Cassette 4-Tracks & "Gimmickery"

[CBA]

Hi everyone.

I know some of you here are home-recording dorks, and many of you have mentioned 4-track cassette recording in the past.

Welp, my band The Boys Themselves is a fuzz pop power trio, and we've been working on our record on my Boss BR-1600 digital 16-track (which really only gets you 12 stand-alone tracks). It's sounding good so far.

But I had this dream the other night in which I did the whole thing on my TASCAM 424 mkII, and (in my dream) I was very pleased with it. So like all day yesterday I was all "Hmmmm WHAT IF I REALLY DID THAT." Not that I haven't considered it before, but I ultimately decided that it wasn't what I wanted to do (plus I like stereo panning guitar tracks... RAT on left, MUFF on right).

Since I was 13 or 14 (1994-95... I'm 31 now) I've always been super-enamoured with 4-tracks, specifically TASCAMs. I don't have the know-how to do any reel-to-reel stuff, so let's not get into that. But I've always wanted to do a whole record on a 4-track. Now, obviously, seems like the perfect time, as I have a power trio that plays straight up fuzz pop. And I love the idea of TBT being a "4-track exclusive band" that does all its recordings on a 4-track because, really, the songs are THAT fucking good and don't need any extra shit.

HOWEVER... that same idea of being a "4-track exclusive band" also sounds REALLY gimmicky to me. It sounds very ideological, and it also sounds like a gimmick. I know my brain is a pulsing, writhing contradiction most of the time, but I also feel like doing something like I'm describing would be unnecessarily limiting. I'm all for limits and boundaries in recording, and music in general, as that breeds creativity. I know Logic and Macbooks inside out, but I gave it up because it's boring. I have a lot of fun recording on my BOSS 16-track, and I cut my teeth on a 4-track. I also like to combine the two, as does my bandmate who writes all the music for our other band Starling Electric (he is an absolute WIZARD at basement recording without even knowing it... he's just got it, you know?).

And yes, one should do what is FUN with music. And the most rewarding. But one also should not frustrate oneself. "Limits" are good for recording... "rules" are not.

I must remember that idea for music in general... Limits are good for music... rules are not.

The question being:


Can "serious" 4-track cassette recordings still exist in the modern musical climate without being a gimmick?

I'm sure the answer can be quite simple for some... I, however, INSIST on making things way too complicated.


Thank you for your time!


C

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

i think its only gimmicky if that is the way you present it.

otherwise you're just a band who is recording, that just happens to be recording to a 4 track cassette. not a big deal IMHO

[D.o.S.]

For one thing, if its going to be your thing, own it. It's only a gimmick if you see it like one--re: Sunn O))) and the robes, Creed and Jesus, or Carly Rae Jepson's fear of handing out her phone number.

Plus you can totally throw a mixer onto your drum track to cheat anyway.

[Almonds]

i have nothing to add here except for this: OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL

[IEatCats]

i think its only gimmicky if that is the way you present it.

otherwise you're just a band who is recording, that just happens to be recording to a 4 track cassette. not a big deal IMHO

This, definitely. If you just like the sound, go for it. Don't present it as a gimmick, and it's not a gimmick.

[zRobertez]

I would do it.

[jrmy]

Considering how long I have been waiting for this goddamned TBT album (yes, seriously), I'd say do it only if it doesn't slow shit down.

Otherwise, do it for the follow-up EP.

[dubkitty]

the first Gomez album was largely recorded on a Fostex 4-track that had busted controls, and AFAIK most of the Flying Saucer Attack stuff was done on 4-track cassettes. not that the SQ on the FSA records was an example of great recording, but the Gomez record is phenomenal. and Springsteen's Nebraska album was famously mastered from a 4-track cassette Bruce carried around for some time uncased in his shirt pocket.

anyway, it's only a gimmick if you treat it as a gimmick...you could look at e.g. my Neil Young Bigsby riffs as a "gimmick," but it's just the way i play having been so influenced by him.

[tuffteef]

who cares fuck what anyone thinks

[theavondon]

who cares fuck what anyone thinks

[jrmy]

who cares fuck what anyone thinks

[metalmariachi]

Still use and love my Tascam.
8 track mixer, 1000 inputs and outputs, effects loop, stuff I have no Idea what it does and a cassette recorder.
Yeah I also have an AD box so can go into the laptop for all that editing stuff so best of both worlds to me.

MM

[FuzzHugger]

I love my Tascam digital 8 track...one of the best gear purchases I've ever made.

But about the 4-track and gimmicky question, really, you could say it's as gimmicky (or more so) to make recordings out of infinite tracks, takes, spliced / patched-in takes, studio trickery. As a musician, I would just go, "oh cool!" when I hear about a band recording to only four tracks. Four is a really small number. Haha. It might be too constricting...I'd personally go for 6 or 8 tracks, but I'd be less impressed by that than by four tracks. But then, I guess that means the 4-track angle is working. But hey, if you're a 3-piece band, then you should be able to record onto a 4-track and have it sound great! It's really annoying to me when 3-piece bands not only super-multi-track, but even live, will bring another guitarist with them! Then you're not a 3-piece band!

(But I don't think I'd mix it to mono!!! Yeeps! There's gotta be some interesting pans to give it some body.)

[spacelordmother]

i have nothing to add here except for this: GUIDED BY VOICES

[The4455]

A band I did a recording session for over the summer gave me a Cassette Single as a promo for their upcoming album. It's number 35 out of 500, considering most people don't have a tape deck I dunno about releasing that way as the only way, but the ones who do will actually listen to your music as apposed to just downloading it and having it become one of the thousands of songs on their iTunes, or putting the CD in their car never to be seen again and probably only listened to for 15 minutes on their way home from where ever you gave it to them.

Also I would like a cassette version of whatever you record.