cjacek
Analogue Enthusiast
I have a 3 head tape deck but I'm having real problems hooking it up to the 244 portastudio. I'm getting feedback and nasty stuff. Any ideas? Thanks!
Dr ZEE
Anti-Pro Circles Insider
Daniel, what exactly are you trying to achieve? I mean describe the situation. - is it something, like , say, you have 4-track recording done and now you wish to add tape echo effect to a track/instrument when mixing down???
Also I've never done this with 3head cassette recorder, but I'd imagine that you only can get a very short delay type with cassette machine. I've read about guys 'inserting' digital delay between 'send output' and recorder's input (dry) to extend and control delay time.
You need to have a small mixing unit/pad in addition to the 3-head recorder, which would do two things:
1. mix sent(dry) signal with the feedback signal and pass it to the recorder's input
2. Control the feedback level.
It's good to use a small mixing board for this purpose, but you can use available channels+group of a large mixing console too (not my favorite way).
There are also various work-arounds.
Also I've never done this with 3head cassette recorder, but I'd imagine that you only can get a very short delay type with cassette machine. I've read about guys 'inserting' digital delay between 'send output' and recorder's input (dry) to extend and control delay time.
You need to have a small mixing unit/pad in addition to the 3-head recorder, which would do two things:
1. mix sent(dry) signal with the feedback signal and pass it to the recorder's input
2. Control the feedback level.
It's good to use a small mixing board for this purpose, but you can use available channels+group of a large mixing console too (not my favorite way).
There are also various work-arounds.
jedblue
beep beep beep beep beep
Hi Daniel, my initial thoughts were the same as Dr Zee - what are you trying to achieve? However, looking at a 244 that's on eBay here at the moment I see that it has a single RCA aux send / return with send pots on each channel (yes?), so you should be able to use that loop in the traditional outboard processor manner. And a three head cassette deck should work in the same way as any other three head tape deck, running as a single slap tape echo.
So as a first port 'o call - and at the risk of teaching grandma to suck eggs - I'd try this...
1). Cable from the AUX Send RCA out of the 244 to the input of one channel of the three head deck and cable the output of the same channel back to the 244 AUX return. That should set you up with a loop that's going through the three header.
2). Load up a tape into the three header, keep the three head deck on input monitoring (not playback) to start with and set the input level at say, 50%.
3). Start the 244 and the three header running and adjust the track / master aux send on a track to see if you get a reading on the three header's input meter. Maybe plug some headphones into it to see what kind of condition it is.
4). Adjust the 244 send and 3 header's input levels so the three header's getting a signal that's peaking around 0 db.
5). Switch the three head from input monitoring to tape monitoring and adjust the 244's aux return level until you start to hear the echo coming back into the 244's output monitoring.
Fine adjustments of the individual track aux send, the tape deck's input levels and the 244 master aux send and return levels (if it has them?) could then be made to maximise the echo quality.
Usually the record and playback head of a three head cassette deck are quite close together, (sometimes they are a combo head in the same unit) so I've got no idea how long or short the slap will be, especially coupled with the slow speed of a cassette deck.
For a double slap you could also cable out of channel 1 on the three header into channel 2 then take channel 2's output back to the 244's aux return. It'd double the length of the delay as well.
Dunno if that's what you're trying to achieve or not but it should at least do something audible and controllable when both decks are running and you switch the three header from input monitoring to tape/playback monitoring (assuming there's a tape in there to start with)?
I might have a noodle around with my three header and see what it does when set up in this way.
Geoff
So as a first port 'o call - and at the risk of teaching grandma to suck eggs - I'd try this...
1). Cable from the AUX Send RCA out of the 244 to the input of one channel of the three head deck and cable the output of the same channel back to the 244 AUX return. That should set you up with a loop that's going through the three header.
2). Load up a tape into the three header, keep the three head deck on input monitoring (not playback) to start with and set the input level at say, 50%.
3). Start the 244 and the three header running and adjust the track / master aux send on a track to see if you get a reading on the three header's input meter. Maybe plug some headphones into it to see what kind of condition it is.
4). Adjust the 244 send and 3 header's input levels so the three header's getting a signal that's peaking around 0 db.
5). Switch the three head from input monitoring to tape monitoring and adjust the 244's aux return level until you start to hear the echo coming back into the 244's output monitoring.
Fine adjustments of the individual track aux send, the tape deck's input levels and the 244 master aux send and return levels (if it has them?) could then be made to maximise the echo quality.
Usually the record and playback head of a three head cassette deck are quite close together, (sometimes they are a combo head in the same unit) so I've got no idea how long or short the slap will be, especially coupled with the slow speed of a cassette deck.
For a double slap you could also cable out of channel 1 on the three header into channel 2 then take channel 2's output back to the 244's aux return. It'd double the length of the delay as well.
Dunno if that's what you're trying to achieve or not but it should at least do something audible and controllable when both decks are running and you switch the three header from input monitoring to tape/playback monitoring (assuming there's a tape in there to start with)?
I might have a noodle around with my three header and see what it does when set up in this way.
Geoff
cjacek
Analogue Enthusiast
OMG, Mike, Geoff... guys! Thanks a bunch!!
Silly me, amateurish mistake on my part 'cause I totally missed the part of using the 244 aux send / return (for patching effects). I did everything correct except that I patched it in wrong, thus getting the feedback.
Anyway, thanks a lot for your help fellas!
Silly me, amateurish mistake on my part 'cause I totally missed the part of using the 244 aux send / return (for patching effects). I did everything correct except that I patched it in wrong, thus getting the feedback.
Anyway, thanks a lot for your help fellas!
