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Post by pitol678 on Oct 11, 2015 9:17:57 GMT -6
I just record my own tunes and some friends tunes with low end gear just for fun. And lately I've been experimenting with a Marantz pmd740 4 track, then sending individual tracks into Reaper. However, as low end as my 4track is, it has much more depth when listening back than it does after importing into Reaper even with the exact tracks. My question is, where is the breakdown? I assume it's my interface or cables?I'm using a Tascam 1800 and sending out from the Marantz directly in. Would love any info or thoughts anyone may have thanks!
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Post by formatcyes on Oct 11, 2015 13:25:03 GMT -6
Need more details what is the file format? how are you doing the importing? Also it could be you just like the Marantz DA better than the tascam.
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Post by popmann on Oct 12, 2015 14:00:35 GMT -6
It's an analog 4 track.
There are a number of potential culprits.
-Universal jacks on the Tascam....ask anyone--I'm not converter snob, but if you're gonna make it a universal input with a cheap variable gain and some impendence detection....you can ruin a perfectly usable converter quickly. Use inputs 11-14 according to the manual--straight 1/4" line level inputs. Enough for a four track.
-you're recording at 24/88.2 or 24/96khz? Double rate, which the unit is capable of will most accurately reproduce input.
-you're peaking the levels correctly? The manual says the line inputs are calibrated with 20db of analog headroom....so your peaks should be aimed in the -18 to -14dbfs(digital level) range. Hotter will sound worse--or more accurately, CHANGE the sound, which typically on an inexpensive unit ALSO means "sounds worse". It's not THAT tweaky....so, if you're down at -20 or up at -10 isn't not likely going to change it much....and a cassette recording is simply not going to have much dynamic range to begin with so you have even less to worry about that something without as much self noise.
-different mixer and/or pan law....you can rule this out by whether a single track panned HARD left or right sounds different, or just when you bring up all four and pan some track to or towards the middle.
Just ideas off the top of my head--make sure the first three are right....the last one is simply a test--you can't alter the mixer in Reaper....but, you should be able to match the pan law....or simply compensate yourself with the faders.
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Post by pitol678 on Oct 16, 2015 5:51:18 GMT -6
Thanks so much for the replies, would have responded sooner but have had some issues logging in.
Looks like Im recording at 44.1? Maybe that's the issue (apart from my limited knowledge) I'll have to check into how and if I can change that. It would be nice if it were that simple.
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Post by popmann on Oct 16, 2015 12:52:57 GMT -6
You just change it. It SHOULD be a setting in the Reaper project, which in turn changes the hardware rate for you. The interface is capable of 24/96 on all inputs.
Don't neglect using the 11-14 line level inputs( vs the others with variable gain). That's going to be a bigger deal (IME) than the sample rate on a low end interface.
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