Tascam 238 with M-208 mixer...

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grantley

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I just got 'em both and what I want to know is: Can I record across all 8 tracks from one microphone? If the answer is yes, I'll figure out how, but right now I'm baffled and am beginning to doubt whether it is even possible. It seems crazy to me that you couldn't do that, so, here I am.
 
Why would you want 8 tracks the same? As far as I can see it is a 4 bus mixer so theoretically you can assign 1 input to all 4 outputs if I understand your question correctly, why?
 
I recorded my band with one mic on my old Porta Two and it sounds great. The levels are all wrong because we were just tossing a mic up to grab the practice, but I love the sound even though I only recorded on one track. My thinking is that if I put up one mic (or maybe a pair) and record to all 8 tracks on my 238 the sound ought to be amazing.

Btw, in starting to work with the 238 and 208 I hadn't hooked up all the inputs and such, so that's why I couldn't get the thing to record across all 8 tracks. The 238 is my first stand alone recorder and I'm still getting used to the idea.

I supposed a better question would be: Can I record 8 separate inputs from the 208 to the 8 separate tracks on the 238? I think I'm limited to 4, right?
 
The 238 will record on all channels at once. You'd need an 8 buss console to send one signal to all 8 inputs of the 238. However, I really doubt that it would sound amazing. Not that you couldn't make a great recording with one mic to one channel. Going to all 8 tracks isn't going to add any mojo.
 
You don't think that if I allow the full width of the tape to accept the signal that it will sound fuller than by only recording on 1/8th of the tape? The deal is that I'm playing in a shotgun apartment with 11 foot ceilings, plaster walls and a hardwood floor. Three piece rock and roll band. I do think I will use two mics in a Blumlein setup, and so I'm hoping that by using the full tape for one stereo signal that the richness will come through. We'll have to mix our sound live. I was impressed by how much sound I captured on one track of my 4 track running at standard tape speed, so since the 238 runs twice as fast I hope to get just that much more.
 
I've been recording digitally for years now, just my own bands mostly, and I can't tell you how excited I am to be returning to cassette tape. I went a little crazy actually with 5 items purchased recently on Ebay. God, I know my luck can't be solid on all 5. I see some repairs in my future.

Tascam Porta2
Tascam Syncaset 238
Tascam M-208 Mixer
Tascam 112 Tape deck
Tascam 122 Tape deck.
 
I think I now see where you are coming from... the 238 will record all 8 inputs simultaniously but the 208 is only a 4 bus mixer so can only output 4 channels at a time you could for instance get another mic and try...
channel 1 mic a - bus 1 and 2
channel 2 mic b - bus 3 and 4
I don't think you will get a wall of sound but hey don't nock it till you've tried it!
 
I am going to try that, and I think I'll also try inputting 8 mics of wildly different type and send those to both buses. Might be cool. A green bullet, a cheap radio shack snowball, two cheap omni directional condensers, a Rode condenser, a Shure 57, an Audix OM2 and a Nady "Star Power" mic.
 
I have a 208. I was wondering if this would be something I could build a P.A. rig with. Would it be good for that? Or is it only for recording?
 
You could totally build a PA with this thing even easier than recording with it.
 
grantley said:
You don't think that if I allow the full width of the tape to accept the signal that it will sound fuller than by only recording on 1/8th of the tape?
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't work that way, but it's a somewhat common misconception, especially these days. Each track has it's own recording element in the head so several tracks are not the same as one wider track. If you want to thicken the sound use more than one mic on the source and pan the tracks right and left.
 
I agree with your concept of getting a fuller sound using more width of the tape.... at the least,you will get 8 times the volumn level !! :thumbs up:
 
;):D
Track Rat said:
The 238 will record on all channels at once. You'd need an 8 buss console to send one signal to all 8 inputs of the 238. However, I really doubt that it would sound amazing. Not that you couldn't make a great recording with one mic to one channel. Going to all 8 tracks isn't going to add any mojo.
Click to expand...


I think its a great idea and it will add "mojo" to it !! Im an old analog man and always heard from seasoned engineers/producers that mono always sounded clearer/punchier and experienced that myself on some of my mixes :guitar::thumbs up:
 
TASCAM MAN said:
I agree with your concept of getting a fuller sound using more width of the tape.... at the least,you will get 8 times the volumn level !! :thumbs up:
Click to expand...

Can I ask why you are resurrecting old threads all over the place? This one stopped over a year ago, the people concerned must have sorted it by now?

Alan.

9cd17c67_holy20thread20resurrection.webp
 
Beck said:
No, it doesn't work that way, but it's a somewhat common misconception, especially these days. Each track has it's own recording element in the head so several tracks are not the same as one wider track. If you want to thicken the sound use more than one mic on the source and pan the tracks right and left.
Click to expand...


This may be an older post, but i disagree with you Beck :p
 
TASCAM MAN said:
For one thing Im new here and havent even had time to look at the dates of when the threads were posted!!:laughings:
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We learn something everyday and it looks like you have learned to look at the last posting date :thumbs up:

The problem with old thread resurrection, is that the next poster is sucked in to answering as they don't look back to the previous date, it has happened to me. :facepalm:

Cheers
Alan.
 
Thank you Alan, I appreciate you telling me and promise I will catch on real fast here !!!
Thanks again :thumbs up:
 
I'd look at the M208

to see if each buss output has 2 jacks in parallel, such as Buss Out/Aux Out, based on the features I know of on the M30. This allows permanent 4-buss connections to all 8 tracks, which not only lets you assign one single mic to all 4 busses and record all 8 tracks simultaneously, but it also lets you choose between recording from busses 1-4 to tracks 1-4 or 5-8 based on your REC FUNCT (enable) switches.

Not owning an M208 myself, the 2-outputs per buss feature is what I'd look for, based on your original question.

With regard to what Beck says about zero sum fidelity gain from being limited by a single track's performance when recording the same signal accross all 8 tracks simultaneously, my feeling (and based on experience) is you get some fidelity boost that's tangible, but is seriously not equivalent to a single head element across the entire track width, (in it's purest form). Other users can provide the math. I'm not a scientist nor even much of an expert. YMMV.

:spank::eek:;)
 
grantley said:
You don't think that if I allow the full width of the tape to accept the signal that it will sound fuller than by only recording on 1/8th of the tape? The deal is that I'm playing in a shotgun apartment with 11 foot ceilings, plaster walls and a hardwood floor. Three piece rock and roll band. I do think I will use two mics in a Blumlein setup, and so I'm hoping that by using the full tape for one stereo signal that the richness will come through. We'll have to mix our sound live. I was impressed by how much sound I captured on one track of my 4 track running at standard tape speed, so since the 238 runs twice as fast I hope to get just that much more.
Click to expand...

I've done this with 4 track portas, and I do notice a louder, less noisy sound when doubling the same content over every track.

It's true you do not get all the benefits of a wider format, but you do get a couple of benefits:

1) fewer noticeable dropouts - if your source is on one track, and that track drops out, you lose that information. If it is spread across 4 or 8 tracks, this is less noticeable unless the entire width of tape is damaged.

2) lower perceived noise floor, this is due to the nature that noise does not add up at a 1:1 ratio since it is more or less random. Your sound source will add more constructively than noise. You can actually keep the faders on tracks 1-8 lower and achieve the same volume level, thereby lowering the internal noise on each mixer channel. You can also increase your tonal palate by defeating dolby on one of the tracks and mixing it in tastefully.

try it, it works. it's no replacement for a r2r though...just something to play around with :-)
 
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