M-30 tape echo/Cleaning up a dirty channel?

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poopchute

poopchute

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I have a (hopefully) quick question about the M-30 mixer. I used to have a manual on my other computer as a pdf but its in the "shop". I dont use my M-30/TSR-8 that much. But Im wondering if there is an easy way to do some creative routing and produce a simple tape echo?
And my second question about the M-30 is...If I want to clean up any channel what are the best things to clean? I mean if I have one track that sounds kinda bad (channel 6) compared to the others is there anything I can do to clean any switches? Or basically clean up the channel? I have had the beast open at one time and they really jam stuff in there. I dont know the correct terminology but can I clean out or even replace some capasitors or pots?
Happy New Year!!!
 
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I think the tsr8 is a 3 head machine so yes you should be able to plug the input of what you want delayed into the recorder and then route the output back to the mix. But the machine will need to be in play and record to do that.
Also the m30you can take out any card of a channel you want.
If I remeber right you have to take off all of the knobs and the face plate and remove a couple of nuts on the channel card you want out and then go from the bottom and remove all of the connectors that go to that card.
Its not real hard its just time consuming.
 
Actually the TSR is a 2 head machine. So thats gonna screw that up isnt it? There still must be some way to route it so that it is delayed and adjust the volume so that it gradually fades out...Maybe?

And about the capasitors for the cards...does anyone know which ones I can go after if I want it to reset back to clean or whatever it was at manufacture?
 
The only way to use a 2-head machine for a tape delay is to:

1. record what is to be delayed
2. start playback of recorded signal a fraction later than the playback of the original program. If you have timecode capability, just offset the delay machine the desired amount. Otherwise, do it by "hand" and hope for the best.
 
The limitation is the 2-head TSR8, not the M30 routing.

.................:eek:;)
 
Get some DeoxIT. Look through my M-520 Story thread...There's a bunch of stuff in there on cleaning pots and switches...start at the end of the thread and work backwards; there is a video toward the latter part of the thread that I linked that talks about cleaning. I also put up a thread specifically on pots that might help...titled something like Thoughts of pots (cleaning and such) or something like that. Sorry, I'd link it for you but its a little cumbersome at the moment...I'm posting from a mobile device.

Best thing is, as stated above, to pull the card you want to clean out of the mixer...you'll save time and headaches overall and be able to do a proper cleaning.

Capacitors...are you having snaping and crackling sounds coming from the mixer or other noise trouble like that? There is a page on analogrules.com called What Bad Caps Look Like! Might help you identify if its something you really need to get into right now. Ever do anything like tht and how good are you with a soldering iron? There is a thread I started over in the DIY forum called How Do You Know Its Time To Recap? Again, sorry for not directly linking...:o Check that out. Got lots of helpful info from smart experienced folks about recapping.
 
If you are dead set on making it into an echo unit, buy another head and modify the head wiring so that the last four tracks go to the record head and the first four go to the repro head. As long as you remember to arm only the first four tracks, it should work. You'll need to take a scope to it and make sure the heads are lined up, mind.

Of course, you could buy about two or three Copicat or similar tape delays for that kind of money and they'd have a higher track width to boot.
 
You know I do have a whole other head stack from a Tascam 38-8. But I really wouldnt know where to start as to attaching it on to the machine...I dont think it would work well anyways
 
poopchute said:
You know I do have a whole other head stack from a Tascam 38-8. But I really wouldnt know where to start as to attaching it on to the machine...I dont think it would work well anyways
Click to expand...

Not worth the effort. There are plenty of 3-head machines available for use as tape delays. Even a 3-head cassette deck would work provided you liked the delay time between input and play head.
 
Sweetbeats...No Im not really getting snapping or poping. But I do have one channel..6. That does not sound as clean or as nice as the rest. I have heard that there are certain things on the electronics that can lose there resisitance or value and cause a bad sound. I wanted to replace those...
 
poopchute said:
Sweetbeats...No Im not really getting snapping or poping. But I do have one channel..6. That does not sound as clean or as nice as the rest. I have heard that there are certain things on the electronics that can lose there resisitance or value and cause a bad sound. I wanted to replace those...
Click to expand...

Before doing anything invasive, check all cables/connectors & clean all in/out connections on that channel. You'd be surprised what a tiny piece of crud can do to an audio signal.
 
Dont be afraid to take the bottom off of the unit and check to make sure all of the connectors on that channel are pushed on well. There are alot of them on each card.
 
Definitely...

I'd be taking card out, cleaning pots, switches and contacts before opening the pandora's box of replacing components...you'd like the man said, you'd be surprised at the havoc a little bit of something an a switch can cause...some DeoxIT and some exercising can work wonders.
 
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