improving sound quality

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halfrench

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Guys, I need some help!

I write songs and now have my first 4 track recorder... a Tascam porta 02. I've been playing with it for a few weeks and here's my problem:

How do I get a better quality sound? If I just plug in the mic and sing it sounds sort of 'dull'. Not crisp and sharp like when I used to record straight from a boom box or something. Also, my guitar seems 'flat'. I tried putting a mic in front of my amp and it still sounds dull. (I hope you guys know what I'm saying...no other way to explain it)

I read the manual and it talks about a pre.amp. What is that? Is that what I need? How does it work? Any suggestions? Help.

Thanks,

halfrench
 
have you tried using type iv tapes?

what sort of mic are you using?

does this unit have a dolby noise reduction? (turn it off)

maybe a small mixer would be cheaper than a good stand alone preamp... look at the behringer mx602a, this will also give you some control over the e.q. of your mic on its way in....
 
I can use a mixer in front of my mic or guitar? Dumb question, I know, but I'm new at this.
 
Guess I'll rephrase this question...

Before i had a 4 track recorder it was just me and my buddy with two acoustic guitars and one microphone. It sounded great, but we were realy limilted on what we could do.

Now I have a 4 track recorder with the same microphone and it sounds different. I don't have that 'clear' sound that I had before. It sounds kind of 'muffled'.

Can you help?
 
hmmmm... what i'm suggesting is you plug the microphone into a mixer (like the behringer mx602...under $100 u.s. i think)then you can fiddle with the e.q. of the mic, perhaps adding more treble, the pre-amp on the mixer will be much better quality than the porta 02....plug the output of the mixer into the fourtrack, then set the trim on the 4trck to line.....

the problem might be a little more simple though, where is the trim pot at on the input of the 4 track? is it set all the way to mic? i think this may be the problem....the signal from the mic may not be loud enough for the 4 track and you need to increase the gain (turn the knob marked "trim" all the way to mic)...then again you've probably tried this...

are you using brand new tapes to record? are they good quality or the real cheapo type?

i hope this is a little more helpful, but please keep asking questions, and answer those i've asked so we can give you a little more input on the situation...

good luck and have fun
 
I'm using typeI tape. I just re-read the manual and it suggests typeII. I'll get some of those.

The microphone I'm using is a Magnavox Universal Microphone. I don't remember what I paid for it when I bought it but it couldn't have been much.

Oh, and I have tried turning the trim to MIC.

Thank you for replying! It means alot!
 
4 track needs:
*Chrome tape /buy good brand.
*turn dbx off /depending on what your recording
*track as hot as possible without distorting
*if you have one mic make a sm57- you can use it for anything
*have a good cable
*external preamp/ mixer or rackmount/ the tascams pre's are not that good
*CLEAN YOUR TAPE MACHINE
*clean your 4track all the time/very important
*try anything!
 
Yo Rench and a half:

You will also need some type of reverberation box to enhance your vocals, and to a certain extent, even your instruments.

Suggest your next investment is in an 8 or 16 track digital recorder. With a reverb unit and a GOOD MIC, and, maybe, a mic preamp, you can have a lot of fun.

Keep reading here and you'll soon be doing fine stuff.

Green Hornet:D :cool: :rolleyes:
 
halfrench said:
I'm using typeI tape. I just re-read the manual and it suggests typeII. I'll get some of those.
Click to expand...

try type iv its a little more expensive, but well worth it....
 
so, let's see if I have this straight... I FINALLY got a 4 track recorder and now I need:
1: a mixer (or pre amp)
2: a microphone that will probably (after reading lot's of stuff on this site) cost at least $100
3: a bigger bank account

I don't get it. Am I missing something here? Can't a guy just get some songs down that sound decent enough for others to hear without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars?
 
Yo 1/2 of French:

You can get songs down and they will sound good to you. But, how good do you want the "sounds" to sound?

That is where the $$$$ come in. More $$$$ better sound if you know how to work your gear.

If this doesn't appeal to you, go to a professional studio and do your work there -- alas, that will cost too much too.

You can't make high quality recordings using two tin cans and a string.

Wishing you good luck.

Green Hornet
 
The Green Hornet said:
Yo 1/2 of French:

You can get songs down and they will sound good to you. But, how good do you want the "sounds" to sound?

That is where the $$$$ come in. More $$$$ better sound if you know how to work your gear.

If this doesn't appeal to you, go to a professional studio and do your work there -- alas, that will cost too much too.

You can't make high quality recordings using two tin cans and a string.

Wishing you good luck.

Green Hornet
Click to expand...

thats a little harsh, for the most part of it though the green man is right....in all honesty the simple four track and mic setup lasted me nearly six years, and i was happy with what was coming out....if you want spend around $200 u.s. you could go for a small mixer and a sm57 microphone, this will no doubt nearly double your recording quality....if the cost free tips that we've givin you have helped you achieve a desireable quality then go with that... unless you want to, you don't need to become a gear junkie like the most of us... but for the most part the porta studio is about having fun, before you go spending more than $200 dollars on it though i'd consider a new medium such as hard disk (then you gotta boost the bank account :D)...we should all understand that not everyone devotes every penny behind the sofa to their recording, and some people just want a nice audiable set up that can be stored in a draw next you your underwear and socks...if you fall into this catagory, then a little mixer and one (or two) good mics will see you through...
 
Halfrench:

Detuned6 gave you awesome advice. When I used a tascam 4 track I did all those things and it took me 2 years to figure some of them out. The SM57 is the way to go on the mic too. I used one for everything for 2 years no joke.

The type II tapes will help immensely. Fire up the trim and stand back from the mic 6 inches. Sing consistently as possible (till you get a compressor). Also...give you most powerful performance. Set the trim so your most powerful performance registers at the acceptable level. Don't sing less powerfully so the level is consistent...set the level so you can rip. When you mix and EQ the vocal you can cut some EQ on the most "punchy part" of your vocal sound and it will liven up the sound of the finished product. You'll mess around and see what I mean.

Good Luck
 
I recorded for about 6 years with a Tascam Porta 2 high speed and an SM58. Over the course of that 6 years I went from crappy sounding stuff to fairly good souding stuff.

When you switched from recording straight into the boom box to the Tascam your recording world just got *much* more complex- even with the same mic. While you can do much more with it there is much more to know about *how* to do it and more things that can go wrong.

I third what detune said- with the addition that you can tweak and twiddle and experiment with the stuff you have until you find out what you need next. Till then, you are still learning to get the best sound from what you have and getting better stuff might not do you as much good.

It also takes time and practice. You *can* get decent sound out of that box but you have to know how- and you only figure that out by trying different things (and reading everything you can at places like this).

Have fun and let us know how things are going.

Welcome to the world of multitracking!
Chris
 
Do NOT use Type IV tape...

... contrary to what Dr. Collosus said! (All his other advice is right on!) Type IV is METAL tape. Your 4-track's heads were not designed for that! Metal tape has metal particles in it that will grind down your heads like fine sandpaper. Type II tape is what you want. Try Sony UD Pro 60, Maxell XLII 60, TDK SA60, or Quantegy tapes.

More importantly though, have a blast doing what you do!

Bruce
 
Good question. Even better feedback. I pays to venture into posts that are not to descriptive on the subject. I hope you got as much out of it as I did. Good luck and major props to all who replied, it helps in understanding the procees more clearly. This truely is a site where the phrase "No such thing as a dumb question" applies. I'm learning to crawl before I can walk. Keep it up!
 
Re: Do NOT use Type IV tape...

overseas said:
... contrary to what Dr. Collosus said! (All his other advice is right on!) Type IV is METAL tape. Your 4-track's heads were not designed for that! Metal tape has metal particles in it that will grind down your heads like fine sandpaper. Type II tape is what you want. Try Sony UD Pro 60, Maxell XLII 60, TDK SA60, or Quantegy tapes.

More importantly though, have a blast doing what you do!

Bruce
Click to expand...

sorry my bad, i had no idea of the negative effects, i've only used 'em a couple of times, because i'm cheap...they did improve the sound quality though....i am punching myself in the face right now for giving out such bad advice....umm has any one suggested cleaning the heads regularly? this advice i know is right hehehe :D
 
Yo Doctor C. and Half of French:

Did not mean to sound harsh. Words on a machine do not, at times, convey good vibes.

Only meant to give you the honest answers as best as I could.

I started out with a 4 track and the first day I got a reverb hooked into it, and figured out how it worked, I thought I had the best studio in the world.

I also had read info with several tape decks I've bought that metal tape is a no no for most tape decks.

Keep twiddling the dials.

Why did the duck cross the road?



It was the chicken's day off.
Green Hornet

:D :D :p
 
Wow!

Thank you all for all your suggestions and tips! I really do appreciate it! Time to mess around with it now.

You are all very patient and understanding with a newbie like me. Thanks again!
 
The Type II tape is what you need,...

and that alone will make a significant difference.

Beyond that, there's no EQ on the Porta02 at all, so that's one of the obvious drawbacks to the Porta02. That, and also the Porta02 has NO noise reduction,... -dbx, dolby or otherwise.

You're down to manipulating your input sound with only the TRIM pot and the FADER, which is limiting, at best.

Like the other members suggest, you'd get a little more flexibility of the sound, with an external preamp or external mixer,... which is a shame about the Porta02, 'cause the whole premise of the Portastudio is to provide an all-in-one recording package.

-The Porta02 and the MF-P01 prove one thing, that "stripped down" technology may be aimed at the low end market, which has it's place, but sometimes things are a little too stripped.

-You wouldn't have this issue, on a 414 or 424, both with built in EQ.
 
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