Tascam PORTA02 User's Manual
Contents
1. 10dBV 10kQ 60mW 60mW 300 50Hz 12 5kHz 3dB 43dB Better than 3 0 400Hz 10dB Better than 40dB at 1kHz 65dB at 1kHz Changes in features or specifications may be made without notice or obligation 305mm 205mm E Ea SS 4 TEAC CORPORATION 3 7 3 Nakacho Musashino shi Tokyo 180 Japan Phone 0422 52 5082 TEAC AMERICA INC 7733 Telegraph Road Montebello California 90640 Phone 213 726 0303 TEAC CANADA LTD 5939 Wallace Street Mississauga Ontario L4Z 1Z8 Canada Phone 905 890 8008 Facsimile 905 890 9888 TEAC MEXICO S A De C V Privada De Corina No 18 Colonia Del Carmen Coyoacon Mexico DF 04100 Phone 5 658 1943 TEAC UK LIMITED 5 Marlin House Marlins Meadow The Croxley Centre Watford Herts WD1 8YA U K Phone 01923 819699 TEAC DEUTSCHLAND GmbH Bahnstrasse 12 65205 Wiesbaden Erbenheim Germany Phone 0611 71580 TEAC FRANCE S A 17 Rue Alexis de Tocqueville CE 005 92182 Antony Cedex France Phone 01 42 37 01 02 TEAC BELGIUM NV SA P A TEAC Nederland BV Perkinsbaan 11a 3439 ND Nieuwegein Netherlands Phone 0031 30 6048115 TEAC NEDERLAND BV Perkinsbaan 11a 3439 ND Nieuwegein Netherlands Phone 030 6030229 TEAC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 106 Bay Street Port Melbourne Victoria 3207 Australia Phone 03 9644 2442 A C N 005 408 462 TEAC ITALIANA S p A Via C Cant 5 2002. the amplifier s input source Left Right speaker speaker Amplifier TAPE OUT REC IN PLAY OUT 1 LINE OUT Porta02 TAPE IN Mastering recorder they do Parts of the Porta02 Parts of the Porta02 TASCAM PAN OUTPUT Parts of the Porta02 1 POWER IN and switch Use this jack to connect the PS P2 AC adaptor which comes with your Porta02 When connecting the power make sure the power switch is off slide it to the right as you look from the back WARNING DO NOT use any adaptor with the Porta02 except the PS P2 adaptor which comes with the Porta02 Slide the switch to the left looking from the back to turn on the power to the Porta02 2 MIC LINE 2 Use this 1 4 phone jack to connect the second channel audio source instrument or microphone to the Porta02 WARNING The Porta02 is designed to record signals from microphones CD players tape decks and musi cal instruments It is not designed to record sig nals which come from the speaker outputs of any amplifier or equipment If you try to plug such signals into the Port
3. amplifier using a pair of terminals on the amplifier such as AUX or VIDEO NOTE Do not use any terminals marked PHONO or intended for record decks These are connected to a special circuit inside the amplifier which makes them unsuitable for anything except record decks 3 Connect your mastering recorder to a set of four TAPE terminals on the amplifier two for REC and two for PLAY You may be using an integrated system in which the mastering recorder and ampli fier are built into one enclosure In this case you do not need to follow step 3 2 Parts of the Porta02 This section gives an explanation of the different parts of the Porta02 and what 2 Parts of the Porta02 1 3 What you need to make recordings e Some monitoring equipment some kind of amplifier and speaker system e Headphones if you intend doing any work with microphones These will avoid acoustic feedback howl round when recording Additionally headphones are sometimes useful when panning tracks on mixdown as you can hear the precise position of each track e Of course you will also need some kind of sound source to record instru ment or microphone etc You can listen to the Porta02 by selecting the amplifier s input source to be from the terminals to which you connected the Porta02 AUX or VIDEO etc When you have mixed down and you want to listen to the mixed tape you should select the mastering recorder as
4. if you are making recordings for public performance or distribution which include pre recorded copyright material you should be aware of the regulations con cerning copyright in the area where you live Unauthorized recording of copy right material may be illegal D 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Make sure the volume on the amplifier is turned all the way down it should already be turned down Take off the headphones and unplug the microphone Connect the left and right LINE OUT of the CD player to MIC LINE inputs 1 and 2 of the Porta03 Set the REC FUNCTION switches of INPUTs 1 and 2 to 3 and 4 You are now ready to start recording on tracks 3 and 4 Start playing the CD track you will be recording Adjust the faders so that the 6 meter indicators light on the loudest parts of the CD Slowly turn up the amplifier volume so that you are listening at a comfortable level Make the CD ready to play and make sure that the Porta02 is rewound to the start of the recording Start recording and start replaying the CD When you come to the end of the CD material stop the CD and Porta02 and rewind the Porta02 tape to the beginning of the recording 17 3 Making your first recording 3 7 Mixdown 18 1 3 4 mii 2 SAFE 4 REC FUNCTION 4 G z 6 4 Make sure that your mastering recorder is connected
5. pressed e Itis not possible to go directly from recording into playback mode e The PAUSE key only pauses playback and recording It is not possible to pause the tape in fast forward and rewind modes e All keys lock down when pressed except for the STOP key and only work when locked down 18 Cassette compartment cover The hinged cassette compartment cover is opened by lifting the tab on the right side There is no eject mechanism You load and unload cassettes by hand using a fin ger or fingers in the space to the right of the cassette 3 Making your first recording 3 Making your first recording This section describes how to make a 4 track recording using the Porta02 For this we will assume that you are making a recording of your voice on two tracks 1 and 2 using a microphone and recording a part of a stereo CD or cassette on the other two tracks 3 and 4 Make sure you know what you are going to say Start by making sure that you have all the equipment listed in 1 3 What you need to make recordings 3 1 Setting up 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Make sure all equipment is turned off Connect the LINE OUT jacks of the Porta02 to the AUX IN jacks of the amplifier Connect the mastering recorder REC IN and PLAY OUT jacks to the appropriate jacks of the amplifier See 1 4 Connecting the Porta02 if you are not sure what you should be doing here With the INPUT 1 fader at the 0
6. sec tion 1 and also 3 Making your first This section gives you a brief introduc tion to some of the terms and techniques used in recording If you are unfamiliar with these terms you may find it useful 1 1 1 Multitrack recorders When you listen to a commercial record ing CD cassette etc it is quite proba ble that the different parts of the piece will have been recorded at different times This is done by multitracking taking the different sounds feeding them through a mixer s inputs channels and recording them on a special tape recorder which splits the tape into stripes each stripe being used for a different part of the music These stripes are called tracks and the parts recorded on them may also be called tracks Since there are many tracks on a tape the term multitrack is used to describe these tapes and record ers 1 An introduction to the Porta02 recording before you start using the Porta02 Spending a little time reading now will save you a lot of time in the future You can read the rest of the man ual at any time Multitrack recording a brief introduction to read through this section so that you understand the rest of the manual which uses the terms explained here The Porta02 allows you to record up to 4 tracks on inexpensive Type II chrome cassettes using the same principle as larger studios taking inputs into a mixer s cha
7. them You can also bring the fader up from the 7 8 position to increase the level but you should do this only after the TRIM control has been turned fully clockwise Adjust the PHONES LEVEL until you are comfortable with what you hear in the headphones 3 Making your first recording 3 4 Recording the first track 1 2 SAFE SAFE 3 4 REC FUNCTION REC FUNCTION INPUT 1 INPUT 2 RECORD PLAY an STOP o 10 LEVEL OUTPUT 1 SAFE i 3 REC FUNCTION INPUT 1 1 2 Set the REC FUNCTION switch of INPUT 1 to 1 You are now ready to record on track 1 Make sure the REC FUNC TION switch of INPUT 2 is set to SAFE so you don t record on it by accident Press the RECORD key which will also press the PLAY key and start recording the first spoken track If the level as shown by the meters now seems a little high you can back off on the fader a little When you have finished try to keep speaking for at least a minute press the STOP key Rewind the tape to the 000 mark Start playing the tape and adjust the LEVEL and PAN controls of track 1 so that you can hear clearly what you have just recorded Note that meter 2 now shows the level of the tape replay on the right LINE OUT rather than what is being input to the tape NOTE You may notice a difference between the sound you hear when you replay the tape and the sound you hear
8. these cassettes can be played back on a stereo cassette recorder However if tracks 3 and 4 are used for recording on the Porta02 these cannot detergent Do not use solvents or thin ners etc to clean the Porta02 as these will damage the surface e There are no parts inside the Porta02 that you can repair by yourself Do not open the Porta02 case or try to make any repairs Return it to a TASCAM service center for repair To avoid having to wind and rewind a lot of tape use the shortest possible cassettes for your projects Remember that because you are only using one side of the cas sette the marked length of the tape will be halved that is a C60 tape will run for 30 minutes a C40 for 20 minutes etc NOTE Never use C120 cassettes with the Porta02 The tape in these cassettes is thin and may stretch and break Always store cassettes in a safe place away from the magnetic fields produced by speakers television sets computer monitors etc However we suggest that you remove both tabs when you want to protect a Porta02 cassette This will stop you put ting in the cassette the wrong way round and recording over old material accidentally be played back on a stereo cassette recorder Also note that if a cassette has been recorded with noise reduction such as Dolby etc it will sound strange when played back on the Porta02 Any tapes tracks 1 and 2 recorded on the Porta02 should be played bac
9. to the monitor ing system 1 2 wW mS 5 6 Set both REC FUNCTION switches to SAFE and move both faders down to 0 This will stop any extra unwanted noise from the inputs appearing in the final mix Make sure the mastering recorder is ready to record and put it into record pause mode Do not start recording yet If you are using a tape for mastering make sure that you are not recording over anything you want to keep If you are using a new tape make sure that you have taken the tape past the leader portion Make the noise reduction etc settings on the mastering recorder which will give you the best sound quality Play back the recording on the Porta02 and adjust the OUTPUT LEVEL and PAN controls on the Porta02 The nominal position the best position for the LEVEL controls is about the 2 to 3 o clock position This is the position you should regard as normal It is usual to put the PAN controls for a stereo source such as a CD fully right and fully left You can place the two voices anywhere in the stereo picture Practice adjusting the levels of tracks 3 and 4 together to fade the backing music in and out While adjusting the levels on the Porta02 watch the recording levels on the mastering recorder If they are too high take down the recording level on the mastering recorder Remember that if you are recording on a digital recorder such as an MD recorder if the signal levels are too high the resul
10. when you are recording This is perfectly nor mal and is due to the way that the Porta02 lets you hear previously recorded material 6 7 8 Rewind and replay the tape again listening carefully to your recording Rewind and re record the track as many times as you think necessary Of course this is only a test so it doesn t matter too much but when you re making a real recording it s important to make the recording as good as possible When you re happy with the recording set the REC FUNCTION switch of INPUT 1 to SAFE If you replay now both meters will now show off tape monitoring 15 3 Making your first recording 3 5 Recording the next track 6 10 REC FUNCTION INPUT TRIM 1 LINE 16 6 JO 10 aa REC FUNCTION INPUT TRIM 1 Ic REC FUNCTION INPUT 2 Since you plugged the microphone into MIC LINE 1 MONO and didn t plug anything into MIC LINE 2 the microphone signal is split as if it was plugged into both channels 1 Take fader 1 to the 0 mark 2 Set the level for input channel 2 in the same way as you set it for input channel 1 see 3 3 Setting the level 3 Set REC FUNCTION switch for INPUT 2 to 2 You are now ready to record on track 2 4 Rehearse your second spoken part by playing back the first track adj
11. 0essssaaeenane 22 6 Specifications 00asaranananannn 23 CAUTION TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT A FISKOBENECTRISSHOCE A REMOVE COVER OR BACK NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert A the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons presence of important operating and maintenance servicing instructions in the liter The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the ature accompanying the appliance This appliance has a serial number WARNING TO PREVENT FIRE OR located on the rear panel Please record the model hiner ard serial number SHOCK HAZARD DO NOT and retain them for your records EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO Model number Serial number RAIN OR MOISTURE Important Safety Instructions CAUTION e Read all of these Instructions e Save these Instructions for later use e Follow all Warnings and Instructions marked on the audio equipment 1 Read Instructions All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated 2 Retain Instructions The safety and operating instruc tions should be retained for future ref
12. 4 6 Make sure all OUTPUT LEVEL controls are set to 0 Put on the headphones and set the PHONES LEVEL to the 0 position If you do not do turn down the speaker volume you will probably get feedback howlround when you start using the microphone Set both TRIM controls to the LINE position Although you will probably end up with this control at the MIC posi tion or close to it for now set it to LINE Take the INPUT 2 fader to the 0 mark Bring the INPUT 1 fader up to between the 7 and 8 marks This is called the nominal position and is the position where the electronics controlled by the fader will not have to amplify the signal too much causing noise or have too much signal going into them causing distortion Switch the microphone on if necessary Speak into the microphone at the volume you will be recording It is important than when you perform these level checks that you speak sing or play at the level at which you will actually be recording Most people when they first start recording tend to be a little louder than when they are simply checking the levels While talking into the microphone turn the INPUT 1 TRIM control clockwise until the left 0 indicator is lit most of the time and the 6 indicator is lit on the loudest parts If the 0 indicator hardly lights at all you may be too far from the microphone or you are speaking too softly If the microphone uses batteries you may need to replace
13. 92 Cinisello Balsamo Milano Italy Phone 02 6601050 PRINTED IN TAIWAN 1097 M 1349A
14. ER light does not come on Is the PS P2 adaptor plugged into the power supply Is the PS P2 adaptor plugged into the Porta02 Is the switch on the Porta02 set to ON The tape does not move when PLAY is pressed Some tracks have been recorded on the tape but nothing can be heard when playing back Is the tape properly inserted in the Porta02 Is the tape at the end of the tape If you ve just put in a tape you recorded in another session make sure that it s the right way round Make sure the OUTPUT LEVEL controls are set to monitor the tape tracks not at 0 Set the REC FUNCTION switches to SAFE and look at the meters Try monitoring through headphones and adjust the PHONES LEVEL If you can hear something through the headphones check the LINE OUT connections Make sure the amplifier is set to the correct input source Nothing appears on the meter indicators when a source is played Cannot press the RECORD key Is the source microphone guitar etc switched on and volume control turned up If it uses batteries does it need new batteries Is the TRIM control of the channel set correctly Is the tape properly inserted in the Porta02 Is the tape record protected The RECORD key is pressed the tape moves but nothing is recorded or the level is very low Is the REC FUNCTION set to SAFE Check the OUTPUT LEVEL control for the track Is the TRIM level set correctly a microphone feeding a
15. TASCAM TEAC Professional Division Q2 MINISTUDIO PORTA TASCAM oo tak 1 Sly ils TRk 2 oo Lk 6 10 0 TKS D y a y lt 10 e a ee 2 5 e KAN 3 Tr 4 2 gets ME E 1 k lt y gt SAFE o i oo LR PAN ol OWNER S MANUAL a anga Table of Contents e T en Important Safety Instructions 3 1 An introduction to the Porta02 4 1 1 Multitrack recording a brief introduction 4 1 2 Some safety notes and precautions s000nanawanane 5 1 3 What you need to make NOGOTOINNGS naun aaa aa aa NANA ANAA GAN ENEN 8 1 4 Connecting the Porta02 8 2 Parts of the PortaO2 eee 9 3 Making your first recording 13 3 1 Setting Up cssssicccccssscseccccsssteeee 13 3 2 Getting ready nassananana 13 3 3 Setting the level 14 3 4 Recording the first track 15 3 5 Recording the next track 16 3 6 Recording the stereo Da kN siaaasaa kaanan ARa KANA kkaa 17 3 7 MIKOOWI sasana ane sanega nasa gan an aan 18 4 Hints and advanced tips 20 4 1 Recording techniques 20 4 2 MIXAOWN aaaaaaaananananananannee 21 5 Troubleshooting
16. a02 you will almost certainly damage both the Porta02 and the other equipment 3 MIC LINE 1 MONO Use this 1 4 phone jack to connect the first channel audio source instrument or microphone to the Porta02 If you connect an audio source to this jack but do not connect a source to the MIC LINE 2 jack the source at this MIC LINE 1 jack acts as a mono source that is it will be split between the first and sec ond channels as if you had plugged the same source into both jacks 4 PHONES jack This 1 4 jack allows you to connect a pair of stereo headphones to the Porta02 WARNING Do not use headphones equipped with a mono jack This will cause damage to the Porta02 s headphone amplifiers 5 LINE OUT Use these RCA pin or phono jacks to connect your Porta02 to the amplifier or mastering recorder 6 PHONES LEVEL This control adjusts the volume in head phones connected to the PHONES jack Turn clockwise to increase the volume There will be no output from the PHONES jack when the control is fully counter clockwise It has no effect on the level from the LINE OUT connectors 7 MONO switch When this switch is pressed down in it changes the stereo signal from the PHONES jack into a mono signal the same signal will be output from both the left and right channels Press it again to return it to the out stereo position It does not affect the signal from the LINE OUT connector
17. age or even fire Make sure that the input voltage marked on the PS P2 adaptor matches the power supply you are using If you are in any doubt con sult your TASCAM dealer e Turn off your Porta02 and remove the cassette when you are not using the Porta02 If you will not be using it for an extended period of time unplug the PS P2 adaptor 1 An introduction to the Porta02 CUE TASCAM 4Tr 3Ch A V cue format one pair of L and R tracks on the stereo cassette take up the same positions as tracks 1 and 2 on the Porta02 This can be important for your recording projects as we will see later on using the panpots you can make the tracks appear to come from the left or the right speakers or anywhere in the middle The technique of converting a multitrack recording to a stereo recording is called mixing down to a stereo master or mastering recorder The Porta02 includes a mixdown section which allows you to mix to a stereo cassette or MD recorder 1 2 Some safety notes and precautions e When connecting or disconnecting the Porta02 to or from any other equip ment make sure the power to the Porta02 and all other equipment is turned off This will avoid possible damage to equipment e Do not keep your Porta02 in a very hot place Remember that in sunny weather the inside of a parked car heats up very quickly Avoid leaving your Porta02 in such a place e Do not spill liquid onto your Porta02 A
18. ate normally by following the operating instructions Adjust only those controls that are cov ered by the operating instructions as an improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to its normal operation e if the product has been dropped or damaged in any way f when the product exhibits a distinct change in performance this indicates a need for service 21 Replacement Parts When replacement parts are required be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same character istics as the original part Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire electric shock or other hazards 22 Safety Check Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operat ing condition 23 Wall or Ceiling Mounting The product should be mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the man ufacturer 24 Heat The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other prod ucts including amplifiers that produce heat 1 1 1 An introduction to the Porta02 The TASCAM Porta02 MiniStudio allows you to produce recordings which are not possible with an ordinary stereo cassette recorder We suggest that you read at least this
19. bs designed for use with tape recorders The use of any other cleaning materi als may cause damage to the Porta02 Clean the heads and metal parts of the tape path before every session with the Porta02 and also after every session LJ W W 7 Heads and tape guides O Capstan M gA Pinch wheel a am J Q 1 Open the tape cassette cover 2 Carefully clean the heads and metal parts as shown in the illustration using a swab dipped in the head cleaning fluid 3 Dry off the heads with a dry swab 3 Press a swab dipped in the rubber cleaning fluid against the right side of the pinch roller If you press the right side of the roller the swab will not get caught between the roller and capstan 4 Dry the capstan with a dry swab and make sure that there is no material on the pinch roller or capstan before you insert a cassette 1 4 Apart from the Porta02 itself you will need e Some kind of stereo mastering recorder to produce the stereo record ings This can be a cassette recorder such as the TASCAM 102Mk II or an MD recorder such as the TASCAM MD301 A recorder which does not have recording level controls is not suitable for use as a master recorder e You will also need RCA pin or phono cables to connect the Porta02 to other equipment Connecting the Porta02 1 Make sure all the equipment is turned off 2 Connect the LINE OUT terminals of the Porta02 to the
20. channel set to LINE will sound very faint 22 6 Specifications The PAN controls don t work If you re listening through headphones is the Porta02 s MONO switch pressed If you re listening through speakers is there a MONO switch on the amplifier which has been pressed Recorded sound is distorted when recording Recorded sound distorts on playback When monitoring while recording the sound will often be a little different to when it is played back A large amount of distortion may be caused by recording at too high a level shown by the meter 6 indicator being lit all or most of the time Adjust the TRIM level and or back off on the faders If the meter 6 indicator is not constantly lit you may want to reduce the headphone level you may be driving the headphones too hard Either the sound was recorded at too high a level or the summed level of all four tracks is too high Try reducing the level of all tracks so that the meter 6 indicator is not constantly lit on play back set REC FUNCTION to SAFE If one track only is dis torted it was recorded at too high a level Tape sounds muffled on play back The heads are dirty Clean them see 1 2 4 Cleaning the heads Pitch changes wow and flutter The capstan and pinch roller are dirty Clean the capstan and pinch roller see 1 2 5 Cleaning the pinch roller A stereo tape recorded on another machine sounds rea
21. eating and these openings must not be blocked or covered The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed sofa rug or other sim ilar surface This product should not be placed in a built in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer s instructions have been adhered to 11 Power Sources This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home consult your product dealer or local power company For prod ucts intended to operate from battery power or other sources refer to the operating instructions 12 Grounding or Polarization This product may be equipped with a polarized alternating current line plug a plug having one blade wider than the other This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way This is a safety feature If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet try reversing the plug If the plug should still fail to fit contact your electri cian to replace your obsolete outlet Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug 13 Power Cord Protection Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them paying particular atten tion to cords at plugs convenience receptacles and the point where they exit from the product 14 Outdoor An
22. erence 3 Heed Warnings All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to 4 Follow Instructions All operating and use instruc tions should be followed 5 Cleaning Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners Use a damp cloth for cleaning 6 Attachments Do not use attachments not recommend ed by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards 7 Water and Moisture Do not use this product near water for example near a bath tub wash bowl kitchen sink or laundry tub in a wet basement or near a swimming pool and the like 8 Accessories Do not place this product on an unstable cart stand tripod bracket or table The product may fall caus ing serious injury to a child or adult and serious damage to the product Use only with a cart stand tripod bracket or table recommended by the manufacturer or sold with the product Any mounting of the product should follow the manufacturer s instructions and should use a mounting accessory recommend ed by the manufacturer 9 A product and cart combination should be moved with care Quick stops excessive force and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart combination to overturn 10 Ventilation Slots and openings in the cabinet are pro vided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overh
23. k without noise reduction on a stereo recorder 1 2 4 Cleaning the heads You should clean the tape heads of the Porta02 regularly to keep it working properly Dirt and tape oxide buildup on the heads will force the tape away from the tape head gaps that record and play back Head cleaner will remove the dirt and restore the sound quality In addition to affecting performance by coating the heads and keeping the tape away from the recording and playback gaps dirt and oxide in the tape path will also act in the same way as very fine sandpaper which will wear down internal parts of the Porta02 and affect the recording in this way as well All of these problems can be avoided if you buy a head cleaning kit such as the TEAC TZ 261 and keep it with your Porta02 for regular use The kit consists of head cleaner cleaner for the rubber parts of the Porta02 and cotton tipped swabs The cost of such a kit is less than the cost of a couple of high quality cas settes and will pay for itself in better per 1 2 5 Cleaning the pinch roller You should also clean the rubber pinch roller at regular intervals at least once each day that you use the Porta02 1 Open the tape cassette cover 2 Press the PLAY key The pinch roller will engage with the capstan shaft and start turning 1 An introduction to the Porta02 formance and longer life from your Porta02 WARNING Only use head and rubber cleaning fluid and cleaning swa
24. l will not be heard in the LINE OUT and PHONES outputs 12 OUTPUT PAN controls These controls change the position of the four tape tracks in the stereo LINE OUT and PHONES outputs When one of these controls is turned fully counter clock wise the sound of the corresponding tape track will appear to come from the left and when turned fully clockwise it will appear to come from the right When in the center position the output will appear equally from both the left and right Parts of the Porta02 When the PHONES MONO switch is pressed these controls will have no effect on the output from the PHONES jack 13 REC FUNCTION switches 1 and 2 These switches control where the signals coming into the MIC LINE jacks will be recorded For both switches 1 and 2 the center position is marked as SAFE When a switch is in this position no signal will be recorded on tape However you can still listen to the signals coming into the MIC LINE jacks and view the levels on the meters When set to a number 1 or 3 for channel 1 or 2 or 4 for channel 2 the signals input to the channel will be recorded on the track whose number has been set on the switch This is called assigning or routing channels to tracks 14 Channel meters 1 and 2 Each channel has a set of four LED indi cators which show the level of the signals sent to the LINE OUT L and R jacks Exactly what is metered depends on the REC FUNCTION switch se
25. lly strange You re probably listening to tracks 1 and 2 forwards at the same time as 3 and 4 backwards Turn down the OUTPUT LEVEL con trols of tracks 3 and 4 If the sound is unnaturally bright it s quite likely that the tape was recorded on the other machine using noise reduction 6 Specifications Rarammandad tana tuna Track format Head configuration Motor type Tape speed Wow and flutter Fast wind speed Power requirements Power consumption Physical dimensions w x h x d Weight main unit Cnmnact caccette tane CrO Tune TT 7Mie ROY C 23A ta U yu 4 tracks 4 channels 1 x 4 track record replay head Permaloy 1 x 4 track erase head ferrite 1 x DC motor capstan and reel motor 1 7 8 in sec 4 76 cm sec 0 18 Approx 120 seconds C 60 tape USA CANADA 120V AC 60Hz U K EUROPE 230V AC 50Hz AUSTRALIA 240V AC 50Hz 7W via the supplied PS P2 AC adaptor 305 x 64 x 205 mm 12 0 x 2 5 x 8 1 in maximum height including controls 80 mm 3 1 in 1 5kg 3 31b MIC LINE inputs 2 x 1 4 jacks Input level Input impedance 50dBV TRIM at maximum 10dBV TRIM at minimum 50kQ 23 6 Specifications LINE outputs 2 x RCA jacks Output level Output impedance Headphone output 1 4 stereo jack Output level Output impedance Frequency response Signal to noise ratio Total Harmonic Distortion Channel separation Erasure 0 dBV is referenced to 1 volt
26. mplifier and speakers as well as the gui tar and style of playing If you plug the guitar straight into the Porta02 you will of course be able to record it but the sound will probably not be what you are used to Plugging effects units between the guitar and the Porta02 will certainly help to pro duce a fuller sound The sound which will come closest to a live sound though will be provided by the amplifier itself You can adopt one of two approaches either to put a microphone in front of the guitar speaker and record this at MIC level or to connect the output of the pre amplifier to the Porta02 and record at LINE level WARNING Do not connect the speaker output or head phone output if provided of the amplifier to the Porta02 This will almost certainly dam age the Porta02 and may damage the ampli fier Only use outputs which are marked LINE OUT PRE OUT DIRECT OUT and so on Avoid using any outputs marked SPEAKER OUT SP OUT 49 80 160 or the like 20 you and there are several good books on the subject which can explain the theory of recording and some of the techniques 4 1 2 Recording with effects Professional recordings often use effects like digital reverberation on vocals etc You can add some of these effects by plugging the microphone into an effects unit and plugging the unit into the Porta02 Note that the effects unit must be able to accept microphone level sig nals and will output to
27. nnels feeding them into a recorder which can record tracks inde pendently of each other and building up the song by recording new tracks while listening to what has been recorded before monitoring The advantage of working with multi track recording is that the whole group of musicians does not have to repeat the whole piece if one person makes a mis take The illustration below shows you how tracks are arranged on an ordinary stereo cassette tape as well as on the Porta02 and on A V cue equipped cassette record ers L 4 4 oe R 9 3 gt Roe 2 gt L 1 IEC Philips ste TASCAM 4Tr 4Ch reo cassette Porta02 format Notice that the stereo cassette arrange ment allows you to use both sides of the cassette by playing the tape in the other direction The Porta02 however uses the whole width of the tape Notice also that 1 1 2 Mixing down Another advantage of multitrack record ing is that when you come to make the final version on CD cassette etc you can adjust the level volume of each track so that the piece sounds the way you want As well as adjusting the track levels you can also adjust the position of each track with regard to the left and right speakers This is called panning and the controls used to do this are called panpots By e Always use the PS P2 power adaptor supplied with the Porta02 If you use any other adaptor there is a risk of dam
28. position plug the microphone into the MIC LINE 1 jack Do not plug anything into the MIC LINE 2 jack If the microphone has a switch make sure this switch is off Plug the stereo headphones into the PHONES jack of the Porta02 Turn on the Porta02 the mastering recorder and the amplifier in that order Set the amplifier s input source to AUX or the name of the jacks to which the Porta02 is connected 3 2 Getting ready 1 2 Clean the heads and pinch roller see 1 2 4 Cleaning the heads and 1 2 5 Cleaning the pinch roller Insert a Type II chrome cassette The tape should be towards the front of the Porta02 and the full spool should be on the left side Put the non tape part of the cassette in first and then push the tape front down into place 13 3 Making your first recording 3 4 Play the tape for about 10 seconds and then stop the tape Press the counter reset button 3 3 Setting the level The aim of this section is to teach you to set the input level so that the average signals coming from the microphone will light the 0 meter indicator and the loudest will light the 6 indicator PHONS ehEVEL p 10 LEVEL OUTPUT TRIM 10 ye i ya an js a y Da 0 PHONES LEVEL e 14 PAN SES ix 2 10 ja j des pe P ja 6 1 3
29. r adding a pre recorded stereo backing to go behind the four recorded tracks 1 Record on all four tracks of the Porta02 For this method there must be an ordi nary stereo cassette recorder used as the mastering recorder 4 Hints and advanced tips When playing back if one or both of the input channels has set to SAFE they will display the levels of the signal sent to the left LINE OUT channel and meter 1 or the right LINE OUT channel and meter 2 If a signal is also received at the MIC LINE input jacks this will be added to the playback for metering recording by accident remember that pressing RECORD with both channels SAFE is the same as pressing PLAY tant pieces of equipment that you have are your ears Train yourself to use them so that you can spot mistakes quickly and you know how to put them right just by listening It s a useful skill 4 2 1 Recording more than four tracks i 2 Set both REC FUNCTION switches to SAFE 3 Connect the source for the extra inputs to the MIC LINE jacks and adjust the TRIM controls to match the level 4 Play back the tape and use the OUTPUT LEVEL and PAN controls to adjust the playback of the tape tracks 5 Use the faders to adjust the levels of the input signals against the tape tracks 4 2 2 Recording more than 4 tracks ii The four tracks of the Porta02 are mixed in the usual way onto a stereo cassette This cassette is then removed from the maste
30. ring recorder and replaces the 4 21 5 Troubleshooting track tape in the Porta02 The left and right stereo tracks of the mastering recorder can be used as tracks 1 and 2 of the Porta02 leaving tracks 3 and 4 ready for recording There are a few points to remember e Although you can repeat this process of mixing 4 tracks to 2 and then add ing 2 more as you repeat the mix pro cess noise and hiss will build up to a point where the quality becomes unac ceptable e The mastering recorder must have its noise reduction turned off when mix 5 Troubleshooting Tracing faults in a recording setup is often a mixture of logical deduction and patience Very often the problem is caused by something simple a cable ing the Porta02 tracks to the mastering machine as the Porta02 does not use noise reduction Of course on the final stereo mix you can use noise reduction on the mastering machine e Once you have mixed the four tracks to two you cannot adjust their levels or pan positions again on the new tape Think ahead to what tracks you will record on the new tape and mix accordingly e When using this technique always use the same type of tape in the Porta02 and mastering machine Differences in tape type may affect the sound which hasn t been plugged in properly or a faulty cable If you discover a faulty cable replace it with a new one it s not worth hanging onto bad cables The Porta02 s POW
31. s 8 TRIM 1 and 2 Different pieces of equipment output sig nals at different levels The TRIM controls allow you to match the Porta02 to these levels A piece of equipment such as a CD player or cassette deck will output signals at a high LINE level so the trim control should be turned fully counter clockwise when such a device is being recorded A microphone on the other hand produces a lower signal level and so the TRIM control should be turned fully clockwise to MIC for any channel which is recording a microphone Instruments such as electric guitars pro duce a signal which is between MIC and LINE levels and the TRIM control should therefore be somewhere between fully clockwise and fully counter clockwise See 3 3 Setting the level for full details of how to adjust the TRIM controls for dif ferent input sources 9 POWER indicator This yellow light is lit when the Porta02 is connected to the power supply and switched on 10 Tape counter and reset button The tape counter allows you to note dif ferent parts of the tape and locate to them Press the reset button to reset the counter to 0007 at any time we suggest that you only do this at the beginning of a recording 11 OUTPUT LEVEL controls These controls change the levels of the four tape tracks in the LINE OUT and PHONES outputs When one of these con trols is turned fully counter clockwise the tape track corresponding to that con tro
32. t the antenna or cable system This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power line surges 16 Power Lines An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits When installing an outside antenna system extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits as contact with them might be fatal 17 Overloading Do not overload wall outlets extension cords or integral convenience receptacles as this can result in risk of fire or electric shock 18 Object and Liquid Entry Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dan gerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock Never spill liquid of any kind on the prod uct 19 Servicing Do not attempt to service this product your self as opening or removing covers may expose you to danger ous voltage or other hazards Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel 20 Damage Requiring Service Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service per sonnel under the following conditions a when the power supply cord or plug is damaged b if liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the product C if the product has been exposed to rain or water d if the product does not oper
33. t will be extremely unpleasant distortion Analog recorders such as cassette decks will also distort if the levels are too high but the distortion is much more pleasant even so you should try to avoid distortion in the mixdown When you are happy with the mix rehearsal rewind to the start of the recording on the Porta02 Start recording on the mastering machine and start playback on the Porta02 3 Making your first recording 7 Mix the tracks fading the backing music on tracks 3 and 4 to taste 8 At the end stop both machines Rewind the mastering recorder 9 Set the amplifier input source to the mastering recorder and replay your mix 10 If you are not happy with the mix you can do it again either recording over the old mix or adding the new mix after the old one Congratulations You have now completed your first recording project with the Porta02 Rewind the Porta02 tape to the start remove it and clean the Porta02 s heads 19 4 Hints and advanced tips 4 Hints and advanced tips This section gives a few hints and tips which may be useful to you when you make recordings using the Porta02 4 1 Recording techniques Learning how to record is an art not a science One of the best teachers is expe rience However there are a few things mentioned here which may be useful to 4 1 1 Recording electric guitars Much of the sound of an electric guitar and also bass is due to the effects a
34. tenna Grounding If an outside antenna or cable system is connected to the product be sure the anten na or cable system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built up static charges Article 810 of the National Electrical Code ANSI NFPA 70 provides infor mation with regard to proper grounding of the mast and sup porting structure grounding of the lead in wire to an antenna discharge unit size of grounding conductors location of anten na discharge unit connection to grounding electrodes and requirements for the grounding electrode Note to CATV system installer This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer s attention to Section 820 40 of the NEC which provides guide lines for proper grounding and in particular specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical Example of Antenna Grounding as per National Electrical Code ANSI NFPA 70 a nae Fe ANTENNA a LEAD IN WIRE GROUND CLAMP ELECTRIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT GROUND CLAMPS en NEC SECTION 810 21 So POWER SERVICE GROUNDING 4 ELECTRODE SYSTEM NEC ART 250 PART H NEG NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE 15 Lightning For added protection for this product during a lightning storm or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time unplug it from the wall outlet and discon nec
35. the Porta02 at LINE levels In addition you will need to use the inter nal balance control in the unit to decide how much of the dry un effected sound will be passed through to the Porta02 for recording If you do not have access to a reverbera tion unit you can try recording vocals in a very live room without much furni ture 4 1 3 Metering In general you should not try to record at too high a level and the 6 indicator should not be lit more than half the time at the very most The meters display the input levels to the channels at all times except when playing back with the input channels in SAFE mode 4 1 4 When you re not recording Try to get into the habit of always leaving the REC FUNCTION switches in the SAFE position unless you are actually recording or rehearsing a take This will stop you 4 2 Mixdown What sounds good is something that depends on personal taste but most pro fessionals try to avoid mixes with too much bass or high end unless it s for a special effect However the most impor Although the Porta02 has only 4 tracks it is possible to produce a mix with more than four sounds Here s one way which involves adding one or two more extra inputs to the four recorded tape tracks These extra inputs will be panned either fully left or right or one track will be in the center and the mix proceeds as the extra inputs are recorded This method is therefore useful fo
36. ttings but gen erally they display the signals at the MIC LINE IN jacks and when the input chan nels are set to SAFE the meters show the off tape signals whose levels and pan positions are set using the OUTPUT LEVEL and PAN controls The best level for any input signal is when an averagely loud part of the signal lights the red 0 indicator and the 6 indi cator also red is only lit by the loudest parts of the signal See 3 3 Setting the level for details of how this should be set up 15 Channel faders 1 and 2 These faders are used to adjust the level of the signals coming into the MIC LINE 11 Parts of the Porta02 12 IN jacks They should be used together with the TRIM controls see 3 3 Setting the level to adjust the levels of the sig nals routed to the tape tracks 16 RECORD indicator This red indicator lights when the RECORD and PLAY keys are pressed and at least one of the REC FUNCTION switches is not in the SAFE position Pressing RECORD and PLAY while both REC FUNCTION switches are set to SAFE has the same effect as pressing PLAY 17 Transport controls These work in the same way as the con trols on most cassette recorders How ever there are a few points you should note e Pressing the RECORD key will also press down the PLAY key e If the left record protect tab of the cas sette has been broken out or if there is no cassette loaded the RECORD key cannot be
37. usting the level and pan if necessary while speaking the words for the second track 5 Rewind and record when you are ready When you are recording the meter of INPUT 2 will show the input levels of input 2 Since the signal is now going to track 2 the meter for input 1 will not show anything 6 Rewind and playback when you have recorded Adjust the level and pan position of the two tracks with the LEVEL and PAN controls for tracks 1 and 2 Remember that the fader adjusts the level of what goes onto tape not the replay levels When you are playing back the meter of INPUT 1 will show the level of the signal from the left outputs and the meter of INPUT 2 will show the input signal level as long as the REC FUNCTION switch is not SAFE 7 Rewind and repeat the recording of track 2 until you are satisfied with it SAFE input channel 2 and take both faders down to 0 Set the TRIM controls of both inputs to LINE 3 Making your first recording 3 6 Recording the stereo backing Now that tracks 1 and 2 are filled with spoken words we ll put some backing music behind them We ll assume that you re using a CD player here of course it may be an MD player or a cassette player REC FUNCTION 0 o o 5 7 10 s REC FUNCTION INPUT 2 NOTE This is a test recording and will not be used except as a test However
38. void eating drinking and smoking near it smoke particles are bad for 1 An introduction to the Porta02 audio equipment If any liquid or any objects such as paperclips guitar picks etc fall inside the Porta02 do not try to operate it Return it to a TASCAM service center for repair e If the case of the Porta02 becaomes dirty clean it only with a damp not wet cloth moistened with a little 1 2 1 Tape cassettes Since the Porta02 uses the whole width of a cassette tape you can only play and use one side of a cassette You should try to use either side A or side B for all cas settes to avoid confusion when changing tapes Only use Type II chrome or CrO gt cas settes with the Porta02 Find a reliable brand and stick with it The time you spend creating your multitrack master is worth much more than the small differ ence in price between cheap and high quality cassettes High quality cassettes will cause you fewer problems in the long run 1 2 2 Record protecting cassettes The record protect tab on a cassette stops you recording on that side when it is removed The Porta02 also recognizes this protection and will not allow you to record on the side of a cassette where this tab has been removed 1 2 3 Playing back stereo cassettes As mentioned earlier the Porta02 can play back cassettes recorded on a stereo cassette recorder using tracks 1 and 2 Also if tracks 1 and 2 have been recorded on the Porta02
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search