Panasonic RQ-340 - Using an 80's Tape Recorder
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- An overview of the Panasonic RQ-340 portable tape recorder.
Film, production, and music by Josh Greenwalt
Song played on tape recorder by Stephen Snow
Shot with Fujifilm X-H1
jaw dropped on the uke cassette recording, lofi producers would kill for that sound
also your production value/ quality is off the charts, you deserve more recognition man
Thank you! And yeah I’ve considered using it for some of my music, but have been too lazy to properly mic the thing up for recording haha
The aesthetics of your room is immaculate!!
Excellent video. What you're experiencing is wow and flutter. Sometimes it can be resolved by playing tapes for several hours, continuing to use the machine, sort of like running it in. Other times it could be an ancient belt or belts (which can be replaced). So, depending on whether you like the distorted wow and flutter effect you might be able to resolve it.
Such a high production quality for such a small Chanel! Keep it up!
Brian Eno has a great quote about recording and lost mediums. In essence he said something about as soon as the flaws of a medium are replaced by a new medium they become nostalgic or take on a new sense. So at the time the tape players unclear playback and cassette's warm warbly recordings are now sort of lofi and sought after for example. One I certaintly don't miss is the skip of the CD player/Walkman but I do miss some of the digital tones of the user interface and hearing the little sound of the laser mosing in my discman as it moved from track to track while changing songs. I have a large cassette collection still but no cassette player and even have some brand new cassettes that I haven't been able to play. Well done video.
The Video iPod came out while I was in high school. I hated the sound of the tinny sounding earbuds. That's when I started collecting vinyl, switched back to my old cassette Walkman, began making my own mix tapes, and bought a quality pair of headphones. I was floored at how much better it sounded. I took audio in college and my professor explained that all the music was recorded and mastered to be played on a range of analog hardware at its creation.
All the music that was recorded prior to the 80s was never intended to be digital. The upper and lower frequencies were clipped to make it fit MP3s and the earbuds didn't have the physically response to replicate the full range of frequencies. Another problem was low sample rates. Since analog doesn't exist in the digital world, the audio wave form is flattened and stepped like a staircase. The higher the sample rate, the more steps and the less dramatic the change between them, thus better audio. However, audio is still lost in digitizing. And apparently there was an error in the early "Red Book" audio format when it comes to authoring, that colored the audio negatively. Most people would never hear it, but the trained ear could.
As music has become more sterilized, perfect, and formulaic, we are seeking a more genuine experience. We want to experience and hear the imperfections that give music life. We want variations to break up the sameness. That is why Lo-Fi has such appeal. The experience of music is also the pops and scratches on the vinyl, the wow and flutter on a cassette tape. Sure they change the audio, but they exist as a by product of being a physical object. It mirrors are own existence. Imperfect beings shaped by our experiences. We both carry scars and change because of them. We are similar in that respect. Living. Digital audio will never change, never degrade, never live like we do.
Awesome video...I have a Panasonic RQ350, essentially the same. Same form factor and looks, but adds a mic jack, number counter a mic sensitivity switch. The issues with the speed may mean the belt is either stretched or replaced with the wrong type. It is basically a good voice recorder for lectures (which I used it for). I still use it now to listen to tapes in places like you said now, playing tapes made on a Yamaha deck. It may not fit in a pocket, but it will fit in a knapsack - especially if you don't want to lug a boombox😊. If anything, pure nostalgia and that's fine.
Dude I just found this channel and I love it! Wish I found it earlier! Keep on keeping on man! Much respect
I love the style of your videos it’s different, keep it up! and the recorder plays okay, I kinda like the muffled sound of it for some odd reason. The ukulele on it reminds me of spongebob music, maybe it’s just me?
Hey thanks! Yeah I'm still new getting into making videos so I'm constantly trying new things to make them better with each video (lighting, writing style, editing). So I hope you enjoy the new things I have coming. And yeah haha, the ukulele just has that iconic sound associated with spongebob and other Hawaiian style things haha.
You are not THAT retro...
Look at that 1080p quality (just kidding haha)
Loved that video format!
Lol I actually own an 80s JVC vhs camcorder I’ve been wanting to film a video on forever but haven’t had the chance to look into digitizing the footage for editing.
@@RetraCast Yeah, it would be fun to watch a video recorded with a retro cam in a format like that. there's a lot of reviews videos, but sometimes i just want to watch a normal video like this one with the recorder. i really apreciated your video!
Sounds cool
I'd bet that that the wavy effect is caused by a rubber belt being worn out, a common problem amongst old tape players
i just saw this and can you drop your spotify playlist, i just think you have a great taste in music :3
Well your iPhone won’t be running in 40 years, this thing will
I neglected to tell you that I enjoyed your peformances on the string instruments!
Thanks, I actually write and produce all the background music for the channel. The only track I did not make was the opening track for the new Celica video. My friend did that. I’m trying to hire my friend to do a few more of my tracks for more variety and quality when I can afford it.
Your talents seem to have no limit! Good for you. The ukulele recording sounds like an old 78 record (those were the heavy non viinyl that preceeded LPs or an "Edison recording"! Haha
While most definitely the technology was a limiting factor, at that time, there were several different types of cassette tapes. The least costly were ferric-oxide tapes used mostly for taping converstation/voice such as for dictation or taping a college lecture. Stepping up was chrome and then, metal. I'm confident you'd find less distrortion and better sound response with chrome or metal.
Yeah, I’ve found out about the differences and it is something I wanna explore when I get back around to doing another cassette video. I also have another couple decks to mess with
I just notice the type writer scene in the video I notice the name is called corona and keep in mind this video was in the late 2018.
I have a similar model Panasonic (a stereo model) and the wow and flutter is considerably lower. It may be that your pinch roller is worn or hardened.
Do know that the 340 appears to be the end of the line for the Panasonic RQ dictation machines, and from what I can see it's a super cut down machine. They made better models with mic inputs, line outputs and even stereo microphones in the same line.
i have the exact same model and mine sounds super wavy too, and i also thought just mine was messed up haha
You’re the first person to have the same one. Interesting to know it’s the same for you haha
This is a great video man. Your subscribe count is low but you are going in the right direction. I love this
Thanks, I really am working to make each video better than the last and I think it’s showing with each new release. I hope you get to see some new stuff coming
Dude warn me next time you go off like this
i have this one i love it a lot!!
I love National Panasonic 2in1.
Usually, the record section of such voice-corders is quite modest but I am confident this sounded perfect with no detectable wow and flutter when new.
There's a lot of parts involved into this beyond the usual belts: capstans need to be extracted (from the flywheels! for goodness sake nobody try to yank them from the front) and greased/oiled, the motor itself needs the same, every gear and pulley in the tape transport and still I noticed many just cleaning the pinch rollers: they were greased when installed from the factory.
Also... to this day it's not unlikely to find deformed cassette spools, and even if the speed and primary drive comes from the capstan, some are warped quite so much to cause noticeable wows. Some have become grippy and don't turn as smoothly...
The message being: back in the 80s these sounded as good or better than your (above) average smartphone voice recording.
NIce video man. Keep it up
very nice video! i really enjoyed it :3
This would be awesome to use while i roller skate
Great video! Just got my RQ 350 and loving it. Definitely not for high quality music-wise, but the playback on mine is super stable (Low wow and wobble, steady smooth). I just wonder is there a way to make the mic keep the pressing state? When I would like to record long period of time I just do not want to keep pressing on that record button :(
Just bought one
Its a voice recorder not intended for music recordings as which you cant hear the wow and flutter in the playback of voice recordings
I have a suggestion since I'm a modern kid lol I was born in 2001 but I do love Portable cassette players and even a deck, all u need to do is to clean the head tape, capstan and also the pinch rollers with a Cotton swab with a moist of alcohol.
And that is it, try to watch here on youtube also how to. Maybe the plyer is quite dirty inside the reason. It gives a bit distroted sound
great video !!
The lockdown situation made me re think my guitar pedalboard and I'm thinking to add a cassette recorder in a loop to pass my signal through iit and hit my amp,
In these video you are using the tape recorder normally then record it back into your DAW but is it possible to do it live?
With a simple set up Guitar => tape recorder with in and outs + infinite loop cassette => through the amp?
Thanks !
Leo
Yeah, so I actually have done something similar long ago, it’s been a while so I’ll try to remember my best. The problem is you need a recorder that does have both a mic input and an audio output. I think the levels may need some messing around with as well. Like the input level of a guitar to a recorder may be different than the input level of a mic to the recorder. You also need to consider the level that leaves the recorder to the amp. I think it’s doable but needs tweaking of the levels to get right. Hope that helps a bit haha! Sorry I don’t have an exact solution.
@@RetraCast thanks!
I have a pedal to blend my clean signal to the tape recorded signal, I'm not forced to go 100% with the tape recorded signal in the Amp.
Yes I think it that there is no correct answer, just experimentation to see what work and what don't!
Leo
@@bretonleo8740 for doing this I think you need to use a tape recorder able to record and play at the same time.
So you need to found one with 3 head, Marrantz did some, they are expensive cause of the possibility of using them as a tape delay.
Few tape decks have live tape monitoring. You need a two head system with one head for recording and the other for playback. Otherwise the monitor output will just be the same audio coming from the line input.
What portable tape players would you recommend for a casual listener / beginner to the magnetic analog format ?
I currently use a panasonic rx-sa60. Before i used a Toshiba player but the quality of the panasonic is far superior. It looks similar to the recorder shown in the video but its stereo and only plays.
Listening to cassettes is about exact audio recreation. If you want "warm retro tunes", put a shitty effect on your audio player on your phone, it is literally the same thing (at least if it's not just a static overlay).
idk if you are still watching comments but... i have a question. Is it possible to record a cassette with the RQ-340? i mean, digital audio to cassette using the RQ. I want to experiment with some sounds (mostly sound effects) but i can't seem to make it work. Loved the video btw
No since there is no mic input. There are plenty of other recorders that do have one though.
U inspired me my god..
Haha, it’s definitely a unique vibe it gives off
despite the recorder saying "mini cassette recorder" what type of blanket cassette did you use for this video, if you remember :)
Just standard size cassettes! I think the mini is referring to the unit being portable. If you meant what brand and model of tapes I use then I’ll have to check when I get home.
@@RetraCast Ahh thank you!
1:34 what is the name of this music?
So on the headphones is it just mono audio or does it really only come out of one ear?
Wherdd u buy
Im planing to buy a national rq 382 and i dont know how to put songs on a tape and play it on the rq 382 so doase anyone know the easiest way to put sobgs i heard that if a cassette tape player have a record feature you can record the songs. O ya is the national rq 382 made in the 80s
Was the first play through on the ukulele “lemonade” by chance?
Hahaha oh boy it’s been a while since I’ve heard that. I know what song you’re talking about but I think the chords of what I was playing is based on another song. I forget what it was called, something to do with “night” or “moons” hahaha. It’s been a very long time since I learned whatever it was I was playing. To be honest they may be the same or similar chords or rhythms though.
That being said I learned all my ukulele stuff years before this video and whenever I play it now days I just subconsciously throw together chords and rhythms from random stuff I learned way back then. So most stuff comes out as a freestyle mismatch of parts of different chords and songs.
Do you know if they all sound like that with recording because I'm thinking about getting one.
It’s probably gonna sound slightly different when you’re dealing with stuff this old. Quality wise it’ll be similar but you may not get that wavy effect since it’s a defect on mine and I’m not sure if it’s a common thing or not
If you unplug your headphones half way you can get the audio in both ears, the mono audio is still pretty annoying though
Worked like a charm
Is the RQ_342 Stereo? I have the opportunity of buying that version.
Highly doubt it
If it’s a tape recorder, can it play Albums like a normal cassette player?
Yes
The "recordind machine head" it's unbalanced, with speed issues. So, what you record comes out with some kind of "doppler effect" (like the ambulance sound going away).
Me want one
vintage
permission to use some other clips, just for my project :)))
I really thought it was smaller.
I'll take low quality tape over low quality digital anytime.
Me getting one to be like Max from Stranger Things:
It wasn’t fairly new for its time at all.
angriest
the
nerd