20 Most Recent Tascam Starter Pack for 4-Track Cassette Recorder Microphone Questions & Answers

the tascam 414 is a 4 track recording studio which uses standard cassette tapes- meaning they only play in one direction, because the tape is full. The 414 records at double speed so that recording fidelity is increased. When you have made a recording you want to mix you then dub your recording though the outputs into another standard tape recorder or whatever you have available, be it a cd recorder or your PC. So, when you listened to your recording on a standard tape player, you were not only hearing it at half speed but you were only listening to 2 of the 4 tracks. The other tracks would only be heard if you flipped the tape over, and they would be heard running backward. I would have though the 414 had a swich to allow it to also record at standard speed to but I guest it does not.

Mine also would not play back on any of the channels but would record. The problem was on the lower board, capacitors C105, C205, C305 and C405, all are 220uF, rated at 10V - on a 9V machine! All four went leaky, which meant that the op-amps each were connected to got a bias which drove the output to 8.5V and no output.
I replaced all four capacitors with new ones rated at 25V and it works again!

since it is cassete recorder,may be it has magnetize by your player the last time you play it and the result is erasure of 1st and secon track..maybe you should break the plastic cover 2 edge at the bottom of your favorite cassette tape

I would connect the 2 pianos to 1-2 and 3-4 (assuming you want to use the stereo outputs on the pianos.)
The computer I would connect to the stereo input named 5-6. You will need a 1/4" stereo jack here. Just like the one you find on old headphones.
You could also have the pianos in mono, and use channels 1 and 2, and then connect the computer to 3-4.
Connect your monitor speakers to L-R out.
See page 5 in the manual for a diagram: http://www.accessguitar.com/inventory/tascam/porta_414mkii_manual.pdf
Your computer goes where it says "effects" on the diagram.
Hope that helps!

The Tascam DP-02 can only record two tracks at a time.

You will have to mix "on-the-fly" and record the master out, or record each instrument seperately, and just record the drums as a stereo mix.

Yes. Just connect up a pair of cables from your keyboard into the inputs of the Tascam.

there a rubber belt defective inside, must be opened, to check, this belt, give the proper stability speed

Try looking at this site:http://www.ehow.com/way_5341282_cassette-recorder-troubleshooting.html

that sucks bro

Assuming you want to keep your recordings at the highest possible quality, wouldn't it also work if you had an outboard component CD recorder? That way you retain the highest resolution at the first analog-digital step and once it's on CD you can rip to your heart's content or run it through the mixer again.

I have a Pioneer Elite PDR-509 that I have used for years. There are several 'professional' decks made by Tascam, Marantz, HHB and others that add the ability to use vanilla CDR's and CDR/W's instead of CDR-Audio and CDR-A-R/W media as mine uses and some can defeat the SCMS codes so you can do digital-digital multiple generation copies. Home audio CD Recorders will only digitally copy a first-generation digital original, unless the source was was made on a PC. Then it's always considered first-generation. The cost of the media isn't that much different these days. A standalone CD Recorder would also let you digitize those LP's and tapes you have hanging around or record Live through your mixer to CD. How about that!!!

There are plenty of them on eBay cheap and I'm still looking for the right one in case mine should ever decide to die. I see 7 pro models right now on eBay. I'd look for one that has Coaxial Digital inputs and outputs as well as Optical ones.

As for hooking up your Tascam, that would depend a lot on what sound processing software and soundcard you have - not my strong suit as I still do everything in the analog domain prior to cutting the CD and then ripping it to MP3 for portability and fast access. The physical hookup would be Line Out to Line In. After that it's all software.

Hi musicman

Anything you recorded with the old belt/c90 may have been recorded slow, so now that you have replaced the belt, it will play back fast. Couple of questions that may help sort things totally for you...

1. How do recordings you have made since changing the belt sound.
2. does the pitch control pot have any effect at all?
3. what is the pinch roller condition like-it should be nice and flat with no raised bits across its width.

If the pinch roller is worn, you may have poor speed regulation problems with the unit and it will need to be replaced. I have fixed heaps of these over the years and not had any pitch pots fail. If it has issues, it may just need a careful squirt of CRC 2-26 into it to clean up its action a bit. Disconnecting it may well cause the unit to run flat out or at low speed so I Don't recommend that. These days, any metal or chrome tape(high bias) you can get will do, tape is getting hard to find :) Normal bias will not sound as good, and you may get some bleed problems between channels. Dont be too concerned about it being a 60 but I Dont recommend a 90 as the tape starts to get real thin, and pinch roller control(speed regulation) becomes an issue. This may even be affecting you here. Happy to talk it up further with you. A FixYa is an excellent reward for my efforts to help you out. Cheers

regards
robotek

Hi

I have found Tascam to be an excellent provider of service and spares over the years. Parts can be purchased through a Tascam Authorised Service center. Or you can generally deal direct with them if you are repair guy. You can find one near to you at this site. . Enter your state if you are in the USA, or select the region you are in at the top of the web page where it says global, and away you go. If you have any problems sorting it out, feel free to get back to me and I will help you as best I can. A FixYa is a great reward for helping you to source your part. Cheers

regards
robotek

It sounds like you have connected the two correctly. I can only imagine that you need to check that the hifi source selector is switched to that line-in, it may be referred to as AUX. Check that the recording level control is not at zero on the hifi and if there is a volume control for line-out on the tascam. If you are able to listen to the recording on via the hifi then you are halfway there even if it doesn't get to the hifi recorder. If your hifi is a seperates system then you could try plugging the tascam in to the CD input on the amplifier.

I understand that your CD tray on your Tascam CD-A500 CD/Cassette combo will not open. Here are some possible reasons why this might be happening and what you can do to fix it:

• The CD tray may be stuck. If this is the case, you can try to gently pry it open with a flathead screwdriver. Be careful not to damage the tray or the unit.
• The CD tray motor may be broken. If this is the case, you will need to replace the motor. This is a relatively simple repair that can be done by most people.
• The CD tray sensor may be faulty. If this is the case, you will need to replace the sensor. This is a more difficult repair that should be done by a qualified technician.

If you have tried all of the above and the CD tray still will not open, you may need to contact Tascam customer support for further assistance. Here are some additional tips to help prevent your CD tray from becoming stuck in the future:

• Do not force the CD tray to open or close.
• Be careful not to drop or damage the unit.
• Keep the unit clean and free of dust and dirt.
• If you are not going to use the unit for an extended period of time, unplug it from the power outlet.

I hope this helps!