Transferring DA38 tapes

[HSLand]

I've got an oldschool Mix system, a couple 888s, a couple DA38s and a couple Tascam IF-88AE TDIF-AES converters. There's some stuff about transferring from DA88 machines online but not much about DA38 machines.

I'm thinking that I need to sync the two DA38s as usual, connect them to the IF-88AE interfaces via TDIF, then run all the AES cables from the IF-88AEs into the 888s, and make sure that channel 1-2 on the first 888 is slaving to digital clock from the AES cable.

I'll test that soon and see if it works, as well as for laying back into the DA38 just out of curiosity. I don't need MTC/LTC since these are just simple transfers. If anyone has a better idea I'm all ears.

[s.d. finley]

as long as you have the sync cable between the 2 da38, so the 2nd can chase the first, then no need to sync the PT rig and the DA38s together. You would need a midi to da38 timecode box anyways.

[HSLand]

Why is it that I wouldn't need to sync them up? I was thinking that when using two different digital machines, you need to sync them up via wordclock. Perhaps it's different for a simple transfer though, and having them playing back in unison would require a wordclock sync while a simple transfer wouldn't for some reason?

[HSLand]

After a little investigation, I'm even more confused than when I began.

I don't know how the IF-88AE gets its clock info. Rumor has it that the DA-88 doesn't send wordclock via TDIF but that the DA-38 does. In that case, the IF-88AE should get WC via my 38's TDIF, then send that on out via AES... (Or does the IF-88AE use its own internal clock?...) The IF-88AE also only has a WC out connector, and I hear that that wordclock is derived from the AES input

To make it even more confusing, the IF-88AE manual shows a DA-88 needing only a TDIF connection if it's the source machine (it has to get WC via TDIF then, right?), but at all times when it's the receiving machine a BNC cable is required from the IF-88AE. Note that that's for the DA-88, I'm unsure if the DA-38 is any different. If the IF88AE's WC out connector is really derived from the AES input, I can maybe see the need for a BNC cable going to your machine, but if your Pro Tools interface is already locked to the DA-38's wordclock (from the IF88AE's AES 1-2 output which it got from TDIF originally), I don't see a need for it.

I'm thinking that the IF-88AE is probably getting WC from the 38's TDIF, then sending that on out via AES, and if I select my 888's sync as Digital I should be good for both transferring to Pro Tools as well as for laying back to the DA-38s. My main DA-38 would be the master clock the entire time. I'm unsure why the IF-88AE manual illustrates there needing to be a BNC cable only for when you're transferring to the DA-88.

How did you guys rig up your DA-38s back in the day? Ancient technology, I know, but I've got it so I might as well

[HSLand]

After a bunch of experimentation, I can confirm that the IF-88AE sources its wordclock from the TDIF port, and that the BNC output is sourced from the AES input. I'm thinking the setup I described in the first post is all I need to go to and fro, without ever needing the BNC for anything.

I'm still confused as to why the manual shows the DA-88 needing a BNC cable for layback, since the DA-88 is already the master with the setup I described above. You shouldn't have to switch the master/slave depending on if you're going to or fro, but maybe the DA-88 has a peculiarity that the DA-38 doesn't.

[s.d. finley]

When I mean 'sync' the 2 da38's together I don't mean word clock sync but time reference sync. IF you are transferring more than 9 tracks at once using 2 machines you are going to need a cable to ensure they are synchronized together for time code.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tascam-PW-88...-/261980032734

[notable]

Originally Posted by s.d. finley

When I mean 'sync' the 2 da38's together I don't mean word clock sync but time reference sync. IF you are transferring more than 9 tracks at once using 2 machines you are going to need a cable to ensure they are synchronized together for time code.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tascam-PW-88...-/261980032734

Separate daxx's need their pw88 sync cables. The remote becomes the master (1st in the chain) if my memory serves me.
For more precision....
I used to sample accurately synchronize da88, and da78's to Pro Tool with motu's mtp av all devices independently receiving the aardvarks word clock and being in ext wc mode. Sharing the word clock source and having and using the sync card in the da88. Im not sure the da38 has that sync capability. With that old setup (15 +years ago ) I could do one tape at a time and they would synchronize perfectly even doing them one after another (not simultaneously).


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[s.d. finley]

If OP is transferring analog in to PT word clock sync isn't really needed. Its been a loooooong time since I have messed with any Tascam DA system too!!