Has anybody tried this?

K

koolkkeith

New member
Hope you all are having a great day!

I am thinking of recording my music on the Tascam 414 and then mixing down onto the computer (instead of mixing down to cassette). I am assuming that I just hook the line out on the 414 to the line in of the soundcard and then use some sort of software to record and clean it up a little bit. Is this doable? How is the sound using this process? Has anybody tried this out or experimented using this method? Any recommendations on software or soundcards? Any help or advice is much appreciated! Thanks
 
It's very doable.

Pretty much verbatim as you described it.

You'll need a Stereo RCA to 1/8" Stereo adapter y cable.

You can use Windows sound recorder and Windows audio mixer to record to your PC, in WAV format, stereo, 44.1Khz, 16 Bit resolution. You'll have to play with the output level on the 414 and the input level on the "record side" of the Windows audio mixer, in order to get a clean signal down to disc. Windows sound recorder and Windows audio mixer does not give you level meters. It's hit & miss, trial & error.

Otherwise, there's many varied and wonderful software packages you can buy, relatively cheap. F/I, I use MAGIX STUDIO 5, which is 16 track DAW software, and even though I don't use DAW, [I use Portastudios & reels], but the STUDIO 5 software gives me really good peak meters.

Many other software packages are available. Go to FRY's or BEST BUY.

Otherwise, I have a Hewlett Packard 8240 computer that has really cool "audio rack" software, and it does a great job recording WAV files. It's based on Willowpond software, see www.willowpond.com

I've been mastering from Portastudio to computer [WAV] files, and burning CDs, for a long time now. That's the norm, these days. Cassette as 4 track production media is still viable, but cassette as a mixdown medium is practically dead.

These days, everyone's burning CDs, and rightly so, because they sound SO much better than cassette, there's no comparison.

Join the crowd.
 
That's true, you're right.

Anyone can multitrack on their PC, hard disc multitrack recording, using these software titles you mentioned above, including the one I mentioned, Magix Studio 5.

As I said, Magix Studio 5 is 16 track DAW software, but BTW doesn't cost an arm & leg, like some of those other titles.

All Magix Studio 5 versions have MIDI sequencing built in, the higher versions integrate with video production, onboard, and the deluxe version goes up to 32 tracks .

I only have the basic Magix Studio 5 [16 track] version, for ~$40, while some of those other titles [Sound Forge, Acid, Cubase, Protools, etc] may cost hundreds.

You can buy many software titles for audio multitrack recording, [DAW], and I'm not saying you have to buy what I buy, but I'm just giving this as an example, that DAW software does not have to cost a 'lot'.

The technology is 'there' enough, that a lower priced DAW software package might do as much as the higher priced ones.

Hey, I bought Magix Studio 5 [quite a while ago], and I've been really happy with it. I've seen Cubase & Protools, and others, and Magix does everything they do. When I found out how much Cubase costs, I almost fell over.

Still, I'm just using myself as an example. Buy anything you want.

Check out a few different DAW software packages. Go to Guitar Center & look around & price things, and also go to Best Buy & Fry's and price things, on multitrack audio recording software. There's a big difference.

True, I could very well multitrack [16 tracks] on my PC with the DAW software I have, Magix Studio 5, but I just use it to record stereo mixdown, WAV files. Magix does a great job of recording, but I'm not multitracking on it. I just prefer to work with Portastudios and R/R's & mixers, over doing multitrack on the computer. To me, analog recording is still 'better', and I don't particularly like intesive multitrack on computers, due to certain percieved drawbacks, such as audio 'isolation' of the PC in the studio, DAW mixer 'latency', 'maxing out on cpu power', and also simpler things like eye strain and hand strain from prolonged computer use.

No doubt, 'digital' recording is more popular than ever, and people are moving to digital recorders or DAW recording in record numbers.

Studios, and lots of other people have given up recording on analog recorders altogether, but some people still like using analog recorders for multitrack [over PC], like me.

Still, even analog multitrack people like me want to master to CD, over tape. That's just where the state of the art technology is, CD recording. CD is the standard. Mixing down to cassette is dead, it's a moot issue, it's not happening. Some people may still do it, but no one wants to listen to cassettes, if they can afford CDs, including me.

Forget the '70's [8tracks], forget the '80's [cassette]. Think post-'85, CD's became important. Think early '90's, CDs became the standard.

Think late '90's, CD recorders came to the home/consumer market.

Think modern, think 21st century. CD recording is 'it', and 'digital' is 'in'. Digital multitrack recording onto hard disc with DAW software is 'in', but I never claimed to be with the 'in' crowd.

Anyway, many digital recording software packages are out there. They're numerous. Check them out, check features and prices.

Whatever recording software you find or buy, good luck recording. You're on the right track.
 
cool!

Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate the input! I did have another question that maybe you could help me out on,,,lets say I wanted to record rhythm guitar on two tracks and drums on two tracks at the same time. This would of course take up all four available tracks,,,Could I then mixdown these tracks to computer and then go back and record a lead over one of the tracks and then also mixdown to computer with the other already recorded tracks? did that make sense, hope I asked that right,,
 
Well, yes.

If what you mean is: could you record drums on 2 tracks/guitar on 2 tracks on the 414, then mix the 4 tracks down to stereo, record onto the computer, then dub from the computer back to the 414 in stereo, then record on the 414 on tracks 3 & 4,... then,... yes.

The Portastudio can be used to "bounce" tracks to any external recorder, for purposes of increasing your "track count". This is referred to as "external bounce" technique . The computer could be used for this purpose, as well as other recorders.

With bouncing techniques, you run the risk of deteriorating your sound quality in the process, but increasing your track count can be done successfully by bouncing tracks, if it's used judiciously.

There are also fail-safe methods to use in the studio that preserves all original tracks, so you can go back to the original basic tracks at all times. With external-bounce, that's the methodology you use, [that would inherently preserve original tracks].

Other bounce techniques, "collapsing" technique, does not preserve original tracks during the bouncing process.

Bouncing is a great concept, a handy tool in the studio, but I would not try to take it to extremes, because there is a sonic compromise to make, and a price to pay.

Bouncing is good, if used sparingly. A little of it can be fine.
I use it, once in a while, a little bit, here & there.

If you do a lot of pre-production planning, bouncing techniques can be used to enhance the sound of a 4 track, quite a bit.

Hope I read your question correctly, ok?

If your question reads: can I record all 4 tracks on the 414, mix down to stereo, record onto computer, turn right around immediately -without- dubbing from computer back to the 414, record different parts on tracks 3 & 4 on the 414, go back to the computer, and have the new 4 track master you have to 'sync' with the recording you already have just made on your computer, then... -no-... they will not sync...

...unless you stripe track 4 on the 414 with timecode, and have the computer recording program chase the timecode off the 414, which is very doable, but I think not the question, and a different post altogether.


Good luck.
 
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