Six Great Reasons to Return to Tape-Based Multitrack Recording

About five years ago when I had a mid life crisis, decided to drastically downsize my digital home recording facility and set up a 1990s-spec, tape-based studio in the space, I saw the tape studio serving as an occasional change. But it’s actually seen more use than the digital studio.

The digital studio is more capable, controlled and precise, and much easier to use, but tape has easily won the battle for attention. This year, I’ve started to ask myself why. Here are six key answers…

1992 TDK Super Avilyn Tape and Tascam Recording Paraphernalia

Another home multitrack recording time capsule – this time from the year 1992, when analogue tape-based formats were still very firmly at the forefront of the genre. Back then, the For Sale columns in the audio recording magazines headlined on Cassette Recorders and Reel to Reel, with Computing coming right at the end, after Percussion and Guitars.

Home Tape / Timecode Multitrack Method in Detail

I’ve talked recently about the use of a timecode sync in home multitrack tape recording, and for this post I’m going to expand on that with an example recording, then a breakdown of exactly how the track was put together.