Tascam p.s. 424: 4 Dump to PC, how to sync ?

[fabione]

Hello! I need to dump all the track of my tascam 424 on PC for post processing, so is
necessary to do 2 dumps (using Left&Right channel with single track). My problem is that the two dumps are not syncronized. Actually I Stretch the tracks with SW prg, but is not so good. I see that on the rear panel there's two RCA jacks named "MIDI SYNC".
Can that jacks help me ? I don't understand
how to connect it (MIDI on RCA ?).

I need to perform several dumps on PC because
4 tracks are not sufficent to record all the
tracks of our songs or to mixdown to one track in successive mixing.

 

[Docsound]

Hi Fabione, maybe in the service manual TASCAM allow you to connect the signal directly from your midi in/out sound card to the 424. Probably there is a special cable that you can buy or do yourself.

Tip: There is 5 pins on a midi cable but only 2 are used for midi signal. That's why I think that such thing is possible.

Good luck.
I hope it could help you.
have a nice day.

Docsound

 

[Dex]

The long and the short: No, you can't use the sync without extra equipment (not to mention sacrificing a track on the tape).

I've had to do this with a 488's tapes (8 tracks, so 4 passes!). It's very time-consuming, but it can be done as long as your machine is in good shape (ie. the speed doesn't wander too much) and the songs you want to transcribe aren't too long. My experience is that anything over about 5 minutes drifts too far to even half-salvage.

Here's how to do it:

1) using a sound-editing program, a 'function generator', or a test CD, record a few seconds of a single test tone on all tracks simultaneously. Do this before the beginning of the song you're transcribing. If you want, you can do it at the end, too, but it's not really necessary.

2) transcribe the tracks 2 at a time onto the computer.

3) match up the beginnings of the tracks by zooming in on them in your editing software (assuming you're using cakewalk or cool edit or something).

4) Hope they match through the whole song. Stretching an individual track really doesn't work very well. Usually it just makes things a lot worse.

Have fun.

 

[psychobman00]

I was just dumping some tracks to cakewalk with my 424... are you aware that you can dump FOUR tracks at once??

 

[skweeks]

HOW??