Conference napalm::commusic_v1

    
    	LaSalle's is selling it for $299.
    
    	Dan

I don't know anything about that unit, but KEYBOARD's June '86 issue has a 
review covering the following 4-track recorders:

	Tascam Porta One	$595	1 7/8 ips
	Yamaha MT1X		$565	1 7/8 ips
	Fostex 260 Multitracker	$995	3 3/4 ips
	Clarion SD-6500F	$995	3 3/4 ips

All of these have mixers built in, and all take CrO2 tape.  At that speed,
there will probably be bandwidth limitations.  You'll probably find the 
bandwidth around 40Hz-12.5kHz (versus 40Hz-18kHz).

Steve

    I have no personal experience with that deck, but I understand that
    the Tascam, though more expensive, is a much better deck. This is
    all heresay but from those who I consider to be reliable.
    
    dave
    
    does this mean you're going 4-track??

    It means I WANT to go 4 track....
    
    (I actually wanna go 8, but I have a food habit to support!)
    
    Edd

    I have heard from several different places vague complaints about
    the X-15's output levels that make it difficult to use for serious
    recording (like not enough output to drive most line level effects).
    There was an article a while back in Electronic Musician on how
    to fix this, of course voiding the warranty at the same time.
    
    I know some people swear by (not at) Fostex, but I have and will
    continue to put my money on Tascam.

    len.
    

    
    Ed
    
    Sometime back (about 4 weeks) there was a note about the X15 and
    Tascam Portaones both of which I had out on loan whilst my 144
    was on repair. The X-15 was bad compared to the Porta-one and the
    Porta-one was not as good as the 144. I detailed the reasons in
    that note. The summary of which was if you by anything that works
    at 1 7/8 IPS you will end up upgrading it in no time. My advice
    is hang out now for the best you can afford. If you think you may
    go 8 track in the future (my own thoughts on this is it is not
    nescessary for the home user) then buy the mixer first and then the
    tape deck, when you can get someone to give you a mortgage.
    
    If I had to buy from scratch now, I would by the TASCAM 244 or 246
    depending on what other mixing facilities you have. If you are going
    to have much more than 2 Midi devices then you need the 246 or a
    seperate mixer.
    
    I actually use my 144 (4 inputs) with a SECK 6-2 mixer. I use up
    all the mixer input slots with the midi instruments. This leaves me with
    2 effects returns which I use for midiverb left and right and then
    I return the DDL back in through one of the unused channels on the
    144. 
    
    Which leaves no spare space at all. Lifes hell with no money.
                                     
    
                                      Paul.

    The bass player in my band has an X-15 which we have used extensively
    over the past 2 years for recording demos of the DLQ.  As a matter of
    fact, "I Met Your Parents" on the COMMUSIC tape was a quicky recording
    done on the X-15 in the basement of my house. 
    
    If you are careful, you can do some good stuff with the X-15, or
    any 4 track machine for that matter.  If I had a choice of something
    to buy for myself, I would buy one of the Tascam 4 track machines
    which is rack mountable, and buy a separate mixing board.  I recorded
    a demo tape of Steve Klosterman's former band Jamaican Vacation
    with that set-up (the external board was a nice Soundcraft board)
    and the results were, I feel, outstanding for the time involved.
    
    The X-15 has recently developed a severe feedback problem which
    crops up every now and then when I put it into record mode.  It
    is a very transient problem so it's hard to track down.
    
    For $299, the X-15 is not a bad machine.  If you had the bucks,
    I would go for the Tascam models mentioned in other notes.
    
    Good luck Edd.  I have been wrestling with the same problem myself
    and have decided to wait til I can afford what I really want.
    
    		Derek

    After listening (reading)to all the pros and cons of all the different
    low price home recording 4 track units, I thank the gods that Dave
    Dreher bought his 8 track and let me buy his tascam 244 on a pay
    as I can basis.
    
    and his old spring reverb, too.
    
    now all I need is his midi wife.....
    
    dave, you getting a divorce soon?
    
    :-)
    rik s.
    

    I used to have an X-15, now I have a Tascam 244.
    
    re:.5
    The level problem is true. The stereo line out is at a very low
    level -- when I would mix down to my Yamaha (home stereo) deck,
    I would have to crank it's input levels way up.
    The 4 individual track outputs are somewhat louder, however.
    
    I would not waste my money on an X-15. I recommend a small Yamaha,
    or a Tascam if you can afford it. Getting 3 3/4 IPS is worth paying
    for, also.
    
    -Peter
    

	I'd like to reopen this discussion of the X15 since I am now having
my first experiences with multi-tracking using this machine.  Bear in mind
some of the problems I've encountered and will ask below may be questions
about recording in general, since this is my first time and the X15 is the
only deck I'm familiar with (and very little, at that).

	First of all, .5 and .9 brought up the problem of low output level.
I encountered this last night when attempting to mixdown to another deck.  I
could not get the receiving VU meter to even come *close* to 0db.  Is there some
way to boost this signal?  Would a preamp work?  Or would that only increase
the noise level?  Any recommendations?

	Secondly, I ran into problems laying down and bouncing a drum track.
It seems that in order to keep the cymbal crash from clipping (and I'm not
sure if that's the correct term, over-saturating the track?) I had to pull the
levels down quite a ways.  This made for a noisy track.  I could get 
around it a bit by separating the cymbal onto a different track and simply 
pulling *that* down a ways, but the overall impact was lost.  Is this due to
the narrower bandwidth of the machine?  Or can it be overcome by using a
compresser/limiter?  Again, any suggestions?

	Obviously, I'm new to this - I've only started this week.  Hardly 
anything in the way of explanations would be too elemental for me.

	Thanks in advance,

	Dan

    Regarding X15 output levels, I recall a circuit mod published in
    Electronic Musician sometime in the last year or so that addresses
    this problem.
    
    Regarding cymbal crashes - I'm surprised that the crash is a problem.
    I have had no problems recording crashes at levels consistent with
    other drum sounds.  Is this a live crash or are you using a drum
    machine.  If live, a compressor will help; if a drum machine, the
    sample is probably already compressed.  Have you listened to the
    output off the tape at the "too high" level?  Maybe your VU meters
    are just overly responsive to the frequency content of the crash?
    When I run into saturation problems with drum machine parts it's
    usually with the snare or the low tomtom.
    
    len.
    

RE Note 465.11 by DRUMS::FEHSKENS 

>    Regarding X15 output levels, I recall a circuit mod published in
>    Electronic Musician sometime in the last year or so that addresses
>    this problem.

	I'd appreciate anything you can find.  What about an external preamp?
Is that unwise?

>    sample is probably already compressed.  Have you listened to the
>    output off the tape at the "too high" level?  Maybe your VU meters
>    are just overly responsive to the frequency content of the crash?

	Yes, it is specifically what is on the tape that sounds distorted.

	The drums are from a machine - Korg Super Drums.  All the other
sounds record fine, including snare and low toms.  It's just when the cymbal
crashes there are two things that happen: first, if the level is too high it
will sound like the sound was thrown from a twenty story building and it landed
like a SPLAT on the tape.  The other part is that it sounds like it is breaking 
up at it's highest amplitude.  

	Does that explain it any better?

	Dan

    
    It's in the March, 1986 issue, if you can find a copy.
    
    (I'm in the middle of moving;  let me know if you haven't
    found anything in a month or so...)
    
    		--bill wake

    Dan, how are you recording the drums?  Are you using a mono send
    for the drums together?  Does the Korg machine have seperate
    level controls for each drum sound?  Does the Korg have seperate outs
    for each drum sound?  This makes a big difference in the quality
    of the recording.
    
    If at all possible use seperate outs if you can.  If you only have
    a stereo mix then pan the crash, ride, hihat and kick to one side
    and everything else to the other.  EQ out the mid range on the kick
    and cymbal output.  Add reverb (if possible) to the everything else
    output.  Adjust the levels before recording and then mix them to
    the same track (for mono drums).
    
    It sounds like the crash level is to high and with too much midrange.
    That's what's causing the distortion.
    
    Dave

RE Note 465.14 by JUNIOR::DREHER 

	O.K.  The Korg has Steroe or mono out.  The stereo image is preset.
I haven't really mapped the image out except that I know the crash cym is
hard left.  The bass is center, I think, as is the snare.  It seems that it
is only the crash that does the splat.  Al other instruments seem to take well
at higher volumes.

	As I listened to it again the other night, I began to suspect an 
abnormal problem with the x15.  As I said, not only did it splat but it also 
broke up.  I have no idea *what* may be malfunctioning in the deck, but it
seems that I can monitor it fine through the headphones.  It's just what it
sends to the tape that's bonkers.

	So it's midrange that needs to be cut?  I didn't relize that.  Here I've
been cutting the highs...

	I'll try it again, newly cleaning the head on the deck, cutting mids
and report my findings.

	Thanks, all

	Dan