How to Pump up your Drums with any Tascam Portastudio

[@LiamKillen]

Here's some more Tascam Content for ya: ►bit.ly/3iKMv48

[@Tapepusher]

Bro just linked to the same video 💀

[@GeekTherapyRadio]

Awesome work! Alternatively, you (collective "you") don't *have* to go for a deliberately lofi sound if you don't want to. You can also use tape decks to achieve that phat tape magic while keeping it as high fidelity as possible. Hitting the tape nice and hot at high tape speed can achieve amazing clarity while still adding punch and character. For instance, you can get a lot of glorious, clear, smooth "air" in clean condenser vocals running it nice and hot onto tape. It can keep vocals crystal clear while naturally easing upper-mid harshness. BUT...it's all about experimenting, tinkering, and having fun with it!

[@LiamKillen]

Totally! Thanks for your input!

[@matthewlegermusic]

Glad to see somebody cover this topic! I definitely noticed an audible difference. Thanks!

[@LiamKillen]

Yeah it makes a diff for sure!

[@themaryveils6382]

Been doing this on my 388 a few years and It’s incredible!! Great work.

[@LiamKillen]

Nothing quite like it- thanks!

[@DonHalli]

Liam, phase issues are not inherent to digital audio but to anything that involves 2 or more mics in the analog or digital domain. Great video!

[@usanaluoma]

The direct outs are before fader and EQ so if you want to use those functions in the mix you will need to mix down using the monitor or line outputs on top panel.

[@LiamKillen]

Hey thanks for this.

[@kcat80]

I suppose you could layer both of them together, then blend mix between the two to achieve the best of both punch and low end.

[@LiamKillen]

Thats an option too 🤔

[@leewightman8619]

I just recorded my po ko into my tascam do008ex added compressor and fiddled with the eQ and what a difference it took that 8 bity pocket operator sound away and made it sound a bit more professional i was gonna duplicate the tracks on different channels and pan one left and one right to get that stereo sound but i just got it last week and not sure how to duplicate yet

[@LiamKillen]

Keep exploring! :-)

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

the best l0fi vst i have ever seen l0l

[@LiamKillen]

L0lz0rz

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

@@LiamKillen i need to get me a pc keyboard! i have to use numbers for that letter had to use on screen one to use o lol.

[@Saudiprints]

I will subscribe to ANYONE that also HATES describing sounds as warm!! Love this video!

[@LiamKillen]

lol I think you'd have a ball overi n my Discord :-) We talk gear n stuff all day long ! Here's an invite :-) discord.gg/xj8J2xJuBP

[@dja.selekta]

Did you do a video, where you bounce the beat from MPC to Tape?

[@LiamKillen]

I have not yet! :-)

[@Marquel_Lucas]

This makes me so HAPPYYY

[@LiamKillen]

🍻 😆

[@DJDigitalJosh]

My Dad had the same Tascam before it broke. I loved those EQs.

[@LiamKillen]

There’s something dope about em-

[@yamashitacoversbyjulianroel]

I'm listening to this through my portastudio.

[@LiamKillen]

How does it sound?

[@theelectricsplash7384]

I'm trying to think of ways to use the 424 with a DAW creatively. Thanks for this! And Nice Wurlitzer elec. piano back there! So one thing I've also heard the 424 does is that the tape speed varies slightly from the original every time you hit play, fast forward or rewind. So I guess if you're tracking instruments, it would make sense to EQ drums through the 424 after printing them to the DAW then have the other instruments play on top of the re-imported drum tracks. Or maybe send the entire finished DAW track through the 424? I used to use the 424 a lot more when this was a solo project, but now that we're a full band it's just really impractical to only us the 424. I've been wondering if there's a way to route the 424 effects loop into Reaper. I guess I'll have to figure that out, because the effects loop and the EQ knobs are probably my favorite things about the 424.

[@LiamKillen]

It’s my pleasure! Thank you for watching!!

[@LiamKillen]

I usually do all EQing in my DAW it’s just way easier. I use the 424 for pitching + tape quality mostly

[@beatsbeercigarettes]

I compose in the DAW and use a 4 simultaneous output interface to record all 4 tracks into the 4 track at once.

[@AllAccessLife]

Another banger!! Very educational and fun thanks for the entertainment brutha!!!

[@LiamKillen]

All Access Life You da man! 🙂

[@AllAccessLife]

@@LiamKillen no you dah man!!! We'd like 100000 times if we could brutha. Ur videos are constantly improving love seeing the progression. Keep it up

[@LiamKillen]

All Access Life Wow thanks so much. 🙂 All access 4 lyfe 😉

[@hiranimotors]

the music in the video is supr dope. this is a cool technique, thanks for sharing

[@LiamKillen]

ThNks! My pleasure

[@MattiMattiMatti]

"Tape saturation about 40%" How do you know? Where do you get that number?

[@LiamKillen]

stxlm The FX options are tape saturation i’m presuming (I mentioned that in the video). I believe I was using tape cue FX on that example and I had knobs on both channels turned up to about 11 o clock ish, so about 40%

[@MattiMattiMatti]

@@LiamKillen Oh. Tape cue is for monitoring tracks in your headphones while recording. There are no built in FX - it's a send knob that requires you to have an effect plugged in to the send and return jacks. The only way to control saturation is to turn up the gain on the incoming signal.

[@LiamKillen]

stxlm When i turn up either of the effects (the knobs are called effects 1 and 2) when playing back in tape mode, I noticed that the master volume goes up, so that’s just gain and not any sort of saturation?

[@trashfuzzaudio]

@@LiamKillen On the back of the machine you should have fx in and out. When you plug an effect through the in, you use the fx knob to dial in the amount of that effect you want to use. The rise in gain I guess you are hearing is just a lift in volume to what is being played since you aren't plugged in to any outboard equipment. Tape saturation is not a mechanical adjustment on these machines. To develop a good saturation, you would manually have to degrade the tape via razor blades or just hours and hours of continuous use. I'm glad you enjoyed playing with the machine, there are loads of fun stuff to do on them!

[@LiamKillen]

DJ Clark Yes I believe I made that correction in the description! 🙂 Yeah I love this thing. Planning on making another video about it soooooon!

[@mckrisbo]

Subscribed in the hope there'll be more tape/drum/lo-fi related content 🥳.

[@LiamKillen]

I’m considering it for sure ive been using my tascam a lot recently

[@RancelHdez]

Amazing!!! I have a Tr-707 and its sounds really bad with a "new analog mixer",im thinking of buy a Vostex model 280,what donyou think about this one? Cheers

[@LiamKillen]

I don’t know this one!

[@whatever_bites]

are you not showing the moments where you're actually recording out of the daw to the tape? just playback right?

[@LiamKillen]

From what I can remember about recording this video, yes.

[@ahbe9232]

outro background music please?

[@LiamKillen]

Not exactly sure this was a while ago. Here’s a link to my music though! Hyperfollow.com/lkmusic

[@neves773]

This is a great use of the 4 track but, just a heads up normal and high speed are technically for “recording” quality not play back.

[@LiamKillen]

Technically yes- but messing with them in playback also sounds pretty dope.

[@iiaaiiaannaaiiaaii]

late to the party, sounds great. What mic(s) did you use for recording the drums?

[@LiamKillen]

I don’t remember I recorded that in my buddy’s studio 😊

[@iiaaiiaannaaiiaaii]

​@@LiamKillen Thanks for the reply. The drum samples sounded really good.

[@pepeivanez1632]

This can be aplicated for all the multitrackers with pitch control and tape speed right? All The tascam tape machines are really expensive this days, i bought a Yamaha mt400 this week very cheap and i think is really good

[@LiamKillen]

Awesome! Yeah Tascam is pretty hot right now- borderline overpriced.

[@jtreezy255]

@@LiamKillen why does it need to be Multitrack? Seems any tape recorder w/ pitch contol is the key here, am I wrong?

[@LiamKillen]

Depends what you’re trying to accomplish

[@OldSchoolLovin15]

Great video man! Picking up a 424 this week

[@LiamKillen]

Thank you! And awesome!

[@CoolDudeClem]

Not exactly what I do, I make a loop with a drum vst and record that loop on to tape to get a nice saturation, then record back to the computer.

[@LiamKillen]

I love that technique

[@matthewlegermusic]

Sick, this is exactly what I was looking for. Gonna try and run an EZdrummer loop through my Tascam; good to hear it works!

[@LiamKillen]

It really does!

[@andriealinsangao613]

I wonder, would that same principle also work for a tape deck?

[@LiamKillen]

You absolutely can do it !

[@BrazillianFOsho]

wait, so to record from your DAW to your mkii you ran some line in cables from the line input to the line input in the audio interface? How did you get your audio interface to record INTO the tascam? I've only ever recorded TO my audio interface...

[@LiamKillen]

I use the rca ins

[@LiamKillen]

i’m back of the tascam

[@BrazillianFOsho]

Ahhh I see! Thank you

[@LiamKillen]

cheers

[@laburgy]

I have a Tascam porta05 Ministudio. Had it from new. It has not been used for a decade. I can't get the cassette, left in it, to release..any suggestions welcome . Thanl you

[@LiamKillen]

Give it a swift pull! I

[@Tapepusher]

Is it a cool idea to master songs with a Tascam? it could give it a tape character, wondering if you think this would be good or would it not make a difference?

[@LiamKillen]

Maybe BEFORE mastering- only thing I’d the Tascam will add A LOT of hiss

[@Tapepusher]

@@LiamKillen I think … I want that lol

[@PatrickGregoryDaniels]

I love you for your tascam dedication homie

[@LiamKillen]

Hey thanks man! Isn’t it just so awesome!?

[@ryantandy307]

It's a sad commentary on modern "fidelity" of digital recordings, when a weepy little tascam and all its cheesy preamp distortion beats a cavalcade of DAWs and their legions of plugins to the "punch". This is why Otari's still cost $10,000. Happy biasing, all, and don't forget to clean your heads periodically with Q-tips and alcohol!

[@LiamKillen]

And the dust off your gear with a paint brush! Bipidibopidiboo

[@gctechs]

Bloatware DAWs of today suck

[@LiamKillen]

👀👀👀

[@edward.holland]

I clean the heads on my Portastudio multiple times during 1 session

[@LiamKillen]

Smart!

[@lk-gt9xv]

How do you bounce it into the portastudio from your daw?

[@LiamKillen]

I use RCA cables

[@Bcwilderness]

great vid guy had one in the 80s

[@LiamKillen]

Thanks! Yeah- has that vibe for sure.

[@djsurmah]

hi, what kind of tape are you using? a special tape or normal tape is ok to use with the 424?

[@LiamKillen]

I’m using high bias tape nowadays!

[@djsurmah]

@@LiamKillen Thank you for answering me. just a question more. do you use any tape normal bias type 1?

[@fearlesssound8275]

great vide, do you know if the porta 404 have those multiple tape speeds?

[@LiamKillen]

I would check a video- i’m not sure!

[@fearlesssound8275]

414* no it only plays at “double speed” wich is 3.75 I guess?

[@fearlesssound8275]

Wich is the same as high speed?

[@fearlesssound8275]

Maybe for drums its great double speed but i wonder if sounds from my daw like a synth pad would be completely changed

[@fearlesssound8275]

Im looking to add tape character to my records, what do you think? I have no expirence with tape

[@levijessegonzalez3629]

You're not using the mic pres on here? Are they not good for drums?

[@LiamKillen]

I recorded these at a studio which used pres for each mic. These are all one shots from that session.

[@levijessegonzalez3629]

@@LiamKillen have you tried using these mic pres though?

[@LiamKillen]

Levi Jesse You’re saying the ones on the tascam? I haven’t used them yet! But will be in a future video.

[@fearlesssound8275]

so you know at what speed the 414 or 404 are set up?

[@LiamKillen]

not 100% sure

[@p4444k]

killed me with that tape saturation lol, good tutorial nice work.

[@LiamKillen]

Thanks for watching 🙂

[@travisraab]

Love it!!

[@LiamKillen]

Cheerzzz!!!

[@travisraab]

@@LiamKillen I have a 414 but the 424 and other models just look coole rhaha. also there's no phantom on the 414

[@LiamKillen]

Porta one is my next 👀

[@prodteague]

What sample pack will this be in?

[@LiamKillen]

This one: samples.liamkillen.com/p/lk/

[@fearlesssound8275]

did you record the same sequence of samples on both channels, one for the normal speed and other for the doubled speed?

[@LiamKillen]

I bounced them separately

[@busch028]

Awesome stuff. I am thinking about getting one of these. I am trying to get the effect of a 45 rpm record played at 33 rpm. Not sure if I can quite get that slow. Your thoughts are appreciated.

[@LiamKillen]

My pleasure

[@lennyverne4948]

These sound really interesting.....Is the drum sample pack download the sounds you just did ?

[@LiamKillen]

Lenny Verne Hey! The drum sounds from this video will be in a future drum sample pack. There will be a YT video about it once it’s out. Probably in the next couple months ish. Thank you for watching! 🙂

[@lennyverne4948]

@@LiamKillen Thanks for reply.....Until then I shall rip them from the video in Mp3 format if you dont mind ?

[@LiamKillen]

Lenny Verne I mean you could do that but the audio quality wouldn’t be very good coming from a YT video. This kit won’t be 100% free either. I’m planning on giving a portion of it for free and the majority of it i’ll sell for a low price.

[@anthonyptak8650]

Awesome 😮

[@LiamKillen]

Thanks for watching ! :-)

[@richie6905]

What up Liam love the vids. Just ordered a Tascam Portastudio 414MKII, what kind of tapes do you recommend using?

[@LiamKillen]

Anything from duplication.ca!

[@Baghdadbatterymusic]

Type 2 tapes sound best. TDK SA and Maxwell XL2 sound the best to my ears.

[@LiamKillen]

Cool i’ll keep that in mind!

[@jakesproul8703]

I love your channel man. Which interface are you using?

[@LiamKillen]

Thanks so much! Apogee ensemble

[@jakesproul8703]

@@LiamKillen Rad, thanks!

[@LiamKillen]

cheers

[@IsaacWstawac]

This is a really good video

[@LiamKillen]

Thank you! 🙂

[@fearlesssound8275]

R u running it through mic pre from the interface?

[@LiamKillen]

the tascam? no

[@fearlesssound8275]

In Most of the budgets friendly Interfaces u cant bypss the micpre 😭

[@LiamKillen]

I like the quality of the tascam though

[@fearlesssound8275]

Liam Killen im really new into this this might be a facepalm question but how do you conect your tascam to the computer?

[@LiamKillen]

You would need an audio interface to do that

[@MM-ul3pg]

does this portastudio version have more features than the DP-01? or DP-02?

[@LiamKillen]

I’m not 100% certain

[@evanpincus2203]

I believe the DP’s are digital, which totally defeats the point

[@LiamKillen]

If they came out with a reissue it would destroy.

[@TheMichaelseymour]

does anyone still make 4 track tape recorders anymore ?

[@LiamKillen]

They’re not quite the same anymore. There was a sweet spot in the 80s/90s

[@TheMichaelseymour]

@@LiamKillen yep ...ive had a couple ...wish i still had them...i have a tascam digital 8 track ...and i love it ...but i cant figure out how to route in my elec drum kit -and get the separation you can on a pc ...does not seem to have that option -only 2 inputs .....so micing a kit out of the option ...and midi drum input not an option it seems ......hmmm , maybe i need a separate mixer ...anyway, nice vid ..thnx

[@LiamKillen]

Thank you M! 🙂 Good luck with that seems like an intricate set up

[@daddyfunk13]

Really cool idea! I love the sounds of my drum machines through cassette, but I’ve never tried one piece at a time. Would be curious to hear what this sounds like in one of your songs? Send a link if you can!

[@LiamKillen]

I’m actually planning on doing just that in the near future in another YT video 🙂

[@daddyfunk13]

@@LiamKillen HECK yes can't wait to hear it

[@LiamKillen]

daddyfunk13 It’s mapped out now and gonna be HELLA fun liiiike oh ma gaaawwwddd. So fun.

[@oscar909500]

whats the song in the very beginning

[@LiamKillen]

It’s a track that I sampled

[@oscar909500]

@@LiamKillen can i get the name though

[@LiamKillen]

I can’t remember tbh I think it’s called “Dusty” on my Soundcloud

[@doubleupgut]

thanks for the samples

[@LiamKillen]

Lots more like that in my next drum sample pack. Cheers!

[@joakofunk]

Cool trick, gracias!

[@LiamKillen]

Cheers

[@mpmi7588]

now im on ebay looking for an old portastudio/tape recorder

[@LiamKillen]

😉😉😉 My job is done lol

[@brittanysrecordshop3991]

Were you using normal or high bias tapes?

[@LiamKillen]

For this one normal 🙂

[@brittanysrecordshop3991]

Liam Killen thank you. When infer something made, I’ll shoot a link over.

[@LiamKillen]

Yes!

[@mckrisbo]

@@LiamKillen Hey. I'm new to tape (got a 424 mk1) and buying some cassettes. By normal, do you mean type 1? Also, do you use 60, 90 or 120 cassettes? Thanks!

[@LiamKillen]

I used high biased tapes which i THINK are the highest quality ones, to my knowledge.

[@savnac]

WOO!

[@LiamKillen]

🤜🤛

[@ageofirony]

Good fucking job Liam - keep em comin' (video skills!!!)

[@LiamKillen]

Missed this. Thanks and happy 2020!

[@levijessegonzalez3629]

You seem pretty knowledgeable. I'm just wanting to get into cassette recording. Do you recommend the 424 or 688 or 464 or which is the BEST quality cassette recorder would you say? I also want an 8 track but will that eat into the sound quality any?

[@LiamKillen]

I’m not 100% certain about which one is the best quality. I do know that if you record on the 424 at high tape speed, the quality is quite good as far as cassettes go, but still somewhat lofi by today’s standards. Also, the cassette tape quality itself makes a difference. You’ll find more specific answers on reddit.

[@levijessegonzalez3629]

@@LiamKillen thanks bro. Also are you using a mk3?

[@LiamKillen]

Levi Jesse Anytime. I am not! sp404, op1, opz and DAW

[@SculpArts]

Just wondering how you bounced out your drums from the portastudio to DAW

[@LiamKillen]

I don’t get into that in this video but there it’s pretty well documented here on YT. You need to use RCA -> quarter inch into your sound card.

[@SculpArts]

@@LiamKillen cant you just run the portastudio into a desk then run that signal into the soundcard?

[@whymustidothis8826]

O. Teknology I’m unaware of the outs on his model but that is what I’ve done with other portastudios and my interface. I reamp samples/tracks into the ins and record the out into my DAW. I’d imagine if you have a desk or other processing that accepts the level of the outs then you’d be fine, I do this with my arturia drumbrute>DAW for processing and into a stereo bus>reamp to yamaha mt8x>back to DAW. Live I use an old mixer to summ and send the outs to some effects that add similar character as a tape machine would.

[@LiamKillen]

@@whymustidothis8826 Oh ok cool! Yeah that sounds like a pretty solid set up!

[@saardean4481]

awesome video

[@LiamKillen]

cheers

[@kathleencoveny3860]

Another slam dunk .. thanks for the walk through .. makes it all so easy ...

[@LiamKillen]

Thanks for your engagement 🙂

[@arthurbrowngoogle]

sounded like there was distortion on the snare beforehand

[@LiamKillen]

A bit of compression yeah.

[@ACURAOCULTA]

Very good my friend

[@LiamKillen]

Thanks Rango! Are you Ringo’s brother?

[@ACURAOCULTA]

@@LiamKillen Yessss

[@garethkirby2630]

Killen it!

[@LiamKillen]

m’guy!

[@garethkirby2630]

@@LiamKillen Really love what you're doing mate, liked and subscribed! It makes me want to start making videos myself as well :) I've been considering it for a while..

[@LiamKillen]

Do it! Happy to hear that

[@raavenstark5905]

Tascam Porta 02 MK II does not have EQ or pitch control. ;) So you need EQ and pitch controler, otherwise it's just a simple 4 tracks and every thing sounds like shit into it honestly, no lofi sounds just sound without dynamic and lot of white noise even with a clean reading head. Other tip: don't have a clean reading head ;) lofi comes from dirt and broken stuff first.

[@LiamKillen]

I’m demonstrating the pitch control as well as eq via the portastudio in the video you’re commenting on.

[@TokyoScarab]

"But keep in mind, this is the 90s, so Hi-Fi- sounds a bit Lo-Fi". What in the actual fuck are you talking about?! lol CDs had been around since the 80s. You had chrome tapes, etc. Hell, even normal ferric tapes you'd buy that contain albums sound great. I think part of the sound is certainly that tape saturation but also that the Tascam 424 was a "budget" model to get people recording music and doesn't contain the best components of that time. Great vid otherwise. :D

[@LiamKillen]

🥂

[@iyoran4838]

🔥🔥🔥

[@LiamKillen]

✌🏼🙂✌🏼

[@yanarjuna4666]

...Guitar, vocal ?

[@LiamKillen]

Yyyeeessssss???????

[@yanarjuna4666]

@@LiamKillen Hello. please demonstration Yours vocal and guitar + tascam mf p 01.

[@truthfinder4973]

send to a vcr with hi-fi lol

[@LiamKillen]

lololol

[@MaggieKeizai]

"Mark" II. Just for your future reference, nobody wants to sound goofy if they don't have to.

[@LiamKillen]

How do you know that?

[@MaggieKeizai]

@@LiamKillen I'd never in my life heard anyone say "MK" followed by a number until about 5 years ago. It's always been "mark', and still is to anyone over about 35, or in a military, which use it a lot for its generations of equipment. I imagine it's down to how much communication has shifted away from speech and online. But yeah, it's always good to know what an abbreviation abbreviates.

[@hernanlema2386]

Por favor traducido a Español

[@LiamKillen]

I wish i could!

[@hernanlema2386]

Por favor si es posible publicar el funcionamiento de TASCAM en Español ya que tengo uno pero sin instrucciones.

[@LiamKillen]

@@hernanlema2386 Desearía poder ayudar pero no hablo español. Estoy usando el traductor de Google para responder a esto.

[@hernanlema2386]

@@LiamKillen Gracias por responder a mi mensaje estaré en espera las instrucciones de TASCAM en españól muy amable.

[@LiamKillen]

@@hernanlema2386 ¡Estoy seguro de que alguien lo hará eventualmente!

[@Gregorydavidmusic]

Fat drums.. mmm subscribed

[@LiamKillen]

Fat indeed! Welcome aboard! 😀

[@michael69040]

Drums? You mean the impression of percussive sounds on our current ears.?That has nothing to do with actual membranes or hard surfaces being stuck. You're onto something in referring to "sounds" What we need to accept is that there may not be a "real world" connection between what exists in the actual acoustic world of vibration and what is generated via electrical impulses.

[@LiamKillen]

Those are acoustic drum sounds that I myself recorded on an acoustic drum kit with my own hands and sticks- so yes. Actual surfaces being struck.

[@michael69040]

@@LiamKillen People often ask when they hear that I'm a musician what instrument I play. I answer..... a transducer. I own a Steinway B but on bookings I go out with Kurzweil piano modules, a drum machine and legacy FM synth bass modules. I'm really "playing" a pair of nice EV speakers (transducers) since that is what the host and guests are hearing and processing. Those transducers are engendering a simulacrum of actual acoustic instruments.

[@LiamKillen]

Deeeeeeep

[@michael69040]

@@LiamKillen But! I'm hearing your acoustic drums via my Roland mini monitors so your drums are now.........ELECTRONIC!

[@LiamKillen]

Win

[@BaBaTunes]

If there's anyone who can send me Portastudio or any gadget like this, please do so. I'm in India and don't have this in my country. And can't afford to import it. This is my dream!

[@LiamKillen]

One day!

[@BaBaTunes]

@@LiamKillen Thanks 😊👍

[@TedTyson-f3j]

what you WANT to do is learn how to control your drums...not pump them up

[@LiamKillen]

It always depends on the situation you're in :-)