Hi there,
I synced my Tascam 688 way back then, with my first Cubase Windows 3.1 sequencer, and it was really easy.
As I still have my 688, and would like to record some drums, and then the rest on Cubase, I tried today to sync it as I used to do. I could send the MIDI Time Code information to the 688, but when I press Play on the 688, Cubase ignore it. I configured the Syncro Setup page with MTC option, but nothing happened. I am not even sure that any MIDI signal is coming in from the 688.
Has anybody tried this before? Any suggestion will be much appreciated,
Thanks and regards,
Are you sure you should not be using Midi Clock rather than MTC, then the 688 can convert that into FSK to stripe the tape, then on playback the FSK can be read and turned back into Midi Clock for Cubase to read, if indeed Cubase still reads Midi Clock, and even then Midi Clock or even Midi Timecode wont allow Cubase to Sync Audio accurately, only Midi!
Split, thanks for the replay. I am not sure what I should be using. I don’t remember what I did in the past, I guess the first Cubase had fewer options.
I just want to press play on the 688 and Cubase follows, as I did in the past. The result was more than enough for me then.
I will try MIDI Clock instead, and see what happens.
The trouble with getting cubase to sync to tape is there are two synchronisations you need to be aware of. In the old days when Cubase was merely a MIDI sequencer it was simpler as the MIDI can follow a varying external time base very simply. With Audio now in the equation it’s a little more complicated as the audio clock is different than the MIDI clock. So for Audio to follow a varying external time base the samplerate needs to be varied along with the varying external sync code.
This can be achieved by certain sound cards that allow for that, or from an external box that can generate word clock from say SMPTE or MTC.
I do believe the 688 can chase lock to timecode if you have the Tascam Midizer.
Split, you were right, the 688 doesn’t use MTC, it just use an FSK strip that came from MIDI Clock. And Cubase doesn’t respond to MIDI Clock. I could try SMPTE somehow, but for the basic purposes I plan to use analog, I think I just could record and then move it to Cubase. Syncing was great when I had to make it both worlds sound to once: MIDI and analog. It is not the case.