What medium are the members of the lab tracking to?

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Hi Consul,

I can relate to you a great deal here. I still feel like the mixes I used to do on my Fostex or Yamaha 4-Track rival anything I've done on 1/2" 8 Track, ADAT, or my current MOTU/Digital Performer/Aardsync II/ G4 rig.

I was 19 in my bedroom listening to some tape out of a book on recording technique thinking, "This sounds like crap compared to the stuff I'm doing on my little 4-Track!"

Every thing just came out somewhat tasty with a tendency to gel. Friends were always impressed. Sure, it was noisy and didn't have the highs and lows of a commercial product, but in a way I feel like I've been on a downward slide ever since then. Perhaps my perspective has just changed a lot. I was much more of a musician back then than I am now. The technical stuff has almost completely snuffed out the creative guitar player I once was. I've got a nice studio now, though. I'm about ready to buy another cheap, used 4-Track to see if I can re-kindle the flame.

Dean
 
hi Dean,

Don't forget that more important then whatever gear you use i the performance... we can fake quality all the time but you can't fake impressive playing/singing!

Good for you you heard this differences :thumb:

Tony dB
 
The best equipment I have ever been tracked to (I was in the band and it was a commercial studio) is:
Cadac 88
Sony MCI JH24 2" tape @30 ips

I still have the CD around somewhere - loved the sound....

I think Barry Porter of Trident fame was the designer of the Cadac..
 
[quote author="uk03878"]I think Barry Porter of Trident fame was the designer of the Cadac..[/quote] -I always heard the name Clive Green inconjunction with CADAC, but I don;t knoww hat he did...

Keith
 
[quote author="SSLtech"][quote author="uk03878"]I think Barry Porter of Trident fame was the designer of the Cadac..[/quote] -I always heard the name Clive Green inconjunction with CADAC, but I don;t knoww hat he did...

Keith[/quote]
Clive Green was one of the founders (he is the first C in CADAC)
Barry Porter was a tech that worked in the same studio as Malcom Toft
Barry got the job of doing all the dirty "tactical" work - Malcom did all the "strategic" work - company ended up being called Trident
Baryr went on to do work for other companies - at Cadac he did the Cadac C Series 5.1 amongst others
(putting more info in the 1970s British EQ thread)
 
[quote author="deanp920"]I can relate to you a great deal here. I still feel like the mixes I used to do on my Fostex or Yamaha 4-Track rival anything I've done on 1/2" 8 Track, ADAT, or my current MOTU/Digital Performer/Aardsync II/ G4 rig.[/quote]

I'm seriously considering getting one of those Tascam 1/2" 8-track decks. It just seems like it would be so much easier to hit record and start playing.

Speaking of, does anyone have opinions on those? I've heard mixed feelings about Tascam. Can the decks be modded to sound a little better?
 
I had a Tascam 38 ... with the DBX

I don't think these are worth the mod efforts.

Perhaps the 48 and 58 have more to work with and so might be worth some research.

Otari and Ampex 8 tracks are probably worth the effort.
Did Revox have an 8 ?
??
did Ampex have a small format 8 trk?

See if you can find a unit that has some spare and retro parts still available.

Once you have good tape handling ... I guess you can always make your own electronics ???
 
That's a thought...

The reason I'm talking Tascam is because it's easy to come across Tascam 1/2" machines. The other brands are difficult to find, and horribly expensive when you do.
 
Yes there is probably good reason for that.
:wink:


I guess if you don't want to run the fancy tape formulations and run them hot then a Tascam might suit you needs

.... but ... :roll:
 
Well, there are two possible reasons:

1) They really are that much better
2) Too many people just think they are that much better

I'm inclined to believe it's a mixture of the two.

Tape is gaining that kind of hallowed status that tubes have now. Before long, you may start to see reissues of old decks marketed to young musicians who think "analog saturation" is all they need to sound good. Then Behringer will come out with a copy.

I just want something that will be easy for me to use, and fit the way I like to work.

A DIY tape deck wasn't on my list of things to do. I'd prefer to track to a computer, I think.
 
[quote author="Svart"]anybody still interested in doing a GroupDIY cover song or two? i seriously think that would be fun.[/quote]

I got a real Hammond organ and Leslie I could play for it if needed. My referrences are at:

www.organissimo.org
 
Darren wrote:
Well, there are two possible reasons:

1) They really are that much better
2) Too many people just think they are that much better

I'm inclined to believe it's a mixture of the two.

Make it 1) for 99% and 2) for no reason really :green:

Tape rules and so do topnotch tapemachines. Never been much of a fan of dbx-noisesupressionsytems. Dolby rocks when calibrated well, especially on Ampex 1/2". Did the comparison numberous times with 24 bit DAT's, cdr's, Alesis Masterlink (cool too), PT and other DAW's,
1/2" tape dolby SR wins hands down anytime :thumb:
 
The DBX sucks on the Tascams, so don't record with it and you will have better results I believe. 1/8 inch 8 track works out to 1/16 th inch or less per track, (you need a lttle space between tracks) so don't expext any maricles out of the Tascam stuff.
 
Basic tracks to Analog (whatever +9 tape is available). Then I dump basic tracks to digital (usually drums, guitar, bass, vocals) to ProTools D24 system through 888/24 and usually do overdubs and use PT for automation but mix analog (again using PT for auto) on Tac Scorpion using external compressors/eq etc...

Works well enough for me! :guinness: :guinness:
 

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