If you HAD to use the following gear...

S

SeanKaschak

New member
Hey all,

Noting that there are hundreds of "better" routes to go here, pretend the following items are like mystery basket ingredients on an episode of CHOPPED that you have to use to make a functional set-up. Assuming an assortment of microphones and cables, where would you go next to get this board routed through to a DAW (including the workstation, any PCIe cards, other gear etc.)? The items below landed in my lap and I'm giving myself a "fun" challenge of making a functional home recording set-up using these items. Again, I'm well aware that I could get something "better, cheaper, easier, etc." so we're doing this for kicks and grins. It's my guess that the Tascam DA-30 Mk II ADAT unit is going to be the most useless/superfluous piece here and that my focus will be largely on the Tascam M-1508 mixer and MOTU 2408 Mk II I/O. Pictures below for reference from internetland. Thanks in advance :p

• Tascam DA-30 Mk II
• Tascam M-1508
• MOTU 2408 Mk II

-Sean

Tascam DA-30 Mk II
01 Tascam DA-30 MKII.jpg02 Tascam DA-30 MKII.jpg03 Tascam DA-30 MKII.jpg

Tascam M-1508
04 Tascam M-1508.jpg05 Tascam M-1508.jpg06 Tascam M-1508.jpg07 Tascam M-1508.jpg

MOTU 2408 Mk II
08 MOTU 2408 MKII.jpg
 
I think it depends entirely on what you are trying to record. The MOTU and some drivers and software are really all you need..., the tascam mixer can be useful for submixing to get more inputs if necessary. While there is nothing wrong with using the DA, in this scenario it is just kind of a door stop IME.
 
Yes, skip the DAT machine.

Get an 8-channel RCA-TS snake and a dual RCA-TS cable. Go from the direct outs of the 1508 to the inputs of the 2408 and from the first two outputs of the 2408 to Effect Return 1 of the 1508.

Press all the channel D. Out buttons but none of the main channel assign (1/L-2/R, 3-4) buttons. Set all of the channel Tape buttons out and all of the Dual channels to Tape/Line. Set the Dual Master and Effect Return 1 to 1/L-2/R. Disable the DAW's input monitoring.

The Dual path is your input monitoring. The channel eq and faders control what you're recording. Effect Return 1 is the playback from the DAW.
 
Hi, and welcome to HR!

The Motu, as far as I know, does not have firewire : It's "Audiowire" and needs their 324/424 pci card.
If the card is available, and you have computer that can take it, I'd use that as the interface and the mixer as 8 preamps feeding it.

If it's not available/you can't source one then the only real option for a working setup, without additional gear, is just to take the mixer stereo out to the computer via line in, or something.
The DAT doesn't really fit into the picture, if you're wanting to get everything into a computer.
 
Steenamaroo said:
The DAT doesn't really fit into the picture, if you're wanting to get everything into a computer.
Click to expand...

About the only thing I've used my DAT for a few times the last 20 years...was to run a side signal into it so I can use the big horizontal meters on the DAT, which are easy to see from a distance. :)

DAT said... :facepalm: :D ...I no longer even have it in my racks. I needed the space, and the decision to pull the DAT took about 1.2 seconds.

It's still a beautiful looking piece of gear...the back has just about every kind of connection and signal format one could want....too bad there is no use for it. :(
 
I like that! Nice idea. :)

It's an awful shame seeing some of these big lumps of once-expensive equipment lying around doing nothing but what can you do.
I binned a pair of nice clean da80s a few years back because I literally couldn't even give them away.
 
Steenamaroo said:
I like that! Nice idea. :)

It's an awful shame seeing some of these big lumps of once-expensive equipment lying around doing nothing but what can you do.
I binned a pair of nice clean da80s a few years back because I literally couldn't even give them away.
Click to expand...

This upsets me as they make very good foot stools for guitarists.:)
 
This is all great stuff! Correct assumption on the free gear so I said why the heck not. I do have a little 4 channel PreSonus AudioBox 44VSL USB interface that I may work into the equation for now. I could use the 1508 to mic and live-mix a kit or similar and route the outputs into the AudioBox and still have two channels to play with. Doesn't give me as much flexibility to mix in post but why not learn how to get it right on the front end, eh? The ultimate endgame here is to custom build a PC for the studio so the MOTU may get revived down the line with the right PCI/PCIe cards in some future machine. Thanks again for the welcome and great input!
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Presumably it's free gear. He could make a pretty decent recording rig out of it. I happen to use a Tascam M-2600 Mk II and a MOTU 2408 Mk II + 24i. It all works quite well.
Click to expand...

After a little bit of digging, I think I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a decent 8-channel rackmount interface with an ADAT input and use the MOTU 2408 as a standalone A/D converter for the M-1508 into said interface for a total of 16 channels. I'm guessing that's similar to the setup you have? Thanks again everyone!
 
SeanKaschak said:
After a little bit of digging, I think I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a decent 8-channel rackmount interface with an ADAT input and use the MOTU 2408 as a standalone A/D converter for the M-1508 into said interface for a total of 16 channels. I'm guessing that's similar to the setup you have? Thanks again everyone!
Click to expand...

Nope, the setup I use (that belongs to a bassist friend of mine) has a PCI-424e card which can host up to 4 Audiowire devices for up to 96 channels of I/O. We have 32 channels of analog I/O available and are using 26 of the inputs (24 from the mixer channels + stereo analog mix) and 4 channels of output (stereo headphone playback mix + stereo control room playback mix).
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Nope, the setup I use (that belongs to a bassist friend of mine) has a PCI-424e card which can host up to 4 Audiowire devices for up to 96 channels of I/O.
Click to expand...

Roger that. Before I assume anything further, will the setup that I described work like I'm thinking it will? Looking at something basic for now like a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20, PreSonus 1818VSL, or a MOTU 8Pre.
 
did the 2408 come with the soundcard ? You'd need the PCIe 424 soundcard and drivers for the motu 2408. Hook up your mics into the tascam board, then use insert cables into the insert jack. that gives you preamp I/0. Hook the insert cables to the motu 2408. just pick a pair of in and outs on the motu to run to the tape deck, if wanted.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
The 2408 series can be used in standalone mode as a D/A or A/D converter.

MOTU.com - Using a MOTU Audio Interface as a Standalone A/D or D/A Converter
Click to expand...

With no soundcard or computer, correct? I was thinking Tascam to standalone MOTU via direct outs/analog ins (which I've already managed) then MOTU to USB interface via ADAT out/ADAT in. Then when I connect that interface to the computer via USB (which is what I'm rocking for the moment) I should see the 8 pre's from the interface plus the 8 channels from the Tascam by way of the MOTU (provided that I get an interface that offers that functionality) ... I think ... right? ��*♂️ Still learnin' :p
 
That should work though I can't guarantee it. It will require proper clock master/slave settings. There are a couple of buttons on the front of the 2408 that let you set the I/O options.
 
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