Anybody in the Lounge hear Van Halen's A Different Kind of Truth? All digital, every bit of it. Best sound they've ever had. Tape is for the birds.

<< But when you say “plug in and record….” I want it to have good external mics.

Oh yes! of course that's always a requirement.

The only thing to look at is what sort of connections are provided.

the Roland units for example, have a combo of XLR and 1/4 inputs, (except for the VS880 which only has 1/4 -- so an xlr adapter is all you need here.)

One of the limitations of the older VS units,, the 8 track can only record 4 channels at once, and larger ones,, can handle 8 at once. But these are sort of antiquated so who knows what the newer ones can handle.

Take a bit of time to research from places like Roland, Fostex, etc.. I'm pretty sure you can find a good compromise.

I just saw this thread. I used to have a small cassette deck, which grew into a Teac 4 track open reel deck, whcih gave way to a 4 track portastudio, which in turn lead me to computer based recording using Cakewalk Sonar.

Then like you I wanted the simplicity of that little cassette deck again. I now have a Tascam DR40. It is the digital equivalent of that old Portastudio in a size that slips into my travel bag.

I record everything from vocal ideas to song samples on it. It has two built in mics and will allow you to hook up two external mics or guitars into it as well. And best of all, when I have a keeper of an idea I can transfer all the tracks right to Cakewalk and build on it from there.

The only thing you don't get is that great old tape compression that the open reel deck or the really early cassette decks would give you.

I think there are several different brands of these recorders, I just like Tascam as it feels like an old friend.

-Harry

I feel your frustration. It seems recording technology has its own vocabulary and gets so overly complicated so fast it makes you pine for the days of tape.

I'm using a Zoom G3X pedal connected through USB to a laptop computer with Audacity installed. It's working out so far.

I also have a tape recorder I bought from RadioShack, one of those desktop things. They still sell them for $40 or so. Plug an external mic into it and it actually records very nicely, but can't do more than one track. Though I have had thoughts of running a signal out from that into the Zoom to see if I can somehow capture that analog goodness into digital.

Tape is obsolete and difficult to obtain. When you can find it the stuff is more expensive than what the recorder is worth and the tape is usually at least 10 years old. The tape isn't very durable and ages poorly. The Tascam DP-008 Portastudio is now less than the price as one reel of 1 inch Ampex tape and will record 8 tracks and will also phantom power a condenser microphone. These basically are an updated digital 8 track version of the 4 track cassette tape Portastudio unit. They are probably one of the best portable recording interfaces for the songwriter.

I used to be wiz at editing tape recordings with grease pencil, razor blade and splicing tape. I did it for decades. I loved the Ampex 350. But digital stuff blows it to bits.

I'm sure there were a few people clinging to wire recording technology when Ampex and Magnecord made high quality tape recorders affordable in the 1940's.

If you really want to go old school then find a wire recorder. Or maybe just cut straight to 78 RPM acetate discs like in the 1920's and 1930's?

pun not intended?

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I use a Boss BR1200 CD recording station:



I also don't like to browse through hundreds of menues (even though you CAN if you WANT with the Boss BR 1200).
Recording is almost as easy as with a tape recorder 20 years ago.

I use it in the old fashoined way: all effects off, just recording. Amps are recorded via microphone or DI box (i.e. Hughes & Kettner Red Box).

To get all tracks onto one stereo track, you just follow a few easy steps perfectly described in the manual. Then you either burn it on CD or transfer it via USB to your computer. DONE!

Even mixing and mastering is "old school", with knobs to adjust equalizer and reverb/delay.

It can't get any easier than that!

I used a Zoom PS-04 Palm Top Studio before and it was okay but the menue stuff just drove me crazy and the drums sounded like plyed in a tiled bathroom.

Of course, when it comes to effects, drum programming etc.... the Boss get's more complicated, too but it's up to every person himself, which features to use ore not. Just pressing one button (effects off) will turn the highly sophisticated Boss BR 1200 in nothing but a tape recorder with a few buttons more.

Recording quality is very good!

You might as well use a mixing/mastering program on your PC afterwards, which I'm not yet doing but I intend to....

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Thanks for all the advice here. Seems there are tons of good options and any of them would work and be much better than my playing.

I am heartened to know that many (or most) others use these separate recorder things as opposed to plugging straight into the computer and using abelton or whatever. That's what I need. Many of these things seem really good.

Now, I should have been taking notes. One of these things (perhaps all of them do this) had a feature that turned the guitar into a bass guitar so one can do bass parts w/ regular guitar. Got really good reviews on the website. That sounds fun. I'm sure bassists would say it sounds like crap, but these things would be great for what I want to do, messing around.

Thanks again.

That thing looks awesome! Mine is getting a little old, but still gets the job done:

Fostex FD-8 (hard disk recorder)

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Agreed ! IMO the Fostex does look even more impressive - perhaps because it is reminding me of my over 20 yo Fostex 280 4-track cassette studio
I still think the zoom is looking a bit more simplistic, though :

This was the only pic I had of it
I like the fact that it utilizes SD-cards for recording. Makes it easy to drop tracks in and out......

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I have not recorded analog in years...if not 20 years.... However I still have an old Sony Reel to Reel with Sound on Sound and a couple other features which at the time back in the early 70's was the Avant-Guarde of analog home recording.
Your thread is food for thought, I may just one of these days hook it all up and record once agin. The last time we used this was when we were rehearsing a lot of Fleetwood Mac, CSNY and similar music. All with acoustic guitars, 3 vocals, actually 4 since Adella was the lead vocals. We recorded direct thru a couple of Shure 57 mics.... Good luck finding these as they are very much in demand.
I would warn you that recording analog on tape is not as easy as you might think, it most certainly isn't plug and play and the editing phases will take up most of your time. That being said, knowing how to bounce tracks on a reel to reel ( 2 machines are optimal ) is pretty much a lost art.

I would add that if you are going to do this then you will need to use retro equipment, or in other words a Tube amp and old school equipment. Recording on Analog using a digital amp is going to sound compressed, surgical and sterile, you will not get the idyocincracies of a 5 to 15 Watt tube amp maxed out and recorded thru a mike.... When using a Mustang, sorry but as good as digital is at mimicking tube sound, it doesn't achieve the nuances of a cranked vintage amp .....

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Naah, still readily available, and more expensive than ever (I remember them being $79 just a few years ago):

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Shure-SM57-Instrument-Vocal-Mic-100038239-i1126420.gc

Now:$99.99
IN STOCK

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I was actually referring to older one's not the new versions which are a little different.

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I had a Fostex 8 track, I want to say it was the MR-8. They've updated it now, but functionality is roughly the same... you can record two tracks at once, then record along with those tracks onto two other tracks, up to 8 tracks. If you need more, you can pre-mix or "bounce" two or more tracks down to one to make room...

Once you have all your parts down, you can either export each track individually for putting them into software on a computer for more in-depth mixing options, or you can mix them right in the tascam and export it as a single, stereo file like you're used to hearing from a CD.

Any other similar device from other manufacturers should give you about the same functionality... this one is about the size of a notebook, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick... it has 2 XLR inputs, 2 1/4" inputs, and an onboard mic (that is only so-so, honestly) from which you can record. The smaller ones like you posted links to are probably a bit less flexible, but should still give you what you need.

This might be a good modern replacement then:

Shure Beta 57A Microphone
Now:$139.99



I don't have one of these, but I do have both SM58's and Beta 58A's and the difference is massive with those.

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