Multitrack recording questions

[Vincent Portier]

I have recently purchased an Akai 280D-SS reel to reel tape machine and I have purchased a scanned manual along with it. Upon reading the manual I understood a little about the "S.O.S." or Sound on Sound option.

It tells you select 4-channel, insert a microphone into the rear left input and record---then you select 2-channel, remove the microphone and insert it into the front left input and record (as you are hearing what you previously recorded.)

I only have one pair of headphones, so I can only listen to the front or rear channels one at a time. I was curious as to if I had it connected to an amplifier with four speakers, if I would be able to record and overdub a seperate track on each channel: rear right, rear left, front right and front left---giving me four individual tracks.

Thank you in advance for any information.

 

[elly-d]

sounds like you need a little mixer with at least 4 ins and outs to me.

 

[Ladnar]

I used to have an Akai,(about 20 years ago) if I remember, it should have cross field heads, and when you overdub, you have to turn the middle "knob" (for lack of a better word) to overdub. Then you turn it back (opposite) to overdub again. I could only overdub 4 times, then you mix it with the control panel knobs (vol. treble, bass, etc.)
Yeah I had to plug the mike into the back, if I recall.