AllenM...you don't
have to have everything connected up, but why wouldn't you want to? The M-208 is setup so that you can have all teh connections connected, leave them that way and have complete control over what goes where and be able to monitor whatever you need to monitor in your 4-track setup all from the control surface of the mixer...no repatching EVER.
Not trying to butt in here, but here's the way I would connect M-208 to your cool-cool A-3340S.
PGM OUT 1 to LINE IN L1
PGM OUT 2 to LINE IN R1
PGM OUT 3 to LINE IN L2
PGM OUT 4 to LINE IN R2
So that handles all the signals FROM the mixer TO the recorder, and note that because
mixer channels 1~8 can be routed freely to any or all of the PGM GROUPS simultaneously you don't have to plug or unplug those connections FROM the mixer TO the recorder ever.
Now let's look at the connections FROM the recorder TO the mixer. Tascam gives you a way to have your recorder hooked up to the mixer and
also to never have to unplug those connections and be able to monitor, mix, overdub, whatever...
LINE OUT L1 to CHANNEL 1 TAPE IN
LINE OUT R1 to CHANNEL 2 TAPE IN
LINE OUT L2 to CHANNEL 3 TAPE IN
LINE OUT R2 to CHANNEL 4 TAPE IN
If you have the connections as above, here is how you would monitor playback of track 1 of the recorder while listening to a mic plugged into channel 1 of the mixer:
- You can listen to tape tracks in two ways, either depress the TAPE switch up by the TRIM knob (now the source of the mixer channel is track 1 of the tape deck, and you would do it this way when mixing down), OR leave the TAPE switch by the TRIM knob in the up position (now the source of the channel strip is whatever is plugged into the MIC or LINE jack), and depress the TAPE switch by the FLB and EFF knobs on the channel strip (now track 1 goes to the FLB knob...turn that up on the strip, and then turn the master FLB knob up which is above the PGM GROUP 4 fader and PAN knob, and lastly depress the FLB switch in the MON section...and you would do it this way when tracking and overdubbing).
- Once you have the tape track routed to the FLB buss and you are monitoring the FLB buss in the MON section then we can get your theoretical mic plugged into channel 1 MIC jack monitored...I'm purposely having you plug the mic into channel 1 of the mixer so you can see how the TAPE IN jack can be handled/routed independently of the MIC or LINE jack even on the same mixer channel).
- Route the mic to PGM GROUP 2 (channel 1 PAN full clockwise, 1-2 button depressed). Raise the channel 1 fader.
- Raise the PGM 2 fader.
- Raise the L and R faders
- Depress the STEREO button in the MON section (along with the FLB button)
- You should now be able to hear the mic AND the track 1 playback AND if you set track 2 of the recorder to monitor the input (LINE IN R1) you should be able to see activity on the track 2 VU meter from the mic.
Okay. That's a lot. Tell me what doesn't make sense.