12 track old school Studio Mixing Board

sweetbeats said:
+/- 15VDC for sure...but it goes far beyond that and 48VDC if it is anything like my M-520...and there are a lot of functional similarities...

My M-520 power supply produces:

+/- 15VDC
+/- 18VDC
+ 48VDC
+ 6VDC
11VAC
0VDC x2
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Ohh yes you are right, i forgot i was thinking of it like isolated modules and not the entire console but you are absolutely right. In such case, i would try to look for other tascam PSU, but the only way to be sure is seeing schematics
 
Man, this is one cool mystery! And keeps getting better! Gonna watch THIS tread!
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Absolutely!

Ohh yes you are right, i forgot i was thinking of it like isolated modules and not the entire console but you are absolutely right. In such case, i would try to look for other tascam PSU, but the only way to be sure is seeing schematics
Click to expand...

Yeah...isolated modules would be great in this case with no power supply on hand...

I was looking again at the pics of the connections on the back...I see no phantom switch, so that's one rail not needed! :p

[EDIT] Phantom is switcheable from the top panel...duh. :)
 
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well... since the power supply is gone... and it's old enough it's gonna need major surgery if it's ever to walk again... and you dont really have anything tied up in it.... i think you should find some old curmudgeonly crippled guy to donate it to... like say...



























ME...:cool:
 
I agree it's a recording board, & probably a prototype. Not a broadcast board.

12 channel, 8 buss, 4 aux, 4-band EQ sweep/parametric both, tons of I/O and monitoring capability. That thing's loaded!

Unfortunately, you're totally screwed without the power supply or even the schematics. I'd see virtually no way to test or "service" this unit without power.

It would be a very impressive board if you had the P/S unit and cable.:eek:;)
 
I contacted Tascam

I sent emails (with pictures) to their customer service center and their parts department along with a link to this discussion and a request to ask around and see if anyone over there recognizes this board. As soon as I hear anything I'll post it here. :)
 
I agree it's a recording board, & probably a prototype. Not a broadcast board.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 channel, 8 buss, 4 aux, 4-band EQ sweep/parametric both, tons of I/O and monitoring capability. That thing's loaded!

Unfortunately, you're totally screwed without the power supply or even the schematics. I'd see virtually no way to test or "service" this unit without power.

It would be a very impressive board if you had the P/S unit and cable.
Click to expand...
Yeah-yeah...I second all that.

I just took a close look at the channel strip and master section pics and...:eek::eek::eek:...my goodness that thing has more input and buss routing flexibility than anything I have ever seen!

I agree now 100%...I take back what I said before about it maybe being a broadcast board. It is clearly a recording board.

Stream of consciousness observations and questions as I look through the pictures:

  • Each of the 12 channel meters are source selectable at the flick of a switch to monitor either the channel input, the buss output, or the monitor output. Now that's monitoring...
  • Each channel strip has three switch selectable inputs with individual TRIM knobs...
  • So this is indeed a multi-buss mixer...12 x 8 x 2 (x2x2x2...), but I'm confused...
  • What are the red capped BUSS knobs at the very top of each channel strip? There are 12 of them but clearly only 8 busses assignable at the channel strip (or effect returns)...do you suppose the red knob only drives the BUSS IN jacks on each strip, like separate 1 x 1 line mixers or something? There are no PGM/BUSS OUTs on the back for those 8 busses...where do they go and how do you control the master level of each buss? Maybe that's what the red knobs do but then why are there 12 of them? Shoulderpain, can you tell me what each red knob at the top of each channel strip is labeled?
  • The eq section is crazy...crazy! I didn't see the LPF and two HPF's before...not sure if the HI and LOW eq filters are shelving or peaking, but the TASCAM M mixer (M for mystery) is packing eq nearly on par with the equivalent of three PE-40's...:eek:
  • I wonder what the EQ MONITOR switch does...is that like a PFL pick-off point post eq and pre-fader?
  • Not sure how the INPUT/MONI switch works in the aux section...I'm assuming that is a source select switch like those adjacent to it...oh wait...I wonder if that switch opens the gate to send whatever is selected in the MONITOR section on each strip to that AUX buss...that would be madness...You could basically source just about whatever you wanted to the AUX busses in pairs...MADNESS!!!
  • LINE 2 is designed to be the tape returns I believe because those inputs are directly available as a source for each pair of aux busses, so there you go, shoulderpain...just expanding on what I said earlier about the LINE inputs being utilized for tape returns...
  • And speaking of the MONITOR section...wow...Full-function monitor buss on each strip...no sharing with the AUX busses for effects/cue/monitor bussing...there is a dedicated stereo buss multi-source selectable on each strip.
  • And the MUTE and SOLO options...truly dizzying...:eek:...I would most likely be making good use of the BIG ORANGE MUTE BUTTON ("Mute it! MUTE IT!!" "Uh...uh...WHICH ONE??! AHH!!" "I dunno I dunno just hit the big one...the big orange one!!!!")
  • The REMOTE switches next to the input faders...can't figure those out. I see no input jacks for them...
  • 5-band test tone generator.
  • A horrificly wonderful amount of source selections for the STUDIO and CONTROL ROOM outputs...
  • I'm baffled by the GROUP INPUT A, B and MONITOR switch racks in the master section...

Now, I remember when I got my M-520 and then when I read and re-read the manual and got familiar with the input and buss routing flexibility of the M-500 mixers...I was impressed, and on first blush I though the Tascam M was similar...I guess its kind of similar in its general setup conventions, but just about every feature is expanded/grown up...its like doing a feature comparison of an M-500 to an M-200 mixer.

WHAT IS THAT THING???

Shoulderpain, if dementedchord is, for any reason, unable to fulfill his duties as an old curmudgeonly crippled guy, I would like to be consdiered as a 1st runner-up. I really would do my very best. ;):D:D:D
 
I think...

I think the BUSS knob would be TRIM.

Yeah, donate all yer useless gear to me,... eh,... no. To dementedchord or sweetbeats. Sweetbeats could probably frankenstein it back together, if anyone could. Schematics are a must. Reverse engineering that thing would be challenging,... not to mention the shoulderpain when lifting!:eek:;)
 
"buss Master"

Sweetbeats, that's what each red knob at the top of each channel strip is labeled.:)

As for the "shoulder pain"... it is true I have shoulder pain, but it wasn't from lifting this board, which may be the heaviest most awkward shaped thing I have ever lifted alone. It wiped me out, but the pain was more neck and lower back than anywhere else. ;)
 
Sweetbeats, that's what each red knob at the top of each channel strip is labeled.
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Okay...thanks...I think... :o

As for the "shoulder pain"... it is true I have shoulder pain, but it wasn't from lifting this board, which may be the heaviest most awkward shaped thing I have ever lifted alone. It wiped me out, but the pain was more neck and lower back than anywhere else.
Click to expand...

LOL! Easy Mr. Pain...Two blown discs later I can tell you the only music you can effectively make from fetal position on the floor is avant garde atonal vocal monophony, and the wife and children have a hard time sleeping through that... :D

I think the BUSS knob would be TRIM.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Dave, one would think so since its big and red, but look below and to the right of each BUSS MASTER knob and you'll see the white-capped MIC TRIM knob and directly below that you'll see the stacked pot for the LINE 1 and LINE 2 levels...

I'm still baffled...8 BUSS routing switches per channel, buss routing switches for the "ECHO" effects returns, but no BUSS MASTER faders just 12 BUSS MASTER knobs on the channel strips...no PGM OUTs, just BUSS IN and BUSS OUT jacks on each channel...kinda makes one wanna power it up and see what goes where, but I guess that goes without saying...:p
 
A few comments about this guy.
sweetbeats said:
Yeah-yeah...I second all that.

I just took a close look at the channel strip and master section pics and...:eek::eek::eek:...my goodness that thing has more input and buss routing flexibility than anything I have ever seen!

I agree now 100%...I take back what I said before about it maybe being a broadcast board. It is clearly a recording board.
Click to expand...
This would be WAY too confusing for use in a broadcast application. ;)
sweetbeats said:
Stream of consciousness observations and questions as I look through the pictures:

  • Each of the 12 channel meters are source selectable at the flick of a switch to monitor either the channel input, the buss output, or the monitor output. Now that's monitoring...
  • Each channel strip has three switch selectable inputs with individual TRIM knobs...
  • So this is indeed a multi-buss mixer...12 x 8 x 2 (x2x2x2...), but I'm confused...
  • What are the red capped BUSS knobs at the very top of each channel strip? There are 12 of them but clearly only 8 busses assignable at the channel strip (or effect returns)...do you suppose the red knob only drives the BUSS IN jacks on each strip, like separate 1 x 1 line mixers or something? There are no PGM/BUSS OUTs on the back for those 8 busses...where do they go and how do you control the master level of each buss? Maybe that's what the red knobs do but then why are there 12 of them? Shoulderpain, can you tell me what each red knob at the top of each channel strip is labeled?
Click to expand...
  • The red Buss Knobs are the same as the group faders on the right hand section of a split console (Model 520 and all other Tascam mixers up to this one). I suspect that only 8 of the red knobs are functional, BUT this gives the ability to place any module in any slot on the board. Also, there is a buss out on each module. You would probably find, once again, that only the first 8 actually carry signal.

    sweetbeats said:
    [*]The eq section is crazy...crazy! I didn't see the LPF and two HPF's before...not sure if the HI and LOW eq filters are shelving or peaking, but the TASCAM M mixer (M for mystery) is packing eq nearly on par with the equivalent of three PE-40's...:eek:
    [*]I wonder what the EQ MONITOR switch does...is that like a PFL pick-off point post eq and pre-fader?
    Click to expand...
    The EQ Monitor switch sends the eq to the monitor section, rather than the buss section. This allows you to work on the final eq during the recording process without commiting it to tape. Set the eq while recording, listen to it, adjust as necessary until it sounds good. Release the button for mixdown and the eq that you spent your time working on is committed to the final mix and the two track tape.

    More later as time permits. Hopefully this will help youse guys understand this thing a bit more.
 
So, I live in Burbank, this board weighs a LOT and...

I'm going to release it back into the analog sea as it is WAY over my head to fix.

So, any of you live in LA who really want it, let me know. If you have something to trade that is useful toward the building of my home studio I wouldn't say no.
 
If they'd only found the PSU,...

Bleh.

It's a parts gold mine, but I'd hate to part out a truly unique board as that!

It would be prohibitively expensive to ship, & would then risk incurring damage.

The number of selections and controls on that board is astounding. It's archaic looking, but it seems even more high end than the M512, itself.

Reverse engineering the PSU pinouts & requirments would be a daunting task, but IMO is doable for the very techy inclined person who has a lot of time.:eek:;)

As is, it's a massive set of parts (but I'd not part it out) with real potential [heh: pun] for only the most steely of techs. It's not plug-and-play by any stretch of the imagination, but the price was right!:eek:;)
 
Are schematics usually stored on discs?

There were some 5 inch old time floppy disks that fell out of the bottom of it when we moved it in from the truck.

BTW, I asked a sound expert who worked with The Grateful Dead if he recognized the board. He didn't. He didn't think the Grateful Dead used TEAC.
 
You could be right about those discs maybe having manual info.

Wow, 5.25" floppies! You've perhaps stumbled upon another gold mine!

Nah,... maybe significant but pretty much another dead end,... unless of course you have 5.25" floppy drives on hand.:eek:;)
 
SAVE THE DISKS...I HAVE 5.25 INCH DRIVES AND THE MEANS TO TROUBLESHOOT OPENING OBSOLETE DATA FILES AND SUCH...:eek:
 
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