Tascam M-30... thoughts?

  • Thread starter Thread starter lo.fi.love
  • Start date Start date
As admirable as modding is, I'd personally recommend against it, unless there's something wrong with the product itself or if you're into this sort of thing. The stock M-30 is fine as is. Just make some music. ;)

Scratchy pots: first try repeatedly turning them, as this often cleans out the 'scratchiness'.

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I agree, M-30 for $ 80.00, that's a great deal.
Have 2 of these mixers and they will stay here:)
 
lo.fi.love said:
Do you have any links for information on modifying the M-30? I'm mostly clueless about electronics. What would one accomplish by changing the input transformers?

What kinds of things have you heard of people doing to these mixers? I'm really curious!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Better transformers will improve the mic pre performance. Lower noise, more headroom, better transient repsonse. It's not a cheap thing to do but worth it if you are so inclined. The ic's in the M-30 are probably 4458/4559 types. They were stable and relatively quiet but just ok performers. I think the TLO 72's are drop in replacements. They're not state of the art anymore but still very good sounding and an improvement over stock. There is sure to be something more modern than that but I am not up on what's out there anymore.

As stated before, the M-30 is very nice as-is. If you like the way it performs, leave it alone. The suggested improvements above will remove a layer or 2 of "sonic blur" from the signal path.
 
Another fairly affordable and very good drop-in replacement for the 4558/TL072 that is common and popular is the OPA2134. $1.50 ~ $2.00 or so each depending on quantity purchased, but I totally agree with cjacek...don't think about that now. Plug it in...make some music. Wait to mod until you run into that wall where you are needing better sonic performance. Remember: you are always risking headaches when you open up the gear and heat up the soldering iron...no way around it. The more experienced you are the lower the risk, but anything is possible. Take it from me...I don't consider myself highly experienced, but I can stumble my way around and I'm pretty good with an iron...I cooked a bunch of circuitry in my pristine Tascam 58-OB...still don't know how much...I was dickering and made a careless error. pfffft! SO...put that in the "mix" so-to-speak. Not trying to discourage you, just give you the balance. 2 years ago I didn't know what a capacitor was or what it looked like, and now I'm a recapping fiend. :D Lots of questions, lots of advice mostly from HomeRecording.com, and some mistakes.

It sounds like the M30 has good potential for improvements though from some "basic" mods, so you've got potential there, but get to know it and enjoy before you start opening it up. My 2p.
 
56's...what's the full number on those? I'd like to see a spec sheet...
 
I hope I am remembering correctly. I think its 4556. I will have to check the manual later. But they are about the slowest chip there is and are not made anymore.
 
Ok the first stage of the preamp on a m30 is a 72 then to a njm4556.
It also has 72,s in the eq section and then to another 4556. And after the buss section it goes to another 72.
 
Okay...so here's where I vomit up info I've learned in just the past couple-three months...:o

Okay...yeah, I know the 4556 pretty well...didn't put together "56" with "4556". The 4556's had a much higher output than the 072's, but were noisier and slower with a higher distortion rating. Kind of a work truck. I'd have to look and see what all the 4556's do in the M30 to know if the OPA2134 will fit the bill, as it has a lower output. In either case the OPA2134 has a monumentally better slew rate than either (the amp's ability to quickly follow dynamic changes), as well as distortion and self-noise specs. It is a no-brainer drop-in for the 072's, and possibly for the 4556's as well but again I'd have to see a schematic to feel more comfortable with that.

The 4556's are used in the M-520 in a spot where they could potentially be driving (IIRC) 14 busses from a channel strip at once. The likelihood that you would be sending an input to the SOLO buss, all 8 PGM groups and all 4 AUX busses at once...wide open...is really unlikely, but that's why they spec'ed the 4556 I think. The 4556 is rated at a 70mA output, the 072 is at 10mA (I think...) and the 2134 is rated at 30mA (I think...haven't got the spec sheets in front of me).

BUT, this is a bunch of blahblah...Can't remember who but somebody posted on one of my threads about opamp mods they did to their M-320 (IIRC), and they couldn't really hear the difference, and they were worried about over-taxing the power-supply, which is the other thing you have to worry about.

So...again...try it out...you might just like it the way it is, huh? :D
 
By the way, I put my M-30 through the paces of mixing a 4-track recording and I am *incredibly* impressed. The sound quality is amazing; while it certainly has a "warmer" sound than my budget Soundcraft mixer, it lacks the annoying hiss and tinnyness that I've become familiar with in that mixer. The sound seems more "natural" to me, or perhaps it just sounds closer to the kind of sound I like.

I'm also impressed by how much functionality Tascam crammed into this thing. Someone (I can't remember who) wrote that the M-30's versatility and flexibility can't be matched by a new mixer priced below $1,000, and from what I've seen, I have to agree. I'm shocked and amazed, actually.

This has to be the single best and wisest purchase I've made since I started building my studio. I'm completely in love with this mixer and I truly appreciate all of the advice and information that has been given to me here.

Side note: The lamination on the side panels is coming off and the particle board is kind of brittle. I think I'm going to have some fun at my friend's shop and make new panels :)

Thanks, everyone!
 
And there you have it, folks!

That last post speaks volumes.

Thanks for this thread, lo.fi.

It IS about what sounds good and works for you and I'm happy you are tickled with your purchase. That M30 has found a good home! ;)
 
Hah I am late to the party as usual! I used an M-30 for about 4 years, hooked up to an 80-8 and it worked wonders! The M-30 mixer is an excellent unit, congrats on your find!


AK
 
Once in a while I will listen to what some of the big boyz do with their 1000 dollar per channel preamps and I just cringe cause of how sterile it sounds.

I just dont hear things in the real world that sound that harsh and I cant stand to listen to it.
 
It's small but quite "pro" looking. Very nice. It reminds me the new Oram T-8 8 channels, which cost too much for me.
There is one on sale right now... I've got some questions.

-They are a step up compared to the m-208 or the Teac 3 series?
-Does it have 8 direct outs? I mean, can you record 8 tracks at once easily?
-What's the difference between the m-30 and the m-35?

Thanks!
 
MAXRB said:
It's small but quite "pro" looking. Very nice. It reminds me the new Oram T-8 8 channels, which cost too much for me.
There is one on sale right now... I've got some questions.

-They are a step up compared to the m-208 or the Teac 3 series?
-Does it have 8 direct outs? I mean, can you record 8 tracks at once easily?
-What's the difference between the m-30 and the m-35?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The M-30 is an updated Model 3. Same functions but with sweep eq
Yes - Direct outs on all inputs
The 35 is modular the 30 isn't.
I can't remember if the 35 has 2 aux busses to the 30's one or not.
 
Side-note: I made a cheesy video of the new/improved setup. This is the link.

I'm running into a few challenges. The first one being a substantial increase in the number of cables in my bedroom, and the second one related to preamplifying inputs and getting signals to a workable level. I have two dbx 150x NR units between the console and the tape deck, and I have to boost the signal pretty high in order to get it through to the tape deck so I can record 3db into the red (my preference).

The specific problem is that I have to push the faders up pretty high, and I'm getting a good deal of noise. Also, I sometimes feel like the sound of the mixer is a little too "warm" (i.e added bass and exaggerated hiss) and I wonder if this can be altered by doing some modification to the mixer.

So, I'll make a shot in the dark and ask: Would upgrading the input transformers affect an overall decrease in noise, granted that I am adding a good deal of gain to the incoming signals? RRuskin specifically mentioned the input transformers. I've spent most of the week playing in my "studio", almost obsessively (hence the 2:30AM post), and I've begun to wonder how I could get better performance out of the mixer.

OK, off to bed!
 
Oh yeah, and I have a really dumb question. Is it a 'Very Good Idea' to ground the mixer? There's a ground connection on the back, and I've been really lazy and haven't bothered with it.

I assume it's a bad idea to ground it on the AC circuit in my house, if I can avoid it. Is this true? Or is it OK to do this? I'm assuming that the best bet would be to ground it to a cold water pipe, but that would be kind of difficult in my apartment/flat.

Thoughts?
 
Didja calibrate the 150X's? Those little blue trimmers accessible on the face make sure that the signal level going in is the same going out both to and from the deck for each channel.
 
lo.fi.love said:
Side-note: I made a cheesy video of the new/improved setup. This is the link.

I'm running into a few challenges. The first one being a substantial increase in the number of cables in my bedroom, and the second one related to preamplifying inputs and getting signals to a workable level. I have two dbx 150x NR units between the console and the tape deck, and I have to boost the signal pretty high in order to get it through to the tape deck so I can record 3db into the red (my preference).

The specific problem is that I have to push the faders up pretty high, and I'm getting a good deal of noise. Also, I sometimes feel like the sound of the mixer is a little too "warm" (i.e added bass and exaggerated hiss) and I wonder if this can be altered by doing some modification to the mixer.

So, I'll make a shot in the dark and ask: Would upgrading the input transformers affect an overall decrease in noise, granted that I am adding a good deal of gain to the incoming signals? RRuskin specifically mentioned the input transformers. I've spent most of the week playing in my "studio", almost obsessively (hence the 2:30AM post), and I've begun to wonder how I could get better performance out of the mixer.

OK, off to bed!
Click to expand...

1. Is your tape machine properly aligned/calibrated?
2. Is all of your other equipment calibrated so the "0" on the meters means the same thing?
3. Dbx is the last thing to be set. Use Ikhz @ 0vu. Level should remain within 1db when nr is switched in or out.
4. You defeat the purpose of the dbx by recording past "0." It can no longer operate properly. If you back down so that average is in the -3 range and peaks don't exceed +1, you will be much better off.
5. Your video shows a line level source (cassette deck) going through an nr unit (is it the right type for that tape?) going into a preamp (not needed at all) going to a bunch of other signal processing gear as well as the M-30. It is no wonder the end result is noisy. It's not the gear, it's the operator causing most, if not all of the problems you cite.
 
Yea I noticed some things there that you are doing that dont make a lot of sense to me.
It looks like to many toys hooked up to me.
Try recording with nothing but a mic into the mixer and then out of the mixer straight to the recorder.
 
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