4-track cassette deck recordings

On Sunday, 18 April 2021 at 21:53:38 UTC+2, Chris K-Man wrote:
> On Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 1:03:57 PM UTC-4, polymod wrote:
> > "Chris K-Man" wrote in message
> > ...
> > On Friday, April 16, 2021 at 5:11:31 PM UTC-4, polymod wrote:
> > > "Tobiah" wrote in message ...
> > > I saved up for an eternity when I was a kid and bought a Yamaha MT1X. I
> > > studied
> > > its operation and poured over the block diagram until I understood exactly
> > > what it could do.
> > >
> > > I made few recordings with it that were of any note, and none survive.
> > >
> > > Does anyone have any examples of interesting recordings that were
> > > made with a similar deck?
> > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > > Well, I don't know if I'd call this interesting, and I'm sort of
> > > embarrassed
> > > to post this due to the obvious mistakes, bad quality, and numerous
> > > plosives, but here goes.
> > > http://sonicmusic.net/I'm_Mad.mp3
> > >
> > > Recorded back in the late 70s on a Tascam Portastudio 244 using a Roland
> > > TR606 drum machine, G&L F100 series II guitar, Minimoog bass, Fender
> > > Rhodes
> > > and a Prophet~5 (used as an attempt to fortify a weak drum track).
> > > I had my wallet stolen at work and wrote/recorded this song when I got
> > > home.
> > > A very far cry from my progressive rock roots, but this was the only thing
> > > I
> > > have left of the portastudio recordings. Too many years, too many moves.
> > >
> > >
> > > (ducking from thrown debris) Poly
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> > > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> >
> > Very clean and open sound! Not slammed to the walls as it seems
> > required nowadays
> > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
> > Considering it was recorded on a cassette, then mixed to a cassette, and sat
> > in a drawer for over 40 years, it's a wonder there's any fidelity at all ;-)
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Poly
> _______
>
> Not really a wonder.
>
> If more recent releases were mastered with the same care that
> you stored your cassettes, they'd sound just as good!

Fostex X-26
https://youtu.be/3nqGhaw1npU

On Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 4:16:36 PM UTC-4, Luxey wrote:
> On Sunday, 18 April 2021 at 21:53:38 UTC+2, Chris K-Man wrote:
> > On Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 1:03:57 PM UTC-4, polymod wrote:
> > > "Chris K-Man" wrote in message
> > > ...
> > > On Friday, April 16, 2021 at 5:11:31 PM UTC-4, polymod wrote:
> > > > "Tobiah" wrote in message ...
> > > > I saved up for an eternity when I was a kid and bought a Yamaha MT1X. I
> > > > studied
> > > > its operation and poured over the block diagram until I understood exactly
> > > > what it could do.
> > > >
> > > > I made few recordings with it that were of any note, and none survive.
> > > >
> > > > Does anyone have any examples of interesting recordings that were
> > > > made with a similar deck?
> > > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> > > > Well, I don't know if I'd call this interesting, and I'm sort of
> > > > embarrassed
> > > > to post this due to the obvious mistakes, bad quality, and numerous
> > > > plosives, but here goes.
> > > > http://sonicmusic.net/I'm_Mad.mp3
> > > >
> > > > Recorded back in the late 70s on a Tascam Portastudio 244 using a Roland
> > > > TR606 drum machine, G&L F100 series II guitar, Minimoog bass, Fender
> > > > Rhodes
> > > > and a Prophet~5 (used as an attempt to fortify a weak drum track).
> > > > I had my wallet stolen at work and wrote/recorded this song when I got
> > > > home.
> > > > A very far cry from my progressive rock roots, but this was the only thing
> > > > I
> > > > have left of the portastudio recordings. Too many years, too many moves.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > (ducking from thrown debris) Poly
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
> > > > https://www.avast.com/antivirus
> > >
> > > Very clean and open sound! Not slammed to the walls as it seems
> > > required nowadays
> > > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
> > > Considering it was recorded on a cassette, then mixed to a cassette, and sat
> > > in a drawer for over 40 years, it's a wonder there's any fidelity at all ;-)
> > > Thank you.
> > >
> > > Poly
> > _______
> >
> > Not really a wonder.
> >
> > If more recent releases were mastered with the same care that
> > you stored your cassettes, they'd sound just as good!
> Fostex X-26
> https://youtu.be/3nqGhaw1npU

____

Your point?

Tobiah wrote:
> I saved up for an eternity when I was a kid and bought a Yamaha MT1X.Â* I
> studied
> its operation and poured over the block diagram until I understood exactly
> what it could do.
>
> I made few recordings with it that were of any note, and none survive.
>
> Does anyone have any examples of interesting recordings that were
> made with a similar deck?
>
> One trick I learned was to boost the treble on the way in,
> and cut it on the way out.Â* It was an effective noise reduction
> technique as the net signal would be mostly unchanged, but the
> audible tape hiss would be reduced in the high-cut.
>
>

Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" involved a 1982 vintage 4 track. Legend
has it that some of The Pixies records started out on 4 track.

I still have a Tascam 488 MkII bought in 1997. Probably needs a belt by
now. I have all the tapes sealed in plastic bags in boxes. Several
boxes; I don't know how many tapes. The 488 MkII had DBX.

In 2002, I bought a Fostex VF16 and transferred a lot of it to digital.
Some of it sounded pretty good. I ran some tests on the 488. It was
better than it should have been.

--
Les Cargill

On 24/04/2021 12:27 pm, Les Cargill wrote:

>
> I still have a Tascam 488 MkII bought in 1997. Probably needs a belt by
> now. I have all the tapes sealed in plastic bags in boxes. Several
> boxes; I don't know how many tapes. The 488 MkII had DBX.

I had a Tascam 388 once upon a time (8 tracks on 1/4" with DBX). That
got sold when I got a DA-88.

geoff