EQ High, shelving at 10kHz, with 10dB cut or boost.EQ Low, shelving at 100Hz, with 10dB cut or boost.Effect send 1, for connection to an effects processor.Effect send 2/Tape Cue: depending on the setting of the Effect 2/Tape Cue switch (found above the master fader), this forms part of a basic 4:1 monitor mixer (independent of the main mixer), or can be used as a second post-fade effects (auxiliary) send.no recording), a tape track numbered 1-4 for the equivalent input channel, and a left or right input (left for channels 1 and 3, right for channels 2 and 4) for stereo recording. A record routing switch - options are safe (ie.A Pan pot, for placing your signal in the stereo field.An input source select switch your choices are off, tape and mic/line.A trim pot, for setting the overall input gain, between -10dB and -50dB (mic and line level).
A quarter-inch input jack, which can accommodate mic or line sources.There are four input channels, each of which features, from the bottom: The mixer section is simply and logically laid out.
TASCAM 424 MKII VS 414 MKII CODE
On the noise reduction front, dbx can be switched in or out, and a special sync position switches it off just for tape track 4, so that a sync code (for locking MIDI sequencers to tape) can be reliably recorded. Though there are no sophisticated transport or locate functions, there is at least a 'return to zero' switch, and a pitch control varies the play speed by +/-12%. The 414's cassette transport is fairly basic, and uses mechanical controls rather than the soft-touch buttons found on the likes of the 424 MkII the tape counter is also mechanical, rather than digital. There are operational improvements as well: the 414 can record on all four tracks at once (unlike the 07, which was restricted to two), and it features two sets of stereo inputs with level controls, in addition to the four main inputs, and two dedicated effects sends. Physically, the 414 has taken on some of the look of the more up-market 424 MkII (reviewed in September 1996), replacing the Porta 07's colourful 'teddy bear eye' knobs with a collection of more traditional-looking controls. This limited size doesn't necessarily mean a restriction of facilities, though, as we'll see. In fact, as I write, the Portastudio is perched on top of my Atari ST, with just a few inches hanging off the back. In common with the Porta 07 (reviewed in June 1993's SOS), the 414 offers a combination of a simple 4-input mixer section and double-speed (9.5cm/second) tape transport (using dbx noise reduction), housed in a light, compact casing. A replacement for the Porta 07 (apparently one of Tascam's best-selling Portastudios), the 414 falls nicely in the middle of Tascam's current 4-track cassette range: the truly entry level Porta 03 MkII retails for £199, the 424 MkII costs £499, and the 414 is a comfortable £349. This brings us to Tascam's recently-launched 414 Portastudio.
It's going to be quite some time before stand-alone digital multitracks of any flavour will hit the sub-£350 price band - although the recent trend in MiniDisc-based multitracks is tantalisingly close! But for now, analogue cassette-based machines offer the most cost-effective start in the world of multitrack, and not only is the hardware affordable and easy to understand, but the recording media is cheap and widely available too. The recording world may be inexorably turning digital, but there's one market sector that has yet to be addressed digitally: the entry level. Quote Though Tascam have embraced the digital generation of Portastudios with their MiniDisc-based 564, they're not about to abandon the low-cost analogue cassette format yet, as proved by their latest analogue machine, the 414.