in over my head...

  • Thread starter Thread starter rockinokie
  • Start date Start date
rockinokie said:
Also, I may have found a Tascam 2516 for a decent price. What do y'all think?

Thanks for all the help!!!
Click to expand...

I'm no help on the Otari, but I do have a M-2516 that I use. It's got sweepable mid EQ, 16 input, 8 buss, 4 send/receive, and pretty decent mic-pre amps. The inputs are XLR, 1/4" and RCA (tape input on each channel).

I've got a pdf of the manual if you want to take a peek at it.;)

Eventually I'll move to one of the console style Tascam boards, but the M-2516 is plenty capable of pretty much whatever you throw at it.:D
 
You sound like you're going through what I went through. What a process it all is! Wiring that snake is no fun.
 
Yes, you'll need 16 channels to go between the Otari and your board.

I'm sorry dinty had a bad experience with the M-216, but my experience with a neglected M-308B was quite the opposite. Best sleeper deal in small format mixers IMHO is the M-300 series.

If you DO get an M-300 you'll need TS jacks for the mixer outs (if using the DIRECT OUTs) or RCA's for the mixer outs (if using the BUSS OUTs) and RCA's for the tape returns if you want to use the TAPE inputs.

The 2500-series is also really cool...carries on the tradition of smart and plentiful features and good sound. You'll need RCA's for the BUSS OUTs on the 2516 and RCA's also for the TAPE returns. The upside of the 2516 is that it is an 8-buss mixer as opposed to the M-300 series which are 4 buss, so you'd be using the channel direct outs and repatching as needed on an M-300 or just using the 4 busses and only recording up to 4 tracks at a time. Having 8 busses is not essential for an 8-track recorder, but it is a really nice function to have infinitely variable patching and grouping at the control surface of the mixer.

[EDIT]

Don't forget that your Otari is unbalanced.
 
hungovermorning said:
You sound like you're going through what I went through. What a process it all is! Wiring that snake is no fun.
Click to expand...

I can relate! I did mine this weekend. I was kinda avoiding it. I ended up having to stay up late a couple of nights and break it in pieces and I even had a head start on each one. I used to have 8 channel snakes for the 3M M-56 and they were pin 3 hot, too. I guess one was included in the sale of the 3M and I had taken the XLRs off the other one. At least the old one did have nice Switchcraft TRS plugs on it.

I just bought new XLR males for that old one and wired it up pin 3 hot. I did not bother to tie pin 2 to pin 1, since those points are already wired together inside the Otari connectors (per the schematic and my measurements).

For the outputs, I bought a new Hosa snake (XLR female to TRS) and then just lopped off the molded TRS plugs and replaced them with some nice new Switchcraft plugs with metal handles and rewired to pin 3 hot at the same time. I happen to have a lot of unused Switchcraft TRS plugs left over from a console wiring project that never happened.

So, I lucked out and really only had to do half the wiring. One thing I didn't like about the new Hosa snake is that the wiring is smaller. I can't recall if the older one is Hosa also, but the DC resistance of the new lines is twice (.8 ohms) that of the old one (.4 ohms) and those tiny wires are a little more annoying to dress up and prepare for soldering. At least now it's done and it works and the machine sounds great. :)

Cheers,

Otto
 
Actually... all my recording will be in close proximity to the mixer as well as the deck. I don't have a very large recording space unfortunately. That being said, If I use a snake it will be short enough that I just might buy one. ...haven't got that far yet. I still have a lot of other things to persue at the moment. weeeeeee

I friend is trying to talk me out of the tascam 2516. Saying I should get a different mixer and buy some serperate pres. ...which also means extra $$$. I have a professional screen printing settup that I need to sell. ...maybe I'll use the cash from that. That would be fun right?!?!?! Shopping spree!:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top