Just got a new toy! Tascam M-208

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Cancers
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tascams

thats right, i was just wondering which were better to use. working fine through speaker outputs, but i did try through the PGM out but didnt get the effects coming through, but thanx to your last post i now know why!
im absolutely blown away by the clarity and warmth. sounds so frickin good. First try , i didnt get a very good sound, but with dolby on and a bit of panning - it sounds first class.
I think im totally ready to roll now. another question though: I have powered speakers. When tracking i have to unplug them. is there a way to turn them down or do i need a separate mixer for that?
 
tape shedding

Hiya Sweetbeats, hope your weekend is going well.
recording is going well, loving it, altohugh i keep reocridng over takes accidently etc and sometimes i get confused with the PGM out scenario.
One thing ive noticed today is fine bits of tape under the heads. looks like the tape is getting eaten alive from playing!
 
panning etc.

hi there. Sorry to bombard you with questions again. you are probably so busy.
Im confused about the panning on this thing. It seems that after the tracks are recorded and i hit the tape button to hear the track, i can only pan from the PGM fader. I thought the pan pot on the channel strip would become normal when not in record mode, but it doesnt seem to be the case. If this is how it is, then it seems that there is only 4 channels that i can pan. This cant be true?
Could you please point me in the right direction here?
thanks in advance!
 
desmond22 said:
hi there. Sorry to bombard you with questions again. you are probably so busy.
Im confused about the panning on this thing. It seems that after the tracks are recorded and i hit the tape button to hear the track, i can only pan from the PGM fader. I thought the pan pot on the channel strip would become normal when not in record mode, but it doesnt seem to be the case. If this is how it is, then it seems that there is only 4 channels that i can pan. This cant be true?
Could you please point me in the right direction here?
thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

you can only pan 4 tracks on the PGM faders. The channels 'PAN' is assigning the channel to a certain track.
 
thanks again.

So you are saying that even though this mixer was made for use with an 8 track, you can only pan 4 tracks on play back and mix down?
thats a bit stupid if thats the case.
 
I'm just curious: How does the M-208 compare to an M-35? Does either model offer any extra flexibility or features than the other?, or are they about the same?
 
Hi there

I see this is now a 13 year old thread but throwing this out there in the hope some of you still check in here once in a while. I’ve had my M-208 hooked up to my tascam 38 for years now (I was previously recording one channel at a time to tape then bouncing down to logic) but I just got round to properly connecting 8 balanced outputs from my interface into the 8 xlr ins on the back of the 208.
My plan is to use my computer and interface as inputs essentially and I monitor everything through the main xlr outputs on the desk, this means i can add plugin fx to external instruments and mics and play plugin instruments through to tape.
I cleaned up the inside and removed all the dust etc. then set it back up and I’ve noticed something quite odd…
Not sure if I’ve just never noticed this having not used all 8 inputs previously but my first four channel levels seem fairly normal like sure its a little noisy but to be expected with an old desk, i have to put the gain at about 50% to get a decent signal but channels 5-8 are insanely loud! Like i need the pad on and the fader really low, in fact even with the faders all the way down i hear the signal and the peak lights show immediately.
Now either my first 4 channels have something wrong and the all inputs should get a really hot signal or my first four channels have something wrong or theres something going on that i don’t know about… I’m not technically proficient with old mixing desks, this was the first i bought and never really dove in on how it actually works. Does it sound like I need to replace the PCBs for the first 4 channels? I tested both the xlr ins and the line ins with a separate TS loom and get the same thing… if anyone is still knocking about on this forum and has some insight I would massively appreciate it. Best, Basil
 
You typically would have to use the PAD because the XLR inputs are for mic level sig als and if you want to use them as balanced line inputs you have to pad the signal because line level is much hotter than mic level. What interface are you using? Have you considered whether or not there is physical switch-selectable output level settings or software controls for the nominal output level? I’d start there.

Do all 8 mix inputs work the same with a mic attached to them? Try a mic in channel 1 and compare it to the performance with the pic plugged into channel 5. If there’s no practical difference (in other words, PAD up or off because you’re now using a mic, you find you can set the TRIM control about the same for the given mic in the two different channels, and it sounds normal in each), then the problem isn’t your mixing console, but rather this points to an issue or setting with your interface or software.
 
Hi sweetbeats

Thanks for getting back to me.

That’s actually a very good shout, something I overlooked.

I use a focusrite scarlett 18i20 1st gen and use a preset in the mixcontrol software called ‘mixing’ and now i come to think of it the last time I had it open the volumes sliders in there were varied so I will check that as soon as I go back to the studio.

Thanks for the info regarding the Mic level signals do you think this is a practical way of sending inputs to the mixer or would I be better off sending them to the line in unbalanced? I had just read balanced cables might help emit noise through the signal.

Best,
Basil
 
You’re far better off to use the unbalanced line level signals *unless* your cable runs are over 25’ or so, -OR- you are having actual issues with induced and unwanted noise interference. I need to save the following diatribe to a note somewhere so I can copy and paste it when needed because I’ve typed it so many times over the years. Balanced audio does not in and of itself create some sort of “mojo” or make the audio sound “better”, except in the case where there is induced noise interference, because that is generally regarded as bad sounding, so abating is generally considered an improvement; “better”. But it’s not like balanced audio sounds better than unbalanced. The quality of a signal path is entirely dependent on the design of the circuit and the components used whether balanced or unbalanced. Balanced signal paths were developed by the telephone industry since, in that case, prior to digital technology, telephone lines were analog and thousands of miles long in some cases…LOTS of opportunity for unwanted noise induction there. The concept was adopted by the broadcast and audio recording industries for similar reasons…large facilities with multiple rooms and hundreds of feet of cable runs…think of a multi-story building housing a TV station. In that case it’s necessary. Now jump to folks like you and me…relatively small rooms, or in some cases a desk in a room with everything right there…2m or maybe 3m cable runs…generally balanced audio is just not necessary. And people still think they have to have it or use it because it’s “better”. And the reality is, if you have a choice, and the balanced audio is not necessary, using the balanced pathway is typically *worse*…sending the signal through unnecessary amplifier stages adding unnecessary noise and distortion. And in *your* case you’re using a mic amp as your input amp…which is bound to be noisier than a line amp…worst of all worlds. Tascam (and many other companies) offer a pad function on a mic amp for greater flexibility whether it’s the need to pad a hot phantom powered mic, OR use the mic input as a balanced line input. But that really should be an “in-a-pinch” solution, and not chosen when it’s not needed. Just use good quality unbalanced interconnects and connect the interface to the unbalanced line inputs. Your signal will be more clean and there should not be an issue with induced noise if your cable runs are 2m, 3m…even up to 8m in length.
 
Gotcha. One of the reasons I opted for the xlr inputs is because my channel 8 has a missing line in socket, I’ve ordered a replacement input PCB which I wasn’t that keen on replacing as electronics is not my forte, but I guess I’ll have to learn, not sure if soldering will be involved or whether its a disconnect and reconnect sort of job as I’ve probably soldered about 3 things in my entire life plus I have the cheapest soldering iron known to man, but I’m keen to have it all working properly. I just got to the studio and did the microphone test and yes you’re right the levels were exactly the same across the desk so it has to be a routing issue from my interface, I’m going to run another test now to check what might be wrong with the interface routing. Another reason I assumed xlr ins might be best is the outputs from the scarlett are balanced… When I test recorded recently I had a lot of noise coming through when I recorded some synth into one of the channels, I think that might have been that the insides were still dusty and dirty, plus I had an almighty hum which I think might have been a grounding issue with how I had my synth plugged in from a different power outlet and the cables running across the studio floor next to the power supply, the synth is a roland JX-8P with a US plug being stepped down from UK voltage using a transformer so was probably picking that up? I’ve reorganised my power supply distribution to come from a couple of power strips both coming from one x2 plug outlet, so hopefully the desk maintenance and power organisation should sort that out and I can use the unbalanced line ins once the replacement PCB arrives.

Thanks again for your info, really helpful and insightful. Will shout again if I run into more issues.

Best,
Basil
 
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Just open up the Focusrite Mix Control application and look at the output levels…set them all the same. They are probably at different levels.

There is no soldering involved in an M-200 input PCB swap…but you’ll have to carefully remove the buss PCB that goes across the bottom of all the boards.

1. Remove all the knobs including the fader knob from the input PCB you want to remove.
2. Flip the console over and remove the bottom panel.
3. You’ll see the buss PCB spanning across all the boards. Start at one end carefully levering/rocking the first connector and continue across until they are all disconnected and the buss PCB is free. Work slowly and gently.
4. At the rear of the input PCB are three wires that go to the XLR mic input PCB. There’s a connector at the end of that which connects that input PCB to its mic input jack. Disconnect that connector for the input PCB you are removing.
5. Flip it back over right-side up and at the back on the jack panel remove the nuts that fasten the insert and line input jacks to the back panel (I guess that would just be insert in your case since you said the line input jack is missing, right?).
6. On the top control surface remove all the pot nuts and then the two screws that fasten the fader to the top panel. The PCB should now be free to remove from the bottom of the console.
7. Installation is the reverse of the removal process.
 
Exactly as you suggested. There are three settings for the outputs in scarlett mixcontrol, on, off and on again but level attenuation bypassed. I had some off and some on when i tested yesterday. I have now opted for the last option and works perfect.

Re replacing the PCB, that is great news. I did open up the mixer to clean everything the other day and other than the PCB boards I removed everything to give it all a good clean so got a good look inside to see where everything goes and what was connected where. I used IPA 99% alcohol to clean up and lubricated the knobs and Faders and can’t believe how good it sounds now.

Thanks so much for the step by step guide on how to replace the input will save me a lot of googling when it comes to crunch time.

??
 
Good deal.

So…you used isopropyl alcohol to…lubricate the pots and faders? Or was the alcohol used just for cleaning surfaces internally and you used something else to clean and lubricate the pots and faders?
 
Exactly, I cleaned the panels once they were removed, I then used a couple of cans of compressed air to remove dust mainly around the knobs, switches, faders (mind there wasn’t much around the faders) and in and around the PCBs, then the isopropyl alcohol to then clean up stubborn bits of dust stuck around those parts, i didn’t dare go near the components of the PCBs but hoped the canned air removed most of the dust in and around those parts. Then i used Deoxit D5 very lightly on the knobs, turned them a few times, same on the switches, same on the faders (i did later read that was a bad idea as there is solvent in D5 and can cause them to stiffen and i should have removed them from the chassis before only lubricating but I did go light on this stuff) then finally used some Deoxit F5 to lubricate the knobs and faders (again read I should have used a pure lubricant as this apparently has a bit of solvent in too?). I do realise using D5 on the faders wasn’t a great idea as one of them now has a slightly damaged dust flap, so have had to order a replacement for that too.

Any recommendations for how to properly maintain it I’m all ears.

I might also have some tascam 38 queries too if you’d care to guide me but can jump on another 38 related thread for that.

Also man you’re like a caped online crusader saving all these DIYers, much respect.
 
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