Tascam ms16, longer cables?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Viceroyisacat
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Viceroyisacat

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Hello all

I'm looking for longer cables between my machine and the meter bridge. Mainly the 3 transport cables and power supply cable. I need about 4-5 meters. Did tascam make longer cables? Will longer cables affect functionality? If tascam doesn't have them, how do you suggest I make them? Would cutting in the middle and lengthening work? Or is that crazy?

Thanks in advance

Viceroy is a cat
 
Before we dive into the pitfalls of elongating unbalanced signal lines, which all three of the head umbilical cords are, can you perhaps explain why you need to do this in the first place?

The general idea was to keep those units close together and offer remote control kits to access the transport and track arming buttons which weren't affected by longer cable runs being just logic lines for switching relays back inside the sound cards and transport controls.



Cheers! :)
 
I dont think that is not what he asked. He asked about lengthening the cables between the meters and the machine (like mounting the meter bridge closer to the console for level setting). The meters all have driver circuits capable of driving a few meters of cable. Many pro studios had remote meters as the tape machines were in the "machine room" and not visible to the console operator.

O/P, no, cutting in the middle is NOT the way to do it. The preferred way would be to identify the cable used and get some like it, then find the same connectors used and manufacture a brand new cable. Then when and if you want to return the machine to stock condition you do nothing more than swap back to the original cables.
 
As stock, the meter unit is the face of the amp unit and the op asked about elonggating the 4 umbilicals that come to it, so I assumed he has a "stock" unit.

There is/was an optional kit from TASCAM to separate the meter face from the amp unit and it offers a 2 meter cable for mounting it elsewhere, but most often, no further away then above the transport with a bridge cabinet add-on accessory to the CS-65 optional roll around cart which would house the meter panel above the amp unit and at the front bottom edge of the transport unit. That kit would also come with a replacement 4 rack space blank panel assembly to replace the space that that the meter assembly would normally occupy.

If the op has or gets the manual for the MS-16 all of this will be full explained with the part numbers and instructions on how to do the retrofit. I'm also assuming the op does not have a manual or has not read through it if he does have one.



Cheers! :)
 
Proof yet again it's almost impossible to ask a simple question without internet animosity. On that note. I've already got the 2 meter cables. Thanks Mdainsd, I'll get some new cables made up if I can find suitable endings, which should be do-able.
 
I saw no animosity, just seems like your problem was being discussed. Now to have been ignored would have been worse, right?:D

In the short time I have been here, I've found nothing but a bunch of helpful folks in this section of the forum.
 
Viceroyisacat said:
Proof yet again it's almost impossible to ask a simple question without internet animosity. On that note. I've already got the 2 meter cables. Thanks Mdainsd, I'll get some new cables made up if I can find suitable endings, which should be do-able.
Click to expand...

Sometimes the written word can be misinterpreted. Apologies regardless but no animosity was intended on your "simple" question.

I also believe anyone reading this thread might also be interested in learning why you are needing to do this retrofit. It's an honest question worthy of a response.



Cheers! :)
 
Has anyone lengthened the 4 'to transport' cables successfully? Does anyone know what length they can take?

My machine lives in a machine room. I would like the meter and amps to be closer to me and easily visible as above.
 
Hello again. Sorry you got a bad vibe from us earlier. Its not like that. Its a pretty good bunch of people down in this little sub-forum. We do get a little frisky when someone drops in to bash our analog fixation, but that certainly is not your case.

Anyrate back to your quest. I have only had experience with longer meter cables, not the amp cables.
Id like to know why you would like to move the amps along with the meters? There arent any level controls on the amps other than calibration IIRC. Moving the amps would, in addition to causing potential noise and other problems, would also make calibrating the machine harder. That is why I ask, why you want to move the amps.
Seperating out the meters and moving them makes sense to me.
 
Another viable alternative to moving the amp/meter panel unit, (because it is in a machine room), is to install a simple web cam in the machine room which can feed a monitor in the control room thereby giving one a live view of the meters. From a dollars and cents point of view this would also likely be a less expensive solution to sourcing out the needed multi-core cables and connectors and it would also keep the machine happy with its intended wiring intact.

Once completed, you'd have something like this to view on a screen in your control room:



View attachment 93727



Cheers! :)
 
A solid idea ghost, but mines a monitor free studio and at the risk of being called a Luddite, I hope to keep it that way.

Ok so extending the amp cables doesn't seem like a good idea. I believe I could build a housing for the meter bridge and probably build the cable as I have the schematic. And I would need to find a way to cover the amps once the meter is removed. I just need to check if the cable connection is behind the black plate on the back of the amp unit (which I will do in 2 mins). I've had a look for the extender kit for the meter bridge but they don't come up for sale.
 
Yeah, the extender kit would have been something one would only find at tascam's parts department in California. It's entirely possible that they still might have them in stock as they have a better then average record of having old parts available. Maybe give them a call!

About wanting to have a monitor/computer free studio, I can relate, as when I had my MS-16 in my studio, it too was a PC free zone of the house! Then again, a simple quiet laptop of tablet on top of the console might not be that obtrusive...maybe give that some additional though before ruling it out.



Cheers! :)
 
Having just checked the price of a 60
Core cable your idea looks significantly more appealing! I'll give spare parts a call Monday morning. Any other ideas welcome, thanks for help all! In the future I won't read everything with my angry voice.
 
I too find the idea of any computers being in the control room an abhorrent idea to any self respecting analog enthusiast!

That said, a standard or hi def television with AV inputs on the back of it could receive a signal from a security type camera or camcorder or maybe a cheapish point and shoot digital camera with the appropriate outputs.

And if you wanted to keep it pro analog looking, maybe scope ebay for a used Sony rack mount video monitor! I've seen a few of those in the past where you can have 3, four inch monitors in a 4 rack space housing or a 19" singular monitor that are rack mountable. I think that would way cool to see in a studio! Maye even incorporate a second camera to see into your live room or vocal booth if the line of site through the control room windows doesn't allow you to see everything.

Glenn
 
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