($299) Tascam PortaStudio 246 

PortaStudio 246 vs IK's Cassette Plugin : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HFNgHg2LNx0.html

Does this guy not know that he is a hipster?

1:58 they’re changing your idler tires for you. Helpful little guys.

the baby 388! You got a good deal. It's got such a rad boxy sound, I have to leave mine on for 10 minutes to wake up, then it's usually pretty solid. Also, my last repair on mine was the idler tyres, which is the less obvious fix than the belts. Worth checking out, i just used plumbing O ring thingos ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JJ_CTuMzDE0.html

Ooh, the start of a new era... At some point in the future you'll be able to sync all the multitrackers and make 32 track recordings using 10 devices at once. All with their own characteristics and purposes. The hipster was too busy finding his identity instead of the problems that you solved in a couple of hours. And, what do you think of the result of using only one mic for the drums? I think it sounds more balanced and you definitely can get more out of it by some tactical EQ-ing. Nice video, seeing you busy is quite motivating for me, as I have lots of things waiting for checks and repairs. Enjoy a weekend, Travis!

I bought one of these way back when they were just released, did many years of recording on it, and still have it for decoration in the studio ;). About 10 years ago I wanted to transfer some of my old tapes to digital on this and found that play wasn't working very well either. I then replaced one of the elastic bands inside which was way to loose with a house hold elastic and it worked fine again after that :).

12 year old hipster is crazy lmao

I had a 2 inch 16 track recording studio when these first came out. The portastudio put a lot of smaller studios out of business because musicians could record their own demos. I was able to stay in business because 2 inch tape at 30ips had a sound that the portastudio could not make. But it sure did revolutionize the industry at a grounds roots level.

This channel is anti AI

Looking forward to the day you find a Fostex X15, get bored with it and let me borrow it.

You got it rollin !

Tape limitations (if I recall correctly) for the old Tascams are Type I -only and recommended maximum length of 60 minutes - thinner tape might stretch or even snap. Chrome tapes might sound wonky and Metal won't work as the head can't drive the tape. I recommend keeping the DBX NR on all the time even though it might introduce 'breathing' as it will non-linearize the tape compression and distortion even more dynamic wise. Tape manufacturer and their different tapes also matters somewhat - in my cassette box of treasures I have a lot of tapes from same manufacturers that sound very different from each other so they were clearly experimenting with different materials and solutions. Some tapes had a harsh and tinny upper end and another tape from the same manufacturer might have a super smooth top register, even though both were similar types, just different marketing names. The condition of the deck and the heads also change the characteristics of the tape recording as well, of course. Looking quickly into the box, my favourite tapes were TDK AD60 - neutral top end, can take abuse (drive) a good amount. Scotch CX60 - super smooth top end, mids were a little iffy if I recall correctly. Best cassette I've had for the consumer deck is Maxell UDI 60 - rich and lush with no annoying tinniness at the top and good bass. Also, look for pre-recorded tapes, they're usually strong and good quality. I still use cassettes to this day as a tool - I run raw synthesizer samples through the tape to distort and mangle them - then record back and assemble the samples to the keyboard. Makes it sound like the synth patch was left on the attic for 40 years. :D The stuff stuck in the effects RCA is possibly part of the loop thingy. The send and return have to be patched so the signal path is not cut (at least on some Tascam machines and mixers).

Just picked up a 246. Gotta replace all the gooey rubber parts. Then see if it’s all working. I keep getting burned lately on machines that are too gone for me to fix, hey, I’m no Tetrakan here. Plus I don’t have the time to mess with things that aren’t easily fixable.

pls keep these vids coming. love these tape recorders

What is the exact cables you use for the output of tascam into daw? I just bought one and I’m trying to run separate tracks to my DAW

My god those guitar tracks sound amazing through that thing :)

You can never trust a hipster, especially one not old enough to drink

Still not a bad deal, you can get that thing rolling!

What type of PGM outputs did u use?

Also, tape eating is a symptom of sticky AF idlers, capstans and pinch rollers. Get in there with some rubbing alcohol on qtips and clean off all the old tape gunk. It should leave black to brown smears on the qtips if it's real dirty.

Nice! My damn Sony TC-377 R2R just gummed up on me yesterday, so now I gotta do some investigation as well! It’s uber mechanical so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue to figure out. Good stuff!

Mice! Talk about burying the headline..! ha

The little mice in your attic, are handing out flyers being they like your music. Lol

Travis, at this point I'm pretty well convinced that you can make mighty fine music with any object or appliance

I offered to help you and you turned me down. You said you liked the "bad sound".

Travis =) you make me wanna try to try to get my AKAI MG-614 fixed,...i have new pinchroller and belts, but there is a gear that missing a half tooth and it seems wierd almost as it was like that from the begining,...Thanks for a ton of inspiration =) Love cheers

Great! The 246 preamps how compares to m 30 preamp??

I have a Porta 07 Ministudio 4-Track Cassette. Not sure if it's good gear or not. Hypothetically can I send it to you to fix? I'm in Canada. also, if you have any opinions on the unit i'd be more than curious to hear.

*Giggles* 'Hippsters' *giggleing*... Ahh the wonderfull 246. Using it for drums.

Those faders just needed exercise!

sounds pretty sweet

I love this content! Makes me nostalgic. It was probably just used very little, and there was dust build-up, or oxididation on the internal switches. Today, because we live in the digital world, the natural assumption is it's an electronic issue, but on tape machine's like this, it's usually mechanical in nature. What most people who get these machines don't realize is the tape transport assembly has contact points (tabs or protrusions) that activate momentary switches that direct power, signal, and specific functionality through the selected circuit paths when engaged. When you press play, or record, the assembly slides up, and the appropriate switches are depressed, but if they've been sitting for long periods, just like pots, they develop poor contact. Sometimes just going through the machine's functions as you did is enough to get it working well enough. As mentioned also....belts can be an issue as they age, and deteriorate. They can stretch, or even turn kind of sticky, or just outright break. I had issues with my old Teac R2R which thankfully has no belts other than the counter...otherwise direct drive. My left channel was constantly fading in or out or not working at all during record and playback. I was certain it was in the signal path cuircuit in the main board somewhere, like a bad capacitor, or transistor, but it was actually the internal switches. I cleaned them, and also replaced all the original petrified lithium grease on all the transport mechanism pivots and contact locations, and it works beautifully now. It's worth keeping these machines alive. They have such a character, and the real tactile nature of the sliders and knobs is hard to replicate completely.

You're breaking my heart! I had one of these beautiful machines, loaned it to some loser, who get this - lost it! Still miss it to this day. Old tapes in an army cartridge case waiting to be heard once again.

Danggg thats a sweet deal man

It's a great machine. Dirty switches, pots and contacts can cause all kinds of problems. Make sure the heads are clean. It may need new idler tires and belts. And there is a small switch located in the tape well that will change the speed. Keep it on high for a bit better fidelity.

Found play and rec wasnt workin on my 246 today, maybe something with the belts then

Tascam 4 track recorders were crap even back in the day. Every Tascam product I made the mistake of buying (DAT, 4 track, cassette) required some kind of repair at least once