Porta 02 Question

[DingoPepper11]

I'm using a Porta 02 Mk II 4-track cassette recorder. It's been years since I've done any recording, but the old machines I used to use had a bussing feature that allowed internal mixdown onto 1 or 2 tracks. This new machine does not.

I'm wondering if anyone has found a method for mixing down from the line outputs to line inputs, or something similar. When I tried this, I got an unholy feedback noise and terrible clipping.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to combine tracks without going to an external machine?

 

[The Ghost of FM]

I'm not experienced with your model in particular but, I have used Portastudios in the past and in order to combine tracks in a bounce, you must have an available track or tracks blank to receive the oncoming source.

If you all ready have all 4 tracks filled up and simply want to mix down to make a two track stereo recording, you will need an external stereo recording deck of some kind; another cassette deck, CD recorder deck, DVD recorder or straight to a computer's sound card input to record a .wav recording with the appropriate software.

Your feedback happened because you were trying to feed a signal that was playing back onto the same track to mistakenly try to record it on that same track that was busy playing at the time so you created a feedback loop, which is not good for your equipment or your ears!

Cheers!

 

[DingoPepper11]

Thanks for your post

I actually had recorded 3 tracks and was trying to bus them to the 4th track. I had the output of the blank track trimmed all the way down and the record level very low, but who knows; I may have accidentally had something in a loop, or perhaps I should have unplugged my headphones. There may have been enough sound leaking out to cause the feedback.

Since discovering this problem, I have been trying to avoid it by premixing at least two instruments or vocals onto each track when recording. It's a little more trouble and not quite ideal for mixdown, but will most likely result in a better finished product than multiple generations on the tape.

I've only just started working with this Porta 02, but so far the recording quality seems decent for the price, although a few more conveniences would be nice (independent track inputs, some eq controls, bussing capabilities, etc.). I guess that's why they make the more expensive models.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[The Ghost of FM]

I had the output of the blank track trimmed all the way down and the record level very low, but who knows;

The 4th track doesn't enter into the equation in a bounce because it is the target not the bullets aimed at it. What ever controls you have for that channel should be completely off, not just turned down on the trim. All you want up in level is the stuff that's meant to end up on that track as a mix.

Cheers!