I'll send you $5 in the mail if you answer my 424 questions!

[Judas Jetski]

Also, I want my $5 in tacos please. No cash.

[thefanbelow]

Does anyone have 4 channel interfaces they use to dump all tracks at once onto the computer? I am using a laptop and therefore the M-Audio Delta 44 is out of the question. Only other interface I came across is the Maya44 USB but that doesn't have 24bit converting. I don't need any preamps, just need the converters.

[dfuruta]

If you've got firewire, an echo audiofire 4 would do it for you for not too much. If not, there are some affordable 8 channel usb interfaces floating around?it doesn't hurt to have extra channels, who knows what you'll want in the future...

[thefanbelow]

If you've got firewire, an echo audiofire 4 would do it for you for not too much. If not, there are some affordable 8 channel usb interfaces floating around?it doesn't hurt to have extra channels, who knows what you'll want in the future...

I just picked up a GAP 73 on top of my other 2 channel MobilePre so I feel content with my pre's and inputs for now, I really just need this to be my middleman from 424 to my DAW. Not interested in it's pre's.

The AudioFire 4 seems nice, as does the Tascam US-600. From what I see, I would take the tape outs into the 4 inputs on the AudioFire 4. I would just need 2 mono RCA->1/4" and 2 mono RCA-XLR, right?

[eh91311]

If you've got firewire, an echo audiofire 4 would do it for you for not too much. If not, there are some affordable 8 channel usb interfaces floating around?it doesn't hurt to have extra channels, who knows what you'll want in the future...

I just picked up a GAP 73 on top of my other 2 channel MobilePre so I feel content with my pre's and inputs for now, I really just need this to be my middleman from 424 to my DAW. Not interested in it's pre's.

The AudioFire 4 seems nice, as does the Tascam US-600. From what I see, I would take the tape outs into the 4 inputs on the AudioFire 4. I would just need 2 mono RCA->1/4" and 2 mono RCA-XLR, right?

Actually you'd need 4 RCA-1/4 TS cables: the Audiofire 4 uses combination xlr jacks in the front. Plug in a 1/4 jack & you should get either instrument level or line level in.

[dfuruta]

Yeah, you'd want to use the 1/4" inputs on the audiofire.

[thefanbelow]

Fixed my issue with the distorted input. Not sure exactly what did it but I switched to High Bias tapes, and cleaned the heads (already remarkably clean somehow).

Anyway, can anyone explain this to me?

When I record to my 424, it records (lets say) from 30 seconds to 200 seconds (at fast speed, so I guess double).

I go play it back from 30 seconds and all is there. A few minutes later when I go to play it's not at 30 anymore, but like 850 or early 900's (not sure what these numbers mean)... Any guesses?

[Judas Jetski]

So... if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying that the counter tells you that the recording starts at point A when you record it, and seems to be accurate the first time, but when you go to play it again the counter is wrong. That it?

The counter is typically run off of a belt on a cassette player. (Some decks use a sensor like an antilock brake sensor on a car, but I don't think the 424 is one of those.) I'm not sure what units it uses, but it's measuring the length of tape played... so if you play a tape on low speed, the numbers will be the same as if you played it on high speed. The deck will just "count faster."

There's nothing inherent about the recording which will affect the counter at all (i.e., there isn't any sync going on between the tape and an on-board computer, aside from whatever mechanical link there is between the takeup spindle and the counter). If you play half-way through a song, then shut the power off, then turn it back on again--the counter will read 0000. So if the counter isn't tracking properly, there's probably some issue with the belt.

What happens between the recording starting at 0030 and then at 0850? Nothing? Are you rewinding the tape and the counter isn't tracking properly? Or is something squirrely happening with the tape itself? Does it do the same thing no matter which tape you use?

[thefanbelow]

So... if I'm reading you correctly, you're saying that the counter tells you that the recording starts at point A when you record it, and seems to be accurate the first time, but when you go to play it again the counter is wrong. That it?

The counter is typically run off of a belt on a cassette player. (Some decks use a sensor like an antilock brake sensor on a car, but I don't think the 424 is one of those.) I'm not sure what units it uses, but it's measuring the length of tape played... so if you play a tape on low speed, the numbers will be the same as if you played it on high speed. The deck will just "count faster."

There's nothing inherent about the recording which will affect the counter at all (i.e., there isn't any sync going on between the tape and an on-board computer, aside from whatever mechanical link there is between the takeup spindle and the counter). If you play half-way through a song, then shut the power off, then turn it back on again--the counter will read 0000. So if the counter isn't tracking properly, there's probably some issue with the belt.

What happens between the recording starting at 0030 and then at 0850? Nothing? Are you rewinding the tape and the counter isn't tracking properly? Or is something squirrely happening with the tape itself? Does it do the same thing no matter which tape you use?

If the counter tells me its starting at point A, it will run from point A for a few minutes before it somehow gets transported to point A - 200. At first it's fine though.

I can try again later but I didn't do anything IIRC. I record to tape, usually press RTZ, and play from there. Everything in safe mode and by the book. It will be at the right time for the first play or so, but if I give it a minute break it disappears to the late 900's. I guess it's possible that I am pressing something but it doesn't seem like it would trigger that change?

[Judas Jetski]

So it's all "A = 0000" for a few times and then all of a sudden it's "A = 0800."

Sometimes I find this happening to me, and it's because I accidentally hit "counter reset" when I meant to hit RTZ... so all of a sudden the end of the song is 0000 and the beginning is [0000-the length of the song]. It might be as simple as pilot error... or it might be that the electrical contacts are a little goofy and when you press the RTZ button it's also resetting the counter. This seems less likely, but it's the kind of thing that can go wrong with this kind of gear.

I say, be super careful about which buttons you're pushing for a while. If the problem persists, you might need to spray some contact cleaner in there... or more likely, a screw has wiggled loose, and you're going to have to pull the back off the thing and snug all the screws down. I thought my 424 Mk. II was done for when it developed speed issues, but all I needed to do was tighten down the screws for the speed control and it was fine.

Not the most robust build in the world. Apparently, Tascam engineered these things to accommodate their relative wussiness, but that only goes so far.