance seem to be able to turn up one track and lower another to hear things better while recording. Is there a way to do something about this?

 

[A Reel Person]

Turn the knobs.

I think it's best to concentrate the L/R stereo (main) buss signal & mix that goes directly to tape and getting that right on the buss first then in the phones, and then bring up the cue section last, only enough to give you a guide to the changes.

You have ultimate control of both sides and the overall mix between the two, as well as overall level in the phones.

All in the turn of a dial. It's overly simple advice to use your ears & hands to tweak it til it seems right, more than to be a flippant answer. If it sounds good, it is good. There's a huge spectrum of what's acceptable & it's more than paint-by-numbers.

Perhaps your primary L/R buss is too low, or your cue buss is too high, or a combination of the two, not to mention the master headphone level knob.

I hope this is perceived more a somewhat useful answer than a nebulous non-answer.

 

[Thewildpalms]

Thanks for the great answer! I finally figured it out. I wasn't using the tape cue level knobs at all. I had only messed around with them when the monitor was set to remix so I didn't know what they did. Once again a really simple fix. I'm completely learning as I go l, everything with this is guess and check.