TASCAM M-520

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Jimi Shelter

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I followed the manual for the Standard Eight Track Patch and ... nothing but a little in the headphones and the mic pre O/L light goes off.
I have a 57 direct into mixer. Direct out to TASCAM 80-8. Line out of machine to deck to Tape In. No Meters on machine. I have no idea how the meter bridge on the mixer works. No needle on any of them. The manual is great for a tech but it never real explains the meter bridge althought the Standard Eight Track Patch goes through it. Manual shows tape machine into meter bridge and then to inputs. ??? Something is gettng to that O/L light and the phones, so something shakin' in there.
What's goin' on?
 
Channels 1 and 2 have an input selector configured this way….. far left, mic. Middle, instrument. Far right, tape.
You in the mic position?

Below those switches you have input trim. The small one with the red cap is the mic input trim. Is that turned up or is it turned all the way down?

The meter bridge is for the buss. They wont register anything unless a buss is selected

Ps multiple threads won’t get you answers quicker. One thread is sufficient.
 
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Watch this set of videos. It’ll help with your understanding of the console.







Thank @sweetbeats
 
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With my mixer I’m running a 16 track so I’m using direct outs and tape in on the first 16 channels. I’ll use the remaining channels for effects returns.

In your case with an 8track you could use the 8 busses. Sweetbeats calls them programs. Study the 3d video I posted. It covers the back panel connections.
 
RFR said:
With my mixer I’m running a 16 track so I’m using direct outs and tape in on the first 16 channels. I’ll use the remaining channels for effects returns.

In your case with an 8track you could use the 8 busses. Sweetbeats calls them programs. Study the 3d video I posted. It covers the back panel connections.
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Yeah, when talking about the M-500 series I refer to the “PGM” groups which is Teac’s verbiage, it they are also labeled as BUSS on the jack panel. Anyway…yes…the subgroups or mono mix busses…all good terminology.
 
sweetbeats said:
I don’t understand this…the OP notes an 80-8…which has meters…?
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I not getting anything on the 80-8 meters or the board. The trim O/L light flickers when I tap the sm57. I’m plugged into the XLRs using MIC input. I tried a drum machine into the rca and phono inputs. Nothing. All channels do the same thing. No indication that anything is working other than that trim O/L light flickering when I tap the mic.
 
RFR said:
With my mixer I’m running a 16 track so I’m using direct outs and tape in on the first 16 channels. I’ll use the remaining channels for effects returns.

In your case with an 8track you could use the 8 busses. Sweetbeats calls them programs. Study the 3d video I posted. It covers the back panel connections.
Click to expand...
I could try the program inputs. This isn’t my first board. I think something is wrong. I’ve never plugged into a mixer and that, plugged into a tape machine, and not had it work unless something is broken or I don’t know how to read . I think it’s busted.
 
@Jimi Shelter
Do you have your jumpers on the insert jacks?? (The very top set of jacks)

Without those it won’t work. Unlike other mixers with a TRS insert jack, you have separate phono jacks for the in and outs of the effects lnserts. They need to be physically connected with the jumpers.
Often times people run those to a normalized patchbay which makes the needed connections, then they lose or misplace the jumpers, and the signal now won’t flow.
 
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Here’s what they look like. There should be one for every input channel (20)
 

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If yours are missing, you’ll have to get some. But they’re hard to find….or get some short RCA cables, or hook the inserts up to a 20 input NORMALIZED patchbay.

Maybe @sweetbeats will chime in as to where exactly in the signal chain the effects insert points are.
 
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Good call, @RFR…the ACCESS points are right after the mic amp. So you would see O/L lamp activity but no signal would pass after that without the jumpers in place.
 
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sweetbeats said:
Good call, @RFR…the ACCESS points are right after the mic amp. So you would see O/L lamp activity but no signal would pass after that without the jumpers in place.
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Maybe, just maybe, this is the cause of the problems? The tip off for me was when he said none of his channels worked.
 
RFR said:
Just waiting for OP to jump in now.
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Yeah. I got busy. I used a Fostex 350 to get music on tape, which worked. Now I have the 80-8 hooked up to the M-520 Tape inputs and it's playing music. So I have that at least. Now I hooking up the outs from the mixer to the 80-8 and I'm going to try to get some signal out of it onto tape. This is way more board than I need for an 8 track, recording at home alone. Oof. Sounds good, though. I wanted more tape and I got it.
 
Why did you use the 350 when recording? Why not just use the M-520 for everything? It’s a better signal path than the 350.
 
Jimi Shelter said:
Yeah. I got busy. I used a Fostex 350 to get music on tape, which worked. Now I have the 80-8 hooked up to the M-520 Tape inputs and it's playing music. So I have that at least. Now I hooking up the outs from the mixer to the 80-8 and I'm going to try to get some signal out of it onto tape. This is way more board than I need for an 8 track, recording at home alone. Oof. Sounds good, though. I wanted more tape and I got it.
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It is a good board and maybe more than you need for 8 track…. But I’d rather have more rather than less options.

But it seems you’re still having problems with the board. Either there’s something wrong or there’s operator error.

On us helping…… it’s kind of crucial to have a two way conversation going on.

I understand what it’s like to get busy but jumping on the forum for 5 minutes isn’t gonna kill anyone.

You still haven’t answered the question about the jumpers. Do you, or do you not have jumpers in your insert jacks?

As @sweetbeats pointed out, lack of them could cause the exact symptoms you described.

Please help us help you by answering questions. :D
 
Got it. Yes, the jumpers are all in place. Right now I have music I recorded with a little Fostex on Tracks 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4 playing back off the 80-8 through the 520.
I did the “RECOMMENDED 8 TRACK BASIC PATCH” shown on 36 of the actual original M-512/M-520 Operation/Maintenance manual that managed to stay with the board which is a good sign. I see all the meters playing what I recorded depending on which buttons I press in the monitor section. I’m not able to control the tracks with the faders, though. I’m pretty sure it has to do with the busses and my lack of knowledge. I don’t think anything is wrong with this board. It’s me. I just need to find out how to just record, overdub, and listen/mix. Be able to control the music with the channel strips like my 388 did.
 
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