Working with a Tascam M308

  • Thread starter Thread starter AllenM
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AllenM

AllenM

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I want to upgrade my mixer to a Tascam M308 but I would like to know if it will work with two Teac 3340s 4-track recorders. Eventually I will upgrade to a Tascam MSR 16 and I would like to know if the MSR 16 is compatible with a Tascam M308.
 
wellp

It kind of depends on what you are planning to do with the mixer in terms of how many channels you need etc, or how you like to do things in your own particular way. Have you found yourself needing (not just wanting) a certain feature or function when you are mixing things?

How are you tracking currently? How are you mixing down to final stereo master at the moment? How are you adding effects etc when you record? Is anything happening during any of those steps that frustrates you to the point where you believe a different mixer can help? Knowing what in particular you are doing or what you want to do (more specifically) now will help others give you the best possible advice on how to get what you need going.

One thing i will add, i personally didnt like using my friends m208 for recording nearly as much as the m30. I say that not as a knock on the m208 of course, but more to let you see that there are other people out there who may feel the same way you are feeling about working with m208s as a recording mixer rather than a live mixer etc. My friends m208 doesnt sound bad at all, nor did my m216 when i had it. But they were harder for me to use than the m30, so i sold my m216. I mainly didnt like all the 1/4" jacks on the back, and i preferred the rcas on the m30. Thats not really a flaw in the m208 mixer, it was just a personal preference thing for me.
 
IMO the M-520 is a good match for an MSR-16. (I don't have experience with anything else....)

Obviously, you'll need at least 16 tape returns, for 16 tracks. The 308 OTOH is a perfect match for a 4 track, and I think there is another thread here discussing its use in an 8 track setting.
 
The M-308 will work great for up to 8 tracks or two 4 track machines. It is possible to monitor 16 returns with the M-308 but cue mixes would be hairy as would mixdown operations. This isn't a knock on the 308...considering it is an 8 channel mixer its pretty cool that you can actually monitor 16 tape returns and still have your input strips and subgroups free for 8 x 4 operation at the same time...yup...pretty cool.

For a 16 track machine you really want at least 16 channels for mixdown. If the mixer has direct outs then the number of subgroups may be less of a concern and it kind of depends on how like to work, but with direct outs you really could use a 16 x 2 mixer and notuse groups at all...4 groups would work depending how you like to group inputs for tracking and also how many tracks you like to record at one time. If you are planning to move to a 16 track machine at some point then it might be nice to have 8 subgroups. So that all points to the 520, but don't discount something like the 2516 either...I think that's a great mixer too. And if your workflow doesn't anchor on using the subgroups so much then consider an M-320...lots of other options too.
 
What about for live playing? Does the Tascam m308 do well? Like I will only have 2 main speakers but I do want to use monitors.
 
The M-500 series is very geared toward recording. The M-300 series is very adept at both FOH and recording applications with a dedicated main buss and mono sum. The M-500 series could DO it no problem but the M-300 series is really more of a dual purpose line than the M-500 series. Yes the M-500 series has 4 vs 3 aux busses but I 'm looking at the stereo buss and mono buss as well as the way the outputs are configured.
 
How would you insert an effect on the M308 if it's a stompbox delay pedal? The pedal in question has a dedicated "delay out" output...
 
Use the INSERT jack and in insert cable (TRS to two TS plugs).
 
Another dumb question since I seem to keep coming up with them...

For now I have the monitor outs of the 308 going into a channel on my Mackie so I can monitor it through speakers. I have been using the Monitor outs also to patch L and R into my recording interface. Is the quality of the mix any different through the monitor outs or direct outs (inserts)?
 
Why are you using the Mackie??

You should be using the L-R main outs for connecting to the interface.

There's no advantage to using the insert jacks on the main outs as direct outs vs using the unbalanced output jacks...they are essentially the same thing.
 
sweetbeats said:
Why are you using the Mackie??
Click to expand...

Because my setup is run really weird... I have 3 instruments tied into the mackie mixer on one side of the room (acting as a submixer) which then connects by the main outs to two of the input channels (L+R) on the Tascam. From there I used the monitor outs to go back to a channel on the Mackie so I can hear everything through my speakers, which connect to the balanced outs of my Mackie.

I basically had it that way because I didn't have XLR to 1/4" cables, let alone long enough to run around my room...

There's no advantage to using the insert jacks on the main outs as direct outs vs using the unbalanced output jacks...they are essentially the same thing.
Click to expand...

...Unless I want to sent the channels independently to the interface, which in most cases I'm going to find I'd rather sub-mix in analog and just bounce as I go along.
 
Man you'd have to lock the door to keep me out of your home studio because if you let me in I'd be reconfiguring things to take the Mackie out of the picture.

The monitor outs are for your monitor speakers, the L-R buss is independent already (no need to tap the insert jacks) so you can send that to the interface and independently control the monitor level and output level to the computer.

Unless I just don't get your setup which is highly possible...how many sources do you have? IOW how many channels do you need?
 
Unless I just don't get your setup which is highly possible...how many sources do you have? IOW how many channels do you need?
Click to expand...

Haha! No, my setup sucks right now because I am all anal about keeping
it tidy...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/10000341@N05/4852125058/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/10000341@N05/4852120810/

Nothing is really running the way it should, and mostly because I didn't have long enough cables to do it the way I wanted to. In a perfect world I want the Tascam on my desk but the current desk I have won't let me unless I heavily modify it, and I kind of like having the Mackie as a submix for the keyboard rig. So because of this dilemma, I keep the studio monitors coming off the main outs of the Mackie, and my Firepod plugs into a channel on the Mackie so I can monitor my computer sound. But then I run the other set of main outs (unbalanced) back to the Tascam across the room into two channels, panned left and right. But then in order to monitor the Tascam, it has to route back to the Mackie so I can hear it through speakers! Shitty setup, right? So basically all of that is because I was too cheap to buy long XLR to 1/4" cables so I can solely use the Tascam :rolleyes:
 
Ahhhh now I understand...

Well, you're doing what you're doing and it sounds like you are aware of what's unique about it and if its functional at this point then who am I to say anything about it...

BTW I think your setup looks fantastic...nice array...a full spectrum and it looks clean to me...not cluttered and cramped.
 
Where did you get the stand that allows the M308 to be tilted? Its looks good. I imagine it makes it quite a bit easier to see the controls on the board when its tilted, as opposed to lying flat. I'm wondering if I should tilt my M-512, or if its too big to be tilted.
 
BeatleFred said:
Where did you get the stand that allows the M308 to be tilted? Its looks good. I imagine it makes it quite a bit easier to see the controls on the board when its tilted, as opposed to lying flat. I'm wondering if I should tilt my M-512, or if its too big to be tilted.
Click to expand...

Eh, well... I cheated a bit. :) That's a Quick Lok stand that has rack rails on it, probably either for a racked mixer or just rack effects, but it's not adjustable. I put two rack screws in the first holes and sat the Tascam on top of it, only being held back by those screws! I'll eventually screw in a piece of wood or something to act as a lip so it's running across the entire front, but right now it works and hasn't budged...
 
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