Tascam 488 MkII vs 424 MkIII - Which do you prefer?

Here’s the link to our Bandcamp page where you can buy the limited edition cassette. The song featured on this video ‘Stone Cold Drunk’ is also on the album.

[BogoEN]

This is really interesting. The 488 really acquits itself nicely here. I thought the narrow tape width would make this a no brainer. First I listened w my iPhone speaker, then headphones and then my Bluetooth speaker
. The 424 lacks high end clarity which accentuates its mid-ranginess, but the individual tracks do sound more substantial (need less eq’ing). The 488 has more sparkle and makes for a brighter, “happier” mix sound. In the end I think it depends on the mood you want! But that 488 exceeded my expectations, regardless. Well done.

[wayne]

I bought a 488 new and used it mostly for recording our band rehearsals live, with 4 carefully placed mics. Those recordings still sound great, and very live. Better than the studio recordings we made, in my opinion.

[nohrtillman]

One of only two or three utoobs using these to actually record real live instruments. Bravo and thanks!
Most of the renewed interest in the vintage 4-tracks is to add back in what us old original users worked so hard to reduce/eliminate! (hiss, wow, pop)
Bought one of the super expensive newly released Tascam 424 Master cassettes for my 424 MKii. Specially formulated tape for them. I fear I’ll be disappointed in the performance, but at least watching the little reels spin will be fun!

[SeemoreDunkan]

Thanks for the video! Is the Pitch control on the 424 center detent? Feels like it affect the pitch slightly

[bucksmoonlightrevival]

the 4 tracks on the 488 sound like half the width of the 424 lol 😄But the 488 is a bit brighter than the 424. The 424 has a bit more low end and literally just sounds like the full 1/8 inch tape. When we recorded our album on the 488 mki, sometimes I'd double up tracks to get a bit more fidelity out of certain intruments such as the main acoustic guitar, and use the single tracks for backing intruments and vocals.

[davetbassbos]

I just bought a regular stereo cassette player and am going though all my music from the 90s, some of the stuff that was done on the 488 sounds fine (except for my playing, lol). I do have some 4 and 8 track cassette masters that I'm kind of curious about. I love the computer and Reaper, but those cassette machines were magic when they came out!

[australianaliens]

Both sound decent, but I feel that the 424 has more depth and weight across the frequency spectrum, especially the drums and bass. I make techno and use a 4 track as an essential part of my setup for performance and recording. I have been researching the relative merits of 8 tracks vs 4 and my suspicions have been confirmed that most kick drums, eg, would lose definition and punch on the 8 track .... Still, I could use one of 8 tracks to record clock and play the kick live, tuned to the room

[Spencergundersenmusic]

Did you do anything at all different? The 488 honestly seems like a huge dip in clarity and low end information, especially in the cymbals they start getting kind of that “low information mp3” type sound where the harmonics get really sharp. Are they at the same tape speed?

[Wizkidmelburn]

That was interesting. I thought the 8 tracks was brighter but lacked the richness of bass the 4 track seemed to have. I only listen via the phone and not headphones though..

[dano]

I like both of lol fi analog sounds better than the best protools rig to me..

[barrilitomusic]

Can you record 8 separate instruments on the 488 at the same time?

[oinkooink]

I just got a 424 mkiii in great condition. Apparently was 1 of a set of 10 in an educational institute. Looks barely used. All the parts and dials etc look fresh as.

[YY-bvik]

Any tips on bouncing with the 488mkii? Also any info on the erase function would be helpful

[RobSmith-rnie]

How do 8 tracks work with a nornal cassette? Where do the extra 4 tracks go? Or is that just an 8 channel input mixer?

[oinkooink]

You can record a stereo drum track from your DAW to a 4 track Portastudio right?

[igor_timofeev]

Great test! I like 488 more, 424 seemed a little muted to my taste.

[MrHhkrohn]

Hello,
I own a fostex 28h and now I see a cheap good working tascam 425 porta. Would you go for that and sell the other?

[JorgeSomBinario]

bass and sub bass sounds great in a 488

[phudleyallenrippy]

I've got the 8-track. Can't tell much difference. I do vocal layering. I have the porta one 4-track. The 4track sound is cleaner than the 8. The more layers the muddier the sound.

[jessefillmore]

Is everyone deaf ? lol jk.... IMO the 424 sounds the best . Listen to that snare . It is fuller on the 424 . The Acoustic sounds warmer on the 424 . A lil bit of Eq'ing and I believe that 424 mix would sound really good . The guitar and bass on the 488 are too loud in the mix . The snare on the 488 seem thin and bright . The way the example is edited, the cymbal crashes are only on the 488 example . They are really bright . All in All I still think you can achieve a good mix from both machines . It's a matter of moving mics and adjusting knobs according to the characteristics of the machine . I've have two identical 4 tracks and one sounded better than the other . Cassette recording has made a huge comeback . Type 2 cassettes are the preferred tape to be used and the price on NOS is expensive .