How to hook up a few effects processors to an old Tascam M312

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the blast

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Hey guys, quick question...

Could someone advise exactly how to hook up an effects box to this little console? I have ordered a photocopied manual on Ebay but not sure when or if it will arrive as I've not heard back from the seller yet. I've read pretty much everything I could find on this console but info is a little scarce. "Ghost" was gracious enough to answer a few questions but I think it's time to see if anyone else has any experience with this thing.

Thanks & any help is appreciated!, -john
 
I believe that on your board Effect Out will go to your effects unit's input, and the effects unit's output will go to the board's Effect In. Set the reverb mix control to 100% effect ("wet"). You can also return the effects to a channel instead of Effect In for more options with eq and routing.
 
You connect the aux or effects send from the mixer to the input of your effects unit, then you can connect the effects unit out to the effects return on the mixer, or if you want more flexibility connect the effects return to a line in on a channel, by doing this you can eq the effects return if you want and have the use of a fader which is nice. If you have a stereo return and you want the effects in stereo use 2 effects returns with one panned left and the other right, or 2 channels with one left and one right.

A tip, when you connect like this to a mixer, have the effects unit with the effects mix full wet, by that I mean no dry signal. Then you can adjust the amount of effect via the effects return volume.

alan.
 
Still haven't tried it yet but soon. I'll report back my findings.

Just thought of something as well... when I go to make a bunch of cables for my Digi002 & Effects units to go to & from the mixer, should they be balanced (TRS) or does it matter? Maybe it depends on how the Digi002 is wired?
 
the blast said:
Still haven't tried it yet but soon. I'll report back my findings.

Just thought of something as well... when I go to make a bunch of cables for my Digi002 & Effects units to go to & from the mixer, should they be balanced (TRS) or does it matter? Maybe it depends on how the Digi002 is wired?
Click to expand...

The effects unit cables don't need to be balanced as the aux sends and returns on the tascam won't be balanced.

Personally I would not be too worried about balanced cables to the Digi002, but if you want them balanced you need an XLR on one end (as only the XLR outs on the TAscam are balanced) and a balanced jack on the other, remembering that old Tascam gear had the XLR wired as pin 3 hot, most modern stuff is pin 2 hot. If you have pre-made cables don't worry if pin 2 is hot on the cable as long as both cables are the same there won't be a problem.

Alan.
 
Thanks Alan. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I want to put the board on my desk in front of me or off to the right side of the desk. This will determine the cable lengths needed to get to & from the 002. I'll need half the distance if I put it on the desk as the rack with my 002 sits to the left of the desk. Think I may go this rout so as to cut cost on cable length that I'll need to purchase! Also the fact that it will be unbalanced cable should help as well! Thanks for the info.

-john
 
What jacks are you going to use on the M-312 to interface with the 002?

Do you have a tape machine you are using with the M-312 or is your DAW the multitrack recorder?
 
Hi Sweetbeats,

No tape machine. Just coming out of the Digi002 into the "Line" inputs on the channel strips of the M312 & then going out of the "D Outs" on the channel strips of the M312 back into the Digi002. Yeah, the Digi002 is the front end of my DAW.

Just so you guys know my master plan... and please feel free to give me your thoughts on it!:
I just got the mixer set up on my desk this morning with the Digi002 in a rack just to the side of it. Going to make about 16, 3ft balanced cables this weekend to get all my IO's sorted for the 8 channels I can currently use. The less cable the better in my opinion which is why I'm making them so short. Then I've got my computer coming out of the "Main" outs of the Digi002 & into 2 channels on the M312, panned hard left & hard right respectively so I can listen back to regular audio. My monitirs are coming off the M312. Next I have to figure out the summing scenario with the master section. I'm not even totally sure what my setupwill end up being in the end. Maybe just for summing if I get some nice pres?? Maybe I'll love the pres in the M312 & just use those for a while? Who knows. I'm REALLY excited either way.

It's a learning process as I've never had any analog gear of my own to work with really. I figure the learning experience alone is worth what I paid for the board. Then I could upgrade the console one day if i choose & I'll know what I'm doing! :)

Thanks again for all the help & input,
-john
 
Okay...no reason to make the cables balanced, unless you want a set of balanced TRS-TRS snakes for later, but the line inpouts and direct outputs are unbalanced TS on the M-300 series.

If you're interested I have several sets of 8-channel 1 meter TRS-TRS snakes I don't need. PM me you'd rather get a good deal on a couple of those from rather than build.

Regardless you can use balanced cables but the interconnect will be unbalanced hich is totally fine, especially at the cable lengths you are proposing.

When you are talking about when you say "the summing scenario with the master section"? What is it you are wanting to accomplish?

Just a thought...if the 002 is like your tape machine in a sense and it has 8 outputs, why not connect those to the TAPE IN jacks? Then you'll be able to use the monitor section as intended, where you can monitor playback from the DAW and create cue mixes using the AUX busses on the monitor section and then when its mixdown time those are available at the channel strips.
 
This is genius I think:

"if the 002 is like your tape machine in a sense and it has 8 outputs, why not connect those to the TAPE IN jacks? Then you'll be able to use the monitor section as intended, where you can monitor playback from the DAW and create cue mixes using the AUX busses on the monitor section and then when its mixdown time those are available at the channel strips."

Very well said, as far as I can tell! The technical talk is a little confusing to me since I'm so new to this whole analog thing. What is a "Cue Mix"? Are you saying I could send any one of the 8 Tape Ins to a normal channel & EQ if I like?

As for the cables, I think they need to be more like 10ft each. I just measured the length that could still work if on the slight chance I were to move the rack & that's what I'd need to get them to reach the other location. I was going to do them balanced so that I could re-purpose them in the future if need be.

Hope this all makes sense & thanks again.
-john
 
John, you're still fine running signal unbalanced over 10' of cable...rule of thumb is generally anything up to 25' as long as the cable is shielded and of good quality is fine. Better to make the cables a little longer to accomodate configuration changes than have to redo them later!

Sorry for the "lingo". :o

"cue mix" is the same as "monitor mix" and in the studio we are generally talking about headphone mixes for the talent during overdubs. That make sense?

You've traditionally got three basic phases to the recording:

  1. initial tracking
  2. overdubbing
  3. mixdown

A mixer designed for recording will generally accomodate these three phases without a lot of repatching or reconfiguring of the control surface.

During phase 1 it is sources connected to mixer inputs and monitor mixes for talent as needed; sources routed to recorder.

During phase 2 you still have the need to setup monitor mixes for the new tracks while being able to monitor the playback of existing tracks and typically setup monitor mixes of THOSE as well; new sources routed to open tracks.

During phase three you are typically no longer using the channel strips of the mixer for live sources but now to mix the playback of the multitrack master.

During all phases there needs to be a way for the board operator to monitor the different inputs without messing up the input settings, monitor mixes to talent or the sends to the recorder. The M-300 mixers can do this swimmingly.

The way the TAPE IN jacks on the M-300 mixers work is that if nothing is plugged into the channel 1~8 LINE IN jacks the TAPE IN 1~8 jacks are internally connected or "normalled" to the corresponding LINE inputs 1~8. If you have sources plugged into the LINE IN jacks that breaks the connection to the TAPE IN jacks. This means that no repatching is required for phase 3. Simply unplug any line sources connected to the LINE IN 1~8 jacks and *BAM* the 8 returns from the recorder are present at the line inputs...depress the LINE switches on channels 1~8 up by the TRIM knob stack and mix away. Notice the MIC and LINE inputs have separate TRIM controls so you can have mic sources permanently connected to the mic jacks, set and forget your mic trims and be able to adjust your line trims without messing up your mic trims.

So that was phase 3.

Phase 2, notice the TAPE RTN switches in the monitor mixer (the two rows of controls 1~4 and 5~8 above the group 1~4 faders)? Those route the TAPE IN jacks independently to each monitor channel. By depressing the TAPE RTN switch you are selecting the corresponding TAPE IN jack to that channel of the monitor mixer, and then you as the board operator can monitor the monitor mixer by depressing the STEREO switch in the monitor select switchrack over on the right above the SOLO master pot. If a TAPE RTN switch is NOT latched down, then the source of that monitor mixer channel is the output of the corresponding subgroup. Monitor mixer channels 1 and 5 listen to the output of subgroup 1, monitor mixer channels 2 and 6 listen to group 2, etc.

Notice you've also got aux sends in the monitor mixer...auxes 3 and 4. you can use those as monitor sends for talent, or if you hit the POST button they are now effects sends.

Pretty slick. And Tascam was nice enough to include an ON switch for each monitor mixer channel which is essentially a mute function.

There's more but I'll stop there for now.

If it were me I'd be connecting the 002 outputs to the TAPE IN jacks because then your 002 outputs are essentially connected to the LINE IN jacks (internally, remember?) 1~8, but then you also have the power and flexibility for especially phase 2 by having those 002 outputs available at the monitor mixer. As the board operator this allows you monitor 8 DAW outputs, create a stereo monitor mix and even mess with effects via auxes 3 and 4 without even touching your 12 input strips.

Okay...I lied. I didn't stop. But there's still more.
 
Wow, lot's of good info! Thank you.

As for the TAPE IN jacks, looks like I'll have to go 1/4in out of my 002 & RCA into the mixer. I've never even seen a cable with one RCA connector on it. Let alone one with a 1/4in on the other end!

I just want to see if I'm understanding correctly so please bear with me :)...

Are you saying that the 4 orange faders (monitor mix section) control the two TAPE IN directly above it (1&5, 2&6, 3&7, 4&8) respectively?

Would the only way to get into the TAPE IN channels be by using the 1/4in to RCA cables out of the 002 that I mentioned above & into the RCA TAPE INs in the rear of the mixer?

AND by having my 002 outputs plugged into those 1-8 TAPE INs, I'm automatically putting them in line at line level on channels strips 1-8?

Sorry for my confusion. I think I'm at least sort of following along!

-john
 
As for the TAPE IN jacks, looks like I'll have to go 1/4in out of my 002 & RCA into the mixer. I've never even seen a cable with one RCA connector on it. Let alone one with a 1/4in on the other end!
Click to expand...

They are actually pretty common believe it or not.

HOSA and others make 8-channel TS-RCA snakes. To save money you can look on eBay for used ones.

Are you saying that the 4 orange faders (monitor mix section) control the two TAPE IN directly above it (1&5, 2&6, 3&7, 4&8) respectively?
Click to expand...

No. The 4 orange faders are your subgroup masters. Look at each channel strip and you see you can route that to the L-R buss or the subgroups 1-2 and 3-4. The orange faders are the masters for subgroups 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The monitor mixer (the set of knobs above the subgroup master faders) can flexibly source the tape in jacks or the subgroup masters. It is a way for you as the board operator to be able to listen to what's coming in on the TAPE IN jacks as well as what is going OUT the subgroup out jacks and/or heading on to the L-R buss from the groups.

Each TAPE IN jack has an independent level knob and pan knob in the monitor mixer if you are using the monitor mixer to monitor all 8 TAPE IN jacks.

Would the only way to get into the TAPE IN channels be by using the 1/4in to RCA cables out of the 002 that I mentioned above & into the RCA TAPE INs in the rear of the mixer?
Click to expand...

The only way to get signal to reach the TAPE RTN path into each of the 8 channels of the monitor mixer is to use the TAPE IN jacks, so yes, in one way or another if you want to be able to monitor your "tape" returns through the monitor mixer, you'll have to have SOME kinda cable that goes from the 002's 1/4" TS jacks to the M-312's RCA TAPE IN jacks.

AND by having my 002 outputs plugged into those 1-8 TAPE INs, I'm automatically putting them in line at line level on channels strips 1-8?
Click to expand...

Yes, the TAPE IN jacks are line level, and yes if nothing is plugged into a channel strip's LINE IN jack then plugging a source into a corresponding TAPE IN jack is the same as using the LINE IN jack (i.e. TAPE IN 1 goes to channel 1, TAPE IN 2 to channel 2, etc.). As soon as you insert a 1/4" plug into a channel strip's LINE IN jack it breaks that normalled connection to its corresponding TAPE IN jack. You can still monitor the TAPE IN jack at the monitor mixer, you just can't dump it to the channel strip until you pull that 1/4" plug out of the LINE IN jack of that channel. This allows you to have line sources plugged into channels and you can still monitor the tape returns at the monitor mixer, like during overdubs.
 
Alright, I'll try to absorb some of this tonight! I got my manual in the mail yesterday so that will prob help a bit as well. Going to try to read a bunch of it today.

As for the snake, I found two. One is a Hosa & cost about $20. The other is a Proco & is closer to $100

Do you think it really matters with such a short run? I know that better wire is better wire & possibly this is a scenario where I'll get what I pay for. What would you do? This is a project/demo studio but some of my "rough" mixes definitely get heard. It's all been in the box thus far. Now that I'm trying to incorporate this little mixer into the scenario, I am getting some hum & noise that I've never had before. Haven't narrowed down where the hum is coming from yet but will when I have a chance. Maybe this board is a little noisy. Anyways, I'd like to do anything I can to minimize it & if the more expensive cables can help by not adding to the issue then maybe I should go that route?
 
I've used the HOSA versions a bunch and never had a problem. I'd be getting teh HOSA snakes and saving my money for something else needed.
 
Hey Sweetbeats,

I bought a Hosa snake for $30. Then a few popped up on CL so I went & had a look. Got another 1/4in to RCA 8 channel snake & a TRS to TRS 8 channel snake for $24!! I think I'm all set on cables.

So I'm getting my head around this a little more. I just re-read your original reply that was confusing to me at first & now as lot of it makes complete sense! I think I really need to establish the best work flow for my situation & that will help dictate just how I should have this mixer set up. Although I think your preferred way of setting it up is exactly what I actually need!

I got all of my 8 analog outs running into the TAPE INS & up on thew monitor mix section of the board & all seems to be well, although I didn't notice if they actually came up on the individual channel strips. I'll check tonight. I see no reason why they wouldn't as I have nothing in the LINE IN jacks.

I wanted to print a mix from Protools through the mixer & then back into Protools (went out of the balanced XLR stereo jacks on the mixer), mainly just to see if I could figure the routing out. I set all of my Protools channels' outs to Out 1-2 on the Digi002 & went into TAPE INs 1 & 2 on the mixer. I panned one hard left & one hard right, set the levels & recorded a stereo track back into Pro Tools. It worked! This is not the best way to do I don't think but it worked none-the-less. I think as I work with the whole scenario a little more, I can get it set up to do just as your original post said. It will be a very efficient work space for me to write, record & mix in. Thanks for all the info, the manual is not quite the same as a good, real world explanation!

-john
 
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