Tascam 388- Anyone know how to use the PGM BUSS INs?

[lightandmind]

The stereo PGM BUSS OUTs work fine, just hit the assign # for the buss you want and the signal leaves the RCA outs, however, I had the thing for so long, have a copy of the manual, but for whatever reason just cannot figure out how to use the RCA stereo buss INs to accept signal. Does it also involve the assign switches? Whats the dealeo?

-

[lightandmind]

Bumperella

[lightandmind]

Bumpty-Dumpty sat on a wall, and with no help at all, he will fall.

[adadan]

If you're talking about the eight RCA ins in four stereo pairs, I haven't actually had a need to use them, but according to the manual and block diagram, their intended use is to hook up another mixer with it's own level controls, so they feed the eight busses of the 388 directly, AFTER the assign switches on the individual channels.

So to use these, you don't have any separate assign switches (those would theoretically be on the external device you're bringing). PGM BUSS ins 1,3,5,7 all feed the L/odd program master fader, while 2,4,6,8 all feed the R/even program master fader (but realize that even though you only have two faders to control the levels, the 8 buses are not mixed--they remain independent through to the program outs, monitor outs, and tracks 1-8 on tape).

The PGM BUSS ins are mixed with the corresponding numbered buss on the 388, so after the two master faders, each of the eight PGM BUSS ins, mixed with the same number 388 buss, goes to three places: straight to the corresponding program out RCA jack, to the corresponding numbered pot on the monitor section (through the "PGM" side of the "PGM/CUE" switch on the monitor section), and also to the corresponding track on the 8 track recorder.

Basically, this means that anything hooked to the program buss in RCA jacks is automatically routed to tape, so when you record enable a track, you are also record enabling whatever signal is present on that number PGM BUSS in RCA jack, which is already combined with whatever else you have routed to that numbered buss on the 388 mixer.

The obvious intention is to connect the PGM BUSS outs of another 8 buss TASCAM mixer to the PGM BUSS ins of the 388, so you could expand the number of channels you have feeding the 8 buses. Your other mixer would have the ability to set levels on each channel and assign each channel to one or more of the 8 buses, so you would have the same kind of control you have on the 388 built-in mixer.

Does that make sense? Kind of confusing, I know. The 388 I've used is a friend's, and I have it disassembled for maintenance right now, but I should have it back together later today, and I'll try an ipod or something in to those jacks and see if it works as the manual/block diagram indicate.