Connecting two tascam 388s?????

Evergreen · Post by **Evergreen** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:47 pm

ok, so i have two 388s sitting in my living room right now and i KNOW that they can be hooked up together but how do i do that? i looked in the manual and i couldn't find anything about that....it might be there but i just couldn't find it. i tried Googling for info but that was no luck either except i did read that tascam made a cable that did the job but it never said what cable plus that sounds way to easy...it seems to me that i would need to use smpte or something.

Does one become the master and the other the slave? When listening to playback does the headphone jack and stereo outputs play only what is on its respective machine or both machines?

So how do I do it? What do I need? Anybody ever done it before?

joelmoore · Post by **joelmoore** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:19 pm

I have no idea if this can be done...if it can't will you sell one of them to me? I'd love to have one.

Sorry I can't help you build your 16-trackenstein...

Mane1234 · Post by **Mane1234** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:10 pm

I'm just going by what I read on an Ebay listing for one of these so don't quote me on this. Isn't there a jack on the back for a SMPTE controller/synchronizer? Would this mean you would have to stripe one of the tracks? Guess it would be a 15 trackenstein then.....

ThunderFaceWizardHead · Post by **ThunderFaceWizardHead** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:27 pm

I'm pretty sure you'll need some sort of Syncaset type device to synchronize the two using a smpte track on each machine. Something like a Tascam ATS-500. Would this make it a Tascam 61414?

trask · Post by **trask** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:41 am

I know I've heard of it done somewhere when I was looking into buying one. I'm pretty sure you need to stripe a track, and then you just hook the two of them together..

actually, I think I read that on here somewhere. Try the search. It may have been talking another model though, so try just searching tascam cassette or something.

the velour fog · Post by **the velour fog** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:07 am

congratulations on scoring two 388's! i'm jealous.

i've heard alot about this in theory. but haven't heard of anyone actually successfully doing it. i'd love to actually see this accomplished.

yeah, you'll actually need to stripe a track on both machines, and both smpte connections have to run through some sort of sync, maybe the one thunderface mentioned...i think the sync and the smpte cables will be kind of difficult to track down.

good luck! keep us informed.

the velour fog · Post by **the velour fog** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:25 am

from the manual:

"Controllers and Syncronizers made by Adams Smith, Audio Kinetics, Timeline, Cypher, Convergence, ISC, Videomedia, and others will work with the Studio 8 via the ACCESSORY connector."

perhaps that will help you track down a suitable sync.

snatchman · Post by **snatchman** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:27 am

As far as the headphone, stereo buss, etc. being combined, you may have luck if you can find one of those Mackie " Mixer-Mixer" units. Multible inputs with one master fader. As far as syncing the two machines together, you'll probably lose a track on each machine ( as a sync track). I have a Tascam MTS-30 synchronizer that I used to use to sync my reel to reel to an Adat. I'll probably work, just a matter of how you place it in the chain! I'll check it out and report back!.....

stereobongos · Post by **stereobongos** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:00 pm

snatchman wrote: As far as syncing the two machines together, you'll probably lose a track on each machine ( as a sync track).

Actually, you would probably lose TWO tracks on each machine cuz you have to print the SMPTE so hot that you can't use the track next to it either. You will also need a device that generates SMPTE timecode. Sounds like a lot of trouble just to create a twelve track system.
I have two 388s as well, but I prefer to just think of one as 'the spare'. Using them both together doesn't sound like fun.
Maybe you should consider the Tascam MSR 16. It has 16 tracks on 1/2" tape, which is the same track width as a 388. Get yourself an old Tascam mixer, because half of the 388 sound is the mixer, there you go.
Or not.

Evergreen · Post by **Evergreen** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:11 pm

yeah, i dont think i'm going to try hooking them both together. the second one i got is totally messed up. it's not mine it's a buddys and i just finished testing it out and it has some serious issues. i might still buy it from him for parts. it was a fun thought though.

here is a pic of the two together because i know you guys like this sorta thing. and notice that all the vu meters light up. the one on the left is mine.

the velour fog · Post by **the velour fog** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:40 am

stereobongos wrote:
snatchman wrote: As far as syncing the two machines together, you'll probably lose a track on each machine ( as a sync track).
Actually, you would probably lose TWO tracks on each machine cuz you have to print the SMPTE so hot that you can't use the track next to it either. You will also need a device that generates SMPTE timecode. Sounds like a lot of trouble just to create a twelve track system.
I have two 388s as well, but I prefer to just think of one as 'the spare'. Using them both together doesn't sound like fun.
Maybe you should consider the Tascam MSR 16. It has 16 tracks on 1/2" tape, which is the same track width as a 388. Get yourself an old Tascam mixer, because half of the 388 sound is the mixer, there you go.
Or not.

if you used the pgm in for the smpte, you wouldn't have to worry about bleed on to the next track. so, the 14 track is completely plausible. the tough part is finding a suitable smpte generator and synchronizer. the impossible part is finding the proper 30 pin cable.

the velour fog · Post by **the velour fog** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:42 am

Evergreen wrote:yeah, i dont think i'm going to try hooking them both together. the second one i got is totally messed up. it's not mine it's a buddys and i just finished testing it out and it has some serious issues. i might still buy it from him for parts. it was a fun thought though.

here is a pic of the two together because i know you guys like this sorta thing. and notice that all the vu meters light up. the one on the left is mine.

those look so nice together! a parts machine isn't a bad idea. my 388 has been in the shop for 3 weeks now, due to a bad channel card. if i had a spare unit, all i would have had to do is pop in a good channel and be on my way.

what issues does the unit have?

sthslvrcnfsn · Post by **sthslvrcnfsn** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 11:51 am

damn, my 80-8 is just sitting around. i haven't used it in a couple weeks, and that makes me sad. i've also got the m-312b mixer, but the solo buttons on channels 1-8 just went out. i'm pissed.

ah, i love tascam shit.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 1:50 pm

stereobongos wrote:
snatchman wrote: As far as syncing the two machines together, you'll probably lose a track on each machine ( as a sync track).
Actually, you would probably lose TWO tracks on each machine cuz you have to print the SMPTE so hot that you can't use the track next to it either. You will also need a device that generates SMPTE timecode. Sounds like a lot of trouble just to create a twelve track system.
I have two 388s as well, but I prefer to just think of one as 'the spare'. Using them both together doesn't sound like fun.
Maybe you should consider the Tascam MSR 16. It has 16 tracks on 1/2" tape, which is the same track width as a 388. Get yourself an old Tascam mixer, because half of the 388 sound is the mixer, there you go.
Or not.

SMPTE does not need to be printed hot like regular audio. I paid $5 for my little JL Cooper MPTE/MTC thing.

stereobongos · Post by **stereobongos** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:10 pm

drumsound wrote:
SMPTE does not need to be printed hot like regular audio. I paid $5 for my little JL Cooper MPTE/MTC thing.

I based that comment on the way engineers at Flyte Tyme in Mpls in the 90s di it when I was there. They used Otari MTR90II (8 machines in four studios!), and to the best of my recollection they did not use the adjacent tracks. Of course, since they were using a 2" 24trk deck just for vocals, I guess they had tracks to spare.
I'm quite happy with 8, couldn't imagine using more than 16. I consider myself lucky.

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Connecting two tascam 388s?????

Connecting two tascam 388s?????

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