Tascam M-520 Summing?

[gearlovinanimal]

So.... I have been lurking about for a year or so. Bought a M-520 for $100 recapped it based on lessons learned in the "The Story" and decided to have it professionally cleaned by Revive Audio in my Neighborhood. I have struggled to learn the architecture of this board. I have the partial PDF manual that is floating around.
I really want to use the board to sum with. Up until I had it cleaned that just wasn't feasible.
My Setup:
I have Logic feeding inputs 1-16 on the board through two Motu 2408's. I would like to use the eight busses with inserts into the PGM Access for outboard compression and then down to a two track with a master buss compressor into my Apogee AD24. Print. Rejoice that I have entered hybrid mixing heaven.
My questions...
1. How do I use all of the busses and combine them to a stereo mix? Does it have to do with 2TR A or B?
2. I would like to insert a compressor on the "master buss" so that I monitor the mix with compression. How?

Dan

 

[witzendoz]

I have had a look at a manual, and it is a bit hard to figure out without the mixer in front of me, do you have the manual, here.

With regards to the bus to stereo. There are some bus selectors mentioned in the manual looking at the schematic, I also think that even if there is not switching there would be a way to do this with external links, outputs to inputs. The 2tr A or B is to do with monitoring a playback stereo machine via the control room volume control.

Alan

 

[gearlovinanimal]

I have had a look at a manual, and it is a bit hard to figure out without the mixer in front of me, do you have the manual, here.

With regards to the bus to stereo. There are some bus selectors mentioned in the manual looking at the schematic, I also think that even if there is not switching there would be a way to do this with external links, outputs to inputs. The 2tr A or B is to do with monitoring a playback stereo machine via the control room volume control.

Alan

Yeah I have that same manual. It isn't the full manual, just the first 51 pages. Should I send the output of Stereo Master A or B into the balance amp (my compressor is xlr only) and then out of that into the comp and then out into the Apogee? I would have rather inserted the comp like I am doing with my 8 busses. That way I could monitor the output after the compressor. The meters on my Apogee should be ok.
The other issue I see is monitoring the mix. If I send the output to the compressor and into the Apogee there is no way to monitor what I am hearing with the compressor inline. The other output would be void of the compression.
Maybe I can monitor from my Apogee digitally? Of course I don't have any way of doing that now but I could use a Presonus Central Station and send spdif off of the apogee?
I didn't anticipate this issue.

 

[witzendoz]

Yeah I have that same manual. It isn't the full manual, just the first 51 pages. Should I send the output of Stereo Master A or B into the balance amp (my compressor is xlr only) and then out of that into the comp and then out into the Apogee? I would have rather inserted the comp like I am doing with my 8 busses. That way I could monitor the output after the compressor. The meters on my Apogee should be ok.
The other issue I see is monitoring the mix. If I send the output to the compressor and into the Apogee there is no way to monitor what I am hearing with the compressor inline. The other output would be void of the compression.
Maybe I can monitor from my Apogee digitally? Of course I don't have any way of doing that now but I could use a Presonus Central Station and send spdif off of the apogee?
I didn't anticipate this issue.

So the idea is to use the compressor as a stereo bus compressor and compress the whole mix into the Apogee?

Ok, to monitor the sound of the Apogee after compression you should be able to do this, Stereo Bus > compressor > Apogee > Apogee analog output > 2TR in > select monitor to 2 TR in, sound of apogee after everything goes to studio monitors. However looking at the manual I can't see how you control the monitor volume independent of the main outs?

Another method would be to Stereo Bus > compressor > Apogee > Apogee analog output > monitors, And use the output volume control of the apogee to control the monitor volume.

The link is the whole of the operating manual, the missing pages are the service section of the manual which will not contain any operating instructions only repair / service / parts info.

You can connect the output to an XLR using the wiring shown below, however I think the old tascam gear had pin 3 hot and not pin 2 hot as the later gear has, so you would swap the positive wire to pin 3 and join pins 1 and 2.

alan.

Come on, any M-520 users here to join in.

View attachment 79221

 

[gearlovinanimal]

So the idea is to use the compressor as a stereo bus compressor and compress the whole mix into the Apogee?

Ok, to monitor the sound of the Apogee after compression you should be able to do this, Stereo Bus > compressor > Apogee > Apogee analog output > 2TR in > select monitor to 2 TR in, sound of apogee after everything goes to studio monitors. However looking at the manual I can't see how you control the monitor volume independent of the main outs?

Another method would be to Stereo Bus > compressor > Apogee > Apogee analog output > monitors, And use the output volume control of the apogee to control the monitor volume.

The link is the whole of the operating manual, the missing pages are the service section of the manual which will not contain any operating instructions only repair / service / parts info.

You can connect the output to an XLR using the wiring shown below, however I think the old tascam gear had pin 3 hot and not pin 2 hot as the later gear has, so you would swap the positive wire to pin 3 and join pins 1 and 2.

alan.

Come on, any M-520 users here to join in.

View attachment 79221

That would totally work but I only have the Apogee AD24. No Analogue monitoring...
That is why I suggested the option of using the digital outs on the Apogee to another device. That will cost money though...
I think the other option is to only output 14 tracks and use the other 2 available outputs on my 2408 to monitor the tracks while they print in Logic. I think that will work but I will just have to have more stems in Logic.
What do you think Alan?
Thanks again.
Dan

 

[witzendoz]

That would totally work but I only have the Apogee AD24. No Analogue monitoring...
That is why I suggested the option of using the digital outs on the Apogee to another device. That will cost money though...
I think the other option is to only output 14 tracks and use the other 2 available outputs on my 2408 to monitor the tracks while they print in Logic. I think that will work but I will just have to have more stems in Logic.
What do you think Alan?
Thanks again.
Dan

I think that using the 2 spare outputs on the 2408 for monitoring is the best way to go.

Cheers
Alan.