Can we talk about my Tascam M512 now?

[kiira]

I can't stand the waiting so I'll just bug everyone with annoying questions. That'll work.

Does it have phantom power?
Does it have four AUX sends?
What's an AUX send? (kidding!)
Are the preamps nice? How much gain do they have? (I have a low output ribbon I'd like to use more)
Is it real leather or plastic leather on the armrest?

Is the manual understandable? The manuals for my 238s and my 38 are understandable. The manual for my Allen and Heath are not understandable. The manuals for my Roland equipment are all gibberish and are written by confused illiterate drunks from another planet.

Can two 512s be cascaded? I don't need that but boy oh boy it would sure be cool!

Why does Tascam like RCA connectors so %^$#@## much ? I HATE RCA connectors. All right thinking Americans hate RCA connectors. Finns too.

vilpitomasti!

Kiira

http://www.2tough.com/~kiira/rec - my first bedroom studio from before , now defunked

[qwarks]

But I'll add a post, so as to attract more responses . . .

My 320B should be here tomorrow afternoon, and I know about as much
as you do.. but, fear not, we have manuals coming, also, so it should explain
most everything we need to know to get going.

In retrospect I should have done my homework,and gone w/ an 8-buss, but
I should be OK, for awhile; I think .

Actually, I should've held out for an M600, but, my god those things are so
H E A V Y .

I wanted to go with 2" 16track, but the damned machines are sooo heavy,
and impractical for my current situation(not a home owner,yet..) .

Perhaps,, down the road ? ? ?

For now, the 320B, Otari 1/2" 4trk, Tasam 38, and 388(arriving soon) should
serve a one man operation for a good while , methinks

I just bought a TL-Audio 2-channel outboard tube preamp and my first 'good'
mics -- a Groove Tubes large diaphragm conds; a GT-66(tube) and GT 57;
which is an FET large " " conds.

So, I need a couple of good compressors next ..
Oh ,, and some real monitors .

[kiira]

Originally Posted by qwarks

But I'll add a post, so as to attract more responses . . .

cool. we're doing "waiting for old Tascam mixers to arrive" bonding. ha ha.
Mine was shipped today. YAY.

My 320B should be here tomorrow afternoon, and I know about as much as you do.. but, fear not, we have manuals coming, also, so it should explain most everything we need to know to get going.

yes,manuals are good. I'm no good at the technical side of music so I really appreciate good handholding type manuals. Mackie has great manuals. My first mixer was a 1202.

In retrospect I should have done my homework,and gone w/ an 8-buss, but
I should be OK, for awhile; I think .

Hey you can just get another m320b! that would be awesome... 40 input channels and 8 busses. If I ever get a 16 track recorder, lile a MSR-186 I would look around for another m512. There's another one on ebay right now and also an M520. It's like buying a mixer on the installment plan yanno.

Actually, I should've held out for an M600, but, my god those things are so
H E A V Y .

Ohman, those things are enourmous. Plus I've never seen one on ebay.

I wanted to go with 2" 16track, but the damned machines are sooo heavy,
and impractical for my current situation(not a home owner,yet..)

Perhaps,, down the road ? ? ?

yikes... isn't tape for those things like $150 a reel? I could never get into one of those unless we decided to go commercial... which several of us have been talking about buuuutt....
There are several 2" 24 track machine on ebay right now. It's amazing what they are selling for! This is agreat time to buy analog stuff I think, even better than a few years ago.

For now, the 320B, Otari 1/2" 4trk, Tasam 38, and 388(arriving soon) should
serve a one man operation for a good while , methinks

wow those are some nice tape machines! I would have considered the 388 in a big way if I had known about it when I got my 38. Does it have an accessory 1 connector in back? If it does you could get a mts-1000 midiizer and sync it to the 38 and have 14 tracks. plus have all the other cool stuff the midiizer does too.

I just bought a TL-Audio 2-channel outboard tube preamp and my first 'good'
mics -- a Groove Tubes large diaphragm conds; a GT-66(tube) and GT 57;
which is an FET large " " conds.

So, I need a couple of good compressors next ..
Oh ,, and some real monitors .

I have a Langevin DVC which has 2 opto type compressors in it, a pair of Aphex compellors and an Ashley CL52. They are all very different sounding and all are very good deals. Just ask if you are interested coz they each have a certain flavor. I use the DVC on my voice, the Ashley on drums and guitar cabinets and the Compellors for squashing a final mix or where total transparency is the goal.

tra!

Kiira

[A Reel Person]

Does it have phantom power?
> Yes

Does it have four AUX sends?
> Yes

Are the preamps nice?
> Yes

How much gain do they have?
> About 60db

Is the manual understandable?
> Pretty well, yes.

Can two 512s be cascaded?
> Yes, sure!

Why does Tascam like RCA connectors so %^$#@## much ?
> RCA connectors are cool. RCA's a good American company. Back in the day, Tascam wanted to be different than everyone else. Today, Tascam wants to be the same as everyone else. It's better at being different, than at being the same,... my opinion. Here, we call that a "me-too" company, a negative term.

[ausrock]

Treehouse.............I remember seeing your site maybe 2 1/2 yrs ago, actually thought it was cool and there a link in my favourites folder amongst other studio sites.


Re the ribbon mic........they are normally pretty low on output and you may find the need for a decent quality pre-amp with plenty of gain available as opposed to the pre's on the console.

[A Reel Person]

if you're that adverse to -10dbV level on RCA-unbalanced connectors, the 500 Series mixers have a built-in line-amp/converter, aka "bump-box",... built right in,... like,... included at no extra charge!!!

It's a pluggable unit, section of the mixer, that will convert -10/RCA's to +4/XLR-balanced I/O.

Free! See? Gee! Whee!

[A Reel Person]

[2] M320's would be quite a spread! Quite a sight to see.

The 388 has an "Accessory" port, and I believe it's "Accessory-1" compatible, but it was devised a bit before "Accessory 1 & 2" were defined. Suffice to say, it's a SMPTE-sync compatible "Accessory" port. Must mention here, that it's on a big ol' honkin' "Elco"-type 32-pin connector, and not those sleek PC-type connectors you see on the MSR-TSR & 238. It would be compatible with the MTS-1000, but you'll be in DIY-land on cabling.

Yes, 2" tape is about $150/reel.

I've seen the 2"-24-track ATR-80 that's on Ebay, and that would be $4000 well spent,... if I only had that extra $4K lying around, it'd be MINE!!! I believe it's a pickup-only deal, and the "commute" from California to New York would be torturous, though.

The 388 is a great machine, for many reasons, but you should be very happy with your 38. I didn't catch whether your 38 is new/TBD, or if you've had it a long time. Anyway, the 388 is super special and terrific, and the 38 is no less a great deck, who's sound quality could never be called "wimpy". The 38 has no advanced sync port, per se, so at best, the 38 could serve as "code-only master" for sync. You probably already knew that!! Yer no dummy!!

[kiira]

Originally Posted by A Reel Person

if you're that adverse to -10dbV level on RCA-unbalanced connectors, the 500 Series mixers have a built-in line-amp/converter, aka "bump-box",... built right in,... like,... included at no extra charge!!!

It's a pluggable unit, section of the mixer, that will convert -10/RCA's to +4/XLR-balanced I/O.

Free! See? Gee! Whee!

And Wowee! So I could use the 512 with a +4 machine like a 48 or 58!? I really like the 48 and 58 a lot. I'm not sure about my 38 I need to really check all the channels and everything this weekend. It might have the Tascam 38 crumbly motherboard syndrome especially after he got moved around without his clothes on.

I really don't have anything against -10 it's the RCA connectors I hate. They're always so tight and hard to get on and off and the cheezy ones are really a pain to solder on. MCM sells really nice ones but they are like $2 each!

Plus on the Allen&Heath Amityville Console they scrunched ALL 32 RCAs for the 8 busses and the send/returns into this tiny little space behind the meter pod and they're ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD, not on the (very) solid steel top of the mixer. It's dumb, just plain dumb... the mixer has tons of area above each channel strip for 1/4" phone plugs PLUS... they put the line ins and the channel inserts in the FRONT of the mixer so they're like hanging down in your lap! How dumb is that? OMG I'm raving about my relationship with a mixing console. I'm bitter lemme tell ya very bitter.

[kiira]

Originally Posted by ausrock

Treehouse.............I remember seeing your site maybe 2 1/2 yrs ago, actually thought it was cool and there a link in my favourites folder amongst other studio sites.

COOL. I was back in Finland for over two years and not doing anything and my studio was in storage. I'mgoing to make a new website about the New Improved Treehouse "Studio" Mk II (ahem, it's really just a couple of girls and some stuff in a dining room. It's a dining room studio not a bedroom studio now) as soon as I get everything repaired and installed.

Re the ribbon mic........they are normally pretty low on output and you may find the need for a decent quality pre-amp with plenty of gain available as opposed to the pre's on the console.

Yes but ARP very kindly informed me that the pres do 60db gain and that should be enough for my Beyer DX77. My Telefunkens do like 40, the Langevin does maybe 50 tops if I run it through the compressor section. 60 will work great!

[ausrock]

What you may find is that as the pre's approach 60dB that they start to show a certain amount of self-noise which makes those last few dB pretty much useless hence the need for an external pre with lots of good clean gain.

I know I have had this problem with my Soundcraft console and ribbon mics.

Anyways, it's 2.00 am and I need some sleep before attacking an ATR 16 trk 1" deck in the morning.......................

[alejandra]

Originally Posted by kiira

OMG I'm raving about my relationship with a mixing console. I'm bitter lemme tell ya very bitter.

Kiira. Let it go. That's all behind you now. You have to look toward the future, the Tascam future filled with promise and hope and better manuals which make sense, and forget the past.


I love these little smilies!