TASCAM TEAC Professional Division 488 5700123804 Table Of Contents Safety Instructions Introduction The Recording System The three steps to multitrack Understanding the Mixer Signal flow in the 488 mixer Cue monitor system Multitrack Cassette Recorder Track Format and Tape Recommendations Block Diagram Brief Guide Step-By-Step Operations Guide Let's tray the 488 mixer How to record on track 1 How to make an overdub on track 2 How to record all other tracks How to record many sources onto a single track How to record multiple tracks simultaneously How to mix down Using Memory Location Points Loading MEMO points Locating the tape Repeat Play PUNCH-IN or INSERT Recording REHEARSE function Punch-in/out procedure Punch-in/out with RECORD Using RECORD FUNCTION switch Using the remote footswitch (RC-30P) Bouncing Tracks (Ping-Pong) Ping-pong procedure Ping-pong in stereo procedure 3 4 5-6 6 7-8 7 7 9 9-10 11 12-15 16-24 16 18 20 20 22 22 23 25-26 25 26 27 28-30 28 28 29 30 30 31-32 31 32 Using Effects with the PORTASTUDIO 488 33-34 Setting effect send levels 33 Setting the output level of effect devices 33 Setting the mix/balance control on effect devices 33 How to connect your effects devices 34 Recording with TAPE SYNC 35 Features and Controls 36-43 488 Mixer Input section 36 Tape monitor section 37 Channel controls 37 Channel assignment section · 37 Effect send section 38 Stereo input section 38 Group master section 40 Monitor section 40 488 Recorder Cassette loading and dbx system 41 Transport-controls 41 Track controls 42 Displays 42 Auto locators 3 Sync features 43 Care and Maintenance 44-45 Cleaning 44 Degaussing (demagnetizing) 45 How the dbx Works 45 Troubleshooting Specifications Level Diagrams Optional Accessories 46 46-48 49-50 51 Safety Instructions CAUTION: · Read all of these instructions. · Save these instructions for later use. · Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the audio equipment. 1. Read Instructions -- All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the appliance is operated. 2. Retain Instructions -- The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. 3. Heed Warnings -- All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to. 4. Follow Instructions -- All operating and use instructions should be followed. 5. Water and Moisture -- The appliance should not be used near water -- for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, etc. 6. Carts and Stands -- The appliance should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer. 6A. An appliance and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the appliance and cart combination to overturn. 13. Cleaning -- The appliance should be cleaned only as recom¬ mended by the manufacturer. 14. Power Lines -- An outdoor antenna should be located away from power lines. 15. Outdoor Antenna Grounding -- If an outside antenna is connected to the receiver, be sure the antenna system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built up static charges. Section 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA No. 70 - 1984, pro¬ vides information with respect to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding con¬ ductors, location of antenna-discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding electrode. See Figure below. EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING AS PER NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE (DISCHARGE UNIT (NEC SECTION 810-20) GROUNDING CONDUCTORS (NEC SECTION 6 1 0 - 2 1 ) GROUND CLAMPS POWER SERVICE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM (NEC ART 250. PART H) NEC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE 7. Wall or Ceiling Mounting - The appliance should be mount¬ ed to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manu¬ facturer. 8. Ventilation -- The appliance should be situated so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper venti¬ lation. For example, the appliance should not be situated on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings; or, placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings. 9. Heat -- The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat. 10. Power Sources -- The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating in¬ structions or as marked on the appliance. 11. Grounding or Polarization -- The precautions that should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance is not defeated. 12. Power-Cord Protection -- Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinch¬ ed by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance. 16. Nonuse Periods -- The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time. 17. Object and Liquid Entry -- Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the en¬ closure through openings. 18. Damage Requiring Service - The appliance should be ser¬ viced by qualified service personnel when: A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance; or C. The appliance has been exposed to rain; or D. The appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance; or E. The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure dam¬ aged. 19. Servicing -- The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instruc¬ tions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel. 3 Introduction The PORTASTUDIO 488 is... The PORTASTUDIO 488 is an 8-track "Multitrack Master" cassette tape recorder and a full-function mixer with 12 inputs/4 outputs combined into a single workstation. Its high audio quality and creative flexibility reflect the experience and innovation that have allowed TASCAM to earn its reputation in professional audio production fields, and its user-friendly design makes the 488 suitable for anyone, from expert to novice. Using this manual : To get the most out of your 488, please take the time to read through this manual. Some time spent now will keep you from overlooking some of the features that make the 488 a more creative tool. You may discover some new tricks you haven't tried before. Use of capital letters : In general, we use all upper case type to designate a particular switch, control, jack name or label (like PAN). Transport modes and some features are described with an upper case first letter (like Record mode). NOTE FOR U.K. CUSTOMERS U.K. Customers Only: Due to the variety of plugs being used in the U.K.; this unit is sold without an AC plug. Please request your dealer to install the correct plug to match the mains power outlet where your unit will be used as per these instructions. THIS DIGITAL APPARATUS DOES NOT EXCEED THE CLASS B LIMITS FOR RADIO NOISE EMISSIONS FROM DIGITAL APPARATUS AS SET OUT IN THE RADIO INTERFERENCE REGULATIONS OF THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS. IMPORTANT The wires in this mains lead colored in accordance with the following code: BLUE: BROWN: NEUTRAL LIVE in As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals of your plug, proceed as follows: The wire Which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured BLACK. The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured RED. This product is manufactured to comply with the radio interference of EEC directive "82/499/EEC." 4 The Recording System The PORTASTUDIO 488 is a complete audio production facility in a single box. It is divided into two major sections: a full-function mixer and an 8-channel, multitrack cassette recorder. To complete the recording system, you'll additionally need these: Input devices (microphones, instruments). Output devices (headphones), 2-track recorder, Effects processors, etc. 5 The Three Steps to Multitrack The diagram below depicts how signals from equipment connected to the 488 can be routed. In TRACKING and Overdubbing, the mixer inputs are usually microphones or instruments, going IC. different tracks of the recorder. In OVERDUBBING, the MONITOR section and TAPE CUE of the mixer must be used to listen to previous tracks while you record new ones, so there is a two-way flow through the console. In MIXDOWN, signal comes from the multitrack and is sent to an external 2-track recorder. 6 Understanding the Mixer Signal Flow in the 488 mixer The illustration below shows how the input signal passes through the 488 Mixer section. After the MASTER faders they go to the GROUP OUT jacks and the multitrack recorder (not shown). This is the most important signal route in the mixer and is called "Main Mix". To Tape (RECORD FUNCTION switches) Cue Monitor System The CUE mix and MONITOR switches are also crucial for successful multitrack recording, because they control what you hear in the headphones. This CUE mix is totally independent from the Main Mix going to tape. If you don't use the CUE mix, you run the risk of accidentally "bouncing tracks" every time you record new material. The TAPE control in each of the first 8 channels gets its signal from the multitrack recorder, and sends playback to either the Main Mix, or the CUE Monitor. When all of these TAPE controls are turned to the right (CUE), and CUE is pressed in the MONITOR switch, you can hear tape playback in the headphones. You can adjust the monitor level of each track by adjusting its TAPE control. The channels of the Main Mix remain free to handle external inputs for recording. The five MONITOR Source switches choose which mix(es) you can hear in the PHONES - the CUE mix, and any of the four GROUPS. You press the applicable GROUP switch to hear what you are recording: for example, GROUP 4 while recording onto Track 4. If you need to add external sources to the CUE mix (for example, a MIDI-synchronized drum machine that you don't want to record on tape), the INPUT ASSIGN switches for channels 5 to 8 have a CUE position. This sends the LINE IN jack signal directly to the CUE mix. (In this case, the LINE IN signal is disconnected from the mixer channel controls, so there must be a volume control on the source device.) 8 Multitrack Cassette Recorder The 488 records on readily available standard (Philips) Compact Cassette tape, high bias Type II. The recorder has 8 tracks while the mixer has 4 group outs; you can record a maximum of 4 tracks at one time. For more details, see "How to Record Multiple Tracks Simultaneously", page 22. The 488's dbx Noise Reduction virtually eliminates unwanted tape noise. A special SYNC feature turns off the dbx on track 8 separately, making it possible to record and play back the MIDI sync tones or SMPTE/EBU time code without being affected by the dbx encode/decode. This ensures that the sync tones/code are recorded and played back without unnecessary processing. With proper operating techniques, it is not necessary to leave a guard band between music and sync tone tracks because of the low crosstalk of the TASCAM heads. The transport controls of the 488 are microprocessor operated, allowing highly reliable functions that make the unit easier to use: · A three position autolocator (MEMO 1 and 2 and Zero) allows key positions to be located automatically. · REPEAT allows a section to be played over and over between the MEM01 and MEM02 points for rehearsal. · RHSL (rehearsal) allows you to "preview" what your recording will sound like and repeat the record punch in/out sequence as many times as you wish before actually executing it on tape. · The tape speed can be increased or decreased with the PITCH CONTROL dial in both playback and record, to match pitch or for special effects. · Punch-in and Punch-out can be engaged using the optional RC-30P footswitch, which gives you an "extra hand" in the recording process. Track Format and Tape Recommendations The Portastudio 488 uses a basic speed of 9.5 cm/sec. (3-3/4 ips) which is two times (2X) the normal speed of a standard audio cassette. It also employs a discrete 8-channel format head developed especially by TEAC for TASCAM multitrack cassette recorders. Here is a comparision of various cassette formats: 9 Tapes recorded on stereo cassette recorders will not playback properly on t ...