Low-Tape Speed Mod

SycamoreDandy

SycamoreDandy

New member
Hi, I'm new to this website, just made an account to ask this question.

I'm looking at buying a tascam portastudio. The cheaper options seem to be the MF-PO1, but my only worry is there is no low-speed tape option. I'd like to have this because I'm trying to achieve a lo-fidelity sound for this project.

Is there a way I can mod an external low-speed option, or am I better off dropping more money and buying a cassette portastudio that comes with a lowspeed tape option?

If I am better off buying one with it, which one's have it?

And if I can mod it, anyone know how or where I can find out how?

Thanks!
Caden
 
The MF-P01 is already a “low-speed” (i.e. standard 1 7/8ips, as opposed to “high-speed” 3 3/4ips). Are you wanting to mod it to be sub-standard speed? If that’s the case you will have to do that with any machine you buy, because as far as I know there were no cassette multi-track machines made that were slower than standard speed of 1 7/8ips.
 
Oh, ok! I just remembered seeing some other machines that had a "standard, low, High speed" switch. So the MF-PO1 would already be considered the "low" option for that?

Also, while I have you here, since it doesn't have EQ, how do I connect EQ to it?
 
I’ve never, ever seen a cassette multitrack machine with three speeds. Many have only one speed and it’s high speed, some are two-speed 1 7/8” & 3 3/4ips.

Yes the MF-PO1 is the “standard” tape speed for the Philips Compact Cassette format, which is 1 7/8ips, and that is the lower of the two typical speeds one might encounter across all formats of Philips Compact Cassette machines, the other being “high speed” 3 3/4ips, so you might call the MF-PO1 tape speed as “low speed” relative to many other cassette multitrack machines, even though it is the “standard” speed. As a related aside the 3 3/4ips “high speed” is the same as used on consumer stereo quarter track dual cassette decks with “high speed dubbing”.

Regarding EQ, the MF-PO1 is very much a minimalist machine. Your options are to use an external equalizer inline with your source when tracking (like, for instance, keyboard —> equalizer —> MF-PO1 input), and/or inline in between the L-R summing outputs of the MF-PO1 and your master recorder when mixing down (like, for instance, MF-PO1 L-R summing outputs —> equalizer —> master recorder inputs).
 
So basically for that first EQ option I would hook the EQ up to the instrument I am playing, not the PO1 itself, and then from the EQ to the PO1, am I getting that correct? just making sure cuz Im new to this stuff.

Thanks a million
 
Right. Like you insert the EQ in between your source (instrument) and the MF-PO1. The caveat here is that you have to make sure the EQ has the correct type of input for whatever source you’re plugging into it. What make/model EQ do you have and what are you connecting to it? Passive magnetic pickup instrument? Active magnetic pickup instrument? Keyboard?
 
As Sweetbeats mentioned, that machine is extremely limited in features. Aside from having no EQ, it also has no effects loop at all, which means you'd have to print to tape any effect you want. (Basically the same as with the EQ.)
 
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