Question on digital to analog to digital

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Please let me know what I am doing here, as far as am I accomplishing my task of warming up my digital mix by going to tape.

Tascam 788 mixed to harddrive > 2-track Tascam 22-2 analog tape > Tascam 788 harddrive > record to CD

Is this the same result if I had taped the recording direct to the Tascam 22-2, and then mixing down to the Tascam 788, then to CD? Or is there too much digital mix going on here?

I've never crossed analog and digital before, I've always been either straight digital or straight analog. So I am uncertain as to what's going on here with the signal. It would seem to me that going from analog back to the Tascam 788 would just turn the signal back into dry digital?

Need some help here, anyone that actually has experience doing this. Thanks

 

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My second part of this question is this:

Once my original source enters the A/D conversion of the inputs on the Tascam 788, it now becomes digital so it doesn't matter if I send that signal straight to the harddrive or straight out the back of the Tascam 788 outputs and then into the 2-track tape?

I was thinking about using the 788 as a mixer for the tape. But to stay completely analog prior to the mix to the 788 I would need an analog mixer or one with exceptional A/D converters?

Ok... does the 788 have exceptional converters for this?

I know I have lots of questions, and if you don't have the time, please just answer my first post.

wes