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I'm really gonna show my age with this comment. I miss the old Tascam 244 Portastudio. With all of our discussions about BIAB, RB, DAW's, VST's, Ozone, Reason, Rewire, Jamstix, BFD, synths, loops, etc, etc, etc, ...... the emphasis is on what tech you're using and less about music. With the old Tascam 244 Portastudio, you didn’t have to be a “gearhead” or a “geek” to use it. There were no driver issues, software problems, confusing terminology or hardware conflicts. Just plug in a mic, record a click track from a mechanical metronome on Track 4, then pick up a guitar, hit the record button and start playing. If you needed "backing tracks" that you couldn't play, just call up a friend, tell them you had beer and weed, invite them over and tell them to bring their instrument. After a couple of Buds and a few bong hits, you slap some headphones on them, stick a mic in front of them and hit record.  The only effects I used during recording was on the guitar amp when I was playing electric guitar and then on the final mixdown when I ran all 4 tracks through a 10 band EQ and a reverb unit and into a 2 track cassette. It was a piece of cake. I got more songs recorded on that old Tascam, (30-35 originals), in a few months time than I ever recorded the rest of my life. My interest changed to live playing only and by the time I got interested in recording again, it had gotten so complicated and expensive to do so that I never got anything finished. Oh well. 
Last edited by bobcflatpicker; 12/30/12 03:02 AM.
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Bob - I'm right there with you on this one.
There was something immediate and satisfying about 4 track tape and when I listen to some of the things we recorded that way, they still sound good. Unfortunately, technology's like a drug that's hard to give up once you've tried it.
Most of my recordings now, start off as three or four tracks on PowerTracks and it's only when I've got the "groove" working and the song structure finished that I allow myself to start filling the other tracks.
Even with the stack of effects available, I find most of the time I'm only using a compressor and a reverb.
But don't ask me to give up my computer!
ROG.
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Quote:
With all of our discussions about BIAB, RB, DAW's, VST's, Ozone, Reason, Rewire, Jamstix, BFD, synths, loops, etc, etc, etc, ...... the emphasis is on what tech you're using and less about music.
This is absolutely true. I've hit on that where I spoke of whether your music technology serves you, or do you serve it. But there really is nothing to stop all of us from moving into the 'showcase' forum and chatting more about composition and critiquing each others musical outputs. Actually - PG can help here; they should open up a forum called "Writing and Composition", where the emphasis is SOLEY on music. You would know that when you take your 'tech' hat off, this is the place to go to find like-minded musicians (the same ones on the forums you already know and love) that want to talk just about the music itself, without detailed discussions on tech.
Quote:
With the old Tascam 244 Portastudio, you didn’t have to be a “gearhead” or a “geek” to use it. There were no driver issues, software problems, confusing terminology or hardware conflicts.
...and, you NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY to bring a virtual band into your living room. And you never tried to assume the role of a sophisticated recording and sound engineer with the capability to do things in your living room (or basement - don't know where you work) that could only be done previously in a large room full of VERY expensive recording equipment - sort of analogous to the size of the first computers build by IBM, and the size of the iPhone 5. Think of the size the iPhone 5 would be using the initial technology by IBM to build the early computers.
Bob - there's nothing to stop you from going back to the 'old days', except that you've eaten from the forbidden tree...thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach, and you CAN'T TURN YOUR BACK to it - you WANT it, and you're willing to pay the 'software and hardware integration' costs - e.g. LOTS OF TROUBLESHOOTING TIME. The time we spend on driver issues and software problems and hardware conflicts is due to an immature product and the lack of quality assurance and testing between different vendors software and hardware product combinations. Think about how many different software and hardware developers have written or built circuits, and never tested them end to end with RB or BB in the middle, as the brain. YOU ARE THE END TO END TESTER, finding all the system integration bugs for these vendors. And it's really not anyone's fault (well, maybe we can blame the software and developers a little; if they followed all standards and specs perfectly there might be less issues overall). These software and hardware products - software apps, drivers, 3rd party circuit boards, hardware mixers, hardware effects, PCIe cards and sound cards, and USB cards and 1394 cards,yada, yada, yada are connected in ways to each other that would be impossible for each developer/engineer to test - and the scenarios, issues, conflicts, and bugs that arise could NEVER have been anticipated in advance. Actually - from this perspective, you should be amazed that things work as well as they do.
I've accepted that to have a home studio, and to really know how to use it, I've had to become more of a technologist.
Keep this in mind:
1.) You WANT a great backing band without the need to call your friends over, and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach...not that you don't want to see them, they're just too busy to come over as frequently as you'd need them given your 'musical appetite'.
2.) You WANT the COMPLETE CONTROL of your backing band, to be able to change any musician's playing style, or voicings, or phrases...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach.
3.) You WANT to be able to record your backing band, and control the mix, and use all the advantages that a computer can provide in cutting, pasting, moving, and editing recorded music (be that analog, or MIDI)...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach
4.) You LIKE, having a bunch of like-minded musical friends from all over the world that teach, help and inspire you to learn more about music and become a better musician, and are willing to chat with you every day over the forums...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach
4.) You WANT to be able to say "there is a big learning curve to these products, and I conquered it"...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach
5.) You LIKE tinkering with your computer, and getting sophisticated software to do what you want it to.
for 'the knowledge of good and evil'As you learned about me, I've realized that
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Roger, Quote:
don't ask me to give up my computer!
I wouldn't dream of it. I would have a hard time doing without my PC too.
As far as recording music goes, it went downhill for me when I got a drum machine to replace the mechanical metronome. My next purchase was BIAB. I haven't finished a recording since. There's always some new tech, new software, new DAW.
Too many options.
I just think recording musicians were in some ways better off when computers and musicians were "mutually exclusive" to each other.
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Joe, Quote:
Keep this in mind:
1.) You WANT a great backing band without the need to call your friends over, and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach...not that you don't want to see them, they're just too busy to come over as frequently as you'd need them given your 'musical appetite'.
2.) You WANT the COMPLETE CONTROL of your backing band, to be able to change any musician's playing style, or voicings, or phrases...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach.
3.) You WANT to be able to record your backing band, and control the mix, and use all the advantages that a computer can provide in cutting, pasting, moving, and editing recorded music (be that analog, or MIDI)...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach
4.) You LIKE, having a bunch of like-minded musical friends from all over the world that teach, help and inspire you to learn more about music and become a better musician, and are willing to chat with you every day over the forums...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach
4.) You WANT to be able to say "there is a big learning curve to these products, and I conquered it"...and thanks to PG, you know it can be done, and is within your reach
5.) You LIKE tinkering with your computer, and getting sophisticated software to do what you want it to.
No, ...... I don't! (Well, ... for the most part anyway.) LOL. 
My recordings went to hell when I started trying to integrate a drum machine, ... and then later BIAB into them. (OOPS. Sorry, ... I know that's not an accepted idea on here. I know I shouldn't speak honestly.)
Things went along VERY smoothly when there were only humans and a "record" button.
That may explain why I'm such a big fan of acoustic music. I wish I'd never sold the old Tascam 244.
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Hi Bob
i had a 144 and when i got it home it had not been changed to the uk standard as they where imported from the USA so they gave me a large power supply which i have still got i made nearly 200 one man bands new orleans tunes on it and not one since using the computer,it did not go wrong once where my computer seems to have something wrong every day like yesteday it reverted to a piano sound from a trumpet sound nnd so i spent most of yesterday trying to find out what was wrong,i still don`t know
regards Dave Hoskins
i always play the right notes but not always in the right order
yuo would think i would have come up with a hit tune by now
Last edited by jazzband; 12/30/12 05:25 AM.
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...simply put, there are lots of bugs in the products once they're integrated together, and it takes an enormous amount of time to overcome them - such is the nature and plight of the early adopters - but you get to say "Hey - look what I can do"...and YOU CAN CHOOSE TO GO BACK TO THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU WORKED MORE PRODUCTIVELY - maybe you should consider doing that ? - buy a product which does one thing and does it well - perhaps you're best served by a dedicated digital recorder with only 3 or 4 buttons. there is no shame in that - especially if you want to focus on music and not technology...hek, I may do that myself soon, just to stay focused. When I hit a technical hurdle with my music - I can't walk away...that's because at heart I'm a technoogist - and I think many on this forum are also - just look at their occupations. It's no coincidence that the power users also happen to work in IT, networking, electrical engineering and audio design,
One day in the future, all the buggy stuff that bothers you about RB/BB and using MIDI will be gone, because the product will have been used enough and the bugs identified and fixed, that future users of the product will be able to focus more on the music. This has happened in every other computer area - using the Internet, the web browser, online shopping, watching video over the internet...it will happen with MIDI/DAWs/Accompaniment software eventually. I realize this doesn't help you at the present moment : )
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Joe, I think you’re missing my point. When it comes to music, I’m not a fan of electronic “aids” or effects. When I go out to hear live music, I don’t want to hear “backing tracks”. I want to hear humans, even if it’s just a solo guitar or piano. As far as the “technology” of PC’s, I’ve built most the PC’s I’ve owned. I’m also the one my friends and family call when their PC’s aren’t working. So there’s no need for me to be ashamed. Quote:
there is no shame in that
(Where the hell did that come from anyway?)
I just liked music better before electronic gimmickry became a part of it.
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I think my message came across the wrong way. I didn't mean to imply there was ever any shame at all - I was trying to express that it's actually admirable to be able to focus on your music rather than being distracted by the electronics and production.
I'm with you on all of your points. I actually view acoustic music (without electronics) as almost a 'different' animal than what happens once we introduce electronics - and it requires a level of "musicianship" and skill much more demanding in many respects than the electric and technology supported instruments. And it is irreplaceable by electronic insturments.
I do think given all the electronic imagery and distractions, we have to really work harder to stay focused on our music.
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Quote:
I wish I'd never sold the old Tascam 244.
I have a Yamaha MT3X I'd be willing to part with at either a rock-bottom price or for some flatpicking lessons. But then again - I'm not so sure you would find cassettes for it. I've actually used it only as a mixer, and never recorded with it - though if there's a rubber band mechanism inside, I'm sure with the age, it's worn out. It's sitting on top of the used Korg T1 I bought 22 years ago at 3K and never really played : )
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I have a Tascam Porta07 with power supply and manual thats headed to the trash, unless you got shipping cost covered..
Last edited by rharv; 12/30/12 07:11 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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hey - I almost had a chance at getting Bob to give me some flatpicking lessons - rescind that offer (just kidding)
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Check my edit, it wasn't a 244 .. so you still have a chance
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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"Tascam 244"? I still have the Model 144 I bought in 1979! 
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Back in the day...
Just before Tascam came out with the Portastudio there was the TEAC Model 124 SYNCASET STEREO CASSETTE DECK which allowed you to record to a cassette and then rewind and record again (dub)onto the same cassette, blending the two recordings.
Fairly high end at the time, before all the dual dubbing decks came out (soon after I bought it!).
Of course once you over dubbed it was written in stone so it was wise to copy the first and subsequent takes to a second cassette deck in case your next take was a missed take.
Then of course you had the problem of possibly speeding up or slowing down the original track if the two decks were not in perfect speed sync (which mine were not).
After a few takes ping ponging between the decks I was giving Alvin and the Chipmunks a run for their money.
Ahhh yes...the good old days!
Carkins
PS I guess you could approximate that tedious retro process by recording into RealBand,save the track to a rewritable CD, Play the CD through headphones while playing along into RB.
Rinse repeat.
No sync/latency issues but a lot of wasted time.
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There was also a 1/4" reel-to-reel version of the Portastudio, which I don't think ever went into production. Tascam decided to go the cassette route instead. The Portastudio has been reborn again - for the Ipad. http://tascam.com/product/portastudio/
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All that changed was that you can now go direct to disc, allowing you the option to not be "written in stone". You can find 8 track TASCAM direct to disc units for $75 all over the internet. I sold mine in spring for $100. Pawn shops usually have these. I know craigslist will have them too. The DP-01, like I just sold, is listed for $70 in an ad near me. SO easy to use!!!
So don't miss it. Replace it!
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Bob,
my niece married a musician who, like many of us, doesn't like to mess with the technology, he just wants to immerse himself in the music. His solution is to cultivate a friend who LOVES the technology part and who wants to be part of the local music scene. (There seems to be a never ending supply of music scene wannabes)
Through the week he works on his ideas. On the weekend he calls the techie over to record him.
He's happy. The techie is happy.
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The multitrack cassette is a rather poor sounding technology that I for one will never miss...
Tape hiss (yes, even with Dolby), limited high end, wow, flutter, limited bass response, in many instances the pitch changes as the takeup reel gets larger with tape, the loss in overdubbing, all of these anomalies have been solved via pcm digital recording.
If you don't get into using the PC or Mac for multitrack recording, there are plenty of dedicated digital decks available today that blow the old Tascam and other cassette multitrackers out of the running. And lots of 'em are as simple to use, as well.
--Mac
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Well, I started on a TEAC reel to reel 2 track machine. That was home recording for me for awhile, then I dropped the hobby when I had to return the TEAC. Many years later I 'sequenced' on my Ensoniq ESQ-1, then Ensoniq VFX-SD.
Then in roughly 1996 or so, I bought my first copy of PG PowerTracks Pro Audio and used that for a good 6-7 years.
Then I bought a copy of Computer Music magazine at Borders and on the cover CD was a freebie DAW called CMuzys, along with a raft of freebie plugins.
Guess what, some of those freebie plugins let me relive playing electromechanical keyboards that I played live in the 80's, which was before I was doing the recording on the TEAC.
These days, I have those same kinds of keyboards available to me in my pocket in my iPhone - SERIOUSLY good emulations and surprisingly playable even on the dinky iPhone screen.
They are in Garageband in the iPhone, which will function just peachy as a good ol 4-track (and more) audio only recorder if you want to use it that way. Even the mic in the iPhone is serviceable. So, if you have an iPhone or iTouch and a spare 5$, you can have your portastudio back if you want it.
So, while we may pine for the old days, the new technology in some respects allows us to relive and repurpose the good of the old technology.
-Scott
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