Adding More Input Signals - Tascam M-300 Series Operation & Maintenance Manual

M-308. This is an AUX send control, similar
to those found on the input channels. On
MON ITOR sections 1 - 4, this control is identifi·
ed as AUX 3, while those found on MON ITORS
5-8 are labeled AUX 4. Each PGM G R OUP has
one of each MONITOR set in its domain: PGM 1
carries 1 & 5, PGM 2 has 2 & 6, PGM 3 has 3 &
7, and PGM 4 has 4 & 8. Each MONITOR sec­
tion can be independently assigned to receive
its input from one of two sources: the corre­
sponding TAPE IN jack, or the PGM buss i n
which it physically resides. The MONITOR
LEV E L and PAN controls determine the overall
strength and d istribution of the signal to the
ST E R E O MAST E R busses. The ON switch
provides the means to mute the MONITO R ;
thus, ·any signal can be isolated from the final
mix if desired. Since each PGM GROUP has
two MON ITOR sections, each buss can be mixed
by one while the other can be used as an addi­
tional L I N E input or E F F ECTS R ETU R N. As
we will show further on in this manual, the
double MON ITOR mix system, while redundant
for some applications considerable expands the
flexibility of the 300 Series for sound reinforce·
ment.

Adding More Input Signals

I n our example, we are adding the synthesized
rhythm signal to the PGM 3 buss SUB IN jack.
As we've just seen, we could also add this signal
through any of the 8 MONITOR sections by
simply connecting the signal to one of the TAPE
I Ns. When using the method shown, best results
will occur when the external device generating
the signal has an output level control, because
the SUB I N jacks have no provision for control­
l i ng the incoming level. If on-board control of
the external signals is necessary, there are
several other methods which can be used.
1 . Signals can be added through the E F F ECTS
R E T U R N sections. Each of the two networks is
identical but independent and consists of a
LEV E L and a PAN control. The signal can be
control led, balanced, then added to the L E FT
and R I G HT STE R EO busses. This allows the
signal to be controlled i ndependently from
the PGM G R OUPS.
2. On all 300 Series mixers, the AUX 1 and
AUX 2 channel send controls are assignable
either to the channel signal path or directly to
the L I N E INput. If a given channel is used to
34
process a M I C signal, a separate L I N E signal can
be connected to that channel's L I N E I Nput
and routed to either AUX 1 or AUX 1 & 2 by
pressing the AUX L I N E switch and de-selecting
the AUX POST switch. The external signal
is now controlled by the selected channel
AUX send and MAST E R controls and is avail·
able at the AUX 1 or AUX 1 & 2 outputs.
This can then be patched back into the mixer
through the appropriate SUB IN jack for in·
elusion into the final STE R EO mix.
3. Extra signals can also be added using the eight
(8) TAPE IN jacks. As explained previously,
these provide signal to the corresponding MONI·
TOR sections, which, in tu rn, can mix the signal
into the final ST E R E O mix. Some thought
and caution must be used when applying this
approach, as the MONITORS are also used to
mix the PGM G ROUP signals to the ST E R EO
masters. When using the PGM G ROUPS in a
mix and using the TAPE R ET U R N S for adding
signals, always make sure each PGM G R OUP
has at least one MONITOR section assignable
to the PGM. This means that if all four PGM
G R OUPS are in use during the mix, only four
external signals can be added through the
remaining unused MONITOR sections.
These extra systems add flexibility to the
300 Series. Each model, therefore, becomes
more than 8, 1 2 or 20 input, 4 buss, stereo and
mono output mixer. For example, the smal lest
version, the M-308, can mix up to 8 M I C and 8
L I N E signals simultaneously, and, if these
signals are sent d irectly to the STE R E O MAS·
TE AS, 8 additional line level signals can be
added through the TAPE I N jacks. By merely
patching the AUX 1 & 2 outputs back into
the E F F ECT RTN jacks, 24 different signals
could be easily mixed and controlled, c reating
a final stereo and/or mono output signa l . The
models M-3 1 2 and M-320, with their additional
input channels and AUX sends, can easily mix
more than twice their number of channel signals.
See chart on Page 1 1 .
Setting Auxiliary and Effects Send Levels
When using the additional subsystems found on
the 300 Series mixers, setting the signal levels
is equally important as the channels levels. The
procedure is very similar; however different
controls come into use. In our example, we
need to use AUX 1 for an on-stage monitor