Routing question

[Jmoog]

Hello, I just recently acquired a Tascam 38 8-Track recorder. I am using it with a Mackie Micro series 1202 12 channel mixer which I am also pretty unfamiliar with.

I've recorded a track on the Tascam and now I am trying to do an overdub onto the Tascam while also monitoring the pre-recorded track through the Mackie mixer. So at this point I am receiving the pre-recorded track through the Mackie and also sending out the new track back to the Tascam through the Mackie. I have tried this using several different routing configurations but I am always getting "bleed" from the track I am monitoring into the track that I am overdubbing.

My question is how would I route my cables in order to overdub onto the Tascam while monitoring tracks already recorded on the Tascam without the pre-recorded tracks "bleeding" into the new track? The mixer has 4 "channel insert" jacks on the back and I have been using them but I am still having a bleed problem. Can anyone help?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

First question: is it a 1202VLZ, 1202VLZ-Pro or 1202VLZ-3 mixer? There are small but important differences in how they handle signal routing. For now I'll assume you have a new VLZ-3.

The 1202 will rather limit your routing flexibility. It's big brother, the 1604 is perfect for 8-track recording, but the 1202 will limit your options and make things a little more difficult.

What I'd try - to start out with, anyway - is to use channels 1-4 on the mixer for recording in from the real world, and channels 5-12 for monitoring returns from your Tascam. This will limit you to only being able to record a maximum of 4 sources simultaneously, but even if you used more fror that purpose, you are still limited to a maximum of four tracks of output maximum on that mixer anyway (2 via the stereo mix bus, and 2 via the two Aux sends.)

The mixer view hookup would work like this:

Record out:
Main out L/R ---> two seperate tracks of your choice on the Tascam.
Aux out 1&2 ---> two seperate tracks of your choice on the Tascam

Monitor in:
Tracks 1-8 out of the Tascam ---> Line-in 5-12 on the 1202. This will require using dual mono to stereo splitter chables since lines 5-12 on the mixer are stereo pairs.

To record:
Pan your mixer channels 1-4 all the way left and right in L/R pairs: 1L 2R 3L 4R. Send tracks 1&2 to your main mix, which will rout those out via the main out jacks. Plug those in to whatever tracks you want to record on on your 38.

Send tracks 3&4 out of your two Aux sends and send those to two more tracks on your 38. These will bypass your mixer's EQ, but they will give you two more simultaneous tracks, at least.

To playback:
If you have a VLZ-3, the press in the Mute button on channels 5-12. This will prevent your playback ins on those channels from recording back on to the main mix again, but because of a cool feature on the VLZ-3, will send the "muted" signals to alternate busses 3 & 4. Press Al 3&4 on the Control Room Source panel, along with the Main Mix button. This will allow you to monitor both what you are recordng as well as the playback of the re-recorded tracks. *Make sire your "Send To Main Mix" button below that is NOT pushed in*; this will keep the 3&4 playback stuff from being re-recorded on the new tracks.

HTH,

G.

 

[elly-d]

hmmm, do you have 8 tracks coming in to the mixer and 8 going out, all as seperate cables? if that is set up right then it sounds like the mixer setup is the problem not the wiring. i dont know the desk you have, but with my eurodesk you have to route a signal to the groups and pan it (grp channel 1+2 panned left goes to track one). so i have the cables out of the desks group outputs into the tape.

hope this helps.

 

[Jmoog]

First question: is it a 1202VLZ, 1202VLZ-Pro or 1202VLZ-3 mixer? There are small but important differences in how they handle signal routing. For now I'll assume you have a new VLZ-3.

The 1202 will rather limit your routing flexibility. It's big brother, the 1604 is perfect for 8-track recording, but the 1202 will limit your options and make things a little more difficult.

What I'd try - to start out with, anyway - is to use channels 1-4 on the mixer for recording in from the real world, and channels 5-12 for monitoring returns from your Tascam. This will limit you to only being able to record a maximum of 4 sources simultaneously, but even if you used more fror that purpose, you are still limited to a maximum of four tracks of output maximum on that mixer anyway (2 via the stereo mix bus, and 2 via the two Aux sends.)

The mixer view hookup would work like this:

Record out:
Main out L/R ---> two seperate tracks of your choice on the Tascam.
Aux out 1&2 ---> two seperate tracks of your choice on the Tascam

Monitor in:
Tracks 1-8 out of the Tascam ---> Line-in 5-12 on the 1202. This will require using dual mono to stereo splitter chables since lines 5-12 on the mixer are stereo pairs.

To record:
Pan your mixer channels 1-4 all the way left and right in L/R pairs: 1L 2R 3L 4R. Send tracks 1&2 to your main mix, which will rout those out via the main out jacks. Plug those in to whatever tracks you want to record on on your 38.

Send tracks 3&4 out of your two Aux sends and send those to two more tracks on your 38. These will bypass your mixer's EQ, but they will give you two more simultaneous tracks, at least.

To playback:
If you have a VLZ-3, the press in the Mute button on channels 5-12. This will prevent your playback ins on those channels from recording back on to the main mix again, but because of a cool feature on the VLZ-3, will send the "muted" signals to alternate busses 3 & 4. Press Al 3&4 on the Control Room Source panel, along with the Main Mix button. This will allow you to monitor both what you are recordng as well as the playback of the re-recorded tracks. *Make sire your "Send To Main Mix" button below that is NOT pushed in*; this will keep the 3&4 playback stuff from being re-recorded on the new tracks.

HTH,

G.

The Mackie mixer I have is an old 1202. I think that it is probably the first issue of the 1202 Micro Series but I don't see VLZ anywhere on the mixer itself it just says "Micro Series 1202". There are no mutes or anything.

I record as a one man band type of thing so I only need to record one track at a time.

UPDATE: I rerouted my cables so that I have output tracks 1-4 from the Tascam going into line in Channels 5-12 of the Mackie so I can monitor them. Then I am recording a guitar in channel 1 of the Mackie and routing that out of the Left main mix output into track 2 of the Tascam. The problem is as soon as I turn up the gain on channel 5&6 which is the input for Track 1 from the Tascam so I can monitor the signal and play along to it it is automatically pegs the VU meters of Tracks 1,2, and 3 full blast on the Tascam. Panning the channel left or right made no difference. Track 2 is actually not recording anything now but squealing feedback sounds when the needle gets buried.