reel to reel slaving.

[mr.rich]

so i really like the sound of 1" 16 but want more tracks. what gear would i need to sync 2 decks up. 30 track 1" inch at 15ips would rule.

 

[Beck]

What are you running now? Not every machine has the electronics to sync up as a slave, but any machine can be striped with sync code to be master. What you need depends on what you have. But you probably know most of that since you already know 16+16 = 30 in this case.

-Tim

 

[ausrock]

Tascam made a synch unit. Now I know it works with the ATR-60 1" 16 trks as a friend is intending to bring his ATR over to keep mine company AND he has a synch unit.............but whether it will suit other machines is an unknown. I know where there was one for sale a little while back so holler if you want more info.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

I synch 2 MSR-16's with a Tascam Midiizer. Works fantastic. Does much more than synch too. BTW, the midizer is a hell of a tool and makes recording many tracks a sinch...er...is that synch
fitZ

 

[mr.rich]

2 ms16s ill look that thing up

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

2 ms16s ill look that thing up

No, two MSR16's. MS-16's are different machines. I don't know if they have the correct ports(connections) as the MSR's have. It takes "Accessory 2" connectors on the back of the machine I believe. I have to look at them though. Trouble is though, Midiizers are hard to find. Took me a year on Ebay to get one. Originally they were around $2500. I got mine for $300 like brand new Had to wire up special cables for it too. It took a while to get the pinout diagrams. If you do get one and it don't have the Accessory 2 cables, do a search here. I posted the pinouts for someone else last year.
fitZ

 

[The Ghost of FM]

The MS-16 doesn't have an accesory2 port. It uses an Elco 38 pin, "industry standard" (in the 80's?), connector port.

This port was designed to interface with third party synchronizers of the day from Adam Smith and a handful of other companies that are now all extinct.

Ebay does have the odd unit surface from time to time but not all that often and in most cases these units don't come with cables, manuals or from sellers that know anything about them! Invariably, every ebayer on the planet is selling the unit for a friend or they inherited it and don't know anything about the unit including if it works or not.

Good luck.

Cheers!

 

[tjohnston]

Wow reel to reel slaving! That sounds like so much fun. I love the little things about those old machines. The way they smell, the way the old fashioned knobs feel and that relaxing soothing sound of the tape going ssssssssssssssss.

 

[BRDTS]

It'll probably be a rough combination to find nowadays, but I have both the Midiizer and the accompanying IF-1000 interface rack mount...which was designed to get the Midiizer talking to machines with no accessory 2 (such as 85-16's, ms16, studer, Mci etc). The If1000 (and IF500) would convert tach signals etc to signals the Midiizer could work with...and drive. It also acted as a plug-in interface for adams-smith etc synchronizers for those that had those brands.

New, the if1000 was outrageously priced (I paid close to a grand) and could be ordered with either a master or slave wired 25' interface cable. The cable is a nightmare. 4 bazillion signal connections on a variety of interface plugs.

The If1000 wasn't really advertised much by Tascam/Teac, but it is pretty indispensable for interfacing non-accessory 2 Tascam machines for sync purposes.

Other than me, I don't think I've ever run into anyone who has one.....but...you never know...if you call Tascam, they just might still have one of these out in the warehouse collecting dust.

 

[RICK FITZPATRICK]

The MS-16 doesn't have an accesory2 port. It uses an Elco 38 pin, "industry standard" (in the 80's?), connector port.

Thats why I bought the MS"R"-16's, althought they're a 1/2" machine, and considered "semi" pro, once I found out that two of them could be synched by a cool machine called a "midiizer", it didn't matter. Once I got the Midiizer, I HAD to get another MSR. Found one just serviced by an LA Tech(still was like new) on ebay for $600. Trouble was, part of the deal was picking it up the night after the auction ended. I drove from Sacramento to LA and got there at midnight. The people waited up for me, so I picked it up and drove straight back to Sac. Talk about being a Zombie! Took 2 days to recover from that trip, but it was worth it. Best $600 I ever spent First one cost a cool $3k. What a difference a few years made. Oh well, now I have them and I'll NEVER sell em!! TOOOOOOOOO much fun!! I don't think anyone could tell from a recording they were made on a "semi pro" machine either. Sounds great to me.
fitZ

 

[Beck]

That’s for sure. The MSRs and TSRs sound great – nothing semi-pro about that.

Speaking of that, Mr. Rich, if you don’t already have the first 16-track another option is 24 on 1” and skip syncing altogether – if 24-track is close enough.

The choices for 24 on 1” are:

Tascam MSR-24 (w/dbx)
Tascam MSR-24S (w/Dolby S)
Fostex G24S (w/Dolby S)

-Tim

 

[analogelectric]

Thats why I bought the MS"R"-16's, althought they're a 1/2" machine, and considered "semi" pro, once I found out that two of them could be synched by a cool machine called a "midiizer", it didn't matter. Once I got the Midiizer, I HAD to get another MSR. Found one just serviced by an LA Tech(still was like new) on ebay for $600. Trouble was, part of the deal was picking it up the night after the auction ended. I drove from Sacramento to LA and got there at midnight. The people waited up for me, so I picked it up and drove straight back to Sac. Talk about being a Zombie! Took 2 days to recover from that trip, but it was worth it. Best $600 I ever spent First one cost a cool $3k. What a difference a few years made. Oh well, now I have them and I'll NEVER sell em!! TOOOOOOOOO much fun!! I don't think anyone could tell from a recording they were made on a "semi pro" machine either. Sounds great to me.
fitZ

Ah ha! Now I see why you felt like I was personally attacking 1/2" 16 track users. It's not the format but it's the user. When I used the 1/2" 16 track I didn't like it, so what? I felt like I was working against it. If you can make mixes that sound "pro" then more power to you. I can say it's not the format but the user and well, I just did. It's just I can't justify $1200 for a TASCAM 1/2" 16 track when I can find a 1" 16 track for a couple hundred over ('round $1500).

I certainly wasn't trying to be a dick, not at all. I think it's more of a re-sale "sticker shock" more than anything else.

-- Adam Lazlo

 

[mr.rich]

i do already have an ms 16 but ill look at the 24 1" machines. i just really like the sound of 1" at 15ips. i also have a scully machine thats 2" 16 thats sound real good if it feels like working.