DAWless is where it's at man. I have enjoyed a few of your videos about standalone units and can relate as a fellow recording artist. I still use my cassette 4 track as well as a DP-006, Model 12 and 24. I find that using these devices forces you to plan, think ahead, focus on the music and your process/technique rather than get lost in plugins and staring at waveforms on a screen. I started this journey back in the 80s and 90s with a cassette recorder and progressed to using a computer in the late 90s early 2000s. While there is tremendous power and capabilities using a DAW, I avoid them these days and use them mainly as a way to do a final post production for digital release. Have you ever thought about using a HiFi stereo VHS for mixdown or bounce? They are a great, cost effective alternative to reel to reel for the home studio!
Love this. I feel exactly the same way: I know there's more power in a DAW, but I simply prefer (and IMO, respond better to) the workflow in multitrackers. I'm seeing it now, as I work toward "done" on these songs... I'm planning, taking care with my source sounds, and focusing most on performances. That's how I'd behave if I had a team of engineers handling the recording and production. I'll never have that life, but DAWless helps me adopt a similar perspective. I have thought about mixing/bouncing to VHS! I'm considering whether to use one on this project... it will depend on how much I can cram into the open tracks on the 424 :)
@@JordanSeal Yes, focusing on the performance I feel is lost in modern productions because it's so easy to just stop or undo something. Because of this, I feel there is a lack of focus on execution and playing it right. When the tape is rolling, there is a sense of urgency, inherently. Everything I do is done live in one take, even if it's done in the digital domain. If it's not right, I do it again until it is. Good job on these videos, I'll be curious if the VHS thing happens. The audio quality is excellent, but still analog. It's especially great for bouncing from the cassette because there is little generational loss with the added benefit of having a fail safe to go back to your previous tracks on the cassette if the mixdown doesn't come out the way you like (provided you have enough cassette tape to spare)
Hey man, I love your videos. You are such a nice man, and you inspire me so much . Yesterday I ordered my first 4-track recorder. I went with a Tascam 424mk3. Thank you for letting me in on your music. Love it. God bless you brother
Thank you for this comment, and I'm glad you found my channel! Good luck with the 424mkiii... they're great devices! I've loved this project with my 424mkii, in spite of (and maybe because of) the quirks of cassettes.
You’re one of the best channels on RUclips that actually shows how to make something that isn’t electronic dance music with all these different Tascams.
One thing that I didn't hear you mention is that if you open a new tape and you record with it and rewind it a bunch of times then the tape will gradually stretch out, which will lower the pitch. Then if after awhile you want to go add new parts to a song you will need to adjust the tape speed to run slightly faster so that your new tracks will be in tune with the older ones. Ask me how I know ;) One other tip is to use a patch bay instead of plugging everything directly into the inputs on the back. It saves wear and tear on the jacks and it's easier to make changes and see what you have hooked up. But I love my 424 mk iii. I just love what it does to bass frequencies. I'm glad that other people are (re)discovering them.
Hey Jordan; thank you for posting. I too have (2) 424 Portastudios that I use. Once all 4 tracks are filled on Portastudio number one; I sub-mix those four tracks onto Portastudio number two and at the same time I will add maybe another guitar part or a tambourine for example. This is how The Beatles recorded before that got 4 or more track machines at Abbey Road. It's a slower and more thoughtful process for us, because we are wearing a few hats...not only are we the musicians, but we are also the sound engineer, setting levels and arranging mics, we're also arranging the songs and trying to anticipate the lay out of tracks; we're also the tape operators etc. It is slower but it is a labor of love and creativity. Oh; and don't forget about the tape drop outs or the clogged heads that need cleaning etc. Peace, Sal
Thanks Sal. I used to have a 2nd multitracker for exactly that setup... and I bought it because of stories about the Beatles' sessions. A part of me wishes I had it back! That's a great observation, about the number of roles we play. I used to resent the time spent moving mics, checking levels, etc. Now, I enjoy the challenge and have an upswelling of DIY pride when I get it right. Sometimes, that pride is what keeps us going... and I'm grateful for it.
Back in the days when bouncing 2 or 3 tracks into one, I used to send the main monitor output into a compressor and record on the 4th track with compression. This way I could balance and "glue" the parts, mainly drums and bass. If you have any outboard compressor, even a very cheap one, it will help with dynamics and reduce tape hiss. I still have my Yamaha MT3X 4-track recorder purchased back in 1987 :)
That's great advice... I have a small outboard compressor and may try it. Were you compressing the whole bounced signal, or just adding in some parallel compression?
Cool. I need to improve my timing before I experiment with tape. The way you use what you have - space, equipment, talent, etc.- to make music is inspiring to me. Why is it when I golf I have no illusions that I should be Tiger Woods. But when I record, I expect I should be "radio quality" and feel bad or I am wasting my time on a silly hobby if I am not? I need to just play, learn and enjoy the journey like you do. FWIW. Rant.
I can relate to those feelings... and to the difficulty of changing your own mind and expectations. For me, it helped to make the process really personal... to write songs for myself, and to use specific gear that I used when I was a teenager, and to worship the crude magic that I heard in music before I knew anything about how it was made. It's been a weird journey, and uncomfortably selfish. But it's helped me recover a sense of who I am, and what I like... and some of the childlike wonder I had when I was starting out. ... all that FWIW, YMMV, etc. Everyone's journey is different, and not everyone would be happy making lofi retro rock 😂 But you're not alone in your search.
🤣 I wish! ... not really 😁 I'm glad to be a child of the late 1980s. If I'd been born in 1996 (like this model of the 424), I would have missed the cassette era altogether!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
DAWless is where it's at man. I have enjoyed a few of your videos about standalone units and can relate as a fellow recording artist. I still use my cassette 4 track as well as a DP-006, Model 12 and 24. I find that using these devices forces you to plan, think ahead, focus on the music and your process/technique rather than get lost in plugins and staring at waveforms on a screen. I started this journey back in the 80s and 90s with a cassette recorder and progressed to using a computer in the late 90s early 2000s. While there is tremendous power and capabilities using a DAW, I avoid them these days and use them mainly as a way to do a final post production for digital release. Have you ever thought about using a HiFi stereo VHS for mixdown or bounce? They are a great, cost effective alternative to reel to reel for the home studio!
Love this. I feel exactly the same way: I know there's more power in a DAW, but I simply prefer (and IMO, respond better to) the workflow in multitrackers. I'm seeing it now, as I work toward "done" on these songs... I'm planning, taking care with my source sounds, and focusing most on performances. That's how I'd behave if I had a team of engineers handling the recording and production. I'll never have that life, but DAWless helps me adopt a similar perspective.
I have thought about mixing/bouncing to VHS! I'm considering whether to use one on this project... it will depend on how much I can cram into the open tracks on the 424 :)
@@JordanSeal Yes, focusing on the performance I feel is lost in modern productions because it's so easy to just stop or undo something. Because of this, I feel there is a lack of focus on execution and playing it right. When the tape is rolling, there is a sense of urgency, inherently. Everything I do is done live in one take, even if it's done in the digital domain. If it's not right, I do it again until it is. Good job on these videos, I'll be curious if the VHS thing happens. The audio quality is excellent, but still analog. It's especially great for bouncing from the cassette because there is little generational loss with the added benefit of having a fail safe to go back to your previous tracks on the cassette if the mixdown doesn't come out the way you like (provided you have enough cassette tape to spare)
Hey man, I love your videos. You are such a nice man, and you inspire me so much . Yesterday I ordered my first 4-track recorder. I went with a Tascam 424mk3. Thank you for letting me in on your music. Love it. God bless you brother
Thank you for this comment, and I'm glad you found my channel! Good luck with the 424mkiii... they're great devices! I've loved this project with my 424mkii, in spite of (and maybe because of) the quirks of cassettes.
You’re one of the best channels on RUclips that actually shows how to make something that isn’t electronic dance music with all these different Tascams.
One thing that I didn't hear you mention is that if you open a new tape and you record with it and rewind it a bunch of times then the tape will gradually stretch out, which will lower the pitch. Then if after awhile you want to go add new parts to a song you will need to adjust the tape speed to run slightly faster so that your new tracks will be in tune with the older ones. Ask me how I know ;)
One other tip is to use a patch bay instead of plugging everything directly into the inputs on the back. It saves wear and tear on the jacks and it's easier to make changes and see what you have hooked up.
But I love my 424 mk iii. I just love what it does to bass frequencies. I'm glad that other people are (re)discovering them.
Thanks man - very inspiring
Hey Jordan; thank you for posting. I too have (2) 424 Portastudios that I use. Once all 4 tracks are filled on Portastudio number one; I sub-mix those four tracks onto Portastudio number two and at the same time I will add maybe another guitar part or a tambourine for example. This is how The Beatles recorded before that got 4 or more track machines at Abbey Road. It's a slower and more thoughtful process for us, because we are wearing a few hats...not only are we the musicians, but we are also the sound engineer, setting levels and arranging mics, we're also arranging the songs and trying to anticipate the lay out of tracks; we're also the tape operators etc. It is slower but it is a labor of love and creativity. Oh; and don't forget about the tape drop outs or the clogged heads that need cleaning etc. Peace, Sal
Thanks Sal. I used to have a 2nd multitracker for exactly that setup... and I bought it because of stories about the Beatles' sessions. A part of me wishes I had it back!
That's a great observation, about the number of roles we play. I used to resent the time spent moving mics, checking levels, etc. Now, I enjoy the challenge and have an upswelling of DIY pride when I get it right. Sometimes, that pride is what keeps us going... and I'm grateful for it.
Back in the days when bouncing 2 or 3 tracks into one, I used to send the main monitor output into a compressor and record on the 4th track with compression. This way I could balance and "glue" the parts, mainly drums and bass. If you have any outboard compressor, even a very cheap one, it will help with dynamics and reduce tape hiss. I still have my Yamaha MT3X 4-track recorder purchased back in 1987 :)
That's great advice... I have a small outboard compressor and may try it. Were you compressing the whole bounced signal, or just adding in some parallel compression?
Cool. I need to improve my timing before I experiment with tape. The way you use what you have - space, equipment, talent, etc.- to make music is inspiring to me. Why is it when I golf I have no illusions that I should be Tiger Woods. But when I record, I expect I should be "radio quality" and feel bad or I am wasting my time on a silly hobby if I am not? I need to just play, learn and enjoy the journey like you do. FWIW. Rant.
I can relate to those feelings... and to the difficulty of changing your own mind and expectations. For me, it helped to make the process really personal... to write songs for myself, and to use specific gear that I used when I was a teenager, and to worship the crude magic that I heard in music before I knew anything about how it was made. It's been a weird journey, and uncomfortably selfish. But it's helped me recover a sense of who I am, and what I like... and some of the childlike wonder I had when I was starting out.
... all that FWIW, YMMV, etc. Everyone's journey is different, and not everyone would be happy making lofi retro rock 😂 But you're not alone in your search.
That's a really point! Never actually thought about it that way before...
That tape machine is older than you are!
🤣 I wish!
... not really 😁 I'm glad to be a child of the late 1980s. If I'd been born in 1996 (like this model of the 424), I would have missed the cassette era altogether!