Dont forget, all of these tracks operate as a sub mixer essentially. So you can throw in room mics or any kind of craziness across any of the 8 channels and assign them to a single track to record to. Or you can keep instruments connected independently to their own line in, and just assign as you go so you don't need to plug in to 5 to record to 5 etc. It's a fun machine! but.. (im glad I switched to a different one) The tracks just feel smoother on a 4 track.
And the Tascam 8 tracks split each signal on the head resulting in less fidelity per track, compared to a 4-track. Just something to think about, between the 8 and 4. The 8 doesn’t ‘sound’ better, it just allows you to not bounce so much/keep more separated tracks.
I just had mine refurbished to work on old projects. I used to stripe tk 8 with a sempte code which then drove my sequencer that drove my drum and keys via midi patch bay. I never printed drums or keys on the 488, then mixed the printed audio and the synced digital through a sub mixer to a stereo deck. Now I’m dumping all the printed audio into pro tools and adding drums/ keys through p/t and plug ins. Quite the adventure
Cool! The 488 came out a year after I bought my 646. I was tempted to buy it but I just didn't have the money for it. Hope it works out well for you. I have a 388 (which is pretty much the same thing only without the mixing console), I need to find someone to work on it because the speed is off.
Unfortunately I don’t feel like it’s going to revolutionize my recording set up the way that I thought it would. I’m not giving up hope on it and maybe I just need more time to get used to it.
Awesome vid as always! We recorded our whole self-titled album on this machine and loved it :) I think the issue you ran into had something to do with how you recorded the first 4 tracks with the "input assign" switch perhaps? I always just set that switch to "mix" whenever recording. I've never set it to group 1, 2, etc. I just set it to "mix" and the panning you did for tracks 5 forward. It's an odd design but once you use it lots it becomes easy
Thanks so much for the video! I'm actually looking at the same model, with tracks 4 and 8 overwriting each other. I wonder if it's the same one or if it's just a common issue? Just curious if you ever found a solution to the problem, or if I've come into possession of your machine 😂
If I remember correctly, if you engage SMPTE time stripe for sync to MIDI then it gets printed to Channel 8. However, I may not remember correctly! Got rid of mine 20 years ago. (Also, I cannot recall that it interfered with Channel 4, but it would make sense if it was the "twin" channel on the other side of the tape.)
@@jasonelambeth You'd want it off, if you don't have it connected to a MIDI interface that will take smpte code input. I had mine synced to a sequencer for synths!
@@jasonelambeth Yea, that exact Transistor is hard to find and expensive because its well known, but you can probably find another with the same specs and build it for $30. They also have a bunch of clones on Reverb. Having the original can be nice though.
Have a 488 for the last two months …love it .. recently it stopped being able to play cassettes that I’ve recorded over a few times. I’m wondering if it’s some sort of protection from ruining the tape entirely as a degrades?
Oh man, I have no idea! When I first got mine I tried using an old mixtape that was made on a type 2 tape. I erased what was on there and started from scratch, but it sounded awful. So, I put in a brand new tape and it worked much better. Might have just been my tape, but now I wonder if it was because it had been recorded on a few times as well.
@@jasonelambeth at any rate thanks for getting back to me. I bought a bunch of brand new tapes and still no luck so I guess my journey continues. I’m not really a mechanically inclined person so I’m hoping it’s nothing crazy to fix but thanks again
I've been looking forward to this ever since you mentioned it in the Discord. More tracks is a nice thing but it can be too much at the same time. I liked the result nevertheless, great job on this song!
Thanks man! Yeah, especially on my demos, I like to keep it 4-8 tracks. So, I thought this would be perfect. Still have a lot of work to do to get better with it!
Had one of these in the day. Used to sequence synths on an Atari 1080STE then drop those on tracks 1+2 and use the remaining tracks for guitars and vocals this has been a trip down memory lane for me.
Oh yeah, definitely familiar with Nebraska. Didn’t realize a Tascam was used to record Monster. Big REM fan and never knew! Also big fan of Guided by Voices when they were recording on 4tracks. Definitely a big inspiration to keep the Tascams around.
@@jasonelambeth There's a documentary that shows the making of Monster. They're seen tracking to a Tascam 8 track cassette, if memory serves me right, they were still using a big professional mixing desk with it (maybe for eq, compression, sub-mixes?). I wouldn't be surprised if they finished off the album in a studio with pro gear. But you didn't see that in the doco.
i dont know the unit butt can y d0 like 3 tracks 0r 4 tracks then bounce it 0ver t0 8 things like that? i think if i heard once that this unit is 8 case it splits each track t0 come up with 8 tracks ?
You are correct. The recording head, divides a regular 4-track head into 8, therefore, the fidelity per each of the 8 tracks is a little drop in quality per track, compared to a 4-track recording head.
Try not to record click tracks too loud. Turn down the trim. Use fader volume for better monitoring. Click tracks are prone to burn into tape, remanence, traces will be left behind. This is simply a downfall of recording on cassette. The tape is only 1/8th wide. High frequencies saturate the tape.
I had both versions of the 488 (the MKII as well). i still have the MKII. I think there is a slide switch on the back of the machine for grouping tracks. Also might be a sync track slide switch. Do some test.
@@100chuckjones Thanks for all the tips! I am prone recording things too loudly and burn up the tape as you noted. I will work on it! I'm excited to get down to the basement and do some more experimenting with this machine. Thanks again!
So? People have been working using tapes since about 50 years ago. It’s not difficult at all if you have the skill and talent. DAW simply makes people lazy and have the ability to turn lack of skills to thrive.
I think recording in general is a fun hobby. DAW, tape, it doesn’t matter to me. I like the limitations of these old machines though and I like the sound of them too. Anyway, have a great day!
Download the demo here (no paywall!):
www.patreon.com/posts/get-lost-7-track-98455066
i am very afraid of stumbling into a 688 and leaving my 488 collecting dust because i love it.
That’s kinda how I’m feeling about my 424. I gave it some love this week though and recorded on it.
@@jasonelambeth haha i am still looking for ways to include the 424 in everything
@@helluvakhai haha it’s the best!
Nice track and it was fun to see your recording process!
Thanks so much! Big fan of your channel!
@@jasonelambeth Thanks very much! 🙏
Dont forget, all of these tracks operate as a sub mixer essentially. So you can throw in room mics or any kind of craziness across any of the 8 channels and assign them to a single track to record to. Or you can keep instruments connected independently to their own line in, and just assign as you go so you don't need to plug in to 5 to record to 5 etc. It's a fun machine! but.. (im glad I switched to a different one) The tracks just feel smoother on a 4 track.
Okay, yes, I need to try the assigning thing! Thanks for that tip, because I did totally forget about it!
I was gonna mention the same thing! Thanks!
@@stevebeye1585 gotta try this method next time I break out the machine!
And the Tascam 8 tracks split each signal on the head resulting in less fidelity per track, compared to a 4-track. Just something to think about, between the 8 and 4. The 8 doesn’t ‘sound’ better, it just allows you to not bounce so much/keep more separated tracks.
@@stevebeye1585 yeah, it’s kinda insane to think about that tiny tape being spilt into 8 tracks.
I just had mine refurbished to work on old projects. I used to stripe tk 8 with a sempte code which then drove my sequencer that drove my drum and keys via midi patch bay. I never printed drums or keys on the 488, then mixed the printed audio and the synced digital through a sub mixer to a stereo deck. Now I’m dumping all the printed audio into pro tools and adding drums/ keys through p/t and plug ins. Quite the adventure
Wow, that does sound like quite the adventure! 🤯🤯🤯
Cool! The 488 came out a year after I bought my 646. I was tempted to buy it but I just didn't have the money for it. Hope it works out well for you. I have a 388 (which is pretty much the same thing only without the mixing console), I need to find someone to work on it because the speed is off.
Unfortunately I don’t feel like it’s going to revolutionize my recording set up the way that I thought it would. I’m not giving up hope on it and maybe I just need more time to get used to it.
The mix slowly descending in the Timelapse was pretty funny ngl. But this is a really nice track!
Hahaha That was my favorite part of the video! And thank you!!
Watching it again😆
Ahhh 😊😊
great stuff! love it
Thanks so much!
Awesome vid as always! We recorded our whole self-titled album on this machine and loved it :) I think the issue you ran into had something to do with how you recorded the first 4 tracks with the "input assign" switch perhaps? I always just set that switch to "mix" whenever recording. I've never set it to group 1, 2, etc. I just set it to "mix" and the panning you did for tracks 5 forward. It's an odd design but once you use it lots it becomes easy
I will definitely give the input assign switch a shot! Thanks so much.
Definitely a fan of your channel!!
Memories of the BR-600. Love this video. Song is catchy.
Thanks so much, it's definitely a work in progress. I had never even heard of the BR-600. Looks like a fun machine!
such a nice video, I hah a gréât time watching you session !
Thanks so much, appreciate you watching!
Thanks so much for the video! I'm actually looking at the same model, with tracks 4 and 8 overwriting each other. I wonder if it's the same one or if it's just a common issue? Just curious if you ever found a solution to the problem, or if I've come into possession of your machine 😂
@@regard321 🤣 No, it’s not my machine! I still haven’t figured it out though either. I usually just stop at 7 tracks and call it a day.
Really nice song and it s nice to watch all the process, how it s fun and not easy! Thanks 🎉
Thanks Guil! Definitely not easy!! 😭😂😭
If I remember correctly, if you engage SMPTE time stripe for sync to MIDI then it gets printed to Channel 8.
However, I may not remember correctly! Got rid of mine 20 years ago.
(Also, I cannot recall that it interfered with Channel 4, but it would make sense if it was the "twin" channel on the other side of the tape.)
Ohhhh I might have actually turned that off instead of engaging it. I will take a look and give it another shot soon. Thanks so much!!
@@jasonelambeth You'd want it off, if you don't have it connected to a MIDI interface that will take smpte code input. I had mine synced to a sequencer for synths!
@@Markleford Oh, okay. I definitely had it turned off. Such a weird little snafu, but it's not the end of the world. Thanks for clarifying!
I like the idea of running the Bows into this unit, some good ole germanium grit into real tape.
Heck yeah! That is probably my favorite pedal ever. It’s my secret sauce.
@@jasonelambeth Yea, its a really simple pedal, finding a good germanium transistor for it is the only hard part. I might build one.
@@masterofreality230 I live in fear of mine dying on me. They were so cheap when I bought mine and now they are crazy expensive.
@@jasonelambeth Yea, that exact Transistor is hard to find and expensive because its well known, but you can probably find another with the same specs and build it for $30. They also have a bunch of clones on Reverb. Having the original can be nice though.
@@masterofreality230 wow, I had no idea. Thanks for the knowledge!!
Have a 488 for the last two months …love it .. recently it stopped being able to play cassettes that I’ve recorded over a few times. I’m wondering if it’s some sort of protection from ruining the tape entirely as a degrades?
Oh man, I have no idea! When I first got mine I tried using an old mixtape that was made on a type 2 tape. I erased what was on there and started from scratch, but it sounded awful. So, I put in a brand new tape and it worked much better. Might have just been my tape, but now I wonder if it was because it had been recorded on a few times as well.
@@jasonelambeth at any rate thanks for getting back to me. I bought a bunch of brand new tapes and still no luck so I guess my journey continues. I’m not really a mechanically inclined person so I’m hoping it’s nothing crazy to fix but thanks again
@@BrianOboylemusic Bummer that it wasn’t a simple fix for you. I’m not mechanically inclined either, so I get it. I hope you figure it out!
@@jasonelambeth thanks dude !
I've been looking forward to this ever since you mentioned it in the Discord. More tracks is a nice thing but it can be too much at the same time. I liked the result nevertheless, great job on this song!
Thanks man! Yeah, especially on my demos, I like to keep it 4-8 tracks. So, I thought this would be perfect. Still have a lot of work to do to get better with it!
@@jasonelambeth it's all about practice and getting comfy with the machine
@@YellowJelloMusic you're right, you're right!
Had one of these in the day. Used to sequence synths on an Atari 1080STE then drop those on tracks 1+2 and use the remaining tracks for guitars and vocals this has been a trip down memory lane for me.
That’s sounds like some good times!
Ah this brings back the memories of messing about with my 464 once upon a time. :)
I hope it’s nothing but good memories!
Hey even a couple of big albums were recorded on cassette multitask back in the 80s/90s. Bruce Springsteen's Nevraska and REM's Monster come to mind
Oh yeah, definitely familiar with Nebraska. Didn’t realize a Tascam was used to record Monster. Big REM fan and never knew! Also big fan of Guided by Voices when they were recording on 4tracks. Definitely a big inspiration to keep the Tascams around.
@@jasonelambeth There's a documentary that shows the making of Monster. They're seen tracking to a Tascam 8 track cassette, if memory serves me right, they were still using a big professional mixing desk with it (maybe for eq, compression, sub-mixes?). I wouldn't be surprised if they finished off the album in a studio with pro gear. But you didn't see that in the doco.
i dont know the unit butt can y d0 like 3 tracks 0r 4 tracks then bounce it 0ver t0 8 things like that? i think if i heard once that this unit is 8 case it splits each track t0 come up with 8 tracks ?
Typically you can record up to individual 8 tracks on these. Mine is broken though and I can only record up to 7.
You are correct. The recording head, divides a regular 4-track head into 8, therefore, the fidelity per each of the 8 tracks is a little drop in quality per track, compared to a 4-track recording head.
i did not register there was a green screen behind you. i thought it was a big ass tascam.
Hahaha! I wish!!
Awesome Jason! Now I gotta find a 488😂 Thomas
Hahaha let me know when you get one and we can commiserate over how much of a pain they are. 😂
@@jasonelambethDefinitely I will! I saw that! You’re a trooper!
@@NorthAnchor I’m trying my friend! 😆
👍
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Try not to record click tracks too loud. Turn down the trim. Use fader volume for better monitoring.
Click tracks are prone to burn into tape, remanence, traces will be left behind. This is simply a downfall of recording on cassette. The tape is only 1/8th wide. High frequencies saturate the tape.
I had both versions of the 488 (the MKII as well). i still have the MKII. I think there is a slide switch on the back of the machine for grouping tracks. Also might be a sync track slide switch. Do some test.
@@100chuckjones Thanks for all the tips! I am prone recording things too loudly and burn up the tape as you noted. I will work on it! I'm excited to get down to the basement and do some more experimenting with this machine. Thanks again!
Bring up the volume on your vocal, i barely can hear what your saying,
@@paserpase2870 cool! Will do, thanks!
You need a 688 midi studio you will never use the 488 again
I always forget about the 688. It looks like such a cool machine.
So? People have been working using tapes since about 50 years ago. It’s not difficult at all if you have the skill and talent. DAW simply makes people lazy and have the ability to turn lack of skills to thrive.
I think recording in general is a fun hobby. DAW, tape, it doesn’t matter to me. I like the limitations of these old machines though and I like the sound of them too. Anyway, have a great day!
@@jasonelambethexactly!
So it's interesting. Calm down.
@@TheHonestPeanut thanks Peanut!