Is this the best way to sync up some Tascam machines?

[themagichoof]

I have some Tascam DA-38s, an RC-848 remote, a Digital Timepiece, and an original mk.1 2408. I'd like for the 38s to be the masters and have the 2408 be the slave. The older 324 PCI card has a control track input but not the 424. I wish the 2408 itself had a control track since that would make this much easier... but here's what I'm thinking.

RC-848 --> first DA-38 via the normal remote cable
Last DA-38 --> Digital Timepiece via Tascam sync cable
Wordclock out of Digital Timepiece --> Wordclock in on 2408 via BNC
MIDI out on Digital Timepiece --> MIDI In on my MIDI interface for MTC
TDIF cables from each DA-38 --> 2408 TDIF inputs

Does that sound about right? If there's an easier way, I'm all ears.

[apanacci]

I just got rid of my setup that was very close to yours. I did not have the digital Timepiece , I have the Xpress XT. What I did was synced the 2 DA 38,s via their sync cables. DA38 #2 as a slave to #1. From DA38 #1 I had their MTC/MIDI converter plugged in, then ran MIDI cables to the Xpress XT in and out. From DA 38 #1 I ran a bnc cable to my 2408. The 2408 was the clock .I do not think you have to run a connection to DA38 #2 to your Digital Timepiece. You could make the Timepiece the master and then a cable out to the 2408 and then out to DA38 #1. They recommend you do not daisy chain word clock out to more than 3 units. See if that works !

[apanacci]

Forgot, I also had TDIF cables connected from the DA38,s to the 2408. Scrapped all of that , took my 24 channel mixer out of my studio , bought a 828 MKIII.

[themagichoof]

I'd be willing to make the Digital Timepiece the master clock generator, but the DT manual says that if you use an RC-848 remote in front of your 1st DA-xx machine, the DT must be last in the chain and has to be a slave.

The DT gets both wordclock & address (SMPTE/MTC) from the normal sync cable and generates all of that on its BNC/MIDI outs so I think the 2408 should sync to that. It's beyond me why the 2408 mk.1 itself doesn't have a control track input. It seems the only two pieces of gear that have it are the DT and the 324 PCI card, like they abandoned the format.

I'm gonna hook all this up soon and hope for the best. The only thing that bothers me is using my 2408 in standalone mode for everyday operation without my DAT machines. Since my DA machines are generating wordclock, I'll have to either keep switching the 2408 back and forth from being the master/slave clock generator, or leave my first DA-xx machine on permanently.

[themagichoof]

Apparently I can go from the ADAT SYNC OUT on the Digital Timepiece to the ADAT SYNC IN on the 424 card. I don't know if this also gives me MTC though. Does your DAW software also receive MTC from the ADAT SYNC IN port? You usually have to select a MIDI device manually as the MTC generator. Maybe it's a 1-step process in Digital Performer, but I use Logic so I'm not sure if the 424 will show up as a MIDI device and that I can select it as the thing that MTC is coming from....