importing cassette 4 tracks into homestudio 2

[BillFontaine]

Is there any way to move tascam porta studio 4 tracks into homestudio, all at the same time?

 

[BentRabbit]

Is there any way to move tascam porta studio 4 tracks into homestudio, all at the same time?

Unless you have a machine that will play your Tascam tapes with direct outs for each track (the 424 mk III comes with 4 tape outs I think), or some sort of time code generator that doesn't need to utilize one of your tape tracks, then the short answer would be 'no'.

But...

With a little tinkering, you should be able to get your tracks into Homestudio two at a time and then nudge them all into place timing-wise.

Just pan tracks 1 and 2 hard left and right, mute 3 and 4, and then assign the individual stereo outs from the Portastudio to different tracks in Homestudio... Hit play on your Tascam and Record on your DAW at (roughly) the same time and let it play through.

Once those two tracks are recorded, rewind and mute tracks 1 and 2 while hard panning 3 and 4 and repeat the process onto two more tracks in your DAW.

Tracks 3 and 4 probably won't be synched to 1 and 2 (unless you hit play and record on each session at the exact same time) but it will be a breeze to align them once you have them in Homestudio.


Good luck!

 

[BillFontaine]

I've tried doing it track by track when I first bought the program years ago but it seems the stretch factor of tape and maybe erratic transport speed or whatever makes each track run at different speeds - they're just old song sketches that I wanted to elaborate on and that hitch in the plan left cakewalk idle for years in my computer - I know nothing about it yet, but I will look into the equipment you mentioned, thank you very much. Any other ideas or machines that anyone could enlighten me with would be great - thanks again.

 

[mixsit]

Record a 'spike on all 4 tracks at the head to align to in cake.

If they drift from each other but not too bad or often, one choice is to split the tacks (again, in cake) as needed to slide the stray section back into time.

 

[BillFontaine]

I was hoping to avoid splitting and all that tweaking - seems like it would be way to labor intensive but that might be the only option.....BECAUSE as I thought about it, even with the mk III with 4 outs - it all ends up going into the soundcard as a single file - all tracks converging through the "funnel" of an 1/8" mini jack - right???? There can't be a way for cakewalk to receive all 4 tracks as seperate entities, can there? It doesn't seem possible to me. If that's the case I apologize for wasting anybody's time! But thank's for the input - no pun intended.

 

[A Reel Person]

Nothing on-the-cheap.

You'd need a 424mkIII (or equivalent) tape machine and a Delta 44 (or equivalent) soundcard.

Anything's doable if you want to dish out the dough!

 

[Whale Bone]

I agree that, as said above, you need to get an interface with atleast 4 inputs and play the tapes on a machine with 4 direct outs. As you've observed, you can't line up the tracks from separate transfers because of erratic playback. I've beat my head against a wall trying, but no two passes of the tape seem to play the same way. (they should add that 'feature' to the tape simulation/saturation plug-ins)

An original 424 also has 4 direct outs.

 

[BillFontaine]

So there is DEFINATELY a way that cakewalk home studio version 2 XL can import the 4 seperate tracks at once thru a soundcard like the Delta 44 - which I've read actually has 2 stereo inputs ( would that present any problems by the way )?
If it can be done and the tracks will be perfectly synced, I'll plunk down money on a 424 I found for sale and the soundcard is affordable as well. Let me know if it's a SURE thing since my knowledge of this stuff is limited to say the least - I appreciate the help and rely on all of you and your gracious wisdom!

 

[mixsit]

So there is DEFINATELY a way that cakewalk home studio version 2 XL can import the 4 seperate tracks at once thru a soundcard like the Delta 44 - which I've read actually has 2 stereo inputs ( would that present any problems by the way )?
If it can be done and the tracks will be perfectly synced, I'll plunk down money on a 424 I found for sale and the soundcard is affordable as well. Let me know if it's a SURE thing since my knowledge of this stuff is limited to say the least - I appreciate the help and rely on all of you and your gracious wisdom!

Never owned either of those pieces, but the logic is sound- when all the tracks are played and recorded at once then all tape speed errors are common to all the tracks. The number of tracks at once is based on available outs to a/d inputs on the converter and/or card.

"Delta 44 - which I've read actually has 2 stereo inputs.."

Hopefully the drivers allow the option of independnt mono' tracks? (Someone can fill that in.

 

[BillFontaine]

I purchased a tascam 424 on ebay for 95.00 shipped and a delta 44 for 65.00 shipped. When they arrive I'll pick up where I left off about 4 or 5 years ago!
After the info you guys gave (thanks) and reading an old archive thread, I see light at the tunnel end. Forums are cool.