Tascam M520 Story...

[flyingace]

That is perfectly awesome (that the free M-520 works)…awesome!!

I love “Sound City.”

Hey on the source for the tuner input, honestly I’d put it on a patchbay if you have an open jack set…just temporarily patch from your source channel to the tuner input. Otherwise you’d have to use one of your PGM groups or an AUX buss. Those are the only busses that can source any of the 20 inputs.

I have one it’s wired into channel 1 which I use for a direct guitar input that can be routed to whatever tape track I choose.

I don’t “output” signal from the M520.

Guitar into tuner, tuner output into M520.

All good ideas. I do have extra patchbay connections, I’ll use one. Thanks!

 

[Dahoxic]

Hey awesome thread !



maybe a dumb question but right now I have a tascam M520 - > aux out 1 -> behringer ha 8000 direct in (8 channel headphone amp with a respective direct in for each headphone output.)

The signal is very very quiet. However, when I go into the main in of the behringer, (or direct in) from the stereo master B, I get the proper volume.

It was my understanding you can use the 4 auxiliary outs pre fader to get four individual aux sends while tracking and the behringer headphone amp powers this signal? Or is monitoring for the talent only supposed to come from the stereo master B channel
Any help is appreciated.

 

[sweetbeats]

Hey awesome thread !



maybe a dumb question but right now I have a tascam M520 - > aux out 1 -> behringer ha 8000 direct in (8 channel headphone amp with a respective direct in for each headphone output.)

The signal is very very quiet. However, when I go into the main in of the behringer, (or direct in) from the stereo master B, I get the proper volume.

It was my understanding you can use the 4 auxiliary outs pre fader to get four individual aux sends while tracking and the behringer headphone amp powers this signal? Or is monitoring for the talent only supposed to come from the stereo master B channel
Any help is appreciated.

I replied to your question you posted on my YouTube video about the M-520. Did you see it?

 

[flyingace]

It’s not that the monitor mixer is incorporated into the final mix, unless that’s how you choose to set it up. Technically it’s that the PGM groups are available sources to the monitor mixer for…drum roll…monitoring. And as we are discussing the intended setup is for the master recorder to be connected to a pair of the PGM groups at mixdown, and the PGM group outputs are upstream from the monitor mixer inputs.

I have been re-reading parts of this thread, trying to learn more now that I’m more fully using the M-520 with my MS-16. Man, so many ways you can set up the M-520 to work. I’ve learned a great deal from you and others on this thread.
This (above) sparked a question: If I was wanting to take something recorded on my MS-16, mix it on the 520, what is the best way to get a two track mix down out? I have my Tascam 32-2B 2 Track 1/4” that I was wanting to use for fun but could easily patch out the “mix” output into my interface or cassette or CDR, etc.
Would I use PGM groups 1 & 2 for the 2 track final mix? and then set each channel on the 520 to output to busses 1 & 2 (L/R)? would my effects from AUX go thru the PGM busses, right? Or would it be best to use the secondary Stereo Master A outputs for that 2 track out?
As always, I don’t know if I’m asking the right questions or making enough sense, but I really appreciate your advice and help! Thanks!

 

[sweetbeats]

Yeah so if it was me I’d have the 16 outputs of the MS16 connected to the 16 TAPE IN jacks on channels 1 ~ 16 of the M-520. I would assign channels 1 ~ 16 to PGM groups 1 & 2, setting the PAN controls to taste. Then the PGM GROUP OUT jacks 1 & 2 would be connected to the master recorder inputs. I would monitor my stereo mix by setting the sources of the MONITOR mixer channels 1 & 2 to BUSS, PAN channel 1 hard L and channel 2 hard R. I would then set the source of the MONITOR SELECT switchrack to MON. I would then be able to monitor the stereo mix in the headphones and in my studio monitors via the STEREO A buss. I would connect the outputs of any send effects devices that are fed by the AUX busses to M-520 channels 17 ~ 20, and also assign those to PGM groups 1 & 2, again setting the PAN controls to taste. That’s how you get your wet final mix, and you’re feeding the master recorder with the most direct summing path (vs using the STEREO A or B busses, which go through the MONITOR mixer and additional circuitry all downstream of the amp stages that fee the PGM GROUP outputs), but also have the independent flexibility to monitor that mix as well as setup separate monitor mixes if needed using your unused PGM groups, and of course you can always solo-in-place any input.

You’re right. Lots of flexibility with the M-50/M-500 consoles. And as I’ve said before you can do whatever you want to do, but the functions and features of the STEREO A and STEREO B busses make them ideal to be used as your control room and studio feeds respectively, which is what Teac intended.

 

[flyingace]

Yeah so if it was me I’d have the 16 outputs of the MS16 connected to the 16 TAPE IN jacks on channels 1 ~ 16 of the M-520. I would assign channels 1 ~ 16 to PGM groups 1 & 2, setting the PAN controls to taste. Then the PGM GROUP OUT jacks 1 & 2 would be connected to the master recorder inputs. I would monitor my stereo mix by setting the sources of the MONITOR mixer channels 1 & 2 to BUSS, PAN channel 1 hard L and channel 2 hard R. I would then set the source of the MONITOR SELECT switchrack to MON. I would then be able to monitor the stereo mix in the headphones and in my studio monitors via the STEREO A buss. I would connect the outputs of any send effects devices that are fed by the AUX busses to M-520 channels 17 ~ 20, and also assign those to PGM groups 1 & 2, again setting the PAN controls to taste. That’s how you get your wet final mix, and you’re feeding the master recorder with the most direct summing path (vs using the STEREO A or B busses, which go through the MONITOR mixer and additional circuitry all downstream of the amp stages that fee the PGM GROUP outputs), but also have the independent flexibility to monitor that mix as well as setup separate monitor mixes if needed using your unused PGM groups, and of course you can always solo-in-place any input.

You’re right. Lots of flexibility with the M-50/M-500 consoles. And as I’ve said before you can do whatever you want to do, but the functions and features of the STEREO A and STEREO B busses make them ideal to be used as your control room and studio feeds respectively, which is what Teac intended.

Perfect! I’m already set up for all that with the MS-16 IN/OUT, you confirmed the use of the PGM OUT 1/2 and thank you for the AUX set to PGM too for the wet mix. All very helpful and makes total sense… it also means I’m “almost” getting it. You fleshed out the rest for the AUX and the best way to output to 2 trk.
Yeah, since I’ve no live room, just my one room, I’m using Stereo Master A for all my needs since I won’t be using talkback, etc. That feeds my monitors.

Then I’ll need to figure out where I’m going to place the 2 trk coming back to listen back, I’m guessing use a set of 17/18 or 19/20? I currently have my rackmount Tascam cassette/CDR on 19/20 2 TRK B input. I could use 17/18 2 TRK A input for that?

Thank you!

 

[flyingace]

Next question would be about the AUX switch setting PRE or POST? I usually have it set for POST.

 

[sweetbeats]

Perfect! I’m already set up for all that with the MS-16 IN/OUT, you confirmed the use of the PGM OUT 1/2 and thank you for the AUX set to PGM too for the wet mix. All very helpful and makes total sense… it also means I’m “almost” getting it. You fleshed out the rest for the AUX and the best way to output to 2 trk.
Yeah, since I’ve no live room, just my one room, I’m using Stereo Master A for all my needs since I won’t be using talkback, etc. That feeds my monitors.

Then I’ll need to figure out where I’m going to place the 2 trk coming back to listen back, I’m guessing use a set of 17/18 or 19/20? I currently have my rackmount Tascam cassette/CDR on 19/20 2 TRK B input. I could use 17/18 2 TRK A input for that?

Thank you!

Yeah your 17/18 2TR A is where I’d return the master recorder…notice your have dedicated monitor source switches for that in the MONITOR SELECT switchrack for quick access.

If you ever get a second set of monitor speakers you could always feed those with STEREO B to audition multiple monitor types.

 

[sweetbeats]

Next question would be about the AUX switch setting PRE or POST? I usually have it set for POST.

Typically a send effect is post-fader. If you set it to pre fade then if you pull down the fader for that channel, the dry input will diminish but the reverb or delay or whatever is going to stay the same level. Which you might want for a special effect. But generally you would have the effect level stay in tandem with the dry level…post fade AUX send. Pre fade sends are typically used for monitor mixes or cue feeds for the talent…pre fade so as you adjust your mix at the channel faders you don’t change the cue mix for the talent set by the AUX send level knobs on the input channel strips. Hope that makes sense.

 

[flyingace]

Thanks, that settles that! I thought I was doing right but no matter how many times I read the manual, sometimes it confuses me and I second guess myself. I’ll keep going to the manual first before buggin’ you, so thanks for your help. I’m every so happy with my 520 and MS-16, they are such a good pair, it’s starting to become second nature again and I’m super stoked to just start putting down tracks. I wanted to play with the analog workflow with the 2 trk for shits and giggles, but all I have to do is patch in my 16 ch interface (which is connected to a patchbay and tested already!) and dump the files to the computer. My hope is to get my MOTU 16A (which is backordered at Sweetwater due to chip shortages) and then I can send 16 channels from the computer to tape too.

I’m sad that I have never had the opportunity to really work with my Tascam 388, besides testing that it was fully working. I’m putting it in climate controlled storage on saturday to free up space in my studio and either use it someday when I have more space or sell it. I’ve read your thread on that one too! Thanks for that!

 

[maurice.marion]

Hey Sweetbeats,

Big fan of everything you do with keeping the Tascam M520 community alive — I've been reading the thread quite a bit, and it's so inspiring to see how kind and generous you are with your time and extensive knowledge. :,)

I purchased an M520 a few months ago, and I'm looking to operate a hybrid set-up where I run 16 tracks out of my DAW into the Tascam, use PGM buses 1 through 6 as 3 pairs of parallel compression buses, use PGM buses 7-8 as the mix bus, use the FX buses 1-2 and 3-4 for two different stereo reverbs, and then use the Send/RCV ports for channels 1-16 for any other individual delay or compression effects.

The problem is: I've been struggling to get sound out of M520, even though I was assured when I purchased it that it was in perfect working order...

Here are my settings:

• The 16 tracks are each going into TAPE IN, as I've understood from reading the thread that that's preferable for a hybrid set-up like mine, since the DAW will be functioning effectively as the "tape machine" (I've bounced all the stems to tape already).
• All 16 channels are set to "Tape" as the input.
• Just to test a simple set-up for now so I can make sure it works, I've only assigned the channels 1-16 to buses 7 and 8.
• Assign for channels 1-16 is turned "ON".
• For the monitoring section in the top-right, all 16 channels are switched to "Tape" (though I've tried switching them to "Bus" and it doesn't yield sound either)
• For the stereo master A section to the right, I have "MON", "2TR A" and "2TR B" pressed.
• I'm running two RCA-to-XLRs out of the back of the unit from the "Output ST MSTR A" into my Apollo Twin X which connects back into the DAW.

I do get a very quiet "buzz" from the stereo outputs, but that's it... Same out of the headphone port. I've tried routing the "SEND" output for channels 1 and 2 directly into my Apollo Twin X, and that isn't returning any signal either...

What am I missing here? Is it as simple as there being a single button I've neglected to press? Are there some troubleshooting steps I haven't thought of?

Please lend me your wisdom, Great Tascam Master Sweetbeats, if you'd be so kind...

 

[flyingace]

Hey @maurice.marion! Welcome to the M-520 family!
Sweetbeats will be the best to diagnose this but, I’ve received so much help getting mine up and running last year that I‘d like to at least try to help if I can and give back.

That said, I’m sure you’ve covered this part but thought I’d ask: do you have the SND/RCV jumpers in place or have the SND/RCV connected to a patch bay to complete the circuit?

 

[sweetbeats]

Big fan of everything you do with keeping the Tascam M520 community alive — I've been reading the thread quite a bit, and it's so inspiring to see how kind and generous you are with your time and extensive knowledge. :,)

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate that.

…use PGM buses 1 through 6 as 3 pairs of parallel compression buses…

I’m curious how this works. How do you get the output of your three parallel compression busses to the mix?

…use PGM buses 7-8 as the mix bus, use the FX buses 1-2 and 3-4 for two different stereo reverbs…

Are you using input channels 17~20 then as returns for the reverb boxes?

…and then use the Send/RCV ports for channels 1-16 for any other individual delay or compression effects.

Can you clarify that last bit? You’re not saying you’re using the SEND/RCV jacks as general feeds for other outboard processing gear right? Is this another way of saying what you are stating: I have other outboard processing gear like delays and dynamics processors I’ll be applying to individual DAW return tracks using the SEND/RCV access points. Is that what you’re saying?

Maybe you explain all this further below but I haven’t gotten there and I’m just jumping right in.

The problem is: I've been struggling to get sound out of M520, even though I was assured when I purchased it that it was in perfect working order...

Here are my settings:

• The 16 tracks are each going into TAPE IN, as I've understood from reading the thread that that's preferable for a hybrid set-up like mine, since the DAW will be functioning effectively as the "tape machine" (I've bounced all the stems to tape already).

Okay we’re good so far…

• All 16 channels are set to "Tape" as the input.
• Just to test a simple set-up for now so I can make sure it works, I've only assigned the channels 1-16 to buses 7 and 8.
• Assign for channels 1-16 is turned "ON".

Just to clarify, the ON button is not an assign button and doesn’t turn on the assign function. It just does exactly what it says…it turns the channel on and allows signal to flow to what’s downstream of the channel. IIRC, FWIW, the direct out jacks or pre ON switch so the direct outs are always live. I should probably verify that before I lob that out here.

• For the monitoring section in the top-right, all 16 channels are switched to "Tape" (though I've tried switching them to "Bus" and it doesn't yield sound either)

Okay here’s where you start to stray and it’s not uncommon because a lot of people don’t understand the MONITOR mixer. Those toggle switches are source switches, okay? They set whatever their respective channel listens to. So you set your input channels 1~16 to TAPE because you wanted them to listen to what’s plugged up to your TAPE jacks right? And now you want to listen to those 16 sources summed to PGM groups 7 & 8 right? So ask yourself why set the source of the MONITOR mixer channels also to the TAPE jacks? I’m presenting it this way because I want you to think critically about that for a moment. You want to source the output of your input channels 1~16 right? Which are summed to PGM groups 7 & 8 right? You want to listen to the output of PGM groups 7 & 8, not bypass your input channels and monitor the TAPE jacks directly. That’s what you do if you source MONITOR mixer channels to the TAPE jacks. The MONITOR mixer is a 16 x 2 mixer within the mixer. Each of the 16 channels can source either their numerically corresponding TAPE jack, or the PGM group who’s fader is directly below that MONITOR mixer channel. You set the level and PAN controls to establish a stereo mix you source in the headphones and control room monitor speakers by selecting the MONITOR MIXER stereo output as the source in the MONITOR SELECT switchrack. See that vertical row of buttons directly above the PGM group 3 fader? That’s how you pick what you hear in the cans and monitor speakers. Each switch sources a buss. The top button is labeled MON. Push that and you are sourcing the stereo output of the MONITOR mixer in the headphones and at the STEREO A and B busses. So let’s back up and come to us on if that makes sense. You now know if you want to listen to the output of the PGM groups you set the source of a corresponding MONITOR mixer channel to BUSS.

• For the stereo master A section to the right, I have "MON", "2TR A" and "2TR B" pressed.

Okay…why 2TR A and 2TR B? What do you have connected to those inputs?

And let me ask a general question. Are all the SEND/RCV jumpers installed? You either have to have the jumpers installed, the jacks connected to a full normal patchbay, or the jacks connected to the inputs and outputs of devices, and in some cases you have to have those turned on for signal to pass. The SEND/RCV jacks break the signal path. The jumper, full normal patchbay or outboard gear restores the break.

Haha I see @flyingace beat me to that one…excellent question…spot on. Sometimes it takes me hours to compose a reply…a bit here, a bit there in between interruptions.

• I'm running two RCA-to-XLRs out of the back of the unit from the "Output ST MSTR A" into my Apollo Twin X which connects back into the DAW.

I do get a very quiet "buzz" from the stereo outputs, but that's it... Same out of the headphone port. I've tried routing the "SEND" output for channels 1 and 2 directly into my Apollo Twin X, and that isn't returning any signal either...

You’re using the same RCA-XLR cables when connecting the SEND jacks to the Apollo? I’m not familiar with that unit…

Hold please…

Okay so you have, like, a Twin X Duo? Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t the XLR inputs on the Apollo mic inputs? I think you need RCA-TS cables. That doesn’t explain your problem, but you do r want to connect a line level out to a mic level input.

What am I missing here? Is it as simple as there being a single button I've neglected to press? Are there some troubleshooting steps I haven't thought of?

I think you need to scale it back, start with just the analog console and get that happening before trying to involve the return path to the DAW.

Do this…we need to verify you are getting signal to the console. And BTW what hardware are you using for those 16 D/A channels that are feeding the TAPE jacks? Press PLAY on the DAW, and take any input channel, and make sure it is sourced to TAPE and the TAPE trim control is set to maybe 2:00 or 3:00, now press the PFL switch above the channel fader, that’s for Pre Fade Listen…it sources a point in the signal path ahead of the channel fader but after the EQ section. So hit PFL, connect your headphones to the M-520 headphone jack, turn the SOLO knob at the right of the control surface to maybe 2:00, and slowly rotate the headphone level control clockwise…do you hear the DAW track that’s connected the channel you are soloing?

 

[sweetbeats]

Hey @flyingace you see this?

https://homerecording.com/bbs/threa...520-maybe-you-want-this….419780/#post-4738217

I actually thought of you since this is sort of in your neck of the woods. But I know you’ve already got your M-520 in an enclosure of sorts, or a desk with. Built in a half over the meter bridge, right?

 

[flyingace]

Hey @flyingace you see this?

https://homerecording.com/bbs/threa...520-maybe-you-want-this….419780/#post-4738217

I actually thought of you since this is sort of in your neck of the woods. But I know you’ve already got your M-520 in an enclosure of sorts, or a desk with. Built in a half over the meter bridge, right?

Thats awesome you thought of me about that. St. Louis is about 5 hours away from me. Yes, I have a custom built desk that houses my M-520. I do have the 2nd fully working M-520 in storage as my backup, and not sure I need this but $50!!! ugh. Might have to plan a trip and snag it just to store for future.

 

[sweetbeats]

Thats awesome you thought of me about that. St. Louis is about 5 hours away from me. Yes, I have a custom built desk that houses my M-520. I do have the 2nd fully working M-520 in storage as my backup, and not sure I need this but $50!!! ugh. Might have to plan a trip and snag it just to store for future.

View attachment 126038

Looks nice! Are you using the control room and studio outputs to drive your speakers? So you can switch back and forth?

Yeah I knew it wasn’t all that close to you (the trim kit), but it’s drivable…haha. Remember I’m the guy that drove 2,200 miles to get the Tascam M-__ console without a second thought…nuts.

 

[flyingace]

Looks nice! Are you using the control room and studio outputs to drive your speakers? So you can switch back and forth?

Yeah I knew it wasn’t all that close to you (the trim kit), but it’s drivable…haha. Remember I’m the guy that drove 2,200 miles to get the Tascam M-__ console without a second thought…nuts.

I use a Mackie monitor controller to switch monitors. Since I’ve gotten the Yamaha HS8s and got rid of the JBL 308MKII (They were not good reference monitors in my opinion, added a lot of color and bass, the HS8s are way more flat response and trustworthy like my old HS5s) my HS5s are just too close in mix sound and I’m thinking of either storing or selling them. I tried some Avatone Mix Cubes from Musician’s Friend but they were damaged and almost started an electrical fire in my studio!! I’m super glad I don‘t just install something and walk away, one of the power supplies started swelling up and burning!! They are already packed up and heading back for full refund and I’m gun shy about trying anymore. I’d like to have a smaller set of “Grot boxes” as we called them back in the day, to check a mix, but I’m not seeing a lot on the market.
Yeah, I get making the trip when it’s worth it! My wife and I once drove 13 hours to Banner Elk, NC to pick up a sailboat and it was torrential rain storms the entire way across Tennessee!! I’m not opposed to making the trip when it’s something I really need… but I also hate missing an opportunity for parts to my console. A guy in Nashville has the original tilting stand for the MS-16 in Nashville but it’s so heavy he won’t ship it. Thats a 9 hour trip for me.

 

[sweetbeats]

I use a Mackie monitor controller to switch monitors. Since I’ve gotten the Yamaha HS8s and got rid of the JBL 308MKII (They were not good reference monitors in my opinion, added a lot of color and bass, the HS8s are way more flat response and trustworthy like my old HS5s) my HS5s are just too close in mix sound and I’m thinking of either storing or selling them. I tried some Avatone Mix Cubes from Musician’s Friend but they were damaged and almost started an electrical fire in my studio!! I’m super glad I don‘t just install something and walk away, one of the power supplies started swelling up and burning!! They are already packed up and heading back for full refund and I’m gun shy about trying anymore. I’d like to have a smaller set of “Grot boxes” as we called them back in the day, to check a mix, but I’m not seeing a lot on the market.
Yeah, I get making the trip when it’s worth it! My wife and I once drove 13 hours to Banner Elk, NC to pick up a sailboat and it was torrential rain storms the entire way across Tennessee!! I’m not opposed to making the trip when it’s something I really need… but I also hate missing an opportunity for parts to my console. A guy in Nashville has the original tilting stand for the MS-16 in Nashville but it’s so heavy he won’t ship it. Thats a 9 hour trip for me.

That makes sense on the monitors.

I have a set of Alesis Monitor 1 mkII Actives that I’ve had for years that just work for my ears, but honestly I’d like to find a decent set of passive monitors someday as well…I have a couple nice monitor amps that I don’t have to worry as much about them catching on fire lol.

The factory cart for the MS16 is a nice one…the CS-65. I don’t think it tilts though…goes up and down:

 

[maurice.marion]

Wow, what a fast and thorough turnaround! I can't tell you how grateful I am for your incredible thoughtful responses (both @flyingace and obviously @sweetbeats).

I’m curious how this works. How do you get the output of your three parallel compression busses to the mix?

Oh huh, maybe I haven't thought this through enough... I was under the impression that all the PGM buses then get summed in the stereo master output.

If there's no way to get the output from the 3 compression buses into the final stereo output of the M520, then I'll probably just need to separately take the outputs from 3 compression bus pairs (1-2, 3-4, and 5-6), the "dry" bus pair (7-8) and the 4 aux outputs (channels 17-20) and sum them all in a separate 12-track mixer before sending the final stereo master into the DAW, which seems doable... Does that seem like the only way to realistically do parallel compression buses with the 520 without sacrificing having 16 separate channels for tracks from the DAW?

Are you using input channels 17~20 then as returns for the reverb boxes?

Yep, that's my plan!

You’re not saying you’re using the SEND/RCV jacks as general feeds for other outboard processing gear right? Is this another way of saying what you are stating: I have other outboard processing gear like delays and dynamics processors I’ll be applying to individual DAW return tracks using the SEND/RCV access points. Is that what you’re saying?

Yeah, so perhaps I phrased this in an unclear way . Yes, I am hoping to use the SEND/RCV jacks as general feeds for other outboard processing gear. No returns via the DAW, trying to keep it as OTB as I can. I will be routing RCA cables out of the SEND jacks of channels 1-16 into a Tascam PB-32H patchbay, and then sending the output of each patchbay channel back into the RCV jacks of channels 1-16, thereby having easy access to route, say, the SEND of Channel 1 into a slap delay outboard effect and then pass the output of said delay effect back into Channel 1's RCV, all without having to get behind the board and re-patch things constantly. Hopefully, that's a bit clearer, but let me know if not, and I can try to explain further.

Just to clarify, the ON button is not an assign button and doesn’t turn on the assign function. It just does exactly what it says…it turns the channel on and allows signal to flow to what’s downstream of the channel. IIRC, FWIW, the direct out jacks or pre ON switch so the direct outs are always live. I should probably verify that before I lob that out here.

Ah, thank you! Useful and important correction.

Okay here’s where you start to stray and it’s not uncommon because a lot of people don’t understand the MONITOR mixer. Those toggle switches are source switches, okay? They set whatever their respective channel listens to. So you set your input channels 1~16 to TAPE because you wanted them to listen to what’s plugged up to your TAPE jacks right? And now you want to listen to those 16 sources summed to PGM groups 7 & 8 right? So ask yourself why set the source of the MONITOR mixer channels also to the TAPE jacks? I’m presenting it this way because I want you to think critically about that for a moment. You want to source the output of your input channels 1~16 right? Which are summed to PGM groups 7 & 8 right? You want to listen to the output of PGM groups 7 & 8, not bypass your input channels and monitor the TAPE jacks directly. That’s what you do if you source MONITOR mixer channels to the TAPE jacks. The MONITOR mixer is a 16 x 2 mixer within the mixer. Each of the 16 channels can source either their numerically corresponding TAPE jack, or the PGM group who’s fader is directly below that MONITOR mixer channel. You set the level and PAN controls to establish a stereo mix you source in the headphones and control room monitor speakers by selecting the MONITOR MIXER stereo output as the source in the MONITOR SELECT switchrack. See that vertical row of buttons directly above the PGM group 3 fader? That’s how you pick what you hear in the cans and monitor speakers. Each switch sources a buss. The top button is labeled MON. Push that and you are sourcing the stereo output of the MONITOR mixer in the headphones and at the STEREO A and B busses. So let’s back up and come to us on if that makes sense. You now know if you want to listen to the output of the PGM groups you set the source of a corresponding MONITOR mixer channel to BUSS.

This clarifies a lot for me — thanks for this thorough explanation! Okay, I've set all my monitor channels to "BUS" setting (and more importantly, now I understand why ).

Okay…why 2TR A and 2TR B? What do you have connected to those inputs?

Please ignore that ha ... I think I misread something in the manual/threads and misunderstood what 2TR A and 2TR B are for, but now I see that they are just inputs for mixdown deck returns and don't apply here. I've switched them off.

And let me ask a general question. Are all the SEND/RCV jumpers installed? You either have to have the jumpers installed, the jacks connected to a full normal patchbay, or the jacks connected to the inputs and outputs of devices, and in some cases you have to have those turned on for signal to pass. The SEND/RCV jacks break the signal path. The jumper, full normal patchbay or outboard gear restores the break

Haha I see @flyingace beat me to that one…excellent question…spot on. Sometimes it takes me hours to compose a reply…a bit here, a bit there in between interruptions.

Yes, they're installed for all the channels. I took the jumpers out of channels 1 and 2 for a quick sec just test if I was getting output directly out of the SEND jacks (I couldn't hear anything from the SENDs when I used my RCA-XLR to route them directly into the Apollo while they were receiving signal from the Scarlett 18i20).

Once I confirm that I can get sound out of the unit though, my plan for the PGM buses is to do a similar thing to what I mentioned above with channels 1-16, i.e. run the PGM buses' SENDs through a patchbay and the run outputs of the patchbay back into the PGM buses' RCVs. That was my plan for how I was going to run the PGM buses through the compressors for parallel compression. But this is getting ahead of myself a bit... I need to get basic sound out of the unit first. (follow-up in next post)

 

[maurice.marion]

Okay so you have, like, a Twin X Duo? Correct me if I’m wrong but aren’t the XLR inputs on the Apollo mic inputs? I think you need RCA-TS cables. That doesn’t explain your problem, but you do r want to connect a line level out to a mic level input.

Ah, okay gotcha — totally doable, as I already have those cables. Thanks for that! And yes, I have a Twin X Duo.

Do this…we need to verify you are getting signal to the console. And BTW what hardware are you using for those 16 D/A channels that are feeding the TAPE jacks?

Two linked Scarlett 18i20 interfaces feeding signal to the TAPE IN jacks via two 1/4 TS Male to RCA Male snakes (Hosa CPR-803).

Press PLAY on the DAW, and take any input channel, and make sure it is sourced to TAPE and the TAPE trim control is set to maybe 2:00 or 3:00, now press the PFL switch above the channel fader, that’s for Pre Fade Listen…it sources a point in the signal path ahead of the channel fader but after the EQ section. So hit PFL, connect your headphones to the M-520 headphone jack, turn the SOLO knob at the right of the control surface to maybe 2:00, and slowly rotate the headphone level control clockwise…do you hear the DAW track that’s connected the channel you are soloing?

Okay, so I did exactly this for channel 1 after following all your instructions, and I couldn't hear any sound when PFL was pressed, but once I turned OFF the PFL, I started to hear sound(!) and the VU meter moves for buses 7 and 8, as well as Stereo master A and B.

There are some (maybe?) weird things about it though:

• The volume of the signal going into the cans doesn't change when I increase or decrease the channel 1 fader
• The volume of the signal DOES change when I ride the faders of buses 7 and 8.
• It seems to double in volume if I press SOLO, but the sound vanishes completely if I press PFL.
• It doesn't respond to EQ, even though EQ is turned ON
• If I turn PAN to the LEFT, it gets quieter and if I turn PAN to the RIGHT, it stays the same volume...
• But most significantly, the whole signal sounds very muted, like there's virtually no high-end above 4 or 5K. (Again, messing with the EQ on the channel does nothing and I've set them to 0 gain increase or decrease).

I also tried this with channels 2-4 and got the same exact behavior. Is this normal? Am I on the right track?

Thank you so much again for your time and guidance, especially on a weekend!