388 mic pres

jjones1700

jjones1700

Learning, always learning
ARE FREAKIN' AWESOME!:D

Now, having made that statement, let me clarify. I haven't done any real recording with the 388 as of yet. I've piddled around with stuff here and there, but nothing substantial. However, I got curious tonight about my SM7b mic. My (favorite, for now) M-2516 needed an external pre to properly pick up on the SM7b. Not a big deal normally, but the board is up at the (under renovation) studio location, not here at the house. So, I decided to connect the SM7b to the 388 and see how far down the signal would be with the trim cranked. It pegged! I actually had to drop the trim a bit so it wasn't running into the red most of the time. I'm a happy camper! This means that the 388 has a whole new purpose for me now, in that I can do some voice work. Like I said, I haven't put anything on tape just yet, but I'll be experimenting with it over the weekend to see how it actually sounds.

Oh yeah, and yes Cory, I'll be messing around with the line inputs on it to see if I was going crazy or if there is actually a problem when I try to run the 38 into the mixing portion of the 388.;)

Sorry for the offbeat and nutty thread, I was just excited to stumble upon this discovery.:D
 
I really like the mixer section on the 388... it’s very well designed. I even thought about trying to remove it from a trashed 388 and using it as a mixer for a separate reel-to-reel, but so much to do ya know. I may get around to trying it if the right broken 388 comes along and I have time to breathe.
 
Beck said:
I really like the mixer section on the 388... it’s very well designed. I even thought about trying to remove it from a trashed 388 and using it as a mixer for a separate reel-to-reel, but so much to do ya know. I may get around to trying it if the right broken 388 comes along and I have time to breathe.
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That would be quite the project, Tim.:p You would definitely be making a custom case with a custom meter bridge for sure.:D

Cory, I did another test recording with my guitar instructor today. I used the same setup (M-2516 -> TSR-8), but without dbx NR. I brought the tape home and dropped it onto my 38. I rehooked the 38 to the 388. I then copied the tracks onto the 388. Everything seems to be working fine on the 388. I noticed that when I turned a couple of knobs in the monitor section, it had a weak signal in the phones for a moment, and then everything popped to life like nothing ever happened. It's odd since I don't hear any scratchy noises or pops when I turn the knobs or work the faders. Oh well, as long as it works, I'm not going to tear into it just yet. Now I'm finally getting to put this gear to use.;) These machines are awesome, that's all I can really say.

Next up, testing with an electric guitar in the room and seeing how it sounds with various mics.
 
Johnny...I'm glad its workingg...There are logic chips on oone of the master section boards that automatically switch the sources for the monitor mixer channels...maybe just some oxidized connections between boards or something and it took it some time to wake up. Post if the problem returns.

If you read my 388 Story thread you might recall I had an issue with one of these chips that was preventing the L-R buss from functioning correctly and I tracked it down to one of those chips and replaced it. In your case. because its working now I'd call it a connectivity issue and maybe if you have it on its side with the bottom panel off you could just exercise some of those connections.
 
Hey JJ,

Glad to hear you can get enough gain for the SM7b.

Maybe that will push me over the edge to get one.

Beck: Couldn't you just get a M-30 or M-35 instead of performing an amputation on a 388?

Or do they sound very different?
 
zorf said:
Hey JJ,

Glad to hear you can get enough gain for the SM7b.

Maybe that will push me over the edge to get one.

Beck: Couldn't you just get a M-30 or M-35 instead of performing an amputation on a 388?

Or do they sound very different?
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Yeah, the M-30/M-35 are completely different animals from a different era. The mixer section of the 388 is most similar to the M-300 series mixers (M312, M320) but I still like the 388 a bit better, especially the feel and quality of the EQ. I'd love to match it up with my TSR-8. But it's not something I desperately need so much as it's something I kinda want. ;) The last time I had an opportunity I was pretty tired and overwhelmed with a whole crapload of life, so I passed on it. Don't know if the opportunity will come up again or not. Just have to wait and see. :)
 
Funny thing is that the circuitry is very different between the M-300 mixers and the 388...very similar construction and definitely contemporaries, but the 388 mic pre is based around the 072 and the M-300 is based around the 5532...JFET for the former and BI-FET for the latter...very different.

I wanna play around (i.e. tweaker) with the 388 strips. I have spares...of parts...not time. :mad:
 
sweetbeats said:
Funny thing is that the circuitry is very different between the M-300 mixers and the 388...very similar construction and definitely contemporaries, but the 388 mic pre is based around the 072 and the M-300 is based around the 5532...JFET for the former and BI-FET for the latter...very different.

I wanna play around (i.e. tweaker) with the 388 strips. I have spares...of parts...not time. :mad:
Click to expand...

Yeah, conceptually they are most similar of any Tascam mixer to the 388, but there are enough differences to make the 388 unique and IMO preferable sonically speaking to a lot of stand-alone mixers by Tascam. I really like the 300 series and I’d be happy as a clam with an M320B, but there’s that little nagging curiosity of what I could do with the mixer section of the 388.

I’m a big fan of the 5532 and I’ve replaced a lot of inferior op-amps with them. The TL-072 is pretty cool though in the right design. The M500 series mixers use the 072 as well throughout, including the EQ and pres. :)
 
I'm a big fan of the 5532.

M-500 mixers also made heavy use of the 2041 and the 4556 too.

I really like the sound of the M-300 mixers. I was hopeful that the 388 had the 5532 in it but alas it is the 072 and that's not a simple change. BUT you're right...the 072 get's snubbed but even today its EVERYWHERE!! Not a bad opamp and you're so right that you really shouldn't judge that book by its cover because it is the rest of the circuit that can make or break the performance...it ain't just the chip, and the good news is, if you're upgrade happy the 072 has lots of "drop-in" upgrade opportunities...some of which I might just have laying around here, heheh.

Haven't played around with the 388 enough to know how I like the sound compared to the M-300 mixers.
 
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