Tascam M520 Story...

They are not so common. I have spares. But before that you should simply remove it and clean it up. I bet you can get it to work. I like the pots, the linear faders are very susceptible to getting dirty.

Here is some guidance that might help with disassembling and cleaning the fader:

Cleaning Faders...
 
Hey sweetbeats,

Thank you so much for all the incredible work you have done in this thread. I realize it's been many months since you've posted in here, but I figure there's no better place than here to post my question. I just brought my M520 and am in the process of setting it up. I am confused, however, and have a few questions. First, how do I actually mix through the faders? It seems I can only set anything up to play through the monitor section but can't figure out how to get the faders going. Second, my direct out on all my channels is incredibly quiet. Is that normal?

Thanks so much!
 
I realize your question was directed towards sweetbeats, but may I jump in here?
I don’t know what is going on with the direct outs. Mine work just fine.

As to the mixing via faders.....

Assign each channel to a buss ((you have 8)
I generally use 7&8 as my output buss feeding whatever two track mixdown machine I’m using.
Whatever channels you decide to use, the two buss faders become your L/R master out faders. Make sure to press BOTH buss buttons on the channel strip. That enables panning.

Make sure to flip the switch on the top of the channel strip to tape.

The monitor section on the right side is used for tracking. This way you can monitor while keeping your fader and eg settings untouched till your done recording.

Hope that helps some. For a full breakdown of the routing of the mixer, check out sweetbeats tech stop YouTube channel. There’s two videos there that explain it all
 
Thanks so much for your response!

I figured out that the issue with the direct outs was that not all the jumpers were in place. Once I put the jumpers in everything is hunky dory. I am still confused by the bussing system, however. I click the assign buttons on the channel strip but don't see anything going on on the VU meters and don't get any output until I mess with the monitoring section (this is while feeding the console w/ the tape ins, BTW). Am I missing a crucial step in the bussing workflow?

FWIW, this is my first experience w/ true analog coming from an all digital workflow.

Thanks again for your help! I will go back and reference both the manual and Sweetbeats' videos to try to answer my questions but any help is greatly appreciated!
 
easleyw13 said:
Thanks so much for your response!

I figured out that the issue with the direct outs was that not all the jumpers were in place. Once I put the jumpers in everything is hunky dory. I am still confused by the bussing system, however. I click the assign buttons on the channel strip but don't see anything going on on the VU meters and don't get any output until I mess with the monitoring section (this is while feeding the console w/ the tape ins, BTW). Am I missing a crucial step in the bussing workflow?

FWIW, this is my first experience w/ true analog coming from an all digital workflow.

Thanks again for your help! I will go back and reference both the manual and Sweetbeats' videos to try to answer my questions but any help is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

Im sure you’ve noticed..... there are a LOT of jacks on the back. This desk, for being a relatively small format console, has tons of versatility and signal routing options.
And yes, the jumpers are a must (unless you have them connected to something)

With all the jacks on the back, I have no idea how you have it hooked up.

Watch the videos, watch them again, then repeat

Btw, do you have your buss faders up???
 
Yes, tons of jacks. Do I need jumpers anywhere other than the send/rcv on the individual channels?

Just to make sure I understand the routing correctly, if I have something running through channel 1 (tape), assign it to bus 7 and 8, pull the bus faders up, and send the audio out through the pgm outs of 7/8, that should work, no?
 
easleyw13 said:
Yes, tons of jacks. Do I need jumpers anywhere other than the send/rcv on the individual channels?

Just to make sure I understand the routing correctly, if I have something running through channel 1 (tape), assign it to bus 7 and 8, pull the bus faders up, and send the audio out through the pgm outs of 7/8, that should work, no?
Click to expand...

My studio is sadly disconnected right now. With the government’s shutdown of everything mu studio became a “distance learning” classroom. So I’m a bit foggy on what was plugged where.

However from memory, pgm outs were connected to mixdown deck. Monitoring was done through monitor out A and B to the right of the pgm outs. Right above the pgm buss faders you have two single faders labeled stereo master A and B. That feeds your volume level for your monitors.

Even with no monitors set up, the audio should be available at the headphone jack.

Are you now getting something at the meters??
Check that you have your meters set up for internal. They are designed to work with the busses or anything external that you wish to meter, but the switch needs to be in the right position.

Edit: almost forgot...... each buss (1 thru 8) has an insert for effects in the form of an in and out rca jack. Unless you have effects inserted into the buss you NEED jumpers there as well as the individual channels.
If those are missing, that could be your problem right there. If you’re missing jumpers a normal rca cord works fine.
 
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Greetings!

...how do I actually mix through the faders? It seems I can only set anything up to play through the monitor section but can't figure out how to get the faders going...confused by the bussing system. I click the assign buttons on the channel strip but don't see anything going on on the VU meters and don't get any output until I mess with the monitoring section (this is while feeding the console w/ the tape ins, BTW). Am I missing a crucial step in the bussing workflow?
Click to expand...

When you assign an input channel to one or more of the PGM groups you should see activity on the respective group meter or meters. But like [MENTION=185883]RFR[/MENTION] mentioned, the group meters themselves have source select switches in groups of 4. Look at the right-hand face of the meter bridge...there are two switches labeled 1-4 and 5-8. When in the down or latched position the source of the respective group of meters is the associated jacks on the back of the meter bridge...”EXT” for external. When the source select switches are in the up or unlatched position the source of the meters is the associated PGM group. So make sure the switches are unlatched. Now when you have a good signal at the fader of an input channel, and assign that to, say, PGM 1, and sweep the PAN control hard L and raise the PGM 1 fader to unity gain, you should see activity on the associated VU meter. So try that all out and report back.

As far as the routing topology of the M-500 series it *is* a little different than a typical console. So I talked through getting signal to the PGM groups and how you should then see signal on the PGM meters, and at that point you should *also* have signal at the PGM out jacks (assuming the SEND/RCV jumpers are installed). So the question is how do you hear that in your control room monitor speakers or in the headphones, yes? You use the monitor mixer. That’s the group of level and pan knobs directly above the PGM faders...it is a separate simple 16x2 mixer within the mixer, each channel of which has a level control and a pan control and can source a PGM group, or a tape input jack. You see there are 16 channels in the monitor mixer, yes? Arranged in two rows of 8 channels? You also see each channel has a source select switch labeled BUSS | TAPE right? When you set the switch to the BUSS position that monitor mixer channel is now sourcing the PGM group directly below it. So, for instance monitor mixer channels 1 and 9 can source PGM 1. If you were using PGM 7 and 8 as a pair for a stereo sum mix, you would flip the monitor mixer channels 7 and 8 -OR- 15 and 16 to BUSS, set the pan controls to hard L and hard R, and adjust the level controls to taste...and THEN what? That is the next question. How do you listen to the stereo output of the monitor mixer? You see the monitor select switchrack in between the AUx master faders and the STEREO A and B faders? That is the row of switches that selects the source of the STEREO A and B busses and the headphones. Notice the very first button under the MONO button is labeled “MON”? That’s short for monitor mixer. So latch that switch, and raise the STEREO A or B fader or turn up the headphone level pot and you should hear your PGM 7/8 stereo mix.

Hope that helps. What other questions do you have?
 
Ah, you arrived with very concise detailed answers. I was merely holding the fort with my scattered bits of info. :)
 
Hello! Sorry for my delay. I've been working on a few projects - digging into this console being among them. Learning a lot. Got my signal flow understanding going a little better. I'm currently learning what was true in the listing I found and what is not. For example, the seller described the 8th channel as non-functional, but so far everything is working great on channel 8. Weird. However, 5 of my channels do not pass audio. 13, 14, 18, 19, 20. I have tried inputs on mic, line, and tape, to varying degrees of success. On 13, it works on tape but not mic or line. On 20, it works line but not mic or tape. One, can't remember which, the audio is audible but extremely quiet and scratchy. What can I do to troubleshoot and/or fix these channels? Jumpers are installed on all channels and on all busses. Is there any other place I should put jumpers? I don't believe there is based on looking at the back and reading the manual.

One other question. I have read the manuals a couple of times, but it is somewhat difficult for me to understand so forgive me for missing any pertinent information - I am planning to dig deep on these manuals in the next couple of days. Anyways, what is the last jack below the send jack on the input section? It is not marked besides a line that draws from the send to the jack. Is that something I also need to plug a jumper into?

Thanks!
 
I would gently manipulate the SEND/RCV jumper on a problematic channel to see if that has any effect. If it does, then the pin contact in the jacks may be oxidized or the solder joints may be sketchy.

But outside of that, if you want the console working 100%, there is no magic bullet, no secret elixir. You have to take one channel at a time, verify what exactly is consistently wrong with it, apply those symptoms to the block diagram to develop a theory about what the cause(s) might be and still the same time identify ways to test your theory, test, narrow down the potential trouble point(s), then dig into the schematics and start tracing until you find the culprit(s). Sometimes you can resolve some issues by checking for cold solder joints and opening up the unit while running signal and manipulate connections to see if anything has an effect on the issue. Sometimes exercising connectors helps. It also helps to know any history on the unit...any trauma or damage that it sustained, or poor environmental conditions...but this is how it goes. Welcome to the world of older not-so-small analog mixing consoles.

Look at the block diagram...for that unlabeled jack, in a way it is labeled...it is just another SEND jack in parallel to the primary one...gives you the ability to patch something to a pre-fade pre-eq send regardless of whether or not the jumper is installed. This can also be a helpful troubleshooting access point. If you have good signal here but not downstream you now know the problem is downstream.
 
Ah, another send jack! I figured that was likely what it was given the line drawn down. That doesn't require a jumper, though, or does it?

I will continue troubleshooting my problematic channels. I tried swapping out jumpers from functioning channels to see if that was the issue to no avail. I'll mess around a little more to see if that's the issue. I will also try running out of that additional send to see if the signal's getting passed.

I'm in just about every way a complete beginner in this world so learning as I go here. Luckily, the guy who sold it to me is a tech at my local music shop and buys and restores analog gear for a living, so I will ask him what I can do or what he has done in relation to these issues. He told me he recapped it 18 months ago.
 
Ah, another send jack! I figured that was likely what it was given the line drawn down. That doesn't require a jumper, though, or does it?
Click to expand...

No, not anymore than the SEND jack needs a jumper. :) The jumper carries the signal from the SEND jack to the RCV jack. Again, look at the Block Diagram. There is always signal present at the SEND jack.

I will continue troubleshooting my problematic channels. I tried swapping out jumpers from functioning channels to see if that was the issue to no avail. I'll mess around a little more to see if that's the issue. I will also try running out of that additional send to see if the signal's getting passed.
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t bother with messing around with the jumpers. Literally all they are is a fat single conductor solid core staple-shaped jumper. One would have to be cut in half to not work.

You can check for signal at the SEND jack or the parallel jack positioned directly below it. They are, for all intents and purposes, the same jack.

I'm in just about every way a complete beginner in this world so learning as I go here. Luckily, the guy who sold it to me is a tech at my local music shop and buys and restores analog gear for a living, so I will ask him what I can do or what he has done in relation to these issues. He told me he recapped it 18 months ago.
Click to expand...

Well I hope you didn’t pay too much for it. Or I hope it was clear yours was not “restored” and was priced consistent with a unit requiring further repairs to be fully functional. And it was fully recapped? Or just the power supply? Or? If it was fully recapped and you are having problems with multiple channels, then possibly things weren’t handled carefully during disassembly and reassembly. Care has to be taken when plugging and unplugging the multipin connectors that go between the channel boards and between the boards and the backplane. Otherwise there can be damage resulting in problems like what you are having.
 
I experimented with the board last night. Currently, it’s 14, 15, and 19 that are problematic still. All 3 pass signal through the send jack, but not through the console to busses. I’m going to try to trace what’s going on further along the chain.

No worries, I didn’t pay a ton. I had a long chain of communication with the seller about the conditions of everything and he was very transparent. It was very clear this was not collector’s condition, but certainly in good condition. And that seems to be true so far. I don’t know to what extent it was recapped. I may ask him soon.
 
Okay. So that tells you the problem is on each channel card, as opposed to a problem with the wiring to the master section or the motherboard. The direct out jack sources straight after the channel fader.
 
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