Starting out, please help

[ibanezrocks]

Hello, I have been playing guitar for more than 3 years now but still have yet to record anything. I'm not currently interested in spending hundreds of dollars on a recording set up, or even for recording more than one track. All I want to know is if I could buy some sort of tape recorder, and a mic (or a tape recorder with a mic built in) and record my amp with that?
What I want to use it for is because I improvise so much, at the end of playing my guitar like crazy for a couple of hours I think "damn I made some cool stuff" but then I can't really remember how it goes, so I would like to be able to recording myself practicing, as well as maybe record myself playing some chords then pop the tape in my stereo and solo over that.
Is there anything like that out there?

 

[DigitalSmigital]

I sense you are pulling my leg...

but yes, a TASCAM 424 is just the thing for you. A portable enough cassette deck, a scratchpad, and you can complete your demo with more tracks after you're sure it is worthy of your time and effort.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Thanks for the help, I wasn't pulling your leg, I truly know absolutely nothing about recording, at all. Anyways I just checked the price for those online, and theyre about 300 dollars. I really just need a cheap one, I really don't want to spend more than 150, MAYBE 200 if I find I really couldn't get a half decent sound out of a cheaper one. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, whats the best of the worst of those?

 

[mawtangent]

Hey...I am probably going too far in the other direction...but you can get a dictation type tape recorder (that uses regualar size cassettes and has a bilt-in microphone) at a department store for around $25. I recorded with one as a teenager and I think it would do the job that you specified in your post.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Thanks for the help, I wasn't pulling your leg, I truly know absolutely nothing about recording, at all. Anyways I just checked the price for those online, and theyre about 300 dollars. I really just need a cheap one, I really don't want to spend more than 150, MAYBE 200 if I find I really couldn't get a half decent sound out of a cheaper one. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, whats the best of the worst of those?

If you're really short on cash and only need this for recall of your guitar licks you should try using an old VCR. You must have one hanging around in the cellar or something and you can record hours at a time on these.

 

[ibanezrocks]

If you're really short on cash and only need this for recall of your guitar licks you should try using an old VCR. You must have one hanging around in the cellar or something and you can record hours at a time on these.

how would I record with an old vcr???

 

[NYMorningstar]

If you got yourself a little mixer you could use that for your mic and instrument inputs and run the stereo output from that into the line-ins of the vcr, punch record, set your lvls and off you go...

 

[Rokket]

Thanks for the help, I wasn't pulling your leg, I truly know absolutely nothing about recording, at all. Anyways I just checked the price for those online, and theyre about 300 dollars. I really just need a cheap one, I really don't want to spend more than 150, MAYBE 200 if I find I really couldn't get a half decent sound out of a cheaper one. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, whats the best of the worst of those?

Look into a smaller unit like the Fostex X-12 or Tascam MF-PO1. They are in your price range and really easy to use.

 

[ibanezrocks]

I read somewhere that after you record with a 4 track recorder you can't play the tape in a normal cassette player because two of the tracks record on the b side of the tape and backwards. With a 2 track recorder could the tape be played in a normal cassette deck?

 

[Rokket]

I read somewhere that after you record with a 4 track recorder you can't play the tape in a normal cassette player because two of the tracks record on the b side of the tape and backwards. With a 2 track recorder could the tape be played in a normal cassette deck?

With any multitrack recorder, you have to mix it down in order to listen to it. I haven't seen any 2 track recorders, so I can't say for sure about them. Do they even make them? A 4 or 8 track analog recorder records the tracks in line using the entire side of the tape, in one direction. If you put it in a regular tape deck, it will only read the first 2 tracks, the other two will be backward on the tape if you play the other side. You can use this to your advantage and get some pretty cool backward tracking effects, something you can't do with a digital recorder without some kind of outboard device to do it. Bottom line, you have to mix down your recordings to hear them on a tape recorded in a multi-track recorder.

 

[Rokket]

Something else I forgot to mention: the top of the line analog machines also record at higher tape speeds for better sound reproduction. They will not play right at all in a regular cassette deck.

 

[ibanezrocks]

I swear this is the last question...

What would I use to "mix it down" to hear it on a normal cassette player? and is it expensive?

 

[Rokket]

What would I use to "mix it down" to hear it on a normal cassette player? and is it expensive?

You probably already have it: you can mix it down to a regular cassette player. All you need are RCA cables and a cassette deck that has an aux in or line in.

Look here to see what I am talking about:

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/cat--RCA-to-RCA-Cables--2365

And here are some if your cassette player has 1/8" jack plugs instead:

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--HOSCPR20

Hope this helps you out.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Thankyou for all your help, after a bit more timing of saving my money, I will step into the beautiful world of recording, and then I will truly be a man.