can someone recommend a patchbay for a tascam 38?

  • Thread starter Thread starter christiandaelemans
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christiandaelemans

christiandaelemans

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hey all, i’ve just acquired a tascam 38 reel to reel. i don’t have a mixer yet, i’ll have one in a few weeks. but i also wanna purchase a patchbay and some snakes so i can be all ready to record when it’s time.

not even sure if it matters what patchbay i get, but does anyone have any recommendations for the 38? it’s the -10db rca connections. thanks. i know there’s the old tascam patchbay, but i’m sure a modern one would work as well.
 
I don't think there's much to be gained in using a vintage one. I'm quite fond of the Neutrik NYS-SPP patchbays - though obviously you'll need RCA-to-jack cables to make it work.
 
Yeah, I don't have specific Patchbay recommendation based on your Tascam, but I really like the Samson S-Patch Plus 48 Patchbay
https://samsontech.com/products/studio-tools/patch-bays/s-patch-plus/ as it has the switches for Thru/Normal/Half Normal right on the front for easy access/changes. I've got 3 of them in my studio. You'd obviously need some snakes that went from 1/4" TRS balanced jacks to whatever the Tascam is expecting.
 
Yeah, I don't have specific Patchbay recommendation based on your Tascam, but I really like the Samson S-Patch Plus 48 Patchbay
https://samsontech.com/products/studio-tools/patch-bays/s-patch-plus/ as it has the switches for Thru/Normal/Half Normal right on the front for easy access/changes. I've got 3 of them in my studio. You'd obviously need some snakes that went from 1/4" TRS balanced jacks to whatever the Tascam is expecting.
Even though the patchbay is balanced, you can just use TS to RCA cables/snakes. You don’t have to use the more expensive TRS cables/snakes if you’re interfacing unbalanced gear with a balanced patchbay.

And +1 to the Samson. That series of gear is well-made with a good feature set for a good price. The Behringer Ultrapatch is a knock-off of the Samson. Still pretty good but I think the Samson is higher quality and will last longer. The last thing you want is to dicker with connection reliability issues at the patchbay.
 
hey all, i’ve just acquired a tascam 38 reel to reel. i don’t have a mixer yet, i’ll have one in a few weeks. but i also wanna purchase a patchbay and some snakes so i can be all ready to record when it’s time.

not even sure if it matters what patchbay i get, but does anyone have any recommendations for the 38? it’s the -10db rca connections. thanks. i know there’s the old tascam patchbay, but i’m sure a modern one would work as well.
 
I don't think there's much to be gained in using a vintage one. I'm quite fond of the Neutrik NYS-SPP patchbays - though obviously you'll need RCA-to-jack cables to make it work.
This ^^^^^^^.

I have several of the Tascam PB series TS/RCA patchbays. Unfortunately the sit on the shelf out on the storage mezzanine. They are well-made…they really are. But even though mine do not appear corroded or stored in a harsh environment at all (really clean), I set a couple up at one point and had all sorts of fiddly connection issues…super frustrating and disappointing. It’s related to the normalling contacts…the quality of the contacts are just not up to what’s needed in something that vintage you want to work reliably. I wanted to use the Tascam bays for the aesthetic since I was using them with my early 1980s Tascam prototype 12x8 console. But after all the dickering I said screw it and pulled out the old Neutrik NYS-SPP bays and I was instantly in business once I hooked everything up. Granted these are about 10 years newer than the Tascam bays, but the jack sets are so much tighter, glass fiber PCBs…everything still looks shiny and bright with the contacts vs dull and oxidized on the Tascam. Get what works.
 
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