question about tascam m308/m-512 mixers

R

Rickson Gracie

New member
So far my m308 mixer has been serving me well BUT is there a way that after i record a track i wouldnt have to unplug my external mic pre from the line in everytime i want to hear it back? cant i just hit a switch?

also if i upgrade to an M-512 would i need to get all new snakes for my compressors? i think i read that it is all RCAs in the back. also is it setup where i wouldnt have to unplug the micpre everytime i want to hear the track back?

thanks
 
If you are running a outboard preamp directly to the recorder it wont make any differance in your playback.
 
Herm said:
If you are running a outboard preamp directly to the recorder it wont make any differance in your playback.
Click to expand...

so i can get a patch bay and run the mic pres directly into the recorder and just monitor and mix through the mixer?

that would be convenient:)
 
If...

If you have your Tape-Outs of the 38 hooked to the Tape-Rtns of the M308, it shouldn't interfere with the Line-In or require any repatching. You'd use the Submix section while overdubbing and the Tape selection on the top of the channel for remix,... all with the flip of a switch!:eek:;)
 
I hate to revive such an old thread, but I couldn't help but ask about the same problem...
I've been trying to figure out if I'm routing correctly to the 308 from my 38 deck. First of all, I don't really understand the tape input section other than sending the output of the tape deck back to the mixer for playback. This is the only obvious. I have a 1/4" to RCA snake going from the direct outs of channels 1-8 into the inputs 1-8 on the tape deck. I can get the direct audio to tape. Now, as the OP stated, if I don't remove the patch cord from the D-OUT plug on the channel I recorded from when playing back, I cannot hear it unless I am using the tape input section to monitor it. Using this section sounds like ass! But if I unplug the instrument from the channel it plays back perfectly. I can then mix and pan and whatever right from the channel. The question is, why the hell do I have to remove the instrument cable from the mixer to playback and use the channel controls? I thought you could just disable the line-in but that didn't seem to work... I mean, this setup would be fine in a temporary situation but not when you want to keep all your equipment plugged in to the mixer at all times (I primarily record keyboards and like to have the option of leaving them on dedicated channels and then be able to record instantly if I want to).

The other question was about the phantom power situation. I would hope that by using another mixer that has phantom power on the channels I would be able to interface that with the 308, right? I haven't even tried it yet, I just thought it would make sense before I have to run out and buy a phantom power amp or something...
 
Dave ARP above answer should answer your question. You should be able to select tape to monitor off tape or line to send to the 38 w/out having to disconnect anything.

I don't have a 308 to double check. but there should be a selector switch at the top of each channel for line/mic/tape. You'd have line when your recording to tape, and the 38 should be in either record or sync mode; to playback you'd select tape and the 38 should be in either sync or repro mode.

You want to make sure you de-select the direct out to the 38 in playback for that track though as you'd be sending the signal back to the 38.

The signal in any given channel should only flow in one direction at any given time, so it may help to have a drawing handy.

Also, you should be able to use the buss out (or direct out) on the board w/ phantom power and connect that to a line in on teh 308. (require repatch) You could also use the sub in, but I think that goes to the buss outs, which it doesn't look like you are using to connect to the 38. (again repatch) I bought a little phantom pwr adapter at GC for $5 it was missing the wall wart and I got one of those for another $5.

It may be helpful to get an owner's manual for the 308. Contact TEAC directly at

Parts Department
TEAC America
7733 Telegraph Road
Montebello, CA 90640
Phone: 323-727-4840
Fax: 323-727-7632

Call, don't email.
 
The tape returns are also automatically are routed to the first 8 channels of any of the 300 series mixers. You have to push the channel button to "line."
If you have something else plugged into that line input, that is what you will hear, not the tape.
You need a patchbay.
 
Dave ARP above answer should answer your question. You should be able to select tape to monitor off tape or line to send to the 38 w/out having to disconnect anything. You should have the 38 in either sync or repro mode.

I don't have a 308 to double check. but there should be a selector switch at the top of each channel for line/mic/tape. You'd have line when your recording to tape, and the 38 should be in either record or sync mode to playback you'd select tape and the 38 should be in either sync or repro mode.

You want to make sure you de-select the direct out to the 38 in playback though as you'd be sending the signal back to the 38.

The signal in any given channel should only flow in one direction at any given time, so it may help to have a drawing handy.

Also, you should be able to use the buss out (or direct out) on the board w/ phantom power and connect that to a line in on teh 308. You could also use the sub in, but I think that goes to the buss outs, which it doesn't look like you are using to connect to the 38.
 
Yes.

Plug the 38 outs to the 8 TAPE return jacks. With nothing plugged into the LINE input jacks those 8 tape returns ARE the line input sources. Plugging in a cable into a LINE input jack breaks the connection to the corresponding TAPE jack. Outside of that you can STILL always monitor the tape playback by depressing the TAPE switches in the monitor section above the group master faders. With the TAPE RTN switches up the source of the monitor mixer channels are the groups. With the TAPE RTN switches down the source is the corresponding TAPE jack. PAN and set LEVEL to taste and monitor in the headphones or via the control room outs by depressing the MON switch in the monitor select switchrack.

This doesn't help you out with cue mixes if you have the LINE input jacks loaded with other sources (keyboards and such) as that's the purpose of the LINE switch by the AUX 1 pots on the strips...if nothing is in the LINE in jack the source is the corresponding TAPE jack right? So if the LINE jack is empty anything that says LINE is the corresponding TAPE jack instead and you ca setup a cue mix using AUX 1 and still have the source of the channel strip be the MIC. As the engineer you can send the AUX 1 sum to a headphone amp or whatever for the talent and you can monitor their cue mix by depressing the AUX 1 switch in the monitor select switchrack.

The 312 and 320 have additional AUX busses dedicated to the monitor mixer so with those models you can setup cue mixes out of the monitor mixer and avoid the tangle on the channel strips. BUT, with the 308 you've STILL got pretty much incomparable big-boy mixer features and you can still (sort of) tuck it under your arm. Try and do ANY of this routing and patching on any contemporary 8 channel mixer.

If you are just tracking your own material then the M-308 has it ALL. If you are needing cue mixes then you may have a little repatching to do to keep appropriate mixer strip LINE jacks open so the tape track(s) that need(s) to go to the talent can make that path to the AUX 1 buss, but IMO that's a small price to pay considering all the other functionality.

The important thing is to connect the tape outs to the TAPE RTN jacks...that's where Tascam intended for you to put them.

And I concur to connect the buss out jacks to the 38 inputs. If you have occasion to record more than 4 tracks simultaneously then temporarily utilize any direct out jacks as needed, but if you use the double jacks (i.e. groups outs 1~4 to tape inputs 1~4 and 5~8) and manage where the groups go with the record arming switches on the 38 then you should never have to repatch the cables from the mixer to the tape deck. that's the beauty of subs...an infinitely variable 8 x 4 matrix patchbay.
 
sweetbeats said:
If you are just tracking your own material then the M-308 has it ALL. If you are needing cue mixes then you may have a little repatching to do to keep appropriate mixer strip LINE jacks open so the tape track(s) that need(s) to go to the talent can make that path to the AUX 1 buss, but IMO that's a small price to pay considering all the other functionality.

The important thing is to connect the tape outs to the TAPE RTN jacks...that's where Tascam intended for you to put them..
Click to expand...

Well this is totally my setup. I was messing around with it a little late last night to verify things, and I guess having to monitor through the tape returns is really not a big deal at all; I think I was mainly concerned with the re-patching every time I need to do a real mix using the channel strips, know what I mean? Just the way I have things set up is kind of a pain, but I guess technically if I just use a cheap 1/4" patchbay and just re-patch using that it technically could work... I just hate having to keep working with the back of the mixer once I have it comfortably set up in place! :)
 
So you have line sources that you want permanently connected to some of the LINE IN jacks on the channel strips?

Otherwise, just remember that all you have to do to dump the 38 outs to the channel strips at mixdown is latch the LINE switch in the down position (the one by the TRIM knob stack). That sources the TAPE RTN jacks to the channel strips unless there is something connected to the a LINE IN jack. Trust me...for you as the board operator you want the tape deck outs connected to the TAPE RTN jacks...that's a whole lot less patching assuming you only have some line sources connected to the LINE IN jacks. Makes it super easy for monitoring during overdubs, and you can still easily do quick monitoring of the groups by using the AFL function and otherwise monitor the tape outs using the monitor mixer and then at mixdown just punch the LINE source switches. You don't even have to pull any plugs in the LINE IN jacks all the way...just enough to open the path to the TAPE RTN jacks and that way your cables don't get tangled.
 
sweetbeats said:
So you have line sources that you want permanently connected to some of the LINE IN jacks on the channel strips?

More or less... I am toying with the idea of using my Mackie 1202 as a keyboard sub-mixer and the preamp channels for phantom power.

Otherwise, just remember that all you have to do to dump the 38 outs to the channel strips at mixdown is latch the LINE switch in the down position (the one by the TRIM knob stack). That sources the TAPE RTN jacks to the channel strips unless there is something connected to the a LINE IN jack. Trust me...for you as the board operator you want the tape deck outs connected to the TAPE RTN jacks...that's a whole lot less patching assuming you only have some line sources connected to the LINE IN jacks. Makes it super easy for monitoring during overdubs, and you can still easily do quick monitoring of the groups by using the AFL function and otherwise monitor the tape outs using the monitor mixer and then at mixdown just punch the LINE source switches. You don't even have to pull any plugs in the LINE IN jacks all the way...just enough to open the path to the TAPE RTN jacks and that way your cables don't get tangled.
Click to expand...

Yeah, which is why I want to use a patchbay the more and more I think about it. If I set up a 'bay in the back oor near the rear of the mixer, then I can throw all my toys into that and then use shorter patch cables (like the Hosa ones) to go from it to the line ins on the mixer. The only thing I didn't really notice yet regarding the Line In switch is whether or not it monitored the tape return when turned off (I don't think it did). Do you need to have the tape inputs turned on for that to work? I'm explaining it all weird but I'm trying my best!
 
No, the tape returns are always available at both points. The TAPE RTN switch in the monitor section just opens the gate for the tape returns to reach the monitor mixer and have nothing to do with the tape returns being available at the LINE switch OR to the AUX 1 buss via the LINE source switches there. Its all independent.

I'm not sure but its possible that you'll still have to plug and unplug at the back of the mixer even if you are using a patchbay. I think it is a mechanical breakpoint in the LINE jack and the jack needs to be empty in order for the TAPE RTN to pass to the channel strip via the LINE source switch...
 
sweetbeats said:
I'm not sure but its possible that you'll still have to plug and unplug at the back of the mixer even if you are using a patchbay. I think it is a mechanical breakpoint in the LINE jack and the jack needs to be empty in order for the TAPE RTN to pass to the channel strip via the LINE source switch...
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, no I expected that. I just wanted a central location for everything to go into and then I would just use smaller cables to patch, but I just did what you said about leaving the plugs halfway out of the jack so I don't have to keep moving the mixer.
 
Is there somewhere to download a manual for this mixer or do I have to pay for it through Tascam????? Does Tascam sell them???

THX! .... the m-308
 
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Ok, I guess I'm just being lazy. Why don't I call them???? There's an idea.

thx again,

best of luck with all your recording guys....

I'll let you know what I find out...
 
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