Teac Reel to reel tape Recorder A3340- HOW TO 4 TRACK Multitrack

[@fastronaut909]

Someone donated one of these to me. I have no experience reel to reels, so this really helped. Appreciate any and all general advice regarding tape :)

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Great, glad I could help!

[@steveurquhart5895]

Thanks for this, My favourite reel to reel machine of all time.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

I think was THE home studio recorder of all time. Countless hits were demo'ed on them. Can't Argue with success!

[@bkucheran]

Thanks!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

🙏 Thanks! Hope it helps!

[@wildbillhackett]

Hey! This was my first good multitrack machine I had back in the 80's. I also had the DBX NR unit that came with it as an option. That DBX was pure crap back then. I think the NR unit alone was $800, and it pumped and breathed like crazy, especially on bass guitar. Good times, frustrating times, expensive times! And I miss my old splicing block like I miss my ex-girlfriend. :-P

[@revokdaryl1]

Funny you mention that. Vangelis used DBX on all his recordings at Nemo Studios and preferred it to Dolby A noise reduction.

[@gayusschwulius8490]

The fact that there are KZbin tutorials for devices that were produced over 30 years before KZbin was invented is somehow extremely funny to me. I don't own a r2r, so I sadly can't try this; but it makes me realize how good I have it with a modern DAW that can have dozens of layers without breaking a sweat, haha.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Using a four track will teach an important lesson: Don't take your track count for granted! 😀

[@MichaelJohnsonProductions]

This was really cool. Never thought ill want to watch this but once I started watching I couldnt stop watching lol. Great video man

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thanks! Those spinning reels are mesmerizing, right?

[@MichaelJohnsonProductions]

@@FrankOlsonTwins yes they are lol. Crazy awesome

[@highpitwilma]

My Teac A3340 [not the "S" model] has only ever had a new drive belt fitted,which I did myself,and which was probably my fault for not running the Machine periodically as a Maintenance schedule....It is a great machine to use,and not all complicated!A poster was right,watching the reels spinning while listening to playback is Hypnotising!![ if it's only casual listening that is!!..I would expect any self respecting Engineer,home or Pro,to be scrutinising the VU's while on a serious session!!]

[@boris2342]

I Love analog sound equipment So Big and Heavy

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yep, about 50 lbs!

[@MrPnew1]

You can't beat these old reel to reel tape recorder. Iconic

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yes, they are fascinating and also useful!

[@AMusician64]

Great video.Love the sound of tape.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thank you! Me Too!

[@Radar23]

Nice demo..

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thanks, I've been meaning to do a more in depth one, as well!

[@bob4analog]

I so love these machines, great vid, thanks!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@Edwardball]

Hi Frank, great video! can you tell me does the 3340 have the ability to record one sound source across all 4 tracks at once, so you are getting a 4 track mono signal across the whole of the tape? Thanks for the info.

[@HammyTechnoid]

Proper tape storage.. tail - out! *KUDOS*

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Trying to model good behavior ;)

[@bsadewitz]

Hey, why'd you cut me off from that rewind action?!😆

[@coreystopperan9555]

Thank you do much for this!! I dug out my teac and noticing the left reel sounds the wrong way. Ideas? Suggestions??

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

iF there's no tape on the machine, it will spin the wrong direction.

[@coreystopperan9555]

@@FrankOlsonTwins Thanks again!! The right one still seems to spin faster. So weird. Haven't used this for many years and was inspired by your video.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Is the Machine playing tapes properly? If you load and play a tape, the reel has less tape on it will always spin faster. They will only spin at the same speed when you are in the middle of a tape. It can look funny if you're not used to it.

[@heggy_69]

Haha, "did it in reel time"

[@Radar23]

I just picked up a 2340sx..this video is excellent... planing to run my modular system, 808 and super jupiter through these 4 tracks.. albeit with 7" reels... what tape do you recommend? I'm thinking of getting some SM911 new tape..

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

I recommend SM911. You can also try SM468. Either will get you a great tape sound. For this video I used ATR MDS-36, the consumer version of the ATR master tape. However, I think I'll be switching to RTM SM911 for my consumer machines like this. It just sounds good without needing too much bias.

[@Redblower]

Just bought a mint condition 3340S gunna have some fun!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Awesome! They really are fun, inspiring machines!

[@DanielS10291]

Are you using some sort of mixer for the levels and eq and panning?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yes, early in the video you can see me plugging the inputs and outputs into a Tangent 16 channel mixing board. Levels were set on each input. Not likely any EQ(each channel has it's own eq section) though, the board is pretty transparent. Then, during playback panning was adjusted for the final master outputs which were recorded digitally. You can see starting at 04:07 what the master channels look like. All inputs and outputs go into the board and get mixed for final stereo output.

[@bsadewitz]

Hi, just curious about the recording level. I noticed it peaked at +3. Back in a land before time, I'd record onto cassette tape with a peak at +1, which yielded the best level on playback. +3 would have caused significant distortion. Is this standard practice with these decks?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Hey Blair! It is misleading for a few reasons! Technically, this deck is set up for +4 tape. There's built in "headroom" in the deck, so I can go "over" +3 by another 1db! ( In practice a bit more, actually) Also, this tape can actually handle well above +6 signal, so it's not likely to saturate at +4 the way other tapes will. The electronics will be the limiting factor. In my experience, current engineers are running tape machines pretty hot, since it's usually a single pass situation(usually recording to tape on the way in) or a single playback recording. It's not usually real analog "multitracking" so levels don't have to be so in perfectly in line. Since it's usually just single tracks being mixed in a DAW, the levels can be hotter to tape and still be mixed without too much trouble in the computer. Since most engineers/producers crave the "color" of the tape machine, many will push it hot enough to hear it. However, if you're making a fully analog recording, yes you should def pay close attention that the meters aren't being buried at the peaks, or your mix will be likely be a crunchy mess! Cassette tapes are also a little less forgiving, in my experience. But, a good Type II tape in a nice player will go right up to +6 without noticeable distortion. But that's a whole different ball of wax...

[@TotallyGoodatGames]

Hi! Can you tell me if there is any meaningful difference between a simulsync 4-track and a multitrack 4-track recorder? I have an opportunity to buy one, but I don't know if there are any differences between the two kinds.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

I believe simulsync is the term tascam used to describe the process of listening off the record head in real time while recording multi track parts. "Multitrack" could mean it records only in 2 stereo pairs, but it often refers to being able to record one track at a time. What are the 2 machines you're looking at?

[@nicolasmalcles-sanuy5875]

Hi did you rewind after each instrument recording?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

yes!

[@danielhaver6240]

What cables do you use to plug the reel to reel into to the mixer?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

I used unbalanced RCA to 1/4" (snake, actually) to plug it into the mixer. When possible, I prefer to use XLR or balanced TRS cables to make connections such as this on tape recorders with balanced inputs and outputs.

[@layzibeats]

Would Love some help Frank! for some reason my signal is comin' back mono instead of stereo when i record back into my computer! I'm a beginner. im just confused would love your help much love

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

It sounds to me like a panning issue, so check everywhere on your mixer or in your interface routing(internal mixing) or possibly in your DAW that would relate to panning each channel to either left or right. By default, most mixers are panned to center, so make sure to pan one channel to left and one to right. Same goes for your recording interface as well as your DAW. What is your recording/playback setup like? What kind of recording interface are you using? Or, are you using a mixer to record back into your computer?

[@Sonikbytes]

what speed do you recommend?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Good question. For recording my own songs and music, I always use 15ips. For casual listening and records, etc, I use 7.5ips. Sometimes for tape delay, I even like 3.75 ips if the machine will do it, but it gets grungy pretty quickly at slower speeds.

[@sparky2008sparky]

I was recently given a Teac 3340 and it appears to be in excellent condition (not sure why it was given away for free but I didn't argue!!!). I saw this video (and thanks!!!) and was going to record with the machine. I am going through some basics of the machine now. Question - why do you "need" to rewind the new master tape before recording?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Whatever music or sounds you record in a session will sometimes magnetically leak from the top layer onto the bottom during storage(usually overnight or longer). This is referred to as "print-through" or "ghosting." This method of recording tapes by first rewinding the master is referred to as "tails out" recording. It's not strictly necessary but it helps reduce how noticeable the print-through is on the recorded sections of tape. If you load and store the tape onto the machine "tails in" and spool tape from left spindle to right, what you may end up with is a small "echo" that occurs BEFORE the first note of your song. By storing tails out, that echo occurs AFTER the note. That goes for the rest of the song too. So, since we'd rather have any noticeable echo after the original sound, it generally makes more sense to store tails out.

[@sparky2008sparky]

@@FrankOlsonTwins thank you! I’ll need to cogitate on this as I need to picture it in my mind. I understand the ghosting aspect, but have to wrap my head around how the tape lays over itself tails out versus heads out. Thanks again!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Well, to make things only a little fuzzier- there's some anecdotal evidence on some internet forums that fully rewinding and then re-packing the tape tails out(either fully playing the tape or fast forwarding) will lessen the effect of print through. I can't confirm that, but some people swear it works. Good luck!

[@purplespecter]

I have just bought a TEAC A 3340, and I noticed an issue on the record part for a specific track. For tracks 1,3 & 4, when I record, I can switch between TAPE and MONITOR and the levels shown on the VU meters are close, and the perceived level is similar. However, for track 2, when I switch between MONITOR and TAPE, I go from +1 on the VU meter to -20. I only barely hear the signal. It seems like the signal is "lost" somewhere before arriving to the record head. I have tried tweaking the "REC LEVEL" trimpot on the board, but the increase in volume is negligible compared to the volume I should get. :??: As said earlier, I know that it not a problem with the PLAYBACK part of the circuit, but only the RECORD part. I have tried with tape on both sides (shiny and matte) and I know my heads are aligned because it plays fine. Hope someone can help me with this issue!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

It sounds like it could be one of the following: bad connection, cold/broken solder joint, or bad transistor somewhere on the #2 record/playback card. For specific help, you could go to tapeheads . net, they have a pretty extensive message board. You'll likely have to open it up and poke and prod to see if any connections or solder joints are suspect. Look closely at the #2 Record/playback board. Any burned components or bad solder joints? But, that specific issue you're describing sounds like a bad transistor/amplifier somewhere in the tape record path. That's a shot in the dark, though. It could be any of the things I mentioned earlier, or something else.Also check the record head connections, hopefully it's just a loose wire there...

[@purplespecter]

@@FrankOlsonTwins It's true that some of the solder joints are really bad on the board. You can see some capacitors legs coming out of the solder. Guess these were handmade, sometimes really fast. Even though they look bad they seem to conduct well. Thanks a lot for your help, I will update you ;)

[@purplespecter]

@@FrankOlsonTwins Hmmm interesting. Even with track 1, when I switch from MONITOR to TAPE while recording, I get less volume. Even when tweaking the trimmer pot REC LEVEL to its maximum. I should output the same level, right ? It seems like the record part eats the signal...

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Have you set the bias for that channel? It sounds like it might be way over or under bias..

[@purplespecter]

​@@FrankOlsonTwins Hi Frank, I found the solution! My plan was to use Probes from a multimeter, connecting them to an RCA cable and plug it in my interface so I could turn my ableton into an oscilloscope. I then recorded signals at every node of the recording signal path (see Record Performance schematic in the manual), to see which component was causing the issue. Turns out it was a nasty capacitor (10uF, C305/C314 in the manual) that was dead... an electrolytic one... I have replaced it and it works fine. Unfortunately I have discovered another issue where my recorded signal in channel 4 is completely crushed and very noisy, and by using the same probing technique I record a perfectly fine signal until the record head!! So it is not a faulty component anymore.. Maybe the solder on the record head... I will dig more this week ;)

[@tiesoul2649]

Hello there Frank Olson Twins.2 quick questions. What type of mixer are you using in this video? And I have a tascam model 24, How do I connect all 4 channels to it? I may have to get the same mixer you have. That's why I'm asking what mixer your using. Thanks!

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Hey, actually I would totally recommend this mixer. It's called "Tangent 1602a" It's one of the better "chip amp" live mixers of it's day. Much less muddy/boxy than any vintage Tascam mixer I've owned. And they are really cheap these days. The preamps are really dynamic and offer tons of transient info. Mine doesn't have built in Phantom, nor reverb as some units did. You could also check out the Tangent 802a, 1202a or 2402a. There is also a slightly newer "AX" series: 1602ax. Power supply upgrades in that one, i believe. They are huge though, I'll warn you. But for less than $200 you'll get 16 preamps and a pretty good master section. However, your Tascam 24 should be able to do everything this mixer can do, and more! There are many ways to hook up a tape machine to a console. What I did in the video was to choose 4 channels for inputs and 4 channels for outputs to the tape recorder. This way, you can use microphones or line inputs going to the recorder, then on 4 separate channels you can control the "tape returns" from the tape machine. There are many other methods, but that's a quick and easy one! Good luck!

[@tiesoul2649]

@@FrankOlsonTwins Thank you for your quick reply. Well I hooked up the teac to the tascam model 24. However I can only hook up two channels instead of all four. Could direct me into how to hook up ch 2 and 4? The tascam model 24 only has to sub outs and one left and right.That's how I hooked up ch 1 and 3.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Hmm, I see the issue now. I'm assuming you want to send 4 outputs from your mixer channels to your Teac at once? I'd try something like this: Inputs: Microphones(for example) for channels 1,2,3,4 on Teac 24. Pan Ch. 1 Left, and Ch. 2 Right, engage sub button on both. That's your first stereo pair for 1,3 on the Tape recorder. Pan Ch. 3. Left and Ch. 4 Right. Turn up Mon. 1 pot for ch. 3. Turn up Mon. 2 pot for Ch. 4. Those can be the outputs for your second stereo pair to the tape recorder. So, to recap: Sub outputs L/R are Mixer channels 1 & 2. They go to 1,3 on Tape recorder inputs. Mon outputs 1&2 are Mixer channels 3 & 4. They go to 2,4 on Tape recorder inputs. Don't forget to keep them off the Mains(while recording) by disengaging the "Main" switch on all channels and at the master faders, or you'll get a feedback loop. Tape Playback/monitoring: Choose 4 more channels. The easiest is probably 17, 18, 19, 20. Plug tape outputs 1,3 into 17, 18 (stereo pair 1) Plug tape outputs 2,4 into 19, 20(stereo pair 2). This will all come through the mains, so be sure the mains switch is engaged on these 4 channels. Final note: Another way I hook up tape recorders is to use the "Send" function, or a direct out on channels that have inserts. So on Model 24, since Channels 1 & 2 have inserts for the mic preamp, I would use Ch. 1 & 2 as a "Send"(look that up in the manual). Then use channels 3 & 4 from the Subgroup out (Sub out). Don't forget to hard pan 3 & 4. Good luck!

[@tiesoul2649]

Thanks man. I'll give it a try.

[@dienadel30]

Very curious to know My dad recorded a lot on a Sony-TC-260 in the ~70s I have three boxes of reals s there a modern reel to reel in the cheap that can play them on ? it was a four track

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Hmmm, getting a good working RTR for cheap is kind of tricky to do these days. The RTR format has become somewhat popular again, so good working units are fetching a premium. Your best best is garage sale/thrift store for a truly inexpensive deck. Sometimes they come up on craigslist for cheap. There's no particular model I'd recommend over the others, as there's no current under-the-radar-cheap-but-good models. You could look for a Sony TC-260, then you know it would play the tapes properly. If you get other models, you'll have to be sure it's a 4 track, stereo machine since that is the format that most of your tapes are recorded at. There are many other brands to look for though. Akai made many good consumer decks. Teac also made many good consumer decks. I think Realistic decks were rebranded teac at some point. Ampex made some conusmer machines too(AX50, AX300). Whatever you buy, make sure it works because trying to repair one is usually a major project. Unless you get it for really cheap, in which case it's likely worth the gamble. Any idea what brand/formula of tapes you're looking to play back?

[@dienadel30]

@@FrankOlsonTwins I have a buck Owens and his buckaroos tape that 4track 33/4 on it but that is a commercial tape. Would it be worth it to have the deck repaired do people even repair them anymore ? I even managed to find the service manual

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

If you still have the deck and the manual, it's definitely worth spooling up the tapes onto the machine and seeing if they play back. Start with a tape that isn't of high value for your initial tests. You'll need an empty reel as well. Look up the tape deck model number on youtube to see how people are using the machine before hand if you've never loaded a tape on a machine before. Most old tape decks generally work ok if you know how to use them. However, broken belts and bad capacitors plague some models, so you never know what you're getting until you try it out. There are a few tape technitians left but not many...

[@dienadel30]

@@FrankOlsonTwins Yeah I used to use it back when I was in highschool then when I inherited after my dad's passing about 6 or 7 years ago it was running then but it started to spit out tapes bought a belt kit for it which made it worse but last week when I tried it spun but then stopped so now it does nothing but power up. Just not sure if im up to the task of repairing it myself. :)

[@freddiehandley278]

whats the song

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

It's a song I wrote for this video!

[@freddiehandley278]

@@FrankOlsonTwins oh nice!

[@ej8030]

Hi mate, I am trying to record onto my new a3340s and cant seem to get my sound onto the tape. please help! I am just using 2 1/4 inch leads from my soundcard output into 2 of the mic inputs on the front. I have the track pumping in the VU meters but when i arm the record modes and record (red lights turn on) nothing seems to make its way onto the tape. I am just using headphones to monitor for now since i don't have enough cables and i can hear the source but nothing on the tape out channel apart from some weird noises that were already on it when i bought the machine, -the previous owner knew little of its working order. Am i doing something wrong or does the machine need servicing?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Hi ej, My first advice is to always clean the heads first. Use the strongest Isopropyl alcohol you can(90% if possible, but 70% works too) and use cotton swabs until nothing comes off. It might take a lot of cotton swabs. I've purchased machines that had so much oxide residue buildup on the heads that they couldn't record to(or even erase) tape. It actually doesn't take much! The other thing I do is move all the switches back and forth gently 20 times each. Sometimes that's enough to clean them so that they'll work again. Same thing for the rotary controls(pots). Aside from those 2 things, It sounds like you're doing every thing right. The other thing is, check to make sure the tape isn't threaded upside down. Generally, on modern tape, the slightly shiny, semi-matte side of the tape should be in contact with the heads. The darker, matte side(usually called the backing) should be facing out, away from the heads. It's easy to confuse the sides and it will also cause the exact problem you're facing. If you're use very old tape (scotch 111 for example) one side will be very glossy. That's that backing on older tapes. Best of luck, and let me know how you get on!

[@ej8030]

@@FrankOlsonTwins thanks a lot! amazing. will try the alcohol and get back to you. I have switched the tape already once from darker to lighter side and playback is louder as a result so think i have it the right way now.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Great, my guess is that if you try your recording process again after cleaning up the heads, you'll be in good shape!

[@ej8030]

@@FrankOlsonTwins cheers for the advice! gave it all a good clean today and got something recorded, though tape is still shedding and already starting to build up on the path. Thanks for the help - just need a new reel and i think ill be sorted.

[@stephenhall3515]

Unfortunately TEAC machines were bulky, very heavy and weak in transit mechanisms. Studer/Revox achieved stability and compactness from the earliest models.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yeah, sort of. Studer was mostly professional gear, with a small hand in consumer/audiophile gear(revox). However, I'd hesitate to call any Studer pro machine Compact(although the A810 was a marvel!)...There are quite a few Tascams still putting up a fight at 40+ years old. That has to say something about the transports. Also, Teacs were generally aimed at the consumer/prosumer(tascam) market so many of the stereo machines were a bit flimsy. And considering what Tascam was doing(2, 4, or even 8 tracks!) on a quarter inch head, one could also use the term compact to describe the Tascam multitrack machines. I don't know if Teac/Tascam ever made a truly "Professional" machine, but I think they came close a few times. The Tascam 52 comes to mind. Tascam also made a "Mastering" RTR for Ampex (ATR 700) which looks like a funny hybrid between the two companies machines. If anyone has one, I'd love to hear a sample from it!

[@euphoria3417]

I thought I saw a way awhile back ago that you can use a reel to reel kind of like a effect where you never actually have to lay down the track and record it on there just to pick it up on the other head is that actually possible I can’t find any videos about it?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yes, if your tape machine has the ability to monitor from the playback head during recording, you can record to tape, while also recording to your digital recorder in real time.

[@ianlott4486]

I didn’t listen with headphone but I’m assuming that the bass only comes out of the right output and the synth only comes out of the left. Is this true, or is there a way to get a full stereo field out fo only one head without having to use two channels?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

No, I used a mixer for the final mix down. The drums are stereo across 2 tracks, the bass is in the "center" of the stereo mix, and the synth lead is panned just a bit to the left, off center. Without some sort of mixing device, you'd get 2 full channels on the left, and 2 on the right. The number of head tracks determines how many channels you'll have, so if you have a mono head, you'll have to plug it into some sort of mixing device to turn it into a stereo signal. Other than recording the mono signal in your DAW and duplicating a second channel for your right signal, a mixer is the way to go.

[@MrStarbor]

And do i need 4 track for recording from CDs and LPs?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

No, a 2 track "stereo" tape deck will record CDs and LPs just fine. Interesting fact, though- most 2 track machines record on 2 tracks in one direction and 2 tracks in the opposite direction. So by turning over the tape, you get 4 tracks on the tape. On my machine, however, it will play all four tracks at once: one stereo pair normally in one direction, and one pair in reverse!

[@seanmcdonald4686]

What console are you using?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Tangent 1602

[@losyesterdays]

Thanks for this man. Wondering if you are using mic-pres before you go into line-in on the back? Appreciate any info bud.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Technically yes. I'm plugging keyboards and souncards into the console (00m:40s) into those line-ins on the console, which can get pretty hot. They have as much gain as a mic pre, but I'm using them at a lower line level. From there, they go the line-in input on the Teac. You might not always need to go use a console/line amp/mic pre, but sometimes it helps. Good luck!

[@losyesterdays]

@@FrankOlsonTwins Thx so much bud! This helps a lot.

[@2dollarcrew]

I don’t have a console with inserts or returns as I’m using an Apollo 8. How would I use with my interface?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

A console isn't really needed, basically the tape recorder puts out a line level signal. So just find a layout/work flow that suits your tools and needs. In this case, you can plug the Tape (rca) outputs directly into your Apollo Line ins. As far as inputs on the tape recorder, you can use the outputs from your Apollo (or mic preamps or whatever) and run directly into the Line Ins on the back of the Teac. Set your levels accordingly to get the signal as hot as you need it. Also, this Teac A3340S has Mic Preamps which are accessed and controlled by the front 1/4" inputs and corresponding knobs, if you absolutely need them. Most Semi- and Professional Reel to Reels don't have mic pres, and later Teac Versions dropped them to save cost, weight, complexity. If you wanted to use this as an insert effect, you can do it from protools(or whatever DAW), and basically run a send and return from which ever channels in the DAW and the corresponding outputs and inputs of your Apollo. A 4 channel snake (1/4" to RCA) will make using these machines much easier, but it isn't necessary. Good luck!

[@2dollarcrew]

Frank Olson Twins thank you.

[@brandtfj]

I have the same machine the 33 400 s but I don't have the lever underneath the rubber pinch roller that appears on your video on my machine

[@brandtfj]

3340s... also my output and Mike knobs have fewer - marks in your machine could my machine be older?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

It's possible your machine could be newer. I think machines older than mine had a lever to operate forward or reverse instead of a button. Newer machines also had a different layout for the meters.

[@brandtfj]

thankyou... that lever function cleared things up for me

[@Simonogilvie41]

is it possible to record all 4 tracks at once if i wanted to record 4 mics on drums.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yes, simply arm all four tracks before pressing record!

[@SvetiPetre]

Can you still get parts for this machine

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

I'm pretty sure parts are only available used at this point. But a quick email to Tascam might give you a definitive answer. These machines pop up on ebay all the time for parts.

[@donartyone3258]

Somone is about to sell me one for $300. They said it powers on and the playback, reverse and record buttons function but doesn’t know if it records at all or how it sounds. Any chance you could give me a high/low end estimate on how much restoration would cost? Is it even worth it coming from DAW recording using tape machine plugins to get that sound?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

$300 is high for a machine that is in "unknown working order." If you know how to run the machine, ask if you can put a tape on and try the recording/playback functions. At that price it makes sense to spend $600 for a machine that is in excellent working condition. These days its better to buy a machine that you know works well, rather than try to fix a machine that has unknown issues, tracking down the problems can be expensive. Having a tech set up a machine like this will likely cost $75-$100+ for basic setup(if all the parts are working well). Bigger restoration jobs come in around $250-$500. You can find nice working machines like this for $400-$800. Sometimes less, if you get lucky. Regarding your last question, I'm a little unclear about what you're asking. Tape plugins have gotten pretty good. I use them often, but not exactly to replicate tape sound. To me, they are more like a treatment to soften up the hard edges of a recording. When I record to actual tape, it's usually either the first thing after the preamp and compressor(before the DAW) or as a mastering device for a final bounce to tape. Tape machines can be a steep investment, but if you choose a decent machine and good tape stock, it can be a worthwhile endeavor. However, the tape route is more about the "journey." There's usually a bit of inspiration involved in getting a great sound that you can run with. If nothing else, recording to tape can teach you a lot about the process of recording: Gain staging/levels, bouncing, and how to read a meter. More importantly, I feel, they force you to listen more to what is going to tape to begin with. Good luck!

[@donartyone3258]

Frank Olson Twins For sure. Thanks for the advice. I have a background in recording studio training. Used tape briefly in my education but never felt 100% skilled with it. I want to get a tape machine to hone in those skills and ultimately enhance my recordings. I feel like the difference may be subtle but it’s the subtleties that make the difference. I decided not go with it due to lack of the pitch knob anyways.

[@eddisc4205]

@@donartyone3258 keep an eye out for the A 3440 - IT has pitch control, but gives up mic/line mixing.

[@pascallare4189]

Which console is used in vodeo ?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Tangent model 1604a

[@Radar23]

what tape did you record to?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

MDS-36, but this machine will work well with any +3 or +6 tape, so Sm911 and SM468 will work great with it.

[@Trev0r98]

You record a bit too hot. The signals should peak at no higher than -3 db on the VU meters (Below "0"), otherwise distortion and breakup will creep in.

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

That's good advice! I did record this one hot. I think peaking at 0 is a fine starting point, too. That allows 6db of Headroom for the transients the meter can't see. I'd say running hot to tape is the trend of the past 10-15 years, but I've learned to never say never with tape. I listen to what's coming off the tape and go from there. If I hear distortion, I back off a bit. It also depends on what's coming into the DAW from the tape machine. If it's really hot and I can afford some tape headroom, I'll back off the input to tape. In my experience, no 2 engineers use tape the same way- especially nowadays.

[@Trev0r98]

@@FrankOlsonTwins I'd say -3 db, to be on the safe side. 0 db is pushing it. Those needles aren't fast enough for super-fast transients.

[@eddisc4205]

@@Trev0r98 w/modern tape, LOTS of engineers are biasing for +9 !!

[@Sunkenballs12]

@@Trev0r98depends on cal and bias

[@JohnLeaf]

100% video

[@nadasimic7230]

Šaljite odmah jedan u srbiju koji ima svoje zvučnike pojačalo u sebi i izlaze za još dva zvučnika.hvala.š

[@theedrstrangelove]

Y'all know if you have two of these and the special connector, you'll have 8 tracks. Remember, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was recorded within the limits of a four track tape recorder.

[@marcviej.5635]

really?

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Yes, you would use a "mixing console" such as the one in the video. The mixing console would be the special connector needed to layer or mix signals to make multiple tracks into stereo.