Download the original 6pp brochure/catalog for the Tascam 144, the first ‘4-track’ ‘porta-studio’:
DOWNLOAD: Tascam_144_Catalog
I’m a little embarrassed to admit/realize that this is the third post we’ve done on the 144. First was this article regarding 4-track aesthetics, followed by this post containing the 144 product-launch advertising. I just recently came across this original promo item, and it seems that no one else had bothered to put it online, so what the hell. I’ve already said enough about this crucial, paradigm-shifting object, so I won’t repeat myself here… check the old posts if you care.
Shit, how did they know what kinda glasses I wear? Oh wait I’m stuck in 1979. Riiiiiiiiiight.
The catalog also contains info on a number of ‘accessories’ that Tascam offered in conjunction with this machine; above, their top-end mic the “ME-120” which came with interchangeable omni and cardiod capsules. Pretty fancy Tascam. I have somehow ended up with just the box and omni capsule for one of these things. WTF?
9 replies on “Tascam 144 4-Track c.1979: Original Catalog”
And don’t forget the much smaller Fostex X-15 4-track cassette recorder. A cute little number..ha ha.
Hey, do you still have the PDF of the manual ?
I tried clicking on the link but I can’t find it.
Thanks !
hey man. nope, that link is dead. c.
Does anyone know where I can find a working Teac Tascam 144 Portastudio? I don’t care what it costs. I have a number of half finished songs I recorded on one (which gave up the ghost) back in the late 70’s and early 80’s but they don’t work on the 244 which I later bought. The speed is different, and I think something else too. My work tapes are not compatible.
Charlie, did you find one yet?
I have one for sale. I´m based in Stockholm, Sweden.
/Staffan Astner
Hello, the 244 was equipped with DBX Noise reduction, while the 144 has DOLBY! And that speed problem….
This is an old comment, but you can find them on eBay and Craigslist or occasionally Reverb sometimes. Unfortunately because of their age they need more work than any other model. I currently have one that I replaced all four belts on and cleaned and lubricated all the pots and faders, but discovered a signal issue as well as the fact that all the PCB’S need to be recapped. I’m gonna do it because that machine is awesome – they never made one that had better preamps than that (the 244’s come kinda close), even if the Dolby B was less than amazing. Give one of those sites a shot and I’m sure you’ll find one – Tascam might even be able to fix it themselves if you’re willing to pay the extra $$$ to ship it to their repair shop in CA. Good luck finding one
There were two really excellent things about this unit. One was that you could flip the taps for reverse playback. If you bounce with some delay, then flip the tape back over you can get a great “prescience” effect. Also, the speed control made manual flanging easy – Import a prerecorded drum track, then import it again in another channel while making slight changes to tape speed. With practice you could make the crossover at the point of a cymbal hit for a fantastic stereo sweep.
I must have done a couple of hundred tracks with this, some of which as elaborate as the best of the Beatles. If it were not for the ultra-thin tape width, it would have sounded just as good as well.
I had to toss mine after eight years because the electronics aged quickly, introducing an intolerable amount of circuit hiss. I didn’t upgrade, as I had spent 5 years in Africa on a limited budget. Back in the States I tried to replace it but after careful research I ended up with a Yamaha version – better in many ways, plus it was compatible with my old Tascam tapes.
Looking for a 144 – email me at donnylang@gmail.com if you have any leads!