Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

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I'm Painting Again
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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by I'm Painting Again » Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:32 pm

"dB or dBFS I dunno" seemed like you didn't understand what was what

so lemme know what outputs you're using

Tape outs / Aux outs / stereo outs / headphone out ?

and what type of tape you're using brand/formulation

sounds like the signal coming from the deck is too hot -or- something with the software

if the front meters on the interface are just hitting yellow once and a while you ought to be good going in

and the problem is after the conversion in the computer / software

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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by akpasta » Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:52 pm

I'm Painting Again wrote:
Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:32 pm
"dB or dBFS I dunno" seemed like you didn't understand what was what

so lemme know what outputs you're using

Tape outs / Aux outs / stereo outs / headphone out ?

and what type of tape you're using brand/formulation

sounds like the signal coming from the deck is too hot -or- something with the software

if the front meters on the interface are just hitting yellow once and a while you ought to be good going in

and the problem is after the conversion in the computer / software
By "I dunno" I meant garageband tracks just say "db," which is confusing, but everyone here suggests 99% that it's dbFS because it's a DAW.

388 is sending from individual track tape outs, RCA.

Tape is LPR35 1/4" from Splicit

Meters on the front of my m-track 8 are one or two greens, which is in line with the instructions from M-audio.

So it's hot at the software level. So to avoid having to change my settings in garageband a bunch before I even get started, I adjust the Mac OS input level in settings so each track in garage band sits between -10 db and -6db. Like I've been saying, Garageband doesn't tell you what type of "db" so I said "or whatever/I dunno" but everyone assure me it's got to be dbfs. My next point of confusion is, if my levels are good, why are the wave forms so tiny? If I turn things up so the wave forms are big enough to see, I'm well above -6db in garageband tracks.

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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by Nick Sevilla » Tue Jun 04, 2019 8:56 pm

Note:

ALL Digital devices which use converters from analog to digital are dBFS "deciBels Full Scale".

No exceptions.

Cheers.

PS, you mix with your EARS not your eyes, don't mind the size of the waveforms.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by Nick Sevilla » Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:04 pm

Just a last thing: I hope at some point you move from Garageband.

There is almost no documentation for this play toy type DAW.

Like, no way to know what the meter scale is (there are a ton).

I would recommend either you get Reaper (free or cheap), or Pro Tools First (free).

Many people on here know those two DAWs, and would probably be able to better help you out.

Cheers

https://www.reaper.fm/

https://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by I'm Painting Again » Wed Jun 05, 2019 7:55 am

Nick Sevilla wrote:
Tue Jun 04, 2019 8:56 pm
Note:

ALL Digital devices which use converters from analog to digital are dBFS "deciBels Full Scale".

No exceptions.

Cheers.

PS, you mix with your EARS not your eyes, don't mind the size of the waveforms.
http://cdm.link/2017/11/waves-give-old- ... sing-free/

I meant stuff like this - you can get digital VU meters as plug-ins or you can code into an open source DAW, etc

at the midtown Manhattan studio I use these

https://daleproaudio.com/products/dorro ... -xlrs-bncs

you can run AES/EBU digital between conversion and interface, etc. and they're a loudness and peak and super nice
Last edited by I'm Painting Again on Wed Jun 05, 2019 8:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by kslight » Wed Jun 05, 2019 8:15 am

Nick Sevilla wrote:
Tue Jun 04, 2019 9:04 pm
Just a last thing: I hope at some point you move from Garageband.

There is almost no documentation for this play toy type DAW.

Like, no way to know what the meter scale is (there are a ton).

I would recommend either you get Reaper (free or cheap), or Pro Tools First (free).

Many people on here know those two DAWs, and would probably be able to better help you out.

Cheers

https://www.reaper.fm/

https://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first
Exactly, I’ve done this very thing many times (dump 388 to computer) but I know nothing about GarageBand, other than this use case is probably beyond what Apple ever intended it for.

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Re: Tips for Dumping 388 > M-Track 8 > Garage Band

Post by I'm Painting Again » Wed Jun 05, 2019 9:14 am

akpasta wrote:
Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:52 pm
I'm Painting Again wrote:
Tue Jun 04, 2019 2:32 pm
"dB or dBFS I dunno" seemed like you didn't understand what was what

so lemme know what outputs you're using

Tape outs / Aux outs / stereo outs / headphone out ?

and what type of tape you're using brand/formulation

sounds like the signal coming from the deck is too hot -or- something with the software

if the front meters on the interface are just hitting yellow once and a while you ought to be good going in

and the problem is after the conversion in the computer / software
By "I dunno" I meant garageband tracks just say "db," which is confusing, but everyone here suggests 99% that it's dbFS because it's a DAW.

388 is sending from individual track tape outs, RCA.

Tape is LPR35 1/4" from Splicit

Meters on the front of my m-track 8 are one or two greens, which is in line with the instructions from M-audio.

So it's hot at the software level. So to avoid having to change my settings in garageband a bunch before I even get started, I adjust the Mac OS input level in settings so each track in garage band sits between -10 db and -6db. Like I've been saying, Garageband doesn't tell you what type of "db" so I said "or whatever/I dunno" but everyone assure me it's got to be dbfs. My next point of confusion is, if my levels are good, why are the wave forms so tiny? If I turn things up so the wave forms are big enough to see, I'm well above -6db in garageband tracks.

so ya I opened garage band for the first time on my video machine and it seems like there's no real metering - seems set up to be easy tho

seems to have a track fader and a recording level fader I assume is the input trim ?

if so

maybe try to keep the channel at 0 and use the recording level to adjust the inputs so when all your tracks mix the master bus meter has a few dB of headroom and then master it off the mixbus with the effects as the last step ?

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