syncing two tascam DA38's and do i need a new mixer?

[shredmaster]

i currently have a Tascam DA38 8 track recorder and am looking at getting a 2nd one to get up to 16 tracks. how do you guys have them BOTH connected to your mixer (and what mixer do you have) to run these both. i know some of you have 3 or 4 units chained! you're sick by the way

my mixer is a mackie 1604 vlz pro (16 ch., 4 bus with 8-direct outs and of course 4 bus outs.) i have been recording each drum mic to it's respective track (direct out 1 to track 1 on DA38, direct out 2 on mackie to track 2 in on DA38, and so on. i'm not using the 4 bus outs.) this is great for truly mixing drums (instead of routing all mics to bus 1 & 2 during the session and realizing later that the snare is a little too loud and it's too late.) i am utilizing the 8 direct-outs on the back of the mackie to the respective INs in the DA38. this is great BUT the mackie only has 8 direct outs...... i need 8 more for the 2nd DA38 right? so this is something new i want to do.

OR, how do you guys have it setup, and what do you do for drums, etc, with your 24 tracks, 16 tracks, etc.

since i have only 1 DA38 i was mixing and EQ'ing the drums to my DAT machine, then playing the DAT back onto a fresh 8 track tape to tracks 1 & 2. so now i have 6 tracks open for us. BUT i would like the 16 track thing. i really don't like bouncing even though the sound is great.

i don't think i can use both these decks with the current mixer without constant patching / re-patching, and even then, it
might be a hassle. i have been reworking this in my head and i thought i would just post here to see HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING IT. i never set up anything before larger than 8 tracks. thinking i might have to get a 2nd mackie so i have 8 more direct outs for the 2nd DA38 or get a whole new board with 16 direct outs? if that exists.

also, for syncing the 2 units, i think i only need a sync cable, right? no special time code box or anything. i read somewhere the cable is the only thing you need. then set one to master and one to slave. from there i think all units are controlled from deck one....play (they both play), record (they both would record, rewind, etc.

any help would be great. sorry for the long post. just wanted to be thorough.

[30yroldpig]

You'll definately need more IO options on your mixer Your getting an extra 8 tracks of tape return for monitoring and/or mixing.

Secondly I don't think you can slave two 38's together. You need a DA88 Deck with the extra sync card (Optional I think it's called the SY-88 ) and then you can slave an extra 38.

Cheers
Pat

[shredmaster]

thanks pat. yeah, you can definately slave the 2 38's together or even chain them if you want....that's what's so cool about them. i think once i save my pennies i will be stepping up to a 32X8 mackie board. that way i can have 16 ins and 16 outs. that would be perfect!

[30yroldpig]

Originally Posted by shredmaster

yeah, you can definately slave the 2 38's together or even chain them if you want....that's what's so cool about them.

How? through MMC, MTC? Not through TC though that's for sure

[shredmaster]

alright ya kinda lost me. that's what i'm here to find out. i know that a couple studios have done it. cable from one to the next and hit the master button or sync button on the master. don't ask me but i have seen it done.

[30yroldpig]

I'm really not sure but I'm gonna look into this. I'm pretty sure that the old 38's cannot be synced together without a Master DA88/98

Cheers
Pat

[30yroldpig]

Well, it seems that I have been wrong. you can sync two 38's together (in fact you can sync up to 16 of them).

You need the proprietary PW-88S cable from tascam. Is it still avaiable? I don't know, the DA 38 has been discontinued and has been subsequently replaced by the DA 78HR. The Tapes have to be formaed in ABS (absolute) time format.

Heres a PDF manual (careful it's rather large)

http://www.tascam.com/pdf/DTRS_DA-38_manual.pdf

Cheers
Pat[/url]