TASCAM TSR-8 (mixer)

E

EDAN

New member
Hello all,

What a GREAT site you have here. Came across it doing a google and have already spent all of last night and much of this morning soaking up all the top notch info you all have to offer.

Time to put the 388 out to pasture (well, pass it on to my brother!). It has served me well and is a fantastic machine. I'm not a pro by any standards and actually got by on instinct alone all these years, I'm a "wing it" (who need manuals!) kinda of guy, but my lack of any solid knowledge regarding recording beyond the basics has left me behind the curve and it's time to take this stuff a little more serious and I'm hoping along the way to learn as much as I can from you folks out here.

Ok for starters, I didn't want to get rid of the 388, but somehow over these past few years I forgot that my brother owned half of it! The fact it's been at my house all this time made me forget, lol. I've gotten more than my fair use of it so off to my brothers it goes. I just bought a TSR-8 in real nice condition, recently serviced and aligned for $350.00. First things first, I need a mixer. I love vintage Tascam analog gear so my heart tells me to find and old Tascam board, however I'm not familiar with models and specs from yesteryear, so I'd like your opinions on this...


Should I go with an old school Tascam (or other brand) board or with all the advances maybe buy something newer, as in, digital? I'm hoping to buy used in the $200-$400 range. Of course I want the most bang for the buck so I thought I ask around out here as you guys really know your stuff.

Thanks much!

EDAN
 
For that price range, you'd probably not get an 8 buss board. A real fine 4 buss would be the M-308B/ M312B. I have a 308B and its gots tons of functionality, great preamps, and even though its only a 4buss, it has 8 channels of tape return. Go for the M312, or an M320 if you can find one in this price range
 
I've been looking at the Yamaha MG16/4, but I can't justify the cost of upgrading at the moment. It would however allow me to support a 14-track dual-TSR setup (but I can't justify the cost of that, either ;-)
 
The first EBAY unit is a Model 5; probably not the best choice.
The second looks like a 35, which is better. I would hold out for 1 300 series however. I see a M308 on EBAY right now for a Buy it now of $124...excellent price if the unit is in working order
 
I went ahead and bought it. The seller claims all works perfect but for one burnt out UV light. For a buck and a quarter it's worth taking a chance. I'm waiting on him to see what shipping will be. Thanks a lot for your help, This site is great.

Edan
 
EDAN said:
First things first, I need a mixer.
Click to expand...

Why don't you want to pair up your exsiting TASCAM 388 (mixer section) with the TSR-8 ? The 388 is an 8 bus architecture, 8 VU's on each channel and 2 for mix down and a brilliant EQ section.

~Daniel
 
cjacek said:
Why don't you want to pair up your exsiting TASCAM 388 (mixer section) with the TSR-8 ? The 388 is an 8 bus architecture, 8 VU's on each channel and 2 for mix down and a brilliant EQ section.

~Daniel
Click to expand...

I'm not sure you read my whole post. The 388 is going to my brothers house. We went half on it years ago and it's now time to share as it's been at my house all that time :)

I LOVE the mixer section on the 388. Does the M308 not compare?
 
EDAN said:
I'm not sure you read my whole post. The 388 is going to my brothers house. We went half on it years ago and it's now time to share as it's been at my house all that time :)
Click to expand...

Oops, sorry, missed that part! :(

I LOVE the mixer section on the 388. Does the M308 not compare?
Click to expand...

Some things are more extensive on the 388 like the EQ section, 8 buses and VU's for all channels + 2 for mix down but the 300 series mixers are also of great quality. The one thing about the 388, which I'm not sure about, is whether you can patch it to an external recorder so that you can easily overdub while listenning to previous material. :confused:

~Daniel
 
EDAN, you will be very pleased with the 308. It has tons of flexibility. There is an entire tape return section, which can be used to montor tape playback on certain channels while recording to others. If the seller doesn't include a manual, you'd be advised to get one. The 308 is a LOT more complicated the the mixer and routing on the 388.
I've recently gone the other way..from a 308 (which I still have) to a 388. I love the simplicity of the 388..no patching/cables/etc.

ENJOY!
 
Thanks Tech,

Part of the reason I like analog (sound being #1 of course) is the simplicity of use. That being said I've been a slacker when it comes to doing my homework. You see recording was just for fun, to relax and as such I never learned the proper way to do things, I really didn't care as long as I could get a decent sound to tape. Outside of the basics, i.e., getting sound to tape, over dubbing, bouncing etc., I only barely touched the surface of the 388 capabilities even though I had it for years. For instance when using outboard effects I simply used the RCV/SEND inputs per track and never really learned how to patch more effects any other way. I've tried at times and gave up in frustration.

The whole "buss" thing confused me. Even after reading many threads out here on the subject. I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, still tech talk often leaves me with a blank look on my face, lol. If/when you have the time and desire perhaps you can give me a crash course in plain speak (i.e., dumb downed) as to what this "Buss thing" is all about. I read something out here somewhere about how with the M308 connected to an 8-track you have to repatch in a different way on playback to monitor what you just recorded due to it only being a four buss mixer? You've been a big help and I'm very thankful.

Edan

Ps. Does the M308 have dedicated RCV/SEND inserts per channel like the 388 mixer?
 
The 308 does have inserts on every channel like the 388,. The difference on the 308 is the type of connector. The 308 uses an "insert" cable, which is a tip/ring/sleeve (like a stereo headphone plug) connector, with the send and receive using the tip and ring respectively. You would need to buy or make cables to break this out into individual cables. I bought mine (HOSA)..they are called (duh) INSERT cables.

BUSSes:
OK. The 308 is a 4 BUSS mixer. This basically means you have 4 main signal paths to combine and route signals into, thru, and out of the mixer.
On your 388, there are channel assign buttons above each fader that send signals to the tape section...1 thru 8.
On the 308 in the same location there are buttons marker 1 thru 4. These are the BUSS assigns. These are the main signal paths in the mixer for moving the signals around. These buttons route the channel audio to one or more paths (BUSSes). Think of them as the audio HIGHWAYS of your mixer. You have to place the signal from a channel (side street) onto one or more HIGHWAYS (BUSSes) to move it around and out of the mixer.
Each BUSS has a master fader (1->4) on the right side of the board. Each BUSS MASTER has an output on back of the board.
(this is a soory explanation...when I have few minutes, I will clarify)You can also mix down to 2 channel (stereo) .
The 308 has eight tape returns. This allows an 8 track machine to be connected to the mixer for playback and mixdown of all eight tracks.

You GOTTA get a mnual for this thing to really make it work.
Slacker time is over :)
 
Thanks Tech,

No more slacking ..

The assign buttons on each channel route the source/signal to buss/busses which in turn send the signal to a track on your recorder? So on a four buss mixer, regardless of channels, you can only record to four tracks at once?

For each buss there is a master fader, got it. For each master there is an output on the rear, with you so far.


Now, to try and locate a manual .. hmmm.
 
I think you've got it. The 308 DOES have direct outputs on each channel, which means you can grab the output of each channel (1->8) individually and send them to the recorder. This is kind of a "hardwire" channel assignment, as opposed to using the assign buttons like you had on the 388.
 
The 308 also has a sorta hidden feature:
With NOTHING plugged into the channel line inputs, the Tape Returns are Normalled to channels 1-8 Line Ins.
Sooo....
If you do not push the "tape rtn" buttons in the master section, playback will be thru the Line Inputs at each channel, for mixing!
Did I make that understandable? ;-P
Push a couple of buttons and you can go from tracking to mixing! Sweet.
Just don't forget, this will only work if there is nothing plugged into the Line Ins for each channel.
 
guido #2 said:
The 308 also has a sorta hidden feature:
With NOTHING plugged into the channel line inputs, the Tape Returns are Normalled to channels 1-8 Line Ins.
Sooo....
If you do not push the "tape rtn" buttons in the master section, playback will be thru the Line Inputs at each channel, for mixing!
Did I make that understandable? ;-P
Push a couple of buttons and you can go from tracking to mixing! Sweet.
Just don't forget, this will only work if there is nothing plugged into the Line Ins for each channel.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's sweet,... and a little sneaky of Tascam to design it that way. I discovered this upon scrutinizing the M312 manual for a technical question I was addressing. I have the M312, but don't use it much,... eh,... any,... but it's a nice mixer.

Tascam put little twists into their successive designs. F/I, the M35 looks very much like the M308, but it has a reverse architecture in the Submix section, relative to the M308. Anyway, that's O/T.

Thanks!! ;)
 
I think I'll hang onto it for a while longer,...

& hopefully put it to good use,... on,.. eh,... what's it called again,... oh yeah,...

Recording!;)


Thanks. ;)
 
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