Tascam 388 monitor section, WTF?

[tguncle]

I love my 388 as much as the next person, but for the life of me I have never been able to figure out the monitors section; I?ve even broken down and read the manual! I usually just send whatever is coming out of the stereo buss to a headphone splitter, and hope no one asks for anything different?. but they always do! I?ve tried just about everything I can think of but nothing has worked (and yes, by everything, I mean that I have also searched the TapeOp archives). Any help on this would be greatly appreciated! Viva La 388!!! Thanks -Jason

[joel hamilton]

There is a monitor out if I remember correctly. I had one of those for a few years. WAY back in the day. Just send from the monitor outs on the back to a headphone amp.

I cant remember how to monitor the monitor mix through the mains though... I think that was possible though, so you can hear what you are sending, then flip back to your 2mix outs like normal.

[curtiswyant]

Hmm, well this is how I have mine setup and I monitor through the master section. In order for me to hear a channel through the 'phones, the "rec fuction" button must be enabled (flashing red light), the monitor gain must be turned up, and no channels should be assigned to the L/R bus...I think. I combine a bunch of different signals at my headphone amp, so this is the best option for me...so far.

[klute]

There is a button , I think, below the assign buttons, called L/R or something. (I don't have my 388 anymore.) There is one on each channel strip and if any one of those is pushed in the monitor section will not work. See if that helps.

[tguncle]

Thanks so much for your responses. Interesting, I?m trying to wrap my head around this without being in front of the 388. I think I?m beginning to understand why I can never get the monitor section to work. I?m usually doing playback using the master stereo bus (with those deceptively red L/R buttons pushed in!) So do you do playbacks through the monitor section, or do you punch all of the L/R buttons in and out each time you want to do that? Really curious how others are doing it now? thanks again! -Jason

[klute]

Yeah, that's how I did it. The monitor section won't work until none of those red buttons are engaged. When you are mixing down or anytime you don't need the monitor section, you press the red buttons on each channel and that turns them on. I'm pretty sure.

[blixton]

does the 388 have all the caveats of regular reels? Like calibration and bias and all those fancy things?

[curtiswyant]

I switch the channel input to "RMX" for playback.

[Mark]

The monitor section (that strip with the rotary volume and pan controls) is for listening to program material (mic, line and rmx if the tracks are assigned to an internal buss) and pb of previously recorded tracks during tracking and overdubbing. The L/R assign buttons can be used as Solo-In-Place switches as they don't actually affect what's going to tape.

There's also a pre fade send on each channel that can be used to set up a (mono only) headphone mix for the talent. But only one at a time.