miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
TASCAM M-3500..........................................unitl I can find a Neve within my budget! 
C
chronicle
New member
Thanks. One other question. Since the 3500 is an 8 buss, do you use the group outs to the multitrack, or direct outs?
btw, good luck on the Neve. Although, like someone around here said.."if you can't make a hit record on a Tascam, a Neve ain't gonna help ya" or something to that effect.
btw, good luck on the Neve. Although, like someone around here said.."if you can't make a hit record on a Tascam, a Neve ain't gonna help ya" or something to that effect.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
I don't track through the console. For tracking, I go from the pres to the recorder, then I run the outputs from the recorder to the console so I can have a cue mix from the console.
I haven't done any tracking yet with the MX80, but that's the way I've been doing it for many years with my 16-track deck, and will also with the MX80.
The only reason to track through the console would be if I wanted to use the console's pres, or maybe if I needed some kind of signal splitting...etc...otherwise going direct from my outboard pres to the recorder will always be the best/shortest signal route.
AFA as the Neve... ...I was only kidding, as I don't see a Neve desk in my studio any time in the near future...though I may find something in-between the Neve and the TASCAM, like a Trident or similar.
And while you can make a hit record with the TASCAM...it just won't sound as good as it could with a Neve.
Hit records and sound quality not always being one and the same.....
Oh, I like my M-3500...been using it for over 20 years now, and knock on wood, never had any issues with it. Some of the knobs are getting a little stiff, but it still sounds about the same as when I got it. I don't use any of the on-board pres though...just have better outboard ones.
I haven't done any tracking yet with the MX80, but that's the way I've been doing it for many years with my 16-track deck, and will also with the MX80.
The only reason to track through the console would be if I wanted to use the console's pres, or maybe if I needed some kind of signal splitting...etc...otherwise going direct from my outboard pres to the recorder will always be the best/shortest signal route.
AFA as the Neve...
...I was only kidding, as I don't see a Neve desk in my studio any time in the near future...though I may find something in-between the Neve and the TASCAM, like a Trident or similar.And while you can make a hit record with the TASCAM...it just won't sound as good as it could with a Neve.
Hit records and sound quality not always being one and the same.....
Oh, I like my M-3500...been using it for over 20 years now, and knock on wood, never had any issues with it. Some of the knobs are getting a little stiff, but it still sounds about the same as when I got it. I don't use any of the on-board pres though...just have better outboard ones.
FALKEN
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I also use outboard preamps to my tape machines, then output the tape machines to the mixer. I am really excited for you to get tracking on that MX-80. getting a good sound has always been a journey for myself as I am sure for everyone else here. I have always made awesome sounds with tape but there was always too much hiss, without using NR. with the MX-80 I can track using 499 at 30 ips, and there is really no hiss. Though I thought I would be able to get away with it at 15ips, I find that I am gating every channel to get my ultimate noise floor (after compressing everything, eq, etc...) down to about -80db where I want it, or close to that, since I will be adding even more gain in mastering. Even with the 2" sometimes I feel like the digital guys have it way too easy. Running 2" tape at 30 ips ain't cheap!!
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Hmmmm...so you're getting enough hiss at 15 without NR that it doesn't work for you?
I'll have to check it out when I get tracking. I don't have any NR for the MX-80 at the moment, so it's a moot point....but if 15ips proves to be too noisy, I certainly can go to 30ips.
Not that it's anything to go by at this point, but the guy I got it from said he ran it at 15ips without NR and it was good enough for Rock/Pop music...though he also said he didn't really do much recording with it after he got the heads re-lapped and the machine all set up....so who knows.
I'll find out soon enough.
I thought I was going to have the machine all calibrated for recording last weekend...then I got in too deep with some of the other more involved electronic testing/calibrating that one would do initially, but I should have it done this weekend.
Not knowing the actual electronic condition of the deck...I kinda thought I should go through all the OTARI manual checks/tests...but man, very time consuming!!!
FALKEN
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I have yet to experiment enough.
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Yeah...me too. 
I'm going with 499 @ 355 nWb/m ref (+6) , and a 4dB over-bias for now on my "B" setting at both L & H speeds, which should be good enough also for me to use with the 3M 996 tape without issues.
I think I will set the "A" position for 456 @ 250 nWb/m ref (+3), and aq 3.5dB over-bias for both L & H, since it's already preset for 456 on the L speed.
According to MRL and some other sources, the 499 @ 355 nWb/m ref should run OK without NR at 15ips, if I hit it hot enough...and if not, I can recal for 500 nWb/m ref, and see how much it improves....after that, I can go to 30ips and/or at some point find a NR package to add to the MX-80, but I'm hoping not to have to do that.
I may also try the trick of boosting the upper HF during tracking, and then lowering them by the same amount during PB, which should provide a NR-like effect without actually using NR processing.
I'm going with 499 @ 355 nWb/m ref (+6) , and a 4dB over-bias for now on my "B" setting at both L & H speeds, which should be good enough also for me to use with the 3M 996 tape without issues.
I think I will set the "A" position for 456 @ 250 nWb/m ref (+3), and aq 3.5dB over-bias for both L & H, since it's already preset for 456 on the L speed.
According to MRL and some other sources, the 499 @ 355 nWb/m ref should run OK without NR at 15ips, if I hit it hot enough...and if not, I can recal for 500 nWb/m ref, and see how much it improves....after that, I can go to 30ips and/or at some point find a NR package to add to the MX-80, but I'm hoping not to have to do that.
I may also try the trick of boosting the upper HF during tracking, and then lowering them by the same amount during PB, which should provide a NR-like effect without actually using NR processing.
FALKEN
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weird....my mx-80 has NR built in
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Are you referring to the HX-Pro NR....?...or something else?
Mine has the built-in HX-Pro NR, but the general consensus by many who have used the MX-80 was that it sucks, and everyone recommends turning it off because it causes a phasey-like effect with the HF. Even the guy I got it from had it off.
Mine has the built-in HX-Pro NR, but the general consensus by many who have used the MX-80 was that it sucks, and everyone recommends turning it off because it causes a phasey-like effect with the HF. Even the guy I got it from had it off.
FALKEN
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yeah, I haven't tried it. I dont think the phasey effect is an error per se, its just how the HX Pro works.........
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Right...it's just the nature of the HX-Pro...though most everyone that ever comments about out...says to just turn it off and that the benefit of the NR doesn't outweigh that negative, phasey sound quality.
Ideally, if I was to want/need NR....I would try and find some of the Dolby units (can't recall the model number)...not necessarily the SR stuff, there are these other Dolby boxes that I've seen, and the MX-80 has the connector built in on the back for it, so it's an easy add-on if you can find them.
Ideally, if I was to want/need NR....I would try and find some of the Dolby units (can't recall the model number)...not necessarily the SR stuff, there are these other Dolby boxes that I've seen, and the MX-80 has the connector built in on the back for it, so it's an easy add-on if you can find them.