I think I'm getting the sync tone recorded but the playback isn't doing what I expected.
Am I misunderstanding what FSK/SMPTE does?
I think you are.
Setting up sync between two machines isn't the same as setting up machine control between them.
IOW...you can generate sync and have it read, but the actual "control"...the ability of one machine to tell the other when to stop/start...that's a different thing.
I don't think your MTS-30 can tell the RX8 when to start/stop...that's something you might have to program into the RX8 with MIDI commands.
There are devices that are able to send machine control info...and ones that are able to accept it.
I can hit play on my DAW, and my tape deck will start play...BUT...it's all being coded and translated via my Timeline sync box.
Just like you need drivers for a given DAW interface...there need to be "drivers" that know how to talk between machines. My Timeline has a "driver" that talks to my Otari tape deck. If I hooked up another deck that the Timeline didn't have a driver for...nothing would happen, even though the Timeline was passing the actual "sync" signals between the machines.
That MTS-30 and RX8 are like from the early days of MIDI and sync and all that...so again, you can send sync from the tape to the MTS-30, to the RX8...but I think you need to set up a trigger at the RX8, when to start/stop the playback in the RX8...probably a MIDI command of some type that you can program in the sequence. Something that will be like...when "X MIDI sync code is read" (at what desired timeline point)...then "Start playback".
Maybe it's something else...I'm not familiar with those machines...unless the RX8 just goes into play any time it gets a sync signal...???...which doesn't make sense, because again, sync signal is not the same as position sync...if that makes any sense.
So here's my question....what are you trying to do with the RX8...get it to play so you can record the drum pattern on the tape deck...or do you want to have it playing along with the tape deck but not recording to it?
If it is the former...then forget all the sync stuff, just put the tape deck into REC and then hit play on your RX8. Record the drums first, then record your other tracks following the drums.
If it is the latter...then you're back finding that "trigger" for executing play/stop on the RX8.