The Dub Discussion Board: Tape Type for a Tascam 244?

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The Dub Discussion Board » DUB PRODUCTION » RECORDING MACHINES (ANALOG TAPE, ADAT, HD MULTITRACKERS, ..) » Tape Type for a Tascam 244?

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BobMiner

Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 03:20 am:

Hi,
I'm wondering what sort of tape to play/record in Tascam 244. I thought it was a cassette recorder, but the "tape door" says something about "will not play normal cassettes" or words to that effect.
Is it possible that Tascam is just warning you that traks 3/4 will play backwards along with 1/2?

I haven't actually seen the recorder; asking on a friend's behalf. I had a 688 before the digital overthrow; if they can squeeze 8 onto a cassette 4 should be no problem.

If not normal cassettes, then what & where & how much?

Thanks,
Bob

Mike Zee

Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 07:36 am:

I think by 'normal' here it means : 'cassette recorded on regular ("normal") stero cassette recording deck'... simply because the head of T244 has different design... it'll play something... what ever the head will pickup from 'normal cassette'

... it possably will play "all the tracks (stereo one way + stereo reverse), but also I don't think it will align "correctly"...
The bottom line is: you can use 'regular' cassttes...but use them only for recording and playback on T-244...

/respects,
/Mike Zee aka DrZEE

interruptor

Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 09:49 am:

maybe they mean you should not use normal ferro tapes but CrO2 (type2) tapes ?

Mike Zee

Posted on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 04:33 pm:

Daniel, this was my first thought too

..., but it would take a pretty sophisticated 'e-mechanism', so the machine will refuse to 'play type-1' tape, (if the note is: "Will NOT play 'normal') ... and what's the logic ..hah hah
However, type-2 cassettes also have a bit different body-design, it has extra dip/cut/window (what ever you call it) ...next to record-protection punch-tub (little thingy you breake to make the cassette non-recordable). And some recording decks have a special simple mehanism to detact the tape type and auto bias setting. So this may also be used to make the machine to play/record/run only type 2 cassettes. But why to block 'normal bias' tapes? God knows.

My guess, this 'message' is just for people who may think that this machine can be used also as regular stereo tape-deck... silly stuf

/Mike Zee aka Dr.ZEE

Looter

Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 01:09 am:

Tascam portastudios are biased to use "type II" high-bias tapes. If you use a "regular" type one cassette the sound quality will suffer greatly.

I use Maxell XLII C-90s in my 246, allthough TASCAM now says not to exceed a 60 min cassette because the longer the cassette, the thinner the tape. The idea is this could lead to porblems w/ the transport running at double the normal cassette speed.

Looter

Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 01:20 am:

PS: The head design for portastudios is also made with with more space in between each track pickup to reduce crosstalk. It will play cassettes recorded on normal decks, like Mike mentioned with one side of the cassette playing in reverse.

BobMiner

Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 01:45 am:

How great of you all to respond. That, by the way, is what I thought. Its probably for the uninitiated who want to hook this into their stereo systems & play old Carpenters tapes

Anyway, thanks again. What a cool place; I'll stop back by.

Regards,
Bob

Mike Zee

Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 02:24 am:

Bob, here's direct link for you, use this cassttes, can't go wrong with them:
TDKSM Pro Cassttes,
you also usually can get them in most local music-gear store. Don't use 'type-I'(normal) cassettes, they are sh*ty regardless

, unless you are recording/producing some spoken-word sea-food cooking semenars or something like that ...lol

and, yeah, the message on the tape-door could be: "STOP! Will Not Play Beach Boys Cassettes!"

/respects,
/Mike Zee aka Dr. ZEE

Mike Zee

Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 - 02:54 am:

Bob, ar you in U.S.? if you are, and you do allots of recordings, then you may think of buying a box of 100 cassettes. Pretty good quality. I used to do it back when I used to record allots of music for skating competitions etc..., it's much cheaper that way, and you don't need to re-record on used tape...just grab blank/clean and record.
I also would advice you to buy shorter tapes (15, 20, 30 min ..or even 5 or 10 min a side ..for one song), this is much better for song/track recording, instead of having different songs recording on the same casstte and then rewinding, extra streching etc the tape whith other maybe important tracks on it... and easy to get tapes organized, you get nice white full size lables which are printable on your computer printer or just write on 'em ...better than those peal-off tyny-thingies

. And if you get more and more tracks recorded, you'll be able to easylly find the actual tape/cassette of the track/project ..instead of rewinding and searching on longer cassettes... well, you know what I mean if you have 50/100 or more tracks/projects over years ... ;)
Check out this place in NY, I used to order bulk cassettes by phone from them all the time. TDK SA Pro High Bias cassettes at ANDOL, this place is in NewYork City. If you call don't expect soft/smily sweet talking...just say whay you want, - City people, you know ..heh heh

/later,
/Mike Zee aka Dr. ZEE

Featheredfish

Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 - 03:11 pm:

The 244 plays/records at double the speed of "normal" cassette decks.

In addition the whole tape surface is used to record the 4 tracks travelling in one direction, as opposed to "normal" cassettes having right and left tracks travelling in two directions.

Therefor, pre-recorded standard cassettes will not play in the 244 and neither will 244 recorded tapes playback on a standard deck.
Hence the caution.

Looter

Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 - 05:35 am:

I would not reccomend using any cassette shorter than a C-30 (thirty min. tape). Because, in actuality, when recording on a portastudio & at double speed, you only really have seven and a half minutes of recording time with a C-30.

In other words, the normal running time of a cassette is only a quarter of that time when used in a portastudio. So, when using 90 minute cassettes like I do, you get 22.5 minutes of recording time.

Mike Zee

Posted on Wednesday, July 21, 2004 - 05:59 am:

Looter, good point 'bout length/speed

heh heh

/mz aka dr zee

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