Recording FX help!

[Benreturns]

My daft question of the week...

On my Tascam 488MkII i hook up a reverb/fx unit as a send-return effects loop. Sounds great on headphones when recording, but i seem to loose it on playback. I cant seem to find the right combination of buttons to actually record the reverb/delay onto the track im recording etc...

Anyone familiar with my machine... help?

 

[Mark7]

I suspect that's because the FX Send/Return Loop is hard wired to the Stereo Buss. If you want to add an effect to any track/s whilst recording you need to be bring the signal from your FX Unit back into the 488 via one or two of the main mixer channels (1 to 8) and assign that/those channel(s) to whichever track(s) you want the effect on.

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

The effects loops don't record to tape, to my knowledge. They are designed for the mixing stage so that you can add whatever you want, then change your effects as the mix changes. I don't think there is any way to record the effects loops to tape.

My guess is that you want to record the effects because you are going to be bouncing the tracks later and will lose the ability to add effects to individual tracks later. You have a couple options.

1) Use the effect as an insert. I don't recall if the 488 has insert points on any or all of its tracks, but my old Porta 2 had them on the first 2 tracks.

2) Include your effects in the signal chain. For example. Keyboard- reverb unit- 488.

3) Bounce to an external tape deck (like acoputer or a VCR!) and record that stereo track back to the 488. This is a high quality way to bounce tracks and it will include your effects.

Take care,
Chris

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Ben who Returns:

I still have a 488 in my vault; had a couple of those units.

You can hear the effects as you are doing your recording but, if my memory serves me right, you have to go into the group recording mode before you can fry the FX as you record.

Most advice is to add the FX AFTER you finish the tracks.

I never bounced tracks because I wanted to control each tracks EQ/FX -- if you bounce Bass to Piano your input will affect both bass and piano and, maybe, that's not what you want -- you lose control over the tracks when they are stuck together.

Page 35 of the 488 MK11 manual says:

"To record reverb onto a track: simply assign the return to the proper GROUP for the track being recorded and adjust the controls for the sound you want. Remember, the stereo effects must be recorded onto two tracks to maintain their "stereo" effect."

TO HEAR REVERB IN THE HEADPHONES BUT NOT RECORD THE REVERB: Assign the effect return channel to a group that's not being recorded [for example, assign it to group 4 while you're recording on tracks 1 and 2.] By pressing the GRP 3-4 switch in the monitor and turning up its level control, you hear the reverb, but the recording will be "dry."

If you have the manual, check out pages 34/35.

Green Hornet

 

[Benreturns]

Thanks for all your help
The reason i want to 'fry' the delay etc... onto the track whilst recording is because i only have one FX unit and like to use that whilst mixing down on a 'power setting' mode which i quite like, hence me asking about enhancers in another post.I know your supposed to take the time to track to get the sound you want, but its just a means to an end for me.

I only use a miniscule amount of delay/reverb on my voice and i cant include it in my signal chain 'cause there is no input for an XLR mic.

Im really thinking of getting some sort of mixdown unit to add that 'zing' and free up my fx unit unless i can figure it out. Il try that 'group recording mode' or Marks metho of bringing it back into a main channel.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Ben:

You can get an XLR adapter to 1/4 inch plug and maybe that will make things easier for you.

Green Hornet

 

[Benreturns]

"To record reverb onto a track: simply assign the return to the proper GROUP for the track being recorded and adjust the controls for the sound you want.

Green Hornet [/B]

I know im being a bit lazy/stupid here but...
If im recording an XLR (input 1) and routing it to track 8 through group 3-4 is it just as easy as pressing 3-4 on channel 9-10? I only ask cause It didnt seem to work when i tried.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Ben:

It really doesn't matter if you're using an XLR input or the 1/4 inch input -- keep your pan dials straight up and down so you hear your inputs clearly -- you can use the pan when you mix down if you want to move a track around in the stereo field.

As I recall, Keep all those square push buttons just to the bottom left of the tape deck pushed in.

And, when you record two tracks, make sure you monitor them through the CUE section as you add tracks. You can turn up your CUE volume as loud as you want or soft as you want as the track is already recorded and, if you're overdubbing, adding tracks, you just need to hear the recorded tracks as you add.

When you go to mix it down to a DAT or a tape deck or CD, then, all the switches come out of CUE mode and you set your faders to the levels you like as you listen to your recording on your monitors.

I used to try and use the pan knobs but the sound would go left/right and be dim so I just started leaving the pan knobs straight up until I mixed.

Green Hornet