Personal studio equipment is not meant as a means to record your demo, but rather to be used more like a notepad. You should really tune your sound before going into a studio and paying by the hour to make your demo. A great way to do this is to record and re-record over and over again until you know exactly the way you want it. It will save you big bucks in the studio.
Personal studio equipment is sometimes even used to lay down a few tracks before you get into the studio. You will lose a generation, and the sound isn't going to be as great, but for things like drums and bass that are laid into the background, it's sufficient. You can also keep track of your changing sound, and let's face it, we all love to hear ourselves. In addition, it's great practice if you have ideas of owning your own studio someday. Every not-so- rich-and-famous music maker should have a personal studio.
Four-tracks are the most common piece of personal studio equipment on the market today. If you are not familiar with them, they are called four-tracks because they record on just that, four tracks. A regular cassette tape contains four tracks all together, two for each "side", a four-track recorder utilizes all four for recording songs. A four-track is like a cassette recorder than can play and record at the same time (multi-tracking). A recording studio usually has between 16 and 48 tracks, so you have less to play with, but if you utilize your space wisely, you can get a terrific sound.
There is a common practice called sub-mixing, also referred to as "bouncing," that can free up some space for extra instruments or vocals. For instance, you could record the drums on track one, bass on track two, and guitar on track three, then transfer all three to track four, leaving three empty tracks. Again, you get into the generation loss, but since this isn't your actual demo, you should be fine. Just make sure you have your drums, bass and guitar exactly the way you want them because they cannot be changed once they are mixed together.
The big five companies in four-tracks are Fostex, Tascam, Sony, Yamaha, and Akai, with Fostex and Tascam being the most common. In this article, we're trying to make you aware of the latest equipment out there, we are not necessarily making any recommendations. The top of the line for Tascam is the 644 MIDIstudio. The 644 has sixteen inputs to eight channels, with MIDI and remote control. It also has a DBX noise reduction system, three band EQ, switchable tape speed, and a multi-function dual mix system. The Tascam 644 MIDIstudio is a great choice for computer geeks that know what they're doing.
For those not-so-in-the-know, there is the Yamaha MT120. The MT120 is great for first-time four-track owners. It contains a five-band Stereo Graphics Equalizer, dual speed controls, and DBX noise reduction system. It has the added bonus of being able to record on all four tracks at the same time. Not a lot of units have that feature. The EQ output also includes Aux send and return.
If you're looking for something more compact that you can take on the road with you, Tascam's Porta 05 or Porta 02 ministudios, or the Fostex X-14 Multitracker will be your best bets. The Tascam Porta 05 features a two-channel, two-band equalizer, four inputs, and built-in DBX system noise reduction. The Porta 05HS is also available, it contains high speed recording. The Porta 02 and X-14 have slightly less features. The Porta 02 has two inputs with adjustable Trim and operates at standard speed. The Fostex X-14 Multitracker has an internal omni-directional condenser microphone and LED meters, however, it has only one input and it also runs at normal speed.
The next size up in compact, portable four-tracks are the Fostex XR-3 Multitrack, and the Tascam 414 Portastudio. Though slightly larger than the compacts, they make up for their bulk in features. The XR-3 is easy to operate with two inputs, dual speeds, Dolby B noise reduction, auto bounce circuit, and tape out terminals. It also has the internal omni-directional condenser microphone like the X-14. The 414 has that terrific feature of being able to record on all four tracks at once, mic or line. It also has a sync out, linear faders, high and low EQ, and two stereo effects returns.
If you're looking for middle-of-the-road stuff that is still portable, but a bit larger than the others, there are a lot of options out there. Some of the best are the X-77, XR-5, and XR-7 from Fostex, and the Tascam 424. With a six channel mixer, two switchable aux sends per channel, and a bi-alternate mix mode, the X-77 is noted for it's diversity and quality. It also has an assignable parametric equalizer, alternative aux send, and a MIDI/tape multi-mix mode. Fostex's XR-5 and XR-7 both have two aux sends, and two stereo aux returns, plus their own unique features.
The XR-5, which I own and am very happy with, has a four channel input mixer, EQ on every channel, four direct tape outputs, and it records at high speed. The XR-7 is step up with six channel input mixer, rehearsal mode, logic control transport, and 2 and 3 band sweep EQ. The XR-5 has Dolby B® NR, while the XR-7 has Dolby C® NR. Both are great machines, as is the Tascam 424 with it's three-band EQ, auto punch in/out, and the return-to-zero feature that makes recording so much easier. This four input machine also has two additional stereo ins. All four of these machines are reasonably priced and will get the job done more than efficiently.
Finally, there are the big boys, as I mentioned before, the Tascam 644 MIDIstudio is top of the line in four tracks, however, in this age of technological advances, there are more options out there. The future of four-track technology is turning toward MiniDiscs®, or MDs. A mini-disc is a magneto-optical format that is rewritable. MiniDiscs® have many advantages over cassette four-tracks, in much the same way that CDs are superior to cassette tapes. Bouncing is a lot clearer with minidiscs, the editing process is a big step up, and the signal is much cleaner. MiniDiscs® are more expensive than most four-tracks, but new technology is always more expensive and will eventually lower in price.
Tascam's 564 Digital Portastudio, Sony's MDM-X4 Mark II, and Yamaha's MD4 are three good examples of this new technology. The 564 features an S/PDIF output, auto-punch overdubbing with rehearse, two stereo aux returns, and a top-of-the-line "bounce forward" feature. The bounce forward feature is used to cut, move, copy, and assemble your songs. The MDM-X4 has four mono mic/line ins, two aux sends, two stereo returns, and some great editing features including track and song based editing, allowing you to erase, copy, move, and exchange. Other editing features are Undo/Redo, Virtual Mix, and Mix Write. The Virtual Mix feature allows you to record up to 16 virtual tracks, which can be combined down to two or four tracks, and the Mix Write feature allows you to add a track to an already-recorded track. Yamaha's MD4 uses Sony's MiniDisc Data discs, it features an integrated four-channel analog mixer, 3-band EQ, search and locate functions, song and track editing and MIDI output. The MD4 also boasts "Lossless digital bouncing". This process allows you to bounce all four tracks down to one or two tracks as many times as is needed without losing fidelity.
The features I've highlighted here are not the only features on these machines, please contact Lentine's Music Inc., or another musical equipment vendor for more details on these products. Work with your vendor, take their suggestions to heart, but do your own research, and talk to people who own a four-track, get their opinion.
To a lot of us, the dollar amount involved is considerable and our decision on what to purchase should be made with care and consideration. Also keep in mind that we couldn't possibly cover every four-track on the market, there are a lot of machines to choose from. We would have liked to have included the Akai DR4d, and the Fostex X-55 and XR3, among others. Also keep in mind that a four-track needs a lot of accessories to complete your personal studio.
Most personal studios consist of a reverb unit, drum machine, microphone, headphones, and your various instruments, along with the four-track. A lot of people also prefer to purchase a DAT (Digital Audio Tape) recorder or CD recorder to record on rather than a cassette, and that adds to the bill considerably. It's no small change, but it also doesn't have to cost a small fortune. Make sure you really shop and compare, especially on the internet. With musical items, there can be a huge price difference from one vendor to another.
Two other tips: ALWAYS clean your heads before starting a new session, and NEVER use metal cassette tapes. Good luck, and happy hunting!
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