TASCAM 414mkII A Beginners Guide to Recording - Page 6

Getting started with multitrack recording: cassette tape Portastudios Number of tracks: 4 Number of mixer channels: 1 to 6 Recording medium: analog cassette tapes Mixdown to: external cassette or CD recorder Extras: none PORTA02 mkII Pan Controls (four) Output Level Controls (four) These knobs control the playback levels of the tracks you've already recorded during overdubbing and mixdown. Input Level Faders (two) These faders set the level of the microphone or instrument as you're recording them. Level Indicators (two) 424 mkIII 3-band (high, mid, low) equalization Midrange EQ gives you more control over the tone of each track in a mix. The two EFFECTS knobs on each channel determine how much signal goes to an external effect device like a reverb, so each track can have the right amount of effect (a lot on a vocal, not so much on a guitar). Pan Controls (six) Level Controls (six) adjust both input and output levels Level Indicators (six) TASCAM's Portastudios® are the easiest and least expensive way to get started in multitrack recording. The MF-P01, Porta02 mkII, 414 mkII, and 424 mkIII are 4-track tape decks complete with sound mixers. They record on the same blank cassette tapes you can buy anywhere and connect to all standard electronic instruments, speaker systems, and microphones. Because of noise reduction technology (and in some cases a faster tape speed), the sound quality is very good even though it's not digital. On these TASCAM Portastudios, you can record up to four separate tracks or channels on a cassette tape. What are the differences between the Portastudios? The biggest differences are the mixers. For example, on the Porta02 mkII, the mixer has only two inputs, so you can't record more than two tracks at a time. It also has no effect send, so you can't add reverb or other effects while mixing down. The 424 mkIII lets you record up to four tracks at once from its six-input mixer, has two effects sends, a sweepable midrange EQ on each channel, and four high-quality XLR inputs for low-impedance microphones. Another difference is that the larger Portastudios have better sound quality because of dbx noise reduction and faster tape speeds. If you plan on getting together with friends to record several instruments at once, the 414 mkII or 424 mkIII is probably your best choice. If you like to work alone, even the MF-P01 can do the trick. Linear or nonlinear? Portastudios use tape which makes editing more difficult than on the other products. For example, if during the overdubbing process you come up with an idea for a new section in-between two verses, you'll have to erase the second verse (by recording the new bridge over it) and re-record everything after it. By contrast, all the other multitrack systems we'll talk about later are nonlinear, which means they allow you to insert new material in-between other sections without having to re-record anything. However, most people start tracking only after the structure of a song is complete, so layering and punching-in is more important than cutting up sections. 6