(ins/outs rear of mixer)why RCA phono jacks instead of TRS jacks?

[D.B. Cooper]

(ins/outs rear of mixer)why RCA phono jacks instead of TRS jacks?

I was working at a pawn shop today, and found a tascam mixer(m-512?) in the back. The guy said he would let me have it for $200.00
So while I was working I started to get an ich, and had to look it over.
The thing that I dont get is why does it have RCA jacks instead of TRS jacks?

Also, How would I properly hook up my keyboard, synths, and samplers to this unit?

Anyone familure with this board, might it be worth it?
Im gonna try to talk him down, he said it was a good price.
Claims he just wants to get rid of it because he has no room up front for it...

Thanks
Dave

[drstawl]

RCA jacks are inherently shittier than TRS due to the balanced signal available to use coming and going that is UNavailable using the RCA jack/plug combo.

But it goes further than that. Some older phono jacks were partially composed of plastic with metallic conductors sort of making the whole thing look like it was made of metal. Anyhow- these become brittle with age and can be a pain to replace if you want to retain a look different from MAD MAX on your equipment.

You can hook up 1/4" TS plugs to the other end of the cable from the RCA plugs that will work in TRS jacks. It won't be balanced but it will work.

As to the mixer I can't help other than say make sure it has all quiet pots/sliders and all of the jacks feel "firm"!!!

Don't give up on it just because of RCA. I've used a lot of RCA jacked stuff that has S/N just as quiet as professionally cabled shit, i.e. using TRS/XLR exclusively.