Hi there!
I tried it several times with the help of the manual of my new Tascam 414mkII. I followed every single step.
First I recorded the first track. That was OK. Then I played it. Everything fine. I could hear it through my headphones.
Then I followed the further steps written in my manual to record the second track on the right pan. While recording the second track, I want to hear the first track through my headphones. But the first track just won't play and even the recording doesn't work properly. Somehow my Tascam doesn't record the tracks parallel, but it somehow plays the 2 second track over the 1 one, i.e. when I play back the tape after recording, it just plays the 1 track, then where I started to record the 2 track, it goes over the second one and I cannot hear the first one anymore, and finally when the 2track stops, it goes over to the first track again. The first track is deleted in the middle, where the second track plays.
What did I do wrong? I somehow can't find my mistake.

Thanks in advance :>

tig

IIRC the monitor bussing on the 414 is somewhat tricky. You need to make sure the first track recorded is in SAFE mode and then switch the Effect 2/Tape cue switch and button to Tape cue. With the monitor/LR button still depressed and the channel 1 Effect 2/Tape cue knob up you should hear both the recorded track and what you're overdubbing.

And remember you can record and monitor using the same channel. And you don't need to switch the input select to tape (if that's what you were doing) to hear the prerecorded track(s).

Thanks a lot for your fast reply, Mark. I really appreciate it.

Still I am doing something wrong, although I have followed your instructions and the manual properly as far as I can see. When I record the second track, there is no reaction at the meter on the first channel.

I do not hear anything on the headphone. What is more the first track is deleted there, where I overdubbed with the second track. No reaction on the meter of the first channel at those places.

L-R Monitor is on.
Track 1 is already in SAFE mode when recording the second track.
The switch is on the TAPE CUE side.
EFFECT 2/TAPE CUE button at the monitor is on.
PAN is on the right.

And there is something in the manual I do not really understand. When recording the second track, the following is written "Hold RECORD and press PLAY to initiate recording". Does it make any difference if I press both simultanously?

Could someone please help me?

/edit:

Well, I just figured something new out. When I try to overdub the first track with the second track, it does not work. But, when I try to overdub the first track with the third or fourth track, it works. Even the second track works with the third and fourth track. But only the first and the second track won't work together.

Is my Tascam recorder broken?

What you are doing is recording over the first track again, erasing it.

After you have recorded on the first track, you have to return its RECORD FUNCTION switch to the SAFE position, or recording the second track will also erase the first track at the same time.

Any track with its RECORD FUNCTION switch in a letter or number position will be recorded on when the Record button is pressed. The switch tells it to record in those positions.

Also note that you have to use different settings on the monitor switches for recording and playback.

For recording, you want the following:
- The channel faders on all channel strips except the onbe being used for recording must be down. Otherwise, music from the other tracks will be copied onto the track being recorded.
- The monitor and aux bus control switches must be in the Cue position.
- Use the Cue output to give the other tracks to the musicians so they can play along.
- The EFF2/CUE knob sets the playback level of the other tracks.

For mixing down, you want the following:
- The channel faders and pans are used to set the mix
- The monitor switches must be in the OFF or LR position.
- Use the EFF outputs to give the tracks to the external effects boxes.
- Connect your master recorder to the Stereo outputs.

The monitor speaker amps must be connected to the Monitor outputs, not the Stereo outputs.

Thank you very much for your elaborate answer, MidiMagic.

Unfortunately, it seems that my Tascam 414mkII is really broken. I have just checked it again with your detailed instructions. But, it still does not work. Track 1 and track 2 just do not want to work together. Though, track 1 and track 2 work together with track 3 and track 4 with the same settings.

[EDIT]
Or could it be possible that I use the wrong cassettes? I use Sony UX-S IEC II/TYPE II HIGH BIAS 70μs EQ 60min. The instruction says that I should use HIGH BIAS TYPE II cassettes no longer than 90min.
I guess I have the right ones, but maybe Tascam does not like Sony or so . Should I try other cassettes? I have tried 3 different Sony UX-S cassettes to see if maybe one is broken, but it is all the same thing.

Okay, so you've started off by plugging a mic or instrument cable into CHANNEL 1.

Followed that up by putting the Channel 1 input select switch in the MIC/LINE position

Raised the Channel 1 fader and STEREO MASTER FADER to the shaded area between 7 and 8.

Turned the Channel 1 PAN CONTROL all the way to left

Depressed the L/R BUTTON in the MONITOR section to the right of the MIXER section

Raised the MONITOR VOLUME CONTROL

Adjusted the TRIM in Channel 1 whilst speaking into the mic or playing an instrument

Set the RECORD FUNCTION select switch 1 in the RECORDER section to L(eft)

Set the ZERO RETURN switch to ON

Recorded your voice or instrument on Track 1

Rewound using the ZERO RETURN button (not the same as the ZERO RETURN switch)

After you'd recorded on Track 1 you.

Put the Track 1 RECORD FUNCTION switch to the SAFE position

Left the INPUT SELECT switch in Channel 1 at the MIC/LINE position (assuming you didn't decide to use a different channel).

Turned the Channel 1 PAN control all the way to the right

Put the EFFECT 2/TAPE CUE switch in the MONITOR section TAPE CUE position.

Depressed the EFFECT 2/TAPE CUE button in the MONITOR section.

Turned up the TAPE CUE control in Channel 1.

Put the RECORD FUNCTION switch for Track 2 in the R(ight) position.

(Note: I hope you didn't turn the MONITOR L/R switch off)

Recorded Track 2.

If you did all that, exactly, then, yeah, is your warranty still good? Or do you know any good electrical repair shops?

Thanks a lot for your detailed answer, Marc.

I did everything the way you described it and it does not work out with track 1 and track 2.

I recorded track 3 and track 4 the same way and they worked fantastically, even with track 1 and track 2. It is just that track 1 and track 2 always erase each other, and they do not want to play during recording, i.e. when I try to record track 2 I cannot hear track 1 through my headphones, although TAPE CUE is enabled. But when I, for instance, want to record track 3 over track 1, it works perfectly.

Still I have two questions:

What is that ZERO RETURN button? To rewind to 0 I usually switch on the ZERO RETURN and push the REW(ind) button on the cassette recorder (where the play, stop, forward, pause buttons also sit).

Does it make any difference if I had not pushed the L-R button during recording? Wouldn't I just not hear my own voice, which comes from my microphone, directly through headphones? Or does it affect recording in any way?

And the cassettes are really OK? I thought about buying those TDK SA mentioned in the manual. But, actually those Sony tapes should be fine or?

And, yes I still have warranty. In fact, I can just give it back because I have just bought it two day ago. I guess I have to exchange my Tascam recorder then.

Thanks again. These really are great forums.

Did you press the L-R button?

If not I suggest you do so.

Did you press it DURING recording?

If so *SLAP*, don't.

And the Zero return button is, erm...

Not a feature on the 414. Whoops. Sorry, getting it confused with my 388 (which does have a 0 return button).

Yes, the L-R monitor button was pressed down during recording. What exactly is it good for? I thought it was just for bringing the signal from the input to your headphones.

Anyway, the manual also tells to turn on the L-R monitor button during recording. It only tells to turn it off during playback only.

I mean since overdubbing with track 3 und track 4 works perfectly with the same settings, something must be broken with track 2 or?

Furthermore I tried everything again with the recommended TDK SA 90 cassettes and it still does not work.

If you're following the manual exactly, and not skipping any steps or improvising, then you should be able to record onto any track and then any other track without the second recording erasing the first unless you're somehow punching in.

Try recording direct (i.e. use channel 1 to record on track 1, channel 2 to record on track 2, etc) and tell us if that makes any difference.

It does not make any difference. Still track 1 overrides track 2 and vice versa. Track 3 and track 4 in combination with the other two work fine.

I have contacted my dealer and I am waiting for answer at the moment, but I should be able to get another Tascam 414mkII.

What position is the Track 1 record select switch (just above the fader) in when you record Track 2?

Safe, yes?

Safe. As I said the same settings work for track 3 and track 4.

Thanks a lot for your time and concern.

[EDIT]
Just received a new recorder by my dealer today. It works great now.

Thanks again for all your help.
[/EDIT]

Still I have got a new question.

Is it normal that when I push play to play back a track that I have just recorded that the sound blurs or distorts in the beginning? It is not that bad, but I am just curious if my Tascam works properly. The distortion of the sound does not even last for a second, but still it kind of disturbs me. I just want to be sure that my Tascam fully works.

Sounds like a misaligned head to me.

I've been thinking the same thing - misaligned or miswired heads.

Could you please tell what I might do about this problem?

My thought on a misaligned head refered to the track 1 and track 2 problem.

OK, you got a new machine. I'm thinking the old one might have had a solder splash inside it, on the erase head connections of tracks 1 and 2.

---

The blur might be one of these:

- the tape coming up to speed (normal for 414, not for 424).

- Recording too close to the leader (spliced tape beginning)

- slack tape inside the cassette

- damaged cassette or tape (wrinkled?)

- bad drive belt

- tape made on the damaged machine and played on the new one.

- inferior cheap cassette which tends to drag or jam

- if you are in a 240 volt country, using the wrong power adaptor.

- bad power