older tascam mixers?

[Audio_Drivel]

I was wondering if I could get some opinions on some older Tascam mixers, late 70s early 80s, specifically the M512 or M-50 and similar ilk with regards to mic pre quality, EQ and the such. . i have an opportunity to pick one up rather cheaply and was wondering if i will be able to achieve a somewhat warm more vintage sound with these. . i know they look to be much more discreet than modern mixers of the mackie ilk, tho i havent looked inside. . .but primarily i am interested in sound quality, with regards to warmth and character (i can stand a little noise -- not too much, but a little)

thanks

[Sennheiser]

I have an M-30 I'm trying to sell. There is nothing wrong with it, I just wanted something a bit more modern. I'm currently using a '90's vintage M-1516.

The inserts are RCA phono jacks that are an in/out configuration instead of just one TRS jack. I didn't really care for that among other things.

The EQ is shelved for the highs and sweepable for the mids and lows. I recorded a couple of test tracks using the M-30. It sounds very nice and '70's-ish. The M-520 is another very good mixer and can be had very cheaply. I suspect that most of these older designs shared the same pre's, but I can't be certain about that.
I think they sound much better than any Mackie that I've heard if you are looking for that older sound. That's why I like them.

They're great for the vintage sound. I've not heard any noise at all from my M-30. I'm thinking about putting it to use as a sub-mixer for drums, but I haven't decided yet. If you are shopping for an M-520, get the B model that has phantom power on all channels.

TASCAM has made some excellent analog consoles in the past. They are very under-rated and not as popular as they once were. Because of this, prices are very good.