Cheers man. I appreciate hearing about your setup. Are you using group send/returns or busses to compressors? This is what I'm struggling with and I feel like keeps getting lost in the thread. I found one video on YouTube that was sorta dealing with this, but the guy was using all stereo comps. I want to keep my Chameleon Labs 7720 for the main stereo/master since it has sidechain for the low end, and possibly use an LA-4A and Distressor to compress groups of instruments, but I don't under stand how or if it's recommended.
WIth regard to your statement about the other machines, yeah I keep them around for the sonic character, but also, I have no idea if the MSR-16S works yet
You talking to me Alan or both?
I have 4 sends and 4 returns as well as inserts in the 8 busses.
Most of the time I'm using two returns for reverbs as a stereo return. Reverb is the one thing that is globally applied. If I'm doing compression on the sends and returns it usually is going on the drums.
The drums are still on individual channels, but using the sends and returns sets up a, I guess you would say, parallel compression.
If I want to limit a snare, or just compress that, I'd also put a compressor in the insert on just that channel
My inserts on the 8 busses go unused except for 7 and 8. Here I'll put a comp or something that effects the whole mix.
The M520 even though it's an 8 buss mixer they're only usefull for tracking. Other mixers have in addition to the busses, a master fader (s)
So my buss 7 & 8 are what feeds my two track. On mixdown, the only time busses 1 to 6 are used are if I'm mixing down to more than one 'machine'. For example, I can run a mix to a tape machine, while buss 6 & 7 are sending a mix to protools,
I don't know why tascam neglected putting in a seperate master, but oh well, I'm used to it.
Hope any of all that made sense.
So I'm getting that both the mixer and tape machine haven't been used yet. Is the power supply for the m3500 the reason?
Get one and hook it up, and then fire those babies up.
I'm reall happy with my setup, and from what i know the m3500 has more features than the m520.
You'll have lots of options once you get to know it.
One bit of advice. Don't drive yourself crazy trying to figure out your workflow on paper. While it's good to plan, the reality of hands on will make things fall into place.
The best way to learn how to drive a car, is by driving a car, this is no different.