Tascam 688

C

CarlKelly

New member
I've got a Tascam 688 which I love dearly.It's getting old and tired like me.My question is (and I have searched many places).Is there anyway I can sync the Tascam to a program like Cool Edit Pro? I have a Creative Labs Audigy Platimum Sound Card with Midi in and out.I've gone thru Cool Edit and it seems the only built in external Midi control is mapped for a Mackie board.I know I might be out luck and am resolved to just dropping these tracks wholesale into Cool Edit.but before I do that I really want to find this out.It would be nice to drop them track by track into the program but it doesn't seem possible.Just thought I would give a shout out before I moved too fast here.Thanks in advance and you have a a great looking clean site here ! wOOT :) cheers
 
you need to get a "TS1 MidiSync Box". Their made by Philip Rees. You have to sacrifice one of the eight tracks in order to put down a time code strip which allows the computer software to sync with the 8 track. It's actually very simple to use as long as the motors on the 688 are running at a consistent speed.
 
Why do they call it a "midi-studio" if you need a special box to sync it? Danger Wil Robinson, does not compute!!!
 
I don't think the 688 was built so that it could be sync'd up with cpu software wasn't it so that it could by sync'd with other 688's? I'm not really too sure. Anyway apparently the TS1 is the thing to have acording to various sources. I don't think the 688 generates timecode which is what the TS1 is needed to do, you need to record converted smpte timecode in the form of audio onto one of the tracks. I've never seen anything on the 688 itself which looks like it could do that. Although I may be wrong. But anyway the TS1 does work if you want to sync the 688 to a cpu.
 
I can't speak on specifics now, but maybe more later.

The Tascam 688 has Midi-Sync built in, as a base feature. Not a sync tone generator, but everything else related to the common "sync box" would be built in. It should be as easy as plug & play.

That's as much as I know, & as much as I can say, but I'm taking delivery of a mint 688 w/manual soon, and I can hopefully tell you more later.

Other users with first hand experience on the 688 can tell you more, & let's hope they happen upon this thread, & enlighten us all. ;)
 
I used a 644 for many happy years, and am pleased to report that no additional hardware is needed. A midi cable from the midi out of the compter interface to the midi in of the 688 is what's needed -- be sure the computer is outputting midi clock and that the 688 is set to slave to it. Dunno why everybody who posts here wants to make things so complicated with midi time code when good ol' midi clock will do just fine...

There are some things you should be aware of, like if you have a piece on the 688 already and want to sync the computer to it you may run into some timing/tempo problems. And my 644 finally died from terminal belt wear --- it made the machine run slow compared to standard tuning. That's no problem if it's consistant and you're running a closed system, but don't try to exchange cassettes with any other 688 owners if your machine is developing that problem.
 
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