Analog drift to ProTools from Tascam234! ? HELP?

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ross e lea

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recording tracks directly to Tascam 234's while using a click track from ProTools. After dumping analog footage into ProTools...its drifting away
from original click.
I've tried altering the pitch control...but its not really the answer.

Any way to sync up Tascam 234 to ProTools? via midi or other?

NEED HELP????
 
Nope. Playback from a cassette has WOW and Flutter meaning, it's gonna drift a bit.
 
so I guess I'm stuck having to separate a protools version of the song and an analog
version.? Using the protools version for listening to while recording new intruments..
so that all analog transfers will be in time. ? right?

Also, does it really matter if you're recording directly to the Tascam 234 first, then dumped to protools...or is it the same if you just use protools for all your recording, first, then
just record each track into the Tascam 234 from protools...then back into protools, thus giving you analog as well?

seems like a guy wouldnt be taking advantage of the original analog response of recording it to the Tascam 234 first. ????

thanks again
 
Both analog and digital recording systems will drift if not synced. If you were using two separate digital systems they would drift as well. When using two systems a click track won’t do it.

You may be able to sync your Pro Tools system to the 234, but you will loose an analog track. What kind of hardware are you running with Pro Tools?

Tell us a little more about what you’re trying to accomplish, like what you are recording to the 234. Are you trying to do several transfers from the 234, four tracks at a time?
 
here's my lab:
I'm running Pro Tools LE and using 2 Tascam 234's for analog recording. While earphoning a clicktrack from ProTools, I'm preamping with a Tascam board into
the Tascam's AND while recording in ProTools at the same time. So when done
recording each track...I have a digital recording in ProTools and an analog recording
on the 234 as well. But as I then bring in the analog recordings into ProTools to be
the kept recording....it drifts out of place around the middle of the song. Thus, I've
been forced (in ProTools) to pull over the analog version to the side and having to
always earphone to the original digital recording for all future intruments recorded so
that all the analog transfers are together.

SO...inasmuch....my two questions are:
1. should I just record the whole darn thing with ProTools first, then dump all track to the 234 and back again in order to get my analogness! ? Or is it much more true to keep recording directly to analog first...then always working from the original click like I am.
2. I have found there's no syncing capabilites between the 234 and ProTools so is the issue with that my 234 just needs to be calibrated or something? Unless you have any tricks for my situation. ?

thanks again, I anticipate anyone's help!
 
Are you doing the PT jump so you don't loose anything plus being able to increase your track count? (In effect wanting to do say 16 tracks, but still have an analog quality to the recording) It would be tedious (and perhaps not really possible depending on the tracks composition), but you could just slide the tracks in PT to correct the timing slop (PT in Slip mode). As mentioned earlier, with tape you will have some degree of tape speed inconsistency (wow & flutter) which is unavoidable at best.
 
You can line up tracks by recording on all tracks a few bars of a drum machine snare 4 beats (or any other click)) to the bar before the start of your song, on all tracks( in the same take!) then later on send all 3 recorded tracks to Pro Tools. You can record more overdubs over these tracks after first bouncing a reference / playback mix for monitoring previously recorded tracks to 1 track of your 4 track.

As long as you play in time with the monitor mix track any further overdubs should line up in time when recorded into Pro Tools as they would all have the beats recorded before the start of the song. You would line them up by dragging tracks so that the transients of the beats line up at EXACTLY the same place in Pro Tools.

It's easier to do than explain & I've done it many times transfering multitrack analogue tapes to DAW when I had more tracks than audio interface channels.

Might be easier to buy a MIDI / SMPTE sync box though? That way you don't have to worry about bouncing a reference / playback mix for monitoring on your 4 track.
You would than be able to transfer 3 tracks at a time in sync to Pro Tools giving you plenty of tracks.
 
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So if I understand this right… you are running the two 234’s at the same time by starting them together? If so, that will not work whether PT LE is involved or not.

PT LE is limited when it comes to true sync capability but we still don’t know what hardware you’re running it on. Your question can’t be answered without that info.

What I can tell you is that you will have the same timing issues whether you record to the 234 first or to Pro Tools first without syncing the devices together. The 234 can’t be slaved to sync, but it can be the master and PT may be able to sync to it, provided the hardware supports it and you have an external sync device.

Again, let us know what hardware your running PT LE on. There are specific procedures for different devices. The sync features on the Digi 002 may be sufficient to keep things together for shorter songs, but you’ll need a SMPTE to MIDI Time Code converter.
 
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