Tascam Midistudio 688 - Complete Beginner's Recording Guide 2022
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Dear Tascam 688 and Tascam 644 user.
Congratulations on your purchase. The 688 and 644 are fine machines and considered to be the zenith of multitrack cassette recorders.
Unfortunately such an amazing machine as the one you are sitting beside comes with a hidden price.
Its complicated. Very complicated indeed.
But have no fear.
In this video tutorial I repeat myself many times with several of the steps contained. I am doing my best to be very explicit with my explaining each concept to the best of my ability, but most importantly, to the best of YOUR ability.
I point, I raise my voice and I talk to the Tascam 688 directly at times. Do not be alarmed. There is a reason for this.
To many of you all of this this will be very annoying.
But hold on.
I was once just like you. I got this thing home and was overwhelmed and discouraged just like you. The Tascam Midistudio 688 was extremely difficult to learn how to use even with the manual and pre existing tutorials handy because many of the people who learned this machine and then subsequently posted their tutorials online...
unfortunately assumed their audience were geniuses like them.
This is not their fault mind you. They just didn't factor in that one such person in their audience (me)
was a moron.
When I watched these tutorials I found myself desiring these steps to be ingrained in memory by way of my teacher assuming I was a moron or (ignorant of the entire concept) and not a genius like them.
This would have helped my greatly.
Mind you, I'm Not calling YOU a moron per say but I WAS a moron when I first met the Tascam 688.
However, learning the Tascam through trial and error has now made me a genius!
I discovered a totally new method of recording with the Tascam 688 via use of inputs 9 and 10 as auxiliary inputs.
This method is exactly what I will be teaching you here. Nothing more and nothing less.
But unlike all the other geniuses on here with their tutorials...Im assuming you are a moron
(just the same as I once was) and not a genius like me now.
This enables me to to teach you correctly and successfully turn you all into Tascam 688 geniuses that will one day teach a moron like me how to use it MUCH MUCH better.
Got it?
So you've scored a Tascam Midistudio 688 from Ebay or Gumtree and got it home in once piece. Great! Now all you have to do is figure out how to work the damn thing.
This guide is a by far the fastest and most current method for getting started recording your first masterpiece the first night your 688 or 644 arrives!
In this video I demonstrate recording 4 stereo tracks (8 tracks total) into the Tascam 688. But you can use ANY audio source for your recordings! I hope you enjoy this tutorial and if you have any questions or comments please leave them in the comment section. Also feel free to join my channel for more interesting audio related content!
I first got a 688 in October 1990. I still have one. My favorite machine, period.
Had one of these in 1990 much love!
I wish this existed 6 years ago, I figured it out by trying every combination and almost losing my mind lol
It’s so rewarding to figure out complex machines on our own eh? I loved this thing to bits but had to let it go when I moved. Think I’ll stick to a four track from now on though.
@@joshuaswannmusic6462 Yea it was a slow process. Read the manual countless times, didn't help. My belt went bad 2 years ago, I need to get it replaced. It's a cool sounding machine. The Dandelion - Seeds Flowers and Magical Powers was recorded completely on a 688.Thanks for the video
Thanks. Had one of these since 2013 and haven’t been able to use it myself until now lol
No worries at all, glad the video has been of some value :)
Nice keyboard, nice vintage sound!
Thanks for sharing
Still learning how to use my 688
Thanks!
FF/Rewind the new tape completely to help with the analogue tracking? I was always told not to use a tape straight out of the package... Makes sense as the miniscule variations will be much bigger when you get it to digital...
Cool, I’ve Never heard of that. Can you expand on that?
How come I didn’t hear what tracks was coming out your DAW? & could you make a video on syncing to Cubase from The 688 Thanks!! Oh ok I think I know what u where doing. I think you where using Cubase effects that you had miced going to tape.
Thanks Joshua, super useful. Just wondered if you might know how to fix a tape issue with the 688? My FF/RW work fine but Play won't engage. Does that mean I need to replace a belt?
Don, I have a possible solution but it will involve a bit of work. Inside of the 688 there is a RED ribbon cable that may be loose inside the socket that is likely the culprit. I had the reverse issue where my RW and FF would not engage but would play intermittently when I first got it. I believe I have some old footage of my fixing this. If you can give me a few days I will see if I can locate it and upload. If you are in a hurry though I will try and briefly walk you through the process. You will need to open up the 688. This is a process. This video link here is a must to view before attempting this. ruclips.net/video/xGAOTXun8J0/видео.html&ab_channel=Sweetbeats%27TechStop
I have a very similar issue and I read online it could either be a motor problem or a problem with the belt pls tell me if u managed to fix urs
Can you quantize audio if you are using the midi functions?
There is apparently a way to do it but I’ve never got that far along with it.
What are you using as a stand for the Tascam? All the best !
Lol I’ve got it roped to the wall
@@joshuaswannmusic6462 Hahah I see!
Hello there, thanks for the video. Did you get to sincronize with computer using MIDI?
Unfortunately I didn't have it long enough to try it. The MIDI sync is apparently a mystery wth this machine lol. Thanks for your question!
@@joshuaswannmusic6462 aparently you need Tascam MST 1000 midiizer, It can cost 700 euros extra. You can sacrifice one track on the tape but sincro with a DAW. Then you can record on tape 7 tracks at the dame time and pass to computer and add more tracks sincro. I want to get that then this way you can get the sound of the tape every track and then mix it in digital. Once you got the mix you can even do the final mastering on tape again 🙏🙏🙏
I actually know how to set up midi with the 688, but I’d like to know if it’s possible to sync it with Cubase. I have Cubase 10.5. I’m also wondering if it’s possible to record multiple midi tracks to the 688 after you put the sync code on track 8?
From what I understand, you have to also buy a tascam midizer, in order to make it work, because the 688 uses midi beat clock, (which is fsk sync) instead of midi time code or smpte. The midizer will cost you a minimum of $600
@@dannydaniel1234
Thanks for the info I’m not sure I’m ready to go that steep for midi capabilities tho. But I would also know how to record on all 8 tracks at once on the 688 thanks!
@@godship-hop5361
Use the preset no 13 on the scene matrix...and you should have no problem..if you still have problems I'll walk you through it...
@@dannydaniel1234
Okay thanks again!!
@@godship-hop5361 Sure...
Any chance you can give a tutorial on how to track live drums? I'm trying to do four tracks of drums and for some reason I'm only getting levels on track one. I don't know what I'm doing wrong
Josh here (different account) I wish I could help you with this but I don’t have my 688 anymore, it’s been a few years. My best guess is that you may have everything summed to one stereo output within the input matrix. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help but there are quite a few other guys on here with 688’s that could help more than me.
can you do this same process but record in mono, or does it have to be stereo pairs?
Yes, Will work the same in mono, just make sure you only arm one of the 2 inputs so you don’t end up recording over any subsequent tracks as you move down the tracks.
@@joshuaswannmusic6462 awesome! great video btw. Would you still do the same thing with groups 9&10, or would you only need one of those channels?
@@nealfriedman5889 Sorry again for the delay, im pretty sure just use either 9 or 10. Thanks!
are you aussie? if not you have such an aussie voice for an american
American but been here in Oz going on16 years so yes accent’s shifted a bit.
@@joshuaswannmusic6462 My incorrect guess was that you were a Kiwi who had lived in the US for a while.
I have one for sale. Very reasonable price.
How much £s? Tascsm machine 🇬🇧 😮
@@WesleyWattley-xy4fg I'm not sure what the conversion would be but I'm sure that can be figured out. Would you like to make an offer?
Why have you forsaken your Australian accent?