Tascam 244 tutorial?

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grouper
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Post by grouper » Sun Jul 07, 2013 1:49 pm

by the way #2, another noob question:

is there a way to mix tracks after they've been recorded without an external device? i don't mean any fancy effects or anything. for example lets say there's a track that at a certain point i would love the volume to lower down a bit or switch it to the right channel instead of the left. i know i can do it but can it be saved that way as the final thing? there are pre/post knobs but i couldn't quite figure out from the manual how to work with them.

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Post by eh91311 » Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:05 pm

grouper wrote:by the way #2, another noob question:

is there a way to mix tracks after they've been recorded without an external device? i don't mean any fancy effects or anything. for example lets say there's a track that at a certain point i would love the volume to lower down a bit or switch it to the right channel instead of the left. i know i can do it but can it be saved that way as the final thing? there are pre/post knobs but i couldn't quite figure out from the manual how to work with them.
Nope. 244 is an analog tape recorder. There is no mix microprocessor or automation. It doesn't save mix moves or level changes like a computer DAW can. You have to manually pan or change levels during mixdown to an external source.

grouper
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Post by grouper » Sun Jul 07, 2013 5:35 pm

i see... any cheap recommendations? :)

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Post by eh91311 » Sun Jul 07, 2013 5:51 pm

grouper wrote:i see... any cheap recommendations? :)
Recommendations for mixdown options? Sure. Any desktop or laptop computer and an audio recording interface with at least 4 ins and outs so you can transfer all the 244 tracks to the computer at once, then mix them in the computer with DAW (digital audio workstation) software where you can automate panning and fades, levels, mutes and mix moves. PC or Mac, use either. I use WinXP PC's, with extinct (old, unsupported) Digidesign hardware & old ProTools or Reaper DAW software. You'll have to do your research and match up computer hardware with audio hardware & software requirements. Used gear is fine, you don't have to buy new.

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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Mon Jul 08, 2013 1:07 am

Or get a stereo RCA to 1/8" (mini headphone) stereo plug cable and go out of the stereo outs of the 4-track into your computer or laptop audio in port and mix on the 4 track. Record the audio into something like Audacity. That's an essentially free way to start mixing. (If you've already got a computer, which it kinda seems like.) You also gain the dubious benefits of analog summing this way.
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grouper
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Post by grouper » Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:43 pm

i do have an old macbook with reaper on it. so you say if i get the rca to 1/8 " cable i could connect straight to my computer which would act as an interface? how would that work? i'm a little confused... in my head i'm thinking i'd have to record on the 244, then plug it to the computer with reaper on, play the tape and record it in DAW.
am i making any sense out of it?

oh and i do also have a lexicon lambda soundcard laying around somewhere. could i use it for that purpose somehow?

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Post by eh91311 » Tue Jul 09, 2013 5:32 pm

grouper wrote:i do have an old macbook with reaper on it. so you say if i get the rca to 1/8 " cable i could connect straight to my computer which would act as an interface? how would that work? i'm a little confused... in my head i'm thinking i'd have to record on the 244, then plug it to the computer with reaper on, play the tape and record it in DAW.
am i making any sense out of it?

oh and i do also have a lexicon lambda soundcard laying around somewhere. could i use it for that purpose somehow?
You're not confused, either scenario would work; 244 into line-in jack on Macbook or 244 into Lexicon Lambda connected to your Macbook.
If I were you, I'd try recording your mix into the Lexicon Lambda.

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Post by grouper » Sat Jul 13, 2013 7:40 pm

so i basically need an rca cable that goes to a 1/4" plug if i plug it into the lexicon lambda or one that goes to a 1/8" for my macbook?

you also stated that i should transfer all the tracks in one take, is it because it gets tough to get them all in sync again?

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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:34 pm

grouper wrote:because it gets tough to get them all in sync again?
Exactly. Unlike a computer, a tape deck rarely plays back audio the exact same way twice. Wow and flutter, baby.


I'm not recommending this exact brand/model, but here's for reference, a cable you could use to go from RCA stereo outs into the "Mic" input on a standard computer. You'll want to be careful bringing up the volume output on the 4-track slowly and adjusting the volume input on your computer (in software, usually) to sane levels. Back to gain staging again. (Or maybe that was a different thread.)
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Post by grouper » Sun Jul 14, 2013 3:59 pm

okay so i got an rca cable and a 1/8" adapter and i can't hear any ouput so i'm guessing i'm doing something wrong. i plugged the rca to the tape cue outs at first like it said on the manual and when it didn't work i plugged it basically everywhere :)
i also plugged the 1/8" end into the "mic" input. should i be hearing it right away on the computer or do i need to go into reaper and change the preferences to make it work somehow? i'm clueless...

EDIT: it works when i'm using the lambda and i should be good to go as is although it'd still be nice to figure out how to work without it :)

also i was wondering about that "4 tracks at the same time" thing. the lexicon lambda only has 2 mic inputs so any tips how to get around that?

also i was wondering how the tascam set up would work in that occasion. how do you play 4 different tracks at the same time and record them all separately?

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