Tascam Porta 2 Question

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Knopfler Fan

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Being an absolute newbie to the home recording hobby, I would like to know what other equipment is required besides the Tascam Porta 2 to make my own recordings?

The manual suggests:
- stereo mastering recorder for mixing down
- RCA cables
- Monitoring equipment (some kind of amp & speaker system)
- Head phones

Since RCA cables and headphones do not cost too much, I don't have a problem getting these. But what is a stereo mastering recorder? And how much will that cost? Also, how much would the monitoring equipment cost?

I have a Panasonic DVD player that also plays CDs. Can I use this as the monitoring equipment? I also have an old JVC tapedeck. Can I use that as the stereo mastering recorder??

Any help would be much appreciated.


Thank you in advance.


KP
 
A stereo master recorder refers to the mechanism to which you will mix down.

The porta02 splits the cassette tape into four tracks, but you will only hear four tracks on the porta02 because normal tape decks will only play in two track stereo (i.e. one on the left, one on the right). So, in order to mix to two tracks, you will need to have the RCA outputs of the porta02 recorded to another deck, which can be any recording device, but is typically another tape deck.

Your JVC should work fine, but beware: the playback level on the porta studio is like your cd player, turntable, and tape deck in that you will need to hook it up to a stereo receiver in order to bump up the signal. It should go porta02 studio ---> stereo receiver---> JVC.

They don't tell you this in the instructions (well, they do, but it's buried in the specs and no newcomer to homerecording can discern it).

Cy
 
I also have an old JVC tapedeck. Can I use that as the stereo mastering recorder??
Click to expand...
Not the best but yes you can.

Monitoring equipment (some kind of amp & speaker system)
Click to expand...
What they are talking about is a reference monitor for critical listening for mixing down.
This is just one example.
http://img.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/60/603672.jpg

You can also use your headphones for mixing but very few people do. Mixing is an Art in itself. You could record to your JVC tapedeck then listen to it on different audio systems (Boom boxes and other stereo systems) to see how the mix sounds overall. I myself would not go to any real expense on monitors with the porta 2. Its mainly a scratchpad but you could possibly do demos on it. Save your money and go digital. Theres a world of difference. I wouldnt go too cheap on headphones. You really need good frequency response.:cool:
 
Different Source Inputs

Thanks for the feedback gentlemen.

I have another question regarding the Tascam Porta02. If I want to record voice with acoustic guitar or piano, how do I connect the acoustic instruments into the rig? i.e. there are no plugs in the acoustic instruments. Do I have to mic the acoustic instruments? For example, one mic for vocals connected to track 1, and one mic for the acoustic instrument connected to track 2?

Sorry for the dumb questions.

Any help would be appreicated.


KP
 
Acoustic instruments have to be miked to get a signal to tape.

Some acoustic guitars use a pick-up but not all.
 
Personally, I would mic EVERYTHING and not go direct with my guitar.

When I get my Vesta Fire 4-track fixed, I plan on mixing down via headphone jack with a stereo cable into the line in on my sound card, then burning it to CD. Have you considered this as an option for mixing down, instead of mixing to a cassette and having generation loss?
 
Knopfler Fan said:
... But what is a stereo mastering recorder?
Click to expand...

As noted: it's really anything that will record in stereo. The old JVC tape deck you mention will work. Some people use their VCRs. If you want to buy something that's better than the JVC tape deck, an option that's relatively low-cost is a standalone CD recorder (Philips makes cheap ones). Another common option is your computer. Actually, you shouldn't need anything in between your Porta02 and the mixdown deck. You should (for example), be able to plug the main outputs (left and right) from the Porta02 into the "line in" jacks on the back of your JVC tape deck.

For monitoring, you can use your home stereo system, if you have one. Basically, what you are trying to do is the same thing you do when you play back a tape on your old JVC tape deck: take a line-level signal, amplify it and play it over speakers. If you want to take a step up, you can get "studio reference monitors," but that's not necessary.
 
Thanks for all your feeback gentlemen. I am getting a good handle now on some of the terminolgoy and the equipment required.

I have read the Porta02 manual from Tascam's website twice now and I'm not as intimidated anymore. In fact, I feel that the Porta02 may not be enough for my needs. I am actually thinking of the 414MKII or the 424MKIII.

What are your thoughts?


KF
 
I would not be intimidated by the 414 or 424. The only downside vs. the Porta 02 is they cost more.
 
Worth the Extra $$ ?

Do you think it's worth paying the extra $$ for the 414 or the 424? I'm a bit reluctant to go digital-- sounds too complicated.
 
Re: Worth the Extra $$ ?

Knopfler Fan said:
Do you think it's worth paying the extra $$ for the 414 or the 424?
Click to expand...

Yes. If I had the choice between the Porta 02, the 414 and the 424, I would get the 424. But it's your $$.

The other ways to go might be:

- Used. There are definitely bargains in the used market. The downside is you don't quite know for sure if you'll get a good deal or if you'll spend perfectly useful money on an non-useful, broken (or about to break) lemon. I have bought used stuff and been quite happy with it, but there is an element of gambling. Here's one way to look at it (using sort of arbitrary numbers): you can probably pay $200 to get something that's about "as good" as what would cost $400 new, but you should be prepared to lose the $200.

- Reel-to-reel. I primarily use a TSR8 (Tascam 1/2" 8-track). But I think it makes sense to start out with something like a Portastudio before jumping into a reel-to-reel deck and a separate mixer.

- Digital recording box. I don't know a lot about these. Don't have one.

- Computer. Again, I don't know a lot about this.

Others may disagree, but I think the cassette Portastudio is a good product -- particularly the more full-featured ones like the 424mk3 (or older models which you can find used, like the 488mk2, 424mk2, 464, Porta 07, Porta Two HS, 246). I have a Porta One which I still use (of course, I bought it new ... in 1987). They're relatively easy to use, while still working pretty much like a "real" mixer, and cassettes are cheap and easy to handle. What you can't do is a lot of editing and manipulation of your recordings: this may be a good thing.
 
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