16 tracks - 2 8-channel mixers?

[ultrajosh]

I recently bought a Tascam MSR-16S and I'm very happy with it.

At the time I thought I was going to buy a TSR-8 so I bought a vintage Sound Workshop 1280 recording mixer ($200 plus $45 shipping!). I just got the mixer yesterday. It's an 8-buss 12-channel mixer and sounds really nice. It has direct outs and a pre-fader patch i/o on all channels. It also has an 8-channel monitor section that I haven't quite figured out, yet.

I also have a Mackie 1202 mixer which is a 12-channel 4 buss mixer. It has 4 individual channels then the last 8 are stereo channels.

1) How should I set these up for mixing all 16 tracks?

2) Eventually I will get another 8-buss mixer like the 1280. Since the 1280 is so hard to find, any suggestions on a comparable mixer?

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

Does that 1280 have effects returns or anything like that? Any extra inputs? If so, run the stereo outs of your mackie into the extra ins on your 1280.

If that doesn't work (sigh) do the opposite- route the stereo outs of your 1280 into one of the stereo channels on the Mackie. Presto.

I'd just try to find a way to avoid running all your audio through the Mackie- unless it sounds BETTER than the 1280. Basically, run as much of your audio thought the best sounding mixer as you can and have the best mixer be the LAST mixer.

Good luck! Sounds like a fun project.
Chris

 

[ultrajosh]

I tried running the Mackie main outs to 11 & 12 on the 1280. Sounds okay but it's frustrating not having Mute and Solo capability on 1/2 the tracks, and of course unless I also mute 11 & 12 the Mackie tracks are always there. Just not the same. I guess it will work for now once I start tracking through it 'cause I can be strategic about where I put things, but mixing existing stuff involves repatching everything to avoid the Mackie.

There's a place for a rectangular connector on the back of the 1280 marked "Expander" or something (I don't have it in front of me). Is there a universal type connector that I can use to hook this up to additional channels, another mixer, or another 1280? I'm willing and able to do minor surgery if necessary.

Also, any ideas where I might find a manual for this mixer? I can't figure out if the Main outputs are busted or if I just can't figure out how to use this thing. I'm able to listen through the Control Room outputs but not through the Master section.

Sure is pretty, though.

 

[BRDTS]

Another problem with mixing on two separate mixers is this...

Say you have 8 or 12 of your tape tracks going into 8 or 12 channels of the SWorkshop for mixing. You decide you want reverb on a few of those channels. You hook up your reverb unit to the SWorkshops "send out #1" (or whatever) and then you have send controls for those individual tracks to your reverb...NOW...say you have the other 8 (or whatever) tracks of your recorder plugged into the Mackie mixer and you want to ALSO send signal from those tracks to your reverb......oops...outta luck. The input to your reverb is already plugged into the SWorkshop send. The Mackie has no way to get into your reverb.

You can escalate this quandry to a half dozen other tasks you'll encounter when mixing.

 

[ultrajosh]

Yeah, I'm realizing that it's going to limit me somewhat. Maybe I should sell off this SW and get a 16-track mixer... but I'm kind of fond of the apparently orphaned SW.

I guess I could just go all Zen and stick to 12 tracks.

Or is there a way to expand this mixer?

What would be a similar bang-for-the-buck mixer that would work well with my MSR-16?

 

[BRDTS]

Not sure what bang-for-the-buck mixer to recommend.

It's funny..if I had stood in front of Michael Tapes in 1977 and told him his pride and joy creation (the SW 1280) would be selling for $200 in the future..he probably would've punched me in the mouth. Who would've known back then! By the way, the whole point of the 1280 (marketing wise) was to provide a higher end console for Tascam users. Tapes and his partner saw the potential of that market and aimed those things to get the Tascam customers (and others of course) who for a short while back then, didn't have access to any larger Tascam mixers...all that was out were little Model 5's. Then Tascam responded with the Model 15, but the 1280 was a much better console...for it's day.

As to expansion..no, you can't expand the 1280 except with the expansion sidecar (or 2nd 1280 AND harness) that SW used to have...which I never ever saw in real life anywhere.

If I were pondering a mixer for a 16 track, the first thing I'd aim for is finding one with at least 24 input channels and faders. When it gets right down to it, the number of sub outs doesn't really matter. 8 subs are pretty standard.

A 24 input mixer would handle the 16 tape returns plus 8 extra "spares" for every minor thing you can possibly ever think of that you'll need them for...reverb or effects returns/ auxilliary playback for cd players/cassettes/ipods/pcs/live amps..mics for overdubbing while listening to 14 of the 16 recorded tracks etc etc etc etc. Even with 8 extra channels, you WILL run out. Someday, sometime when you least expect it...guaranteed. Of course by that time, you'll be tearing your hair out saying "I can't mix like this....gotta have automation.." Which will lead you to new adventures.

If you at least narrow down the mixers with 24 inputs, you can then start comparing your budget to what's available ...and try to get the best thing available in that budget...preferably one you can still get parts/service for.