Tascam 244 compared to reel

[famous beagle]

I'd expect nothing less from the man that wrote the book on home recording. literally!

Ha!

 

[famous beagle]

THANK YOU!!! I love getting the recording process of songs, we're all here doing this because it fascinates us.

Apologies to Findley for hijacking his thread, lol...but this has to be gold to him as well.

So cool how you really used the 246 as another color on the palette. It really added a great texture to the Rhodes and the low end.

I would've guessed a Strat too for the electric; my #1 is my Strat and you're so right slapping that E string with force can make it go out, I really dig that section and how it juxtaposes into that airy acoustic bit.

Thanks again brother, excellent stuff. If you think of it please PM me if you post the completed mastered song on the forum, I'd love to hear it.

Be cool...

Thanks! Will do!

 

[robble]

I actually put a video up on YouTube recently trying to bounce a track 8 times on my 488mkii. 8 track, not four, but same tape and it still sounds amazing. The difference between gen 1 and gen 8 is more subtle than I would have guessed. If anyone is interested, it’s titled ‘Tascam 488 bounce test’ cause I can’t post links yet ?

 

[Duncan Hutchins]

Excellent recording

I have not done such a test, but this post speaks to something I've noticed too. I've worked with several 4-tracks over the years, and I've always though the quality was great. Most recently, it was a Tascam 246, but before that, I got good results with a 414 mk ii and a 424 mk iii as well.

I've always wondered, quite frankly, how so many people could make 4-tracks sound so bad! I mean ... filled with hiss and tinny and/or really muffled. I'm guessing it's just people that don't know what they're doing? The sad thing is that those machines have gotten a terrible reputation because of it.

Of course, maybe you have better ears than I do, because I always used the dbx on my units (mainly because it said to in the manual), and I never noticed any artifacts or dropouts.

But here's a recent recording I made with the 246. It's not finished yet -- it's just lacking vocals -- but this is already with two external bounces (to and from the computer). So this is a two-track submix now that's on tracks 1 and 2, and the vocals will go on tracks 1 and 2.

To me, this sounds as "clean" as any digital recording I hear on this place (or cleaner, to be honest), yet it still sounds warm and pleasant (to me, anyway).

I think these machines are awesome if you know what you're doing.

I can't fault this recording

 

[famous beagle]

I can't fault this recording

Thanks much!

 

[A Reel Person]

...

I actually put a video up on YouTube recently trying to bounce a track 8 times on my 488mkii. 8 track, not four, but same tape and it still sounds amazing. The difference between gen 1 and gen 8 is more subtle than I would have guessed. If anyone is interested, it’s titled ‘Tascam 488 bounce test’ cause I can’t post links yet ?

No doubt the 488mkII is a great machine and an amazing performer. It will take a bounce track acceptably well, (although I wouldn't recommend it), and it does great for the cassette format, but in no way can the performance of this machine stand up to a 1/4" or 1/2" 8-track reel running at 15ips. The physics just don't support it.

On reel-reel, the increased tape speed raises the high end frequency response considerably, and the increased track width increases the headroom likewise. Same for cassette 4-tracks vs. reel 4-tracks. I don't have the exact numbers, but they are out there. The difference is audible.

With that being said, I've made some fine recordings with the likes of the 244/246 and 488mkII. I think they do well and I like them a lot. Cost, efficiency, sound quality & all-in-one design are all (+) factors in my book.

 

[Findlay]

Thanks for this Reel Person. It is just that the 244 sounds so stunning in good hands - as Famous Beagle has demonstrated here so brilliantly.I still wonder if anyone has done a blind test comparing recordings on a 244 to 4 tracks on reel - and maybe 4 tracks recorded on a Tascam 16 on 1 inch? Maybe using the same mixer for both on playback and just a simple recording with maybe acoustic guitar, vocal, bass and percussion (sort of "Mother Nature's son style). Looking at the specs on the "Sgt Pepper" J37, the 244 compares pretty with it - I've measured a better freq response (30Hz to 15kHz + - 2dB quoted at 15 ips, compared to 25 to 18KHz on my 244) and the quoted S/N of 76dB is beaten by about 10dB by the 244. I find there is bags of headroom on the 244 too - recordings where the VU pointer has almost wrapped itself around the post sound fine and on those made at -10dB noise is still virtually inaudible. Never once heard any crosstalk either. Not a good test I know, but I recorded "With A Little Help From My Friends" from the remastered "Sgt Pepper" on to the 244 and couldn't tell the difference on a pretty decent hi fi. Maybe my ears are just shot!

 

[A Reel Person]

I think...

the dbx NR does boost high fidelity that's significant and audible.