Should I keep my old halftrack for use with my DAW ?

larrykane · 7th October 2008, 01:42 PM

Hi All
I'm getting rid of excess gear and wanted your expert opinions on this one.
"Should it stay or should it go now?"
I have a 1980's Fostex 1/4" 15 ips half track deck in good shape and wondered if anyone thought it would be adequate for mixdown or just handling stems from my DAW to get that analogue tape saturation sound. At the present I haven't gotten to the point where I am looking for that tape saturated sound but would hate to sell this off and later need it or resort to a plugin if this would be better.
So
1-Most importantly-is this deck good enough? (you can be blunt with your answers)
2-I have the optional (separate) fostex dolby C unit it do I keep that ?
Thanks

swafford · 7th October 2008, 02:21 PM

Dunno if it's good enough for mix down, but I use my old 1/4" Tascam for doing tape delays, doubling vocals for effects and other stuff like that.

tINY · 7th October 2008, 04:57 PM

Do you really need a truck that big for your recording gear?

-tINY

vernier · 7th October 2008, 05:22 PM

I'd never sell a tape recorder.
'

dbbubba · 7th October 2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vernier

I'd never sell a tape recorder.
'

If you had as many as I did this year you would!

I have moved FIVE!
Too much redundancy!
How many two tracks (HALF tracks) does one need?
I have two pristine JH-110s, Ampex AG-440C-4 and a crappy TASCAM 34.
... and an Ampex AG-352vu in parts (it needs a roll around cart.)

larrykane · 7th October 2008, 05:55 PM

I DEEPLY DEEPLY appreciate your sense of humor.
Good to know I'm not the only one who hides from the pun police.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tINY

Do you really need a truck that big for your recording gear?

-tINY

Brad McGowan · 7th October 2008, 06:34 PM

Hey Larry,

Check out the videos in my signature for some thoughts on how you might use that old tape deck alongside your DAW.

Brad

larrykane · 7th October 2008, 06:57 PM

Hi Brad
I watched the videos and thought it was useful. I use Sonar 7 and the external latency compensation is not rock solid (it's a known issue), but perhaps the voxengo will make a difference. By the way are those Meyer monitors or Event asp8's in the video?

Brad McGowan · 7th October 2008, 08:39 PM

If by "external delay compensation" you mean automatic delay compensation then it's kind of important that it works correctly. I was told over on Tape Op forums that Sonar doesn't allow the use of plugins on Input channels. So without that feature you can't really employ my techniques. So far it works with Nuendo, Cubase, ProTools, and Digital Peformer (requires a workaround using auxes, but it works).

Anyway...those are Event ASP8's, which I've been really happy with especially considering how cheap they are/were.

Brad

larrykane · 7th October 2008, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad McGowan

If by "external delay compensation" you mean automatic delay compensation then it's kind of important that it works correctly. I was told over on Tape Op forums that Sonar doesn't allow the use of plugins on Input channels. So without that feature you can't really employ my techniques.
Anyway...those are Event ASP8's, which I've been really happy with especially considering how cheap they are/were.

Brad

Further complicated I suppose by me using winxp64, I don't even know if the voxengo plug will work as an x86 program within 64.

Regarding the Event asp8's (it's my thread I can hijack it if I want, LOL)
I use them also. Do you find that you have to be careful to let the mids seem a bit hot when mixing so they will translate well?

Fu Schnickens · 7th October 2008, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tINY

Do you really need a truck that big for your recording gear?

-tINY

Half-track! I get it! I really get it! Appreciate it, too.

But seriously, why is it a half-track and not a 2-track?

Brad McGowan · 8th October 2008, 12:32 AM

Hey Larry,

This seems like a reasonable deal:

otari half inch eight track reel to reel 5050, many extras

Brad

tINY · 8th October 2008, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fu Schnickens

Half-track! I get it! I really get it! Appreciate it, too.

But seriously, why is it a half-track and not a 2-track?

It seems that someone called them half-tracks somewhere along the way - each track takes half the tape...

-tINY

larrykane · 8th October 2008, 01:56 AM

half the tape for each track., Remember there was, way back when, a two track with a narrow sync tone track in the middle? (I do) Perhaps that necessitated the distinction between two track and half track. Where's Peeder or JM when you need 'em?

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7th October 2008, 01:42 PM	#1
larrykane Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 392	Should I keep my old halftrack for use with my DAW ? Hi All I'm getting rid of excess gear and wanted your expert opinions on this one. "Should it stay or should it go now?" I have a 1980's Fostex 1/4" 15 ips half track deck in good shape and wondered if anyone thought it would be adequate for mixdown or just handling stems from my DAW to get that analogue tape saturation sound. At the present I haven't gotten to the point where I am looking for that tape saturated sound but would hate to sell this off and later need it or resort to a plugin if this would be better. So 1-Most importantly-is this deck good enough? (you can be blunt with your answers) 2-I have the optional (separate) fostex dolby C unit it do I keep that ? Thanks __________________ other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

7th October 2008, 02:21 PM	#2
swafford Gear addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio USA Posts: 327	Dunno if it's good enough for mix down, but I use my old 1/4" Tascam for doing tape delays, doubling vocals for effects and other stuff like that. __________________ http://www.myspace.com/jeffscottroberson

7th October 2008, 05:22 PM	#4
vernier Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 3,805	I'd never sell a tape recorder. ' __________________ http://www.myspace.com/learstevens

7th October 2008, 06:34 PM	#7
Brad McGowan Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 3,225	Hey Larry, Check out the videos in my signature for some thoughts on how you might use that old tape deck alongside your DAW. Brad __________________ Little Red Wagon Studios http://www.myspace.com/lrws How to integrate your analog tape deck with your DAW: http://www.youtube.com/user/redwagonstudio

7th October 2008, 04:57 PM	#3
tINY Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 6,208	Do you really need a truck that big for your recording gear? -tINY

7th October 2008, 06:57 PM	#8
larrykane Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 392	Hi Brad I watched the videos and thought it was useful. I use Sonar 7 and the external latency compensation is not rock solid (it's a known issue), but perhaps the voxengo will make a difference. By the way are those Meyer monitors or Event asp8's in the video? __________________ other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

7th October 2008, 08:39 PM	#9
Brad McGowan Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 3,225	If by "external delay compensation" you mean automatic delay compensation then it's kind of important that it works correctly. I was told over on Tape Op forums that Sonar doesn't allow the use of plugins on Input channels. So without that feature you can't really employ my techniques. So far it works with Nuendo, Cubase, ProTools, and Digital Peformer (requires a workaround using auxes, but it works). Anyway...those are Event ASP8's, which I've been really happy with especially considering how cheap they are/were. Brad __________________ Little Red Wagon Studios http://www.myspace.com/lrws How to integrate your analog tape deck with your DAW: http://www.youtube.com/user/redwagonstudio

8th October 2008, 12:32 AM	#12
Brad McGowan Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 3,225	Hey Larry, This seems like a reasonable deal: otari half inch eight track reel to reel 5050, many extras Brad __________________ Little Red Wagon Studios http://www.myspace.com/lrws How to integrate your analog tape deck with your DAW: http://www.youtube.com/user/redwagonstudio

8th October 2008, 01:56 AM	#14
larrykane Gear addict Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 392	half the tape for each track., Remember there was, way back when, a two track with a narrow sync tone track in the middle? (I do) Perhaps that necessitated the distinction between two track and half track. Where's Peeder or JM when you need 'em? __________________ other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

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