{{short description|Home recording studio equipment}}
'''Portastudio''' refers to a series of multitrack recorders produced by TASCAM beginning in 1979 with the introduction of the TEAC 144, the first four-track compact cassette-based recorder. Although a TASCAM trademark, "portastudio" is commonly used to refer to any self-contained multitrack recorder dedicated to music production.<ref>{{cite book|last=Réfeillac|first=Jean-Michel|title=Recording and Voice Processing, Volume 1: History and Generalities|publisher=ISTE Ltd.|location=London, UK|date=2021|isbn=978-1-78630-670-8}}</ref><ref name="SOSOct1992">{{cite magazine|last=Mellor|first=David|title=Hands On: Cassette Multitracks|url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/hands-on-cassette-multitracks/9522|magazine=Sound On Sound|date=October 1992|access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="SOSMar1988">{{cite magazine|last=Mellor|first=David|title=Which One Would You Choose? Three 4-tracks|url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/which-one-would-you-choose/3488|magazine=Sound On Sound|date=March 1988|access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref>
The Portastudio is credited with launching the home recording revolution by making it possible for musicians to easily and affordably record and produce multitrack music at home<ref name="Molenda">{{cite book|last=Molenda|first=Michael|title=The Guitar Player Book: 40 Years of Interviews, Gear, and Lessons from the World's Most Celebrated Guitar Magazine|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|year=2007|isbn=9780879307820|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=02X2M-BP2OsC&pg=PA180|page=180}}</ref><ref name="BBSep1999">{{cite magazine|last=Verna|first=Paul|title=Tascam Marks 25 Years Of Audio Innovation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oggEAAAAMBAJ&dq=portastudio&pg=PT85|magazine=Billboard|date=September 11, 1999|page=64|access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="GuardianNov2023">{{cite web|last=Hann|first=Michael|title='It was a way to share your musical experiences': why cassette tapes flourished, and still endure|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/15/cassette-tapes-books-mixtape|website=The Guardian|date=15 November 2023|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> and is cited as one of the most significant innovations in music production technology.<ref name="Cameron">{{cite book|last=Cameron|first=Samuel|title=Music in the Marketplace: A Social Economics Approach|publisher=Routledge|year=2015|isbn=9781317934738|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WhCUBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|page=84}}</ref>
==History== ===Cassette Portastudios=== thumb|Tascam Portastudio 244, 1982 The first Portastudio, the TEAC 144, was introduced on September 22, 1979, at the AES Convention in New York City.<ref name=BBSep1999/> The 144 combined a 4-channel mixer with pan, treble, and bass on each input with a cassette recorder capable of recording four tracks (with Dolby B noise reduction) in one direction at 3¾ inches per second (double the normal cassette playback speed) in a self-contained unit weighing less than 20 pounds at a list price of {{Currency|899|US}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Twenty-Five Years Ago Tascam Changed The Industry|url=https://tascam.jp/int/support/news/274|website=TASCAM|date=March 28, 2007|access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref> The 144 was the first product that made it possible for musicians to affordably record several instrumental and vocal parts on different tracks of the built-in 4-track cassette recorder individually and later blend all the parts together, while transferring them to another standard, two-channel stereo tape deck (remix and mixdown) to form a stereo recording.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xbA-0fAi20cC&pg=PA31|title=TASCAM: 30 Years of Recording Evolution|first=Randy|last=Alberts|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|year=2003|isbn=9780634011566}}</ref> In 1981, Fostex introduced the first of their "Multitracker" line of multitrack cassette recorders with the 250.<ref name="OneTwoJan1983">{{cite magazine|title=Teac 244 Portastudio, Fostex 250 Multitracker|url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/teac-244-portastudio-fostex-250-multitracker/4703#|magazine=One Two Testing|date=January 1983|access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref>
thumb|Portastudio 424 MkII, c. 1996 In 1982, TASCAM replaced the 144 with the 244 Portastudio, which improved upon the previous design with overall better sound quality and more features, including: parametric EQ, dbx Type II noise reduction, and the ability to record up to four tracks simultaneously.<ref name="OneTwoNov1982">{{cite magazine|last=Bacon|first=Tony|title=Teac 4-Track|url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/teac-4-track/4618|magazine=One Two Testing|date=November 1982|access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Tascam 244 Portastudio|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/tascam-244-portastudio/2770|magazine=Home Studio Recording|date=December 1983|issue=Dec 1983 |pages=16–17 |access-date=February 22, 2023}}</ref><ref name=OneTwoJan1983/>
TASCAM continued to develop and release cassette-based portastudio models with different features until 2001,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Johnson|first1=Derek|last2=Poyser|first2=Debbie|title=Tascam 424 MkIII & 414 MkII|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tascam-424-mkiii-414-mkii|website=Sound On Sound|date=March 2001|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> including the "Ministudio" line of portastudios that offered a limited feature set and the ability to run on batteries at even more affordable price points, and the "MIDIStudio" line which added MIDI functionality.<ref name="Reverb">{{cite web|last=Fumo|first=Dante|title=The Tascam Portastudio Through the Ages|url=https://reverb.com/news/the-tascam-portastudio-through-the-ages|website=Reverb|date=28 September 2016|access-date=20 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hEK2AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA207|page=207|title=Japanoise: Music at the Edge of Circulation|first=David|last=Novak|publisher=Duke UP|year=2013|isbn=9780822397540}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=White|first=Paul|title=Tascam 246 - an Un-Reel Machine|url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/tascam-246-an-un-reel-machine/11489|magazine=Home & Studio Recording|date=January 1986|access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref> Other manufacturers, including Fostex, Yamaha, Akai, Audio-Technica, Sansui, Marantz, Vestafire, Clarion, Studiomaster and others introduced their own lines of multitrack cassette recorders.<ref name=SOSMar1988/><ref name="IMJun1986">{{cite magazine|last=Walmsley|first=Richard|title=Yamaha MT1X Portastudio: Studio Test|url=https://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/yamaha-mt1x-portastudio/6850|magazine=International Musician|date=June 1986|access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref><ref name="MusicUKNov1983">{{cite magazine|last=Cooper|first=Gary|title=The Four Track Future - Where To Start With Cassette-Based Recording|url=http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/home-recording/12040|magazine=Music UK|date=November 1983|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> Most were four-track recorders, but there were also six-track (Sansui) and eight-track units (TASCAM and Yamaha).<ref name=Reverb/>
Most cassette based portastudios used cassette tape designated as type II with some form of noise reduction, usually Dolby B, C or S or DBX type II. Several of the more refined better built units, if used with quality cassette tape and a skillful operator could produce recordings of unexpectedly high quality.
===Digital Portastudios=== In 1997, TASCAM introduced the first digital Portastudio: the TASCAM 564 which recorded to MiniDisc.<ref>{{cite web|last=Robjohns|first=Hugh|title=Tascam 564: 4-track MiniDisc Portastudio|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tascam-564-0|website=Sound On Sound|date=December 1996|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> Later Digital Portastudio models, some with the ability to record 24 or even 32 tracks, utilize CD-R, internal hard drives, or SD cards, and commonly include built-in DSP effects.<ref name=Reverb/><ref name="SOSApr2005">{{cite web|last=Flint|first=Tom|title=Tascam DP01 & DP01FX|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tascam-dp01-dp01fx|website=Sound On Sound|date=April 2005|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref>
==Impact and legacy== The Portastudio, and particularly its first iteration, the TEAC 144, is credited with launching the home recording revolution by making it possible for musicians to easily and affordably record and produce multitrack music themselves wherever they wanted<ref name=Molenda/><ref name=BBSep1999/><ref name=GuardianNov2023/> and is cited as one of the most significant innovations in music production technology.<ref name=Cameron/> In general, these machines were typically used by amateur and professional musicians to record demos, although some Portastudio projects, most notably Bruce Springsteen's 1982 album ''Nebraska'', have become notable major-label releases. Beginning in the 1990s, cassette-based Portastudios experienced new popularity for lo-fi recording.
In 2006, the TEAC Portastudio was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame, an honor given to "products and innovations that have had an enduring impact on the development of audio technology."<ref>{{cite web|title=TECnology Hall of Fame 2006 Inductees Announced|url=https://www.mixonline.com/technology/tecnology-hall-fame-2006-inductees-announced-382123|website=MIX|publisher=Future plc|date=16 June 2006|access-date=17 January 2024}}</ref> In 2021, in conjunction with TASCAM's 50th anniversary, a software plug-in emulation of the Porta One ministudio was released by IK Multimedia.<ref>{{cite web|title=TASCAM & IK Multimedia Collaborating On T-RackS PORTA ONE Giveaway|url=https://www.prosoundweb.com/tascam-ik-multimedia-collaborating-on-t-racks-porta-one-giveaway/|date=20 July 2023|access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> Many notable artists have used varying Portastudios to record their tracks and albums.<ref name="ALR">{{cite web|last=Lloyd-Russell|first=Andy|title=The 10 best recordings on the iconic TASCAM Portastudio|url=https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/the-10-best-recordings-on-the-iconic-tascam-portastudio/|website=mixdownmag.com|date=5 July 2024|access-date=18 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=What Makes This Song Great? Ep.105 SEAL| website=YouTube | date=8 June 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhgoli8klLA&9m15s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Hhgoli8klLA |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==See also== * Multitrack recording
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://tascam.com/us/category/PortaStudios_and_Trainers The current line of Portastudios] from the [http://www.tascam.com Tascam website].
Category:Audiovisual introductions in 1979 Category:Multitrack recording Category:Audio engineering Category:Tape recording