Cassette 4 tracks.... suggest a good one please.

slowcentury · Post by **slowcentury** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:34 pm

For some reason over the last few months I have really been missing having a cassette 4 track around. Back in the 90's I begged, borrowed and stole various tascams and fostex 4 tracks from friends but never bought one myself (poor life skills). I had a chance to buy an old Teac reel to reel 4 track when I was 16, but at that point I was too dumb to realize how rad that machine was. Like I said above, can you folks suggest a killer cassette 4track machine, I want to pick a good one up in the next little while and mess around with one again, pro tools just lacks the charm sometimes. What is yr ultimate cassette 4 track? Thx!

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:58 pm

Mine isn't 4 tracks, but I have a Portastudio 464. I've definitely mentioned it on a number of threads, but I love that thing. I don't use it quite as often as I wish I did, but there have been a number of times when it's been absolutely perfect for a project. I've never really had issues with digital stuff sounding too "digital", and I've got a number of ways to get nice color, but there's something that Portastudio does that I definitely can't imitate any other way. I believe the 424 is pretty much the same thing but 4 tracks, if you definitely want 4. I got my 464 for $50 on Craigslist.

kayagum · Post by **kayagum** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 5:59 am

If you have a mixing board with direct outs, a Tascam 238 or 234 would be a great setup.

My humble Mackie 1202 with a Porta One upgrading to a 238s was the starting point and foundation of my recording and sound design work. Even my current setup (ZED R16 into a HD24) is functionally not much different from my initial setup. So much fun, knobs and buttons instead of endless menus, and always ready to capture sounds.

E.Bennett · Post by **E.Bennett** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:34 am

If you can find any of these, the audio technica at-rmx6, Marantz pmd-740, Peavey AMR64 and Ross 4x4 are all pretty cool oddball units. They are made well and sound good. I also like some of the yamaha 4 tracks. Tascam and Fostex have a few winners and a bunch of dogs in their line up. Your best bet is picking a 4 track that is in excellent shape with little head wear that feels solid in the transport controls.

KoffeeKommando · Post by **KoffeeKommando** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 12:34 pm

I've got a Yamaha MT44D with printed manual. Great shape, everything works.
$50. It's just the tape deck part. It had a mini mixer attached that was damaged.

It has full logic electronic transport control. Many good features.
Just like a high quality home tape deck but 4-track.

PM me.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Sat Nov 12, 2011 4:48 pm

Had lots of fun with my porta one and a porta 2. Still listen to a few mixes done on the porta one that I eventually printed to DAW and they still sound cool to me.

Had a yamaha mt4x that i didn't like at all...the sound, that is. I loved the features but the NR was super crappy IMO and overall the sound was just muffled and...meh. Never could get on with it.

Still use an old porta one sometimes just to pass a signal through to use it's built-in limiter. It has a "sound" that's so 70's. A great little effect.

top_ape · Post by **top_ape** » Sun Nov 13, 2011 2:48 pm

I agree. The sound of the mt4x does leave a lot to be desired but its individual outs for each track are a great feature lacking on a lot of other low budget 4 tracks. The mt4x's younger brother the mt400,while lacking the direct outs, has unbelievably great sounding channels/EQs and makes beautiful recordings. The combination of those two machines has gotten me everywhere I've ever wanted to go 4 track wise.

radkins · Post by **radkins** » Sun Nov 13, 2011 9:52 pm

My old Tascam 424 made decent recordings......for a cassette 4 track.

KoffeeKommando · Post by **KoffeeKommando** » Mon Nov 14, 2011 1:18 pm

Pic of my MT44D

With it's attached mini-mixer (not my pic):

This was hot stuff at the time. Wish I had one when they came out.
I just bought it to transfer some old stuff off tapes.
Previous owner dropped something heavy on the mixer faders and dented in the casing...breaking the PC board inside.

Channels 5-6 have switchable RIAA preamps for hooking up a turntable.

germaniac · Post by **germaniac** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 10:52 am

Tascam 234 is also nice. It's not a Portastudio, but a rack unit with a very minimal mixer section. Thick sound, built like the proverbial tank, and they seem to be going for cheep nowadays. . . .

slowcentury · Post by **slowcentury** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:53 pm

Any opinions on the Tascam 244? Someone is selling one ultra cheap here.

KoffeeKommando · Post by **KoffeeKommando** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:54 pm

Just make sure "Das Tapelaufwerk ist nicht defekt"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKTox7bdxN4

Studiodawg · Post by **Studiodawg** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 9:28 am

I picked up a Yamaha MT400 this year- it's a fun machine. I am impressed with it (I did use Peluso mics into Grace 101s as the front end)... Good luck.

Seej · Post by **Seej** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:06 pm

slowcentury wrote:Any opinions on the Tascam 244? Someone is selling one ultra cheap here.

I had a 244. I only used it so I can bounce to another 4T (instead of to a 2T & back to the 4T). The EQ's arent low/mid/hi but the actual frequency settings. That bugged me a lot. But you could make a cool wah effect with them. I gotta get the belts replaced on it someday.

brew · Post by **brew** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 8:07 am

Tascam has a good build quality IMO. I have the 424 mkII and it's still ticking, since 1996.

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Cassette 4 tracks.... suggest a good one please.

Cassette 4 tracks.... suggest a good one please.

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