Basic Recording Setup for Fostex B16 and M-2516

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digidoon

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Ok,
I am looking for some Tips as to the best way to start out Recording on Tape.

I have a Fostex B16 in great condition! A Tascam M-2516 also in great condition.
I was wondering how I should patch things basically. I am using channels 9-16 on the Mixer as my Input channels and routing them to Record Inputs 1-8 on the Fostex.
Outputs 1-8 on the Fostex go to inputs 1-8 on the Mixer. Or would you just connect all tape outputs 1-16 with the Tape Inputs 1-16 on the Mixer and all direct outputs 1-16 from the mixer to the Record Inputs 1-16 on the Fostex.

Or do you use just a couple of channels as Preferred Record Channels on the Mixer and patch to whichever Tape Track Input you want to record on.

Next Question: I have no outboard effects and would like to get some. What would you say would be the minimum equipment I would need as far as Reverb, Compressor.

I do have a four channel Gate/Compressor... witch I was planning on using for Drums.

Music Style is Roots/ Rock/ Country/Pop ....
 
The standard way (as far as I know) to connect it up is as follows.
-The group outputs on the mixer are connected to the input channels on the recorder. If the B16 is anything like the other Fostex recorders I know then the inputs 1-8 are bridged to 9-16 if only the first 8 are plugged in. That way you can record on any 8 tracks at once. If you need to record more at once you'll need to hook up the inputs to a channel direct output on the desk.
- The outputs on the tape deck are connected to the tape inputs on the mixer.

When you record, have the channels set to input. You can then use any channel as an input and route the signal to any track you want to record on. You can then monitor the signal from the tape using the monitor mix.

When you come to mix down, press the 'flip' switches on channels 1-16 to select the tape signal. The recorded tracks are then routed to each channel strip.

As for outboard effects, a reverb/multi effects unit and a two channel compressor is pretty much the minimum you'll need. I've just got one reverb unit and a two channel compressor and they serves me pretty well. I don't often find I'm limited much by them.

That 4 channel gate/compressor should be very useful. If you haven't got a patchbay or don't want to spend the money building one then just hook it up with 4 Y-cables, label the jacks 1-4 and just plug them into the appropriate channel insert when you want to use them. That's what I do and it's not much hassle.

I hope this was helpful

James
 
Hey James,
This was very helpful! I will investigate the bridging part by connecting as you said and recording on tracks 9 to 16..
If it is so for my particular machine it should work and would be nice. Less patching around. I will be buying a Patchpay as well.
Do you recommend any Reverb and two channel Compressor? Thanks a bunch!
 
Do I wire the Two Channel Compressor to the Stereo Out of the Mixer ?? Sorry about that one .. Just thinking maybe using two Aux paths... wurghhhh
 
If that machine doesn't bridge the input then you could do it yourself with phono splitter cables. Alternatively you could wire it all into a patchbay and use either one of the 8 groups or a direct output to record to any channel.

I use an Alesis Wedge for reverb and a Behringer Tube Composer for compression. Neither of those is manufactured any more so you'd have to buy second hand (which I would recommend) if you wanted those particular units. I would highly recommend the Wedge, I bought mine off Ebay for under £100 and they went for a lot more new. The user interface is great and so is the sound. The tube composer is alright, it does the job fairly well for me. I don't think it's worth getting one over a non-tube versionthough . The valves don't really do anything and I don't really find the 'tube' effect usable on anything. Still, if you can get hold of one cheap then it's still a good entry-level compressor IMHO. I haven't used any other compressors but I've heard good things about the DBX 166 and the Alesis 3630 so they might be good to look at.

Anyway, good luck with the new setup.

Cheers
James
 
digidoon said:
Do I wire the Two Channel Compressor to the Stereo Out of the Mixer ?? Sorry about that one .. Just thinking maybe using two Aux paths... wurghhhh
Click to expand...

I would use it as two individual compressors and patch it into individual channels. When you wan't to compress something e.g. vocals, just plug it into the insert socket on the channel strip.
 
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