Hi everyone! So I'm going to start recording my music and I want to buy a Tascam 424 mkII, after a lot of research I've found it fills my needs, the thing is, I'm probably going to buy a unit from the USA because in Europe (where I live) they're not so common, but the power specifications are different, 120V and 60 Hz in USA but 230V and 50Hz in Europe. I guess I can get a power adapter, but will the frequency difference be an issue?
Impossible to answer that I'm afraid because it depends on the transformer itself.
If the transformer is "only just" adequate for 60Hz, and adequate in the sense of enough iron (or for a better phrase enough magnetic material) in its core then it could be a problem because the lower frequency will cause the core to saturate magnetically and the result is loss of efficiency and more importantly heat.
If the transformer was rated anyway for 50Hz then there is no problem.
If the transformer is "only just" adequate for 60Hz, and adequate in the sense of enough iron (or for a better phrase enough magnetic material) in its core then it could be a problem because the lower frequency will cause the core to saturate magnetically and the result is loss of efficiency and more importantly heat.
If the transformer was rated anyway for 50Hz then there is no problem.
It seems like some sort of computer based set up might provide better results in addition to the potential problems of running this unit on 50Hz. I had a couple of friends that used earlier versions of these tascam machines and their performance was pretty mediocre, and the cassette mechanisms were not that durable.
Products from Echo, M-Audio, or Behringer that record over a USB interface might be worth looking at.
Products from Echo, M-Audio, or Behringer that record over a USB interface might be worth looking at.
Alex,
I have an inexpensive Behringer mixer and the A to D gadget from Behringer for recording to a computer. It is easy to use, inexpensive, and performs far better than the Tascam I formerly used on occasion. I found the Tascam very difficult to setup and use, far too heavy and large and the recordings just didn't sound great. Good luck,
BillG
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