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Tascam 4-track recording device

Tascam 4-track recording device

Those of you old musicians like me (born in the ‘50s to ‘70s) probably remember home studios that include cassette tapes and playing your part of a song over and over until you got the perfect take. Usually, this was a 4-track recording device, which means (for non-musicians) that you could record four different instruments at different times and mix them all together. In the late ‘80s, I started to see and use the same format for 8-track and 16-track machines. At that time, these systems could range in price from $200 for a 4-track machine to $1,000 for a 16-track machine. The systems were all inclusive machines. By that, I mean they included ¼” inputs for the different tracks, EQs for each channel and for the overall recording, sometimes built-in reverb and delays. When you finished your recording, you would mix the recording on to a cassette tape and that was your finished product. Pretty archaic by today’s terms but seemed pretty advanced at the time.

In the early ‘90s, new digital systems started to hit the market called DAT (Digital Audio Tape) and ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape) tape recorders, which used VHS tapes (used in VCRs for all you old people) and allowed you record digitally (higher quality) and you could hook ADAT machines together until you had up to 128 tracks. These machines cost thousands of dollars at that time, so they were used mostly in studios rather than home studios. They also needed a mixing board and outboard effects systems, so they were not designed for home use. However, they were the start of the digital recording revolution that changed the game in recording.

Tascam 24-track recording device

I was pretty much absent from the music world from the mid-‘90s until about six years ago, so I can’t speak for the evolution that happened through this time. What I can tell you is that six years ago when I wanted to start recording again, I was thrilled that I didn’t have to go try to buy cassette tapes anymore. What I found was that not only had home recording equipment advanced by light years, but also the prices were much cheaper. I started out choosing a Tascam 24-track recorder with a built-in hard drive and CD-burner. This machine acted very much like the old 4-tracks in terms of plugging in an instrument or microphone and getting the EQ levels set and hitting record. However, a small LCD monitor showed all the levels and helped you scroll through all of the built-in software to add digital effects to each track. With 24 tracks, I never had trouble fitting in the instrument and vocal tracks I needed, and built-in compressors and mastering effects helped the final song sound great. When I was done, I could burn the song directly to a CD and play it in a standard CD player. All of this cost about $599, so it made for a great recording system. However, after a year, I was getting bored and had heard quite a bit about the new DAW systems.

So, from there, I decided to sell the system I had and was able to get most of my money out of it. I then moved into the 21st century and received some great advice from fellow musicians about DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation). Simply put, a DAW uses a small interface box with a USB cable coming out one end. You plug your guitar, keyboard, bass or microphone into the other end of the box, and the box magically converts your analog audio signal into computer 1’s and 0’s that flow through the USB cable into your computer. The DAW software receives the signal and records it. While that seems cool, the DAW software is where the real magic happens.

Stoner

There are many different brands of DAW software. The most popular and commonly used DAW is Pro-Tools. This software is used in most studios these days to make the magic happen. I chose a different brand of software called Cubase because it had a more open platform (files could be used on other systems easier than Pro-Tools). Other DAW programs are Cakewalk, and, of course, Apple has their own software called Garageband. All of these systems pretty much work the same. You use the hard drive of your computer to store all of your recorded tracks and finished songs. The software uses virtual mixing boards on your computer screen in order for you to mix the tracks together and add digital effects. One nice part … unlimited tracks. That’s right, you can record and mix as many tracks as you want. Pretty nice compared to the old 4-track cassette systems. The software lets you mix and master your songs on screen and then you can convert them to an .mp3 (used for all mp3 players or will play on a CD in a CD player) or a .wav file which is typically used for CDs and is a much bigger file with more robust sound than an .mp3 file.

My brother, who lives in Quincy, was able to setup the same system I had, and we were able to e-mail files back and forth to each other to record and mix full songs. Another bright spot for this system: The complete cost of the software and hardware combined costs around $200. The same cost as a 4-track cassette machine 25 years ago. I love technology!!!!!

Steve Stoner