Tascam 2488 Mk II Help needed

[AcousticGuitarFanatic]

Can anybody help me out? I have recorded three tracks on the 2488 dry. They are mic guitar, DI guitar, and vocal. Now what I want to do is copy those tracks, and at the same time add in effects to create wet tracks, (i.e wet mic guitar, wet DI guitar, and reverb vocal), so that I can position them in the mix, and control the wet/dry balance using the channel faders until I am completely happy with them. Once I am, then I will want to mix down the dry and wet tracks to a stereo mix. I have tried everything that the manual suggests, but every time I seem to end up with a wet channel only on the master fader, which is not what I am looking for, and which only seems to allow me one effect on all three tracks. If anyone can send me an idiot-proof step-by-step set of instructions that would be fantastic. Thanks.

[Vanan]

You might need to bounce your wet track with whichever effect you choose, to another track and then you can switch effects for another track. Basically you'd be doing an internal recording of the dry track, with effects enable onto a track resulting in a wet track. Only drawback is once you've bounce the dry track with effects, you're stuck with those effects setting in the new wet track. Does this make sense?

[AcousticGuitarFanatic]

Yes, that makes perfect sense. The problem I have been having is actually working out how to do just that - every time I try I end up with a second copy of the dry track on a new strip/channel, and the effect only audible on the stereo mix fader. Do I need to assign the wet channel to a stereo track, and if I do, do you know why this should be? I have read the instruction manual until I am blue in the face, but it just does not seem to cover this issue anywhere that I can find.

[Vanan]

Not quite sure if I follow you, but it seems to me that you're wondering why the wet channel should end up on the main output stereo track. Reason, so it can be heard. You ultimately want to end up with one dry track assigned to the stereo output and one wet track assigned to the stereo output. That way you can control the wetness live.

To break things down more, here's what I would do. Please forgive me for minor differences as I own the older version (The original Tascam 2488! lol! Yea, old!). First, before assigning an effect do your original dry track (We'll call it track 1), make a copy of it, using the clone track function. Clone track 1 to track 2. Now you should end up with identical tracks, 1 and 2. Now assign the effect onto track 2. Mute track 1 for now. Once you get your effect right (on track 2), switch to bounce mode, and record track 2 to track 3. Basically, make sure all other tracks are muted cept for track 2 and make sure the record enable button is on, on track 3. Now hit record and stop when the part you want is done. Now, if you mute all tracks BUT track 3, you should hear your track with the effect recorded onto it, just like how you heard it on track 2 with the effect assigned. From here on, you can delete track 2 if you'd like, but it should leave you with track 1 (dry track) and track 3 (wet track). Adjust faders for wetness mix.

Apologies if you already know all these steps, but I'm just trying to make sure the basics are covered first. Hope this helps.

[AcousticGuitarFanatic]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for taking the time to explain it to me. I shall go away and give that a go. I think where I went wrong was forgetting to mute all of the other tracks - which is obvious now you mentioned it. Doh!

[Vanan]

Good luck! Hope it works out for you. I have been trying to locate the site which has the download for the "other" manual for the Tascam 2488. Google searches failed me. I just might have to retype up the copy of it I have. I was done by Don Roberston and it's called the Tascam 2488 Home Guide. Fills in alot of valuable info, which the shitty manual that comes with the unit, doesn't explain. Maybe someone else knows of the site for the pdf download for it.

[Toesover]

Is this what you are looking for?.........

TASCAM Forums Member Supported -> Doubles 2488 Home Guide 06-29-06

[Vanan]

Yep! That's the one! Thanks man!

[cwinter]

I have tried downloading Double's Home Recording Guide as listed above but the link doesn't work. I get a files missing error. Would someone be able to email me a copy or post another link? I really need the help desparately.

[Toesover]

Looks like the link is bad or they took it down? I emailed admin, we'll see what they say. I saved only a small part of it regarding external effects that someone posted, if thats any help.....

TASCAM Forums Member Supported -> Outboard Effects