Tascam 688 Scenes

R

Ryan Tintera

New member
These scenes are kicking my rear end. I recorded mostly on scene 11 using 3/4 and 5/6 etc. stereo inputs. When I recorded into channel 3/4, I used tracks 3/4 (record function buttons) as well to make mixdown easy later. At the end, I put it on scene 1 so I could do some voice samples.

In the end, I went to mixdown and every instrument is in every track, some are louder than others. The only track that didn't bleed over is track 1 with the voice samples.

So now it's either really easy to mix or really hard. Does anyone know what I did wrong? Once I'm on scene 11, should I just keep it on 11? This thing is pretty tough.
 
Hey - the scenes were the hardest part for me to come to grips with at first. What a great machine though - it's well worth learning to navigate imo.

Do you have a manual? I really had to read and re-read each relevant section while implementing trial and error.

Anyway, isn't scene 11 the one where every input can be routed to any track? All the little cells are filled in on the LCD screen, right? If so, I never used that one myself. I always used scene 10 for tracking, or made my own depending on the situation.

I really think you need to switch to scene 12 for mixdown though. My recollection is that while scene 11 allows for tons of flexibility when tracking, during playback, it's sending the signals from the tape tracks to all channels at once...a big mess.

Try switching to scene 12. I'm 95% sure that scene is preset for mixdown purposes and I know of no other preset scene that works for that.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks. Yes I have a manual. I read it and re-read, each time I get more powerful. I am definitely using scene 12 to mix down. Yesterday, through trial and error I figured out that scene 7, you need to have the dual 7 fader up or you can't hear it. Creating my own scene just seems like a daunting task. I think my downfall was using scene 11, it's supposed to be for pairs, tracks 1/2. 3/4. Etc but what I need to experiment with, if I have all 8 channels playing at once, and all record function buttons on, will it record channel 1 to track 1 and channel 2 to track 2? Or does everything go to every channel? I was so excited to mixdown and use eq and compression and reverb, I bought insert cables and a RNC and a E-h reverb pedal, and imagine my horror when I get to mixdown and every instrument is on every track!
 
I can't imagne that's how scene 11 is supposed to work, but again, I didn't use it much as it looked like evrything was being routed everywhere at once!

I do know that when you track with scene 10, each input is routed to the corresponding channel/track. This seemed to work well whether I was recording one or more tracks at the same time.

I can't imagine that you literally have all 8 original sources blended together on all 8 tape tracks, but I suppose it's possible? I think more likely you have 8 independant tracks, but there's something about the way you're monitoring that is causing them to be blended together. Odd about the dual fader on scene 7 - I don't think I ever used the dual channels myself...

The effects send and returns (AUX?) work well though. Once you get this other issue figured out you should be able to do nice things with the comp and verb. I used guitar pedals mostly as effects units with the 688, and while it was kinda noisey, it did work well.

Have you successfully monitored and mixed other projects on the unit, and only had this trouble now, or is this your first time with it?
 
Heatmiser, this is my first project on this. I must've somehow bounced all the tracks. There was one point where I was recording everything on scene 11. I used midi and recorded keyboard and drum machine simultaneously. I used tracks 2-6. Now every one of those tracks has every instrument. Some have different instruments louder. I wouldn't be surprised if it were the way I was monitoring. I'm going to experiment with it now. So the question is, if I want to input different instruments on 2,3,4,5,6 etc and record simultaneously to the corresponding track, what is the best way? Is scene 11 the answer or do I have to create my own?
 
I really think scene 10 is the answer going forward.

There are lots of different ways to do things on that machine, but 10 is designed specifically to record up to 8 (10?) independant sources at once onto separate tracks. It is configured so that each input records to the corresponding channel/track (input 1 to track 1, input 2 to track 2, etc.).

I never used midi myself, so I'm afraid that what you're doing right out of the gate may already be more complex that what I built up to over time, you know?
 
Heatmiser, you are a god amongst men. Yes. Scene 10 is the answer. I just cued it up and I saw those staggered boxes I got too excited. If you look at 11 comparitively, every box is filled, so thy must mean that every instrument goes to every track. How would this be useful? I'll try to re-record with 10 and let you know how I do. My ensoniq vocoder came today, so now I'm pretty much unstoppable.
 
Ha! Yes, you will be a force to be reckoned with.

I found scene 11 to be pretty useless, but I still haven't figured it all out, so I bet it has some hidden purpose.

Have at it. Good luck.
 
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