First Tape Machine: Tascam 34B.. Mods?

[Hamburg58]

Hey guys,
I'm new here. You can read my intro if you like in the other forum. Anyway, I found this place when googling the 34B. Looks like some of you have made some mods to these! I'm fairly savvy with that sort of work. Would love to perhaps work on this machine to make it a little bigger. It sounds quite heavy in the highs, lacks a bit in the lows. This is coming from someone that has been working on a computer music wise all of their life (i'm 22).

However, I really wanted to experience tape on my own time and use it when I can. I believe it is the way recording was meant to be done and I want to stretch the limitations of a 4 track so that I can get a better hold on things.. It's a beautiful machine. Found out luckily that it works with 499 and 456. I heard that only 456 worked! Anyway, I'm working on a recording of an old Beatles tune that I slow down the tape a little bit for some nice drum saturation (Rain).

All help appreciated!

Cheers,
Hamburg

[Arkay]

Hey guys,
I'm new here. You can read my intro if you like in the other forum. Anyway, I found this place when googling the 34B. Looks like some of you have made some mods to these! I'm fairly savvy with that sort of work. Would love to perhaps work on this machine to make it a little bigger. It sounds quite heavy in the highs, lacks a bit in the lows. This is coming from someone that has been working on a computer music wise all of their life (i'm 22).

However, I really wanted to experience tape on my own time and use it when I can. I believe it is the way recording was meant to be done and I want to stretch the limitations of a 4 track so that I can get a better hold on things.. It's a beautiful machine. Found out luckily that it works with 499 and 456. I heard that only 456 worked! Anyway, I'm working on a recording of an old Beatles tune that I slow down the tape a little bit for some nice drum saturation (Rain).

All help appreciated!

Cheers,
Hamburg

Welcome to AK! I lived briefly in Hamburg years ago, and have visited since. Very nice city! :thmbsp:

Computer-based digital music and analog (tape) music are quite different. I would strongly suggest you try to get that deck in the best ORIGINAL condition you can, first. Work with it, together with other analog gear. Get to know it first as it is, before trying to mess with mods and make it "better".

Be sure that the sound you are hearing is due to the deck/tape itself, and NOT to the other equipment you are using (amps, monitors/speakers, etc...).

Also, I'm curious: you SLOW DOWN the tape for more saturation? All else equal, a higher tape speed will increase the quality of sound detail you can record. Things like azimuth and bias adjustments must be correct, for best sound quality, and beyond that if you want what I think you do by saturation, use the best quality tape you can find and run it at the highest possible speed, not slower. Slowing a tape down will DECREASE the amount of information recorded and DECREASE the sound quality.

It seems you are looking for someone to tell you the kind of mods you want to make, and I'm suggesting do not make any mods, at least not for a while. If you've been using computers for your music up to now, there is a lot of other stuff to learn with analog before you should start modding. Just my own opinion; others here may have other comments to make.

[Hamburg58]

It's not the most amazing sounding thing. It's lacks a lot of low end which is why I am asking about mods. Maybe it needs to be reset or something>? I bought it after it had been reset to factory specs so maybe I need my tech to mess with it. It's a good sound, just too thin.

And when I spoke of slowing tape down, I meant after something had been recorded.

when the beatles tracked "Rain" at 30ips, the slowed the tape machine down to 28.5 and 29ish to get a washed out cymbal sound.. This is after they tracked it and apparently when they were tossing and mixing it to a master it was slowed down.. same thing with "Strawberry Fields" etc.