Very refreshing indeed! Simplicity sparks creativity. I wasted all night last night listening to plugin presets when I could have just been playing music. Technology is awesome, but I miss the days when I didn't have as many distractions. As a matter of fact, I just renovated a Tascam 414 mkII 4 track tape recorder for this exact reason. Liked and subscribed!
Love your video, and 100% agree on using the old way. I've tried to use the latest recording technologies, even wasting my money buying all these new ones, but I just can't use them. I'm sure I could have learned How to use them but I just don't want to, simply because I want the simple and old school way. I've been looking for the Foxtex Mr16 but can't find it in Australia
Even with Linux i prefer to work without a PC. It's slow, it's hard, but i liked the point from 7:22 , when Dan mentioned full performance. It never will be perfect, but if always feel more natural, closer to live. DAW is giving me too many easy workarounds.
Absolutely brilliant! Nothing like using a dedicated recorder; no crash issues, firmware upgrades, etc, as is the case with DAW's. And riding the gain.. that's pro. Cheers!
A lot of people with thousands of dollar equipment will never be able to make such good tracks. So here's proven again, it's about the music and talent NOT the tools. Great music !
Exactly. I see people making music but they don't even know how to play a instrument their just using computer programs. I would rather stay old school as per say and record everything using instruments not programs, eventually your going to have to know how to play instruments if you plan on being a musician...
I have that machine and also have the 16 track version for my humble studio and both machines are fun to use as I don’t have computer based recording in my studio, and the 16 track records 8 tracks at one making it ideal for a live band, great video
I think these are going to make a comeback , I believe this is the proper way to record music ! No over processed DAW crap . Once you’ve used all the tracks , you can mix it down , bounce it to one single track , which then frees up the other tracks for rec other instruments. 😉so a 8track could become a 16 or 24 if u wanted.
Stumbled on your video today. Very cool!!! I'm working with a similar set up but I've got a Tascam DP-24. I'm older also and wouldn't like working with fake instruments and all those plugins. You play all your instruments well. Very talented!!
The Tascam DP-24 is a great unit. That is what I have, and I agree that it is a lot faster and simpler to use than a DAW. I also like using real outboard gear instead of plugins.
From one ‘auld skuul’ musician/recordist to another, thanks for demonstrating that there was nothing wrong with the older technology …& that inspiration, creativity & musical integrity trump pretty much everything. P.S. That POD sounds grrrrreat!
Watching you makes it look easy, as easy as it is with this recorder. much better than a DAW in my humble opinion. From the thumpnail i thought this could be good, but i wasnt aware how good. Awesome performance, awesome playing, awesome tune with only 6 tracks!
Superb sir!! I really enjoyed this video and your playing and recording skills. I am old school and use similar gear. I put the tracks in the DAW to mix, master but do all my recording on analog. subscribed
i have fostex 16 trac and tascam 24 trac i like the stand alone gear that really puts you on the get the recording right first try other then removing or adding things in daw good stuff
In 1999 my bandmates and I saved up the 200 odd quid for a Tascam porta-something, I think it was the cheapest 4 track you could get but still a genuine tape 4 track recorder. You cannot put a price on those experiences.
Watched to see what you defined as "old" tech. Glad to see you didn't go back to analog tape! What a wonderful workflow to record pure, human, humane, music! No disadvantages on digital to bouncing either, just takes more thought ahead of time, and (as you mentioned) you can always save your progress and copy to a new project to continue and have a backup to step back a few steps. Yea, noise, but gain staging with an analog mixer helps; then a little gain at recorder inputs. I like the sound that my mixer outputs to the digital recorder, better than DI-ing to the recorder. With mixer I get to use up to date effects too. And yes, recording wet always, because of the one take I get totally and fully into the song, I practice for weeks to get all the levels, effects, EQ, performance just the way I want, then, press that record button and go for it. So, I guess after 56 years as musician I am using old technology, and not overdubbing or bouncing anymore either. Today I use a ZoomR24 (out of production SD@16/44.1) with 8 inputs fed from a 32 channel analog mixer with effects axillaries. Been recording this way for 15 years and 70 albums. I also record all in one take, no overdubbing, 32 mixer subbed to 8 (4 stereo) input of the Zoom. Mixdown and done. I have found one flaw in this one-man musician/engineer simultaneous scenario...recording levels are pushed too high. So...:)...I will be adding a computer with Logic Pro soon to do just the stereo finished/mixed song mastering. The lower levels will prevent the minor clipping and ease my mind when performing that all tracks are pristine. Keep up the good work Dan, most good musicians don't need to "see" music. (I am not afraid of computers have been using them since the late 1980s in my graphic design business, I maintain and repair them too).
All exceptionally wise comments from you for sure. I cut my teeth on a four-track cassette recorder, before going to work for EMI as a technical engineer at Townhouse studios in the mid 90s. I was lucky enough to work with Studer A800 2” tape machines and Ampex ATR-100 stereo machines. Such great sounding stuff!
Again ... a stunning piece of excellence from you! You know how to teach. I like that. It makes the video watchable just as entertainment because you know you'll learn something cool from it anyway. In my case, it brings back 4-track memories ... the planning ahead and committing to specific panoramic placements up-front. I got a Zoom R-16 - not a perfect piece of kit, but really good for the price I paid. And it took me over a year to expand my recording sessions beyond 8-track. Even that got me feeling agoraphobic almost. Weird. But yeh ... this whole thing of committing first and recording per that commitment ... that is where you have to get creative, because it won't work otherwise. Necessity is, indeed, the mother of invention.
@ricky elvis actually a dawless setup can be conducive to a much better work flow. It has been for me, at least. Going dawless means no latency issues, no distractions, dm’s, notifications, text messages to sideline you from realizing your creations. Less can be ‘more.’ Studies have shown that oftentimes having too many choices can increase anxiety, increase stress levels, and can produce sensory overload. One can also get so caught up with tweaking minutiae that you can easily miss the forest from the trees. I went dawless several years ago and couldn’t be happier. It’s initially a slower but more meditative process…but even so, my songs still end up being finished more quickly than with using a DAW. Now I’m putting out greater quality as well as quantity. Im using LESS “much better,” instead of using MORE merely satisfactorily. Not to mention, songs actually get finished instead of me hunting for that perfect plugin sound. John Lennon once smartly advised George Harrison: “once you start to write a song, try to finish it straight away,” because if you let too much time pass you can lose the thrust of the original inspiration and the song will less likely come to completion. Same with recording, I believe. But you may be much better disciplined than I am and maybe are not overwhelmed by too many choices? Another side issue is also dealing with computer hardware…and upgrade after endless upgrade… and then hunting for more RAM for your computer and then needing to get a new one…and then shelling out more money to the ‘Cloud’ people to store it for you and then the stress of making your extra storage monthly payments….who wants all that headache? I admit that I still use GB as an initial sketch pad because it is so cleverly constructed and works well as an initial Idea platform. I can then flesh it out from GB to either my Boss br-600 or using my Akai DSP24. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it works better for me. Just my two cents.
I love live multi-tracking, on the tape based Porta studios, love what that does to the sound, also, what a great idea, hold the pop filter, gives you that connection and proximity effect control! (I'll do that from now on) even if I am recording on the computer in a DAW, like reaper, I try and replicate that experience, setup a few channel strips and limit myself to playing one take all the way through and no more than 8 tracks, less is more, more or less! :)
It works fine ! As a go around to the issue of limited mic preamp, I used a little Mackie Mixer (1642) to do a pre-mix of 4 drum mics into a stereo track. That way, the 2 preamp mic of my old UA-5 wasn't such a limitation. Thank for sharing and cheers from Canada.
After reviewing new gear I decided to restore my BR1600. It was a painfull process as Roland made it realy difficult. All up from my first call to my last was around 5 months. It took 3 days of calls just to place an order for one part. It felt like they were trying to make me angry so they could hang up. It was infuriating. Being retired ment I had all day everyday to keep calling. So I kept my cool. If I had a job I would have lost it with Roland a yelled at the bstd. I had to buy a second hard drive as the first was faulty. The second was too. But I found a way to make it work. It was HELL, but I'm glad I endured Rolands bulsht to keep using what I know.
welllllll iv been on the fence about this but you sealed sealed the deal the part about working a little harded ,, to keep u timing thats realy what it comes down to and ... im not a computer wizzzzz iv installed and un in stalled garage band abelton for the last time .... i had the old tascam tap recorder it was a bit antiquated but it worked thank you
I found the Foster VF-80ex on eBay for $149. I’m not going to buy it but it’s pretty cool. It has built in effects like amp simulators and 10 mastering presets with a cd burner on the recorder.
Fantastic upload 👌 I remember renting a 4-Track unit for 3 days in 1990. Made a 4 song demo. I was in heaven. . . . Tascam's latest beast combines the best of both worlds IMHO, allowing 22 recording tracks simultaneously. Plus a DAW interface mode as well with long faders and Comp on each strip with Sweepable Mids on eacb strip as well, and 7 band Master EQ plus 3 Inserts. Insane.... All in one box. My DP-24 & DP-32 synced in midi don't even match that, as they only allow 8 INs each ( total of 16 ): Tascam Model 24 .... Dream come true for guys like us.
Subscribed after 5 seconds of watching. This is going to be indispensable for so many of us over the next half century. Perfect blend of demo & expository, informational content.
Really good demo, thank you! These standalone digital units passed me by at the time -- like many amateur musicians, I went straight from a 4-track cassette recorder to a PC-based setup. I like the simplicity of these units, though. Given they're not particularly sought-after (like the classic tape-based machines) they're not that expensive on the second-hand market either from what I can see. Might be worth a try :)
Some are quite advanced and go up to 16 tracks or more, with midi capability for syncing and usb to allow you to send to your daw for final editing, I have Korg D12 coming my way that I paid only $75 for!
Very interesting. I've been struggling to make a DAW work for me, and am about to pull the trigger on a Zoom L-12. You're making me think I should pull out my old Roland VS-840GX! 😂 If only it had a convenient way to output digital files...
you should have virtual tracks on that machine making it 16 channels. I had the VF160. Also it should have a built in compressor. Download the manual. Also yours needs caps. Mine was quiet as can be. I bought it new in high school. Best sounding converters in that Era were Fostex over Tascam and Alesis. Those were great machines. The onboard effects were also great and during mix down you could use the jog wheel to turn up effects or change octave or pitch. I wish they had those effects built into a rack.
Amazing man thank you for the inspiration....I love your feel playing (everything haha) as well as the thought inspiring ideas about different ways of putting down a track. I'm just thinking about trying to get my first EP together, want to do it all myself I think, and am hovering between going more DAW or a digital recorder of some kind. I still have to decide lots of things but this was great to watch, thanks again!
Awesome vid...I have a tascam model24, I mix and eq on the unit...zero computer use, and I love it... the only thing I use the usb hook up for is for dragging and dropping to the computer. easy
I bought a second hand Boss Micro BR a while back. Although so far I have only used it to track vocals during field recording sessions, with the tracks then being exported out into Cubase for editing and mixing. One of these days I'll do a whole song on it. Or possibly *import* stems and compleat a mix on it. However, out in the field it's far less hassle than setting up a laptop and audio interface. A lot smaller too, the Micro BR is tiny, about the size of an old Alesis ADAT wired remote control. And in many ways, is just like using that remote control - except in this case it's the whole recorder!
Thanks for this. This is exactly why Im currently looking for a simple used multitrack recorder and ditching the DAW. Look how quickly you created all that....with a Daw you are messing around with too much and also having to LEARN the software instead of just plugging in and making music. Im leaning toward a used Zoom R16 at the moment.
I have a Roland Vs 2480. I absolutely love it. Iv had it since 2003. Hundreds hours of Recording. Many many recordings. Its beginning to have issues now. (Motherboard Caps going Bad) I may get. Tascam DP 32 SD. Or I may found Another Roland, Korg,Yamaha or Akai all in one unit. Just cant get into Software/ DAW type recorders. Guess im old Skool. Anywho. Good video sir☺
I understand those who don’t want to go the DAW route. I was one of those people, but I had to get stuff as I did a lot of remote recording, where files had to sent off in correct formats, etc...
I have a Tascam DP-24 and you have to use it in this same manner. I like it but I’ve decided to stick with my DAW. You can still apply the same principles if you choose to. Just because there are seemingly no limits to a DAW doesn’t mean it has to be used that way.
@@DanBakerMusic Funny thing is after watching this video I started back using my Tascam and it’s so enjoyable! I’m sort of using a hybrid approach now!
I sold my Boss 16 track because I thought a Daw would be the answer but I was wrong because there is always a problem with windows or the daw. I spend all my time learning the daw and not recording, thanks
Aah, but you have highlighted the problem here. You need to play your instruments well like this here👍, because you can’t endlessly edit it for a month in your DAW.😅
Hi, I am looking for the latest firmware v2 for the Fostex D80/D160 do you have version 2.13 or later ? When yes I really would like to get the eprom content of the two eproms
i went back t0 the 0ld way after 20 years being 0n daw why the 0ld way is faster and y get the work done. with daw i g0t sick 0f missing with fx t0 make it sound good then fight buffer as i record no thank you.
Thanks, that was interesting. As your recording went along, my impression of the song changed very much. Drums: Nice groove, I¨m curious what this will be. 4/5 Bass: Competent, but a bit boring. 3/5 Rhythm guitar: In the same vein as the bass, I'm not excited, but it sounds ok. 3/5 Lead guitar: Wow, great sound and cool playing. Suddenly it all sounds great. 5/5 Vocals: Oh, that's a horrible slick melody. Suddenly it all sounds bad.. 2/5 Just my opinion and others may love the finished song. Anyway a great inspiration for creating music.
Something I've never understood is. How the drums are traditionally recorded first. Yet how can the drums then react to the music. Incredibly your drum part sounds like it was reacting or live. How the hell do you do that.
Usually I put drums on last, having used a drum loop to play everything else to, but if I do put them on first, I’ll invariably do them again at the end, exactly for the reason you stated...
people should just record with their phone mic and a daw because people only listen to music on their phone now They think music is worthless and musicians should not be paid music should be free. And when they do go to a concert they film it on their phone whilst missing the whole experience then upload it and get a copyright strike 🤣
