Help with better sound on Sony Tc-377

[antonypike22]

Hey guys im new to this forum and am still learning in the ways of analog equipment so please excuse im ignorance.

I am in a band and am trying to get a decent lo-fi garage sound. I have been recording with 5 cheap mics straight onto a Sony Tc-377. The sound i got is some what weak. Im looking for a overdrived tube tone so i assume i would need some sort of preamp but im on a tight budget. any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[lonewhitefly]

i'm afraid we'll need more information to help you out. describe in greater detail what you mean by the sound being "weak"? i'm not sure if you mean the sonic characteristics (as in, not particularly punchy), or a technical problem like a low-output.

what kind of tape are you using? if the output is low, it could be an issue with using a tape that's too hot for the bias of the deck. or the tape could be bad, heads dirty, etc. it could also be the mics that you're using.

that seems to be a consumer deck designed for home use, but i don't doubt you can get some cool sounds ... just might not be what you're looking for. i would not generally associate that type of deck with an overdriven tube-tone; it looks like a solid state deck from the '70s. it was probably designed for a low output tape like scotch 111.

i recommend reading this website and learning about how garage bands recorded back in the '60s on similar equipment. technically, you have to work much harder to get a good result out of that type of machine than the standard multi-track recorders, but it can be done:

Maxfield Multimedia: The Patron Saints: Fohhoh Bohob

good luck

 

[ClausRogge]

5 mics don´t go "straight" into a tc 377 - it has 2 line ins and 2 mic ins, right? There has to be some mixing console involved and you´ll probably have to give the mics enough "gain" on there. But please, give us more information on your setup ...

 

[Blue Jinn]

Claus is correct you can't just plug five mics into four jacks on this Sony. You need something like this: (from hifiengine, who has the manual)

I still have one of those and used it with a Sony TC-277-4. 1/4" jack, cheap mics in and all.

You could use a Shure M67FC or 68FC mixer as well those are 4 into one. Get you a grungy sound though.