Mixing down from Tascam 388, etc.

[drew w]

I have a Tascam 388 8 track 1/4" reel to reel. I'd like to record my own demos and I was wondering...what is the best format to mix down onto?

I have a JVC x lr 5010 CD recorder with built in analog converter.
I also have a little Tascam 4 track and a decent quality Technics cassette deck. I could borrow a super high end ($1,000) cassette deck from a friend.
Of course everything would end up on CD, but is there any advantage to mixing down to tape first? I would prefer not to have to rent or buy any other equipment as if I do, I might as well use something better than the Tascam 388 to begin with.

Also, one engineer I used to work with would mix down from an analog machine to DAT...then when it came time to send the music of for duplication, he would record the 2 stereo channels from the DAT back onto the analog machine for warmth, we would establish the sequence of songs then record it back to DAT for the final medium to send for duplication.
Does it make any sense to do something like this with my set up? Mix from 388 to CD, then 2 stereo CD tracks back to tape then back to CD for final project?

Also, if you have comments on these questions:
where can I get reference tapes and instructions for aligning the heads on the 388?
What is a fair price for to have the heads aligned by a pro.
Do I need to have the heads aligned every time I move the machine from home to studio?
For demos...some singer songwriter but mostly band stuff...how do you rate such a machine...especially against some of the small portable roland V series digi recorders. How would the quality of a well recorded demo compare on say on an affordable digi 8 track vs. the 388?
Any thoughts on the usefulness of the Dolby noise reduction? Any tips on using it effectively? My machine has dbx 1-4, 5-8.

Thanks for your thoughts!!!!

[Rick Hunter]

Uhh, I always go into my computer after recording stuff on Reel to Reel. If you don't have a computer or a CD burner, check out the Alesis MasterLink (600 bucks) . Its a Two track mastering machine/standalone Cd burner. They are super bitchen...they have compression, limiting, normalizing...everything you need to make a good CD if you dont have a computer.


Good luck

[bert]

Drew, if you had the manual for the 388 you'd see that it's a major pain in the ass to align, and is not like aligning a 2" machine at all (which I find easier)

ANyway, i have a 388 and usually load up the 8 tracks as much as I can, dump it (all 8 tracks seperately, but at the same time) into pro-tools via the digi001.
Then I overdub in there and mix in there, and bounce down in there.
Then I can burn a CD.
I've done a few things that were all tracked, o-dubbed, and mixed off the 388 but I mixed down into 2 stereo tracks in Protools and then used that to spit out a CD.
I found that the stuff mixed down off the 388 board sounds so much nicer than the stuff actually mixed in protools, but hey pro-tools has 24 tracks and alot of effects which I sometimes need.
I think that since the 388 is so sonically limited(thin tape, slow speed) you should try not to add any MORE noise to the chain by mixing down to something digital, like a DAT, or into a computer if you can. This you can master off of, and then send to dupe houses to press your CD's from.

[markpar]

Here are some answers to a few of your questions.

For alignment tapes, you can get MRL tapes from JRF (http://www.jrfmagnetics.com/index.html? ... align.html). Although I got a much better price from my local dealer, Pacific Pro Audio (206 264 9386, ask for Garth) and they will ship to you.

For info on getting a manual, I'd ask on the Tascam forum: http://www.tascam.com/forums/forumdispl ... forumid=13

Most alignment techs I've worked with charge by the hour. I paid $60/hr for a guy from Triad Studios to come out and align my 2-track. It took him two hours, but I spent a lot of time asking him questions and having him repeat stuff so I could write it down and learn to do it myself (except for azimuth - still learning that one ).

As far as how often to align, I try to do it before every session. If it's off by a tiny bit, I just let it slide, but if it's off by a lot, I'll re-align. If you're moving the machine around, I'd definitely check the alignment each time you move it.

As far as the quality of the 388, I would say that it all comes down to how you use it. I've heard awesome stuff that was recorded on a cassette 4-track and I've heard crap recorded on 24-track digital. It's all about how you use the gear.

-mark

[eh91311]

I have a 388. I used it a bunch before getting it serviced/aligned by a pro facility... what a difference it made sonically. You don't need to tweak it when you take it from place to place. Have a pro service it, the alignment will last a while, just use 457 Quantegy tape and keep the transport & heads clean. Learn to do the servicing/aligning when you need to, collecting the MRL and test gear when you can.

Carting around a 388 is much more work than tucking a VS880 under your arm. If you need something portable you really should consider something else. The sound is worth the effort, especially when the needles peg to the right on an unexpected loud sound and you find out that your take isn't completely ruined, like it absolutely would be if you were recording on digital.

Mix direct to DAT, computer or your CD standalone recorder. Don't add any more hiss to the deal. Leave the cassette recorder for copy duty.

[drew w]

To all posters on my topic...the 388, etc.
thanks for the great advice so far!
I will be pursuing the manual, reference tapes and suggestions to get the most out of the machine.
If you have any more thoughts or advice...keep 'em coming.
Especially on the Dolby NR...is it any good?
It seems to really color the sound when on...but maybe this could be corrected with EQ, etc.?
Or maybe I should try to group the tracks a certain way...there is at times a bit of hiss but I'm still learning to find the line between too low and too hot a signal to tape.
Anyway, thanks again!
drew

[bert]

i always keep the dolby on. I thought it "colored the sond" at first too, but i got used to it. It would be a total bitch to try and get that noise out after the fact.