how do you convert the tape recordings to a digital audio file?

We have good recording choices these days, maybe modern stand alone MTRs have more limitations and less manufacturers making them now. When I first tried recording I was using two reel to reels to bounce my recordings, then I bought my first MTR a Fostex XR3 (cassette), then a Boss BR8 (zip disk)digital, then recently a Zoom R20, I prefer using the MTR for vocals and acoustic guitars for layering and harmonies. But electric guitars , drums and mixing I like doing on DAW.

interesting song ! a tom waits / dan hicks kind of vibe : )

I was with you until the direction of the toilet paper roll thing.

So does that mean that you cannot have different FX on different channels? Say I want channel 1 to have "delay 1", channel 2 "chorus" and channel 3 "flanger"? For use in a live rehearsal setting.

Great video, I recently picked up a vintage tascam 2488mk1 24 track digital recorder for free. These machines are great for recording. However I still use my little Fostex x-30 cassette portastudio. Happy recording my friend.

Most fun and informative presentation.

The right dawless recording device for me is the Zoom MRS-802 and it has been since 2007. It's still going strong and I have little to no intention of "upgrading" to something else.

I recently picked up one of those exact same amps. Only difference is that the cabinet is branded as Tempo. I also have a very similar Tempo branded combo amp. They are definitely fun. Not super versatile but still good to have.

Well, I love my DAW. I use REAPER, I feel very comfortable with it, I use a small collection of old freeware VSTs that I like a lot and that sort of defines my sound. I will never go DAWless, and I don´t have any issues with having too much power overshadowing the actual music creation process. However, since I was a teenager many years ago I have been dreaming of a truly portable rig I can take with me on hiking trips and when travelling. I just bought a DP006 for that very reason, for a long roadtrip through Sweden, and it allowed me to do a sort of music diary. At the moment I am just using a few apps on my phone as the soundsource but I intend to get some very small battery-operated synth (the Roland Botiques come to mind) for a more tactile, hands-on experience. I actually choose this unit over its direct competitor, the Boss DR-2, because of its simplicity. When out in the woods the one thing I don´t want to do is to be tied up with technical questions. The DR-2 is like a miniature DAW in that respect, with more tracks, onboard effects, and much more menu driven. It doesn´t appeal to me at all, I much prefer the approach of the Tascam.

The one knob compressor changes several parameters of the compressor. from min to max, it lowers the threshold, but also reduces the ratio from about 20:1 to 2:1 at max position. So your incoming signal requires to be gain staged or set at a level that you like the compressor setting to be in. Kind of reverse of what you would normally set a compressor to the signal. Eg, high level input for high ratio (min), low level input for low ratio (max). I have a video on my channel that shows how I analysed the compressor that might help you better understand and make better decisions during mixing. Many other manufactures normally display a graph between threshold and ratio changes but TASCAM has not made any of this public.

Apart from the small oversight of "SD Main Mix Return" and the Normalise feature added in firmware 1.4 that others already commented about, great presentation.

Doing my Model 12 pre-purchase research. You've helped me. Thank you, Sir Seal.

What the hell that's not even funny

WhiteTown had a number one hit in the UK with a record made on a 4 track cassette. He had plenty of digital options even back then but opted to use the 4 track. Needless to say the song was good and no one (outside of the recording fraternity) cared what it was made on. The vocals in this song remind me of it. I went digital in the early 90s and my brother had the 488 which did sound decent, if you knew what you were doing. At the end of the day these devices had their own sound and one could create great recordings bearing that in mind, so it’s not really about comparing with digital which everyone seems to be obsessed with when people like you post videos about cassette home recording. I’m more interested in what you can do with it and you’re doing that so thank you.

I use a 40th anniversary gold squire Stratocaster with a big tube amp and man let me tell you it sounds great

You need to make it so we can hear it from the amp

I have seen better

He did not do it sp good

So funny

Haha 😂

Agreed! No one will know what you recorded your music on unless you tell them. DAWs and Dawless are both perfectly legitimate.

I'm the same way like I'm to lazy to learn the software although I'm decent at teaching myself DJ software which to me feels less complicated than recording so I just would rather hit record. I had a Sony walk man mp3 I enjoyed using that.

Tascome?? you mean Tas cam

Ribbon sounds better by itself but i bet the dynamic sounds better in a mix

Dave Fridmann does a lot of this, likes to break rules etc. makes him a much more interesting engineer than most.

Yeahhhh!!!

natural reverb is so organic!!

I dig it!!! 👍👍👍

It sounds to me as if you have a lot of tension when you are singing, and this is even more apparent when you sing quietly. Most people try and sing too high for their natural voice. Have you tried detuning your guitar and singing the songs at a lower pitch? That really helped me when I finally recognised that I was singing outside my natural range. Anyway, I really like your songs and your videos. I totally resonate with your philosophy! Keep up the great work.

Love it man ❤️ I broke my dp03sd but I fixed my behringer interface so I can still record. Love your stuff man, your a big inspiration

I'm recording on my DP-24 and sometime my DP-03 for fun. I love the simplicity of the 8trk and it sounds great. I do it all in my bedroom. It's almost dead sounding because of the 3 curtains over the windows, bedding, and rugs on the floor. That's my free natual treatment. Lol. I like you're thoughts about using what you have, then adding any special sauce during mixdown if needed. Great topic Jordon. ✌️

definitly got me thinking on this one. I'm thinking about going in a natural room reverb direction. My question is during mixdown would you add additional reverb or just let it be ?

This is another great example of where what is normally thought of as an obstacle ends up becoming a blessing. It falls right in line with the rest of the DAWless philosophy of working with the limitations. It's kind of like Pixar movies. Before Pixar, 2D animation was looked at as archaic and flat. Pixar comes along and wow, animation looks more realistic and the definition is amazing. But once that became the norm, you go back and look at the hand-drawn 2D animation and there's something organic and really pleasing. I think that's where we are with music. Suddenly what used to be avoided at all costs, can now be embraced and celebrated. That was a long philosophical way to say great video on reverb...😅

That sounds great man. I pretty much exclusively write my songs with the acoustic guitar as the main thing and I’ve made my peace with it. I love it.

Brother, that IS a DAW.

Great video. Great tune

That Model 12 sure is addictive 😅

I thought about for bass the lower frequencies take a lot more energy to reproduce. so if you could cut frequencies below 50hz for example you would probably get a lot more output.... probably would be more noticeable in outdoor gigs than smaller club gigs. it would be fun to experiment with something like that.

Lol ad break

What is a bounce?

Tanks for all your inspiration. Your videos got me going. Last thursday I released my first ever DIY album. And I didn’t follow dogma. Recorded it on a Tascam Midel 12. Love working with this device. For me it was about removing as kant obstacles as possible ro bring back the joy in music recording. And the fact that I’m almost blind makes DAW my Enebybergs when it fines to recording and mixning. And I also went against dogma when I released the album. Ni Spotify. Only CD. Night upload some if the songs on my youtubechannel if my delar daughter finds the time to show me how its done. Once again. Thanks for the inspiration. Pence.

I hopped onto the channel a few months back when I was eyeing the Model 12. (I’ve since purchased one and your video on the File Error SAVED me!) Since then, I’ve developed such a heartfelt enthusiasm for your uploads. This website is full of content that distracts me from my purpose, but a video from you gets me right back on track. Whether you’re sharing your thoughts on Steve Albini, dogma in creative spaces, mids and their interaction with amps-whatever it may be-you’re articulating your insight and experiences thoughtfully, without affectation, and to a useful extent. Your videos always seem to come at a time when I’m dwelling on what you’re discussing, to boot! It’s been a lovely bit of synchronicity. Your channel’s a goldmine. Please keep em coming!

Yeah, you have to do what works for you. There are a lot of possible friction points when recording your own music; why not remove as many as possible? I personally like tracking with standalone devices and mixing in a DAW (although I do want a controller with faders at some point to enhance the tactile experience). There's nothing like sitting on the couch recording tracks.

Mucho 90's loudness recorded with that little RS PZM. Mucho disbelief prior to its use and converts after.

Yeah. Passionate.

I'm totally with you on the dawless approach and philosophy brother.

My model 12 is a few days away, watched your other video, seeing how the fx is selected makes me wish the model 12 had a way connect to a mobile app on a tablet and then control things from there, wishful thinking? Nice video, expressive song!

Damn, that makes a big difference! Slightly off topic, is that a small “Acoustic” head?

Excellent video! I have an old Fender PA-100 and it always sounds a little thin. But looking at the controls, it doesn’t even have a mids control or a master volume switch. I bet an amp like that could shine with a boost and and a mid scoop, as you’ve displayed here