#1

What kind of recorders do you guys use? I’ve seen some models in the more recent tehn videos that I can’t identify. If you use a Tascam multi track, have you tried others and come to the conclusion that the Tascam sounds the best?

#2

i absolutely love my tascam 424 mk3

#3

i’ve been using a yamaha mt4x four-track for a few years now. it sounds great. although the preamps are rather noisy at higher gain levels, it doesn’t show up too much on tape. biggest issue is that it doesn’t offer 1/4" outs of any kind; it’s all phono/RCA output. also, given the component age and the varying response of the individual mono TS inputs, it’s a little tricky to create stereo recordings. i stick with mono.

#4

Nakamichi 600 all the way here, pure love. Not a multitrack though

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#5

I had a Tascam 488 MKII that i really loved and a Tascam Porta02mkII mini studio that was nothing special. Both died. The 488 was used extensively, the 02 not that much. Now i have a Foster X-28H and i really love it, so far so good.

#6

I have Tascam Porta02mkII too, convenient for recording tapes as its normal speed

#7

As much as I love tape I never used a multitrack recorder and none of my decks have been Tascam.

Had a really nice Onkyo deck years ago for listening and have also owned a bunch of Marantz pmd’s that i liked to record with (usually 221s).

The two decks I use right now are JVC TD-v66 and a Marantz PMD 510.

#8

I use 2 x Akai MG614 (Linked)

And find them amazing with my sp12/1200/909 (Chicago House Heaven) :slight_smile:

also use the tascam 688 a bit

I’d recommend them both

Master to sony metal master ceramic tape which rocks

s

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#9

@Ted will have an informed opinion on this discussion…

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#10

I have a stack of 4 2014 Tascam 202 mkVI dual well decks, which I use mostly for Norelco Mori and duplication. They sound really nice and clean. For that reason, when I’m recording my own material, I usually break out my Fostex 4 track because it just sounds a little odd in a really nice way. I also have a mono Marantz portable tape recorder that’s about 20 years late on its service schedule, I use that when I want even worse sounding recordings.

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#11

I’ve got a marantz PMD 501 that I haven’t put any recordings out on yet but I lucked into because I was working sound/lights with my wife for a church and they weren’t using there cassette stuff anymore and they told me to take it along with almost 100 maxell UR tapes

I am eagerly anticipating filling up some tape in the near future

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#12

Damn. I wouldn’t mind a a stack of 100 blanks…

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#13

Had a 414 mk2 for years never bonded with it always found sound to be dreadful - very warbly. Bought it aged 19 with fond memories of lunchbreaks whiled away on an older tascam unit owned by the music department at school. Somehow the 414 never failed to disappoint.

Never sure what was with that, whether it was the individual unit, the model itself or a more critical ear. Anyway never owned a recorder with the same immediacy & fun of that old unit at school till I discovered the boomerang pedal a few years back…

This gets me thinking about a simple four track app for aleph with variable tape-speed & destructive overdubs Surely no more than a weekend hack (famous last words)…

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#14

Ahhhhhhhh

please yes!

#15

[quote=“rick_monster, post:13, topic:2538”]
a simple four track app for aleph with variable tape-speed & destructive overdubs
[/quote]I just want to reiterate…that would be amazing

i love digital tape based stuff

#16

hey well I’m kind of deep into some bees stuff at the moment - think I could offer at least a bit of guidance to anyone else that wants to get stuck in (though still learning myself!).

As a bonus pretty sure this could be built & tested using linux/jack emulator if interested parties have access to that kind of environment (though noone should spend a long time developing under linux/jack & expect it to definitely work on the device). But definitely bear in mind it’s now possible to program the blackfin using serial cable from host - potentially a big timesaver for aspiring DSP devs…

First step for this new module could be to try and plan as much as possible the simplest set of params that can control the tape. So for example:

  • playspeed (0 for stop, 256 for 1 x speed)
  • rec1 source
  • rec1
  • rec2_source
  • rec2
  • rec3_source
  • rec3
  • rec4_source
  • rec4
  • seek-to (bidirectional param)
  • a whole mixer section (copy-paste grains module for the skeleton & rip out the cruft)

EDIT: I realise there is one potentially tricky DSP block for this project missing from our ‘standard library’, namely interpolated buffer write. If someone takes this project on, will be able to quickly contribute a linear-interpolated buffer-write. Linear interpolated is a bit lo-fi/grainy - if there’s a working module I can hit the books & try to figure out how to do the higher-order version…

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Aleph 414 • tascam/tape emulator
#17

I have to check whether the last version of PRGM app has interpolated buffers (probably not)

ok
I’m done hijacking this thread

#18

ok just one more aleph dev comment (sorry for the minor thread hijack) it’s interpolated write that’s missing - grains already necessitated development of higher-order interpolated read. 99% sure I understand how to very quickly implement linear interpolated write, which is enough give this legs. Also I don’t think it necessarily needs a dedicated app - module-only would already be awesome.

Soon as someone (possibly me) comes up with a prototype & a catchy name we can start our very own thread to flesh out the ideas

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#19

Cool, I know youre busy so no pressure
just wanted to show enthusiasm for the great idea.

Working should probably just be 414 or TSCM

Aleph 414 • tascam/tape emulator
#20

just found this yesterday after someone ported one of this guys other PD patches for the organelle

I haven’t tried to get it working yet but it is supposed to be a tape type emulator