This should be possible right... (1 Viewer)

[coast to coast]

It would be possible to create WAV tracks of individual four-track cassette tape tracks and then sync them up again in Cubase for tweaking/compression/better mixing-than-four-track/overdubbing, right?

Cos I don't have a drumkit or the urge to rerecord my charming demos but I do want to have better vocals on them, and for them not to sound to diminished by the bouncing required to fit on the original vocals. Will this idea be a complete pain in the tits? Thats another quiestion, but mainly it is possible right?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

should be possible - if you havent 4 outs from the four track and four ins to the computer you'll probably need to record a click or something at the very start to use for syncing purposes. i remember doing this with a song and it all seemed to work ok but once everything was recorded onto the pc and synced up it became clear that the tracks were going out of sync over the duration of the song. i think it was because the fourtrack didnt play at exactly the same speed for each track. tedium ensued as tracks were chopped and time stretched/compressed. sounded grand in the end.

 

[coast to coast]

i just tried one track and luckily there was a click on one of the tracks.

unfortunately, the tape machine seems to be running at different speeds or something because even with the clicks lined up the tracks still drift out of sync. i ahdn't thought of that. back to the drawing board/getting a drumkit from someone!

 

[Rogue]

Possible, but as the man above says you'd need to have a 4-track which has 4 outputs and a soundcard with 4 inputs so you can play the tape and get all the tracks in sync on the way out. Of course the problem then is that the next set of tracks that you want to sync up may playback at a slightly different speed and it's messing time again.

Ideally you could get a digital 4 track with a usb out and just copy the tracks across but I'm assuming you've already got the machine.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

you could try mixing the the four track stuff and recording it on to a stereo track in cubase then record new vocals on the pc too??

 

[coast to coast]

i have a digital 8 track with a usb out, but the 4 track only has one red/white line out and the headphone jack is broken too. what a fine machine. i jsut wanted to see if i could do something with these rather than record everything again, because I don't have all the necessary equipment at the moment. which is frustrating....

i could definitely try to do the stereo track thingy. good idea. it wouldcertainly correct the bouncing/sound quality problem.

 

[Pantone247]

you could try mixing the the four track stuff and recording it on to a stereo track in cubase then record new vocals on the pc too??

yeah this is 'A Good Idea'

cassette tape is a nightmare, it'll never play back at the exact same speed and the transports are hella dodgy... it's all part of their charm...

 

[Dude no.7]

i had this same problem except that luckily there were two phono (red/white) outputs from the machine (it was a yamaha mt50) and I plugged from the four track into a digital 8 track (fostex MR-HD which has four simultaneous inputs) using panning.....
they will never play back at the same speed unless played all at the same time of course....
What kind of machine is it? what's on the four instruments/tracks?

 

[tim]

It definetely should be doable. Just be sure to monitor the tracks coming onto the computer after the first one and be monitor the speed and pitch to make sure its ok.

Im assuming you are going from a cassette 4 track so just monitor whats going and if things go out of sync a bit you can patch it up on the computer, you never know you might get some really nice, interesting accidental results.

 

[coast to coast]

i had this same problem except that luckily there were two phono (red/white) outputs from the machine (it was a yamaha mt50) and I plugged from the four track into a digital 8 track (fostex MR-HD which has four simultaneous inputs) using panning.....
they will never play back at the same speed unless played all at the same time of course....
What kind of machine is it? what's on the four instruments/tracks?

Tascam MF P01, its afairly limited machine, i've had it for years and still like to use it for messing around with.

piano - bass - drums - electric guitar (realllllly breaking the mould)

I'v etried dubbing the tape to the 8 track before with fairly successful results though it was a only a drum track and guitar line. i may have to go back to that route

 

[Dude no.7]

Tascam MF P01, its afairly limited machine, i've had it for years and still like to use it for messing around with.

piano - bass - drums - electric guitar (realllllly breaking the mould)

I'v etried dubbing the tape to the 8 track before with fairly successful results though it was a only a drum track and guitar line. i may have to go back to that route

shaney's idea seems good then.... i was only able to play them out separately because my machine had two sets of faders which directed them to monitor and stereo out separately.....

sinking can be very problematic as the tape speed is never constant.... you might inevitably end up spending more time fixing the problem than you did recording them..... depends on the material and can work like again shaney said

maybe pan the bass and drums to the left, the piano and guitar to the right (or some variation) and then at least there will be some separation and more flexibility.... and put them into your 8 track using this

 

[ann post]

i'd probably mix it all at once, on stereo, you'll only be laying one track of tape hiss down then instead of four.
and if you want to be real hardcore you could probly sing live into the 4 track as you bounce it down.

 

[coast to coast]

i'd probably mix it all at once, on stereo, you'll only be laying one track of tape hiss down then instead of four.
and if you want to be real hardcore you could probly sing live into the 4 track as you bounce it down.

as tempting as that sounds (!) the vocals need double tracking in parts.

ah fuck it... isn't there some old recording adage that you shouldn't try to make your work sound exactly like your demos , it'll just spoil both. maybe i should have another crack at it on the 8 track....

 

[guy of the tiger]

It would be possible to create WAV tracks of individual four-track cassette tape tracks and then sync them up again in Cubase for tweaking/compression/better mixing-than-four-track/overdubbing, right?

If the objective is to simply get the audio off the tape into seperate wav files on a computer can you not just do the following.

(I'm assuming the 4 track is one of the ones that just uses normal cassette tapes here...)

So. Forget your 4 track recorder and get a good old tape player with Stereo outputs.
Then record the first side of the tape into a stereo wav file in soundforge or whatever. Then save the left and right as two seperate mono files.

Then turn the tape over. Do the same. This time you'll have to reverse the recording in your audio app. as the second side of the tape will be backwards. Then save the left and right as mono files.

Voila. 4 tracks. then throw them into cubase and make an awesome #1 hit.

What audio recording software are you gonna use?

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

There'll still be variations in the playback, I'd guess.
Probably won't line up once you get both sides of the tape into the computer.

Two options here :

1. Get hold of a four track with a seperate output for each track.
2. Bounce it down in the the four track, work on the resulting stereo file.

 

[Goodbye]

If the objective is to simply get the audio off the tape into seperate wav files on a computer can you not just do the following.

(I'm assuming the 4 track is one of the ones that just uses normal cassette tapes here...)

So. Forget your 4 track recorder and get a good old tape player with Stereo outputs.
Then record the first side of the tape into a stereo wav file in soundforge or whatever. Then save the left and right as two seperate mono files.

Then turn the tape over. Do the same. This time you'll have to reverse the recording in your audio app. as the second side of the tape will be backwards. Then save the left and right as mono files.

Voila. 4 tracks. then throw them into cubase and make an awesome #1 hit.

What audio recording software are you gonna use?

Good idea, buuuuut... Those old tascams recorded high speed and playing them back on a regular tape deck will render a very slooooooow playback of the tracks...
I spose you could pitch it up in cubase then, but could be a pain in the tits finding the right percentage, but once that is found, thats your rule of thumb set...

But sher, arn't you better off re recording the lot?

 

[coast to coast]

But sher, arn't you better off re recording the lot?

I think in general, yes. Or writing some new fucking songs and stop beinga lazy bastard. I've only just got to grips with the digital 8 track, don't think cubase is where I wanna go messing next. Too many buttons!

 

[guy of the tiger]

Good idea, buuuuut... Those old tascams recorded high speed and playing them back on a regular tape deck will render a very slooooooow playback of the tracks...
I spose you could pitch it up in cubase then, but could be a pain in the tits finding the right percentage, but once that is found, thats your rule of thumb set...

But sher, arn't you better off re recording the lot?

hmm I still think it would be the best way.
Record it in on the highest sample rate/bit depth combo your computer can handle to minimise rounding when pitching it up. Determining the correct speed to pitch it by shouldnt be too much trouble - a bit of tapping your leg and timing bars if neccesary.
Then resample the result back into a more manageable hz/bit combo. Hey presto.

If the cassete is strecthed or damaged otherwise then any distortion is going to be present no matter which may you get the audio off it.

 

[guy of the tiger]

Or writing some new fucking songs and stop beinga lazy bastard.

Hup ourra dat!

You've gotten us all involved now so you have to do it or else you'll be letting us all down...

 

[guy of the tiger]

If there's variations on the playback they'll be present if you use a four track to play it back (unless there's actually something up with the tape player itself).

Alligning wouldnt be that much hassle either especially if you want the seperate tracks.

There'll still be variations in the playback, I'd guess.
Probably won't line up once you get both sides of the tape into the computer.

Two options here :

1. Get hold of a four track with a seperate output for each track.
2. Bounce it down in the the four track, work on the resulting stereo file.