Hi everyone,

I'm sure that a variation of this question has been asked a dozen times over but from searching on Google, I get varying answers from "it can't be done, too much wow and flutter" to "can be done, if syncing to the tape machine's motor"...so since this is Gearslutz, I figure this would be a place where I can get definitive answers (ok, I'll try TapeOp too but still!). I'm gonna preface this and say that I'm not too familiar with the terms associated with syncing (i.e. SMPTE, MMC, etc.) so please be gentle if I ask something kinda stupid and n00b like

What I'm hoping to achieve is to record time code or whatever (striping?) onto one of the tracks and then use this to sync some drums from Logic which I'll record onto the remaining 3 tracks and then fly these back into Logic and then overwrite the 3 tracks and record new stuff (repeat, repeat, repeat). My question....can this actually be done with an mt4x? Can this only be done with MIDI and not audio? Will doing this possibly eliminate tape drift? If this can be done, what kind of equipment would I need? I don't even know how striping from a DAW to tape works....

Thanks in advance for any advice! This would help me save some money from buying a 488/688/mt8x!

Hi there and welcome.

I'm not too familiar with the MT4x (used them a LONG time ago!), but the principle is still the same:

Firstly, stripe a track (conventionally track 4) with timecode/LTC*. (Unitor LTC out to MTX4x input 4.)

You will need a SMPTE convertor/generator: something like Unitor 8 mk2 is probably the most obvious (assuming you're using Mac).

Secondly, plug mt4x output/track 4 BACK in to LTC in on the Unitor 8.

This will enable the Unitor to "hear" the LTC/SMPTE track.

In Logic, all you do is enable 'auto sync in" (IIRC! It's 7.20am here, writing this in bed with a cuppa!).


There are some caveats to this though -

*SMPTE/LTC operates in the following format:-

00:00:00:00.00 (hours:minutes:seconds:frames.subframes)
When using this with tape, I would always stripe the ENTIRE tape from 01 hours. Then each consecutive tape would be striped from the next hour (easy way of "labelling" tapes - BUT tends to work timescale-wise (!) on open-reel tape!)

I always striped from zero, but would put a SMPTE start-time in Logic/DAW of 30 seconds.

You ALSO MUST make sure that what ever you record on track 3, is relatively quiet, as tape suffers from bleed-through (where consecutive track audio can be "heard" on the adjacent tracks.
Therefore, imho and experience, the SMPTE track must be protected, as it is a TOTAL PAIN IN THE A$$ to repair a timecode track.

That said, if you're using Logic, why bother with the MT4x?

1. You'll only gain 2 tracks of "analogue" recording with a 3rd track to be VERY careful with.
2. If it's for stuff you've already got on 4-track, just record it into Logic - even if your machine only has a stereo out: record the tracks over 2 passes (2 tracks at a time) - you can then move them back in sync (bit of a bodge, but it works)

Hope this helps - if you're not used to dealing with syncing, it's a bit of a daunting prospect, but again:-

**Stripe (record SMPTE/LTC) your tape FIRST!**

This will overcome MOST of your potential problems, and will make the process easier!


All the best,

Dan (remembering his SMPTE nightmares!! )



ps you can use other SMPTE/LTC stripe/read boxes, but you'd have to do some more RTFM!!

Hi Scooby, thanks very much for the advice, I will try it out and see how it goes. I actually kept researching around and see the possibility of using an all software workaround (though I will probably turn to the Unitor if this doesn't work out). I found that Reaper has a LTC/MTC generator, which I'm hoping I can use to stripe track 4. I'm going to see if I can autosync to that from Reaper/Logic. There's another plugin I found called SMPTE Reader which allows for you to choose any input on the audio interface and fly it back in, so I'm going to see if I can try and use just software first.

As for why the Mt4x? I guess mainly for the challenge and the ability to have another medium to record on? I've always recorded music digitally (except for my high school karaoke tape machine "multitrack" days) as I'm pretty young and saw the last remnants of cassette tape recordings (in the 90s-ish...) but I've always liked the slightly high cut sound of C90 tapes. It's not the best quality, that's for sure, but it's very inviting to me, so that's why I'm trying to give it a go. Plus, the sound of tape saturation on a Type I tape to me is