Hello

I am new to the analog/sync world and I have been asked to put together a
system for doing live backing tracks off of a Tascam TSR-8 or similar
device. The deal is this, the drummer will be controlling a sequencer that
will be playing a click for him to play to. The sequencer will be
controlling the Tape machine. The tape machine will be playing the backing
tacks (backing guitars, keys, etc). Is this possible or am I crazy. I have
seen a lot of info on having the tape machine be the master and slaving the
sequencer to it, but I need it to happen the other way around. I know that
there are easier ways to do this with digital playback devices but it *has*
to be a Reel to Reel machine that has the backing tracks, it part of the
show ;-)

HairisonFire wrote:

Hello

I am new to the analog/sync world and I have been asked to put together a
system for doing live backing tracks off of a Tascam TSR-8 or similar
device. The deal is this, the drummer will be controlling a sequencer that
will be playing a click for him to play to. The sequencer will be
controlling the Tape machine. The tape machine will be playing the backing
tacks (backing guitars, keys, etc). Is this possible or am I crazy. I have
seen a lot of info on having the tape machine be the master and slaving the
sequencer to it, but I need it to happen the other way around. I know that
there are easier ways to do this with digital playback devices but it *has*
to be a Reel to Reel machine that has the backing tracks, it part of the
show ;-)


Get an iBook, put Mackie's free Tracktion on it, copy the tape and your
sequences to it, then put the TSR-8 onstage lip-syncing its part.

"S O'Neill" wrote in message
...
HairisonFire wrote:

Hello

I am new to the analog/sync world and I have been asked to put together a
system for doing live backing tracks off of a Tascam TSR-8 or similar
device. The deal is this, the drummer will be controlling a sequencer
that will be playing a click for him to play to. The sequencer will be
controlling the Tape machine. The tape machine will be playing the
backing tacks (backing guitars, keys, etc). Is this possible or am I
crazy. I have seen a lot of info on having the tape machine be the
master and slaving the sequencer to it, but I need it to happen the other
way around. I know that there are easier ways to do this with digital
playback devices but it *has* to be a Reel to Reel machine that has the
backing tracks, it part of the show ;-)


Get an iBook, put Mackie's free Tracktion on it, copy the tape and your
sequences to it, then put the TSR-8 onstage lip-syncing its part.


Yeah That was my first thought, just have the tape machine mimic the parts
and have a multi track HD or Pro Tools really playing the parts. The
problem is the artist wants the tracks comming from the tape machine. It's
part of their "show". My question is- is it possiable to control one of
these multi track tape machines via a sequencer. There are no
"sequencer"/MIDI parts. It's all audio tracks. The sequencer is just
controlling the tape machine and running a click for the drummer. I
figuered a hardware sequencer would be the best so the drummer can hit a
button to get to the next sequence/song, instead of having a PC or mac and
a mouse or whatever to set up.

Thanks

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 08:57:44 -0500, HairisonFire
wrote:



Yeah That was my first thought, just have the tape machine mimic the
parts
and have a multi track HD or Pro Tools really playing the parts. The
problem is the artist wants the tracks comming from the tape machine.
It's
part of their "show". My question is- is it possiable to control one of
these multi track tape machines via a sequencer. There are no
"sequencer"/MIDI parts. It's all audio tracks. The sequencer is just
controlling the tape machine and running a click for the drummer. I
figuered a hardware sequencer would be the best so the drummer can hit a
button to get to the next sequence/song, instead of having a PC or mac
and
a mouse or whatever to set up.

I suspect that you may have to look for a better tape machine which can be
controlled by an external synchroniser - the TSR-8 was Tascam's budget
machine and I don't think that it has the necessary connectors. A Fostex E
series machine (E8 or E16) with a 4030 synchroniser might be worth looking
at.

Cheers.

James.

In article writes:

I suspect that you may have to look for a better tape machine which can be
controlled by an external synchroniser - the TSR-8 was Tascam's budget
machine and I don't think that it has the necessary connectors.

I think it has the connectors but an external synchronizer is still
needed.

Of course he could always put SMPTE time code on the tape, start the
tape first, and have the sequencer chase to it. That's the easy way, if it
works for the performance situation.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

James Perrett wrote:
On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 08:57:44 -0500, HairisonFire

wrote:



Yeah That was my first thought, just have the tape machine mimic
the
parts
and have a multi track HD or Pro Tools really playing the parts.
The
problem is the artist wants the tracks comming from the tape
machine.
It's
part of their "show". My question is- is it possiable to control
one of
these multi track tape machines via a sequencer. There are no
"sequencer"/MIDI parts. It's all audio tracks. The sequencer is
just
controlling the tape machine and running a click for the drummer.
I
figuered a hardware sequencer would be the best so the drummer can
hit a
button to get to the next sequence/song, instead of having a PC or
mac
and
a mouse or whatever to set up.

I suspect that you may have to look for a better tape machine which
can be
controlled by an external synchroniser - the TSR-8 was Tascam's
budget
machine and I don't think that it has the necessary connectors. A
Fostex E
series machine (E8 or E16) with a 4030 synchroniser might be worth
looking
at.

Cheers.

James.

Actually a TSR-8 would sync just fine to external equipment, I have
used a Midi-izer to sync mine to a 24 track, and I've heard of other
people using theirs with various external SMPTE controllers.

Why the friend of the OP wants to do this is beyond me. You get 30
minutes from a tape and the deck weighs about 60 pounds...not to
mention moving it around to gigs would probably shorten it's lifespan.

Must be a short show, or they have an intermission to change tapes.

Then again I always thought it would be cool to have one of those old 9
track computer tape drives spinning in the background while my band
played....then take a sledge hammer to it at the end as an
"anti-computer" statement...maybe they are doing something like that.
Analogeezer