OLD Teac 4-track

[nickjc]

hey, I don't know if anyone will be able to help with this, but I'll try anyway.

I've got an old Teac 144 (Tascam series, apparently -whatever that means), which I'm thinking I could use as a mixer/preamp for computer recording.

1. will this work?

2. will it work well?

3. the "line out" bit on the back has two plugs - L and R (Left and Right, unless I'm nuts) - what are these and how can I connect them up to the 1/8" line in jack on my soundcard?

cheers,

old fashioned newbie

 

[Treeline]

Sounds like the hard way around. I'd suggest you fool with the TEAC all kinds of ways but have no expectations whatever about the sound. A more direct way to get sound into the computer is with an inexpensive preamp - check Musician's Friend or 8th Street Music on the web for an M-Audio Audio Buddy. Also check ebay. You should be able to pick one up for fifty bucks or so - great starter preamp. Then it's a trip to Radio Shack for a dual 1/4" mono to single 1/8" inch stereo adapter cord - about $6 - and you're in business.

The TEAC probably has RCA plugs, like your home stereo. You can get adapters for that, too - same place. But I expect the TEAC will give signal only when in play mode - might be wrong, but don't pin your hopes on it.

 

[nickjc]

thanks mate,

wasn't expecting miracles from the thing anyways, just had it and i thought i'd make use of it. e-bay's probably the way to go for me, cos I'm doin this from little New Zealand, where decent pre-amps and mixers seem to be @$%^$& expensive or non-existent - and what I would give for a Radio Shack here. ah well

cheers tho, will look around for the audio buddy

 

[mawtangent]

Similar Setup

I am just getting into recording using the computer (I am using an inexpensive software program called "Powertracks Pro Audio" that is capable of recording 48 tracks)...I have hooked up my old 4-track as you are proposing. It is a Yamaha MT50 that came out around 1995. I used a connector with RCA stereo plugs on each side. The Yamaha is made to accomadate these plugs...on the computer side I am using what has been described above: a small connector that lets the the two (stereo) RCA plugs hook up (plug in) on one side and on the other side is the (male) phone plug (1/8th?) that goes into the line-in of the computer soundcard. I have plugged my keyboard and microphone into the 4-track and used the gain (pre-amp?) to boost my microphone, and I also do some EQ to my keyboard signal. I am getting satisfying sound (though using a 4-track cassette up this point may not make me very sophisticated when it comes to sound quality)...if you have to buy the adapter plug anyway (that takes the RCA stereo lines, and adapts them to the computer line-in plug) then prehaps you could try out your Tascam before buying something else...

 

[darrin_h2000]

I have the same Reel to reel...it does have an all analog path but I found it would distort if you turned up the gain too high...and thats when you are going to tape...might do the job if you modded it to take the Ballanced mics.