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Steve

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:) Here's mine. It's a Vestax VestaFire MR10. When I first got this, I thought it was the canines tesicles! I use it for monitoring now. The heads got too worn out and lost all the high end!

4track.jpg

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roxhythe

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Ooo, "the canine testicles." I like that. I'll have to post you a photo of my little Tascam 4-track, but I'll have to do a close-up--it's a lot smaller (about the size of a 10-key adding machine, records to a digital camera chip). Thanks for posting your thang. I no longer feel embarrassed--like the old Indian (sorry, Native American) proverb says, "I felt sorry for myself, that I had no moccasins--until I met a man that had no feet."

Joe

P.S. As an aside: I was always fond of the dictum, "Don't criticize anyone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. That way, you're a mile away from them--and you have their shoes."

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roxhythe

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Steve, it's probably about 3 years old. I've had it for two--I bought it used from a fellow musician who'd gotten herself a new one. It's called a "Tascam Porta-Studio," and it's made by TEAC, the folks who manufactured the gigantic reel-to-reel machine The Dodson Drifters had in our old recording studio. It's not made any more, and TEAC refuses to provide any support (they presumably would like everyone to trot forth and buy the latest model), but there is a users' group I've gotten some good advice from.

It's not intended to be studio stuff (even though that's what I'm using it for); it's the sort of thing a musician would take on the road, and record a Q&D li'l thang when the opportunity presented itself. (An example. I have one bluegrass song that is crying out for a cello lead. I do know a teenaged girl who plays cello; she's from out of town, but she'll be at the "Moograss" Bluegrass Festival this Labor Day weekend with her family, because they'll be performing, and she always has her cello with her. I'll have the Tascam with me, with the song recorded and a track open for the cello part. *That*'s what it's good for.) The unit's main limitation is the chip can usually hold only one song; I've tried installing bigger chips, but it has trouble managing the extra space. The only solution, I think, is to carry around extra chips--something I haven't done, yet.

Other limitation is even though it's got four tracks, you can only record two at a time. That means I'm usually recording guitar and vocal separately (I don't have to--but why not?), rather than simultaneously like I used to do when I had a cassette recorder like yours. I guess I've mostly learned to deal with it, and still make what I do sound "live."

I'll try to post you a photo.

Joe

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Steve

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Sounds great! The trouble with mine was, it was too big to cart around! It could only record to two tracks at a time as well. although technically, you could record ten different instruments at one time! Had I had a decent mixer, I could have recorded a whole band onto just two tracks leaving two for vocals! Never ever tried it! This little beauty cost me three weeks wages!. A lot of money for a married man with 4 kids and a mortgage! It was my most treasured possesion at the time! I would never sell it or get rid of it! :)

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roxhythe

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Almost. It's about the size of one of those old 10-key adding machines. I carry it back and forth between the Garage Studio and the house (where the 'puter is) in an old Winnie-ther-Pooh shoulder bag. (It is good to have children. You inherit strange, useful things.) I have seen recorders that will fit in a shirt pocket, but could never afford one of those. The Tascam cost $150 used; I don't know what they sold for new.

Joe

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Prometheus

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Here's Mine...

tascam_244_full.jpg

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Steve

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In 1990, Sansui produced a 6 track machine with a built in stereo cassette for mixdown. I had (and still have somewhere) all the bumpf for this machine and longed to own one! Sadly, the company was bought out and went into TV and Video sales.

Edit.

I have just found this, and this. The first link gives a comprehensive explanation of the companys' demise! I would still like to get hold of one and try it I think! Just as a matter of interest! Anybody else heard of these machines?

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JohnnyyQuest

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Hey Steve Could you please help me.

The owner of my local music store gave me A used Vesta Fire just like yours telling me if I could figure it out i could have it. I the problem is I can't figure it out for the life of me. Would you be willing to give me a start up guide?

JQ

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Steve

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Hey Steve Could you please help me.

The owner of my local music store gave me A used Vesta Fire just like yours telling me if I could figure it out i could have it. I the problem is I can't figure it out for the life of me. Would you be willing to give me a start up guide?

JQ

Blimey! I don't know if I can remember how to use it now? I'll have a little think and get back later OK? Is it the same as mine?

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Steve

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Thanks man. Mine looks exactly like the one you have in your picture.

OK. So tell me exactly what you need to know? I'll see if I can't guide you in some way. The record function is pretty straight forward. You can select any two tracks to record to at any one time I think the only critical switch is the Remix TRK - PGM switch. If you are recording to one or two tracks, you switch it to TRK, if you want to bounce some tracks to another track, it must be switched to PGM. All the I/Os are pretty self explanitary! Just chuck in a tape and try it is my advice! Let me know if there's something explicitly you want to do OK?

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JohnnyyQuest

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Well, I'll tell you what I've been able to do.

When I plug my mic (or guitar) into line 1, I only hear sound on the left side of my headphones. When I plug it into line 2, I only hear sound in the right side of my Headphones. The Line levels, Trim, and Master volume all work. The VU Meters only work when the switch is on "PGM". And no matter what "Rec Function" I have it set to (1,safe,3,2,4) Only meters 1 and 2 work. The First meter shows only what i have in Input 1 and the second only show whats in input 2. And no mater what i do, It will not record for me.

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Steve

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Well, I'll tell you what I've been able to do.

When I plug my mic (or guitar) into line 1, I only hear sound on the left side of my headphones. When I plug it into line 2, I only hear sound in the right side of my Headphones. The Line levels, Trim, and Master volume all work. The VU Meters only work when the switch is on "PGM". And no matter what "Rec Function" I have it set to (1,safe,3,2,4) Only meters 1 and 2 work. The First meter shows only what i have in Input 1 and the second only show whats in input 2. And no mater what i do, It will not record for me.

When you record to track one or three, it will only be heard on the left because thats how its recorded. Once you have recorded your track, you can then pan it to the center if you wish. Same with tracks two and four on the right hand side.

When recording, the vu meter on the left will show whats being recorded to track 1 or 3 and on the right to tracks 2 or 4. If you record all 4 tracks, they should all work. When set to PGM, it shows levels for everything you've recorded just on the first two. (I think? ??? )

If you've selected a track to record to with the record function switch, and pressed the record and play buttons simultaneously, it should record? If it doesn't? Then there must be a problem with the recording head!

Hope this helps?

I seem to remember that the two TRK-PGM switches worked in tandem. Try switching them into different combinations! I'm gonna try and dig out the manual!

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Nightwolf

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OK. So tell me exactly what you need to know? I'll see if I can't guide you in some way. The record function is pretty straight forward. You can select any two tracks to record to at any one time I think the only critical switch is the Remix TRK - PGM switch. If you are recording to one or two tracks, you switch it to TRK, if you want to bounce some tracks to another track, it must be switched to PGM. All the I/Os are pretty self explanitary! Just chuck in a tape and try it is my advice! Let me know if there's something explicitly you want to do OK?

Let me get this straight.. ??? ... you spelled explicitly right, but dropped the ball on explanatory? How's that work ???

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