Can You Record A Full Band on 4-Track Tape in 2020?

AUDIO: "Apple Juice" by Trailer Parc. From the album "Apple Juice EP" available on BIG EGO Records.

Released in 1986, the Tascam 246 is a six channel, four buss, four-track cassette tape recorder. Known as the “King of the Four-Tracks” the 246 features two aux sends and records at speeds up to 3.75 inches per second. The Tascam 246 was designed to be used with Type II cassette tapes, preferably 90 minute tapes and under.

[nintendoor]

this is what people don’t realize about cassette recorders : they can sound perfectly “hi fi” if you have good outboard preamps / a mixer that you like. it’s a science and takes some time to figure out how hard to hit the tape, but once you find the sweet spot, the magic and feeling are palpable

[thelantern]

That is nice work, very nice analog sound. Sounds nothing like a computer, engineering skills are on point! And good band too.

[wheelwarrior]

Wow, good job!! Been looking for some benchmarks for how a 4 track oughta sound - you set the bar high.

[cleuenberg]

Great stuff!! This kind of recording is so genuine compared to modern DAW productions where everything is on grid, auto-tuned and messed up with countless plugins.

[willross]

Love this! A couple years ago my parents got me a 246 for my birthday, they paid 35 bucks for it! Had to dump 300 bucks into getting it repaired but now she is a lovely machine. It’s very hard to find videos likes this, especially this in depth. The Tascam 246 is probably keeping me sane through the pandemic lol.

[spooktasticaparanormal]

Wow this is awesome stuff. I love that warm analogue sound. Great work.

[gardenave]

That sounds great! Limitations are our friend.

[spacealienjesus]

Sounds really good..
I love my Tascam, doing my ep on it as we speak..wanted to see if anyone else was doing this ..

[GeekTherapyRadio]

Most people associate 4 tracks and cassette in general with terrible sound. That's because they're usually thinking of 4 tracks paired with cheap Radio Shack mics and cassette in general with crappy boombox rips of radio stations. This video is just one example of how utterly amazing cassette could sound when using the format to its fullest with great mics, outboard gear, and a good deck in general. Nice!

[fender]

Of course you can. People forget the BEATLES AND BEACH BOYS..Recroded SGT PEPPER AND PET SOUNDS on 4 track. It makes you think and work harder. But the results are often better.

[am]

Direct-to-tape always sounds the best. What the analog tape medium lacks in overall "fidelity", can be counterbalanced with fewer boxes, mixers, and preamps in the chain. I also think the compression/limiting (if at all) should all be done *before* it enters the tape recorder, not *after*

[dsablu]

i have found so much comfort in a four track in since 2020.

[owenjnelson-fbmg]

Gomez's first album 'Bring It On' was largely recorded on a 4 track just like this, when they signed they went to a studio to record the songs and it just didn't work so they went and took the 4 track tapes in and just polished them up a little, some overdubs etc. Their deluxe edition released recently has some of those tracks as mixes straight off the 4 track and they sound just as good as the record. Some genre's just work better on 4 track!

[jocknarn]

U-beaut; I got one o’ them & had it worked over. Works a treat. I’ve had a Yamaha 4-trk & a Tascam 244 but I reckon the 246 is the best cassette Portastudio. I like that it’s a full-featured 6 ch mixer & recorder combined.

[daviator]

Very good ... Nice song and thank for the example of your mixing/recording style.

[renemies]

I wonder how it would sound with a rock band. Sounded really good.

[zipodidodah]

Sounds like a good ole country small town back dirt road hit l love it 😍

[markitux]

lovely!
thanks for sharing
greetings from Chile

[kentclark]

That sounded really good! I record music, myself, but more low-tech. Just a Morantz cassette recorder with the dual mics and separate gain controls. No mixers. But the sound quality is pretty good, considering it being an old audio cassette deck.

[travisraab]

Hell yes this is the content I want to see. How do you think it compares to the later portastudios? I have a 388 I've been messing it