rant: all i want is a reasonably priced four track

[DeathJag]

This was just posted, if someone wants it I'm happy to get it and send it out:

Tascam portastudio mk1 - $250

[budda12ax7]

You need to find an ADAT ......hook up,an analogue mixing board....good to go.

I'd definitely consider an ADAT to be the worst of both worlds... low sample rate AND unreliable? Where do I sign up?

My old setup in the 90’s was an Alesis ADAT into a Alesis 1622 board....Roland gp 16, line 6 guitar rack mount thing for outboard gear....worked great...recorded so many local punk bands and my own band stuff....the early 90’s punk scene here in LA ,,,specifically the Pasadena area littered with BURGIE ZONE demos...good times.

[bah humbuck]

Hi everyone. Came back to share a few links for those who may still be on the hunt. I am completely 100% unaffiliated with these sellers, just think it might be useful to someone.

This ebay seller has refurbished Portastudios. New belts, new caps, everything. Here's a listing for a refurbished 414mkii, comes out to about $430 before shipping and taxes: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256351719887

Condition:
We have decided, with the amount of work required to make these fully functional, we will only perform this particular refurb on cabinets in excellent condition. Therefore, this beautiful deck is in "Very Good" condition with minor signs of use and a nice, clean control panel! Aside from the typical scratches to the base, there may be a few light scuffs or scratches to the cabinet too faint to make out well. All the original knobs are present & complete and the door plexi is clear with minimal scuffing. The original Power Supply has gone missing so we are including the new, overrated supply we used throughout testing. The manual has also gone missing but no worries, it can be found online or we will send you the PDF file directly on request. Sample pics, please see below for more info.**
Service:
All decks receive a full restoration which includes the following services and much more, all performed by our qualified technician:
Unit is dismantled and inspected to determine if any previous amateur repairs exist that need to be corrected, or substandard parts that need replacement
Heads are checked for flaws or excessive wear; highly worn heads indicates excessive wear to the entire transport so they are taken out of service
The exterior, all knobs & plexis are cleaned & detailed
All switches & pots can be cleaned internally with Specialist Contact Cleaner (proven superior to DeoxIT by our customers)
While apart, all PC boards are inspected & questionable solder joints are re-flowed. To prevent future issues, all input/output jacks are re-flowed, whether or not they appear to need it
All electrolytic caps are inspected for bulging or leakage, any questionable components are replaced with overrated components
All faders are treated with DeoxIT F5, specifically designed to both clean & lubricate fader controls
Any faulty components, such as jacks, LEDs, feet, etc., are replaced
Cassette transport mechanism is cleaned & lubed with non-petroleum based lube to assure long life
All switches on the transport are thoroughly cleaned and adjusted to prevent intermittent stoppage
All belts are replaced w/ high-quality neoprene belts
Other rubber components, such as idler wheels & pinch rollers, are inspected and either rejuvenated with Rubber Renue, or replaced if questionable
All electrolytic caps are inspected for bulging or leakage, any questionable components are replaced with overrated components
Audio levels calibrated & balanced
Tape path is cleaned and heads demagnetized
Tape Speed calibrated
NOTE: It is common for the tape speed to drift a bit as the servicing and new components installed in the transport settle in. But don't worry, our Free Support is here for you even after your 60-Day Guarantee! Just give us a call and we will be glad to help you with any issues, including re-calibrating any other levels.

Testing:
Once serviced, this deck was set up on our test bench and all switches, functions and LED indicators work correctly, with all inputs and outputs confirmed as operational. The cassette deck also works correctly with a clear, steady playback at high-speed with minimal wow & flutter. We recorded a short test tape to all four tracks, using all four channels, and played it back with no issues. More testing was done, still there are a multitude of other features on this deck, so we can't test them all. If there is a particular function you would like to know more about just let us know before buying. What a great find on a beautiful piece of vintage equipment!

I want that pushed-cassette sound so badly, and I almost -- ALMOST -- went for it.

But I started to wonder how I could get that sound without all the frequency shaping that slamming a four track does. And that was the last key I needed to fall into the wide and beautiful world of TRANSFORMER SATURATION! Turns out that transformers account for as much of the sound I like as the tape itself! Which leads me to my second discovery - this Reverb seller has different transformers wired up into 'color boxes' with 1/4-in. connections.

https://reverb.com/item/78382183-multi- ... ring-music
https://reverb.com/item/78905764-vintag ... ring-music

This one is literally a hardware "tape emulator" that basically recreates everything but the tape part:

https://reverb.com/item/78672097-amfex- ... saturator

I'm planning on having him build me a custom transformer array, which he quoted a very reasonable price for, so I thought I'd drop these links here in the hopes that they will help someone out who is also looking for this type of effect. In the last 12 years or so, I have run my audio through DOZENS of different cassette players, I've messed with preamp upon preamp... and THESE fucking things finally get the sound that I was looking for the whole time. I feel excited about recording again in a way that I haven't in a while.