Recording Volca Beats on tape with Tascam Portastudio

type14 · Post by **type14** » Thu Aug 30, 2018 3:53 pm

Hi everyone.

I would like to know if any of you have ever tried recording the Volca Beats on a Tascam Portastudio?

I am using the Tascam Portastudio 414 mkii. I have tried recording directly from the Volca but the recording has a strong feedback and the kick sounds quite unstable.

I have tried recording through line in, sub in and stereo inputs too. No success.

Any of you have any idea on how to improve the recording quality?

Best

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 3:50 am

What do you mean by "recording has a strong feedback and the kick sounds quite unstable."
How have you got the Beats going into the 4trk? Are you monitoring the recording in anyway? If so what do you hear during recording?
I miss tape recording....

slug · Post by **slug** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 3:59 am

The key question and clue is: Have you ever recorded anything else successfully into the Tascam?

type14 · Post by **type14** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 8:43 am

megamarkd wrote:What do you mean by "recording has a strong feedback and the kick sounds quite unstable."
How have you got the Beats going into the 4trk? Are you monitoring the recording in anyway? If so what do you hear during recording?
I miss tape recording....

I’m plugging the Beats into line in. I don’t use any effects, just plug it straight in. When recording it sounds as it should. But the playback is noisy and and the kick is not as sharp as it should be.

type14 · Post by **type14** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 8:46 am

slug wrote:The key question and clue is: Have you ever recorded anything else successfully into the Tascam?

I use the Tascam regularly. I’ve been recording and mixing guitars, bass, gets on it before. Never recorded a drum machine on it and the noise I get is different from the using tape hiss. It is a noise. A feedback in between the different drum sounds and an alteration in the sound of the kick.

megamarkd · Post by **megamarkd** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 2:09 am

type14 wrote:
megamarkd wrote:What do you mean by "recording has a strong feedback and the kick sounds quite unstable."
How have you got the Beats going into the 4trk? Are you monitoring the recording in anyway? If so what do you hear during recording?
I miss tape recording....
I’m plugging the Beats into line in. I don’t use any effects, just plug it straight in. When recording it sounds as it should. But the playback is noisy and and the kick is not as sharp as it should be.

I've found the Beats doesn't like being dumbed down to mono using cables with some of the sounds seeming to duck others, such as the bass drum. If you are doing it that way, try sending it in on two channels then bounce the stereo to mono to free up the track.

type14 wrote:I use the Tascam regularly. I’ve been recording and mixing guitars, bass, gets on it before. Never recorded a drum machine on it and the noise I get is different from the using tape hiss. It is a noise. A feedback in between the different drum sounds and an alteration in the sound of the kick.

It's quite weird that it should come though the monitor as normal but then sound odd on the playback. Really anything like you have described should present itself while you are recording. Pushing the levels doesn't create feedback but can smear the sound a good amount. Where is the Beats peaking at while recording?