Using a 4 track with a DAW

[obi 2 kenobi]

Hi, got an old Yamaha MT3X multitrack recorder I bought decades ago. It has 6 channels. Curious if & how I could still use it.

Is there a way I could connect it my USB interface (Presonus AudioBox) and thus to my DAW ?

If so, would it give me any benefits ?

Thanks

 

[jposega]

You could run the stereo outputs into the inputs on your Audiobox. 

The only use or "benefit" I see to this would be dumping old cassette recordings onto your computer for archiving. The multitrack will not give you anything that your DAW and USB interface doesn't already do. 

Treat the MT3X and computer realms as separate entities; the cassette recorder for if you want to do some lo-fi recordings to tape; the DAW for literally everything else.

[Dad3353]

53 minutes ago, obi 2 kenobi said:

...Curious if & how I could still use it....

Your device has six channels, but only four tracks, going each to a separate physical track on the cassette tape. These tracks can be connected, one at a time, to your interface, with a jack from each Tape Out, into the Line (or Guitar...) input of the interface, and transferred to your DAW. Once synchronised, the four tracks can be remixed, or used as a basis for adding additional tracks in the DAW. That's quite sophisticated for the age of the machine; hope you have fun with it.

Edited July 27, 2018 by Dad3353

[bazzbass]

16 hours ago, jposega said:

You could run the stereo outputs into the inputs on your Audiobox. 

The only use or "benefit" I see to this would be dumping old cassette recordings onto your computer for archiving. The multitrack will not give you anything that your DAW and USB interface doesn't already do. 

Treat the MT3X and computer realms as separate entities; the cassette recorder for if you want to do some lo-fi recordings to tape; the DAW for literally everything else.

TAPE = NOISE

 

CASSETTE TAPE = EVEN MORE NOISE

 

if you like muddy hissy lo fi recordings go at it.

 

the only possible use for you is to submix drums into 1 or 2 channels on your interface.

[Dad3353]

2 hours ago, bazzbass said:

TAPE = NOISE

 

CASSETTE TAPE = EVEN MORE NOISE

 

if you like muddy hissy lo fi recordings go at it.

 

the only possible use for you is to submix drums into 1 or 2 channels on your interface.

This is somewhat harsh; there have been, over the decades, thousands of records sold having been recorded on tape, and not a few recorded on cassette tape. All is relative; there is 'noise' involved in pretty well every medium. Is it discernable..? Does it detract..? Does it add something..? Is 'hi-fi' even the goal..? Those questions and others may be relevant.

[bazzbass]

we used it then coz there was not a noiseless, unlimited track recording facility in our laptop and on our ipads or even smartphones .

Yes, I get you, the OP isn't looking for hifi, but the audience these days most likely is. You are talking about a generation used to no crosstalk, wow, flutter, tape degradation etc etc. Pristine individual tracks in perfect pitch and timing via plugins, is what they are used to.....and now they are using plugins to bring that tape imperfection back....oh, ok I get it OP

 

I tell you what is great about those old multitracks, the two guitarists in my 2 bands both started with 4 track Tascams, I spent hundreds of hours with them in the 80s. Their skills at combining tracks and making crap sound like gold is still evident now with our pc recording.