Tascam 388 Master Send Return Insert Mod

[ArnoP]

I wondered if somebody modified a Tascam 388 by adding a master Send-Return so that a master mix compressor could be looped in

 

[sweetbeats]

Not here, but something you could try is when you are mixing down, rather than assigning your mixer channels to the L-R buss, assign to PGM 1-2. Connect the PGM 1-2 OUT jacks to the inputs of your buss compressor, and the outputs to the STEREO BUSS IN L-R jacks. That, in effect, accomplishes the same thing as insert jacks…dumps the processed signal right to the L-R buss…Correct me if I’m wrong but you should be able to monitor that by selecting the STEREO buss in the monitor section by the MONITOR/PHONES level control, and then connect the STEREO OUT jacks to your master recorder.

 

[ArnoP]

Thanks for the very creative approach! Could use such an alternative if the real mod wouldn't work....but it seems do-able and doing this trick at the master sliderconnections. Looking at the schematic this seems te best spot and the signal will be well buffered for the sending side as well as receiver side. Figuring out where to put these extra TRS connectors

 

[sweetbeats]

Good luck. You’ll have to see how well it works if you’re going to go that route. Typically, if there are unbalanced insert points in a circuit like that there are two additional amplifier stages. What you have in the 388 on the master buss is a summing stage ahead of the fader and a fader booster following. If you add insert points you would have the summing stage, an output booster to the send jack with gain, an input stage following the receive jack, and fader, and then the output booster with gain. You’ll likely have signal loss for which you won’t have enough range on the fader to counter, and, at the very least you’re going to want to add an output coupling cap and output series resistor, and an input coupling cap and series input resistor, depending on where you splice in the insert jack(s).