That was a friend's drum set in a barn in Crawford, TX - we didn't really do anything to the drums, just hung an SM57 from the barn rafters about 6 ft above the kit and put another one in front of the kick on a desktop stand. I think it was the first time I tried to record a drum kit
@KRAFTWERK2K6
6 жыл бұрын
Half of the views is just me re-watching it. :P I'm not kidding, THIS is THE 8 track portastudio video i keep coming back to again and again when ever i feel down and wanna get inspired and reminded again what awesome stuff people did and still do on these machines. I dunno why but something about it (as well as the 4 track demos you recorded) that makes me coming back and listen to it again. I just love the sound and how it makes me feel.
@brandonharris9160
3 жыл бұрын
Still amazing
@vwestlife
14 жыл бұрын
8 tracks on a cassette -- how do they do that? Make the tracks half as wide as normal and then run the tape twice as fast to make up for the lost fidelity?
@IanCanefire
13 жыл бұрын
1:33 is great! lol....people should do more recordings like this. I get so much joy listening to people's you tube songs. rock on!
@stevoe1000
12 жыл бұрын
Danm, there's still something great about analog tape recordings... sounds soo full and warm....and still you hear everything....:)
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
It should record on type 1 cassettes but the level will be too low and it will have no high frequency response. None of the channels record anything at all? Are you sure the signals are routed correctly?
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
The mixing was done through the Tascam's mixer but I modified it to have individual outputs for each tape track so I could process them further after they were recorded. Most of the EQ and compression was printed when the original tracks were recorded, using a few cheapo outboard units.
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
On the first bit they're real drums. Most of the album was done with drum sounds programmed into a Roland D-5 or an E-mu Drumulator from 1983 playing EPROMs that I burned with my own samples. (Required a bit of reverse-engineering)
@ambiguationdotnet
8 жыл бұрын
awesome! and printing with effects! very brave! those were the days! great job!!
@eyeheartchrist
12 жыл бұрын
I just received the same recorder from a friend, and I was wondering if you know ways to help lessen some of the signal-to-noise ratio? It's not so bad when gain is increased on outside components(amplifier/mixer/etc. into monitors), so I suppose it's adjusting the master level high enough to send enough signal but not too much to reduce the noise from individual channels? I may have just answered my own question, haha.
@OldMusicOnVinyl1
12 жыл бұрын
Paul D. Millar: a true genius of analogue music.
@pdmillar
12 жыл бұрын
@TanchTelevision No drum loops, it's all hardware stuff driven by MIDI and sometimes real drums
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
@bpeele10 Well it sounds like you might be confused as to how to use the mixer. In order to direct a sound to a certain track you need to use the PAN control and the ASSIGN switches to direct it to buss 1, 2, 3, or 4. Then the master fader for the appropriate group needs to be pushed up and the desired tape tracks need to be armed for record. Busses 1, 2, 3, and 4 are also connected to tracks 5, 6, 7, 8 on the tape recorder, but you cannot record tracks 1 and 5, 2 and 6, etc. at the same time.
@jimmyrich1
8 жыл бұрын
How did you achieve that overdriven drum sound in the beginning of 'Bars & Tone' ? sounds fantastic !
@bhuzz4428
8 жыл бұрын
hi im going crazy trying to work this thing. i have really low ,barely any playback volume after recording. everything sounds fine up untill playback. levels between 3 and 6 .cleaned heads ,followed everything in the manual. please help me
@muzikman2008
12 жыл бұрын
Some nice compression techniques on this recording... some is natural tape saturation and some post or pre tape? I have a 488mkII had it since 1990 ish... did lots of recordings both live and studio... never got it to sound like this though. Must be my crappy outboard gear. Lots of sampling on here.
@AvocaSingleTrack
12 жыл бұрын
Good memories man ! Had this deck around 1991??? We thought we were "Big time" ...mixing down with a dsp256 on a send, to another deck and "Metal" tape ... lol
@Stratman78
13 жыл бұрын
Although we live in the recording age of Cakewalk, Garage Band, Pro Tools, Kristal Audio Engine, etc., this video ultimately demonstrates that you can still do major musical damage with just 8 tracks. Why do we need 256 digital tracks to make a song? All you need is eight. Great video pdmillar. Analog recording LIVES!!!!
@demo-pu9vx
9 жыл бұрын
This is fucking amazing.
@PINKBOY1006
3 жыл бұрын
Something I would love to have would be a multi track file of this tape. Hell I'd even pay for it on bandcamp, I just absolutely love the bass track, drums, pad synth, and OD guitar on castle thunder so much that I'd love to try mixing it from the dry tracks myself on my computer for fun.
@joog_is_not_okay
3 жыл бұрын
Paul sent a few of these multitracks in my discord server a while back, not sure how much he wants them to be spread around but i can send you the links if you want.
@PINKBOY1006
3 жыл бұрын
@@joog_is_not_okay Just seeing this now, I'd love to have a copy of those! I've been listening to Paul for such a long time and having some multi's of one of my favorite albums would just be a dream come true.
@joog_is_not_okay
2 жыл бұрын
@@PINKBOY1006 whoops sorry kinda forgot about this here drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oH8bXX0f5B_7VqsQA1JEgWvJjaKZDm-g?usp=sharing drive.google.com/drive/folders/1g2y9JITBGx6MOyrMaMgXkIyL4VZegoC1?usp=sharing drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Xv21cugDiTE4Gnat-FlneciiPcfA07Zj?usp=sharing
@jumpers3
8 жыл бұрын
You sir put out a great musical ride on this grand 488
@jerzmacow
8 жыл бұрын
What's that sample in bars and tones from? I've never heard someone get so excited over mesons before
@pdmillar
8 жыл бұрын
+jerzmacow Teleplay from the 60s called "The Cube"
@jerzmacow
8 жыл бұрын
+pdmillar hah, of course it's about a man living in a cube. It all doesn't make sense now!
@TheAntlermusic
11 жыл бұрын
hi, i just purchased this machine second hand and everything works great. the only problem i have is that it wont record. im using type 1 maxell tapes and am thinking that might be the cause? i know the type 2 high bias tapes are superior but shouldnt it be able to record any tape in its format or is it supposed to refuse to record on anything but type 2. thanks
@Oneofthosecoolkids
10 жыл бұрын
The music is great. I really dig the voice.
@jumpers3
14 жыл бұрын
That was great.Yeah,it's amazing you got that sound out of the 1st generation 488.The music was cool.I heard Beefheart,Robert Fripp,Nectar.....
@pdmillar
13 жыл бұрын
@Stratman78 I'm seriously completely uninspired by infinite track counts and fixing stuff with a pencil tool. Why do we want 6,000 layers of the same lifeless guitar sound? Why do we want a synthesizer that sounds exactly like a piano? These are the questions people are not asking!
@MultitrackCassetteFans
6 жыл бұрын
true true true...with these machines you don't get caught in "option stress" (that knocks the soul out of your music), instead you have to push yourself to your best performance...I love these machines.
@MrMuddyBleach
12 жыл бұрын
I'm using Sony type II 90's through my Tascam 424MKII. I get a real muddy sound straight in without the highs boosted all the way up and bass all the way dow. I figured out that if I put my guitar through a Fender solid state reverb tank I own, even without any reverb on, it clears it up and boosts the volume into glassy clearness. I might try out some different tape and see if that makes it sound a little better too.
@Sys-Edit0r-1995
9 жыл бұрын
Were DID that sound clip f the scientist come from anyway? is it like some obscure comedy sketch?
@kolakube123
12 жыл бұрын
Great video. Music is wierd but in a good way! Instead of it sounding like everything else does these days as its all made via the same computer hardware and software this dares to be diffrent. Well done. Love it.
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
Shure SM57 and M267 preamp/mixer. The limiter in the M267 was used on almost all of the vocals.
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
@sacredrealm The more mics you add, the more difficult it becomes. Looking back I should definitely have added a mic under the snare to catch some of the snappiness, although I am pleased with the basic drum tone, it just gets lost in the mix. All of the drums were tuned very low and the heads were almost completely covered with duct tape. I don't think there's much more HF to be had by recording with the pitch control up, it only speeds up the tape by a couple semitones. Maybe 1-2KHz at most.
@stevoe1000
11 жыл бұрын
great recording and song... hey did you transfer this to cd or other mp3 or digital recording before putting it here... there's something about the analogue that still comes through reall well over even youtube ...
@stevoe1000
11 жыл бұрын
Thanks, so recorded onto digi... I thought this sounded great via my pc speakers and today using my mixing monitors this thing has come to life even more, the beauty of analogue ....
@31rcg
10 жыл бұрын
Hi Hi! It´s all drums and synths recorded direct into Tascam 488? No other mixers or compressors? Sounds really amazing... Rough and fat. :)
@pdmillar
10 жыл бұрын
A lot of outboard stuff was used, but it was all cheap stuff that anybody else would turn their nose up at. Behringer Autocom compressor, Shure M267 as a mic preamp, some old graphic EQ for a stereo, various slightly abused guitar pedals. The only mixer was the 488 one. Thanks for the nice words!
@pdmillar
12 жыл бұрын
I had some external EQ and a weird optical compressor and a complicated spring reverb that I made among other stuff. Also make sure you're using the right tape - I used Maxell XLIIs which are not made anymore - regular brown Type I tape will sound very bad
@bpeele10
14 жыл бұрын
Ok the music is on trk 1 and lead vocal is on track 2. What buttons do I push to record background vocals on track 3? WP
@gmrios
12 жыл бұрын
The word FAT comes to mind. Dam! This sounds great!
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
Heh! Thanks. I may be putting some more guitar on the next record, as I've kind of rediscovered the instrument since getting an old Silvertone 1483 amp in the studio.
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
Found the individual tape repro signals on the mixer PCB (I think I got them off the tape mix/cue pot) and wired them to a D-sub I put on the back, then built a breakout box
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
Yeah, they're half as wide as normal, but the tape speed is the same as normal 4-tracks, 3.75 ips. DBX Type-II noise reduction brings the hiss down to acceptable levels.
@1835msd
12 жыл бұрын
Dude you should show your setup, cause that sounds super clean for a portastudio. Especially when the cassette is being split into 8 tracks. Awesome! Music is a little odd for me, but the talent is definately apparent both recording and writing.
@JimisGuy
11 жыл бұрын
The drums at 4:05, you recorded them live? They sound pretty good for what you are doing and are kind of what I am looking to get out of mine. Any tips, I have the same recording unit?
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
@sacredrealm Well I should also mention that the cymbals were barely audible in the first place, I bought a geniune First Act drum set for 25 bucks and the cymbals were stamped out of sheet metal. Since we got better cymbals we can't use the overhead in the same way since the cymbals are overpowering. And yes that 70s type of drum sound has always been my favorite, easy to get too, though it's difficult to convince any drummer that the kit needs to make less sound.
@Lovejar
11 жыл бұрын
Beautiful.
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
The master mixes were recorded on RMG SM911 on a Pioneer RT-701
@pdmillar
12 жыл бұрын
It's two playing in unison, a Drumulator that I installed Linndrum sample EPROMs in and a crappy Roland D-5 that I programmed my own drum patches on
@евгенийшалумов
9 жыл бұрын
Who did wrouth and play this songs ? very nice sad rock melodies!
@pdmillar
9 жыл бұрын
It's all my stuff, it's my fake band Slugbug
@levijessegonzalez3629
4 жыл бұрын
So all these sounds are just direct in / no post mastering?
@pdmillar
4 жыл бұрын
Mostly DI. There was nearly always some compression used on the individual sources before hitting the machine, but you're hearing the straight stereo output of the 488 here. I don't believe in mastering
@pdmillar
4 жыл бұрын
N.B. I think this video has some amount of limiting on it (dunno how much) b/c 488 was plugged into the mike input on the camera with a pad. Mike input has non-defeatable auto level control
@levijessegonzalez3629
4 жыл бұрын
@@pdmillar noise is a little high? Is that just because of cassette or would you say the 8 tracks are more noisy as opposed to a 424 or another 4 track? Also how did you record the drums?
@levijessegonzalez3629
4 жыл бұрын
@@pdmillar I'm trying to decide on my first cassette recorder and obviously 8 tracks are better. But I'm wondering if it's going to degrade sound quality any like some people say?
@pdmillar
4 жыл бұрын
@@levijessegonzalez3629 The 8-track cassette is incredibly grody sounding compared to the 4 track, thin tracks, 2x as much noise. DBX cuts it mostly out but it only works well if you can get type II tapes. If you're concerned about noise at all you should not be screwing around with cassette decks
@DaveZula
11 жыл бұрын
Sick clavinet part on "Pseudonym"
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
@phemohilia Thanks! Are you really from Waco? I am always surprised to meet anyone else in town that knows what the hell I'm talking about half the time. Currently plotting my great escape.
@MrMuddyBleach
12 жыл бұрын
Haha yes! This is awesome! Can not for the life of me get that clear sound through mine.
@timdelvecchio
12 жыл бұрын
What drum machine are you using at 2:16
@MartinMenta
9 жыл бұрын
can you record in 8 separated chanels simultaneusly in this ?
@pdmillar
14 жыл бұрын
@jimclashair I used a PC only to run the MIDI sequencer, and to master the CD from the 2-track mixdown reels.
@Ston247
12 жыл бұрын
Used one of these thing before,but didn't digitally save my tracks! Now 10 yrs. later I WANT some of those tracks. Bought another one, IT DOESN'T WORK. A friggin' nightmare, but got my money back. However nobody wants to fix these,nobody has parts and they rape you over the repair costs. 1) Tascam's service shop is in the middle of nowhere New Jersey. 2)took my Porta 1 to get it fixed, got it back..STILL NOT WORKING. DO NOT spend more than $200 for a replacement. THEY'RE NOT WORTH IT !
@fotillas
6 жыл бұрын
It is great, fresh and true
@pdmillar
12 жыл бұрын
You can see some more of it in the BUG VERB video and some others from that period... that setup doesn't exist anymore. Took up my entire room at my parents' house
@joog_is_not_okay
4 жыл бұрын
What do those 2 switches at the bottom do?
@pdmillar
4 жыл бұрын
One was to make it run at half speed and the other was to cut power to the capstan motor when not in use
@joog_is_not_okay
4 жыл бұрын
@@pdmillar how do you get the mechanism to run at half speed? I've looked everywhere for a way to do this but apparently I can't technology or something because I can't seem to find any information on how.
@pdmillar
4 жыл бұрын
@@joog_is_not_okay The resistance across the 'A' and 'B' terminals of the capstan motor sets the speed of the internal governor. I think lower resistance => higher speed, so the switch just shunted across it with a trimpot (tuned for 1 octave down.) Don't really remember, this was more than a decade ago and I didn't write it down
@KoruSkillaTV
8 жыл бұрын
Very nice!
@Arc.hitectureMusic
14 жыл бұрын
This makes me want to ditch the whole computer music revolution right now. Did you record real drums or is that a drum machine? Castle THUNDER!!!!! I downloaded your album.
@loganhone
6 жыл бұрын
heck ya!!! sounds great!
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
You just have to patch it into a line input and use recording software, it's not any more complicated than that... maybe it's a laptop and doesn't have one?
@portaismusicstudio
11 жыл бұрын
share the full tracks for download
@casiofi
11 жыл бұрын
How did you modify it?
@rkatastrophe
6 жыл бұрын
Fuck this is good.
@Sundaywave
13 жыл бұрын
what kind of 8track is that?
@dennisvervest
7 жыл бұрын
Pretty wild :)
@ryandude1994
13 жыл бұрын
I've just bought one of these and i have the manual...still cant work out how to work it...ooooh dear
@SPANISHFLYMUSIC
4 жыл бұрын
fire
@SH4N07
10 жыл бұрын
good job
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
The audio was just patched into the stereo mic input on the Sony DV camera I used to take the video
@KenfolkRainzero187
14 жыл бұрын
@jimclashair tru
@pdmillar
13 жыл бұрын
@Sundaywave Tascam 488
@евгенийшалумов
9 жыл бұрын
lOoks like gothic hard rock
@littlefury
12 жыл бұрын
IMO, it sounds exactly the way a Portastudio should sound if it's in good condition.
@евгенийшалумов
9 жыл бұрын
I had exactly same one... but sold it
@exodia333
14 жыл бұрын
not bad guitar work brother
@Beshrewed
14 жыл бұрын
love castle thunder!
@nhdyz
8 жыл бұрын
CAN YOU SHOW HOW TO RECORD 8 DIFFERENT TRACKS ?!!!
@pdmillar
8 жыл бұрын
This unit can't record all 8 tracks simultaneously - they only included 4 record amps to keep size/cost down. I think only the 688 and 238 can do that.
@nhdyz
8 жыл бұрын
I've been lookin everywhere for a SIMPLE tutorial. The manual is way too technical for me ... Can you just explain how can i record on each individual track to make live mixings? I tried to record on track 3 & 4 and when i played it back they werent in 3&4 anymore they played in track 1&2 !!
@nhdyz
8 жыл бұрын
All i found so far on the Tascam488 is people showing their recordings. No one actually explain the basics\tips&tricks of how this machine works !! Is it because you Tascam488 users dont want to give out secret recepies? You could be the savior my man !!
@pdmillar
8 жыл бұрын
There aren't any secrets - it works basically the same way as any cassette 4-track. The key to using it successfully is understanding how the signals are routed internally. It helps to think of the recorder and mixer as completely separate devices that happen to be in the same box.
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
It's me when I was like 3 years old, erasing my mom's George Benson cassette ("I ONLY RECORD CLASSICAL TAPES")
@vectorstain
10 жыл бұрын
Hell yes!!
@bleebloe
12 жыл бұрын
reminds me so much of Blue Oyster Cult
@pdmillar
11 жыл бұрын
I'm pretty sure it does. Not anything to be concerned about
@elbeethrie5140
10 жыл бұрын
3:15 whewwww
@bpeele10
14 жыл бұрын
@bpeele10
@chinmeysway
5 жыл бұрын
like
@nothadnotbad
13 жыл бұрын
proffessional musicians sure help alot when recording on these stupid things.
@truthfinder4973
11 жыл бұрын
hey i went to guitar and got a TASCAM DP01 MULTITRACK EFFECTS RECORDER case they dont have 8 track cassette recorders any more got a deal when i get it in 7 days lets trade that for yours in this video :) why not its a Digital and yours not hah i love you recorder and nice rocking sounds
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