Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Currently working on getting badges to show up horizontally. Should hopefully figure that out within a week. Thanks for your patience.
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(20 votes) 
Offline
Does anyone know of a reasonably cheap multi track recorder with built in mic, which without using ear phones will not record the oher tracks that are already laid down when you play along with them, hope thats clearer than I explain it.
Cant beat a sunny day
Offline
priced reasonably is the catch here because that depends on a persons situation...
checkout
the izotope spire product...
zoom has several models of multitrack field recorders...search on sweetwater.com to get info then order from amazon ...probably will be cheaper due to shipping..
tascam products.
if i wasnt so invested in a computer daw...the izotope spire maybe the most interesting entry point.
Offline
@stringy - you might be interested in this.
@Retired -
I hope you don't mind I quoted you in this thread, for others who may be looking for this important information.
Retired said
Good news though; I've found exactly what I was looking for regarding recording my violin practice sessions in the studio then being able to bring the recording to the computer in my office. I spent a lot of time browsing the web; YouTube and eBay etc but didn't know what correct questions to ask then during dinner time yesterday I came across a very useful video which grabbed my attention; I then browsed other video's of the same recorder; here's an example;
Now I was in with a chance; after dinner I browsed the web looking for Tascam suppliers and eventually on Gumtree hit the the jackpot; one of these Tascams was posted for sale the ad only one day old; the Tascam was second hand but in good condition priced at £100. I immediately sent an email to the seller enquiring if it was still for sale and offering £110 if he would accept PayPal and post it to me the extra £10 to offset the PayPal fees; I received a quick reply and after a couple more exchanged emails the seller sent me his email address allowing payment to be sent; he'd used PayPal for buying but not receiving payment; all went well and I received an email confirming the money had been received; the Tascam is being posted to me today so should be delivered shortly.
Incredibly no sooner had I bought this Tascam my luthier Geoff sent me an email suggesting I look at a Tascam and he kindly included a link to a supplier; opening the link I was looking at a brand new Tascam DP-03SD Digital Portastudio costing £263.50 so the Tascam I've bought is a genuine bargain; this new Tascam has a different model number; for once I've had good luck and hope it works when it arrives.
It's taken a lot of time and patience but I think I'm now sorted regarding recording and for my needs it's a one off payment because it's highly unlikely I'll use the Tascam I bought to its limit.
Whilst practicing playing my violin I can obviously hear what I'm playing but I'm interested to find out how it sounds to anyone else; I think the Tascam will prove very useful.
...Kind regards, Colin.
Offline
@Gordon Shumway -
I hope you don't mind I'm also quoting your post from Colin's blog, here - for others to see on this subject.
Gordon Shumway said
I must admit it does look nice.There's also an 8-track with sliders (oh, I've just noticed that Colin's photo features that one) and also a 32-track, you'll notice.
You'll need the phantom power for condenser mics, although some have battery compartments, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend those - they are pretty big and cumbersome. You'll only need them if you do a gig in a village hall and they have their own amp and it's primitive. If you do gigs of that nature, you're probably best off taking your own amp along.
48V is the industry standard - it looks frightening, but the mic just takes off the 1.5V that it needs. 48V is probably most efficient at conveying current over long distances - old carbon telephones used to run on 50V.
What is amazing is that modern ceramic transformers mean you can transform 5V DC to 50V DC with a total weight of hardware so small that it adds nothing to your audio gear!
Offline
Hi,
Good luck @stringy I just wanted a cheap way of recording my violin practice sessions but finding just what I wanted proved highly frustrating and hours of browsing on the web I even posted here on the forum for help. I really am a dinosaur when it comes to all the modern electronic kit; I don't want to get dragged into all the latest must have gizmos because I've got zero interest in them as I have in things like mobile phones.
I was surprised no one had an easy solution for me here on the forum hence all the hours I spent looking at all kinds of things that simply weren't exactly what I wanted.
At mealtimes Bron and I like to watch YouTube videos and WOW came across these Tascams which looked perfect for my needs in fact way over the top and I think will do anything I ever need to do regarding recording.
I've already added lots of information and Emily and any other member please feel free to copy or even hijack any of my threads I certainly don't mind in the least after all we're all here to help each other so quote away with my blessing; I'm just pleased I found this solution for myself and I was about to start a new thread regarding these Tascams.
C'mon Emily where's the cat?
My Tascam DP 008EX arrived at dinner time today much to my delight and Steve the seller had done a lovely job of packing it so it arrived undamaged; I did try to record a bit of violin playing but without luck; I need to settle down and learn how to use it; A WORD OF WARNING THOUGH: NEVER INSERT OR REMOVE THE CARD WITH THESE TASCAMS SWITCHED ON. I'm mentioning this just in case a second hand unit is bought without instructions.
I'm absolutely amazed by this Tascam; to me it appears to be a recording studio which fits into the palm of my hand; it even has stereo mics and Steve informs me he was truly amazed by how good these mics are whilst he recorded his guitar playing; I'm sure I'll find him correct. 8 seperately controlled recording channels allowing 8 seperate recordings to be made then they can be blended/mixed at will; truly remarkable.
I'm quite open about paying £110 for my Tascam; I saw one on eBay this afternoon I think the bidding was at £75 but unless in a bidding war buying one in good condition second hand they can be had for about half new price; if I couldn't have bought a second hand unit I'd have been happy to pay for a brand new one after all for me it would be a long term investment.
I'm going to buy earphones for it and I've got yet another steep learning curve ahead of me; there are lots of YouTube video's too. So much technology in the palm of my hand for so little; amazing even at new price.
I did initially buy a cheap eBay mic and it was disappointing with me expecting too much of it; I did record a very short violin practice but it proved incredibly frustrating due to having it connected to my computer via USB cable; it picked up every bit of unwanted backgrond noise; the computer fan created a loud hum and I was once again back looking for what I wanted; I got there in the end and I'm more than happy if my experience is of help to anyone else.
Kind regards, Colin.
Offline
Hi,
This morning at 6 o'clock I finally enjoyed a bit of peace as I watched YouTube videos showing how to use these Tascams; I'm amazed by how good thery are.
It's worth noting my Tascam is 8 track but 4 track & 6 track are also available so for basic recording the 4 track should be plenty and cheaper.
Zoom too has been mentioned but for general use the Tascam seems the better choice. These Tascam's are virtually self contained not needing lots of extra equipment and they are small enough to carry anywhere. Mine came with the plug in power supply so I won't need to buy lots of batteries. It has USB connectivity allowing it to be plugged straight into my computer although as yet I've not recorded anything and the 32gb card appears to be empty so I couldn't test the USB connection.
Today is forecast heavy rain so I'll spend time in the studio playing around with this Tascam having a go at recording a violin practice then trying to play it back on the computer; it looks reasonably easy to do watching the videos so I'll soon find out.
I've just had a look on UK eBay and the used 4 track versions are roughly £100 but care is needed because I see one is almost £100 but as spares? Look for one with a power supply. I paid using PayPal then I was covered in case of problems but Steve I bought it from proved a very decent guy indeed.
Kind regards, Colin.
Offline
Hi,
My new Sony headphones arrived as did connectors and cable so this morning I've been setting everything up. Without either headphones or speaker hooked up the Tascam is silent it doesn't have an inbuilt speaker.
The headphones are fine but speaker output is low; perhaps it's down to my inexperience using the Tascam but I think I'll buy an amplifier anyway; now I've started I may as well set the studio up spending a bit of money on it. I've also bought an SD card to USB 2.0 reader and it's just arrived; I've inserted the SD card from the Tascam but it reads empty which is strange because I know it has recording on it; as usual I'll do things the hard way; I'm forever on steep learning curves but I'm never bored.
The stereo speakers and phones sockets on the Tascam.
The new solder connectors for the speakers. I'm only using one speaker; I don't think using two stereo speakers will increase the volume because I use a mini hi-fi in the workshop connected to a single speaker and volume is OK.
The set up this morning; it all works just the low speaker volume to sort out but it's not a major problem. I didn't really want to be using the SD card adapter between computer and Tascam so I'll buy an amplifier then I can contain everything in the studio.
I've enjoyed this morning and without interruptions which is rare; I even managed half an hours violin practice.
Kind regards, Colin.
Offline
Nice little amps are the roland cubes, I have a cube 40 watt , all kinds of effects on them and different settings and also have plenty of power and dont take much room, I used the cube 40 live plugged into a pa system, along with an alligAtor session amp which are no longer available, both are primarily guitar amps but can be used for all kinds of purposes real work horses and very reliable, also not very heavy for carting about, our rythm guitarist used to use a peavey deuce, bass man used marshalls.
Cant beat a sunny day
Offline
Good grief - just reading the thread - as soon as I saw mention of Tascam I immediately recalled my Tascam PortaStudio One - hmmm - when - oh it would have been mid 1980's - ish... when I got it. It was tape based and using a standard-sized tape cassette (but preferably a really good quality one) - you had 4 tracks to work with. With a lot of care and attention, I managed to do a mix-down of (finally, between a couple of tapes) of a six-track mix.....
My "good grief" opening words relate to the fact that you can still buy them second-hand / used - in the region of £250 to £350 - and often with certain provisos regarding "known issues on that specific device"
Man - I didn't even pay that much new - but it was a goodly number of years back !!!
I eventually donated it to a local school music-class, and back then it was put to good use ! I was one of the early devotees to early audio-processing software (precursors to Audacity in a way I guess), and oh, it was around mid 1990's I gave the Tascam away.
Must say, the digital version looks well spec'd - hmmm aye, not bad - probably won't go too far wrong with that one.
For myself, well, I just use two software tools for the bulk of the stuff I do - a video recording and editing tool (records audio as well of course), and Audacity.
If I am intending to "mix-down" parts (say with a single video, but multiple audio) I have two ways to do this - (a) record the several different parts' video+audio. Then using the video editor, "split out" the audio (of all the multiple parts) as a separate .wav file. I'll take these .wav files into Audacity, noise-reduce them individually, "line them up" time-wise - adjust the levels on each voice and mix-down to a single .wav track. The, simply take that one mix-down back into the video editor, disable all but one of the multiple Videos (and ALL of the original audios) and linethe imported mix-down to the other (now muted) audios. Done.... (b) On occasion, I'll just record directly into Audacity if I don't need the video (maybe it's a different instrument, and I really can't be bothered doing a video "collage" - so I'll record straight to Audacity for additional audio-only parts.
So - @Retired - certainly from my past experience of Tascam (which did a MIGHTY job in the days of analogue) - I'm sure the more recent digital versions will be just as good ( well, better, noise-wise for sure) - although for myself I'm now a definite advocate of PC/Laptop based software solutions - and yes - with a decent mic and/or preprocessor that will give a similar result. I'm kind of "haf-way" towards a full digital solution using a DAW - but I'm still investigating the options (currently back to Reaper - but there are better around)
This is the VERY item I used to own - 
Enjoy your new equipment, Colin !!
And @stringy - seen and heard these Rolands in use - yup - great products. I'm still thinking about an update to my plain old, simple Peavy "Envoy 110" (complete with spring-line reverb !!!!! Really ! ) around mid 80's again I guess.... Still got that, but rarely used.
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Offline
Without hijacking collins thread, I had an old ac 30 must have been twenty or thirty years old when I got it. when I first started rehearsing which was a at a hairdressers in Wigan, up a tall flight of stairs to the top floor, dont know if you have felt the weight of a vox valve amp. Anyway after banging up the narrow stairs the amp always wouldnt work at first, until I shook it till itcame on,so I eventually got rid of it, sold it for a tenner just to get shut, can you believe how stupid I was, this was in the late eighties, I had no idea, thick you could call me, never even got the tenner either, and , listen to this one Bill it had blue speakers.
Cant beat a sunny day
Offline
Collin your low level may have something to do with recording level on the track. On the flip side if you crank up the channel gain when recording youll run the risk of clipping. On THIS particular device Id guess the gain would probably be somewhere around -12 to -14 on the slider as a start. youll need to test using headpbones probably. because if you try and record as the output is going to speakers youll probably start getting either some feedback or a weird reverb delay type thing. when im in presonus gain is set alot lower ..somewhere around -22 then i adjust later.
if the rca cables introduce noise the next thing id try would be an inexpensive bluetooth transmitter speaker combo.. youl can pick up a transmitter for under $30.00 here. you probably already have one and youll want one with the 1/8" jack i believe that will plug into the headphone output... bluetooth speakers are more expensive. just a thought. I know youre wanting to ditch anything computer for this so some of that may help. if not no big deal. the process of what learning works for you is part of the fun.
Offline
WOW @stringy - and the old AC30 is still around (in "modernised variants" of course!) - not to mention the "Blues" ! Oh yeah, that amp / speaker combo was the choice for many (and indeed, probably still is...)
Cool !
Aye, anyway, I'm sure Colin @Retired will forgive our short intrusion on his thread ! We're all good here !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Offline
🤣... this is Stringy's thread.
Offline
ELCBK said
🤣... this is Stringy's thread.
ROFL - so it is !
See - I didn't read it from the top, and even the O.P. @stringy himself wrote -
Without hijacking collins thread,
"Gordon Bennett!" as we say - looks like we're all confused now ! For me, probably something to do with the voices in my head. ( It's OK, they're just saying stuff like "Get those tunes you want to play recorded, get the new flooring laid in the hallway, get those doors glossed before Xmas, remember to go to the butcher for diced lamb for the next tikka curry you're making, .... oh I won't go on - there's at least 20 of them.... LOL ). Can't help with Stringy though !!!! 
But hey - it was all pertinent and apologies were made - even when as it now appears, were quite unnecessary !
Hahahaha - yah got me fair and square on that one @ELCBK ! Good catch ! You're too good !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh -
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Offline
Hi,
Sorry if I added to the confusion but all came right in the end. Many thanks for all the suggestions. Yesterday was a waste of time for me; why don't manufacturers at least try to standardize cables; it drove me mad yesterday swapping from RCA to 3.5mm jacks soldering connectors.
Today I decided to start over and emailed Steve who sold the Tascam to me asking how he got on using it with his guitar; Steve informs me output from his speakers was fine so this is down to my inexperience and as you kindly suggest @ABitRusty Steve too suggests I crank up the recording volume and also used powered speakers; I was almost there though because I connected my mini hifi between Tascam and speakers and it's possible due to the connection soldering I've crossed a connection; I couldn't get a resistance reading using the DMM through the plugs to the cable ends so next session I'll use a torch to find out what connects to what; I've just been browsing the web looking at cable pin outs; I'm used to this kind of thing through my vintage radio restoring days. Tascams and recording are totally new to me so please bear with me; I'll get there in the end. When I get everything running as it should I'll be happy to add a seperate thread covering my Tascam experiences because I'm sure I won't be on my own sorting my way through it all.
It's so cold outside I don't feel like doing much at the moment; if I start work in the studio then it doesn't take long before I get cold wandering down to the workshop to collect something; having to keep wrapping up becomes weary after ten trips.
Sorry @stringy for hijacking your thread but I'm encourageable. 
Kind regards, Colin.
Offline
You've ALL added wonderful, important and relevant information on this topic! 🤗
Offline
Emily, laughing my head offf, forgot I started this myself, I am as mad as Bill.
I have bought a tascam 8 track, not used it yet though as need a few things, like a drum machine, probably a mic as well, maybea guitar compressor.
As I said elswhere time is a bit of a constraint which is one other reason I havent done anything, I am also going to buy a cheap bass guitar, I already have a very old one from the 60s but its a bit done in, I will probably get one from a second hand shop.
Thanks for reminding me I started this lol
Cant beat a sunny day
Offline
...I thought it was hilarious! 🥰
Offline
Hi,
Nice one @stringy Not mad just human.
Good luck with your Tascam; so far today; no demands on my time; nothing broken; no appointments no visitors expected and I've already done the supermarket shopping I was home by 7:30. Whoopee do I get an uninterrupted day in the studio to play around with my violins; Tascam; speakers and microphone; I'm not holding my breath.
Kind regards, Colin.
Online
1 Guest(s)
Fiddlerman
Andie.Kae
Mouse
