Logic Pro X drum combined with Tascam Model 12/16/24

[Brendan Boyle]

Well, my 2012 mac finally died after running Logic Pro X seamlessly for almost 10 years! The drum machine in Logic is an integral part of my workflow now, cannot live without. But while I look to redo my studio, I am inspired by the Tascam Model X platform - my first studio was a Yamaha MT1X (4-track) so I love the idea of the old school approach. Very basic use case question, I think the answer is "yes" but would like to hear opinions and differences between each version (12/16/24).
My use case:
I simply want to START with a Logic Pro X session, basic song layout completely defined in Logic, with Logic Drummer, then I want to do MOST OF MY TRACKING in Tascam Model (X?) . Eventually bring it all back to Logic for adding virtual instruments and mixing and mastering. But boy, would that second phase of doing everything on Tascam be great. Can I run a Logic song and it then synchs up whatever I do in Tascam? Any diffs between 12/16/24? I've seen some references to 12 that has "more features" that confuses me.

 

[Blue Monster 65]

BIG differences between the M12 and the M16/24 - the M12 is a digital board that can function as a DAW controller, while the M16/24 are analog boards that happen to have an SD recorder attached to them (they do NOT function as DAW controllers, but do have MIDI Time Code).

Those are the basics - I would look in the stickies and on Tascam's site to see all the rest of the goodies you'll get with either model you decide to go with.

 

[Brendan Boyle]

Ok thanks for that, this is helpful, will dig a bit further, but model 12 seems like it would be able to be driven from Logic.

 

[Blue Monster 65]

Watch this (also included in the stickies at the top of the page):

 

[SimonPD]

Hey Brendan,
Did you ever find a solution to this?
The setup you described was essentially what I had attempted to do myself a few years ago using a
Tascam DP-24SD.
I tried (without success) to drive Logic by striping a timecode on one channel of the Tascam
then used a Pilip Rees TS1 (really old piece of kit) to convert this channel of analogue code into MIDI
timecode that Logic could understand.
I could never get it to work.
After a couple of months I gave up trying but the consensus gleaned from various conversatons online
was that Logic will not function as a slave.
With the release of the Tascam 2400 it appears that situation may now have changed. Although I've
not test driven the desk it seems it is possible to configure the 2400's transport control to run Logic.
There is a USB connection so in theory it should also be possible to return Logic's drum performance
and samples back to the 2400 faders, which would be wonderful.
Evidently it should also be possible to record synced audio on either the 2400's SD card facility, or within
Logic, opening up an entire world of creative possibility.
It's about 6 years too late for me with the production I was working on, however, if the 2400 can achieve
all of this it would be the dream setup for me going forward.
Cheers,
S

 

[-mjk-]

Brendan hasn't been seen since May 29, 2022.

 

[SimonPD]

Yup. I posted on the off chance he might still have email alerts enabled.

Oh well - I've been looking for an excuse to purchase a 2400 lol.

 

[Max Relic]

Short answer: the Model 2400 is a bigger version of the Model 12 with the same limited DAW interwork capability. It can't be slave synced to nothing, it only provides transport controls so in order to make a hybrid session (i.e. Model xxxx + DAW) you have to choose a DAW that can be slaved to external MIDI clock like Ableton and similar.
Model 12 is master only, Logic Pro X is master only so no way out.
What I would do is bouncing the full Logic Drummer (which I like as a creative tool) track to a wav file, import it into a Ableton session and sync it to the Model MIDI clock.

 

[SimonPD]

@Max Relic yeah this is what I thought.

I'm with you on Logic's session Drummer. It's a brilliant tool for quickly putting a drum arrangement together and getting to work straight away. I write and record at the same time so I also find it very useful to not have to print the drums until the end of the session allowing me the flexibility to edit the drum part as the song develops. Really, it's for that reason alone that I've kept Logic within my workflow.

A few years ago I did try bouncing the Logic drum tracks like you mentioned in order to set up a drum mix on my DP-24SD. In the end I found the process of constantly transferring WAV files overly complex and slow.

I even attempted not to use Logic's drummer at all and instead purchased a Philip Rees TS1 to stripe clock data to the DP-24SD and have it run an Alesis-SR16. Although that setup did work editing the Alesis became laborious and took the spontaneity that Drummer provides out of the process. At that point I gave up altogether and recorded the entire session in Logic.

If the 2400 can provide transport control to Logic it must be possible to route the audio output of Logic's Drummer track back to the 2400 desk via USB, no? I'm thinking in that scenario we should also be able to maintan the ability to edit Logic's Drummer on the fly while recording audio in sync to the 2400?

 

[Max Relic]

@SimonPD
If the 2400 can provide transport control to Logic it must be possible to route the audio output of Logic's Drummer track back to the 2400 desk via USB, no? I'm thinking in that scenario we should also be able to maintan the ability to edit Logic's Drummer on the fly while recording audio in sync to the 2400?

Nope. Assuming you wish to keep Logic and Model (12 & 2400) tracks in sync, this wouldn't work.
Transport control means Start/Stop/Pause/FF/REW commands. No sync at all means you may set Logic tempo to match the Model song tempo, start them in sync and hope they won't drift too much over time... you may find the result acceptable or not in the context of specific song production, but if you plan to overdub MIDI sequences it's likely you will have to adjust your workflow for a better time tightness.
My advice about importing Logic Drummer tracks into Ableton leaves room for live improvisation while recording your audio performance on the Model: if you create a set of drum loops with breaks and variations, bounce them as individual audio clips and import to Ableton, you will be able to "play" those clips in real time using mute function like a d.j. You can print multiple takes on the Model, then switch to Multitrack mode and remix all your Drummer takes to the Main Mix, export it to a stereo track and go to the next production stage. Experiment with what you have and be creative, you have powerful tools in your hands.

 

[SimonPD]

@Max Relic not quite sure why I can't quote your previous post. Anyhow...

Your advise on the Ableton workflow is good but my side it's not a process I'm interested to pursue.

Different horses for different courses and all that...

So what I understand at the moment is, that in the context of a user who wishes to maintain Logic Drummer's workflow, the 12 and the 2400 are essentially expensive audio interfaces. Logic would remain the audio recorder/sequencer of choice albeit with the benefit of the Tascam input stages.

 

[Max Relic]

@SimonPD I see the quote button appears some time after a message has been posted, probably 30-60 min. or so.
You guessed right, with Logic the Models 12/2400 work as audio/MIDI interfaces (standard mode) and control surfaces (DAW control mode).

 

[SimonPD]

@Max Relic - do you think Tascam are being a bit unclear below?