Let’s talk about a legend: the Tascam Portastudio 424.
And how I lit it like it was about to drop the hottest lo-fi EP of 1995.

A Brief Ode to the 424

If you were making music in the 80s or 90s — in your bedroom, your basement, or your bandmate’s garage — there’s a good chance this beast was part of your setup. The Tascam 424 was a 4-track cassette recorder that packed mixing, EQ, and tape transport into one portable, affordable, absolutely revolutionary box.

Launched as part of Tascam’s third-generation Portastudio lineup, the 424 added some grown-up features:

• 4 mic/line inputs with trim and EQ

• 3-band EQ per channel with sweepable mids (!)

• Dual tape speeds (standard and high for better fidelity)

• Pitch control

• And of course — the warm, crunchy joy of cassette saturation

It made lo-fi cool before it was cool. (Again.)

Shooting It Like It Deserves

Now, on to how I photographed it.

This isn’t a product shoot for Amazon. This is a love letter to design — sliders, knobs, worn-out plastic, and all that sweet 90s Japanese industrial grey.

The Concept:

I wanted drama. I wanted texture, depth, and a sense that this machine has lived a life. That it’s still got stories in it — and maybe a few unfinished demos on tape.

Lighting Breakdown

Key Light: Softbox from Camera Left

I used a large softbox just to the left of camera, angled downward. This gave me a broad, even wash of light across the faders and EQ knobs, pulling out the contours without blowing anything out. The goal was to create soft shadows that emphasize depth and shape, not flatten them.

Kicker Light: CTO-Gelled Light from Behind

Here’s where the magic happens. I placed a kicker light behind the 424, camera right, and gelled it with CTO (Color Temperature Orange).

Why? Because I wanted that warm edge glow. That subtle cinematic rim that separates it from the background and makes the surface pop. The cool key + warm kicker combo also creates a beautiful duality — like studio vs stage, analog vs digital, past vs present.

The Result

You can see the light raking across the sliders, catching just enough highlight to give a tactile sense of the surface. The CTO kick adds mood, like a late-night jam session in a dimly lit room. There’s a hint of grit, a splash of style, and just enough glow to make it feel like this old warhorse is ready to roll tape again.

Final Thoughts: Nostalgia Has a Look

There’s something poetic about photographing gear that helped people make art — especially when you light it with care. The Tascam 424 wasn’t just a recorder. It was a gateway. For a generation of musicians, it was the first time their songs lived outside their heads.

And photographing it? Felt like giving it a little thank-you card — with diffusion and a gel.

Shot on GFX 50S II with GF63mm f/2.8
Lit with 1 softbox + 1 kicker + a splash of nostalgia
No presets. Just light, plastic, and tape deck dreams.