Tascam 488 Mk II stereo mix-> computer

[joeyghostly]

Hello Tape Op,

I have recorded and mixed a song on Tascam 488 MkII cassette 8 track. I used all 8 tracks. The mixing is all done, I do not want to do any digital mixing. I just want to bounce the song on to my computer, and I want a .wav that sounds nearly identical to the way it sounds on my cassette mixer right now. I don't need separate files for each track, I want to bounce all 8 tracks simultaneously as 1 file.

Is it possible to do this without a DAT? Can I simply use my M-Audio USB Interface?

I tried bouncing the song onto my computer using an M-audio USB interface. I plugged in a 1/4" cable from the "phones" jack of the 8 track, to input 1 of the m-audio box, which was connected to my Macbook Pro via USB. I opened Garageband, set the input to "m audio" and the output to "built in input". When I hit record, the track successfully bounced, but it came out fairly muffled, and the worst problem was that the .wav was in MONO, when it should've been STEREO like it is on the 8 track (lots of hard panning on the guitars and such). All the panning was killed during transfer.

How do I get the truest .wav file from the tascam tape, with all the panning in tact, with the equipment I have?? I suspect I have to use the "line output L and R" or the "monitor output L and R" RCA outputs...so does that mean I have to get an RCA->1/4" adapter so it can plug into the M Audio input?

Am I using the wrong cables? inputs? or the wrong device altogether?

Please help!

[The Scum]

Try the Tascam L and R line outputs to two separate inputs on the M Audio converter.

Then in Garage Band, you'll need to either set up two mono tracks, or a stereo track to record the mix onto.

[joeyghostly]

Thank you, I've been sorta toying with this idea in my head. I guess I just gotta go buy a couple RCA->1/4" cables and try it out...

[joeyghostly]

Just to clarify,

is this what you mean?

Tascam L (RCA) -> M audio Input 1 (1/4")
Tascam R -> M audio Input 2

[Teacher's Pet]

I am not TheScum, but, yes, I'm pretty sure that's what he's talking about.

You need to get two tracks out of your tape deck (left and right) and you need to record each one on it's own track in the computer. Then you'll have stereo.

You should use the stereo RCA outs from the tape deck, or maybe the headphone out IF you have a stereo 1/4" > 2xRCA cable.

If all you have is an Mbox with a single input, you're sort of stuck with mono. You need a 2-channel analog-to-digital converter to transfer stereo from tape.