I’m so glad I found this channel. I love these machines & have collected several of them since the 90’s. At this point they all need a little help, & it’s great to see someone brave enough to crack one open to fix things. Maybe you’ll help some of us less handy cassette fans find the courage to do some repairs.
Tetrakan! your series of 464 videos helped me immensely when i was getting started w repairing and using my machine about a year ago. stopping by with a quick question about an issue my buddy and i have been having. our 464 seems to be liable to popping and clipping at any given moment - when plugging in/out cables, moving it around, slight movements of the desk it’s on. occasionally it will just stop playing back audio and we have to give it a tap just above the screen to get it to output audio again. some of this might just be how the thing works, but part of me feels like it might be a little too janky for a piece of high quality recording gear. I was just wondering if you’d have any advice on what that might be? or potential repairs to look into? thanks a million you are the man
Thanks for watching, very glad to hear this was helpful... I will be filming the recording of some music demonstrating said capabilities in the not-too-distant future, so please stay tuned!
Thanks for this video. Bought this machine yesterday. The cassettepart wasn't working because the belt was removed. Just put in a new belt. Was an easy job. It also didn't record, the record button didn't respond. Some contact spray under the button solved that problem. It's now working again. can't wait to start recording with it, the EQ sounds very good! Very curious about your next video's on this machine
ikworgek congratulations on your purchase, I really like this model. A lot can be done to get these machines working simply by having the confidence to open them up and give the components a clean, kudos to you for having a go, I hope yours stays fixed for a long time to come but feel free to ask questions if you hit any snags, I will help if I can :)
@@Tetrakan I bought a second one yesterday, with some issues. found out that the C-gear is stuck, seems to be a common problem. After opening it up i found out that the c-gear was missing some teeth and it fell completely apart after i took it off. Heated it up with a hairdryer before removing so it came of very easy. it was almost pulverized. replacements are quite expensive on e-bay (30 euro) but i found a store in the netherlands that sells them voor 16,50 euro (about 19 euro incl shipping) can't wait to get it and to make it work again. cheers and keep up the good work in making these machines work again.
I recently unboxed my 464 after being in storage for about 20 years. Fortunately, only one knob was deformed, but the capstan belt and motor needed replacement, which apparently is another common issue. Changing the belt was pretty straightforward. The motor was hard to find but I found a refurbished one on Ebay. Without any repair experience, I wasn't able to replace the motor myself and had a professional handle it. By the way - what are your general opinions about the 488 and 688? Cheers!
Of the three 8 track cassette recorders Tascam made the 488 MkII is my favourite and the 688 is my least favourite. For me part of the beauty of working with a portastudio is the simplicity and tactile nature, and the portability - the 688 is very complicated, massive and heavy...the digital buss assignment controls are visually based and come with a steep learning curve. 488 is a good unit but the I prefer the simpler buss assignment, additional midband EQ, backlit screen and phantom power the MK II provides. Its not very portable but at least you can carry it yourself without hurting your back...the 688 is a two man lift!
Just started messing around with my model which I bought and fixed up about a year ago. I've encountered some problems with the recording process, but I'm hoping with some experience and resources like these I'll be able to figure it out and use it effectively!
Awesome, I have the 464, love it, top quality recordings (TDK SA / SA-X) question: do you know if the Tascam 424 knobs fit / replace the 464’s rubberised ones ? A few on my 464 are getting a bit sticky to the touch :-(
Haven't tried but 99 percent sure they'd fit. 424 mk ii knobs are a darker plastic but otherwise identical, so might be an even better substitute, cosmetically
@@Tetrakan That’s good to know, thank you :-) Recently picked up a Tascam Model 16, digital I know but such a great machine (modern take on the original portastudios) records 14 tracks @ once so handy for transferring the old cassette recordings :-) keep the vids coming, always impressed by what you do with these vintage cassette machines :-)
Hello sir I’m trying to find a R/P pcb assembly for this unit. It plays back 4 tracks but only records on 3 tracks. Been searching online. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated
Tascam dont do spares any more unfortunately. But the parts on that board are pretty fungible, so even if you're not set up to use signal tracing to find exactly where the signal is cutting out on the record amplifier, just replacing the electrolytic caps and opamps associat with the problem channel would be relatively cheap and easy, and based on my experience in fixing those sorts of issues the chances it'd address your problem are good.
Nice video! I was looking out to buy one of these but where I live it’s hard to find them Which models of multitrack recorders should I be looking out for? A 464, 424 and 246?
Thanks. Yeah 424 mk iii and 246 are the equal best, 464 is a close second, 424 mk ii us pretty good. 424 mk I is nice for that stuff on a desk genre ( I mean amulets, hainbach, etc) just because it does 1/4 speed and quite a small footprint.
Hey man, can you link me a reseller for this tiny little plastic module you're talking about at the end of the video? Thank you so much! Excellent overview!
Love your videos. I just bought a Tascam 464 and was wondering if you could help me learn how to record a stereo source. Would I need a TRS cable plugged into channel 6? Or a TRS to dual TS splitter into tracks 5 and 6?
There’s more than one way to do it, but say I was trying to bring the stereo outputs of my MPC live into my 464 (the MPC has 1/4” unbalanced outputs) I would just use 2 x unbalanced guitar cables - male TS to Male TS - to inputs 5 and 6, then pan them hard left and right respectively. If you give me more details on what the device is, what sort of output socket it has and whether you’re recording g the source to tape or just blending it with 4 x mono tape tracks I could be more specific?
@@Tetrakan Looking to record stereo audio from my computer. My 424 has stereo inputs so all I need is a 3.5mm to 1/4” TRS cable into input 5 to record a stereo source with that machine. I tried recording audio from my computer into input 6 of the 464 using that same cable, but it only records the right channel. Also tried inputs 8, 10, and 12 with the same result. Are 6, 8, 10, and 12 stereo when used with 5, 7, 9, and 11? Or are 6, 8, 10, and 12 supposed to be stereo independently?
Great video man, just bought the 424 mk1 and everything was working fine but one day the lid didnt stay locked down anymore, just opens up. Think is the little plastic thing that holds the lid down is maybe broken ? Any tips ? thankssss
Yeah sounds like the little plastic catch has broken off. Check the bit of plastic isn't in the little black plastic spring/socket part. If you have it you could probably use a two part glue and that'd be strong enough.
No. You’d need a three head design. And every one of the units I have torn down on this channel uses 2 heads.So far as I know, the only cassette based systems that allows for use as a delay without heavy modification are some of the Marantz PMD series portable recorders. I have a PMD 222 for that purpose. Honestly though a 2 track R2R player sounds better. I’ve got cheap digital pedals that sound better than the marantz in many ways, so don’t get hung up on analogue purism.
It's important to understand the difference between channels and tracks - the tape is divided into only four tracks, but the mixer has eight inputs when you include the two stereo channels ...so theoretically you could record 8 microphones simultaneously, but there would be compromised to the stereo image, and your ability to balance the levels of the signals after recording, does that make sense?
might be a complete beginner question, but when you talk about using this as an "analog warmer" and taking the four separate tape outputs into a DAW, are you recording the sound sources into the tape itself and then it goes from there to your DAW, or is the tape not involved? thanks!
Yes record onto cassette first. I know someone who mods these so each mixer channel has a direct out so you can use the 464 as a preamp for a sound card, and I might attempt that mod myself one day, but it’s not possible as standard to output the mixer channels directly, whereas the unit does come with 4 tape track outputs, meaning your daw would capture the characteristics of the tape medium, not just the mixer preamp.
I have a feeling you're supposed to use the 9-10 and 11-12 inputs for FX returns and the 5-6 and 7-8 for MIDI instruments when using the unit with a MIDI synchroniser
With your help I replaced the capstan belt, motor, and gear on my 464 but the record function won't engage, light up, etc. When I press play/rec the machine just plays. Ive double checked that all the wires are plugged back in properly since taking it apart. It used to record fine before belt/motor/gear failure. Any idea what to check out?
Check the record enable switch in the top left of the cassette cavity, it's designed to detect whether the record protect tab on the cassette shell has been broken off - if it's not closing properly, record won't work. It's a fragile leaf switch so it'll easily get bent up so it never closes. You can try just manipulating it with the case open, or I've heard of folks putting tape behind it or even shorting the electrical connection, bypassing the record protection altogether. Thanks for watching and good luck!
I bought one of these recently. Everything on it works perfectly except for one problem. Whether I have a guitar DI or I'm using a SM57 with a XLR cable I have to have the trim level cranked almost all of the way up in order to have the recording volume loud enough to hear it/have it show up on the meters. Not sure what could be causing this. It still records ok but I feel like it doesn't quite record as well as it would if the trim knob worked properly.
With the trim pot up you ought to be able to get the led meter to peak out and saturate the tape...it is probably worth deep cleaning the unit - sometimes grit or dirt will prevent the trim pot or fader from reaching zero ohms resistance (maximum volume). Also check for cracked solder or swollen capacitors on the effected channels.
@@Tetrakan I cleaned it out when I first noticed this problem....it does it on all 4 channels. When the trim pot is cranked up to about 90% it reaches the right volume and then above that it starts to distort like it should. So it works...it just seems odd to have to crank the trim pot that far just to get a normal recording volume. I've had a lot of portastudios and in the past I only had to have the trim knob up about 40% of the way if that to get that same volume level
Purr Snickety yeah 40% up is where I get. Aloud enough signal on mine and other units....if it’s same on all four then I’m guessing maybe an out of spec component between the channel and the meters? Sorry I can’t be more help.
Can the digital part be totally bypassed to use this just as an analog cassette recorder on tracksuit 1-4?....can the digital tracks be used like on a 424mkiii to simultaneously record a 5th virtual track onto one of the 4 tracks (in cassette recording)...can this record to type 4 cassettes?
The digital sections on these hold tape position etc and control the cassette player; there is no digital recording facility. Ive never tried type 4 tape but the bias requirements are significantly different so I suspect you'd get sub-par results and might have difficulty erasing?
Thanks, yeah that's right, sonic maximiser instead of balanced inputs. I actually made a video about that variation ruclips.net/video/b0wrXrB5_aA/видео.html
@@shawnlennon1947 hahaha thanks….there was me thinking yoko gave you the 464 and you could put me in touch with Les Claypool! Thanks for watching dude.
@@Tetrakan I gotta binge your channel. got it in the mail today and can only figure out how to record to track one. hopefully this is from something im doing wrong and I didn't get sent a busted unit. :C
I recently purchased one of these and I’m running into an issue. One of the track doesn’t erase what’s on the first track. I did a test of recording a synth onto all 4 tracks and then recorded silence onto all of them. 3 of tracks had silence and the first track still had the synth playing. Ive checked the wiring and it all seems in tact, so I assume it’s the erase head. Do you have any idea if this is the case and what can I do to fix it? Thanks!
It could be one of the four tiny internal coils or magnets in the erase head is damaged. You could establish that with Dupont wires inserted into the erase head cable header and a multimeter - if all four segments are healthy you should get electrical continuity and about 12 to 15 ohms resistance. See this video ruclips.net/video/c24Mxv13f8I/видео.html. If so, you need a replacement from another 4 track because new parts aren't manufactured any more.
Hello, I've got a "brand new" 464, but I can't seem to be able to record in direct. I've read online that the sync switch might be the issue, but I've tried with it off and it still doesn't record in direct. Whenever I switch to direct even the "digital VU meters" disappear. Do you know what that could be? Thank you!
I will try that, thank you. It does record fine otherwise though! Also if I turn sync on, pass audio through the sync in, arm direct 4, the meter reads the audio.
I did that and realized that two "cables" were unplugged. I plugged them back in and now it works! One other cable was the headphones cable which now work! Thank you so much for your support! @@Tetrakan
I have the 464 Portastudio. It is awesome. I have a scanned copy of the 464 Owners' Manual..hard to find, I know.....if anyone wants me to send them a copy, just hit me up with a message here, you're welcome!!
@tetrakan what a shame! I love the 424, but I’d love it all the more if had a few extra tracks to bounce down to, which is what I’d hoped the 464 would be. Oh well. Thanks!
I watch your videos a lot. Judging by your hint at "awful sounding music" and the tattoos, I have to assume you are perhaps a black metal musician or something similar? I would love to hear some of your music.
Thankyou for asking. My taste in music is wide but you're right i do like black metal and I spend more time listening to heavier styles of punk and metal with screaming/shouting as part of the vocal style than I do more mainstream stuff (Darkthrone, Weedeater, Converge, Slayer, Gorguts and the Jesus Lizard are a few of my favourites, but then so are Abba and the Beatles). I play a few instruments and have written music for student films and games requiring sting arrangements, synth and drumm machine parts etc, so I've got quite a wide skill-set, but when I'm writing personal music it tends to be for a rock band, combining rhythms influenced by prog and math rock, melodies and chord progressions influenced by classical music, and everything else drawn from the harsh punk/metal side of my record collection. I used to be in a band called Lapsus Linguae in the 2000s, sort of a progressive punk band with a piano in it. This song from out bandcamp is a good summary fo the different influences the band had lapsus-linguae.bandcamp.com/track/papa-shiteholez-gonna-nail-ur-eggz-2 I'm still writing material along those lines, but its for rhodes/guitar/drums as oppsoed ot piano/bass/guitar drums, and there's more of a 70s rock and fusion influence to it - I'm intending to record a lot of this using my tascam 388 and 38 for the channel eventually. An early version of one of those songs can be heard at about the 20 minute mark in this video ruclips.net/video/gJFhiO5P_kE/видео.html Thanks for watching!
I thought dbx had died in the 80's... why on eArth would these things have the circuit? *just acquired the 464 and am intrigued with its quality/budget ratios. hmmm.. I have a '84 or so Technics receiver and the programmable a/r tapedeck, and they have dbx, so I know.. playback is nice and clear with full dynamic range- provided you're just audiophiling at home, with one set. . . but unlike dolby B nr.. playing back a dbx-stamped track w/o dbx engaged on the machine it is compressed beyond listenable.. as I recall, and playing something thru the dbx which hasn't been compressed w/ it in recording, sounds all flubbery and phase-shifting like also too whacked out to hear.
Thanks for watching...it seems like you already know a lot about DBX, at least as much as me, so I'm answering for the benefit of anyone else curious who is reading really... the reason the Tascams include companding is that cassette has a narrow dynamic range (the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds ), narrower than the sort of musical material most users would want to record onto their machine (particularly when you consider that most budget musicians in the late 1970s to early 1990s probably could not afford access to dynamics processors like compressers etc) and by using DBX the dynamic range of cassette can be "expanded" to encompass the range of dynamic instruments like acoustic guitars, pianos, drum kits etc etc. I'm not an expert on the history of these technologies but I think DBX came about before dolby? In any case the first teac/tascam recorder the 144 came onto the market in 1978 or thereabouts, and DBX is the companding technology that was licensed for that product: I don't know whether they stuck with DBX for reasons of backwards compatibility or they were legally tied into it, but all the Tascams used DBX thereafter: By contract Yamaha made excellent four track cassette recorders, but they came onto the market much later, and they use dolby noise reduction. You are right that applying dolby decoding to source material which hasn't been dolby encoded and vice versa produces some odd results! But used correctly I find the results of using the DBX for home recording pleasing ( it accentuates the low-mids at the expense of sibilant high frequencies), and certainly preferable in terms of dynamic range to recording without the use of companding.
I was wrong! At the time of making the video, it'd been months since I'd had one in the workshop....so blown away by the blue plastic I idealised it I guess?
I'd pick 464 because it's much more feature rich. The only advantages I can see to the 414 is smaller footprint, and I am a sucker for the blue plastic.
There’s a point where I say the 414 is dual speed. This is a mistake - 414 mark one and mark two are both high speed (3&3/4 ips) only
Your channel is such a wealth of information. Thank you for everything you do!
Aw shucks
I’m so glad I found this channel. I love these machines & have collected several of them since the 90’s. At this point they all need a little help, & it’s great to see someone brave enough to crack one open to fix things. Maybe you’ll help some of us less handy cassette fans find the courage to do some repairs.
Absolutely awesome overview, where were you 25 years ago when I was buying my first 4 track?! Thank you for doing these vids
I have one just like it! I mainly just use it as an audio mixer now and sure as heck does the job well!
These are great units
Tetrakan! your series of 464 videos helped me immensely when i was getting started w repairing and using my machine about a year ago. stopping by with a quick question about an issue my buddy and i have been having. our 464 seems to be liable to popping and clipping at any given moment - when plugging in/out cables, moving it around, slight movements of the desk it’s on. occasionally it will just stop playing back audio and we have to give it a tap just above the screen to get it to output audio again. some of this might just be how the thing works, but part of me feels like it might be a little too janky for a piece of high quality recording gear. I was just wondering if you’d have any advice on what that might be? or potential repairs to look into? thanks a million you are the man
I had this model in the mid 90s, great memories! it was a great machine and I recorded lots of stuff with it
Awesome!! Just got one recently and this is helping me understand so much more of the capabilities of it!! Thank you!!
Thanks for watching, very glad to hear this was helpful... I will be filming the recording of some music demonstrating said capabilities in the not-too-distant future, so please stay tuned!
I used to have one of those and I regret not have it with me now, awesome 4 track recorder
Thanks for this video. Bought this machine yesterday. The cassettepart wasn't working because the belt was removed. Just put in a new belt. Was an easy job. It also didn't record, the record button didn't respond. Some contact spray under the button solved that problem. It's now working again. can't wait to start recording with it, the EQ sounds very good! Very curious about your next video's on this machine
ikworgek congratulations on your purchase, I really like this model. A lot can be done to get these machines working simply by having the confidence to open them up and give the components a clean, kudos to you for having a go, I hope yours stays fixed for a long time to come but feel free to ask questions if you hit any snags, I will help if I can :)
@@Tetrakan I bought a second one yesterday, with some issues. found out that the C-gear is stuck, seems to be a common problem. After opening it up i found out that the c-gear was missing some teeth and it fell completely apart after i took it off. Heated it up with a hairdryer before removing so it came of very easy. it was almost pulverized. replacements are quite expensive on e-bay (30 euro) but i found a store in the netherlands that sells them voor 16,50 euro (about 19 euro incl shipping) can't wait to get it and to make it work again. cheers and keep up the good work in making these machines work again.
@ARTWORKFROMEWASTE vaneck videoservice
what a great video-- thank you! super helpful!
Excellent overview of the machine, respects and thank yous!
I recently unboxed my 464 after being in storage for about 20 years. Fortunately, only one knob was deformed, but the capstan belt and motor needed replacement, which apparently is another common issue. Changing the belt was pretty straightforward. The motor was hard to find but I found a refurbished one on Ebay. Without any repair experience, I wasn't able to replace the motor myself and had a professional handle it. By the way - what are your general opinions about the 488 and 688? Cheers!
Of the three 8 track cassette recorders Tascam made the 488 MkII is my favourite and the 688 is my least favourite. For me part of the beauty of working with a portastudio is the simplicity and tactile nature, and the portability - the 688 is very complicated, massive and heavy...the digital buss assignment controls are visually based and come with a steep learning curve. 488 is a good unit but the I prefer the simpler buss assignment, additional midband EQ, backlit screen and phantom power the MK II provides. Its not very portable but at least you can carry it yourself without hurting your back...the 688 is a two man lift!
Just started messing around with my model which I bought and fixed up about a year ago. I've encountered some problems with the recording process, but I'm hoping with some experience and resources like these I'll be able to figure it out and use it effectively!
Awesome, I have the 464, love it, top quality recordings (TDK SA / SA-X) question: do you know if the Tascam 424 knobs fit / replace the 464’s rubberised ones ? A few on my 464 are getting a bit sticky to the touch :-(
The 424 mk I and 488 mk I both have the same knobs as the 464, and they all suffer from becoming gooey with age unfortunately.
@@Tetrakan So would the knobs from a 424 mk3 fit on the 464 ? Thanks for your help.
Haven't tried but 99 percent sure they'd fit. 424 mk ii knobs are a darker plastic but otherwise identical, so might be an even better substitute, cosmetically
@@Tetrakan That’s good to know, thank you :-) Recently picked up a Tascam Model 16, digital I know but such a great machine (modern take on the original portastudios) records 14 tracks @ once so handy for transferring the old cassette recordings :-) keep the vids coming, always impressed by what you do with these vintage cassette machines :-)
Hello sir I’m trying to find a R/P pcb assembly for this unit. It plays back 4 tracks but only records on 3 tracks. Been searching online. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated
Tascam dont do spares any more unfortunately. But the parts on that board are pretty fungible, so even if you're not set up to use signal tracing to find exactly where the signal is cutting out on the record amplifier, just replacing the electrolytic caps and opamps associat with the problem channel would be relatively cheap and easy, and based on my experience in fixing those sorts of issues the chances it'd address your problem are good.
@@Tetrakan Just forwarded your reply to the repairman working on the unit. Hopefully he can figure it out. Thank you for imparting the knowledge!!
Nice video! I was looking out to buy one of these but where I live it’s hard to find them Which models of multitrack recorders should I be looking out for? A 464, 424 and 246?
Thanks. Yeah 424 mk iii and 246 are the equal best, 464 is a close second, 424 mk ii us pretty good. 424 mk I is nice for that stuff on a desk genre ( I mean amulets, hainbach, etc) just because it does 1/4 speed and quite a small footprint.
Allright! Thanks a lot this helps.
Hey man, can you link me a reseller for this tiny little plastic module you're talking about at the end of the video? Thank you so much! Excellent overview!
Love your videos. I just bought a Tascam 464 and was wondering if you could help me learn how to record a stereo source. Would I need a TRS cable plugged into channel 6? Or a TRS to dual TS splitter into tracks 5 and 6?
There’s more than one way to do it, but say I was trying to bring the stereo outputs of my MPC live into my 464 (the MPC has 1/4” unbalanced outputs) I would just use 2 x unbalanced guitar cables - male TS to Male TS - to inputs 5 and 6, then pan them hard left and right respectively. If you give me more details on what the device is, what sort of output socket it has and whether you’re recording g the source to tape or just blending it with 4 x mono tape tracks I could be more specific?
@@Tetrakan Looking to record stereo audio from my computer. My 424 has stereo inputs so all I need is a 3.5mm to 1/4” TRS cable into input 5 to record a stereo source with that machine. I tried recording audio from my computer into input 6 of the 464 using that same cable, but it only records the right channel. Also tried inputs 8, 10, and 12 with the same result.
Are 6, 8, 10, and 12 stereo when used with 5, 7, 9, and 11? Or are 6, 8, 10, and 12 supposed to be stereo independently?
Great video man, just bought the 424 mk1 and everything was working fine but one day the lid didnt stay locked down anymore, just opens up. Think is the little plastic thing that holds the lid down is maybe broken ? Any tips ? thankssss
Yeah sounds like the little plastic catch has broken off. Check the bit of plastic isn't in the little black plastic spring/socket part. If you have it you could probably use a two part glue and that'd be strong enough.
Is it possible to listen back to the playback head while recording? For example if I wanted to do tape delay
No. You’d need a three head design. And every one of the units I have torn down on this channel uses 2 heads.So far as I know, the only cassette based systems that allows for use as a delay without heavy modification are some of the Marantz PMD series portable recorders. I have a PMD 222 for that purpose. Honestly though a 2 track R2R player sounds better. I’ve got cheap digital pedals that sound better than the marantz in many ways, so don’t get hung up on analogue purism.
Can we use the tracks 5.6 and 7-8 as single track? So it makes it a 6 tracks. Just try to get extra tracks :-).
It's important to understand the difference between channels and tracks - the tape is divided into only four tracks, but the mixer has eight inputs when you include the two stereo channels ...so theoretically you could record 8 microphones simultaneously, but there would be compromised to the stereo image, and your ability to balance the levels of the signals after recording, does that make sense?
might be a complete beginner question, but when you talk about using this as an "analog warmer" and taking the four separate tape outputs into a DAW, are you recording the sound sources into the tape itself and then it goes from there to your DAW, or is the tape not involved? thanks!
Yes record onto cassette first. I know someone who mods these so each mixer channel has a direct out so you can use the 464 as a preamp for a sound card, and I might attempt that mod myself one day, but it’s not possible as standard to output the mixer channels directly, whereas the unit does come with 4 tape track outputs, meaning your daw would capture the characteristics of the tape medium, not just the mixer preamp.
@@Tetrakan interesting! thanks for the response
I have a feeling you're supposed to use the 9-10 and 11-12 inputs for FX returns and the 5-6 and 7-8 for MIDI instruments when using the unit with a MIDI synchroniser
Sounds very plausible, thanks
With your help I replaced the capstan belt, motor, and gear on my 464 but the record function won't engage, light up, etc. When I press play/rec the machine just plays. Ive double checked that all the wires are plugged back in properly since taking it apart. It used to record fine before belt/motor/gear failure. Any idea what to check out?
Check the record enable switch in the top left of the cassette cavity, it's designed to detect whether the record protect tab on the cassette shell has been broken off - if it's not closing properly, record won't work. It's a fragile leaf switch so it'll easily get bent up so it never closes. You can try just manipulating it with the case open, or I've heard of folks putting tape behind it or even shorting the electrical connection, bypassing the record protection altogether. Thanks for watching and good luck!
@@Tetrakan Great solution. You're almost certainly right. I'm surprised that you didn't get a reply from the OP.
I bought one of these recently. Everything on it works perfectly except for one problem. Whether I have a guitar DI or I'm using a SM57 with a XLR cable I have to have the trim level cranked almost all of the way up in order to have the recording volume loud enough to hear it/have it show up on the meters. Not sure what could be causing this. It still records ok but I feel like it doesn't quite record as well as it would if the trim knob worked properly.
With the trim pot up you ought to be able to get the led meter to peak out and saturate the tape...it is probably worth deep cleaning the unit - sometimes grit or dirt will prevent the trim pot or fader from reaching zero ohms resistance (maximum volume). Also check for cracked solder or swollen capacitors on the effected channels.
@@Tetrakan I cleaned it out when I first noticed this problem....it does it on all 4 channels. When the trim pot is cranked up to about 90% it reaches the right volume and then above that it starts to distort like it should. So it works...it just seems odd to have to crank the trim pot that far just to get a normal recording volume. I've had a lot of portastudios and in the past I only had to have the trim knob up about 40% of the way if that to get that same volume level
Purr Snickety yeah 40% up is where I get. Aloud enough signal on mine and other units....if it’s same on all four then I’m guessing maybe an out of spec component between the channel and the meters? Sorry I can’t be more help.
Can the digital part be totally bypassed to use this just as an analog cassette recorder on tracksuit 1-4?....can the digital tracks be used like on a 424mkiii to simultaneously record a 5th virtual track onto one of the 4 tracks (in cassette recording)...can this record to type 4 cassettes?
The digital sections on these hold tape position etc and control the cassette player; there is no digital recording facility. Ive never tried type 4 tape but the bias requirements are significantly different so I suspect you'd get sub-par results and might have difficulty erasing?
my 464 is from Japan and I dont have xlr inputs. is it cause its from Japan or is it a different year maybe? great video, I learned alot.
Thanks, yeah that's right, sonic maximiser instead of balanced inputs. I actually made a video about that variation ruclips.net/video/b0wrXrB5_aA/видео.html
Sorry if you get this a lot....THE Shawn Lennon??
@@Tetrakan You're a wealth of knowledge sir! and no just a huge Lennon fan and my names Shawn. disappointing I know 🤣
@@shawnlennon1947 hahaha thanks….there was me thinking yoko gave you the 464 and you could put me in touch with Les Claypool! Thanks for watching dude.
@@Tetrakan I gotta binge your channel. got it in the mail today and can only figure out how to record to track one. hopefully this is from something im doing wrong and I didn't get sent a busted unit. :C
I recently purchased one of these and I’m running into an issue.
One of the track doesn’t erase what’s on the first track. I did a test of recording a synth onto all 4 tracks and then recorded silence onto all of them. 3 of tracks had silence and the first track still had the synth playing.
Ive checked the wiring and it all seems in tact, so I assume it’s the erase head. Do you have any idea if this is the case and what can I do to fix it?
Thanks!
It could be one of the four tiny internal coils or magnets in the erase head is damaged. You could establish that with Dupont wires inserted into the erase head cable header and a multimeter - if all four segments are healthy you should get electrical continuity and about 12 to 15 ohms resistance. See this video ruclips.net/video/c24Mxv13f8I/видео.html. If so, you need a replacement from another 4 track because new parts aren't manufactured any more.
Hey are you selling any of these currently?
No, sorry. I occasionally sell stuff on UK ebay, user name tetrakansupermonobloc.
Hello, I've got a "brand new" 464, but I can't seem to be able to record in direct. I've read online that the sync switch might be the issue, but I've tried with it off and it still doesn't record in direct. Whenever I switch to direct even the "digital VU meters" disappear. Do you know what that could be? Thank you!
Remove the bottom board and check for a cracked circuit board near the screws where the circuit board attaches to the plastic case?
I will try that, thank you. It does record fine otherwise though! Also if I turn sync on, pass audio through the sync in, arm direct 4, the meter reads the audio.
I did that and realized that two "cables" were unplugged. I plugged them back in and now it works! One other cable was the headphones cable which now work! Thank you so much for your support! @@Tetrakan
@alessandrom1996 awesome, glad it's working 👍
I have the 464 Portastudio. It is awesome. I have a scanned copy of the 464 Owners' Manual..hard to find, I know.....if anyone wants me to send them a copy, just hit me up with a message here, you're welcome!!
Thanks...the owners' and service manuals for the 464 are available for free download from my wordpress site, see the video description
So I’m guessing you cannot mix down onto tracks 5-6 leaving yourself 4 free tracks?
Correct, that is NOT possible- because although the mixer has 6 channels, the cassette recorder only has 4 tracks.
@tetrakan what a shame! I love the 424, but I’d love it all the more if had a few extra tracks to bounce down to, which is what I’d hoped the 464 would be. Oh well. Thanks!
Sansui and vestax made six tracks, but if you stick with Tascam then you'd want a 488 (8 tracks)
I watch your videos a lot. Judging by your hint at "awful sounding music" and the tattoos, I have to assume you are perhaps a black metal musician or something similar? I would love to hear some of your music.
Thankyou for asking. My taste in music is wide but you're right i do like black metal and I spend more time listening to heavier styles of punk and metal with screaming/shouting as part of the vocal style than I do more mainstream stuff (Darkthrone, Weedeater, Converge, Slayer, Gorguts and the Jesus Lizard are a few of my favourites, but then so are Abba and the Beatles). I play a few instruments and have written music for student films and games requiring sting arrangements, synth and drumm machine parts etc, so I've got quite a wide skill-set, but when I'm writing personal music it tends to be for a rock band, combining rhythms influenced by prog and math rock, melodies and chord progressions influenced by classical music, and everything else drawn from the harsh punk/metal side of my record collection. I used to be in a band called Lapsus Linguae in the 2000s, sort of a progressive punk band with a piano in it. This song from out bandcamp is a good summary fo the different influences the band had lapsus-linguae.bandcamp.com/track/papa-shiteholez-gonna-nail-ur-eggz-2 I'm still writing material along those lines, but its for rhodes/guitar/drums as oppsoed ot piano/bass/guitar drums, and there's more of a 70s rock and fusion influence to it - I'm intending to record a lot of this using my tascam 388 and 38 for the channel eventually. An early version of one of those songs can be heard at about the 20 minute mark in this video ruclips.net/video/gJFhiO5P_kE/видео.html Thanks for watching!
@@Tetrakan Just saw this, had to revisit the video yet again haha. Thank you for the run down man!
@lt7114 I had hypermania at the time I wrote that, so apologies for the TLDR...
I thought dbx had died in the 80's... why on eArth would these things have the circuit? *just acquired the 464 and am intrigued with its quality/budget ratios. hmmm.. I have a '84 or so Technics receiver and the programmable a/r tapedeck, and they have dbx, so I know.. playback is nice and clear with full dynamic range- provided you're just audiophiling at home, with one set. . . but unlike dolby B nr.. playing back a dbx-stamped track w/o dbx engaged on the machine it is compressed beyond listenable.. as I recall, and playing something thru the dbx which hasn't been compressed w/ it in recording, sounds all flubbery and phase-shifting like also too whacked out to hear.
Thanks for watching...it seems like you already know a lot about DBX, at least as much as me, so I'm answering for the benefit of anyone else curious who is reading really... the reason the Tascams include companding is that cassette has a narrow dynamic range (the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds ), narrower than the sort of musical material most users would want to record onto their machine (particularly when you consider that most budget musicians in the late 1970s to early 1990s probably could not afford access to dynamics processors like compressers etc) and by using DBX the dynamic range of cassette can be "expanded" to encompass the range of dynamic instruments like acoustic guitars, pianos, drum kits etc etc. I'm not an expert on the history of these technologies but I think DBX came about before dolby? In any case the first teac/tascam recorder the 144 came onto the market in 1978 or thereabouts, and DBX is the companding technology that was licensed for that product: I don't know whether they stuck with DBX for reasons of backwards compatibility or they were legally tied into it, but all the Tascams used DBX thereafter: By contract Yamaha made excellent four track cassette recorders, but they came onto the market much later, and they use dolby noise reduction. You are right that applying dolby decoding to source material which hasn't been dolby encoded and vice versa produces some odd results! But used correctly I find the results of using the DBX for home recording pleasing ( it accentuates the low-mids at the expense of sibilant high frequencies), and certainly preferable in terms of dynamic range to recording without the use of companding.
@@Tetrakan highly interesting topic indeed, thanks for even more know on the top.
3:55 “I like the 414 MkII because it’s still dual speed.... “ wait, what??
I was wrong! At the time of making the video, it'd been months since I'd had one in the workshop....so blown away by the blue plastic I idealised it I guess?
Tetrakan Supermonobloc That blue plastic is a unique selling point isn’t it 😂
sounds stupid but if you had to choose between this and the 414 mkll?
I'd pick 464 because it's much more feature rich. The only advantages I can see to the 414 is smaller footprint, and I am a sucker for the blue plastic.
@@Tetrakan thank you, what about 464 and 424 mklll? the blue plastic aside :D
@@ozzatra7447 424 mkIII wins - backlit screen, mid controls on the effects controls. Other than that they are functionally identical.
@@Tetrakan thank you for your help 🍻
I have in of these but it's beat up. Could probably be fixed. If anyone wants it for ....$100
Im interested in buying your unit
Still got it?