Intro to using Multitracks

M

M-Skeleton

New member
I have a few, probably stupid questions, about recording with a multitrack. First off I am looking at buying a Teac 38 1/2 inch 8 track, my question is are there panning knobs on the tape machine itself ? I understand that you record into the tape machine, but do you need to send the tracks out in order to pan them? Is this how tape machines work: sending the tracks out to a mixer, or such to pan the tracks and fiddle with the sound?

I have a soundcraft spirit E-12 mixer, will this work if a mixer is needed for panning tracks.

any info would be greatly appreciated as I am new to this.

thank you
 
The 38 contains no panning controls.

It must be used with a mixer to receive sound and output to a mixer to balance and mix the sound which would include panning channels from left to right on the mixer's channel strips.

As long as your mixer has 8 mono mixing channel strips with pan pots, you can set up a decent mix with it and some outboard gear like a digital reverb and a compressor to tame wilder dynamics going to the deck or coming from it on playback if the recording was too dynamic.

The 38 is basically a component and meant to be part of a system. Items like Portastudios and DAWs are closer to the studio in a box concept.

Cheers! :)
 
thank you for the info.

I still have a few more questions: how do you send the signals from the tape machine to the mixer? Does the tape machine have eight sends for each track, and are those then sent into the eight inputs on the mixer?

After that is done and the panning is all set, do you play the tape and send it out into a final recorder, say an interface into a computer?


I hope these questions make sense

thank you

M
 
M-Skeleton said:
thank you for the info.

I still have a few more questions: how do you send the signals from the tape machine to the mixer? Does the tape machine have eight sends for each track, and are those then sent into the eight inputs on the mixer?

After that is done and the panning is all set, do you play the tape and send it out into a final recorder, say an interface into a computer?


I hope these questions make sense

thank you

M
Click to expand...

The 38 has a total of one input connection and one output connection for each track so, there is a total of 16 connections that must be made on the back of the recorder to the mixer.

You use recording buss outs on the mixer to feed the inputs of the deck and you use tape returns or line inputs on the mixer to accept the output from the 38.

In the mixdown process, you will feed a mixed stereo output to a two track recording device like the line input of your sound card on your computer or other stand alone recording device like a CD recorder, DAT, analog cassette deck or other open reel recorder.

Cheers! :)
 
thanks again for quickly answering my questions.

where do you connect the instruments/mics? You said that you use recording buss outs on the mixer to feed the inputs of the deck, what is the deck?

Also, what exactly are the recording buss outs? I have the spirit E-12 mixer and it has two xlr mix outputs, are these the recording buss outs?

Basically my mixer has 12 mic inputs (xlr), 12 line inputs (1/4" jack), and 12 inster points (1/4" jack)

are these the busses and such needed to connect the mixer to the multitrack?


sorry again for all these questions, but your answers have been extremely helpful.

M
 
You need 16 mono channels (at least). 8 for the sources, 8 for tape returns. Your E12 has only 12 channels (and I'm sure at least half of those are stereo).

You also need more than two busses (4 at least). Your E12 has only 2 (stereo left and stereo right).

In this case you would be better off selling the E12 and buying something like this Tascam M-224

Which has a whole 24 channels and four busses for you to play with :D.
 
M,

It sounds like you have not read your mixers owner's manual or you do not have the manual.

Follow this link;

http://www.soundcraft.com/download....irit_e_series/E_Series_User_Guide_English.pdf

That is the manual from Soundcraft's website. That will give you more information on your mixer and many of the terms that I have used and offer a more detail.

A "Deck" is a loose term for your TASCAM 38 reel to reel. Have you ever heard the term tape "deck"? That's what it refers to.

Recording busses are a special output on a mixer designed to feed the inputs on your tape recorder. Your mixer may not offer any dedicated recording busses and therefore may make it more tricky to set up as you will have to use the main stereo outputs of your mixer to feed your 38 but as there are only two outs on the mixer, you can only record two tracks at any one time which is fine if you are recording and working by yourself as apposed to trying to record an entire band in one take.

Read the manual from the link I have provided and you will gain much insight.

Cheers! :)
 
I don't see any direct outs on the E12. Though I think there's a well known workaround that involves using the inserts.

Of course, you wouldn't be able to use any outboard gear on any channel on which you were using the inserts as Direct Outs.

The E12 simply wasn't designed for multi-track recording. :rolleyes:
 
But it sure does look good, eh Dave :D

What Dave means is that you can use the M30 for sending signals to the 38, and then use the E12 to send signals from the 38 to whatever you use to monitor with. You need to monitor the signals coming off the rec or sync heads of the 328 in order to ensure you're hearing what's going to tape as it comes off the tape (rather than before it gets to the tape). Well, at least that's how it works for me on my 388.
 
The M30 will do all inputs/routing & monitoring, onboard.

The E-12 becomes not needed at the point you integrate the M-30. I mean just keep it around for little side-mixes, like talent/headphone mixes, or as a drum submixer.

The M-30 has 8 inputs, 4 busses, a 4x2 monitor section and an 8x2 submix section. It does it all, in respect to the 38.
 
It does? Damn. Maybe it's only the 200 series that don't have monitoring and submix sections then.

Have you got a picture of the M30 for us Dave? :D
 
The M30 would indeed make for a better choice to team up with the 38 but in case M doesn't have the funds at hand to ditch his current nice, clean E12 and score a 25 year old M30, he could still make due with it if he is only tracking one or two tracks at a time.

He would just have to swap cables when feeding the inputs of the 38 or invest in a used patchbay and use channels 9 - 12 of his existing mixer as dedicated input strips to feed Mic and line signals to his two busses and dedicate the first 8 strips to tape playback and he should be good to go.

Get the picture, M, gents? :)

Cheers! :)
 
Sure,...

a patch bay and patching regimen is a good solution to lots of questions, but this involves quite a bit of repatching between takes and playback. With the M-30 often selling for about $60, I thought I'd start there, as a minimum, that would require no repatching in the recording process.

The e-12 and patchbay solution may be workable until budget provides for a more full featured, robust, & better matched mixer to the 38.
 
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