Here's a run through of how I start off a mix on an 8 track cassette portastudio. Check out my multitrack cassette recording group here - / 374907983855233
That sound from the play and rewind buttons are bringing back some memories. I used to use one of these about 20 years ago. I don't remember it ever sounding this good though
Really cool video! I just picked up a 488 mkII on ebay to augment/replace my ageing four track Porta02, starting to get to grips with it, been having fun using an old Memory Man analogue guitar delay box in the effects send/return :) Thanks for posting this excellent wee tutorial!
Wow great song and great 8 track recorder! I was a bit skeptical that 8 tracks on a cassette would make the grade but not any more... might have to get on to keep my tascam 424mkii company!
Many thanks, Peter! Yes it’s surprising that they managed to get the 8 track recorders to work so well on cassette, it’s partly to do with the staggered heads I believe. I’m sure your 424mkII would love the company!
Brilliant, glad you’re watching lots of the tutorial! It’s an impressive bit of kit, especially considering the narrow width of tape. I always keep the dbx on which helps to get a clean signal.
@wehappyfewmusic do you master on your Mac? Sounds great as is, but maybe a final master might make it even better. Even the Beatles re master in digital from their tape recordings.... cheers.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you! I recently did an in depth tutorial on this machine which covers that. Here’s the link for you. TASCAM 488 MKII - Step by Step Tutorial - 8 Track Cassette Recorder ruclips.net/video/qyYQLt_m5DI/видео.html
great job, just subscribed. i have the 4 track version of this awesome machine but i always get tape hiss when i record on it. does this happen to you? how did you get your mix so clean? you really nailed the essence of all the good sounds of this machine with none of the bad ones... i need to really work on that. thanks for sharing :)
Thanks you for having a listen and much appreciated! I usually keep the dbx switched on which helps a lot with the hiss (also do the same on my 424). I then just aim to get a good noise to signal ratio while tracking.
Hi, great to hear you like the mix! Yes, it just uses regular type II cassette tapes but the heads are staggered which helps to retain the quality. It’s amazing they could do it with such a narrow width.
I genuinely dig your recordings. How do you do your drums? Are they an acoustic set recorded live with multiple mics, or just a minimum of mics? Or do you use a drum machine or electronic drums? Your recordings sound fantastic and I’m looking to get back into analog tape recording. Thank you in advance for your answer!!!
Thanks so much! I record drums in various ways depending on the track and where I’m recording. This is programmed drums but when I record live I rarely use more than 4 mics.
have been enjoying your videos a lot all afternoon. wondering if you could tell me what’s the difference between the mkii and mki of these 8track recorders. thinking on getting one for myself. (atm i own 404 mkiii) cheers
Thanks for checking out some more videos! Sound quality wise there’s not much between the 488 and 488mkII to my ears. The main differences are the extra features on the mk2 which includes 3 band eq, phantom power, backlit LCD meter bridge and a few more ins and outs on the mixer.
Any update on that Tascam 488mkii full in depth tutorial? Bouncing , erasing , ping pong etc I can’t find any vids on the 488 mkii. I think you’ll do it justice thanks !
Thanks for commenting and great to hear you like the drum sound. I submixed the drums then and sent them to track 8 to keep as much detail as possible, although the ping pong method is a valid one too. 👍
Hi. Own a 488 and can only export 4 tracks at a time. On the 448Mk2 can you export all 8 tracks? I's consider buying a 488Mk2 so I can convert my 488 tracks, all 8 to digital, rather than just 4. Love the channel. Hi from Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA.
Hi I believe you can get 8 separate outputs on the 488 mk1. There’s an article on the homerecording website here homerecording.com/bbs/threads/how-to-get-all-8-separate-tracks-together-out-of-the-tascam-488.338002/
I don’t think you can sync three units, but you can sync the 488 to one other device. You’d need a midi sync box attached to the sync out on track 8, and you have to ‘stripe’ (record) a sync tone. This then gets converted into to midi data by the sync box and you can link with a midi sequencer/DAW.
Hey many thanks for having a listen! Yes it’s a hardware unit by behringer ( virtualizer FX2000). They’re pretty cheap as well but have several great settings in my opinion.
Hi, here’s the procedure from the manual which breaks the ping pong technique down. In this example, we will combine material from tracks 1-4 onto track 8. 1. Set all the channels' INPUT ASSIGN switches to the center/OFF position. 2. Turn the TAPE control on channels 1-4 all the way to the left/MIX. 3. Turn the channels' PAN controls all the way to the right/EVEN. 4. Press the assign"3-4"switchonchannels1-4. 5. Raise the master"3-4"fader to 7. 6. Press the MONITOR "GROUP 4" switch, and make sure all other MONITOR switches (CUE, GROUP 1-3) are OFF. 7. Press the RECORD FUNCTION switch for track 8. The REC 8 indicator will start blinking in the meter window, indicating the track is in Rec Ready mode. 8. Press play. 9. Use channel faders 1 through 4 to make any necessary level adjustments. You may want to repeat this step several times to get the balance correct 10. When the balance is right and the level is peaking at no more than +6 on the TRACK 8 meter, stop and rewind the tape to the beginning of the track. 11. Hold RECORD and press PLAY. The REC 8 indicator that was blinking will turn on solid and track 8 will record a copy of what is on tracks 1-4. 12. You'll hear the mix being recorded on track 8 in the headphones. 13. Once the recording is done, press STOP. 14. The REC 8 indicator will now be blinking as before. Turn that off by pressing the RECORD FUNCTION switch for track 8.
@@wehappyfewmusic Ah that's great, thanks alot! Just wondering about one more question, when turning all the pan knobs to the right to bounce, does that mean it eventually all becomes mono on that one track?
@@wehappyfewmusic I just ran into another problem with the MKII. I can't bounce tracks 1 - 4 to tracks 5-7 but only 8. Is this a thing? I could only solve the problem to re-record the bounce from 8 to 7 and clear 8, but I think that may also cause some loss in fidelity. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
That sound from the play and rewind buttons are bringing back some memories. I used to use one of these about 20 years ago. I don't remember it ever sounding this good though
It’s interesting how certain sounds can take you back, thanks for checking out the video!
Really cool video! I just picked up a 488 mkII on ebay to augment/replace my ageing four track Porta02, starting to get to grips with it, been having fun using an old Memory Man analogue guitar delay box in the effects send/return :) Thanks for posting this excellent wee tutorial!
Many thanks, and congratulations on getting hold of your 488 mkII! They’re versatile units and great fun to use. 👍
Wow great song and great 8 track recorder! I was a bit skeptical that 8 tracks on a cassette would make the grade but not any more... might have to get on to keep my tascam 424mkii company!
Many thanks, Peter! Yes it’s surprising that they managed to get the 8 track recorders to work so well on cassette, it’s partly to do with the staggered heads I believe. I’m sure your 424mkII would love the company!
This was recorded on just a cassette tape? Sounds amazing!
Still watching this and just blown away at how great the sound is on this machine.
Hey, thanks very much! Yes it’s just recorded on cassette tape and the stereo mix was captured onto my Mac.
Brilliant, glad you’re watching lots of the tutorial! It’s an impressive bit of kit, especially considering the narrow width of tape. I always keep the dbx on which helps to get a clean signal.
@wehappyfewmusic do you master on your Mac? Sounds great as is, but maybe a final master might make it even better. Even the Beatles re master in digital from their tape recordings.... cheers.
hey bro could you do a beginners tutorial on everything you need to know to record/mix on the TASCAM 488mk ii? step by step
Hey, yes I’d be up for doing that. Just need to wait until I get my 488mkII back from the repair shop.
Ahh okay thanks man !!
Second that! Would greatly appreciate a beginner tutorial. Thanks!
Very informative video my friend and I love the song!!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you very much for this type of a very educational video.
Many thanks and hope it was useful. 👍
Those are some nice sounding drums.
Thanks Mark!
This is awesome. How do you add the effects in after you record? Like using the effects send is untouched territory to me.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
I recently did an in depth tutorial on this machine which covers that. Here’s the link for you.
TASCAM 488 MKII - Step by Step Tutorial - 8 Track Cassette Recorder
ruclips.net/video/qyYQLt_m5DI/видео.html
Thanks for sharing your process!
You’re welcome, thanks for watching.
Please make some more videos on the 488!
Is your bass recorded in stereo?
Hey, yes I’d love to do a few videos about the 488! Is there anything in particular that you’d like to see?
great job, just subscribed. i have the 4 track version of this awesome machine but i always get tape hiss when i record on it. does this happen to you? how did you get your mix so clean? you really nailed the essence of all the good sounds of this machine with none of the bad ones... i need to really work on that. thanks for sharing :)
btw this song has a cool Beatles vibe to it, i really dig it!
Thanks you for having a listen and much appreciated! I usually keep the dbx switched on which helps a lot with the hiss (also do the same on my 424). I then just aim to get a good noise to signal ratio while tracking.
@@ReverendGuyWallis cheers man, really nice to hear you like the song!
amazing demo! and mix. so this device actually splits a regular cassette type i into 8channels?
Hi, great to hear you like the mix! Yes, it just uses regular type II cassette tapes but the heads are staggered which helps to retain the quality. It’s amazing they could do it with such a narrow width.
Awesome stuff!!
Thanks very much!
I genuinely dig your recordings. How do you do your drums? Are they an acoustic set recorded live with multiple mics, or just a minimum of mics? Or do you use a drum machine or electronic drums? Your recordings sound fantastic and I’m looking to get back into analog tape recording. Thank you in advance for your answer!!!
Thanks so much! I record drums in various ways depending on the track and where I’m recording. This is programmed drums but when I record live I rarely use more than 4 mics.
have been enjoying your videos a lot all afternoon. wondering if you could tell me what’s the difference between the mkii and mki of these 8track recorders. thinking on getting one for myself. (atm i own 404 mkiii)
cheers
Thanks for checking out some more videos! Sound quality wise there’s not much between the 488 and 488mkII to my ears. The main differences are the extra features on the mk2 which includes 3 band eq, phantom power, backlit LCD meter bridge and a few more ins and outs on the mixer.
Any update on that Tascam 488mkii full in depth tutorial? Bouncing , erasing , ping pong etc I can’t find any vids on the 488 mkii. I think you’ll do it justice thanks !
Interesting you ask as I might be getting my 488 back tomorrow if all goes to plan. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Hey man, we just uploaded the new tutorial video about the 488 mkII! Sorry it took a while and hope it's useful.
How'd you get such a great drum sound?! Did you submix the drums to 8 using an outside mixer or did you ping pong bounce it to 8?
Thanks for commenting and great to hear you like the drum sound. I submixed the drums then and sent them to track 8 to keep as much detail as possible, although the ping pong method is a valid one too. 👍
Hi. Own a 488 and can only export 4 tracks at a time. On the 448Mk2 can you export all 8 tracks? I's consider buying a 488Mk2 so I can convert my 488 tracks, all 8 to digital, rather than just 4. Love the channel. Hi from Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA.
Hi I believe you can get 8 separate outputs on the 488 mk1. There’s an article on the homerecording website here homerecording.com/bbs/threads/how-to-get-all-8-separate-tracks-together-out-of-the-tascam-488.338002/
@@wehappyfewmusic Awesome thx. I'll check out the article. I'm up late marking students' assignments for a uni course I teach.
Nice! can this be SYNC into a daw with another reel to reel tape? Mainly can this machine be synced to DAW (if so how? :)) thanks!
I don’t think you can sync three units, but you can sync the 488 to one other device. You’d need a midi sync box attached to the sync out on track 8, and you have to ‘stripe’ (record) a sync tone. This then gets converted into to midi data by the sync box and you can link with a midi sequencer/DAW.
I really like that reverb. Is that hardware? Wich reverb machine are you using? Thank you
Hey many thanks for having a listen! Yes it’s a hardware unit by behringer ( virtualizer FX2000). They’re pretty cheap as well but have several great settings in my opinion.
@@wehappyfewmusic oh, good to know that. Thanks, bro
Doesn't the 488 MkII have a looping option?
I think you can loop between two set points, to make it easier to practice before punching in. I’ve not tried it yet though. 😊
Can you just use any old blank 90 min tape?
Yes you could but you’d get better results from a type 2 chrome cassette. A standard ferric tape would have less high end more tape hiss.
ThiS IS LOOK LIKE Yamaha MT 8 X
Yes It does have a similar styling to the MT8X. I guess they were in direct competition back in the 90’s too.
how do you bounce on this thing?
Hi, here’s the procedure from the manual which breaks the ping pong technique down.
In this example, we will combine material from tracks 1-4 onto track 8.
1. Set all the channels' INPUT ASSIGN switches to the center/OFF position.
2. Turn the TAPE control on channels 1-4 all the way to the left/MIX. 3. Turn the channels' PAN controls all the way to the right/EVEN.
4. Press the assign"3-4"switchonchannels1-4.
5. Raise the master"3-4"fader to 7.
6. Press the MONITOR "GROUP 4" switch, and make sure all other MONITOR switches (CUE, GROUP 1-3) are OFF.
7. Press the RECORD FUNCTION switch for track 8. The REC 8 indicator will start blinking in the meter window, indicating the track is in Rec Ready mode.
8. Press play.
9. Use channel faders 1 through 4 to make any necessary level adjustments. You may want to repeat this step several times to get the balance correct
10. When the balance is right and the level is peaking at no more than +6 on the TRACK 8 meter, stop and rewind the tape to the beginning of the track.
11. Hold RECORD and press PLAY. The REC 8 indicator that was blinking will turn on solid and track 8 will record a copy of what is on tracks 1-4.
12. You'll hear the mix being recorded on track 8 in the headphones.
13. Once the recording is done, press STOP.
14. The REC 8 indicator will now be blinking as before. Turn that off by pressing the RECORD FUNCTION switch for track 8.
@@wehappyfewmusic Ah that's great, thanks alot! Just wondering about one more question, when turning all the pan knobs to the right to bounce, does that mean it eventually all becomes mono on that one track?
@@TrumanBest yes it would, although you could bounce several tracks to, two new tracks and keep everything stereo.
@@wehappyfewmusic I just ran into another problem with the MKII. I can't bounce tracks 1 - 4 to tracks 5-7 but only 8. Is this a thing? I could only solve the problem to re-record the bounce from 8 to 7 and clear 8, but I think that may also cause some loss in fidelity. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?
@@TrumanBest that doesn’t sound quite right? My machine is currently getting repaired but I’ll try the same scenario when it comes back.