(originally on Shawn Maschino's Home Recording Website, here by permission)

From gil10@hotmail.com
Fri Jan  3 23:21:50 1997
Date: 18 Dec 1996 23:15:20 -0000
From: Luke L 
To: mixmasters list
Subject: Re: 4-track basics

First of all, if your deck can run at high speed, then you should.  You will
get a higher s/n (signal to noise) ratio.  And if it has some kind of noise
reduction, that would probably be good to use also.

If you are using a line level signal, you should try to turn up the device it
is coming from, rather than using the preamps on your mixer. If you are miking
something, like a guitar amp, then it would be better to turn up the guitar
amp than to use the preamp on the mixer to boost it.  

Levels...you should have it so the meters are showing constant green and
occasional red.  If you are using dbx noise reduction, then you can afford to
go higher than that.

If you need more than four tracks: 

(1) you can bounce on your deck.  Most decks can do this. You should look in
your manual for the specifics on the process for your machine. This involves
taking three of the four tracks, mixing them together, and putting that mix on
the one track left.  then you have three more tracks to work with.  There are
downsides to this-the first three tracks will be in mono (bleh). And if you do
it many times, the quality will plumit.

(2) This is the method I use: I record onto the first four tracks, and when
i'm done, I mixdown to the hard drive on my computer via the 1/8 input jack on
the back of the soundcard.  Then I have a stereo copy of my four tracks on the
hard drive and then using the output on the soundcard, record those two tracks
onto two tracks on my machine.  Then I have two more to work with.  You can
keep doing this......(Frank Zappa once got 48 tracks employing this method!)

If you don't have a computer, or digital deck (which are the best to use) you
can still use a cassette deck.  You mix the four tracks down to side A on the
cassette, then pop that cassette into your machine, and you have your four on
tracks one and two. I don't like this method though, beacuse your cassette
deck probably doesn't record at double speed or have the same N.R. system as
your four track.

Ok...Mixdown (woo hoo)!

listen to everything in mono first (all of the pan dials to 12:00) and get the
basic levels right, using the faders.  Then, once you have everything to the
right levels, start to pan things out left and right.  This will make it sound
spread out and give it space.  Next,  work with the EQ.  You shouldn't have to
use it much at mixdown (you should try to get the instrument to sound just
like you want it to while you are recording it.  Use the Eq on your guitar amp,
the eq on your guitar, from effects units, mic placement etc...) but if you
have to use eq on the mixer, don't give it too much high- this will add hiss
and noise.

You don't want to give everything the same eq either- then nothing will stand
out, because everything has the same tone.  Next- outboard effects.  (I
generaly don't add these while recording- I wait till mixdown).  Set up an
effects loop- the fx send on the mixer to the input on the fx unit.  The
output of the fx unit to the stereo input on the mixer.  Don't overdo it on
the effects- this can make everything sound muddy.  Finaly rewind the tape and
clean the heads on both decks.  start the mixdown cassette deck running and
then hit play on your four track and when yer done, you can listen to the two
track cassette copy on stereos, in cars...etc.  If everything sounds weird
when you listen to it in cars, then take notes, and adjust the mix, and re-
record it to the mixdown cassette deck.

A few more thoughts:

When you are mixing, monitor at low volumes- you will get a truer picture of
what is really happening.

Clean the heads, the erase the play and record.  clean the pinch roller and
the capstan.  deguass (demagnitize) the heads and capstan with a demagnizer.
KEEP THE MACHINE CLEEN AT ALL TIMES!!! BEFORE YOU DO AN IMPORTANT TAKE, CLEAN
THE MACHINE!!! ALWAYS KEEP IT CLEAN!!!  It is so important.  You can get
cleaners from tascam (or teac...same company) and use cotton swabs.

I hope this helped a bit!
--Luke

P.S. -Keep the heads clean
P.S. II- if you need any help, feel free to mail me anytime
at    guitar1@hotmail.com

OH, I almost forgot your last question:

I use maxell XLII 60min. tapes to record on.  They work great.  I really
recomend NOT using any tape longer than a 60 tape.  The tape is really thin,
and wears out fast, and is more likely to get caught in your mechanism.  ok,
thats the end of the message...really  :)