AUX IN/OUT QUERY re: TASCAM 388

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gentlejohn

gentlejohn

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OK, either I'm being really daft here or Tascam made a manufacturing mistake (so I guess it's just me being really daft!) I'm STILL trying to decide on my best way of hooking up my two external effects units to my 388. I want to use my Reverb unit as a global effect via the AUX Send/Return & my Tape Echo unit running through the EFFECTS Send/Return. Sounds straight forward enough so far.

For the EFFECTS Send /return I'm taking a 1/4" cable from the EFF Send 1/4" socket Output on the back panel going into the 1/4" socket Input of my Tape Echo machine. I'm then taking a 1/4" Output from the Echo unit into one of the EFF Return 1/4" inputs on the back panel (there's two 1/4" socket returns to choose from). I'm okay so far but here's the bit I don't get ....

I want to do exactly the same with my Reverb unit (ie: use it as a global effect across the channels) with the AUX Send/Return but I can't find where to return the signal. It's obvious with the EFFECT LOOP. There's a clearly marked EFF Send 1/4" output with two clearly marked EFF Returns 1 & 2 but, although I can see a clearly marked 1/4" AUX Send (it's right next to the EFF Send on the back panel) I can't find one 1/4" socket AUX Return.

I have noticed there's a AUX Buss RTN RCA input but where's the 1/4" sized socket AUX Return. My Reverb unit has both 1/4" In/Out sockets plus XLR In/Outs. Am I missing something here? It shouldn't be difficult to hook up this peripheral stuff I know! Bear with me .... I'll get there (eventually I hope!)

PS: I also have a compressor mono/dual I'm looking to hook up although probably just as a channel insert on individual sources whilst tracking (then again across the Stereo Output on mix-down perhaps). I just mention this in passing.
 
DO NOT use the AUX BUSS IN jacks to return the output of the effect unit to the 388. That will setup a feedback loop...the EFF and AUX BUSS IN jacks input signal right ahead of the EFF and AUX MASTER level controls respectively. Think about it.

The reason you don't have dedicated labeled AUX RTN jacks is because the AUX BUSS is primarily there as a monitor send...cue feed for the "talent", which doesn't need a return. BUT, yes, Tascam was smart/nice and configured the AUX sends on the channel strips to be configured pre or post fade so you CAN use the AUX BUSS like an effects buss. Look at the block diagram. Notice the EFF RTN jacks feed right in ahead of the STEREO MASTER fader. Oh *look*...the STEREO BUSS IN jacks feed into the same place! :D

Those are the ones you can use as an extra set of returns, although there are no level or pan controls so it kind of depends on what kind of output controls your effects unit has (often times the output stage on an effects unit has level control).

If you have additional questions regarding how you would utilize the 388 inputs with your specific effects unit(s) then give us brand and model info for your unit(s) and we can go from there.

The other option is to use input channels to return effects, just making SURE you have the send level knobs FULLY counter-clockwise on those channels or there again you'll have a feedback loop.

Questions?
 
That's really helpful! Thanks sweetbeats.

The external gear I'm trying to hook up to use as global effects are:

- A Biamp MR-140 spring reverb unit (MONO with unbalanced 1/4" Input/Output plus balanced XLR Input/Output)
- A WEM Copicat (again MONO with 1/4" Input/Output)
- A RNC mono/dual Compressor (MONO & DUAL with 1/4" Ins/Outs [x2])

Above are the three main staple external units I reckon I will be using on a regular basis in order to realise my music. Once I've hooked everything up in the correct configuration I'm planning on just leaving it that way without further intervention.

I'm a solo singer/songwriter who records alone relying on multi-track recordings part-by-part one track at a time in order to sound like a full ensemble. To date I have only used (the above) effects 'in line' but am now looking to try leaving effects adding to the mixing session applying global effects then. (That said, I realise that with just one compressor, I'm probably still going to have to use that as a channel insert at the time of recording then perhaps again at mix-down time across the Stereo Output).

It's knowing how best to configure the other two devices for this global use across all tracks in remix mode that I'm currently trying to get my head around. OK, possibly dumb question No.2: There's only ONE 1/4" EFFECTS Send socket (that I have currently connected to my mono WEM Copicat) yet TWO 1/4" EFFECTS Returns on the back panel of the 388. If I'm to use the AUX for monitoring 'talent' (ie: 'me'!) purposes, I get how I connect my other unit (a mono Biamp Reverb) to the EFFECTS Return 2 but there isn't an EFFECTS Send 2 - just the one 1/4" socket that the WEM Copicat's already occupying.

If it's not too much trouble SB would you mind telling me how you would connect up the above external devices to your Tascam 388 so I can get back to making some music this end? That would be very much appreciated my friend!
 
sweetbeats said:
The other option is to use input channels to return effects, just making SURE you have the send level knobs FULLY counter-clockwise on those channels or there again you'll have a feedback loop.
Click to expand...

Or use the one send knob to control the repeats of the echo and the other to put reverb on your echoes.
 
gentlejohn are you at all concerned about your reverb and echo units coming back to your mix in mono?

If you are the only "talent" then you don't need to use the AUX BUSS...you can just monitor off the MONITOR BUSS and have your headphones hooked up to the 388. That leaves the AUX BUSS free. Sooooooo...

If you are just bringing the reverb and echo boxes back in mono to the 388, I'd use the AUX and EFF outputs to the Biamp and WEM inputs, bring those two back to the 388 through the EFF 1 and EFF 2 RTN jacks (one effect box per RTN), and PAN to taste or leave centered.

As far as the RNC on the MASTER BUSS, I'd connect the RCA STEREO OUT jacks to the RNC inputs and then the RNC outputs to your master recorder. As far as monitoring that's a little more tricky since the 388 doesn't have insert jacks on the STEREO OUT, so you'd have to switch to monitoring from the master recorder when mastering. There are other ways you can do it on the 388 like splitting the outputs of the RNC and bringing one set back into a pair of LINE INPUT jacks on a couple 388 channels, but there is risk of a feedback loop. It can be done. I'd have to brush up on how I did it though. Easier to just monitor off the master recorder during monitoring.
 
AND RELAX ... I am deeply in your debt here Mr SB! Thank you so much for that. I shall go forth armed with this information and put it to good use on my next studio session. So, just to clarify 'for the record' as it were, I can send to one external unit (say) my Reverb from the 1/4" EFF Send and bring it back in (in MONO) through the 1/4" EFF Return ONE socket then ... I can send to my other unit (Copicat) from the 1/4" AUX Send then bring that back in (again, in MONO) through the 1/4" EFF Return TWO. Then I can use each channel's individual EFF & AUX dials to control the amount/level of effect. Is that correct?
 
That is correct. The AUX and EFF level knobs on each channel strip will control the amount of the source connected to the strip being sent to the AUX or EFF buss. The master send knobs for the AUX and EFF busses will control the overall level sent to the respective effects unit, and the return level and pan knobs for the EFF RTN 1 and 2 busses will control the mix level of the output of the effect boxes and placement in the stereo field on the STEREO MASTER buss.

Don't forget to switch the AUX busses on the individual channel strips to post-fade (if that's how you want it). This is the typical setting when using a "send" as an effects buss because then the amount of signal routed to the send is controlled by the channel strip fader. Nothing like having an echo on a vocal and, as you fade out, the echo keeps going (that's what would happen if you had the send configured pre-fade...the channel strip fader position would have no effect on the signal level to the send).
 
The best bet with the 388 is to get a small stereo submixer with four or more channels to expand your effects return capabilities. Get a mixer with as many channels as you need for the number of effects processors you have, and consider more channels for future expansion. I have quite a few effects processors so I use a Tascam M1-B 8-channel line mixer just for effects returns.

You plug the stereo outputs of your line mixer into the two effects returns of the 388 and set the effects return pan controls on the 388 so one is fully left and the other fully right. Ok, that takes care of the return part of the equation.

Like a lot of gear from this era the 388 is short on effects sends. You have one dedicated EFF send and one AUX send. But if you push in the green Post/Pre button next to the AUX send it will act exactly like the EFF send. The EFF send is wired post-fader. This means that the signal going to it originates at a point in the signal chain after the channel fader, so when you change the fader level the signal going to the EFF send is changed up or down with it. Pressing the Post/Pre button to Post also makes the AUX send post-fader just like the EFF send... as Cory already noted.

So, if you don’t need the AUX send for something else, which you normally won’t when recording yourself, then you can use the AUX send as a second EFF send. You can use the AUX send pre-fader as well for some interesting effects, but that’s beyond the scope of trying to keep this simple. You’ll figure it out as you experiment.

Stereo effects really give life to a mix, so always use the stereo outputs of an effects processor and bring them back into the board in full left and right stereo. Not sure what kind of tape echo you have, but if its stereo then take advantage of the stereo outs on that as well.

There are many good new and vintage small line mixers that will do to expand your number of effects returns. The little Boss mixers like the BX-60 or BX-600 work well for this application. But remember to look ahead to further expansion. You may have two effects processors right now, but you might have four a few months from now.
 
WOW! How can I possibly fail with such excellent reference material now at my disposal? I'm going to print this post out and dedicate an entire session to just twiddling. I reckon I've cracked it 'in theory' - I just need to put all this superb advice into practice. Once again THANK YOU SO MUCH FOLKS. Case solved! At ease ....
 
Don't forget if you use the channels as aux returns, you can turn up the aux send on the return channel to get a feedback loop.By adjusting it in real time you can get all kinds of ringing and feedback to add complexity/tension during mix down.
 
Or have 'em cranked before you open the channel, forget and cook something. :D

Just sayin.

But, yes, wkrbee, you know it!

I used to do that with a mixer I had and an Alesis Quadrverb...the digital effects processors get some CRAZY cool feedback effects. Almost all the effects would decompose into nasty digital distortion but there were two or three effects on that thing that, when just carefully coaxed did some amazingly cool things. Definitely an area to explore.
 
Yah. Was indeed meant funny but you and I BOTH know it ain't no laughing matter when it happens.

:eek:

:D
 
And we can all use one of these for those really special signal routing situations. As you can see, this one is grounded for safety. :D

ppn.webp
 
:p :drunk: :facepalm: :spank: :rolleyes:

I remember hearing about that "special" cable, Tim.

That...

Is some kuh-razy bizness.

I have a Stewart single-channel phantom supply that uses a 1/4" TS jack for power to the wall-wart...has always made me wonder.
 
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