Tascam are making some rather attractive desks these days; from the automated M3700 through to the 25-series mid-range consoles with MIDI muting, they seem to be able to create products ideally specified for the target market.

In introducing the highly compact M1516, Tascam have taken on the home-recording eight-track market with a desk that resembles, in many ways, a four-group version of a 2516 minus the MIDI facilities. There's also a smaller rackmount 8-channel model, the 1508, but it's the larger model I'm looking at here.

The M1516 is fundamentally a 16-channel desk, routing to four sub-groups/tape sends, but with a secondary signal path in each channel. This 'Dual' input is cleverly configured for the maximum flexibility in use, serving as a tape monitor channel, an additional input on mixdown, or as a stereo aux send from the main channel path signal. The desk is non-modular, in common with most of its competitors in this price range. The horizontal-plane connector-bay is readily accessable, placed just above the controls. All tape sends and returns, are on phonos, whilst channel line inputs, auxiliary sends and returns etc, utilise 1/4" jacks. The main stereo and monitor bus outputs are phonos, a logical choice for the envisaged user.

Insert points use the standard tip-send/ring-return stereo jack configuration, but are included only on the first eight channels (there are none on the stereo bus either). Channels 9-16 incorporate a secondary line input (Line B) in place of the insert point. Balanced XLRs are provided for low impedance mic inputs on all channels, but no phantom power is provided for condensor mics. A compact external power supply is provided, but the M1516 chassis nevertheless has a power switch, sensibly recessed to avoid accidental operation. The meters are mounted flush with the control surface: six 10-segment LED ladders, changing from yellow to red at the nominal 0VU point, display group and stereo bus levels, plus monitor and PFL signals. A pair of stereo headphone jacks, located well out of the way at the edge of the master control section, complete the connector line-up.

THE CHANNEL

The channel gain control, designated Trim, governs both Line and Mic inputs. In fact they share a common input stage, and should not be connected simultaneously — no mic/line source switching is therefore provided.

The Trim control has a wide, 43dB, range (Mic, -67dBm to -24dBm; Line, -50dBV to -7dBV), and no pad is incorporated. Source selection for the tape return signal is included in the first eight channels, and for the alternate line inputs (Line B), on the second eight. Tape return and Line B inputs have a fixed nominal -10dBV sensitivity, and do not pass through the Trim controls for gain adjustment.

EQUALISATION

The M1516 EQ offers simple fixed-frequency, shelving HF and LF bands with a sweep mid section. HF and LF are at the conventional 10kHz and 100Hz frequencies (+/-12dB), whilst mid can be centred anywhere from 250Hz to 5kHz (+/-15dB), giving good coverage of the most important parts of the range for the equaliser as a whole. Like the larger models in this Tascam range, subjectively, this is quite a decent sounding equaliser.

It is simple to operate, which means that the inexperienced user will be hard pushed to arrive at anything too damaging by simply 'fiddling about until it sounds right'. Provided you are not seeking to do anything too radical with it, this EQ will generally get the job done; it will apply subtle tonal correction without messing up the sound, which is, personally, all I look for in a budget desk's EQ. It also introduces little undue noise when boosting frequencies, but as always I miss an EQ in/out switch; the centre-detented gain controls are no real substitute, but are welcome nonetheless. The channel overload LED monitors the signal after the EQ stage, indicating a level within 3dB of clipping. This is pre-insert-point however, so watch out for compressor output levels, which can easily clip the insert-return if you inadvertently set excessive make-up gain.

AUXILIARIES

The M1516 achieves the maximum operational versatility from its three aux pots. Each one is centre-detented (centre position is off), with a different mode of operation depending on which way you turn it. Aux 1 is fixed in the channel path, acting as a pre-fade send when turned to the left, and a post-fade to the right, whilst auxs 2 and 3 are fixed post-fade but will assign from the Dual input when turned to the left and the channel signal when turned to the right.

As on the 2524, the limitation is that you are left without the capability for a pre-fade send from the 'monitor' path with which to create an independent foldback balance which will remain unaffected by any monitor mixing you may do. However, this really would only be a drawback in a conventional recording situation, with the performers located in a separate room recording via microphones and monitoring on headphones — hardly the standard mode of operation in most home recording.

The M1516 auxiliary configuration is actually far less complicated in operation than it is to describe; in essence you can have three post-fade sends from the channel path for effects, or one pre and two post-fade sends at the same time. Alternatively, you may have two post-fade sends from the Dual input, leaving one pre-or post send from the channel (depending on which way you turn it).

"Provided you are not seeking to do anything too radical with it, this EQ will generally get the job done; it will apply subtle tonal correction without messing up the sound, which is, personally, all I look for in a budget desk's EQ."

ROUTING

Output routing is via just two group/mix bus assign switches, selecting groups 1 and 2, or 3 and 4, operating in conjunction with the channel Pan control. In common with a number of compact recording desks, groups 1 and 2 function also as the stereo bus, when mixing. The four group outputs, paralleled to a further four tape sends, appear on phonos within the connector group for the first eight input channels. This allows every input channel to address any track on an 8-track recorder, using the recorder's own logic to separate between output pairings, whilst requiring the minimum number of controls, outputs and busses. Activating the 'D. Out' (Direct Out) switch featured on the first eight channels overrides the group bus, and assigns instead the post-fader signal from that channel. Using the four groups in conjunction with four direct outputs would obviously permit simultaneous recording on eight tracks, with a reasonable amount of flexibility.

Channel facilities are completed by a conventional (non-destructive) PFL switch, and 75mm carbon-track fader. There is a separate master for PFL monitor level, and an indicator lamp to help avoid those 'why can't I hear anything?' situations. All switches on these Tascam desks have a 'Liquorice Allsort' stripe to make them self-indicating. The faders offer a reasonably consistent amount of resistance, but are not up to the standard of the most commonly used 100mm units. The mix bus/groups utilise the same fader type, differentiated by a dark fader top. There is no write-strip area, although the space between the PFL switch and the top of the fader slot is just wide enough for a strip of masking tape.

MASTER FACILITIES

The master control group features four dedicated effects returns, each with Gain and Group Assign switches to determine their destination. Either pair of groups can be accessed, so it is simple to record effects to tape, or just return FX signals directly to the mix bus. Returns 1 and 2 are stereo, using a single ganged level pot for each, whilst 3 and 4 are mono and have a Pan control to determine their positioning. The mono pair can, of course, always be used as a third stereo return, simply by panning hard left and right.

The three aux send busses have master output level controls, with the additional facility, designated 'Sum 1+3', to combine aux 1 with 3, allowing both the Dual and main channels to access the same effect, if necessary.

Eight selector switches govern the monitor source, with a choice of either pair of main busses, or the Dual bus, the three auxiliaries, a stereo external source (normally a 2-track machine return), plus a useful Mono switch. Monitor volume, for both headphones and the dedicated monitor output sockets, is set by the Phones level control.

'LINK' FEATURE

Considerable additional flexibility in the bussing arrangements is provided by the linking facilities. 'Link (Dual-Grp)' allows the output of the Dual bus to be assigned to either pair of main busses, for sending to tape, or bringing extra inputs into the mix bus. Panning is fixed with the left side of the Dual bus always assigned to the odd numbered group, and the right to the evens. The Dual bus also has a ganged stereo master level control, governing all its applications.

Groups 3 and 4 can also be used during mixing as a conventional audio sub-group pair, using the link facility which assigns 3 and 4 directly into the main stereo bus. An appropriate group of signals, perhaps bass and drums, or all the vocals, would be assigned not to the stereo bus but to 3 and 4. Those group faders could then be used to determine the level at which that entire sub-mix feeds the main mix, without altering its internal balance.

IN USE

The M1516 mixer proved to be highly flexible in use, without being unduly complex. Signal quality is on a par with competing models in this sector of the market, with noise and crosstalk at fairly conventional levels. Interauxiliary crosstalk in particular, which can often be a source of a significant amount of unwanted mix 'mush', is well controlled, and apparently uncompromised by the unusual configuration. Mic amp performance is perfectly acceptable in the context of a desk aimed primarily at budget multitrack users. Although they will be restricted to dynamic models (unless external PSUs are pressed into service), they will probably also be close-miking everything; the sensitivity versus noise equation will not therefore be a problem.

There are some omissions, as there must be on a budget compact desk. Apart from the understandable absence of such items as an oscillator and integral talkback mic, the most notable absence is of course the extremely useful MIDI muting facilities of the 25-series models. Everything that has been included, however, in the way of controls, patching facilities, and flexible operating procedures, seems to be very well matched to typical home recording practice using a small system.

"Economically priced, highly flexible, and yet simple to use, the M1516 is yet another particularly well-targetted product from Tascam."

AUXILIARY 'SUB' INPUTS

Another thoughtful touch is the inclusion of Sub-inputs into the three auxiliary busses. This provides a convenient solution to one of the inherent problems with using more than one mixer in a system (perhaps with a sub-mixer handling audio from MIDI expanders, for example) — it can be difficult to allow both mixers' auxiliaries to access the same set of outboard FX. The input paralleling arrangements of some 'mono-in/stereo-out/stereo-thru' devices will allow connection of an aux from both desks, but where this is not the case, the M1516's system will prove very useful. It is slightly odd, in view of this, that there is no provision for injecting the output of a sub-mixer into the mix bus just prior to the master faders. If you need to do this, the answer is probably to utilise one of the stereo effect returns, and then to return some of the effects to the sub-mixer, if necessary.

CONCLUSION

Tascam's M1516 looks ideally equipped to partner any semi-pro (-10dBV) 8-track open-reel or cassette recorder, leaving a further nine full-spec input channels available to handle 'live' MIDI inputs from a synchronised sequencer (there will be nine, not eight, because with one track dedicated to timecode, which should not be routed through the desk, there will be only seven signals returning from the tape machine). The Dual channels are something of a luxury at this level of system, available for further inputs if absolutely necessary, but perhaps most valuable of all in their role as additional auxiliaries. A potential line-up of as many as five post-fade sends from the input channels on mixdown is a specification that few desks in this sector of the market can match. It would undoubtedly be possible however, to use the M1516 with a 16-track without any great difficulty, especially if you were recording all your signals onto the multitrack, leaving nothing vital to be mixed via the rather minimal Dual path.

The omission I would question is the decision not to provide insert points on the second bank of eight channels (panel space would easily have allowed it if the Line B inputs were moved in line with the tape send/returns), and especially the failure to provide them on the stereo bus. Of course you can always patch a compressor between the desk outputs and the mastering machine inputs, but you are then committed to monitoring via the 2-track return (or you won't hear the effect of any compression), which in turn means you lose the PFL facility. The compressor is then also placed after the master-faders, which can wreak havoc on a fade-out as the compression fights the drop in level until it drops below the threshold.

Nevertheless, this desk really does manage to cram an awful lot into its compact and surprisingly lightweight chassis. For a budget desk, it is beautifully built and finished, with a nice solid feel to all controls and switches. Its inherent operational flexibility allows it to handle different working practices with the minimum of difficulty — there is no unnecessary patching and re-routing needed to achieve a wide variety of different tasks within the multitracking procedure. Economically priced, highly flexible, and yet simple to use, the M1516 is yet another particularly well-targeted product from Tascam.

Further information

Tascam M1516 £1,173.83 inc VAT.
Tascam M1508 £762.58 inc VAT.

TEAC UK, (Contact Details).