Tascam M512 monitor/buss question

[kiira]

Hi all,

This mixer had a problem I needed to fix... spilled stuff froze the select swithes on two channels.... I took out the channel strips and got them working.

The first thing I'm trying to get straight now is a) if everything else works ok and b) how the line ins and tape ins relate to the monitoring circuitry. Could someone who knows this mixer check my understanding - if it's right:

the 8 monitor controls select how the TAPE INs on channels 1-8 are monitored... from the buss in the mixer or from the return from the tape. They're for the TAPE INs only... they don't monitor the LINE INs.

It's a good idea to monitor off the TAPE position.

This is how I understood the manual and the routing diagrams (whew! my brain hurts) but one thing is confusing me... I can monitor just the LINE INs with just the MON switch depressed on some channels... at first I thought that some were broken. I can monitor all the LINE INs off of either AUX 1 or two though.

sorry this is so long... I am just trying to go throug has many functions as I can to see what works on this mixer and get it going in my studio.

thanks!

Kiira

[kiira]

anybody? I guess what I was trying to ask is if I should be able to monitor the LINE INs with just the MON switch depressed.

Kiira

[Beck]

Hang on kiira, help is on the way.

I've never used the M-500 series, but I have the brochure.

Now that the weekend is here I'll have time to sit down and look at it. Someone may beat me to it. A lot of members only check in every few days -- some less than that. There may be someone that has a 500 series console that will be along with more info.

[kiira]

cool cool, thank you. I thought nobody liked me anymore.

I do have the manual too and it's fairly decent but I'm kinda unclear about this. If anybody wants it or would like to look at it it's at

http://www.2tough.com/~kiira/rec/Tascam520manual.pdf

Kiira

[Beck]

Well, no one who has one of these consoles has happened by so:

Looking at the monitor (Mon Buss) section with the 3-position switch, level and pan for each channel 1-8 (manual, page 30):

- When the switch is in Buss position it will monitor everything assigned to that program buss.
- When in Tape position it will monitor Tape-In only for that channel. So each output track from an 8-track recorder will correspond to one of these channels.

The Monitor (Mon) button should be in for the above to work, and is the normal position.

Below the Mon button you can also make other selections, such as 2TR A (2-Track A). This will allow you to monitor a 2-track mastering deck connected to the Left & Right input jacks on channels 9 & 10. Depressing the 2TR A button will send only the 2-track audio to the monitor mix

The signal from the Mon Buss will be present in the headphones and Stereo Master A RCA jacks and Stereo Master B RCA jacks.

Stereo Master A Outputs are intended to create a mix for control room monitoring.

Since Stereo Master B Outputs do not contain audio from the Solo and Pre-Fader-Listen (PFL) systems, it is best used for the inputs of a stereo master deck for recording.

So yes, you should be able to monitor the LINE-Ins with just the MON switch depressed, if the given Line-Ins are assigned to a buss by the program buss selection button on its channel.

Make sense? Did I understand the question?

Please feel free to fire off another if something isn’t clear.

Regards,
Tim

[ENEN]

Hi Beck/Kiira,

I have a recently retired M512 that I used for a number of years, so i thought I would pipe up.

What Beck is saying is 100% correct.

If a line-in is assigned to a buss and you select the corresponding monitoring channels source as buss then you should hear the line-in input at the Stereo A out with the MON button depressed.

The overall routing scheme of the M512 rocks, one of it's best features. I was constantly sending signals all over the place.

Hope that helps.

[kiira]

Hi Tim Hi Ian

thanks a lot... that's what I figured the more I re-read the manual. It would have to be able to monitor a line. darn though... that means something is really wrong with those channels. I guess i can work around it though.

I did take the channel strips apart but tracing through that stuff is waaaaay beyond me... I can fix tube stuff only.

Kiira

[Beck]

Did you say they started acting up after something was spilled on the console?

[kiira]

Originally Posted by Beck

Did you say they started acting up after something was spilled on the console?

They were wonky when I first got the mixer but the channels that are wonky are not the channels I had to clean the switches on. THis mixer is so complicated, but maybe that will help me work around this problem... I'll monitor the tape or from the aux monitors. I can still use the auxs as effect sends and monitor off them I guess.

thanks!

Kiira

[tonypgl]

Thanks kiira for that download link to the manual. You are a blessing to me