Tape Recorder with Vintage DBX Compressor (BUDGET finds)

Let's record with a Tascam Portastudio 424, a DBX 118 compressor, and the new Warm Audio Mutation Phasor pedal. We'll get parallel compression, cassette tape saturation, and all around analog tape recorder FUN. Poor man's DBX 160!
Get 7% off DistroKid with my link - distrokid.com/v...
My Tape Recording Tactics Course:
tinyurl.com/3u...
Warm Audio MPX - • Warm Audio WA-MPX Tube...
Warm Audio Mutation Phasor - • Warm Audio Mutation Ph...
MXL Revelation II - • the CHEAPEST tube mic ...
So the DBX 118 is a lot like a DBX 160 but a fraction of the cost. The gear in my videos is always cheap! Give used gear a good home ok? (My home.)
Gear From this Video:
Warm Audio Mutation Phaser - sweetwater.sjv...
Warm Audio MPX - sweetwater.sjv...
MXL Revelation II - sweetwater.sjv...
Electro Voice RE20 - imp.i114863.ne...
SM7B Dynamic mic - imp.i114863.ne...
SM57 Dynamic mic - imp.i114863.ne...
Book me 1-on-1
www.travisraab...

[@travisraab]

My Analog Recording Course: tinyurl.com/555bhcca

[@santiagocalleja3926]

Killer bass sound in the mix, cuts through beautifully. The phaser on drums is just amazing.

[@travisraab]

The mpx is incredible on bass. I've used it on every bass track since getting it.

[@SuperdangerStudios]

Very cool song. Loved that phaser on the drums. Thanks for showcasing your workflow. Feels really familiar haha

[@travisraab]

Thanks! 🙏

[@jareddunn11]

So sick!!! I bought your tascam course and will hit you up soon for questions!

[@travisraab]

I'm really happy to hear that Jared!

[@Mute67]

Nice Casio sound! 👍 Really enhanced.

[@travisraab]

thanks mute!

[@Hello-pl2qe]

Sounded killer, I love the dirt and rawness of it.

[@lisabethlawrence]

This is an awesome video! I have the same rug btw.

[@travisraab]

small world!

[@harulau0902]

sound so great !

[@Cefshah]

Great video/music!! You took me back to my early days of multi-track recording. I had a Tascam and a DBX-118 myself. Great tools!!! 🙂✌💛

[@travisraab]

whoa thats pretty cool

[@waynethorpe1341]

Thanks

[@mariomgf3106]

Your creativity with use this stuff sound so great !

[@travisraab]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@boombap28]

This track is FAT! Thanks for sharing your sessions! I learn something every time.

[@travisraab]

I am glad to have you

[@oliviermaxwell9808]

whoa, your mixes are really sounding nice.

[@MisterManiac777]

I did an entire album on that i the nineties

[@MadeOnTape]

The Ron Popeil drop 🙌 also track is dope AF

[@travisraab]

Thanks man! Im gonna check him out

[@travisraab]

Oh 😂 it's that infomercial dude. Man, no joke, I used to watch that one pretty often. How do you know his name? Deep cut

[@MadeOnTape]

@@travisraab he's as legendary as Billy Mays... and also there's a Weird Al song about him

[@samfowles4276]

Hey Travis! The results of this session are truly impressive! I own a 424 and I’m interested in Tape Recording Tactics. Will your tutorials on the 388 translate well to the 424? I love Dungen, the first Tame Impala record, and kooky lo-fi vibes. I want to grow my skills in getting those kinds of sounds!

[@travisraab]

Hi Sam! I'm glad you like how this track turned out. Someone who got TRT said they enjoyed it, so I sent out an email to everyone who bought that course, explaining step by step how to recreate this sound. I try to keep adding value to TRT, and there are a lot of new bonuses that weren't there when it first came out. It's not just for 388 people. It's for anyone with a tape recorder, or even people that don't have any outboard gear and they want to recreate that sound of tape inside their DAW. There are some cassette specific sections.

[@warsocki]

Was that a mariachi back track? Again, fantastic and the heads up on the DBX 118 is great info.

[@merchannel7762]

Travis this this is my fav snare tone yet. And I watched tape tactics. Partial to phaser I guess

[@travisraab]

Why don't I send an email to everyone who got Tape recording tactics explaining how to get this tone! Thanks so much for grabbing the course!

[@merchannel7762]

@@travisraab oh hail yes. Many thanks

[@Disregardedinc]

Man I want to get a tape machine but I don’t even have an audio interface, I just use headphones, and midi keyboard, and plugins. I’m very inspired by Boards of Canada who use analog synths and tape machines and that sounds amazing. I hope I may one day be able to afford all the shit but it’s just currently not in my budget

[@travisraab]

just keeping using the stuff you have. gear is a waste of time

[@nikkgonz]

What are the best places to find good analog gear for cheap?

[@travisraab]

I answer that question in my course, tape recording tactics

[@thomasgravas3215]

can you please make a recording with the tascam model 12?

[@travisraab]

if someone sends me a model 12, sure

[@secularZoo]

Dude that's amazing 👏!!!

[@michelfleau]

Hello travis ! Thank you for your videos, i live in France and i buy recently a 118 dbx, i have a volt 276 UA, a mixer yamaha model RM 804 and a fostex r8, HOW did i plug the dbx ? Thank you

[@travisraab]

does your mixer have an effects loop are effects send? if so, plug it through that. if you not, you'll have to daisy chain it after a preamp

[@michelfleau]

Thank you Travis, i have echo send and echo return , doe’s it work ?

[@alessandrom1996]

Hi there, I've been following you for a while and I can see you can find your way around problems when it comes to tape decks. I have this tascam 464 that I just got and I can't record direct. It records fine in RLRL but when I switch to direct I can see 1234 on the display, but the meters go silent, while I can still hear the sound I'm playing. I've heard it might be the sync switch, but that didn't work for me. I hope you can help, thank you! Keep it up! :)

[@travisraab]

I'm not sure but I would hit up tetrakan !

[@alessandrom1996]

Thank you for the quick reply, will do! @@travisraab

[@IanJamesBeats]

Super sick stuff man!

[@travisraab]

thanks ian and good to hear from you!

[@keeganturner5040]

Did you run the compressor back in mono? I’m trying to do this exact same set up with a 488 mkii and the DBX. Effect send 1, to stereo RCA? Or mono. Ik the DBX has 2 rca inputs, and outputs, but your return back to the tascam is just plugged into channel 4’s input ? No stereo it seems. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[@travisraab]

Mono

[@keeganturner5040]

@@travisraab thanks! Are you using just a normal stereo 1/4in to RCA and just only plugging in one side? Or a specific mono 1/4in RCA?

[@buggater]

How do you actually connect all this to the DAW? I have Pro Tools Studio and I also use the Clarett (2 Pre). I have a Tascam Portastudio from the mid 1990s that I used maybe twice. I have it stored in the original box, as well as an Alesis SR - 16, same era. I also have an 80s Casio ToneBank (slightly different from yours) with a few really cool sounds. Thanks!

[@travisraab]

I cover routing for parallel compression in my Tape Recording Tactics course. It breaks it down using the portastudio, a compressor, and into the DAW.

[@JTPiano2011]

Very entertaining video, nice job.

[@travisraab]

hey thanks!

[@littlevibetown]

Respect!

[@sfn4702]

Heck yes, this the stuff aright! Schweeet

[@travisraab]

whoooooo

[@Harrie23]

yessssssssss

[@PoulLarsenmusic]

07:01 why did you upload mp3 to the ai ?

[@travisraab]

that was my test run. BUT... I'm willing to bet you would not be able to hear the difference even if I did it in high quality mp3 over wav. Especially after uploading it to youtube.

[@EDAVLOFI]

👍

[@cheekbone4554]

Love u

[@Viibe_4422]

Wanna make a psychedelic neo soul album with me im a vocalist

[@Ippiegomas]

Hey does it suitable for using laptop? or need using PC?

[@travisraab]

You don't even need a computer believe it or not

[@Ippiegomas]

@@travisraab cool! Thanks for info 🙌🏿

[@fauldurand]

Not here for AI mixing. Measure twice and cut it using a hand saw. Don't just throw it at the chop box.

[@travisraab]

I don't get it

[@HollerAtcherBoi]

Pffft AI mastering? Come on man

[@travisraab]

I love it

[@HollerAtcherBoi]

@@travisraab do you love it because you don’t know any better? I’ve only seen this video but you seem technically proficient. AI mastering could never beat a human that knows that they’re doing.

[@travisraab]

@@HollerAtcherBoi ignorance is bliss

[@Sunkenballs12]

Be honest with your self. Would you be willing to sit down and bet some money that you can tell if a song is mastered by a person or an AI? Doubtful. Of course the human makes a more appealing master, but your giving yourself too much credit. 🤓🤓🤓

[@Dave-Ouh]

It’s not a 160…

[@travisraab]

this dbx 118 is not a dbx 160?

[@TimOost]

​@@travisraabno, it's Patrick!