Our world is in need of many things. An infinite source of low risk, low cost energy, for instance, wouldn't go amiss; a cure for cancer, an end to unemployment, even a sampling synth with built-in 24-track digital recorder for under £40 would unquestionably be a substantial and worthwhile contribution. But, do we need another four-track cassette machine looking not too dissimilar to all the others of its breed? Unless it's extraordinarily inexpensive or has something special to offer, I suspect that we really don't.

One company that would doubtless disagree with me is Teczon. Their new offering, unveiled in the UK at the recent APRS show, is called the Dub 4x4 and looks very much as if it has been launched in direct competition to the Tascam Porta One. It's about the same size (approx 13" x 10" x 3") is mains/battery powered, runs at 1⁷/₈ips, has four mixer channels, four VU meters, two-band Eq and costs about £429. To make it worthwhile, then, it will have to offer superior sound quality, signal processing capabilities or convenience of operation. And so read on.

No Straps Attached

It has a steeply angled meter housing that gives it more the appearance of a Portastudio proper than the likes of the Porta One or Fostex X-15. Possibly this allusion to greater things was consciously built in as a sales point. But the fact is that one of the great appeals of these other two machines is their ease of portability, and to this end they are both equipped with carrying straps and are very easy to use when slung over the shoulder. The Dub is more cumbersome and has no strap.

Starting from the top, each channel contains the following controls; high Eq, low Eq, output level (for monitor and mixdown) panpot, track select switch (1, 2, 3 or 4), input select switch (Line/Mic/Tape) rec/punch-in button and finally an input gain control. In various small ways, the operating procedure for this machine is strangely unlike that of others. The channel gain structure isn't controlled by the combination of an input trim and a main channel fader to determine the level going to tape as it is on the Porta One, but rather by a single rotary input gain control. The confusing thing here is that when you're getting ready to record, unless you actually depress the main record, play and pause buttons together with the individual track record button(s), the level shown on the meters for a signal coming into the machine, is affected not only by the input control, but also by the output control. This would be okay, except that when you actually go into record, the output control and its effect on the signal level is removed. Thus if you have the output control a little below its 'unity gain' setting (for instance) your record level, you will find yourself peaking into distortion when you actually go into record. One answer is of course to have the machine continually in rec/pause while you're setting up your sounds, but apart from the fact that th is puts an unnecessary strain on the play motor, it gives you one more thing to think about while recording: forget to do it, and all your record levels have to be reset — and I'm talking from experience.

The equalisation, though obviously unspectacular, is fine. No complaints at all there.

The Routing Issue

A big drawback with the early Portastudio Model 144 and the X-15, is the limited channel/track routing. The two main issues here are 1: Can you record on all four tracks simultaneously? and 2: Can you route all four mixer channels to a single track? Concerning the first point, the Dub comes out on top of the Porta One, as it does allow all four tracks to be used at once with slight limitations in the channel/track routing. This is very important if you want to do live recordings where overdubbing isn't part of the initial process. On the second point the Dub is only slightly more limited in that it allows up to three channels to be routed to the remaining track. When using drum machines with separate outputs, or several instruments MIDI'd together, this missing channel shouldn't be taken too lightly. Something you can't do on the Dub is to use two tracks as a stereo pair, ie record three inputs onto a pair of tracks creating a stereo picture between them. On the other hand both of these problems can be simply solved with the addition of a small auxiliary mixer.

Each track has an individual record/drop-in button but once you have put one or more tracks into the record mode or, if the pause button's depressed, the record ready mode, it isn't possible to drop them out individually, it's all out or nothing. This is achieved via a single large red record reset button. This may or may not matter to you, depending on how complicated your production processes are, but it is an unusual limitation.

No Noise

As with all but the most expensive VUs, the Dub's meters took a little getting used to, and there's a thin margin between under recording, and distortion — again this is to be expected with this format. The quality of recording, if you get the level right, is good. Full details of the noise reduction system are not yet available but it works admirably well, failing to pump or breathe even when subjected to some fiercely Eq'd drum machine hi hat. It's certainly better than some of existing systems on the market. With the first cassette I used, a TDK SA60 (high bias), an obtrusive level of 'cockling' could be heard. This is a sort of low level gurgling, popping sound that is often due to a wrong bias setting. When I changed to another SA60 from a later batch, the problem disappeared. It's a bit disturbing to think that the same type of tape should vary so much from batch to batch, but if you're doing a critical recording it may be worth trying different cassettes (if you have a few) before commencing. (This problem was nothing to do with the Dub).

Another slight peculiarity in the operating method of the Dub means that when dropping-in you have to listen back to ALL the other tracks and at the level at which they were recorded.

This doesn't always make for a very musical or useful balance; good timing in playing is often largely a function of being able to hear the right parts of the arrangement for reference. The speed of the drop-in is predictably slow, as with other similar machines, and you'll not be trying anything too fancy. A gap of about half a second or so is a safe gap to get in or out. An optional electronic footswitch allows you to keep your handsfree.

If you want to fiddle about with the pitch there's a wide ranging varispeed, but unfortunately it has no centre detent and so you're never quite sure if it's running at standard play or not. This fact can be quite critical if you're working with acoustic instruments.

If we're comparing the Dub with the Porta One, and I think we must, its mechanical tape position counter lacks the Porta One's return-to zero function, and that's a significant omission when you have to repeatedly practise the same part of a song over and over. As far as the transport is concerned, the Dub's controls work through a direct mechanical linkage as opposed to both the Porta One and the X-15 which both use a motor driven system whereby the head assembly etc is smoothly driven against the tape. This is physically much easier on the assembly and helps maintain the mechanical alignment of the heads and keep servicing to a minimum.

I do hope that the preliminary owner's manual is no indication of how the final book will be, it did nothing but confuse and irritate me. For someone who has no experience of multitrack, the manual is all-important. I hope it gets straightened out. The Dub is not actually a bad machine, but at £429, the Porta One is more than fierce competition. If you want to do live work, the Dub's ability to record on to all four tracks at once is a winner. As always, you'll have to try both units and see which you prefer for your applications.

TECZON FOUR-TRACK CASSETTE SYSTEM - RRP: £429