In need of helpful advice...

[dougy18]

First off, thanks to neone who has taken the time to see if they can help me out. My knowledge on recording is very limited, so bear with me. I have searched around these forums and learnt a bit, but i could not find anything specific enough for me.

So ive recently bought a tascam 424 mkII on ebay, i still think i got done on the price but i cant do much now. I knew i wanted the play with a four track and liked the idea of the warmer analogue sound. I jsut basically wanted to play with multitracking and get some ideas down while achieving a slightly more professional sound than going through my dodgy sound card.

Im a bass player at heart, but i do play and plan to record saxaphone, piano, harmonica, guitar 9electric and accoustic) and my own vocals aswell.

So now time for the advice.. my budget is pretty limited but i was looking at a Rode NT1A microphone to do everytinhg i want, keep in mind that im not looking for a profesional sound here, just listenable so that i and others can appreciate my own music, whatever it ends up being.

also will i need a preamp or somthing to get the mic to work with that tascam 424 mkII? Again im looking at equipment where the sound just has to be decent and the price is a big consideration...

So in a nutshell yes or no (with alternatives) on the Rode NT1A? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. If i really do need more than the 1 mic i can save and get it, but what what would be the best al round mic for my situation

Thanks again

doug

 

[Melsi]

what is your max price you can spend?

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

To use a condensor mic like the Rode you'll need a phantom power supply, I haven't used that particular mic so can't comment on how it performs.

I'd recommend getting a dynamic mic too like an SM57, this would give you a lot more sonic options and may work better for the harp, sax and electric guitar (it might even suit your voice better than the Rode, mics are funny like that).

 

[ofajen]

If it were me, I'd probably try to snag a used SM-57 and a used EV 635a. Both are dynamics. The SM57 is ok for vocals and miking amps and the 635a is a dynamic omni that is very good for other instruments. It has a built in bass rolloff and works well on everything other than bass drum and bass. Together they should run you a little over $100 if you find decent deals on slightly used mikes.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[recordingpro]

So ive recently bought a tascam 424 mkII on ebay, i still think i got done on the price but i cant do much now. I knew i wanted the play with a four track and liked the idea of the warmer analogue sound.

You won't get a "warmer analogue sound" off that Tascam. You'll get a dull, lacking in the highs sound. Why not just resell the tascam, buy a decent sound card, pre and a 57? an Echo Mia is pretty cheap. There are plenty of free and cheap software multitracks and plugins that will sound a 1000 times better than the tascam could ever hope to and you won't have the track limitations.

 

[dougy18]

Ok thanks for the advice guys, the max id like to spend is floating around maybe 3-400 australian dorra. Keep in mind thats my max, if i can get a setup for less ill take it lol.

Ill have a look about those mics that were suggested too, i figured thered be 2 or more mics that could do the i wanted for less, but had no idea where to look.

Oh and recordingpro, now im not so confident in my choice of the tascam, does anyone else share this opinion of a 'dull, lacking in the highs sound' from the 424? I had read good things bout it and the sound i think, but oh well ill still have a play with it and make up my own mind.

Thanks again

doug

 

[demto]

I agree with recordingpro.

The Tascam 424-2 runs on casette tape and you will be squashing 4 tracks of complex analogue recording onto a tape just 1/8" wide. It's asking it do do an awfull lot.

You will probably find the Tascam lacks fine detail compared to a digital recording, your recordings may also suffer from some tape hiss. Dolby will reduce a lot of hiss but won't eliminate it completely.

If you had bought a 4/8 track Studer then things may be different. The analogue sound that people talk about is usually because they have heard recordings made on high quality [and very expensive] tape recorders.

Try making a recording with your original mic on the Tascam and then do the same on your computer. Compare the recordings and see which you prefer. This will give you an idea as to whether to keep the Tascam or sell it and go digital.

IMHO i would personally ditch the Tascam and follow recordingpro's recommendations.

 

[talontsiawd]

I know little about the tascam but cassette tape would scare me.

As for the mic, i own it, i like it alot for the money but i only use it on vocals. I find it does real well on deep male vocals, i record hip hop, most of what i get. I find it to be nice. Not much other experience with it. I have recorded my brother playing guitar but it's not something i do, i can't really make any claims but it sounded good to me. Again, no real comparison, all my mics i have only have seen pretty much only vocals.

Third, get an sm-57. Just do it, don't even ask questions . It's a great all around mic. Good to just have. Even though i didn't even touch for the last 2 years, i felt like i shouldn't have sold it. I just needed a good vocal mic and my condensor was much better for that. But i still think it's a great mic. And they last forever. Defineatly something everyone should have.

 

[travelin travis]

Ok thanks for the advice guys, the max id like to spend is floating around maybe 3-400 australian dorra. Keep in mind thats my max, if i can get a setup for less ill take it lol.

Ill have a look about those mics that were suggested too, i figured thered be 2 or more mics that could do the i wanted for less, but had no idea where to look.

Oh and recordingpro, now im not so confident in my choice of the tascam, does anyone else share this opinion of a 'dull, lacking in the highs sound' from the 424? I had read good things bout it and the sound i think, but oh well ill still have a play with it and make up my own mind.

Thanks again

doug

You'll definitely get some tape hiss and lower fidelity using a 4 track than a computer but I wouldn't worry about it. I've owned a 424 mkII and it sounds fine, much better than a lot of other 4 tracks from what I'm told. Computer recording involves interfaces, software, hardware, blah, blah, etc. Just work with the 424 for a while and see what you think. Keep those heads clean.

You're looking to record a variety of stuff. I probably wouldn't drop the mic fund into a single mic. Same mic, same room on all tracks tends to sound boring. Using a variety of mikes would be a good thing. I bet you could cover a lot of ground with a pair of msh-1's or 2's (which are small omni condensor mics), an es57 or two (dynamic sm57 clone), and a lower priced large condensor mic (for vocals or pairing with a small condensor). As mentioned, you'll need a phantom power supply for the condensor mics. You should be able to pick up that stuff within your budget, no trouble. Do some searches here on the msh-1, the es57, and the best vocal under $100 or $99 ( ). There's plenty of info already here to be found using the search function.

 

[Warhead]

Oh and recordingpro, now im not so confident in my choice of the tascam, does anyone else share this opinion of a 'dull, lacking in the highs sound' from the 424?

Don't forget hiss, and wow and flutter too! Oh and drop outs...we're talking track widths of less than 1/16".

BUT...they are great to learn on...!

In your price range try to find an Audix i5, I wish I had a mic like that when I was 4 trackin' it back in the late 80's.

War

 

[hairylarry]

4 track cassette

Hey,

I did a lot of recording on 4 track cassette before you could go to computer. I was really pleased with it except no way it will ever sync with anything else, like video. And I used a cheapy. Not a Tascam.

4 track cassettes have the exact same track width as stereo cassettes. You just record all 4 tracks on the same side. If you turn the tape over it plays everything backwards. And 4 track cassettes run at twice the speed as stereo cassettes. With a high bias tape you can get good sound.

I also did a lot of live recording to my Marantz stereo cassette deck for radio airplay and made a bunch of tapes that sound great. (stereo pair of EV 635a mics right into mic inputs on the deck)

On the mics get several but don't spend much money. Dynamics will be a better match for the cassette deck. Does it have XLR in? Does it have phantom power? If not you really have to use dynamics.

But that's ok, dynamic mics are great.

I love omnis and second the recommendation on the EV 635a mics. You can however get better mics cheaper because the 635s are still in production, standard of the broadcast industry, and hold their value. For omnis the Realistic 1070b is your best bargain. It is an EV RE50 clone made by Shure for Radio Shack. Should be able to get two for $30. They are a little better recording mic than the EV 635. They are even good for recording vocals. The 1070c and d are also good mics but I don't recommend the 1070a. (mine has reverse polarity)

I also like the SM57 but again if you're going to buy used they hold their value too good just like the 635s. AKG 310, 690, and 770 mics all beat the 57 and they can be cheaper used. Discontinued EV mics are the real bargain in used dynamics. I recommend the PL80 for vocals. For recording instruments the RE 10, 11, 15, 16, and 18 are all the same mic. They are very detailed and undervalued on the used market.

Eventually you will gradute from your 4 track and that's fine. By then you will know a lot more about what you really want and need to do your thing. The mics I have mentioned will still get used even after you have a more expensive rig and more expensive mics.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

 

[dougy18]

thanks a heap

Ok fellas, thanks for all the advice . Im feelin better about my choice of the tascam now, and like someone said i can always re-sell (probably at a loss ). It looks like i will be picking up the shure sm57 right now, but i never intended to get by on 1 mic long term. I will probably buy a few over the next few weeks, when im a little wiser after playing with what ive got so far. You can count on another misguided post from me then asking of your experience. Until next time, thanks alot for all the help so far

doug