tape sync'ing

[motorlynx]

Hi guy's, This is a first time log-in so I hope I'm in the right area. I have a question for you that I hope someone can help me with. I have an awesome sounding Otari mx 5050mklll 8 track 1/2 inch, I am also about to buy a tascam msr 1/2 inch 16 track. The idea is to sync both together so I have a nice number of analogue i/o's. Is this possible, and how would I go about it?
I have been recording to computer for over ten years using protools. A mate presented me with the otari at a price I could not refuse. I took it without really wanting it and platched it into my studio. Wham, bam, thankyou mister space man! It really does sound that awesome. The 2 db shift around the 100 mhz is nice and the saturation is golden, I'm hooked.

So, can any body help me out there??

p.s By the way in case anybody's interested, Tasmania is a beautiful Island at the bottom of Australia, clean air, rain forests, blue water and white sands.

[Mark Alan Miller]

Might be better in 'Gear Talk' but whatever...

You will need a synchroniser specifically for syncing analog transports, one that can control the transport of at least one of those decks. Tascam made one that I think is compatible with your MSR, and I think either a TimeLine Lynx or an Adams-Smith Zeta Three could control that Otari.
You will then stripe SMPTE on one track of each deck, which will be fed to the sync box to tell everybody where everybody else is. Yes, one track on each machine must be dedicated to time code.

That's the short of the long of it at least.

[joeysimms]

OR - Just fill up 8 tracks on the tascam and bounce to a pair of tracks on the otari.

[Mark Alan Miller]

OR - Just fill up 8 tracks on the tascam and bounce to a pair of tracks on the otari.

I like that method, too, except wouldn't one do it the other way 'round..!?
Or maybe fill up 16 tracks on the Tascam, then bounce to the Otari for final overdubs, taking advantage of the wider tracks fir fidelity in the bounce?!?

[motorlynx]

Thanks for the replies guy's, I appreciate it. I'll get on to source'ing those items..

:O)

cheers

[GregW]

(2 db shift at 100 MHz?? Wow, that's some machine!!

But anyway...

I know that the TASCAM ATS-500 will control the MSR-16 and the TSR-8 (1/2" 8-track) because I've done it. These devices, and some other TASCAM things, use the Accessory 2 protocol/hookup/whatever. (I think the MSR-24 and 238 can also be controlled by Accessory 2, and I know there is one other synchronizer...perhaps the Midiizer or MMC-100?? Just guessing...)

You'd do a code-only sync. Stripe SMPTE (use 30 fps, nd) on the last track of BOTH machines. The ATS will generate it for you. There's a little setup procedure to get the ATS to talk to the MSR. After all of that, you just hit "play" on the Otari, and the ATS will see the SMPTE, and tell the MSR to start playing, keeping it in sync.

I think the MSR also does Accessory 1 sync as well. I'm under the impression that this protocol is a bit more universal. I know that TASCAM made the ES50 and ES51 for that, and other manufacturers made other compatabile boxes. I've also heard of the Timeline Lynx and Adam-Smith Zeta...perhaps they are Accessory 1??

You can also try gearslutz.com, tascamforums.com and the old-fashioned Usenet newsgroup rec.audio.pro (Look it up on google groups.)

Have fun!! Analog rocks, and getting this older technology to work is pretty cool.

-GRW

[joeysimms]

OR - Just fill up 8 tracks on the tascam and bounce to a pair of tracks on the otari.

I like that method, too, except wouldn't one do it the other way 'round..!?
Or maybe fill up 16 tracks on the Tascam, then bounce to the Otari for final overdubs, taking advantage of the wider tracks fir fidelity in the bounce?!?

DOH! Didn't realize he meant 16 trk tascam.. Still: fill up the tascam, finish on the (better-sounding) otari.

[motorlynx]

Ha,ha,ha, yeah maybe it isnt such a mega hertz, it only hertz a little. ooooo! thats a bad one but I'm to embarrased to come up with anything else. I really appreciate your help guys. This is a great site, I 'm still finding my way around it though. Keep rock'n.