Timeline Microlynx and TSR-8. Wow, but also weird

O

oompa

New member
Hiyall,
Well, it's been 2 years of fiddling around with ebay auctions, sourcing replacement power supplies and all sorts of other bits to try and get a Microlynx setup in my studio. After nearly giving up in desperation I found yet another bargain Microlynx on ebay, but this time it was complete. Soo, I went for it and it's working great … well mostly great anyways!

Sync is really solid. This thing is gonna change everything about the way my studio works. But…

The thing I can't seem to work out is the calculator. The manual says I should just be able to punch a number in using the keypad, press 'STO' and 'CUE' or a memory location, then I should be able to 'RCL' it and press 'locate' and my tape should find that spot. Simple enough, but just doesn't seem to work that way.

I thought I'd start with a simple 1hr, which is pretty much bar zero for me. So I put it in the calc, and then things get weird. When I try to store, other numbers appear at random, different on each press. They're all time format numbers, it's not like they're just totally random strings of characters or anything, then when I try to recall, different numbers again. I've tried plonking in 1hr (and various other simple times) then 'LOC' and every time it rewinds, but runs over and the tape winds off the reel!

Is there something stupid I'm doing wrong? Everything else like transport functions and sync work perfectly, so does the time counter under play, rewind and everything in between. There doesn't seem to be anything else on the machine that's flaky or strange. Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Anyone even able to take a guess?

BTW, my setup is Microlynx as master, smpte striped to TSR-8 and slaved to Microlynx, MPC receiving MTC from Microlynx, various keyboards and drum machines hanging off the MPC.

Hope I'm making sense, any thoughts appreciated!
 
1.) If the Microlynx unit or keyboard have issues....everything else becomes weird and pointless.

2.) If they are working fine...you really...REALLY...have to dig in with the manual and go through EVERY step, every function to make sure it's set correctly specific to your equipment and setup.

It's hard to say "look here", as any one of a number of settings can make the whole thing function oddly.

Key points

In the main transport setup...do you have the TSR8 available (or comparable deck) set?
Do you have the correct cable from ML to deck?
Do you have the correct sync reference set at the ML keyboard and associated I/0 settings.
How are you striping the TSR8...there's a specific procedure using a "free run/wild" option...then you change that on the ML/keyboard back to full capstan control.

Lots of settings...............

There is also a function (don't have the manual in front of me) that let's you clear out old setting on the MY/keyboard. There may be some old points in there...?
Do you have the full manual...if not, let me know.

What us the TSR8 synchronizing to?
You only mention the deck and the Microlynx....what's the third piece...a DAW?
Which of the two sync devices is set as master?
 
Thanks for the suggestions Miroslav, hoped you might be lurking around on this one!

I'll try and answer your main points:

Tsr8 is set as the transport, so no problem there.

I made the cable myself from 8x2 shielded twisted pair cable. All checks out fine and double checked, so no problem there.

I've used 29.97 fps as tape sync. Striped from smpte output on mpc as I couldn't set the offset on the calc! Sync striped while tsr8 was wild. Tracks fine and sync is solid, ML controlling capstan, so don't think it's an issue but possibly something I guess.

Got a full manual so that's all good.

I'm syncing my tsr8, mpc which is my sequencer for all my outboard gear, and daw which I use to transfer tsr8 recordings for final mixdown. I'm using internal timecode on the ML and I think I'm using that as master (even thought I cant make it uppercase?) and sending to sync smpte on the tsr8 and send as mtc out of the 2 midi din ports, one to the mpc, the other to logic x on my daw.

Hope that all makes sense. Sorry for the essay!
 
One thing to consider and keep straight is that there are two timing aspects.
One is for synchronizations...and the other is for time location.
Also...since you are not using the ML to stripe SMPTE to the tape (best case)...are you using the same SMPTE at both ML and MPC (29.97 VS 29.97DF)?
There are also a couple of MIDI settings to check...and offsets in both the overall transport section, and also individually when you group.

I'm set up a bit differently.
I stripe from the ML to tape.
Use a Lucid SSG master clock to feed blackburst as the main sync source to the ML...and the SSG also sends WC to my converters/DAW.
I then run my DAW as master across the MIDI channel, back to the ML.

Try taking one item out of the setup...like remove the MPC and see how it goes....or remove both MPC and DAW and see if you can get things working with just ML and tape...etc....etc
It might help you narrow down the problem.
Anyway...if the ML/keyboard is not behaving...it's kinda moot.
My ML/keyboard misbehaves occasionally...when I've not used it for a long time. I end up rebooting it a few times before it settles down.
 
Well it looks like I was doing something stupid after all!

I found that my pre and post roll offsets were set to 59:45:00 rather than 5 seconds!

I think I must have pressed STO and pad 1 & 2 without pressing MEM first (which of course is the method for setting PRE & POST roll). So every time I entered a location, it would add nearly an hour to my number and overshoot the tape ends in both directions!

Thanks for your thoughts Miroslav, once you started taking offsets it prompted me to dig around.

The ML is an amazing bit of kit, and mine is rock solid at last. I think I can finally get back to making music again!!
 
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