Tascam M50 recording console

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 4:27 am Post subject: Tascam M50 recording console

I have actually used the M50 extensively way back.. but I have sort of forgotten much about it.. like how it sounds and what I hated or loved about it. Thing is, one of Oskar´s buddies is selling an M50. I don´t yet know much about the state it is in, but it seems that reasonably decent M50s go for like 250 USD these days.
That isn´t really that unreasonable of course because these consoles did have a lot of noise and there were issues for sure. I am not yet sure if I want it, if I even "need" it or how much repairwork that is needed in order to make the M50 useable.

Anyone out there having recently used the M50? Any opinions about how useable it really is these days.. soundwise ? The features are a bit Tascam weirdish and very basic. This is a typical 8 track Tascam recording console. I imagine my main use of it would be as a monitoring console.

deknow · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:20 am Post subject:

i dunno about using it as a moitoring console, as it is likely "colored" rather than "transparant".

i've worked on these (repair), and if i remember correctly, it's one of those with a ribbon cable (and connectors)...which i where the problems usually lie. generally, there are electrolytics that need to be replaced, edge connectors for the ribbon cables that need cleaning (and perhaps resoldering), and some extra grounding (soldering a good ground between the boards and other ground points directly) all seem to help. hopefully the faders are in good shape (and the other pots).

unless you were to want this for how it sounds, i think you are better off with a disposable (and non-fixable) behrniger board.

deknow

elektro80 · Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 7:45 am Post subject:

I wouldn´t call the M50 transparent, but by monitoring I am not thinking of the main studio monitoring which truly should be as transparent and uncoloured as possible. I am thinking of the monitor mixes for the musicians. I already have a mixer for monitoring the midi instruments in the studio. Main point is that I can use the channel routing on the M50 console for setting up group mixes. I am doing this the old fashioned way.
..And it has wooden sides of course...