Studiomaster 8 into 4 mixer with 8 channel tape recorder?

[Beneficial]

I have a rackmountable Studiomaster 8 into 4 mixer. The back panel of the mixer has 8 XLR mic inputs, 8 1/4" line inputs, and 8 Out/In 1/4" insert jacks. I really want to use this mixer with an 8 channel tape recorder to track using the 8 mixer preamps and then mixdown the 8 tape channels through this mixer.

Does anyone know of a good way to do this? Can I basically hook up the tape machine like an insert device?

[Beneficial]

Anyone have any experience with these old studiomaster mixers?

[Nick Sevilla]

I have never used one of these brand mixers.

But... you can try to feed the tape machine off the sends.

Just monitor off another console, if possible.

[Beneficial]

Ok thanks for the reply.

Is there anyway to hook this up so that I wouldn't need 2 consoles? I'd really like to use this 8 channel mixer with the 8 track tape recorder if possible. I feel like I saw posts on how to rig up this type of setup before but I'm not sure.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

What kind of tape machine is it? You should be able to run it on the inserts - Send to tape in, tape out to return. No guarantee the return levels won't super loud or too quiet depending if the tape machine runs at +4 or -10 and depending on what the insert is expecting to see.
Depending on the console it may also mean that EQ and fader will be post insert/post tape.
The short answer is try it.

[Beneficial]

The mixer is a Studio master 8 into 4 which I have, and the tape unit is a Tascam 238 which I'm thinking about buying. I really love this mixer and wanted to make sure I could incorporate this tape machine.

The mixer manual says you can run the 4 sub buses out to a 4 track tape machine, but I want to be able to record all 8 tracks at once.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

It will work on inserts. I ran a Tascam 38 from the inserts of a Allen & Heath System 8 for years. I returned to the line ins of channel 9-16 but you could just as easily return from the inserts. If the machine is -10 the playback signal into the insert might be a little week but that's really only an issue during tracking. When it's time to mix you can just plug into the line ins.

[Beneficial]

Ok awesome man, thanks.

[donny]

The 8 into 4 has 4 channels that are MIC/LINE, and 4 that are MIC/RIAA (for turntable inputs for DJs ... weird, yes), so you need defeat the RIAA if it hasn't been done already. Apparently it's an easy mod ... the one I have was already converted to 8 MIC/LINE inputs when I got it.

After that, for mixing, you just plug the 8 outputs of your tape deck into the 8 line inputs on the main channels. Use buss 1&2 or 3&4 as your main stereo outs.

For recording all 8 tracks, plug your mics into the XLR inputs, and I think it has direct outs for each channel to connect to the tape deck.