User manual ALESIS BRC - REFERENCE MANUAL

ALESIS BRC Reference Manual TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.0 ABOUT THE BRC..............................................................................................1 1.1 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS MANUAL...................................................................................................................4 1.2 OVERVIEW OF MAIN FUNCTIONS...........................................................4 1.2A Transport.................................................................................................4 1.2B Record/Monitor functions...................................................................5 1.2C Autolocation...........................................................................................5 1.2D Punching..................................................................................................5 1.2E Rehearsing...............................................................................................6 1.2F Digital Bus................................................................................................6 1.3 "ENGAGED" VS "DISENGAGED" TAPES................................................7 1.4 BASIC OPERATION..........................................................................................7 1.4A Displays....................................................................................................7 1.4B Display Type............................................................................................8 1.4C Display Mode...........................................................................................8 1.4D LED Indicators.........................................................................................9 1.4E EDIT Button.............................................................................................9 1.4F Cursor Buttons........................................................................................10 1.4G Numeric Keypad....................................................................................10 1.4H UP/DOWN Buttons..............................................................................10 1.4I NAME Button..........................................................................................11 1.4J COPY TAPE LOCATION Button..........................................................11 CHAPTER 2 - HOOKUP 2.0 POWER................................................................................................................13 2.1 SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE ADATS......................................................13 2.1A Hooking Up Multiple ADATs............................................................13 2.1B ADAT ID (identification) Numbers...................................................14 2.1C Independent Slave Mode.....................................................................14 2.2 DIGITAL I/O.......................................................................................................15 2.2A Connecting the Digital Bus..................................................................15 2.2B Connecting the AI-1...............................................................................16 2.3 SMPTE IN/OUT.................................................................................................17 2.4 MIDI IN/OUT.....................................................................................................18 2.5 48 KHZ CLOCK IN/OUT..................................................................................18 2.6 VIDEO SYNC IN................................................................................................18 2.7 RMB REMOTE METER BRIDGE....................................................................18 2.8 FOOTSWITCHES...............................................................................................18 2.9 RACK-MOUNTING..........................................................................................19 2.10 ROLLAROUND STAND................................................................................19 CHAPTER 3 - GETTING READY TO RECORD 3.0 POWERING-UP.................................................................................................20 3.1 FORMATTING TAPES.....................................................................................21 3.1A Additional Formatting Considerations...........................................................................................................23 3.2 TRACK/RECORD MONITOR CONTROLS.................................................24 3.2A Track Bank Select...................................................................................24 3.2B Record Enables........................................................................................25 3.2C Auto Input...............................................................................................25 3.2D All Input..................................................................................................25 3.2E All Safe......................................................................................................25 3.2F All Clear....................................................................................................26 3.2G Groups 1 Through 4..............................................................................26 3.3 TRANSPORT CONTROLS..............................................................................27 3.3A Play............................................................................................................27 3.3B Stop............................................................................................................27 3.3C Record.......................................................................................................28 3.3D Rewind/Review.....................................................................................28 3.3E Fast Forward/Cue...................................................................................29 3.4 RECORD XFADE (CROSSFADE)....................................................................29 3.5 REHEARSE..........................................................................................................30 3.6 TRACK DELAY TIME.......................................................................................30 CHAPTER 4 - PITCH, AUTOLOCATION AND PUNCHING CONTROLS 4.0 PITCH CONTROLS............................................................................................33 4.1 AUTOLOCATION CONTROLS......................................................................34 4.1A Reset 0......................................................................................................34 4.1B Locate 0.....................................................................................................35 4.1C Setting a Locate Point............................................................................35 4.1D Naming a Locate Point..........................................................................37 4.1E Locating a Locate Point...........................................................................38 4.1F Manual Locate.........................................................................................39 4.1G Footswitch Controlled Autolocation.................................................40 4.1H Using the LRC Remote Control.........................................................41 4.1I Auto-Play...................................................................................................42 4.2 LOOPING.............................................................................................................42 4.2A Setting Loop Points...............................................................................43 4.2B Automatic Looping................................................................................44 4.3 AUTO-PUNCH...................................................................................................44 4.3A Setting Auto-Punch Points..................................................................45 4.3B Auto-Group Record...............................................................................47 4.3C Footswitch Controlled Punching........................................................50 4.4 PRE-ROLL & POST-ROLL................................................................................50 4.5 TAPE OFFSET.....................................................................................................51 4.5A Offsetting ADATs..................................................................................52 4.5B Continuous Play and Record...............................................................55 4.6 WHAT IS A SONG?..........................................................................................57 4.6A Setting a Song.........................................................................................58 4.6B Naming a Song.......................................................................................60 4.6C Locate Song..............................................................................................60 4.6D Copy Song................................................................................................61 4.6E Delete Song..............................................................................................62 4.7 DIGITAL BUSSING...........................................................................................63 4.7A Digital Input............................................................................................63 4.7B Bouncing tracks......................................................................................64 4.7C Using the AI-1.........................................................................................66 CHAPTER 5 - SYNCHRONIZATION, BACKUP AND MISC CONTROLS 5.0 SMPTE..................................................................................................................69 5.0A SMPTE Formats.....................................................................................69 5.0B SMPTE Start Offset.................................................................................69 5.0C External Sync...........................................................................................70 5.0D Generate Sync.........................................................................................74 5.1 TEMPO MAP.......................................................................................................75 5.1A Creating A Tempo Map........................................................................76 5.1B Displaying A Tempo Map....................................................................77 5.1C Deleting A Tempo Map Entry.............................................................77 5.1D Erasing A Tempo Map..........................................................................78 5.2 BACKING UP.....................................................................................................78 5.2A Save Setup To Tape...............................................................................79 5.2B Load Setup From Tape..........................................................................80 5.3 MIDI/UTIL BUTTON.......................................................................................81 5.3A MIDI Echo................................................................................................81 5.3B Dump Sysex.............................................................................................81 5.3C Tape Status...............................................................................................83 5.3D LCD Display Contrast............................................................................84 5.3E Group Buttons Enable/Disable............................................................85 5.3F Copy Tape Location Mode....................................................................85 5.3G Software Version...................................................................................86 CHAPTER 6 - APPENDICES 6.0 APPENDIX 1 SPECIFICATIONS............................................................................................87 6.1 APPENDIX 2 MAINTENANCE/SERVICE INFORMATION.......................................................................................................90 6.1A Cleaning...................................................................................................90 6.1B Maintenance............................................................................................90 6.1C Servicing..................................................................................................90 6.2 APPENDIX 3 TROUBLE-SHOOTING...................................................................................91 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 ABOUT THE BRC Congratulations! You've just purchased an incredible tool that will assist in streamlining your recording projects. The BRC master remote control is the key element that makes the most of the ADAT digital recording system. Whether using it in a professional commercial studio, recording a live performance, or working in postproduction, here are some of the features that illustrate the type of control using the BRC/ADAT system will afford you: · Sample accurate syncing capabilities. Using ADAT's exclusive Proprietary Synchronization Interface, the BRC can control up to 16 ADATs for a total of 128 tracks, and lock them together in perfect synchronization. Each ADAT tape is "formatted" (a simple operation that can be done before or during recording) with a proprietary Alesis time code that is much more accurate than SMPTE or other time code systems. This process time-stamps the tape to an incredible single-sample accuracy; that is, 1/48,000th of a second. Because of this incredibly tight sync performance, multiple ADATs are virtually free of the evils of incoherent phase between tracks playing on different machines. This means that when you lock two or more ADATs together, you're really creating the equivalent of one large digital tape recorder. And since the ADAT/BRC sync system is internalized and sample accurate, you get machine synchronization without giving up an audio track (which would otherwise be required for SMPTE); accurate tape counter readings without annoying slippage; and intelligent sample-accurate autolocation functions. · Easy and familiar front panel controls. If you've ever used a large remote control for a multitrack tape recorder, then you probably already know how to use many of the functions on the BRC. Familiar controls like play, record, fast forward, rewind and the track select buttons perform the majority of functions you'll need. Other functions (like Auto-Punch, Looping, Pre-Roll and PostRoll), may be toggled on and off by pressing their respective button; an LED set inside each button will light to indicate when a function is turned on. These same functions can be edited by first pressing the EDIT button, and then the toggle button whose function you wish to program. 1 · Modular recording. This is the feature that makes ADAT and the ADAT/BRC system perhaps the most flexible multitrack recorder ever designed. Because ADAT's S-VHS tape format is so inexpensive, you can easily afford to record alternate versions of vocals, solos, background accompaniments; whatever your creative urge requires. Modular recording means you can build as many tracks as you desire while you're recording and do composite editing with the BRC and ADAT's Optical Digital Interface (see next section) before the final mixdown. Tapes can be offset with pin-point accuracy. This feature is particularly useful for recording extended live performances when a 40 minute tape would not fit the entire recording. By offsetting the time location of a second ADAT by 30 minutes past the first, the second will take over while you change tapes on the first unit. Thus, a continuous recording can be preserved digitally on multiple cassettes, creating the equivalent of one very long seamless piece of tape. · Optical digital interface. In addition to conventional analog inputs and outputs, the ADAT's Proprietary Multichannel Optical Digital Interface carries up to eight tracks simultaneously via optical cable, allowing for perfect, degradation-free digital dubbing between ADATs. The BRC Remote Control allows you to assign any part of a track to any other track in a multiple ADAT system. This means you can do comprehensive editing of recorded tracks, all in the digital domain. · SMPTE, MIDI and external time code control. The BRC is capable of generating MIDI Time Code (MTC) and generating and reading all six SMPTE formats. It can also provide MIDI-Clock based on a user-definable Tempo Map. Generating SMPTE or MTC provides sync for external devices, such as sequencers and drum machines. Reading SMPTE allows for the syncing to external devices, including other multitrack machines of different manufacturers. Other synchronizing options include 48 KHz clock in and out, and a video sync in (accepts composite video as well as black burst video inputs). · Storage of setups. To insure instant recall of the BRC's settings, all setup information can be saved to the beginning of each ADAT tape for later retrieval. This information is known as the "table of contents", or TOC. This information can also be stored via MIDI, by dumping the BRC's data as System/Exclusive information to a MIDI storage device, such as the Alesis DataDisk. 2 · Digital interface and sample rate converter option. If you need to integrate your ADAT recordings to digital recording equipment from other manufacturers, an optional accessory box, the Alesis AI-1, can isolate the digital audio signal of two tracks at a time from any single eight-track ADAT in the system, and assign the pair to the industry standard AES/EBU and S/PDIF interfaces. This allows for direct digital connection, with sample rate conversion, to and from other digital audio recorders, DAT recorders, CDs, hard disk recorders, synthesizers, and more. · Meter bridge option. The RMB Remote Meter Bridge provides localized viewing of 32 channels of LED meters. It's designed to mount on top of the BRC so that you can install your ADATs in a remote rack and control functions and view critical metering of the recording directly from one location. The RMB may also be installed in any standard 19" rack. · LRC Remote Control. Each ADAT is supplied with the LRC Remote, which duplicates some of the ADAT's front panel functions. Up to two LRC Remotes can be connected to the BRC for additional sets of transport and locate controls. · Fast and easy hookup. Connection of the BRC is accomplished via a single 9 pin sync cable connected to the first ADAT in the system. Successive ADATs are connected in turn ­ sync out to sync in ­ using the same 9 pin style connector. When the BRC is turned on, it automatically becomes the system's master, and assigns each ADAT an identification number, from first to last in the chain. The BRC also automatically checks which units have a tape installed, and if the tapes are formatted. Finally, the BRC automatically autolocates each slave ADAT to the position of the first ADAT. This entire routine allows you to setup and be ready to record within minutes. The BRC may also be rack-mounted by removing the top, bottom and side panels, or mounted on an optional roll-around stand. · Voltage tolerant power supply. The BRC accepts any AC voltage between 90 and 250 volts. For more information on digital recording, see Appendix 1 in the ADAT manual. Appendix 2 in the ADAT manual is a glossary of digital recording terms that may be helpful as you read this manual. 3 1.1 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual has been divided into two separate books, of which this is the first. This book is designed as a reference to assist the recording professional in learning the basic operation of the BRC. All functions are explained in a clear manner, using step-by-step instructions and illustrations for setting up and performing various operations. However, it is assumed that you already have some understanding of multitrack recording in general. It also assumes you have read the ADAT manual and comprehend its operation. If you have little or no previous experience with multitrack recording, please read the second book of this manual, entitled BRC Concepts and Applications. It will give you an understanding of how an ADAT/BRC system works, and the types of things you may expect. It explains why certain features are significant, and how to employ them in your recording routine. Most importantly, there are simple tutorials for commonly performed operations, which illustrate exactly how to put it all together. Regardless of your level of experience, it is important that you read through section 1.3 on the difference between "engaged" and "disengaged" tapes, and section 3.1 on formatting tapes. These describe recording concepts that have no counterpart with analog recorders, and which must be understood before you start using ADAT and the BRC. In this manual, buttons and LEDs are spelled with all capital letters (such as RECORD LED or FORMAT TAPE button). 1.2 OVERVIEW OF MAIN FUNCTIONS Here is a brief rundown of the BRC's main functions. 1.2A Transport The transport controls are just like most standard remotes. Tape motion controls include play, fast forward, rewind, stop, and record. The tape location counter at the top shows elapsed time in SMPTE time, real time, or bars/beats/sub-beats. For more information on transport controls, see section 3.3. 1.2B Record/Monitor functions 4 The BRC can control as many as 16 ADATs for up to 128 tracks. The track select section of the BRC provides access to 32 tracks at any time. Four buttons let you switch between TRACK 1­32, TRACK 33­64, TRACK 65­96 and TRACK 97­128. The button that has its LED lit will indicate which group of tracks is currently selected, as will the LEDs centered in the track select area, above. If you find yourself using the TRACK 97­128 button often, consider yourself a lucky person. The BRC and ADATs do much of the recording/monitoring switchwork for you. Generally, tracks monitor what's on tape until you put them into recording ready, at which point they will monitor the inputs, so you can hear what is about to be recorded. The ALL INPUT button lets you monitor the inputs of all channels, regardless of record status. AUTO INPUT lets you monitor the tape on tracks that are in record ready, until you go into record at which time you will be monitoring the inputs. ALL CLEAR takes all tracks out of record ready, while the ALL SAFE button will temporarily disengage all tracks from record ready so you can instantly put the same tracks back into record ready later. You can also program up to 4 groups of record-enabled tracks for instant recall. For more information on recording and track monitor controls, see section 3.2. 1.2C Autolocation Besides locating to zero, you can store 20 different locate points per song, which can also be used by other functions including Loop, Auto-Punch and Tape Offsets. Each locate point can be named, and the BRC even gives you a list of typical names to choose from (like "Intro", "Verse A1", "Chorus 2", etc.). You can fine-tune the position of each locate point with the accuracy of a single sample step. Each set of locate points may be saved with each ADAT tape. For more information on Autolocation and Song controls, see sections 4.1 and 4.6. 1.2D Punching In addition to ADAT's seamless punching ability, the BRC provides you with many more advanced features to help you get your tracks down in record time, including: Auto-Punch, Loop, Pre-Roll, PostRoll, and a variable Record Crossfade time to allow a smooth transition of original audio to new audio. Auto-Group Record lets you continuously loop between two locate points and will automatically record each take to a different track, or set of tracks. 5 For more information on Auto-Punch and related controls, see section 4.3. 1.2E Rehearsing This works just like a real recording, but instead lets you "audition" exactly how a punch is going to work. By pressing the REHEARSE button, you can test out and change the settings of the various recording functions to get the results you want without being destructive in the process. When the punch-in point is reached, the record-enabled tracks will monitor their inputs, but no recording will occur. This way you can measure twice (or more) ... and cut only once. For more information on Rehearse mode, see section 3.5. 1.2F Digital Bus With both the sync and digital bus cables connected, the BRC/ADAT system offers powerful digital track bouncing and copying functions. Let's say you want to replace the chorus vocal on track 15 with the one you liked on track 2. This is easy to do with the two connections that all ADATs in the system share: the sync cable, carrying the timing and sync information, and the optical cable which carries the digital audio bus. The new chorus on track 15 will be an exact digital duplicate of the one on track 2. If you feel particularly inspired one day, but can't make up your mind about which lead solo to go with, fill five or six tracks of a single SVHS cassette tape with your hottest playing. This is easy using the Auto-Group Record function to automatically advance the record track(s) for playing multiple takes. Later on, you can take the best performance, or the best parts of each one and recompose the entire solo onto a new track. All in perfect sync, all sample accurate, all in the digital domain. The popular recording practice of composite vocals is just as easy, and more effective than ever with ADAT to support your efforts. For more information on bouncing tracks, see section 4.10B. 1.3 "ENGAGED" VS "DISENGAGED" 6 TAPES Analog audio recorders typically move tape past the heads at anywhere from 1-7/8 to 30 inches per second. Higher speeds result in a higher bandwidth, or ability to record high-frequency signals. ADAT's digital audio signals require much higher bandwidth than analog audio. In addition to moving the tape faster to handle the increased bandwidth, ADAT's VHS mechanism rotates the head itself at a very high speed and uses diagonal tape tracks. As far as the head is concerned, the tape appears to be moving by at a more rapid speed. With ADAT, the tape is "engaged" if the tape is not moving but comes in contact with the spinning head. This allows for going into play or record faster, as well as "cue" and "review" functions that let you monitor the tape audio during fast forward or rewind, respectively. When the machine is paused, the head remains spinning, and the tape is not disengaged from the head. When the tape is "disengaged", the head is not spinning and it takes slightly longer to go into play or record. This is because the tape moves away from the head in order to prolong tape and head life. Cue and review are not possible while the tape is disengaged, but rewind and fast forward speeds are much faster. If the tape is engaged, and no transport activity (play, record, rewind, etc.) occurs for 4 minutes, the tape will automatically disengage itself to minimize tape wear. 1.4 BASIC OPERATION In general, the operation of the BRC is similar to most currently available multitrack remote controllers. Almost all functions can be enabled and edited by incorporating the following displays and buttons. 1.4A Displays There are three displays on the BRC. The top two are LED displays. The leftmost 3-digit LED display is used to indicate the PITCH CONTROL value (the range of this value is -300 through +100 cents). See section 4.0 for more information on pitch controls. The larger, 8-digit LED display is the current TAPE LOCATION counter. The lower display is a 2x16 backlit LCD, and is used for 7 displaying and editing things like locate points, pre/post-roll times, etc. 1.4B Display Type It is important that you can reference tape positions in a way that you are comfortable with. That's why we've designed the BRC to provide you with three different types of position indicators, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Both the tape location counter and the lower display can reference the tape position in time to either N o r m a l ADAT timecode, SMPTE timecode, or Bars. Press the DISPLAY TYPE button next to the NORMAL, SMPTE, and BARS LEDs; the LEDs will cycle through the three formats. The LEDs will indicate which time format is currently being displayed. · When NORMAL is selected, time is referenced in minutes, seconds and frames (00:00:00). Frames are displayed in 1/30ths of a second. · When SMPTE is selected, time is referenced in hours, minutes, seconds and frames (00:00:00:00). Frames are displayed in 1/24ths, 1/25ths, or 1/30ths of a second, depending upon the SMPTE format selected by the SMPTE button (see section 5.0). · When BARS is selected, song position is referenced in bars, beats and sub-beats (01­01/00). Sub-beats are displayed in 1/24ths of a beat. This requires that the tempo and time signature (number of beats per bar) be set up in the TEMPO MAP (see section 5.1). 1.4C Display Mode While Normal Display Type is selected, pressing the DISPLAY MODE button next to the RELATIVE and ABSOLUTE LEDs will toggle between absolute and relative time modes. When in Absolute Mode, the display reflects the actual tape time (ABSOLUTE LED lit). When in Relative Mode, the display reflects the tape time referenced to the relative zero time (RELATIVE LED lit). The RESET 0 button is used to set the relative zero time. When this button is pressed, the tape location is set to zero. If the display was in absolute mode when RESET 0 was pressed, the display will now be set to relative mode (RELATIVE LED lit). The DISPLAY MODE button does not have any effect on the upper or lower displays when the Display Type is set to SMPTE or BARS, and 8 the ABSOLUTE and RELATIVE LEDs will both be off. This is because when the Display Type is set to SMPTE, the counter is referenced to the SMPTE Start Offset (see section 5.0B) you have chosen to represent the start position of the current song (see section 4.6A). When the Display Type is set to BARS, the counter is referenced to bar 1, which is the start position of the current song. Therefore, these two Display Types are always in a "Relative" mode. The Bars counter is also referenced to the tempo you have set in the TEMPO MAP (see section 5.1). 1.4D LED Indicators In addition to specific LED indicators (such as those that indicate when a track is record-enabled), several switches have built-in LEDs. These are referred to as toggle function buttons. When a toggle function button's LED is on, it either means it has been activated, or it has been selected for editing (if the EDIT button LED is also lit). 1.4E EDIT Button The EDIT button (located to the right of the GEN SYNC button) is labeled in blue ink to differentiate it from the other toggle buttons around it. It is used to display and edit the currently stored value(s) for the toggle function buttons, which are: AUTO-PUNCH, PREROLL, POST-ROLL, LOOP, TAPE OFFSET, TRACK DELAY TIME, DIGITAL I/O, FORMAT, EXT SYNC and GEN SYNC. These buttons (with the exception of EXT SYNC and FORMAT) are grouped together with the EDIT button, and are used by themselves to toggle their associated function on and off. The value(s) associated with a toggle button function can be accessed for viewing and edited by pressing the EDIT button followed by the desired button. · When the EDIT button is pressed for the first time, its LED will light and the display will read: Select function to edit You are now in edit mode. You can view and edit the currently stored value(s) of the functions within an edit group by pressing the desired toggle function button. · As long as the user is in edit mode (EDIT LED lit), pressing a toggle function button will display the currently stored value(s) for that function and will not toggle the function on and off. 9 · To exit from edit mode, press the EDIT button again (the EDIT LED will turn off) and the LCD will return to its state prior to entering edit mode. Pressing a toggle function button now will toggle that function on or off. Note: While in EDIT mode, only the currently selected function's LED will be lit (along with the EDIT LED). The current on/off status of all of the other functions is retained, but is not visible on the LEDs until EDIT mode is exited. 1.4F Cursor Buttons The left and right cursor buttons located directly beneath the lower display are used to move the cursor's position in the lower display. The cursor is the single underline character that appears underneath a word or value, and indicates that it is selected for editing. Values may be edited using the Numeric Keypad and the UP/DOWN buttons (see sections 1.4G and 1.4H). 1.4G Numeric Keypad The 10 numeric keys (0­9) centered beneath the Cursor buttons are used for entering parameter values and for editing locate names and song names in the lower display (see sections 4.1D and 4.6B). When editing a parameter value, pressing a key will enter its numeric value into the display (0­9). When editing a name, pressing a key repeatedly will cycle through its numeric value (0­9) and the characters screened on the keypad button. The following is a list of alpha-numeric characters that are available for creating a name: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 0123456789 !@#$%^&*()-_+=;'¥,./<>?: 1.4H UP/DOWN Buttons The UP/DOWN buttons are used to increment or decrement numeric values. They are located on either side of the 0 key at the bottom of the Numeric Keypad. Holding down either button will cause the selected value to scroll through a list of choices. When editing the name of a locate point or song in the lower display, the UP/DOWN buttons may be used to select uppercase or lowercase characters from the Numeric Keypad. When either button is pressed, the character which has the cursor directly beneath it will 10 immediately change case. 1.4I NAME Button This button is used to edit the names of Songs and Cues. When you locate a Cue or Song, the name field in the display is not accessible using the cursor buttons. To edit a name, you must press the NAME button to select the name field. Pressing the NAME button will always position the cursor at the first character of the name. Once the name field is selected, the cursor buttons will function to select individual characters within the name field or other displayed fields. To edit a name: 1. Press the NAME button; 2. Use the cursor buttons to position the cursor under the character to be edited; 3. Use the keypad buttons to change the value. While a name is selected, repeatedly pressing a keypad button will cycle through its numeric value and the characters shown on that key; 4. To select uppercase characters, press the UP button. To select lowercase characters, press the DOWN button; 5. Press the NAME button again to store the name and return the cursor to its original position. Note: When editing locate names, an additional editing option is available. If the NAME button is held down while using the UP/DOWN buttons, a default set of 16 pre-stored names can be scrolled through (such as "Verse A1", "Chorus 2", "Bridge", etc.). These names can be edited, so that they represent the names that you wish to use, such as "TurnArnd" (turnaround), "BreakDwn" (breakdown), etc. For more information about selecting and editing pre-stored names, see section 4.1D. 1.4J COPY TAPE LOCATION Button Pressing this button copies the currently displayed TAPE LOCATION from the upper display into the lower LCD display for storing as a locate point or song start position. This button has two modes (Normal and Manual), which can be selected from by pressing the MIDI/UTIL button repeatedly (see section 5.3F). In N o r m a l mode, the 11 current tape location is copied into the currently display locate point (Locate 01­20) or Song Start (01­20). In Manual mode, when the COPY TAPE LOCATION button is pressed, the current tape location is copied to the manual locate point (Locate 00), and the display automatically goes to the Locate 00 page. This is useful when you want to be absolutely sure you don't accidentally write over a Locate that you wanted to keep. For more information on locating and storing locate points, see section 4.1. 12 CHAPTER 2: HOOKUP 2.0 POWER The BRC works with any AC voltage from 90 to 250 volts, 50 to 60 Hz. This eliminates the need for transformers or voltage switches. The BRC comes with a line cord for the destination to which the BRC is shipped. The BRC's IEC-spec AC cord (do not substitute any other AC cord) is designed to feed an outlet that includes three pins, with the third, round pin connected to ground. The ground connection is an important safety feature designed to keep the chassis of electronic devices such as the BRC and ADAT at ground potential. Unfortunately, the presence of a third ground pin does not always indicate that an outlet is properly grounded. Use an AC line tester to determine this. If the outlet is not grounded, consult with a licensed electrician. When AC currents are suspected of being highly unstable in VAC and Hz, a professional power conditioner should be used. 2.1 SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE ADATS 2.1A Hooking Up Multiple ADATs Synchronization requires a dual male, 9-pin D connector to connect the BRC to the first ADAT in your system, and an additional dual male, 9 pin D connector for each additional ADAT to be synchronized. This connection can be made while power is on or off, and the ADATs do not need to be turned on in any particular order (see figure 1). The maximum cable length allowed is 50 feet, between the BRC and the first ADAT in the system. 1. Connect one end of the cable to the BRC's sync out jack; 2. Connect the other end of the cable to the sync in jack of the first ADAT in the system (this unit will serve as tracks 1­8); 3. For each additional ADAT slave, connect one end of an additional dual male, 9-pin D connector to the first ADAT slave's sync out jack, and the other end to the second ADAT slave's sync in jack. Its sync out jack then connects to the third ADAT slave's sync in jack, and so on; Note: In a multiple ADAT system, if power is turned off on one of 13 the ADATs in the middle of the chain, all ADATs following it will no longer sync to the BRC, as the sync information will not pass through a unit that is turned off. Figure 1 2.1B ADAT ID (identification) Numbers After you have connected multiple ADATs and turned the machines on (they can be turned on in any order), you may now turn on the BRC, which will in turn assign ID numbers for each slave ADAT in the system. This is done automatically. You will see each ADAT momentarily display its assigned ID number. The ID numbers are assigned in ascending order, according to the order that the slave units are connected. So the first unit in the chain is assigned ID 1, the second is ID 2, and so on. Anytime an ADAT or the BRC is turned on or off, the ADATs will evaluate the situation and determine a master, which will in turn re-assign ID numbers. 2.1C Independent Slave Mode The BRC remote is a master controller that is used to control several ADATs chained together to form a single multitrack recorder. The fact that there are several slaves chained together should be transparent, as all control will come from the BRC. However, should you desire to operate a slave unit independently from the other units, you may do so when the BRC remote is in one of the two STOP modes (STOP LED on steady or flashing). 14 Each slave ADAT's front panel will indicate the status of the record/input enables and transport controls, and the track LED bar graphs to reflect the corresponding track input/tape levels. The numeric display on each slave ADAT unit will always show the NORMAL time (absolute or relative) location of each tape, regardless of the Display Type on the BRC (Normal, SMPTE or Bars; see section 1.4B). 2.2 DIGITAL I/O With analog recording, bouncing tracks or backing up from one multitrack to another loses one generation, which adds hiss and distortion. With digital recording, such procedures will produce a "clone" of the original. This makes it easy to create extra copies of tracks or safety copies of entire tapes, or make multiple copies for distribution. This is all done via the fiber optical digital bus, which can carry as many as eight tracks from one ADAT to any other ADAT(s) in the system, or to an Alesis AI-1 Digital Interface for exporting to other digital recording equipment using AES/EBU or S/PDIF formats. For more information on digital busing, see section 4.7. 2.2A Connecting the Digital Bus Digital busing requires a fiber optic cable for each ADAT in the system (the digital bus does not connect to the BRC). This connection can be made while power is on or off, and ADATs do not need to be turned on in any particular order (see figure 1). To connect the digital optical network: 1. Connect one end of the fiber optic cable into the optical output of the first ADAT in the system. The cable is non-polarized, so either end can be inserted into the optical output; Note: If the other end of the cable is disconnected and a signal is being sent through the cable, you will be able to see a red light at the output. This is an LED and not a laser light, so you don't have to worry about damage to your eyes. 2. Connect the other end of the fiber optic cable to the optical input of the second ADAT in the system; 3. For each additional ADAT, connect one end of an additional fiber optic cable to the first ADAT's optical out jack, and the other end 15 to the second ADAT's optical in jack. Its optical out jack then connects to the third ADAT's optical in jack, and so on; 4. Finally, connect one end of a fiber optic cable to the last ADAT's optical out jack, and the other end to the first ADAT's optical in jack. This last step creates a loop, and thus makes the digital bus accessible to all ADATs that are connected to it. Note: Always connect the optical cables in the same order as the sync cables, so that the digital routing will work correctly. 2.2B Connecting the AI-1 To connect an Alesis AI-1 module, simply insert it into the digital bus loop that was described above in 2.2A, at the end of the ADAT chain. You must also connect the sync cables so that the AI-1 is inserted between the BRC and the first ADAT in your system (see figure 2). 1. Connect one end of the fiber optic cable into the optical output of the last ADAT in the system; 2. Connect the other end of the fiber optic cable to the ADAT optical input of the first AI-1 in the system; 3. Connect one end of a fiber optic cable to the AI-1's ADAT optical out jack, and the other end to the first ADAT's optical in jack. This step creates a loop, and thus makes the digital bus accessible to all ADATs and all AI-1 modules connected to it; 4. Finally, connect one end of a dual male, 9-pin D connector to the BRC's sync out jack, and the other end to the AI-1's sync in jack. The AI-1's sync out jack must then be connected to the sync in jack of the first ADAT in your system; Figure 2 16 5. When recording audio from AES/EBU or S/PDIF source, the ADAT(s) must be synchronized to the incoming digital signal. This means you will not only need to connect the AI-1 to the digital bus (as described above), but you must also connect the AI1's 48 KHz output to the BRC's 48 KHz input, using a standard shielded BNC cable. For more information about sample rate conversion and interfacing the AI-1 with other digital audio equipment, please refer to the AI-1's owners manual. 2.3 SMPTE IN/OUT The SMPTE input and output connectors are 1/4" jacks. SMPTE input is for syncing to an external device. SMPTE output is for generating sync to an external device. For more information about SMPTE, see section 5.0. 2.4 MIDI IN/OUT 17 The MIDI input and output connectors are 5-pin DIN jacks. MIDI input is provided for receiving various MIDI messages. MIDI output is provided for generating MTC, MIDI Clock, and system exclusive messages. For more information about MIDI, see section 5.3. 2.5 48 KHZ CLOCK IN/OUT The 48 KHz output signal is a 75 TTL level square wave output. The input can accept a TTL or CMOS level square wave input. Both input and output are provided via BNC-type connectors. For more information about synchronizing to 48 KHz clock, see section 5.0C. 2.6 VIDEO SYNC IN This BNC-type connector input can accept composite video as well as black burst video inputs. The BRC will automatically recognize the type of video signal (NTSC, PAL or SECAM) and its sample clock can be synchronized to the incoming video signal. For more information about video sync, see section 5.0C. 2.7 RMB REMOTE METER BRIDGE To connect the Alesis RMB Remote Meter Bridge, use dual male, 9pin D connector cables from the Bridge Out connector of up to four ADATs to each of the RMB's four input connectors. Please refer to the RMB Owner's Manual for more information on hook-up and operation. 2.8 FOOTSWITCHES Any momentary single-pole/single-throw footswitch, normally open or normally closed, will work for the two footswitch functions. These should be plugged in prior to power-up so that the BRC can configure itself for the type of footswitch being used. 2.9 RACK-MOUNTING The four end blocks surrounding the BRC may be removed, if you 18 wish to rack-mount the unit using the rack ears included on the BRC. The figure below indicates the rack ears' locations and the screws that mount the end blocks. The front and back end blocks each use three 1" hexagonal screws, while the side end blocks use two 1-1/4" hexagonal screws each. If you should ever wish to remount the end blocks, it is important to note each screw's original location when they are removed since the screw lengths vary between the side end blocks and the front and back end blocks. Do not substitute any of the screws provided with the BRC, since their lengths are critical to their specific locations. Figure 3 2.10 ROLLAROUND STAND The BRC may be mounted onto the optional rollaround stand. This may be done using the four 1/2" hexagonal screws provided with the stand. Be sure not to tighten these screws too much, as they can physically damage the BRC. Please refer to the installation instructions provided with the rollaround stand for more detailed information. 19 CHAPTER 3: GETTING READY RECORD 3.0 POWERING-UP TO After all connections are made, turn on the power of each ADAT in the system, and then turn on the BRC. Its main power switch is located on the far left side of the back panel, when you are facing the front panel. When power is first turned on, the BRC checks to see how many slave ADAT units are connected to it. If at least one ADAT is connected, the BRC automatically becomes the master and assigns an ID number to each of the connected ADAT slaves. The ID numbers are assigned in ascending order according to the order that the slave units are connected (see section 2.1A and figure 1). While assigning ID numbers, the BRC's display will count the number of ADATs it recognizes. For example: if you have four ADATs connected (32 tracks), the BRC will recognize each one at a time, and the display will look like this: ALESIS BRC 01 ADAT slaves ALESIS BRC 02 ADAT slaves ALESIS BRC 03 ADAT slaves ALESIS BRC 04 ADAT slaves The BRC will continue searching for ADATs until it is sure there are no more connected. Eventually, after about five seconds, the BRC will come on-line, and the display will look like this: ALESIS BRC Copyright 1993 After assigning ID numbers, the BRC queries each of the devices to find out its current status. 20 · If the first ADAT doesn't have a tape in its drive, the Tape Location counter on the BRC will display "-- -- -- -- --" (the slave ADATs will display "-- --"). · The BRC will query each unit that contains an inserted tape as to its format status. · If the first ADAT's tape is formatted, the BRC will display the current real-time location of the first slave unit and locate all slaves to this same location. · If the first ADAT's tape is unformatted, the BRC will display "noFO". Note: The BRC's transport controls are not active for a unit without tape. They are active for an unformatted tape, but an unformatted tape will not be controlled as accurately as a formatted tape. If an unformatted tape is inserted, the ADAT's tape counter will display "noFO", no audio will sound and the FORMAT LED will flash on the ADAT(s). 3.1 FORMATTING TAPES Just as formatting a floppy disk lets a computer know where to place data, formatting an ADAT tape time-stamps the tape to single-sample accuracy so that audio is referenced to an accurate time base. This allows for simplified synchronization, accurate tape counter readings, and intelligent autolocation. When formatting begins, ADAT writes some setup data during the first two minutes and fifteen seconds of tape, then at time -00:05, it writes the time in minutes and seconds onto a special sync track. This does not use up any of the eight audio tracks. The time-stamping continues until the end of the tape is reached, or STOP is pressed. To format a new tape (or to reformat/erase an old tape): 1. Press the FORMAT button. The FORMAT LED should now be lit solid; 2. To select a single tape machine to format, press the EDIT button followed by the FORMAT button. The display will show the following: 21 Format Tape A ll If you wish to format all tapes, jump ahead to step 6a. If you wish to perform a selective format, continue to step 3. 3. Press the Right Cursor button; The display will now look like this: Format Tape xx Disable ...where XX is a tape machine number 1­16. 4. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to choose any of the ADATs in your system; 5. Use the Right Cursor button to move the cursor to the lower field, and use the UP/DOWN buttons to Enable or Disable formatting; Note: If no tapes are enabled for formatting and the FORMAT button is pressed, the following message will appear: Selective Format no tapes enabled If Format mode is enabled for one or more ADATs, the FORMAT LED will light solid on all format enabled ADATs to indicate that format mode will be entered if recording is started. Also, all track RECORD LEDs of the format enabled ADATs will be flashing to indicate that all tracks on those tapes will be erased. Pressing the RECORD ENABLE buttons will have no effect while the format LED is lit solid. 6a. To perform a complete format: Rewind all tapes to the beginning and initiate a record (hold RECORD and press PLAY); When performing a complete format, the ADAT places 15 seconds of leader (display reads "LEAd") at the start of the tape(s), followed by 2 minutes of data (display reads "data"). Also note that any recordenabled tracks will not go into record until the tape counter reads 00:00, which occurs after the pre-audio LEAD and DATA portions. 6b. To perform a format extend: Make sure all tapes are playing in sync; and initiate a record (hold RECORD and press PLAY); 22 When performing a format extend, the ADAT begins "timestamping" from the last valid time-stamp read from the formatted tape. This allows a partially formatted tape to have its format extended by entering format mode before the end of the previously formatted section. When formatting, all previous information on the tape portion being formatted will be lost. 7. Press the STOP button to disengage formatting; Note: The only way to stop formatting is to press STOP (i.e. you cannot punch-out the way you can from a normal record). 8. After the format is complete (because either the end of the tape was reached or you stopped recording), the FORMAT LED turns off . If you try to initiate a format when tapes are at various locations, then the type of format that is performed on each ADAT is dependent upon the current tape status as follows: If the tape is unformatted: · If at the start-of-tape (i.e. rewound to the very beginning), then a complete format (FORMAT 0) will be performed. · If not at start-of-tape, then format will be disabled and no recording will take place. If the tape has already been formatted: · If in the pre-audio portion of tape (before 00:00), then the tape will be automatically rewound to the start-of-tape and a complete format (FORMAT 0) will be performed. While the tape is being auto-rewound, the ADAT display will read "-FO-" and the rewind LED will flash. This indicates that it must "FORMAT OVER" from the LEAD or beginning portion of the tape. · If in the audio portion of the tape (past 00:00), then the tape will be format extended after entering record. 3.1A Additional Formatting Considerations · Blank tapes must be rewound to the very beginning in order to be formatted. Caution: Do not re-format over a previously formatted tape, and then stop re-formatting. When the tape transitions from the newly- 23 formatted part to the previously formatted part, there will be timing discontinuities and the audio will do unpleasant things. Also, during that transition the tape will be non-functional and you will not be able to record anything over it. When in doubt, either re-format the tape all the way to the end, or back up a bit and perform a format extend (see previous section) when you need to re-format over the transition zone. · It's a good idea to format a tape from start to finish, but this isn't necessary. To extend the format on a partially formatted tape, enter format mode before the end of the previously formatted section. Everything on the tape will be erased from that point on. · Audio can be recorded while formatting is taking place, just in case you have a hot musical idea you wish to preserve in a hurry, but have no formatted tapes. Simply put the desired tracks into record-ready (see section 3.2B) before pressing the FORMAT button. Tracks not record-enabled prior to pressing the FORMAT button will be recorded with silence, and cannot be record-enabled once formatting begins. · Tapes can be bulk-erased with a bulk tape eraser designed to erase VCR cassette tapes.. 3.2 TRACK/RECORD MONITOR CONTROLS These controls determine which tracks will be recorded on in record mode, and whether tracks will monitor the input or taped signal. 3.2A Track Bank Select The four buttons located just below the track enable buttons (labeled TRACK 1­32, TRACK 33­64, TRACK 65­96 and TRACK 97­128), determine which group of tracks the track enable buttons will control. The selected group's LED will be lit. To put a track into record, you must first select the appropriate group which that track belongs to. Note: The Track Bank Select buttons will not function if no ADATs for a group are connected. For example, if you only have four ADATs in your system (32 tracks), the TRACK 1­32 button's LED will always be lit but the TRACK 33­64, TRACK 65­96 and TRACK 97­128 buttons will not respond when pressed. 24 3.2B Record Enables To record enable a track, press the track's associated record enable button. The track's RECORD LED will flash to indicate the track is record-ready. If the transport is put into record mode (see section 3.3C), recording will begin, as indicated by the track's RECORD LED being steadily lit. To turn off record enable, press the track's associated record enable button again. Its RECORD LED will turn off. Note: Record enable buttons cannot be turned on or off while you're in record, or on tracks where ADATs are not connected. 3.2C Auto Input This switch toggles between two tape/input options. When a track monitors the input signal, its associated INPUT LED is lit. · With Auto Input OFF (AUTO INPUT LED off), all record-enabled tracks will monitor their respective input signals, while all other tracks will monitor the taped signal. · With Auto Input ON (AUTO INPUT LED lit), the tape/input monitor is automatically set as follows: All tracks are monitored from tape when playing and monitored from input otherwise. Additionally, any record-ready tracks are monitored from input while recording. 3.2D All Input With this function on (ALL INPUT MONITOR LED lit), the auto input monitor setting is overridden so that all tracks monitor their input signals regardless of their record enable status. All tracks' INPUT LEDs will be lit. With All Input Monitor off, the Auto Input Monitor setting determines track monitoring. 3.2E All Safe When this button is pressed (ALL SAFE LED lit), all track record ready LEDs, as well as any auto-enabled track input LEDs, will be turned off. All track record ready buttons will also be disabled, thus preventing any tracks from being recorded onto. When the ALL SAFE button is pressed again, the LED in the button will turn off, all track record ready and input LEDs will return to their 25 previous state, and the record ready buttons will be functional again. 3.2F All Clear This switch is used to place all available tracks into a safe (non-record ready) mode with a single button press. It differs from the ALL SAFE button, in that it just clears all record ready tracks and does not disable track record ready buttons; nor does it return to the previous state when pressed again. 3.2G Groups 1 Through 4 The SET GROUP switch is used to assign a group of record enabled tracks to a single button. Press and hold this button while pressing one of the four GROUP buttons (1­4) you wish to store the current track record status into. The GROUP button you select will have its LED lit and the display will temporarily read: Group X Stored ...where X is a number between 1 and 4. The four GROUP buttons (1­4) are used to recall a configuration of track record/inputs. When one of the group buttons is pressed by itself, its LED will light (any other lit GROUP LED will be turned off) and the stored record and input status will be recalled. If you now press a record-enable button, the group LED will turn off to indicate that the current status does not reflect a stored group's record/input configuration. As a safety feature, you can disable the four GROUP buttons so that their stored track record/inputs are not recalled (see section 5.3E). This is in case you do not use the group function that much, and have a tendency to push buttons very quickly and accidentally press one of the GROUP buttons. If the GROUP buttons are disabled and one of them is pressed, the display will briefly read: Group Buttons Disabled The four GROUP buttons are always disabled while in record mode. 3.3 TRANSPORT CONTROLS 26 The transport controls resemble those of a conventional tape recorder, although there are several extra features. The main transport functions have been designed to be easily and quickly recognizable by both sight and feel. 3.3A Play Press the PLAY button to play tape(s) (PLAY BUTTON is lit). The PLAY button by itself has no effect while playing or formatting. While locating, pressing PLAY will cause the ADAT to start playing after finding the location (PLAY button will flash); pressing PLAY twice during locating will stop the locate procedure and ADAT will immediately go into play mode. Pressing PLAY while recording (or holding RECORD and pressing PLAY) causes the recorded tracks to stop recording (punch-out) and the RECORD button will no longer be lit. Note: What happens when you press PLAY after inserting a tape in one or more ADATS depends on whether the tape(s) is formatted or not. · Formatted. The tape plays normally and the counter shows the elapsed time since the beginning of the tape. · Unformatted tape. ADAT will detect the lack of a format and flash the FORMAT LED while displaying "noFO". · Tape transitions from a formatted to unformatted section while playing back. ADAT will detect the lack of a format and flash the FORMAT LED while displaying "noFO". · Tape transitions from a formatted to unformatted section while recording. ADAT will detect the lack of a format and stop. 3.3B Stop This button performs two functions: · Stop the transport. Push to stop any function involving tape motion, including: playing, recording, locating and formatting. When the Stop button is lit solid, it indicates that the tape is engaged. This means it is not moving, but is still wrapped around the drum. If no transport movement occurs during a four minute period, the tape will be unwound from the drum and the STOP 27 LED will flash to indicate the tape is disengaged. · Disengage/engage the tape. While the Stop button is lit, press STOP again to disengage the tape (STOP button flashes). While the STOP button is flashing, press STOP again to engage the tape (STOP button is lit). Entering Play or Record will also engage the tape. The only difference between a tape being engaged and disengaged is that entering play will take longer when disengaged due to the time necessary to wrap the tape around the head. For more information about "engaged" and "disengaged" tapes, see section 1.3. 3.3C Record Press the RECORD button to enter or exit record mode, and to format tapes (see section 3.1). To start recording: · Press and hold PLAY, then press RECORD, to cause any recordenabled track(s) to enter record mode (see section 3.2B). This is recommended for punching "on the fly." · Press and hold RECORD, the press PLAY, to cause any recordenabled track(s) to enter record mode (see section 3.2B). This is recommended for initiating recording when the tape is stopped, or for punching "on the fly." To punch out and stop the transport, simply press STOP. To exit record mode (punch out) without stopping the transport, press PLAY. Caution: If the FORMAT LED is lit, entering record will format the tape(s) (see section 3.1). This will erase any audio previously recorded. 3.3D Rewind/Review Press REWIND to rewind the tape, as confirmed by the REWIND button lighting up. When the tape(s) is fully rewound, the REWIND button light goes off and the STOP button lights up. · Pressing REWIND while recording punches out before rewinding. · Engaged tapes rewind at about ten times normal speed. Disengaged tapes rewind at about twenty times normal speed. · Pressing REWIND while holding the PLAY button initiates "Review" mode. The tape rewinds at about three times normal 28 speed, and you can hear chunks of attenuated audio so you know where you are in the tape. The PLAY button will be lit, and the REWIND button will flash. This function is latching, which means that the system will remain in Review mode until a different transport button is pressed. 3.3E Fast Forward/Cue Press the FAST FORWARD button to fast forward the tape, as confirmed by the FAST FORWARD button lighting up. Upon reaching the end of the tape, the FAST FORWARD button light goes off and the STOP button lights up. · Pressing FAST FORWARD while recording punches out before fast forwarding. · Engaged tapes fast forward at about ten times normal speed. Disengaged tapes fast forward at about twenty times normal speed. · Pressing FAST FORWARD while holding the PLAY button initiates "Cue" mode. The tape fast forwards at about three times normal speed, and you can hear chunks of attenuated audio so you know where you are in the tape. The PLAY button will be lit, and the FAST FORWARD button will flash. This function is latching, which means that the system will remain in Cue mode until a different transport button is pressed. 3.4 RECORD XFADE (CROSSFADE) Crossfading is the process of fading out the original audio on tape while fading in the new audio when punching in (or vice-versa when punching out). Whenever recording begins or ends, the ADAT provides a smooth transition between the audio on tape and the audio being recorded. This provides for a smooth transition between the old and the new audio when punching in and out of record. The RECORD XFADE button is used to select the crossfade time for recording. The crossfade time determines how long it takes for the audio to completely transition from the previous audio to the current audio when recording. The default is 10.67 milliseconds. Crossfading always begins at the punch point and continues for the amount of time you have specified. To set the Record Crossfade Time: 1. Press the RECORD XFADE button. 29 The display shows the current crossfade time as follows: Crossfade Time 10.67 ms There are four possible crossfade times: 10.67 ms, 21.33 ms, 32 ms and 42.67 ms. These time values assume a playback rate of 48KHz, and are therefore not exact if the pitch is changed, or an external clock source is used. 2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to cycle through the different crossfade times. The change takes place immediately. 3.5 REHEARSE This button is used to enable and disable Rehearse mode. When pressed, the REHEARSE LED will light to indicate that the you are in rehearse mode (i.e. any "recording" will not actually be saved to tape). For example, when punching in and out with Auto-Punch turned on, the record-enabled tracks will switch from tape monitor to input monitor and back to tape monitor, thus allowing the user to rehearse the new material. · When in Rehearse mode, nothing is saved to tape and therefore nothing is lost. Both the BRC and individual ADATs will flash their RECORD LED to indicate that recording is not taking place. When the REHEARSE button is pressed again, the LED will turn off to indicate that you are no longer in Rehearse mode and all further recording will be saved to tape. 3.6 TRACK DELAY TIME Track Delay lets you shift tracks up to 170 ms back in time, in order to achieve a more desirable "feel." For example, if the bass track is anticipating the beat, you can push it back in the pocket by delaying it a few milliseconds. If you need one track to play back earlier than the others, try offsetting all other tracks by the same amount. This will make the remaining track seem to play ahead of the others. Track delay can also be useful for creating effects. For example, you could record a snare track onto another track with delay on. When playing back the two tracks together, the result is a flammed snare. The TRACK DELAY button is used to toggle the delay time on and off for selected tracks. When this button is pressed (LED lit), any stored track delays are in effect. When this button is pressed again (LED off), 30 no track delays are in effect. To display/edit the currently stored track delay times: 1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in edit mode); 2. Press the TRACK DELAY button. All the record and input track LEDs will turn off and no longer reflect the current record/monitor status; 3. Select a track by pressing its track button. Its red LED will light to indicate it is the currently selected track and the display will show its current delay time. Tracks which have a delay time set greater than zero will have their green LEDs lit; The display will look like this: Track delay: XXX.X ms ...where XXX.X is the delay time in milliseconds. 4. The delay time may be changed for the selected track by using the Numeric Keypad and UP/DOWN buttons. The value is read in milliseconds and you can increment or decrement in 0.1 ms steps within the range of 000.0 and 170.0 ms. When the delay is changed, the green LED of the respective track will reflect the new delay status (off if no delay, on if it is being delayed); 5. Pressing the TRACK DELAY TIME button again will enter a second page, which displays the delay time in number of samples: Track delay: ssss samples Note: The delay time that is displayed is only accurate while playing at normal pitch (48KHz) sample rate, and will not compensate for pitch changes or external clock variations. 6. The delay time may be edited just as described above. The samples range from 0 to 8160 (48 samples = 1 ms); 7. Press the TRACK DELAY TIME repeatedly to toggle between these two pages (milliseconds and sample); 31 8. Another track may be selected by pressing the corresponding track button and the above process repeated; 9. To clear all delays, press the ALL CLEAR button while in this page, or the following page; 10. To exit the delay time mode, exit the Edit mode by pressing the EDIT button (the EDIT LED will turn off) or press another toggle function button. The RECORD-ENABLE buttons and LEDs will return to normal functions. Tip: If you need to advance a track so that it plays ahead of the others, try setting all other tracks to a delay of, say, 85 ms (right in the middle of the track delay's range). Now, you can adjust the delay towards zero for those tracks which you want to move ahead, while leaving you room to delay other tracks in the opposite direction. Note: Track Delay is a playback function, and so has no affect on a track in record. 32 CHAPTER 4: PITCH, AUTO-LOCATION AND PUNCHING CONTROLS 4.0 PITCH CONTROLS The BRC provides controls over pitch by adjusting the speed the tape is traveling. The Pitch controls include: PITCH MODE, PITCH UP, and PITCH DOWN buttons; the PITCH LED display; and the VARIABLE and FIXED LEDs. Pitch changes affect all slave machines. The PITCH display shows the current pitch variance in cents. The pitch range is -300 through +100 cents. The PITCH MODE button toggles between the VARIABLE and FIXED LEDs. When the FIXED LED is lit (VARIABLE LED will be off), the pitch is set to the standard pitch (000). · If either PITCH UP or PITCH DOWN buttons are pressed when the FIXED LED is lit, the FIXED LED will turn off and the VARIABLE LED will turn on. This way you have direct control over the pitch by simply adjusting the Pitch value. Press the PITCH UP to gradually move the pitch higher (+100 cents maximum), and PITCH DOWN to gradually move the pitch lower (300 cents maximum). After a brief delay during which the display shows the current pitch, the pitch changes and the display shows the amount of pitch change in cents. Keep in mind that the counter will not elapse in real time when the pitch is set to a value other than zero. When the VARIABLE LED is lit (FIXED LED off), the pitch is set to the pitch value you selected. When you press PITCH MODE and go back to FIXED, the last selected pitch value is remembered and recalled when you switch back to VARIABLE. This allows you to switch between the standard pitch and the last varied pitch, by moving between the two pitch modes. Note: When switching from Fixed to Variable mode, the pitch will not change instantaneously, but will change at the same rate as if changed manually. Note: Should you need to set the sample clock rate to 44.1 KHz, adjust the Pitch value to -147. When the Pitch value is set to -147, the Pitch display will read "44.1" to indicate that this setting represents a sample rate of 44.1 KHz. 33 4.1 AUTOLOCATION CONTROLS Autolocation is a powerful function of the BRC. It works by specifying up to 20 different locate points, which are referenced to the time code embedded in the tape's format. Each locate point can be given a name of your choosing for easy reference, and you can select from a list of preset names ("Intro", "Verse A1", etc.). You can tell the BRC to go to any one of these 20 locate points at any time. Additionally, a manual locate point (Locate 00) is available for locating to any position without having to store it permanently into one of the 20 programmable locate points. · The slave ADATs will either rewind or fast forward (as indicated by the REWIND or FAST FORWARD button flashing on the BRC, and the REW or FFW LED flashing on the ADATs), to find the specified locate point. · If you initiate a locate while in Record mode, the BRC will punch out before autolocating. · The ADATs will stop after locating, unless Auto Play (see section 4.2I) is enabled or the Play button is pressed during the autolocate process, in which case the BRC will put the ADATs into play after completing the locate. 4.1A Reset 0 This button can be pressed at any time to reset the tape counter to 0, even though the absolute time is different. This is because we are setting the relative 0 time, and the absolute time is written onto the tape when it is formatted. If the tape counter was in ABSOLUTE mode, it will turn off and the RELATIVE LED will light. The RESET 0 button only has an affect when the Display type is NORMAL, and does not affect either SMPTE or BARS. · Regardless of where the 0 point is set, the locate points (see section 4.1C) will remain unchanged (i.e., the absolute location remains the same even if the displayed relative value is changed). If the tape is rewound to a position before the 0 point, the counter will show the time as a negative number while the display is in Relative mode. · Regardless of where the 0 point is set, the ADAT's counter will indicate "LEAd" during the first 15 seconds of setup data and "dAtA" during the next two minutes of setup data at the 34 beginning of each tape. 4.1B Locate 0 Press this button to have all slave ADATs rewind or fast forward to the 0 point location. Remember, this can be anywhere on the tape since pressing the RESET 0 button resets the tape counter to 00:00 (see section 4.1A). The REW or FFW LED will flash depending on the direction of the search. · If the LOCATE 0 button is pressed while in record mode, recording will be stopped (punched out) before performing the locate. 4.1C Setting a Locate Point The SET LOCATE button may be pressed at any time to store the current tape location into memory for later recall. This tape position is referred to as the locate point's address. To set a locate point: 1. Press the SET LOCATE button, and the current tape location will be stored as a new locate point; The display will show the following: L XX "LocNamXX" hh:mm:ss:ff ...where XX is the locate number (1 through 20), LocNamXX is an 8character name and hh:mm:ss:ff is the current tape address. The address is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds:frames) and the frames will default to 30 frames per second. If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01­01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). The locate number defaults to the last locate point displayed +1, and is automatically stored. The first time SET LOCATE is pressed (if the Locate button has not yet been pressed), the locate point number in the display will be 01. If locate point number 5 is currently being displayed, then pressing SET LOCATE will advance the display to locate point number 6 and store the current tape position there. If locate point number 20 is being displayed, pressing the SET LOCATE button will not advance the display, thus the current tape position is 35 stored into locate point number 20. 2. If you want to edit the location address, press the Right Cursor button to move the cursor to the bottom of the display and use the Numeric Keypad to enter in the desired offset. The cursor will automatically advance through each pair of digits. You can also use the Cursor buttons to position the cursor beneath the pair of digits you wish to edit, and use the UP/DOWN buttons or the Numeric Keypad to change the number; or use the COPY TAPE LOCATION button (see section 1.4J); Note: To use the COPY TAPE LOCATION button, it must be set to Normal mode in the MIDI/UTIL section (see section 5.3F). 3. To edit the locate point's name, use the NAME button as described in the NAME section (see 4.1D); Note: If no tapes are present, pressing the SET LOCATE button will just display the current locate point. 4. Press the Right Cursor button past the frame location, the display will show a second page which allows you to fine tune the locate point (only accessible when in Normal or SMPTE Display Type); The display will look like this: LXX "LocNamXX" fine tune +sf:ss ...where sf:ss is the fine tune amount in sub-frames and sample steps. · Sub-frames are 1/100th of a frame, ranging from 0­99. · Sample steps are divisions of sub-frames. When the Display Type is NORMAL, their range is 0­15. When the Display Type is SMPTE, their range depends on the SMPTE format being used, as indicated by the five SMPTE LEDs to the right of the LCD display: from 0­19 for 24 fps (frames per second), and 0­15 for 29.97 fps and 30 fps. When the SMPTE format is 25 fps, the range is 0­18 every four sub-frames and 0­19 on the fifth sub-frame. 5. To return to the previous page, press the Left Cursor button repeatedly until the cursor is past the locate number location. To store locate points `on-the-fly': 1. Rewind to the beginning of the song and engage Play mode; 36 2. As you listen to the audio playing back, determine which sections of the song you want to create locate points for; 3. Rewind the tape again and engage Play mode; 4. As the tape plays through the song again, press the SET LOCATE button just as the tape reaches the first position you wish to set as a locate point; 5. While the tape keeps playing, continue to press the SET LOCATE button for every position you wish to set as a locate point. The Locate number (1­20) will continue to advance each time a location is stored, until all 20 locations have been filled. To copy a locate point: 1. Locate to the Locate point you wish to copy (see section 4.1E); 2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select the Locate number (01­20) you want to copy this address to; 3. Press the COPY TAPE LOCATION button to copy the address into the selected Locate point. Note: To use the COPY TAPE LOCATION button, it must be set to Normal mode in the MIDI/UTIL section (see section 5.3F). 4.1D Naming a Locate Point Since you can store locate points "on-the-fly", you may want to play through the song and mark them all in one go. You can come back at any time and rename any of these. To edit the name of a locate point: 1. If the LCD display is not currently displaying the locate page, press the LOCATE button; 2. If the LCD display is currently displaying the locate page, press the NAME button to move the cursor to the first character in the locate point's name; 3. Use the Cursor buttons to position the cursor beneath the character you wish to edit; 4. Use the Numeric Keypad to scroll through the available characters (as described in section 1.4I). Use the UP/DOWN buttons to 37 change a characters case (lowercase or UPPERCASE); 5. Press the NAME button again when finished. Note: If the UP/DOWN buttons are pressed while the NAME button is held down, you can scroll through a default set of 16 pre-stored, generic names (such as "Verse A1", "Chorus 2", "Bridge", etc.). You can edit these names, so that they represent the names you wish to use, such as "TurnArnd", etc. These names are saved whenever you save a setup to tape (see section 5.2A) or via MIDI system-exclusive (see section 5.3B). To edit the pre-stored names: 1. Hold the NAME button and use the UP/DOWN buttons to select the pre-stored name you wish to edit (Important: You must scroll through the list to enter "pre-stored name editing" mode, even if the name you wish to edit is already displayed); 2. Use the Numeric Keypad and Cursor buttons to alter the characters of the pre-stored name (see above); 3. Hold down the NAME button and press the RECORD button to store the new name into the pre-stored name list; 4. To check that the new name was stored, hold the NAME button and use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll through the list of prestored names to find the name you changed. If you can't find the name in the pre-stored name list, repeat steps 1­3 above. 4.1E Locating a Locate Point The LOCATE button is used to rewind or fast forward the tapes to a pre-stored locate point or a manually input location (see section 4.1F). To locate to a locate point: 1. If the LCD display is not currently displaying the locate page, press the LOCATE button; The display reads as follows: L XX "LocNamXX" hh:mm:ss:ff ...where XX is the locate number (00, 01 through 20, 21-22), LocNamXX is an 8-character name and hh:mm:ss:ff is the locate 38 point's address. The address is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds:frames). If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01­01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). 2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select a locate number (01-20), or either of the Auto-punch in/out locations (21 & 22). The name and address will be updated as you scroll through the stored locate points; 3. The location address for the currently displayed locate point can be edited before initiating the locate by selecting the desired field with the Cursor buttons and changing the value with the Numeric Keypad, UP/DOWN buttons, or the COPY TAPE LOCATION button; Note: To use the COPY TAPE LOCATION button, it must be set to Normal mode in the MIDI/UTIL section (see section 5.3F). When editing the location address, the cursor will automatically advance to the next field until the last digit of the frames field. Only locate point names 01 through 20 may be edited. The Manual locate point (00) and Auto-Punch points (21 & 22) have names which cannot be edited. 4. As shown in SETTING A LOCATE POINT (see section 4.1C), a second page can be accessed by pressing the Right Cursor button past the frames field, where you can fine tune the locate point by adjusting its position in sub-frames and samples; 5. While the LCD display is currently displaying the Locate page, press the LOCATE button again to rewind or fast forward to the currently displayed location address. Either the REWIND or FAST FORWARD button will flash, depending on the direction of the search. 4.1F Manual Locate Sometimes you may want to locate to an arbitrary tape position which hasn't been stored into a locate point. To do this: 1. Press LOCATE button; 2. Use the Numeric Keypad or the DOWN button to select location 00; 39 The display will show the following: L 00 " MANUAL " hh:mm:ss:ff This is the manual locate display. The address (hh:mm:ss:ff) is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds: frames) and the frames will default to 30 frames per second. If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes: seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01­01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). 3. Use the Numeric Keypad to edit the location address and indicate the desired location. All fields are editable, with the exception of the name field (i.e. the NAME button is not functional); When entering the location address, the cursor will automatically advance to the next field until the last digit of the frames field. You can also use the Cursor button to position the cursor beneath the pair of digits you wish to edit, and use the UP/DOWN buttons, the Numeric Keypad or the COPY TAPE LOCATION button to change the number. 4. Pressing the LOCATE button now will locate to the currently displayed location address. This location is not stored. 4.1G Footswitch Controlled Autolocation The BRC's rear panel Locate/Play footswitch jack can be used with any momentary, single-pole/single-throw footswitch. During the power-up procedure, the BRC checks the footswitch to determine whether it is a normally open or normally closed type, and calibrates itself accordingly. If you use a footswitch and its operation seems "reversed," make sure it is firmly plugged into the jack, then turn the BRC off, wait a few seconds, and turn it on again. It will recalibrate itself to work with the footswitch. The Locate/Play footswitch has three functions: · If the transport is currently stopped, pressing the Locate/Play footswitch is the equivalent to pressing the PLAY button. · If the transport is currently playing or recording, pressing the Locate/Play footswitch causes the transport to locate to the last selected locate point (the locate point is selected by pressing the LOCATE button; see section 4.1E), and then either Stop or Play, 40 depending on the setting of the AUTO-PLAY button. · If the BRC is in the process of locating, pressing the Locate/Play footswitch will stop the transport. The Locate/Play footswitch jack can also be used for connecting an LRC Remote Control. The Locate/Play footswitch and the LRC cannot be used at the same time, since they occupy the same jack, unless you connect them with a Y-cord. However, you can interchange them if you observe certain precautions (see section 4.1H). 4.1H Using the LRC Remote Control To use the LRC, plug it into either the Locate/Play jack or the Punch In/Out jack, both located on the back of the BRC. Actually, you could connect two LRCs by using both jacks. Unlike when connected to an ADAT, the LRC is used as a remote control of the BRC. The LRC offers the following functions: · Transport functions. Rewind, Review, Fast Forward, Cue, Stop, Play, and Record. · Autolocation functions. Locate 0, Locate 1, Locate 2, Set Locate, Locate 2>1 (Loop), and Auto Play. · Track functions. Auto Input and All Input. The locate functions on the LRC allow you to locate to 0, locate point 01 or locate point 02. Locate points 03­22 are inaccessible, as are manual positions. You can also set locate points from the LRC, using the SET LOCATE button in the same manner as pressing the SET LOCATE button on the BRC (see section 4.1C). Note: If the Locate/Play footswitch you are using is a normally open type, the footswitch and LRC remote control can be interchanged at any time, or used simultaneously with a Y-cord. If the Play/Locate footswitch is a normally closed type, the BRC will have to be reset when switching between the footswitch and the remote, and they will not work simultaneously with a Y-cord. To do this: 1. Unplug the device you don't want to use (footswitch or remote); 2. Turn off the BRC; 3. Plug in the device you want to use (footswitch or remote); 41 4. Turn on the BRC. 4.1I Auto-Play Press the AUTO PLAY button to enable Auto Play (its LED will be lit). This causes the BRC to automatically enter Play mode whenever any locate function is complete, although this can be overridden by the transport controls. This button can be pressed at any time. Note: A `one time' auto play function can be initiated by pressing PLAY once after initiating a locate search and before the locate point is reached. The PLAY button will flash until the locate point is reached, then enter Play mode. Pressing PLAY twice will cancel the locate search and initiate Play mode. Note: The AUTO PLAY button will automatically turn on whenever the Loop function is turned on (see sections 4.2). 4.2 LOOPING This button can be pressed at any time to turn on the Loop function. Enabling the LOOP button causes all slave ADATs to automatically return to the Loop Start point after reaching the Loop End point. This works during playback or record. The Loop Start and Loop End points can be assigned to any of the 22 locate points already memory (see 4.1E). These may be set as described below. When the LOOP button is pressed, the LOOP LED will go on to indicate that you are in Loop Mode. If LOOP is on, and the Loop End point is reached while in record, recording will be stopped before rewinding to the Loop Start point. Whenever Loop Mode is turned on, the AUTO-PLAY button is automatically turned on as well (the AUTO-PLAY LED will go on) to indicate that when the Loop Start point is reached, the BRC will go back into play. This creates a true, endless "loop." If you do not want the BRC to engage playback upon returning to the Loop Start point, you can turn off Auto-Play mode by pressing the AUTO-PLAY button. This creates an "Auto-Return" mode. · If LOOP is turned on while in Play mode and the tape location is already past the Loop End point, the BRC will not rewind back to the Loop Start point (the LOOP will only function while passing through the Loop End point). 42 · If LOOP is turned off after the BRC has reached the Loop End point and has begun rewinding to the Loop Start point, the transport will continue rewinding, without stopping at the Loop Start point. 4.2A Setting Loop Points To set the Loop Start and End points: 1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in Edit mode); 2. Press the LOOP button; The display will show the Loop Start point: St XX "LocNamxx" aa:bb:cc:dd ...where XX is one of the stored locate numbers (01­20; 21 is autopunch in, 22 is auto-punch out), LocNamxx is the cue name, and aa:bb:cc:dd its corresponding tape address. The locate number and address can be edited, but not the locate point's name. The address is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds:frames) and the frames will default to 30 frames per second. If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01­01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). 3. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select a locate number between 1 and 22. The name and address will be updated as you scroll through the stored locate points; 4. To display the Loop End point, press the LOOP button again; The display will show: En YY "LocNamyy" ww:xx:yy:zz 5. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select a locate number between 1 and 22. The name and address will be updated as you scroll through the stored locate points. Just as when setting the Loop Start point, only the locate number can be edited; 43 6. Press the LOOP button to toggle between Loop Start and End point displays. 7. If the desired loop point does not correspond to a stored locate point, the locate point's tape address may be edited. Use the Cursor buttons to place the cursor under the desired field and use the Numeric Keypad, UP/DOWN buttons, or the COPY TAPE LOCATION button to enter the new values. Note: To use the COPY TAPE LOCATION button, it must be set to Normal mode in the MIDI/UTIL section (see section 5.3F). Important: The locate number is the only information stored for a loop point, not the locate point's address. Therefore, if the locate point's address is changed, the loop point will change accordingly. The loop's end point location must be after the start point location. If the end point occurs before the start point, then LOOP is disabled (LED off). If you try to enable this function, the display will read the following for one second, or for as long as the LOOP button is held: Start pt must be before end point 4.2B Automatic Looping By activating both the Loop and Auto-Play functions, you create a continuous loop. This is useful when using the Auto-Punch function to record multiple takes. To engage automatic looping, press the LOOP button; the AUTO-PLAY button will turn on automatically. These functions may be combined with other functions, such as Rehearse, Pre/Post-Roll and Crossfade Record, to promote more advanced recording and editing functions. 4.3 AUTO-PUNCH The AUTO-PUNCH button is used to enter and exit Auto-Punch mode. When pressed, its LED will light to indicate that you are now in Auto-Punch mode. When in Auto-Punch mode, punching-in and punching-out is automatically handled when recording, using the Auto-Punch points (see below). When the button is pressed again, the LED will turn off to indicate that you are no longer in Auto-Punch mode (i.e. all punch-ins and outs must be done manually). 44 To perform an Auto-Punch: 1. Set the Punch-In and Punch-Out points (see section 4.3A); 2. Press the AUTO-PUNCH button to enable Auto-Punch; 3. Press PLAY and RECORD while the tape position is before the Punch-In point. · If AUTO-PUNCH is turned on and you press PLAY and RECORD while the tape position is past the Punch-In point but before the Punch-Out point, recording will begin immediately. · If LOOP and AUTO-PLAY are turned on, then Auto-Punch will occur upon each loop. This enables you to record a part repeatedly (while practicing, for example) and then stop when you have a recording you are happy with (see sections 4.1I and 4.2). It is recommended that your Loop Start point be set at least 5 seconds before the Punch-In point to ensure that the ADATs are in sync before the punch occurs. This can be done easily by turning on PreRoll (see section 4.4). 4.3A Setting Auto-Punch Points Whenever you punch in and out (go in and out of record mode while in play) with Auto-Punch turned off, the punch positions are stored into locate numbers 21 and 22, respectively. These are used as the default Punch-In and Punch-Out points when you first turn on Auto-Punch. Although these punch points may be referenced to any of the other 20 locate points, the significance of locate numbers 21 and 22 is that they make it easy to repeat a manual punch procedure as many times as you like. Just play the tape, go in and out of record, then turn on Auto-Punch; the BRC will punch in and out at precisely the same locations. Note: While Auto-Punch is on, the Punch-Out point will remain unchanged if a manual punch-out is performed. This way, you don't have to worry about moving your Punch-Out point accidentally. Tip: By assigning your Punch-In and Punch-Out points to a pair of locate points (01­20), you can feel free to perform manual punches while Auto-Punch is turned off, without affecting your AutoPunch settings. To display and/or edit the Punch-In and Punch-Out points: 45 1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in Edit mode); 2. Press the AUTO-PUNCH button; The display will show the Auto-Punch In point: In XX "LocNamxx" aa:bb:cc:dd ...where XX is one of the stored locate numbers (01­20; 21 is autopunch in, 22 is auto-punch out), LocNamxx is the locate point's name, and aa:bb:cc:dd is its address. The locate number and address can be edited, but not the locate point's name. The address is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds:frames). If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01­01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). 3. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select a locate number between 1 and 22. The name and address will be updated as you scroll through the stored locate points; 4. To display/edit the Punch-Out point, press the AUTO-PUNCH button again; The display will show: Ot YY "LocNamyy" ww:xx:yy:zz 5. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select a locate number between 1 and 22. The name and address will be updated as you scroll through the 22 stored locate points. Just as when setting the Punch-In point, the locate number or address can be edited, but not the locate point's name; Note: You can disable the Punch-Out function entirely by assigning the Punch-Out location to Locate 00. This is useful when you wish to automatically begin recording at a specific point, but would rather allow recording to continue indefinitely, until you press STOP. The display will look like this: Ot 00 "DISABLED" 46