Tascam M-208 for Otari MX5050?

[b.glyde]

Hi, I've seen some other threads on similar topics, but I have a more specific question. That is, will a Tascam M-208 work as a good mixer for the Otari MX5050? I picked up the Otari a few years ago--it was a great deal. But, I haven't used it at all. I'm looking into trying it out. I've been holding out for a Sound Workshop 1280 or Tascam M-308, but haven't seen those available. I'm wondering if the M-208 sounds good and would work with the Otari. I really am a newbie at this stuff--just gotten and read some advice here and there. I'd love to just have a simple 8-track tape recording setup at home, although I know it's easy for stuff to get broken and not work. Still, I have the Otari, so I'd like to try my hand at it. Thank you for your help in advance!

 

[Jzoha18]

I was in your situation a few years ago and while the 208 worked for this purpose they have all been price gouged to insanity. I bought mine in 2017 for 175$ and today they sell for $1000. Everyone is chasing a vibe i dont think really exists outside of their imaginations. Still they have a very cool color and EQ to them. I would actually say your best bang for your buck would be finding a Mackie CR1604/1604vlz/1604vlz-pro and using the otari with it in a "split console" setup. This approach greatly reduced confusion with older inline mixers and bussing and got me recording and making lots of music! Basically you use channel 1-8 as inputs to the tape machine via the direct outs of the mackie (channel access out) and use channel 9-16 as your tape returns from the otari. Get some effects sends going and a compressor and maybe a mixdown deck and youd be off the races! This is what i did last winter and while i have a more "vibey" tascam M-30 similar to the 208 your asking about the mackie gets used most because its so simple. Hope this helps ill link the mixers i spoke of.

Mackie CR1604 16-Channel Mic / Line Mixer | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

Mackie CR1604-VLZ 16-Channel Mic / Line Mixer | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

 

[b.glyde]

Thanks for this! I really appreciate the info. That makes sense to me about a 16-channel providing the opportunity for an easier setup. What I don’t get, though, is why the direct outs on the Tascam 208 wouldn’t work the same way. Does it not have eight direct outs to send to the Otari? This is where I get a bit lost…. Thanks!

I was in your situation a few years ago and while the 208 worked for this purpose they have all been price gouged to insanity. I bought mine in 2017 for 175$ and today they sell for $1000. Everyone is chasing a vibe i dont think really exists outside of their imaginations. Still they have a very cool color and EQ to them. I would actually say your best bang for your buck would be finding a Mackie CR1604/1604vlz/1604vlz-pro and using the otari with it in a "split console" setup. This approach greatly reduced confusion with older inline mixers and bussing and got me recording and making lots of music! Basically you use channel 1-8 as inputs to the tape machine via the direct outs of the mackie (channel access out) and use channel 9-16 as your tape returns from the otari. Get some effects sends going and a compressor and maybe a mixdown deck and youd be off the races! This is what i did last winter and while i have a more "vibey" tascam M-30 similar to the 208 your asking about the mackie gets used most because its so simple. Hope this helps ill link the mixers i spoke of.

Mackie CR1604 16-Channel Mic / Line Mixer | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

Mackie CR1604-VLZ 16-Channel Mic / Line Mixer | Reverb

Reverb is a marketplace bringing together a wide-spanning community to buy, sell, and discuss all things music gear.

reverb.com

 

[Jzoha18]

Thanks for this! I really appreciate the info. That makes sense to me about a 16-channel providing the opportunity for an easier setup. What I don’t get, though, is why the direct outs on the Tascam 208 wouldn’t work the same way. Does it not have eight direct outs to send to the Otari? This is where I get a bit lost…. Thanks!

It does but the M-208 is is a 4 buss console using an inline setup for tracking and overdubbing where as the split console approach is just more simple in terms of routing. Both work for what you're going for I just experienced and have seen many people get stumped by the architecture of older home recording mixers because they made them really flexible in routing which usually is at the expense of a new user. I'd simply say if you can find a cheap tascam mixer to try it but if you don't like it remember my original post. You could also try one of tascams later boards like this for cheaper than a M-208

Tascam M-1508 8-Channel Console https://reverb.com/item/42528914-ta...tent=42528914-tascam-m-1508-8-channel-console

 

[sweetbeats]

No, there are no direct outputs on the input channels of an M-200 series console. The 4 group outputs are available in parallel, two identical RCA jacks per group out, so the first set is connected to inputs 1-4 on your Otari and the second set is connected to inputs 5-8. It’s kind of like a Tascam 488 that way where you have 8 tracks but can record to only 4 discreet channels at a time simultaneously. Each group feeds two tape tracks…you *could* record the same group to two tracks at a time but there’s not typically a call for that. But you can do it. You define which of the two tracks records the output of the group by using the individual track arming controls on the tape deck. So let’s say you have 4 mics hooked up to input channels 1-4 on the M-208, and you want to record those to tracks 1, 4, 6 and 7 respectively for example…the assign buttons would be set to:

Channel 1 group 1
Channel 2 group 4
Channel 3 group 2
Channel 4 group 3

…and then you’d arm tracks 1, 4, 6 & 7, set levels and record away.

 

[b.glyde]

Thanks for all the help with this. I think I'm getting a headache even just imagining how to do this . But, it would be cool to learn. Is there any reason to wait around and keep looking around for a 308 as opposed to a 208? I'm going to keep thinking on Jzoha18's solution, too. I do have a Mackie Onyx 1620, but I haven't tried it with the Otari. Perhaps I should just fiddle with that and see what I can do with it? I don't know if that presents a good solution.

 

[Jzoha18]

S

Thanks for all the help with this. I think I'm getting a headache even just imagining how to do this . But, it would be cool to learn. Is there any reason to wait around and keep looking around for a 308 as opposed to a 208? I'm going to keep thinking on Jzoha18's solution, too. I do have a Mackie Onyx 1620, but I haven't tried it with the Otari. Perhaps I should just fiddle with that and see what I can do with it? I don't know if that presents a good solution.

Sweet eats would be your man on Tascam/Teac stuff. I simply offered a fool proof solution as it's what saved me. Ive used the 208 and 1604 recently and while the M-30 I have is confusing the 208 wasn't as bad. But mine was worn out I recently sold it.

 

[Jzoha18]

Thanks for all the help with this. I think I'm getting a headache even just imagining how to do this . But, it would be cool to learn. Is there any reason to wait around and keep looking around for a 308 as opposed to a 208? I'm going to keep thinking on Jzoha18's solution, too. I do have a Mackie Onyx 1620, but I haven't tried it with the Otari. Perhaps I should just fiddle with that and see what I can do with it? I don't know if that presents a good solution.

If you are tracking one channel at a time by yourself and have available channel inputs for your otari you could rig it up. I'm not exactly familiar with any other Mackie mixers but the 1604 and similar mixers from that era of Mackie

 

[skywaveTDR]

One may think a Mackie board is a deal until something breaks- they do not fix them as they are considered throw away. The Tascam boards can be fixed so the question is how many boards do you want to buy over time. The Mackie are made in China with their wonderful parts- anything you break on the board will stay that way until you toss it.