why can't I hear track 3 on my stereo

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takamine58

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I have a Tascam 424 mkll. When recording on 3 tracks I can hear all 3 tracks playing through my headphones on the playback but when I put the tape on my stereo I only hear tracks 1 and 2 playing. Can someone tell me what's going on. It is driving me nuts! Have tried playing it on different stereos....still nothing on track 3.
Thanks!
 
Because a 4-track multitrack uses ALL 4 tracks recorded in the same direction.

A stereo cassette plays only 2 of the tracks on one side, and when you flip the tape over, it plays the other 2 tracks.

With a multitrack recording, you need to go thru the additional step of "mixing down" - which is to say you blend the 4 tracks of your multitracker onto another 2-track recording machine (DAT, MiniDisc, CD-R, computer, another cassette deck, etc...)

If you mixdown to another cassette, you can then play the mixed-down version on your cassette player.
 
why can't I hear track 3

Thanks Blue Bear! I really appreciate the info but I am totally new to this and don't quite understand what I need to do. Would you be willing to walk me through the steps.....I have a CD-R on my computer but don't have a clue how to do this.....don't know what other acessories I need, etc. My email address is:
rjwhite@meckcom.net. Would really appreciate your help.
Thanks!
 
LMAO. not at you, but with you man.

I did the exact same thing when I got my 424. I was as confused as you. Where the heck is tracks 3 and 4? Turn the tape over to hear track three, except it will be backwards. Try to think of it as the cassette you play in your 424 is formatted different from a cassette you play in your normal player.

Anyway, like Blue Bear said, you need to go from the outs of your 424 to another recordable medium. Hook them up to the line in on your computer or the ins on your cassette deck. Press record on the cassette/ computer recorder, press play on your 424 and adjust the faders to have the levels of each track be where you want them. This is called mixing.

The goal of this is to take the 4 tracks of the 424 and make them into 2 tracks (right/left) to be played on a normal stereo system.

Hopefully this makes sense. For a lot of info about Portable Studios and a greater starting base, pick up "Using your Portable Studio" by McIan. It's a great book that I got and it really helped when I was starting out.

Good luck.
 
Re: why can't I hear track 3

takamine58 said:
Thanks Blue Bear! I really appreciate the info but I am totally new to this and don't quite understand what I need to do. Would you be willing to walk me through the steps.....I have a CD-R on my computer but don't have a clue how to do this.....don't know what other acessories I need, etc. My email address is:
rjwhite@meckcom.net. Would really appreciate your help.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
You can contact me at the studio number if you like.... or I'm on MSN Messenger.... bvaleriani@hotmail.com
 
What size adapter

Haven't been able to mix down yet because I am having trouble finding the right size adapter to fit into L & R output jack. I thought it would take the 1/4" but that was too big so I tried the 1/8" and it still would not fit. I thought this would be the easy part.
Can someone tell me what kind or what size to use?
Thanks! Jo
 
RCA's.
rca outputs. you will either need regular rca's or, rca to 1/8, or rca to 1/8 w/1/4 adapter depending on input type of what your mixing to. good luck
 
How can a little adapter be so much trouble

I went to Radio Shack today to get RCA adapter and they did not have them. Checked out Wal-Mart...they don't carry any adapters.
Why did Tascam have to make an input that has to have a name brand adapter? Where can I find these RCA adapters? They are giving me a head ache.
 
RCA is just the crap most every audio thing uses. Its not name brand. Probably an acronym, but Radio shack is supposed to have RCAs, and all sorts of adapters.
 
Radio Shack definitely has RCA plugs/jacks/adapters. Another name for 'em is "phono" connectors.

HTH,

Lee
 
ok guys...here's the deal

I got the adapter. Got the one that is 2 phone plugs to one because I only have one input in back of my computer. Everything fit ok..pressed record on my computer...pressed play on the 4 track....recorded.....played back.... nothing. What am I doing wrong. Pleeeease help!
 
What are you recording onto - Cubase or Windows media player or something else. You may have set your computer so that knows it's recording from an external source.
 
recording directly into recorder

I am trying to record directly into my recorder on my computer. It says to record you must use microphone but I thought if I hooked the recorder directly in, it would pick up sound. This is new for me so I don't know what I am doing as you can tell. I only have one input in the back to plug into so I am using the Y- adapter audio cable. It may not work because of the fact that it is made to record into a microphone to computer. What do you think? I have windows media player and real player but may not be equiped to record into these. I don't think I will ever get to hear all these tracks except on the 4 track recorder. My stereo is older so it doesn't have the proper inputs. Just bought a new home surround sound system that doesn't do any good for this situation.It seems I'm stuck. Please Help!
Thanks to everyone who is trying to help me. This is sooo frustrating.
 
I suggest you pick up a book on the basics of recording/multitrack recorders.... there's no way to type evryething out via threads here -- you need to get a basic understanding of the concepts first and a book will go a long way to help you.

I suggest Huber and Runstein's Modern Recording TEchniques as a good starting point........
 
"Using Your Portable Studio" by Peter McIan is a great portastudio primer. It will really show what you need to do.


As for your current problem:

If I understand right, you have your RCA (a red one and a black or white one) plugged into the back of your 424. The other end of the cable is a stereo (Has three seperate bands on the metal part) 1/8" jack.

You need to plug the 1/8" jack into the LINE IN on your soundcard in your computer. NOT the MIC IN.

Next, I'll assume you are using windows (I'm on 2000, the process might be a little different for other OS's).

- double click on the little speaker icon in the lower right of your screen (next to the clock.)

- click the "options" menu, and click on properties.

- click on the dot next to "recording", and look in the lower list. Make sure "Line in" is checked. Click "OK"

- check the box under the line in volume slider. There should not be anything else checked.

-close the window.

Now press play on your 424. You should hear the 424 sounds coming through your computer speakers. And real player (or whatever) should be able to record the sound.

If not, post back here, and we'll work it out some more. Good luck.
 
still not working

I did what you said but it's still not recording the song. I have Windows XP. It has 3 places in the back that you can plug into. 2 have the speakers plugged into them so the one that's left directly under the speakers is the one I plug into. I know it says you need a microphone to record....but I thought by going directly in with 4 track it would also record...maybe not. The sound card in my computer came in the computer...it's not high dollar. Hope that it explains it a little more. Really appreciate your help. Do you think with what I have explained, there is something else I need to do.
 
Hmm, interesting.

A few questions:
Do you know what type of soundcard you own? If not, what kind of computer do you have? Brand, speed, etc.

Do you hear the four-track through the computer speakers at all?

Where EXACTLY do you have the RCA jacks plugged into on the 424?

When you play back the 424, do you have sound on the Headphones?


I'm quite confused as to what you have going on, but hopefully we'll get it straightened out. I can imagine how frustrated you are.
 
My computer is a Pentium 4 2.4 256 meg ddr 333 40x16x40 cdrw 80 gig, windows xp 64 meg video. Don't know what kind of sound card. The guy that built the computer just told me it has one but you have to use microphone to record.

In the 4 track I plug into the L and R output. In back of computer I plug into the input right under the speaker inputs. That is the only input I see to plug into, thats why I use the Y adapter.
I don't hear anything coming through the computer speakers.
I can hear fine through headphones from 4 track.
 
your 4 track output is a line level. from what you stated, your cpu needs a mic level. good luck
 
Even if the input is mic level, you should still have sound coming through. It will be ugly sounding, but still sound.

Do the jacks you are plugging into have colored bands on them?


Here's something to check. Doubleclick on the speaker symbol in the lower left corner (by the clock.)
Click options-properties.
Click on the button next to playback
Scroll through the list. Make sure "Line-In" and "Microphone" are checked.
Click okay.
You should now see volume and balance faders for "Line-In" and "Microphone."
Make sure there is not a check mark in the mute box for both Line-In and Microphone.

Try playing the four track to see if any sound comes out now.

Good luck. I'm running out of ideas.
 
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