How would you use a half-inch four track machine?

  • Thread starter Thread starter lo.fi.love
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lo.fi.love

lo.fi.love

Functionally obsessed.
Hey folks,

Just because I like to read about tape machines, I've been wondering how I might use a half-inch four track open reel recorder. The only things I've come up with are:

1. Bouncing two separate stereo mixes for more flexibility in final mixdown
2. Tape echo applications
3. ... ?

How would you use a half-inch four track to complement your existing ATR-based studio?
 
Ah, good question as I happen to have a 1/2" 4 track. I wouldn't use it for echo. The heads are too precious (and expensive) to do that. A 1/4" machine would be better for that purpose, IMHO. Not sure about bouncing as I don't do that (yet) but should work well. I personally would take full advantage of the format by tracking to it direct. Just my 2c..
 
cjacek said:
I personally would take full advantage of the format by tracking to it direct. Just my 2c..
Click to expand...

What do you use it for now? Do use it in combination with other multitrack machines or by itself? What machine is it?
 
The first thing that comes to mind it to convert it to a 2 track 1/2" machine. But, keeping the 4 track heads and electronics. As for using the actual 4 tracks you use 2 tracks for stage recording and the other 2 for hall sounds. THis is a halfway common setup for classical music.

Then again you could catch killer drums....

--Ethanm
 
Great question, actually.
They were very popular in the 60's, but seem kinda of odd now.

You could think of it as a high-fi version of a cassete 4 track.

You could probably get away with an internal Bounce or 2 with the wider tape.

It would sound cool on any instrument or group of instruments or singers recorded live
In one take where you wanted to have. 4 separate tracks To blend at mix time.

4 separate tracks each outputed to 4 powered speakers for your 70's art happening.

4 tracks of drums to dump into a daw to start off your tune.

in fact I might have just talked myself into keeping my 1/2 inch 4 track. Oh oh.
 
i have toyed with the idea of going to 1/2" 4-track from 1/2" 8-track for awhile. i grew up on cassette 4-track and learned to bounce a lot and get super creative ... i recall one song with something like 14 discrete tracks bounced to the 4 in the machine. still sounded pretty cool.

first thing i would do is try to record as many people as possible to one track ... like guitar/bass/drums pre-mixed. then do a good amount of bouncing within the machine. you could get maybe 10 tracks without too much degradation if youre creative.
 
lo.fi.love said:
What do you use it for now? Do use it in combination with other multitrack machines or by itself? What machine is it?
Click to expand...

The machine is the TASCAM ATR-60-4HS, 15 and 30ips! :eek: I don't use it often but when I do is when it counts. I would solely track to it, by itself. The sound is magnificent. What machine do you have?
 
cjacek said:
The machine is the TASCAM ATR-60-4HS, 15 and 30ips! :eek: I don't use it often but when I do is when it counts. I would solely track to it, by itself. The sound is magnificent. What machine do you have?
Click to expand...

I don't have a half-inch four track, but I have a 1/2" 8 track, 1/4" 4 track, and 1/4" two-track.
 
lo.fi.love said:
I don't have a half-inch four track, but I have a 1/2" 8 track, 1/4" 4 track, and 1/4" two-track.
Click to expand...

In all honestly, while I'm real happy that I got my 1/2" 4 track and would not part with it, I also know (now) that it's mostly about having one rather than needing one, if you catch my drift. ;)
 
1/2" 4-track? C'mon, what more do ya need for a sweet analog drum/overdub recorder? It'd make a good DAW-sweetener in that regard. Or you could go full-on old-skool and do a full sub-mixed live band to it.
 
I'd make good-sounding, simple demos of my best songs:

Track 1: Acoustic guitar
Track 2: Fender Bass
Track 3: Vocals (or piano lead, if instrumental.)
Track 4: Acoustic guitar

(This assumes it is a machine with sel-sync, of course.)

Cosmic.
 
I have been trying for a decade to buy Mitch Easter's M-23 4-track, but he is too attached to it. It is in two portable cases. I seem to recall he got it from CBS and they had used it to record classical music.

Now, he uses it in his studio to record certain acts when they want to do old school recordings with either one or two 4-tracks (he also has an M-79 console 4-track).

I would use it some in the studio for simpler tracks and to do live recordings to 4 tracks in better sounding places.

Cheers,

Otto
 
It is tricky to decide how to use it. I know I want more tracks for some songs but I a) don't like the idea of a permanent bounce and erase, b) don't like the idea of wasting a good size track of tape with a midi stripe. I wish I could bounce 4 tracks to the DAW and then do a midi stripe on the next set of tracks but I'm pretty sure it will not be stable running the already dumped DAW tracks. I may just bounce to the Tascam 32 then back.
 
jpmorris said:
Quad mixdown?
Click to expand...

Just what I was thinking. Now is the time to bring back Quadraphonic!

The last (new) cd I bought was Film Score Monthly's box set of all Star Trek TNG scores composed by Ron Jones. In the liner notes, it mentions that they used 1/2" 4-track decks for final mixdown, with one of the two extra tracks being used for SMPTe. As I dream of being a film composer someday, this is how I'd use one in my all-analog orchestral recordings... :D
 
Great for your johny cash songs:
1) acoustic guitar
2) electric guitar
3) bass
4) vocal
 
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