Tascam Porta 02 Mk II | Review, Tutorial & Demo

[@samlim8925]

I have the “mark i”. It all looks the same except I don’t have a guitar in.

[@Tetrakan]

Ahhh, thanks for letting us know!

[@mylastsyncaset]

yeah, mk1 without the guitar in was my jam

[@Stargazerz]

@@mylastsyncaset you happen to have a release date for it? I just bought one on ebay and not sure when it was released.

[@R3V1ZION]

I also have a "mkI" (labelled Porta02)

[@firebellys]

same

[@ImaginalComponent]

Still using my porta 02 all the time in 2023. Had it close to twenty years and haven’t had any issues with it. Reliable and simple, a relic of a forgotten era. Thanks for the video!

[@johnbowman657]

I bought one of these in the car boot sale for £1. It came with original power supply! Fun piece of kit. Thanks for the demo. Luckily I still had some type II cassettes which I could use on it!

[@Tetrakan]

Now that's a bargain. Clearly I need to attend more far boot sales.

[@johnbowman657]

@@Tetrakan even better I picked up a free Alesis SR18 from electronic section of the council tip. I saw someone dump it there. It had power supply too and the plastic film on the screen!

[@Tetrakan]

@johnbowman657 I'm moving to where you live. I'm out in the sticks and gave to contend with ebay sellers asking new ferrari money for used skoda items.

[@johnbowman657]

@@Tetrakan definitely a good move!!!

[@stephenmaughan]

Thanks again for fixing it Calum . Nice to see the Minipops getting some use 👍

[@rickymendoza]

Hi Calum, I noticed that you have a weird adapter when recording to the zoom recorder. Are you recording all 4 channels at once? Or only 2 channels?

[@Tetrakan]

2 channels - I think what you noticed is I was using a cable that splits the stereo out so I can record it with the zoom and hear the same thing on nearfield monitors at the same time?

[@snapsnappist4529]

I had - actually still have - the Porta 02 mk1. Red plastic instead of the more common blue. I had many, many hours of fun making 4-track experiments with primitive drum "samples" (hitting repeat on CDs that had a song with a drum inro), DI-ing my guitar with the gain up full, mixing in found dialogue from TV and movies, recording stuff in reverse, sometimes even tracking actual songs... I used to bounce down onto a minidisc and then dump it all back onto track 1 of a new tape. It was never going to rival open reel for sound fidelity, but if you used decent quality type II tape and knew how to mic a source in a good-sounding space, you could achieve pretty impressive results. I've still got all my multi-tracks somewhere. Might dig the machine out and give a quick clean up...

[@WesleyWattley-xy4fg]

Release this gem 💎 ✨️ 🎶

[@jamesupton5601]

Hi. I've just bought one of these on ebay, and it's my first foray into cassette four tracks. (I have ADD and modern tech just overwhelms me with choice and options) I hope I made a good choice. :)

[@Tetrakan]

I'm on a waiting list for diagnosis of ASD and ADD so I imagine your issues with modern tech.are similar to mine, the limited options is the main reason I like cassette recorders, I hope you enjoy your purchase.

[@jamesupton5601]

@@Tetrakan Good luck mate. It's hard being obsessed with music yet feeling a little on the outside as well. Or just me, lol.

[@williamboyd2324]

I’m in the same boat, they released the flood gates on all our options, so I felt like I was floating in space, staring at my DAW. I’m hoping the limitation of four tracks can ground me. And I love tape.

[@alexanderwalsh738]

So cool. Gonna buy one of these this afternoon.

[@dreamkatari]

I wanna buy one. Im in the US. Got any suggestions?

[@Tetrakan]

As a UK citizen, not really...reverb? eBay? Craigslist? Goodwill? Maybe someone from your side of the pond will chip in with better suggestions, happy hunting!

[@RJH1971]

eBay! I actually live in Ireland but I own one Porta02 and just bought another as a back-up (because they're outstandingly good units), and I bought them both on eBay from reliable sellers in the US. Keep your eyes peeled online, best of luck!

[@mgibbes]

Hello Calum really enjoy your work. I know you get a lot more mechanical and electronical questions but I'm just curious would it be possible to bounce externally on this unit like the Porta 03?

[@Tetrakan]

Thanks. The thing is I haven't actually tried, haven't worked on that model frequently, and I don't have one here at the moment, so I can't verify my own answer, so I'm reluctant to say either way. Next time I get hold of one I'll try it.

[@taewankim6283]

It was sold around mid-90s.

[@adtwister]

Cool video mate, keep up the good work! 😎

[@nancyyy397]

im new too all this and wanting to get involved, do the rca cables just go into a computer?

[@Tetrakan]

@@nancyyy397 I’m plugged up into a portable digital recorder but you could plug into the audio interface for a computer, sure.

[@gartlander4070]

Any what drum machine is being used and where it can be purchased?

[@marlon3]

I need to replace the headphone output and put a speed control into one of these I have sitting around

[@strangersun7721]

Same. That headphone pot crackles like crazy on mine.

[@on1ytheb3st]

What about the electrolytics; I’ve got a really high noise floor on the phones out, a lot of hiss when nothing is playing or plugged in which is irrespective of what the phone volume is actually at.

[@Tetrakan]

You could see if changing out the coupling caps on that gain stage improves matters, but the noise floor is always higher on the headphone out on these contraptions, especially the budget models.

[@on1ytheb3st]

@@Tetrakan Cool, thanks for the advice. Are there also filter caps in that gain stage?

[@Tetrakan]

@carterhamlet2675 possibly, I don't know that schematic very well though I'm pretty sure it's one of the ones up for free download on my blog? In my experience high noise floor is more likely to be leaky coupling caps screwing with the impedance relationship between adjacent gain stages but you may as well replace any electrolytic caps between the opamp power rails and ground while youre there.

[@harrywohl9081]

Hey Calum, thanks for all the videos! If I'm not mistaken I saw in this video or, maybe another one, that you installed a pitch nob on your Tascam Porta 02 Mk II? If so, I would greatly appreciate a tutorial or explanation of how you did that! Thanks -Harry

[@Tetrakan]

The video detailing the mod is here kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqfcqYambNutZqc

[@nicolas_maiden]

Excellent video, It's been so usefull for me since I bough one of these last month, so thank you so much :) By the way, do you know if there is a a way to connect a smartphone in one of the inputs through an AUX wire, to record some field recordings?

[@Tetrakan]

Thanks. My smartphone is old enough to still have a headphone socket, so a cable with a stereo 1/8" male plug one end and 2 x 1/4" male plugs at the other end carries tyhe signal into a unit like this just fine.

[@nicolas_maiden]

@@Tetrakan thank you so much :)

[@kevincarey79]

Cold Cuts! Awesome. My best bud Jerome made this album with the Brothers Nylon. I played saxes and (I think) maybe a bit of guitar on some of it. Cool! Its a small world. Pretty sure Jerome would be pumped to see this: )

[@Tetrakan]

Jerome sent me the tape after corresponding over Facebook. It’s a great record, I listen to it often. Also digging the telephone tough guys project which I gather you’re also part of?

[@kevincarey79]

@@Tetrakan yep! Thats us! Thanks for the kind words, man! I sent Jerome a link to this vid, he’s gonna be pumped.

[@jonathanhandsmusic]

Mine is exactly the same but is not mark 2 or mark one. It just says Porta 02. There are no labels saying guitar gain, just the trim knobs, and all the knobs are grey, with no red caps. Interesting, it's the exact same machine but without the labels or red top knobs. Everything else is identical. And it works exactly the same. I've made a lot of good recordings on it, and bought it new in 1999. I keep it in a plastic bag inside a box to prevent dust from invading it. I still use it, and have an am/fm boombox/ cassette machine for playback.

[@Tetrakan]

Thanks for this. Sounds like its themark one, someone else commented to say they had one, and it was missing the guitear input but toherwise identical, though I think they said theirs was also blue? So maybe there were variants....some other tascams came in different colours of plastic.

[@guitarman_3693]

i have that exact model. its a good machine. i recorded our whole band with a dynamic mic hanging in the middle of the room plugged into channel 1&3 only , so it would play thru a normal cassette player in a car or a boombox. with a little adjusting the recording came out decent. they were a little rough, but ready.

[@SteveIrwinDOA]

We probably have the same one. Mine says TASCAM Ministudio Porta02. I bought it new at Guitar Center in November 2000, or maybe 2001. It's pretty crisp. I like it.

[@Jason-bg7jc]

I have one that won't fast forward with the cassette inserted but will when it doesn't have one. I'm thinking it needs the belt replaced but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

[@Tetrakan]

Yeah one of two belts is too weak to turn the cassette, replace it and your Death Star will be fully operational!

[@LozMyKeys]

will a 9V adaptor work in this? Just looking for the correct adapter now what size is the end connector?

[@Tetrakan]

No. 12 volts, and it must be negative tip. I don't know the barell size off the top of my head but its the same as on effects pedals like boss so Google that

[@Thenit92]

Do you repair these? I have the Red version which I don’t think has ever been used properly. Still boxed but I can’t get a sound out of it.

[@Tetrakan]

If you're within posting distance of Scotland, yes. If you're rhe other side of the Atlantic I can recommend folks in the USA

[@Thenit92]

@@Tetrakan Hi, thanks for the quick response. Yes I am just north of Hull in England. I will be in Glasgow this week for 2nights. Have you an email address for your business so we can converse on possibilities of paying you to check out my unit and hopefully fix it please? Thanks !

[@Tetrakan]

@Thenit92 I'm slightly wary of putting my email in youtube comments but there is a button to email me on my Facebook page, there's a link to that on youtube channel page, we could also exchange email addresses etc via Facebook messenger or Instagram direct messages if those are platforms you use? K am on the Highlands, unfortunately, so post in both directions is an expense you'd have to factor in....shouldn't be too much on a unit that size though.

[@Thenit92]

@@Tetrakan thanks, that’s not a problem, I will do some looking for the link. Hopefully we can work something out and get the little unit back working, cheers!

[@eddylaredo]

I think I have the mark 1 version...

[@xnslrzn]

can you plug a synth straight into it or do you need a special adapter?

[@Tetrakan]

You can plug straight in

[@Mark_Williams300]

If you know how you can divide the video into chapters that people can watch as they please. I'm sure someone amongst your other subscribers can tell you the way to do it.

[@Tetrakan]

Good shout, I’ll look it up and add that sometime soon

[@Wizkidmelburn]

Brilliant, a whale on a bad acid trip...

[@Tomalo-Dub]

Blue whale 😂😂😂😂