Bring back production of the 4 track cassette tape recorder

Bring back production of the 4 track cassette tape recorder

Started
7 November 2019
Petition to
Tascam and
Signatures: 1,997Next goal: 2,500
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by Henry Nichols

There was once a time where creatives and artist alike could be at home with their  band mates and freely be able to record any sound, noise or racket onto the humble cassette tape via a four or eight track cassette recorder

I've read that alot of great albums were recorded or a four track recorder. Some are:

Guided By Voices recorded much of their classic-era songs on a Tascam 4-track.
William and Jim Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain used a TASCAM Portastudio to record their first demos sent to Bobby Gillespie and Alan McGee.


Primus' first release Suck on This, a compilation of several live performances, was recorded entirely on a TASCAM quarter-inch eight-track portastudio like device with a built in 8 track reel to reel recorder called the TASCAM 388.


Lou Reed made the working demos for his 1988 New York album on a cassette multitrack unit. "I had been making these great cassettes at home," he explained to Musician magazine, and Reed chose a recording studio that was able to capture the same sound and spirit, for the album sessions. (A single B-side was drawn directly from a demo cassette.)


John Frusciante recorded his two first solo albums Niandra Lades & Usually Just A T-Shirt and Smile From The Streets You Hold on a Portastudio 424 (source: VPRO 94 interview).


Bruce Springsteen recorded his album Nebraska on a Portastudio 144.


Soviet poet and musician, Viktor Tsoi, frontman of the Soviet rock band Kino, recorded demos in the late 1980s to early 1990s for their main albums on a Portastudio tape recorder. A few of those albums are Gruppa krovi (Blood Type), Zvezda po imeni Solntse (The star called Sun) and Chyorny albom (The Black Album) in couple with a drum machine.


Travis Meeks of Days of the New recorded "Cling" on a TASCAM four-track in his sessions leading up to his debut album.


John Vanderslice, an analog recording enthusiast, made Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, a concept album about home recording, including the song "Me and My 424".


Alan Wilder recorded his first solo album 1+2, under the nickname Recoil, on a four-track Portastudio.


Ween recorded their second album, The Pod, on a Tascam four-track.


"Weird Al" Yankovic recorded half of his songs on his debut album with a Portastudio in his drummer's garage before signing up for a proper studio.


Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), was mixed down to a Portastudio 244.[citation needed]
Iron and Wine's debut 2002 The Creek Drank the Cradle was recorded on a four track cassette recorder.


Madlib recorded his first album as Quasimoto, "The Unseen", on a TASCAM Portastudio.


Portastatic was named after the Portastudio Mac McCaughan used to record the songs that became its first album.


The Dixie Bee-Liners recorded their Christmas single, "Santa Wants A Whiskey", on a TASCAM 788.


Nik Kershaw recorded the demos to his album, "Human Racing", on a Portastudio.


Clive Gregson and Christine Collister recorded their 1987 album Home And Away on a TASCAM (referred to as 'TEAC' in the album sleeve notes) 244 Portastudio.


Mac Demarco recorded his 2012 debut mini-LP Rock and Roll Night Club with a TASCAM 244 Portastudio. It made extensive use of the 244's pitch control and used the method of bouncing 3 separate tracks down to a single track.

Becks Mellow Gold was recorded on a four track.

Im sure alot of us would agree that some of these albums are amongst the greatest ever produced. I hope that fellow artists and musicians can make push to bring back a easy andsuccessful recording technique in the hands of those who need it most alot of people swear by these thing and cassette and vinyl has made comeback. People want to record on these things people's idea need to be captured the cassette tape lends a certain sound quality that alot of artist desire especially those who are trying to achieve a lo fi sound which is extremely popular. If the 4 track makes a come back it can only be a good for the world or recording. Thanks for your time. 

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Signatures: 1,997Next goal: 2,500
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Decision makers

  • Tascam
  • Yamaha.
  • Korg