Digital diagnostics, techno troubles, glitches in your Gizmos; they're all in a day's work for The Mix medical department. Send your queries to: The Help File, The Mix, (Contact Details)

Moving on up

QAt the moment, I'm using a rather inexpensive recording set up that I bought a couple of years ago when I got started in home recording. I have a Tascam Porta 05 and three rackmount effects processors: a digital reverb, limiter/compressor, and a noise gate.

I'm actually getting pretty good results just with this lot, but I am beginning to feel real frustration at the lack of stereo options when I have to bounce the whole rhythm track, in order to open up three tracks for vocals. All the other drawbacks, such as no EQ on the individual channels and so on, are also quite annoying.

I now want to upgrade to an 8-track, but I'm still on a tight budget. I can run to about £2,000 - can it be done? I'm quite happy to buy secondhand, especially if it means getting better equipment for my money. Also, I have little idea as to what I should look for. I mean, I don't know whether I have to get a separate tape deck and mixer, or whether you can get them combined as with 4-tracks. What would you suggest?
Jerry Lamberth, Reading.

ATo answer your last question first Jerry, yes, you do need a separate mixer to run signals into an 8-track, and the best bet for around two grand is the Fostex R8 multi-track and 812 12:8:2 desk, which many dealers package together. This would slot right into your current setup with very little fuss.

Secondhand, you might look at a Tascam 38, or Fostex Model 80, and something like a Seck 18:8:2 or Studiomaster Pro-line Gold would do nicely. RB

Passport renewal

QI am currently running Passport's Master Tracks Pro (v3.5) on my Atari 1040STe - and very good it is too. However, as version 3.5 is now some five years old, I was wondering if there were any upgrades around for it. Do you have the address of Passport's distributor, as I have sent a letter to Passport HQ in the States a good while ago and received no reply?

I know Passport is still around, as they're currently supporting the accursed PC! I hope you can help. By the way, I read both MT and H&SR throughout their lives and The Mix subscribes to the Gestalt theory by being definitely greater that the sum of its parts. Keep up the good work.
Al Ferrier, New Malden

AUnfortunately Passport stopped supporting Master Tracks Pro for your beloved Atari about three years ago, Al. They are still offering the program on both Mac and PC platforms, and an upgrade path is available should you decide to change your hardware. It's currently up to V5.21 on the Mac and V4.9 on the vilified PC at a price of £199 for either version. The upgrade from an Atari version comes in at £149 inc VAT. If this sounds tempting to you, the suppliers are Arbiter Pro, (Contact Details). RB

Scoring drums

QI would be grateful for any information you could provide, in order to assist in the selection and identification of appropriate computer software for PC, which will facilitate scoring and subsequent printouts specifically for drum kits.

Having an enormous library of written material specifically designed to assist students in development of independence, rudiments, co-ordination, reading, and solo techniques, I would like to store and readily access as much of this manuscript as possible via a computer.

Clearly this requires someone with expertise and knowledge of both computer software and scoring for kit which unfortunately, as one may expect, is not a skill mix possessed by many. Local software retailers know of a number of packages available but cannot comment on their suitability to score specifically for kit, and vice versa, few of the musicians I have met know of the software market and available options.

Can I perhaps ask if you could help with my query and welcome any suggestions or advice you can give with regard to this matter. Please accept my thanks for your kind assistance.
Paul Goodall, N.Humberside

APerhaps the best program for your needs would be Cubase Score, which has a comprehensive score module with full support for drum scoring. This is also a sequencer, and if sequencing is not on your list of needs there are many other programs on the PC platform which support scoring but not too many which provide full support for drum scoring.

Possibilities include: Dr T's Copyist DTP, which provides scoring for kit if your drum tracks adhere to Rolands' convention, Quickscore Professional (from Key Audio) and Encore Academic (available from Arbiter Pro). RB

An ill wind...

QI have read some articles in your mag and I was wondering if you would be able to suggest a solution to an application I am involved with on my PC, which has access to a score writing programme that produces a printed score from MIDI data. I am a wind musician and use the PC to produce orchestrated parts for my band.

I am regularly manually transcribing melodies to produce scores from old records, tapes, etc. This is very time consuming, and I would like to find a device which would convert audio signals, say, through a microphone, into MIDI signals, with respect to pitch, timing, and duration so that I could obtain a rough score of a given solo. This would then speed up the development of a proper score, and could also then be refined with my existing equipment.

I would be most grateful if you could suggest a device that would be capable of the above. So far I have found no-one who can do this, but I feel that it should at least be possible.
Peter Harris, Leicestershire.

AYamaha currently offer the WX-11, which is a MIDI wind instrument which will produce the results you are after. Akai have recently launched the EWI 3020 which will also input MIDI into your sequencer, in conjunction with its EWI 3020M sound module. Your only other option is to look out for a secondhand Casio digital horn, the DH100. RB

Manual labour

QIn your first issue as part of the Total Recall section you said Chris Newman could supply service manuals for analogue synthesisers.

I phoned him about manuals for a Minimoog and ARP Axe and sent a cheque in the first week of July. Since then despite several phone calls I have received nothing. I have now written asking for either my manuals or money back by return of post but on past experience I don't expect to see anything. Could you possibly get in touch with him and try to buck his ideas up a bit or warn others that he seems unreliable to say the least.
Mark Rundle, Bath.

AWe phoned Chris and he informed us you have your manuals now Mark. Apparently the delay was occasioned by Chris's having to wait for an original from the States and you were informed of this. When dealing with old items like the ARP there isn't a handy stockroom full of manuals just waiting for your order and delays can sometimes creep in. I guess it's just a lesson to all of us to exercise a little patience and understanding from time to time. RB