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Fostex X-28H User's Manual

1. Tae 9 F iunii 000000 Rhythm machine First make sure that all controls on the X 28H are at their minimum or OFF settings Most importantly this means that all faders should be down the MONITOR control should be at 0 the REC SE LECT switches should be at the center OFF position and the TRIM controls should be set to 10 Also make sure that the MONITOR select Switch is setto one of the LINE settings MONMIX LINE or AUX LINE Make the necessary connections for listening to or monitoring your recording If you are using a set of stereo headphones plug them into the PHONES jack If you are using an amplifier speaker system connect it to the MON OUT jacks on the X 28H Headphone monitoring is convenient and some times even necessary when recording vocals and acoustic instruments in order to avoid feed back from microphones However a good ampli fier speaker system provides the best and most accurate listening source and should be used whenever possible Plug the output of the rhythm machine into the INPUT 1 jack Headphones 4 Switch the leftmost REC SELECT switch to 1 and press the REC button In the display the number 1 REC TRAC
2. int 11111111 HH uH 111000 iniri AAA INPUT A INPUT B MASTER 6 Start the rhythm machine and increase its volume control slowly to an optimum level Gradually in crease the TRIM control toward the 60 position so that the meter indication for track 1 in the display peaks around 0 or 3 Make sure that the loudest signals do not consistently push the meter into the 3 to 6 range If you are recording something other than a rhythm machine to this track such as a vocal or an acoustic instrument the TRIM control may need to be set near the 60 position Gradually increase TRIM ho ipn trii 23004 YARE COUNT non 3 REC TRACK mee TRANSPORT Meter should peak around 0 3 At this stage you are setting levels so you needn t worry about content If your level readings are con stantly in the 10 to 20 range increase the level by bringing up the faders or there will be excessive back ground noise If your level readings are constantly in the 3 to 6 range bring the level down or there will be distortion When recording instruments with very sharp initial attacks such as bass and snare drums you may find it necessary to set the levels at a relatively low range for example around 6 to 10 just to keep the signal from distorting A compressor such as the
3. RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN CAUTION TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK NOT 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 the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the product s en closure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons WARNING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOIS TURE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1 2 Read Instructions All the safety and operating instruc tions should be read before the appliance is operated Retain Instructions The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference Heed Warnings All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to Follow Instructions All operating and use instructions should be followed Water and Moisture The appliance should not be used near water for example near a bathtub washbowl kit chen sink laundry tub in a wet basement or near a swim ming pool and the like Carts and Stands The appliance should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manu facturer An appliance and cart combination should be moved with care Quick stops excessive forc
4. AUX RETURN CONTROL RTN The AUX RETURN control determines the level of the signal that is received at the AUX RETURN jacks This is normally used to control the amount of effect processing sent via AUX SEND and that is returned to the X 28H re 9 9 A 2 a SEND 5 2 EE lo Effect device OO L R AUX V4 PTN t0 stereo buss R gt to stereo buss L EQUALIZER CONTROLS EQ HI EQ LO These controls provide two band equalization high and low for the stereo mix The controls come after the input faders and before the stereo master fader STEREO MASTER FADER MASTER This ganged slide control determines the overall output level of the stereo buss the signals sent to the LINE OUT jacks INPUT B SELECT SWITCH INPUT B This switch determines whether the stereo signal from the INPUT B channels is sent to the stereo buss or to the monitor buss The switch has two positions REMIX and MONMIX REMIX This position sends the signal to the stereo buss Normally REMIX is used in most recording situa tions including recording of input signals connected to channels 5 8 ping pong recording and mixdown MONMIX This position sends the signal to the monitor buss the monitor out and headphone jacks Since this Switch comes before the MONITOR select switch in the signal path the MONITO
5. A 000 EE 111101 3 a Press to select Increase fader 5 TRK 1 Listen to your newly recorded track carefully If there is too much hiss or noise the recording level might have been too low If there is too much distortion the recording level might have been too high Record the track again readjusting the set tings as necessary to get the sound you want FOUR TRACK SIMULTANEOUS RECORDING The direct recording method used to record the rhythm machine in the above example can also be used to record four instruments at the same time to different tracks To do this simply follow the above steps setting up tracks 2 3 and 4 for recording just as you did for track 1 If for example you are recording a four piece band record each of the musicians on a separate track and set the levels appropriately before record ing Once you have recorded the performance follow the instructions for mixdown in the section Mixdown and Effects Processing Adding Reverb page 19 Buss The term buss refers to a signal path in the mixing network of the X 28H The stereo buss left and right is the main signal path of the X 28H the PAN controls are used to direct the signals on this path The overall level of the mixed signals s
6. m TRANSPORT emm Fast forward 5 R TAPE COUNT scores goo stars coo ome LC 4 3 EOC eet 0 Ca 0 lt lt TRANSPORT Rewind L R TAPE COUNT Coc ooo 220 SCOTS 6 101 7 10 320 B BEIGE 44 TRANSPORT REC TRACK These flash to indicate the track selected for recording The indicators stay lit continuously during actual re cording 11 FRONT PANEL SECTION INPUT JACKS 1 8 1 8 These standard 1 4 phone jacks are for connecting the signal inputs to be recorded Inputs 1 4 are equipped with trim controls and can be used with virtually any kind of source including microphones and electric guitars Inputs 5 8 are designed for use only with line level instruments REMOTE PUNCH IN OUT JACK PUNCH IN OUT This standard 1 4 phone jack is for connecting an optional footswitch Fostex 8051 for remote foot control of punch in out recording See the section Punch in Recording page 21 REMOTE ZERO RETURN PLAY JACK 0 RTN PLAY This standard 1 4 phone jack is for connecting an optional footswitch Fostex 8051 for remote control of the zero return function Pressing the footswitch auto matically returns the tape to the 000 position and starts playback HEADPHONE JACK PHONES This standard 1 4 phone jack is for connecting a set of stereo headphones PI
7. King and other legends were recorded on equipment whose specifications and ease of use were inferior in every way to the X 28H In other words do your best the X 28H won t let you down Note Depending onthe requirements ofthe recording and your willingness to repeatedly change the input connections you need not strictly follow the above recording order For example you can program a couple of tracks for the basis of the song record an instrument to the X 28H program some more sequencer tracks etc and mix things up in this way until you have a complete song 6 For mixdown connect the master recorder to the MON OUT jacks instead of the LINE OUT jacks This is necessary because the AUX SEND signals of tape tracks 1 3 cannot be returned to the X 28H via any of the input channels or AUX RTN jacks since all are occupied The AUX SEND signal is instead directed to the monitor buss along with the other line signals and output via the MON OUT jacks Since the AUX SEND signal is mono the tape tracks will all be heard in the center of the stereo image General Suggestions Record and mix at relatively low sound levels The longer your recording or mixdown session the less accurate your hearing will be Listening to playback athigh volume for even short periods of time reduces your ability to hear high frequencies The less high frequencies you hear the more you tend to boost them until you have a
8. and avoiding temperature humidity extremes the recorder section of your X 28H requires regular cleaning and demagnetizing to keep it in top operating condition As the tape passes over the heads and guides and between the pinch roller capstan mechanism a small amount of oxide residue is left behind This happens with all tapes and all tape recorders After a short time you can see the tape residue accumulating on the heads but you cannot see the magnetism Each re quires its own cleaning procedure For cleaning tape residue always keep an ample supply of cotton swabs and proper cleaning solutions The heads guides and capstan shaft should be cleaned only with regular isopropyl alcohol solutions the pinch roller with special rubber cleaning solutions Be very careful notto getany ofthe alcohol cleaner on the pinch roller since it eats away atthe rubber These cleaning agents are available at most audio equipment and musical instrument stores You should only use cotton Swabs designed for cleaning audio equipment swabs with too little cotton can scratch the heads while swabs that are packed too loosely can leave damaging cotton fibers in the mechanism Note No organic solvents such as lacquer thinners should ever be used on the heads capstan shaft and guides Do not use silicone lubricants on the pinch roller This will increase wow and flutter If you get lazy or forgetful and allow the oxide deposits to build up per
9. connect it to channel 1 Remaining inputs from rhythm machine and synthesizer 10 Set the INPUT SELECT switch on channel 5 to TRK 1 and bring up the fader to the optimum level 11 Overdub additional parts to tracks 2 and 3 following the same procedure as in steps 9 and 10 What you are doing here is changing the inputs one by one moving a sequencer controlled signal input from INPUT B to INPUT A freeing the INPUT B channels one by one so that you can monitor the tape tracks 29 12 Now that you have recorded three tape tracks to augment your sequencer tracks you can mixdown all the parts with reverb on a master recorder To do this make sure that the rhythm machine and syn thesizer outputs are connected to the INPUT A channels then set the levels of the signals with the fader and TRIM controls 13 Play back the sequencer and X 28H in synchroni zation Follow the normal mixdown procedure see page 19 Adjust the level PAN and AUX SEND controls of all channels Then rehearse the mixdown as necessary and record the mix to a master recorder Note Do not allow the tape sync signal recorded on track4to be mixed with the other signals During this entire operation after the tape sync signal has been recorded make sure that the INPUT SELECT switch for channel 8 is set to INPUT and thatits fader and AUX SEND control are set to 0 Tape Sync Combining Ten MIDI Inputs With Three Tape Tracks The followi
10. if you are combining tracks Put bass and drums together thythm guitar parts with keyboards etc 9 f you use microphones to record instruments try positioning them in different ways With electric guitar bass amplifiers try putting the microphone closer to the speaker or pointed slightly away from the center of the speaker cone Small changes can have big effects on the recorded sound Try different microphones use two or even more microphones in different parts of the room In other words experi ment Remember cassette tape is inexpensive Always rehearse before you record You may be tempted to speed up the process by recording immediately or you may wantto make a trial record ing just to check out the basic sound Even so you should take time to practice both the performance and the operation steps before each take Bepersistent Re record as many times as youneed to come up with the perfect take Ping pong Recording Record your bass parts first if you intend to bounce tracks High frequency sounds are the first to disap pear when bouncing External Effects Proper reverb is essential to making a polished professional sounding recording but be careful to not overdo it If you record each track with reverb the effect is cumulative and could make your re cording sound excessively muddy Moreover once you put it there you can t get rid of it Exception to the rule Creating a big
11. richly textured reverb sound for unison musical passages by giving each track sightly different reverb time amount and EQ in general use signal processors such as reverb echo compression distortion etc sparingly A little can go a long way but too much can clutter the recording Connections and Other Equipment 9 Use the best microphones that you can afford At Fostex we are partial to our own brand of micro phones If you don t use ours at least use the best that you can find Tip Use condenser type micro phones for recording acoustic instruments guitar banjo piano mandolin accordion drums etc This will give these instruments a light airy sound Use ribbon and tube microphones for a warm vocal sound Pop covers are sometimes necessary for vocals but they can dull the high frequencies 9 If possible use two pair of speakers for monitoring Get a pair of accurate mixdown speakers for refer ence In addition listen to your mix with a pair of speakers that are similar to the ones on which the music will normally be heard Pro engineers call this monitor real life comparison mixing Switch back and forth between the two sets of speakers as you rehearse your mixdown This will help eliminate dead spots in the frequency response of your final mix How are your cables guitar strings amplifier speakers etc Are they new and or in top shape If any of your equipment uses batteries make sure
12. Auxiliary Send and Return page 20 The AUX SEND controls for channels 1 4 differ slightly from those for channels 5 8 as described below AUX SEND CONTROLS 1 4 The controls forinputchannels 1 4 are post fader they determine the amount of signal that is sent after the input fader AUX SEND CONTROLS 5 8 The AUX SEND controls for input channels 5 8 are pre fader they determine the amount of signal that is sent before the input fader They are dual function controls that send either the signals of the input channels or the tape tracks depending on which direction they are set re When set toward INPUT they can be used to send the selected input signal 5 8 to signal proces sors such as digital reverb units or multi effect devices When set toward 1 4 they can be used to send the selected tape tracks to a signal processor or can be used as level controls for monitoring Turning the control all the way to the left sends the selected input channel at full volume while turning the control to the far right sends the selected tape track at full volume The center position is 0 or no signal sent For more details see the section AUX Auxiliary Send and Return page 20 AUX SEND MASTER CONTROL SEND This control determines the overall level of the mixed signal output of the individual AUX SEND controls G via the AUX SEND jack
13. TRIM control for INPUT 2 to a suitable level 5 To monitor the previously recorded track make sure that the settings you made in steps 7 and 9 in the previous section are still intact 6 You llprobably wantto practice the bass partbefore you actually record it To do this press PLAY to play back the original recording and play the bass part as you listen to the mix of the two signals 7 Now record the new part by pressing the PLAY and the REC button simultaneously 17 8 To hear playback of the two tracks together switch the REC SELECT switch of track 2 back to the center off position then switch the INPUT SE LECT bution of INPUT B channel 6 to TRK 2 and bring up fader 6 to a suitable level Check the recording by listening to it through monitor speak Te rt TEC RET 3 5 6 Press to select TRK 2 ers Use the faders on the corresponding INPUT B channels faders 5 and 6 to adjust the relative balance of the two tracks Overdub the backing keyboard parts on track 3 following the same procedure given above using INPUT 3 this time Overdubbing the Final Track Vocal and Guitar Now that you have recorded the basic parts of a backing ban
14. We F AW indNI anas ec Fez xnv x 1 WIL Lo Ls TES 448 t ina 1 BEA tno ann N lt lt 1 Nd aoav o3 525 42 Nay xnv NY xnv 010 MULTITRACI i aa conan ott US tt REE v EOT t EE a odis E PANEL CONTROLS AND TERMINALS Bold words in parentheses are the names of the controls as they appear on the panel PANEL CONTROLS INPUT TRIM 1 4 TRIM The Trim controls are coarse controls for determining the signal levels for inputs 1 4 The higher settings toward 60 are for low level sources such as micro phones The lower settings toward 10 are for line level sources such as drum machines keyboards and line signals from other audio equipment These con trols should be adjusted to a suitable level before adjusting the input faders of channels 1 4 in the INPUT A section Q INPUT FADERS 1 8 INPUT A INPUT B The input faders are used to adjust the signal level
15. all AUX SEND controls for the tape tracks are set to O center position Also set the AUX RTN and AUX SEND master controls to around 5 These are merely temporary reference Settings until you start playback again and begin experimenting with various reverb levels Play the recording again and adjust each of the individual AUX SEND controls of the tape tracks in succession to achieve the right reverb balance Keep in mind that the center position of the AUX SEND controls for the tape tracks is 0 and the maximum setting is all the way to the right Turning the controls to the left will have no effect in this situation The AUX SEND signals of each track are mixed to amono signal and sent to the reverb unit They are processed there and returned to the X 28H s stereo buss where they are mixed with the original dry sound Note The reverb unit itself will probably have input and output level controls which should be ad justed in conjunction with the send and return controls on the X 28H AUX Auxiliary Send and Return The AUX buss is an additional signal path that lets you connect external signal processing devices to the X 28H The most common use for AUX send and return would be for applying varying degrees of reverb or any other effect to the individual tape tracks during mixdown Another use would be to apply an effect to the input channel signal during recording The SEND signals of each track are mixedto a
16. by simultaneously pressing the rehearsal key and the STOP button when the transportis stopped The REHEARSAL indication in the display flashes To switch back to high speed simply press the RE HEARSAL switch 9 DOLBY B NOISE REDUCTION SWITCH DOLBY NR This switch turns the Dolby B noise reduction system on and off The switch does not lock and is switched on and off each time it is pressed Check whether the Dolby B noise reduction is on or off from the DOLBY IN indication in the display it lights up when on and goes out when off Dolby is set to on as a default power on seiting to give you the best possible recording and playback quality COUNTER RESET SWITCH COUNT RESET Pressing this button resets the tape counter b to 000 RECORD BUTTON REC Pressing this button after the REC SELECT switches have been properly set allows you to monitor the level of the input with the bar graph level meters a Pressing the REC button alone does not actually start recording however To record hold down the REC button and simultaneously press PLAY 10 Note Recording can also be started During play back hold down the REC button and simulta neously press PLAY if the REC SELECT switches have been properly set recording will start PLAY BUTTON PLAY REWIND BUTTON REWIND FAST FORWARD BUTTON F FWD STOP BUTTON STOP RRE This button stops the transport The tape spe
17. mono signal and then sent to the signal processor via the AUX SEND jack There the mixed signal is pro cessed and returned to the X 28H s stereo buss where they are mixed with the original dry sound The level of each individual channel s AUX SEND is the first control that determines how much effect is applied The next control is the master AUX SEND control Finally the AUX RETUHN control deter mines the level of the processed signal that is received by the X 28H USING A MONO AUX RETURN If the reverb unit you re using has only a mono output connect it to one of the INPUT A channels and set the PAN control of the channel to the center position Also make sure thatthe AUX control of that channel is set to 0 and that the fader and TRIM control are set to suitable levels USING THE AUX SEND FOR STEREO MONITOR ING You can also use the AUX SEND controls to send signals to the monitor buss This is useful for keep ing the monitor signals in the center when using stereo recording Make sure the master AUX SEND control and the individual AUX SEND controls on the appropriate channels are turned up Monitor the tape tracks by turning the AUX SEND controls on the INPUT B channels toward TRK USING THE AUX RETURN JACKS AS ADDI TIONAL INPUTS The two AUX RETURN jacks can be used to expand the number of available inputs on the X 28H to ten This allows you to simultaneously record up to ten sources However doing this forces y
18. or against them paying particular attention to cords at plugs convenience recep tacles and the point where they exit from the appliance Cleaning The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer Nonuse Periods The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time Object and Liquid Entry Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enc losure through openings Damage Requiring Service The appliance should be Serviced 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 damaged 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 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Safety Precautions How to Use This Manual Before Using Your X 28H Multitracker What is Multitrack Recording Block Diagram Panel Controls and Terminals Basic Operation Recording the First Track Rhythm Machine 14 Monitoring e Four track Simultaneou
19. recording Play function 21 Connect second To use punch in punch out recording with the footswitch 1 22 Make the connections shown in the illustration above In this example we will be recording direct to the track so the input is connected to channel 4 The second footswitch connected to the 0 RTN PLAY jack is optional Make the settings necessary for monitoring the previously recorded tracks as shown above Setall the INPUT SELECT switches to TRK and turn the AUX SEND controls for the tape tracks to their TRK settings Also make sure that the MONITOR switch is set to AUX the INPUT B switch is at MONMIX and the master AUX SEND and MONITOR controls are set to suitable levels Since we are using the AUX SEND to monitor the tape signals the faders on the channels can be set to 0 Select the track for recording with the REC SE LECT switch Either direct or stereo buss record ing can be used The appropriate REC TRACK indicator will flash 6 3 3 DJ Track 4 indicator flashes Press the REC button to enable input monitoring then set the l vel of the input track Set the AUX SEND control for the channel to a suitable level so that you can hear the input signal Once you ve set the level be sure to press REC again to turn input monitoring off If you don t pressing the footswitch once will not execute the punch in For this reason ALWAYS make sure the REC indicator in th
20. speaker system for moni toring POWER SWITCH STANDBY ON This switch sets the power to STANDBY off or ON The connected AC adaptor for the X 28H will not be turned off even when this switch is set to STANDBY Because of this we recommend that you unplug the AC adaptor when not using the unit for a long period of time AC ADAPTOR CONNECTOR DC INZz12V For connecting to the included AD 12T AC adaptor BASIC OPERATION In this section we will describe the most basic multi track recording procedures We ve provided a specific recording example for you to follow one that shows you how to record an initial track then Separately record additional tracks over the first track After the tracks have been recorded you ll learn how to add effects to them and mix them down to stereo for the finished product Because the X 28H is so versatile a Single manual cannot cover all of the possible applications The instructions and examples that follow demonstrate the fundamentals of recording basic tracks overdubbing and mixdown They are intended primarily as a guide once you know how to operate the X 28H you should try out your own ideas and adapt the unit to your own recording situations each of which may require its own specific procedure Briefly here is an overview of basic recording Step 1 Record a rhythm machine on track 1 Nor mally rhythm parts are recorded firstto serve a guide to
21. COUN SSE 888 5 SSS 355 19 Patch the LINE OUT jacks to the line inputs of the master recorder standard cassette deck making sure that the L and R designations on both ma chines match For effects processing patch the mono AUX SEND jack to the input of the reverb and patch the stereo ouiput of the reverb to the AUX RTN jacks Make sure that all four REC SELECT switches are set to off center position and set the INPUT B switch to REMIX Switch all the INPUT SELECT buttons to TRK and set the MASTER fader to its optimum position around 7 Temporarily set all the INPUT B faders to their optimum positions as well Also set all PAN and EQ controls to the center The fader pan and EQ settings you make here may not be the ones you ultimately use for mixdown but they provide a good reference point to work from while setting initial levels Start playback by pressing PLAY and adjust the overall stereo output level with the MASTER fader You can also use the EQ controls to adjust the overall tone of the stereo signals Adjust the levels of the individual tracks with the INPUT B faders and the stereo position with the PAN controls 7 Now that you ve made the basic mixdown adjust ments try adding some reverb to the recording First make sure that
22. EADS POWER REQUIREMENT DIMENSIONS W x D x H WEIGHT Dolby B ON OFF Switchable 9 5 cm s 4 75 cm s Switchable 0 07 IEC ANSI at 9 5 cm s 120 seconds C 60 cassette tape 10 22 5 minutes C 90 at 9 5 cm s 20 Hz 20 kHz 40 Hz 14 kHz at 9 5 cm s 58 dB or more 50 dB or more at 1 kHz 70 dB or more at 1 kHz 4 channel Hard Permalloy REC PLAY 4 channel Ferrite ERASE DC 12 V 11 15V FOSTEX AD 12T AC Adaptor AC 120V 13W AC 220 240V 15W 331 x 193 x 65 mm 1 75 kg Specifications subject to change without notice Dolby noise reduction manufactured under licence from Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation Dolby and the double D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corpo ration Fostex FOSTEX CORPORATION 3 2 35 Musashino Akishima shi Tokyo Japan 196 FOSTEX CORPORATION OF AMERICA 15431 Blackburn Ave Norwalk CA 90650 U S A FOSTEX UK LTD Unit 1 Jackson Way Great Western Industrial Park Southall Middx UB2 4SA U K PRINTED IN JAPAN SEPT 1992 8288 312 000 IM
23. Fostex MN 50 will help solve this problem Note The left and or right meters of the stereo buss will light to indicate the level of the signal Whether one or both of the meters lights de pends on the setting of the PAN control on the input track for example if the PAN control is set to the left the left meter will be active The PAN Setting here does not affect the recording How ever for monitoring purposes it is best to set this at the center position 7 Next make the necessary settings on the X 28H for monitoring Whether you are using headphones or an amplifier speaker system simply turn the MONI TOR control up to around 5 or to a comfortable listening level Note that you may also have to make adjustments on all of the level controls in the re cording and monitor circuits if the volume is too loud or soft Note Since this first recording basic track will be used as a reference for all additional recordings it s a good idea to begin with a rhythmic count off with the snare drum before the actual downbeat or upbeat of the performance begins This makes overdubbing a lot easier Note Make sure that the noise reduction DOLBY NR switch has been turned on both for recording and playback This will make your recording sound as clean and clear as possible 15 m Monitoring Understanding the concept of monitoring is essen tial to mastering the multitrack record process To monitor a recording means to l
24. ITOR select switch to AUX LINE so that both the AUX buss and stereo buss can be heard in the monitor Also set the INPUT B switch to REMIX 4 Now set the AUX SEND controls for the tape track channels so that they will be sent to the AUX buss In this example turn the AUX SEND controls on INPUT B channels 5 6 and 7 all the way clockwise to their TRK settings and make sure the master AUX SEND control is set to a suitable level Make sure that the AUX SEND control on channel 8 is set to 0 center position 5 Connect the AUX SEND and AUX RTN jacks with a short RCA pin to RCA pin cable This routes the signal from the AUX buss back in to the stereo buss In this example since we are recording to track 4 connect it to the AUX RTN R jack 6 Finally set up the X 28H for ping pong recording by pressing PLAY to play back and pressing REC to monitor the levels in the meters then recording as usual see steps 7 and 8 in Ping pong Recording page 26 Helpful Hints for Ping pong Recording Be careful when attempting to ping pong to adjacent tracks For example if you are bouncing track 3 to track 4 oscillation or feedback could occur if the level of the source track track 3 is too high or the AUX SEND control on the track is set too high If this happens try lowering the send level and or turning down the high frequency tone control Better yet start over with a different recording sequence Use the EQ con
25. K indicator and the REC indicator flash together indicating that track 1 is set up for record ing and that the signal can be monitored on the level meter for track 1 31 0 saura REC SELECT L R mercour 6 oces aaae 3 PN These indicators flash PLAY REWIND FFWD SK gala T Press REC button ORTN r REC SELECT SWITCH AND DIRECT RECORDING Setting the REC SELECT switches to the numbered positions 1 2 3 and 4 enables direct recording This means that the signal on the selected input channel is recorded directly to the corresponding track bypassing the PAN and AUX SEND controls of the channel as well as the EQ controls and MASTER fader The REC SELECT switch must be set to the same number as the channel to which the input signal is connected For example if the signal is connected to channel 1 the leftmost REC SE LECT switch must be set to 1 5 Now adjust the level of the input signal Bring the MASTER fader up to around 7 Do the same with the INPUT 1 fader This is the optimum position of the faders The word optimum does not mean maximum but indicates the best position in this case the highest level with the least distortion
26. PUT 1 and 2 faders Also adjust the TRIM controls for the inputs to suitable levels 6 Monitor the previously recorded tracks Make sure that the INPUT SELECT switches of the three recorded tracks are set to TRK Set the faders for the channels to suitable levels Press to select TRK3 Le an 7 Practice the vocal and guitar parts before record ing checking the level of the signals with the level meters Press the REC and PLAY buttons simulta neously and record the track as usual Mixdown and Effects Processing Adding Reverb Mixdown is the process of playing several previously recorded tracks up to four in the case of the X 28H and mixing them into a composite signal stereo in this case Itinvolves adjusting the balance of the individual tracks in terms of level gain stereo placement pan and depth reverb The resulting signal the finished recording is normally in stereo and is copied to a master recorder usually a stereo cassette deck Master recorder Note This example assumes that you have a reverb unit preferably one with stereo outputs and a master recording deck cassette reel to reel yor DAT Ome COM POSTOX TA
27. R select switch must be set to MONMIX LINE for the signal to be heard MONITOR SELECT SWITCH MONITOR This switch determines which signals are sent to the monitor out and headphone jacks The switch has three positions MONMIX LINE AUX and AUX LINE MONMIX LINE This position sends mix of two signals to the monitor buss 1 the stereo signal of the INPUT B channels when MONMIX is selected with the IN PUT B select switch and 2 the signal of the stereo buss AUX This position sends a mono mix of the AUX SEND signal to the monitor buss AUX LINE This position sends a mix of the mono AUX SEND signal and the signal of the stereo buss The following chart lists the settings for the INPUT B and MONITOR switches as used in the various record ing operations of the X 28H INPUT B i Switch MONITOR Switch AUX fixed center Recording to position or channels 1 4 only MONMIX MONMIX LINE stereo monitor Recording ing AUX or in the case of stereo Operation Recording to channels 5 8 REMIX recording MONMIX LINE Rehearsal MONMIX AUX LINE Take recording MONMIX AUX Overdubbing For monitoring recorder output in stereo Rehearsal REMIX MONMIX LINE Take recording REMIX AUX For sending stereo signal via LINE OUT jacks to master recorder For sending stereo signal via MON OUT jacks to REMIX AUX LINE master recorder especially
28. TCH CONTROL PITCH The pitch control lets you finely adjust the pitch or speed of playback within a range of 10 12 REAR PANEL SECTION TAPE OUT JACKS 1 4 SYNC TAPE OUT 1 4 SYNC The signals of the four recorded tracks are output via these standard RCA pin jacks These are used to send the individual outputs to an external mixer for greater flexibility in monitoring orfor putting different effects on each of the tracks LINE OUT JACKS LEFT RIGHT LINE OUT L R The signals of the stereo buss are output via these Standard RCA pin jacks These are used to send the Stereo output to a second tape recorder for making a Stereo master tape AUX SEND JACK AUX SEND The mixed signals of AUX SEND and are output viathis standard RCA pin jack A signal processor such as a reverb unit or multi effect device may be con nected here AUX RETURN JACKS LEFT RIGHT AUX RTN L R These standard RCA pin jacks are inputs for the returning effects processed AUX SEND signal the signal is then sent to the stereo buss Two jacks are provided since many effect devices have stereo out puts The jacks can also be used as auxiliary inputs effectively giving the X 28H ten inputs MONITOR OUT JACKS LEFT RIGHT MON OUT L R The signals selected with the MONITOR select switch the same as those heard in the headphones is output via these standard RCA pin jacks These jacks are for connecting to an amplifier
29. channels 5 6 and 7 cannot be used in this example since they control the previously re corded tape tracks However the AUX buss can be used to mix in additional input sources See the section USING THE AUX BUSS IN PING PONG RECORDING below 2 Bring up all faders to their optimum level Also adjust the TRIM control for channels 1 through 4 3 Select the destination track for the bounce by setting track 4 s REC SELECT switch to R This sends the five live tracks and the three recorded tracks to stereo buss R which corresponds to track 4 Note Be careful when setting the levels of the indi vidual channels You should remember that the live tracks will be clearer and less noisy than the bounced tracks so take care not to have them dominate the mix USING THE AUX BUSS IN PING PONG RECORD ING The AUX buss can be used with the INPUT B channels to record both the input signal and the tape track signal atthe same time This lets you bounce up to 11 sources asingle track at one time Here is an example in which tapetracks 1 2 and 3 are to be bouncedto track 4 with eight live sources 1 Set up all eight input channels for simultaneous recording Bring up the faders and TRIM controls on INPUT A channels 1 4 and set the INPUT SELECT switches on the INPUT B channels to INPUT bringing those faders up to suitable levels as well 2 Turn the PAN controls of all channels to R corre sponding to track 4 3 Set the MON
30. cks as you record addi tional parts to the X 28H To do this temporarily connect the four signals from the rhythm machine and synthesizer to the INPUT B inputs 5 8 Set the MONITOR select switch to MONMIX 4 LINE and the INPUT B switch to REMIX Set the INPUT B channel PAN controls to center Set up track 1 for direct recording Connect the sound source to input channel 1 set the REC SELECT switch for the channel to 1 and bring up the fader and TRIM to appropriate levels Setthe sequencerto external sync and startit then press PLAY on the X 28H as you did in step 4 above to play back the two devices in synchroniza tion Press the REC button once to check the input level of the new signal before you actually record Once everything is set to your satisfaction set the sequencer and X 28H running in synchronization again this time pressing the REC and PLAY buttons simultaneously to begin recording Listen to the rhythm machine and synthesizer as a guide as you record the new track Now that track 1 has been recorded you will need to monitor it with the sequencer tracks First turn the REC SELECT switch for track 1 to off center Then disconnect the input at channel 1 and replace it with the input from the currently at channel 5 Set the fader and TRIM control appropriately Disconnect input from channel 5 and
31. controls to brighten the sound the first impulse is to turn the HI control up Keep in mind however that you can get a similar effect by turning the LO control down instead Ifyou haven t already done so we suggest you take timeto read through one ofthe least readable parts of the manual the Panel Controls and Terminals section Much of the information in the section will be obvious but if there are some functions and settings of the X 28H that have you baffled or just plain curious there s no better place to get more infor mation 9 You should also familiarize yourself with the signal paths of the X 28H by referring often to the signal flow and block diagrams in this manual These too are undoubtedly difficultto understand at first glance but the effort you make in following the signal paths as you read through the instructions will pay off in a greater understanding of the entire multitrack record process Recording 9 Make a blank track chart for your recordings and photocopy several of them Write down what instru ment or part was recorded to which track and keep notes as to what pan level and effects settings are needed Each track sheet should refer to a different tape or even a different song 9 Plan your recordings so that each successive track moves up in frequency range Inother words record bass parts first and guitar solos and vocals last 32 Try to keep similar frequencies together
32. d drums bass and keyboards to on the first three tape tracks you can use track 4 to record the lead parts of the song the vocals and a guitar solo 1 In this example since you will be recording two parts at one time you ll need to use two input channels Connect the vocal microphone to INPUT 1 and the guitar to INPUT 2 2 Since these inputs will be recorded on a single track you must use the stereo buss instead of the direct recording function To do this set track 4 s REC SELECT switch to R Also make sure the PAN controls of channels 1 and 2 are set all the way to R This directs both input signals to the right side of the stereo buss and records them on track 4 _ MONO MONITORING IN STEREO RECORDING When recording signals over the stereo buss set ting REC SELECT switches to L or R the PAN controls for the relevant channels must be set to the appropriate side of the stereo buss This means for example that if you are recording to the right side of the stereo buss you will hear the signals coming from only the right side of the monitor This is fine as far as the recording is concerned but it can be irritating to listen to especially if you are using a set of headphones You can eliminate this by send ing the monitor signal over the AUX buss The AUX signal is a mix that is sent in mono to both the left and right channels of the monitor 3 Make sure to use headphones for monitoring to avoid feedback wh
33. d follow the instructions there carefully They will show you step by step how to make and mixdown your first recording When you read through this section you may wish to refer back to the section Panel Controls and Terminals page 7 This will help you to understand the functions of the X 28H 3 I As you continue to use the X 28H for other record ings read through the successive sections includ ing Punch in Recording and Special Applica tions to familiarize yourself with the more sophis ticated functions of this machine Also read through the various boxed subjects scattered throughout the instructions to help you master some of the important aspects of multitrack recording They include valuable information on Such topics as buss monitoring and aux send Finally look through the section Multitrack Re cording Tips page 31 for sp cial tips and hints on how to make your recording sound as professional as possible For those of you who are complete novices in the field of recording we hope this manual will be more than merely a guide to the X 28H In many ways with the information provided on basic recording concepts and advanced applications this manual may be used as a textbook for multitrack recording BEFORE USING YOUR X 28H MULTITRACKER Undoubtedly you are eager to start recording with your X 28H Multitracker However unless you ve had some experience with multitrack recor
34. dication of the level that is to be recorded to the track Always be sure to press the REC button to enable input monitoring with the REC TRACK level meters For more information on monitoring see the boxed section AUX Auxiliary Send and Return page 20 8 Now you re ready to record Press the PLAY and the REC button simultaneously The REC TRACK indicator for track 1 will be lit continuously as will the record and play TRANSPORT indicators ations Ranta cou REC TRACK me REG PLAY REWIND FFWD ORTH Press these buttons simultaneously These indicators will be lit continuously 9 After stopping the recording you ll want to listen to it and check that everything has been recorded satisfactorily First switch the leftmost REC SE LECT switch back to the center position to disable recording Then press the INPUT SELECT switch of INPUT B channel 5 to select TRK 1 and bring up fader 5 to a suitable level around 7 Doing this selects tape track 1 for playback Set the PAN control to the center position for optimum monitor ing Also make surethatthe MONITOR switch is set to MONMIX LINE and INPUT Bis setto MONMIX 16 ME mU Te out So cnt Son our ou yk nx vc won Diet mer omet ou
35. ding we recommend you take some time to read this section and familiarize yourself with multitrack recording basics WHAT IS MULTITRACK RECORDING Multitrack recording is the process of recording indi vidual parts of a performance separately on indepen dent tracks and then mixing them together to create final recording There are several advantages to this process You can record each musician separately without having to assemble them all together at the same place and time you are able to concentrate on the individual elements so that each part is the best it can be you can also try several different mixes of the recorded material until you are satisfied with the final production Best of all if you wish you can do every thing yourself There is nothing wrong with recording a good tight band with two well placed microphones but with the sophisticated technology available today in cluding MIDI multitrack recording allows you to make highly professional recordings on your own Tracks and Channels The X 28H Multitracker combines sophisticated re cording and mixing functions in the same unit Hence the need for the terms track and channel when referring to its operation Track refers to the actual recorded portion on the cassette tape the X 28H records on four tracks Channel refers to a signal pathway through the mixer the X 28H has eight chan nels to accommodate up to eight inputs The differenc
36. e 05 m Audio outputs MIDI sound source Bass Guitar Record tape Sync to track 4 then disconnect 28 Synthesizer sampler MIDI IN Rhythm machine The following is a basic example of tape sync operation in which a rhythm machine and synthesizer are con trolled by a MIDI sequencer synchronized to the X 28H via tape track 4 Signals recorded to the other three tape tracks are mixed with signals from the rhythm machine and synthesizer and processed with reverb during mixdown 1 Generally itis a good idea to record the basic parts of the song on your sequencer first Save the tracks of the X 28H for lead parts such as vocals and guitar solos that cannot be recorded on the se quencer Also take care to program the proper tempo and song length for the sequencer since this cannot be changed once the tape sync track is recorded Connect the sync out jack from the FSK to MIDI converter to INPUT channel 4 and record the tape sync signal on track 4 using the normal recording procedure Record the signal all the way to the end of the song Once you have recorded it you can remove the tape sync input from the jack Note The sync tone should be recorded on one of the outside tape tracks either 1 or 4 to minimize possible cr
37. e TRANSPORT display is off before attempting a punch in This flashes to indicate input monitoring press REC to turn off before punch in recording Use the rehearsal function described below to practice the punch in and punch out Listen care fully to the levels of the tape signal and the signal to be recorded as you practice and adjust them as necessary The rehearsal function lets you switch monitoring between the tape track and the new part making it easy to compare levels When you re ready to record press the rehearsal Switch to turn off the rehearsal function then press PLAY As you listen to the previously recorded part press the footswitch at the point you wish to start recording or punch in The previously recorded part will be erased and replaced by the current part Press the footswitch again to stop recording or punch out USING THE REHEARSAL FUNCTION High Speed Mode Only The rehearsal function is also an important part of footswitch controlled punch in recording When the rehearsal function is engaged its indicator in the display will be lit pressing the footswitch does nottum the recording function on and off Instead it allows you original in the monitor just as if you were actually recording When the REHEARSAL switch is turned on the X 28H mimics the punch in recording process by switching the monitor between original track and the part to be to practice the p
38. e and uneven surfaces may cause the appliance and cart combination to overturn Wall or Ceiling Mounting The appliance should be mount ed to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manu facturer 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 13 14 15 16 The exclamation point within an equilateral presence of important operating and mainte nance servicing instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance triangle is intended to alert the user to the Heat The appliance should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators heat registers stoves or other appliances including amplifiers that produce heat Power Sources The appliance should be connected toa power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the appliance Grounding or Polarization The precautions that should be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an appliance is not defeated 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
39. e between the two terms is shown in the diagram below A Channel 1 8 Overdubbing Overdubbing is the heart of the multitrack recording process It is the process of recording a track in synchronization to previously recorded tracks Over dubbing was invented by Les Paul in collaboration with Ampex audio engineers in the 1950 s and has hada greater effect on music than the guitar which bears his name Used with the four independent tracks of the X 28H overdubbing allows one musician to record a variety of parts on the same tape In this way you can build your songs piece by piece track by track It also lets you fix any parts that are not satisfactory as well as indepen dently apply special effects with signal processing equipment Mixdown Mixdown is the final operation in multitrack recording This is where you combine all of the parts you have recorded on the four tracks adjust their relative levels and make other settings to prepare the final master recording Four track Cassette Format The X 28H uses standard cassette tape for recording In a standard cassette deck the tape has two sides each side with a pair of stereo tracks As shown in the illustration below the two tracks on side A of the tape are recorded in one direction and the tracks on side B in the opposite direction However the four track cassette format records all four tracks in the same direction Because of this there is o
40. ed can be switched from the high speed to the normal speed by simultaneously pressing this button and the RE HEARSAL switch when the transport is stopped ZERO RETURN BUTTON 0 RTN Pressing this button rewinds or fast forwards the tape to the O00 position The zero return indicator in the display gt gt 0 or 0 44 will light This function used with the COUNT RESET switch B makes it easy to mark a specific point in the recording and return to it auto matically Pressing the PLAY button after pressing the ZERO RETURN button activates auto play playback auto matically begins once the tape transport reaches the 000 position The play indicator in the display will flash The PLAY button can be pressed at any time while the tape is being rewound or fast forwarded to activate the function DECK TRANSPORT DISPLAY a BAR GRAPH LEVEL METERS These six meters indicate the signal levels of the four tape tracks and the stereo buss b TAPE COUNTER TAPE COUNT This indicates the current position of the tape c TAPE INDICATOR 3 This provides visual indication of whether the tape is stopped or not and what direction it is moving This indicator lights when a cassette tape is inserted d DOLBY NOISE REDUCTION INDICATOR DOLBY IN This indicator is lit when the noise reduction has been turned on with the DOLBY NR switch e REHEARSAL INDICATOR REHEARSAL This indicator is l
41. en recording the vocal part The signal will be coming from the right side of your headphones so you may wantto monitor the signal fromthe center ofthe stereo image To dothis refer io the box MONO MONITORING IN STEREO RECORDING below Note The following instructions step 4 in particular assume that you are using this technique of monitoring the signal from the center Even if you don t though they will still be relevantto the recording of your vocal and guitar parts Make sure that the MONITOR switch is set to AUX LINE and that the INPUT B switch is set to REMIX Keep them at these settings throughout this section Setthe MONITOR select switch to AUX or AUX Turn up the AUX SEND controls on the appropri Withthe MONITOR control atasuitable level you To do this LINE and make sure the INPUT B switch is set to REMIX ate channels For INPUT B channels they should be set most or all the way clockwise to their TRK settings Also make sure that the master AUX SEND control is set to a suitable level can now hear the recorded tracks from both the left and right channels of your headphones or speaker system even though the signal is being recorded over just one side of the stereo buss 18 5 Press the REC button to enable input monitoring with track 4 s level meter and adjust the levels of the signals The MASTER fader should be at its optimum level around 7 as should the IN
42. ensure that subsequent parts are performed in the correct tempo NRA anu a dono Rhythm machine m IN RECORDING MODE FINISHED RECORDING Step 2 Overdub an electric bass on track 2 while listening to the rhythm machine on track 1 Bass guitar EXIT Step 3 Overdub a keyboard part on track 3 and the lead vocal and guitar solo together on track 4 Normally the lead parts are the last to be recorded so that the musicians can perform those parts over a nearly complete backing band E Vocal amp i Keyboard nuva Step 4 Adjust the relative balance of the four indi vidual parts and combine them into a stereo signal to make the final recording which is recorded on a standard cassette deck mas ter recorder A reverb effect is applied to the final recording to add depth and ambience You can of course add reverb and other effects during the original recording and or overdubs E 2 Master recorder i Ha Note The X 28H has been designed with primary emphasis on high sound quality To ensure the best possible quality in recording and playback always use the high speed Setting Use the normal speed only for practicing along with or learning parts from a recording 13 Recording the First Track Rhythm Machine 1 14 SIS 1 Speaker Amplifier
43. ent on the Stereo buss to the LINE OUT jacks is determined by the MASTER fader T Stereo buss T 67 mm ch e 8 Other busses on the X 28H include the AUX buss which sends the mixed signals to the AUX SEND jack and receives a stereo input via the AUX RE TURN jacks and the monitor buss which carries the input and or tape signals to the MONITOR OUT and PHONES jacks Overdubbing Recording Bass to Track 2 and Keyboard to Track 3 Overdubbing as mentioned in the introduction to mul titrack recording at the beginning of this manual is the process of recording one part track while listening to a previously recorded part in perfect synchronization In this example we ll first overdub an electric bass on track 2 Once that is accomplished we ll overdub a backing keyboard part to track 3 1 Plug the instrument into INPUT 2 2 Set the MONITOR switch to MONMIX LINE and the INPUT B switch to MONMIX 3 Select2 withthe REC SELECT switch for tape track 2 The flashing number 2 in the display indicates that track 2 is now set up for recording Also press the REC button to enable input monitoring with track 2 s level meter 4 Now adjust the level of the signal as you did in steps 5 and 6 in the previous section The MAS TER fader should be at its optimum level around 7 as should the INPUT 2 fader Also adjust the
44. formance will suffer noticeably espe cially high end response and wow amp flutter If you have total disregard for these routine maintenance proce dures the heads could become magnetized and ruin every tape you try to play The simplest rule to follow is Clean and demagnetize before every session If you regularly conduct marathon recording sessions do it every 8 hours Note For demagnetizing use either a hand demag netizer to demagnetize the heads of the X 28H Demagnetizing is vital to preserving the quality of the recording heads yet itis also a potentially dangerous operation that can destroy circuits and ruin the heads if used improperly Follow the instructions included with your device to the letter Also keep your recorded tapes away from the demagnetizer when it is in use since they can be erased by it Also avoid cassette tapes with built in or applied cleaners as they often contain abrasives that will wear out the heads of your X 28H prematurely Final caution Don t smoke Large studios forbid smoking in the control room and for a very good reason the particles of dust produced by cigarettes cigars and pipes may be invisible to you but are like rocks and boulders to your sensitive electronic equipment 33 TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE We know we re not perfect but we have excellent quality control and quality assurance procedures from engineering design to manufacture and shipping T
45. his is useful in a variety of situations from recording a live band to simultaneous mixdown recording of multiple sound sources con 1 24 Paga SME L O A aR L et out 000 Saux eer Effects device JOUT trolled from a MIDI sequencer The sound sources can be mixed as to level and stereo position and can also be processed through an effects device Here s how it s done E Mou our Moa AUC AX Munt tare anire hanes ruo 0 Tn oman enue 0 0000 O Moon 0005 1 BES 948 es pire n Ree PEWO gery ESED ross Microphones Sa d Guitars Bass Connect the microphones and instruments to the input jacks as shown in the illustration If you are using microphones in your setup they should only be connected to channels 1 through 4 Set the INPUT SELECT switches of channels 5 through 8to INPUT Also make sure that the MONI TOR switch is set to MONMIX LINE and the INPUT B switch is set to REMIX Synthesizer or keyboard 3 Press the REC butt
46. hus pilot errors are far more common than out of the box problems So before you get mad at your X 28H Fostex or your Problem li used to work fine now it sounds weird or bad 1 When did you last clean amp demagnetize HOW did you last clean amp demagnetize Insufficient or haphazard cleaning is the single most common problem encountered by our service technicians 2 Are you using the right kind of tape 70 usec EQ dealer please take a few minutes to run through this check list of the most common sources of user frustra tion Problem Initial setup There s no sound or It won t record 1 Is the power on Is the AC adapter plugged into both the X 28H and the proper AC outlet 2 Are all the plugs firmly connected to the proper jacks Could the cable be faulty Are the MASTER controls turned up Are the REC SELECT INPUT SELECT MONI TOR select and MIX TAPE switches set properly 6 Is the cassette tape properly seated in the compart ment 7 Are the cassette record protect tabs missing pego SPECIFICATIONS only 3 Could the problem be due to tape drop outs or tape deterioration gt Is the Dolby switch ON Did you turn it on only for recording and not for playback or vice versa Is the PITCH control set to the center position Are the TRIM controls and faders properly set Are the PAN and EQ controls properly set Are the input o
47. in tape sync applications MONMIX MONMIX LINE Ping pong Recording REMIX MONMIX LINE Mixdown MONITOR LEVEL CONTROL MONITOR Determines the overall output level sent to the MON OUT jacks and PHONES jack RECORD TRACK SELECT SWITCHES REC SELECT These three position switches select the track s to be recorded Setting the switch to the numbered position 1 2 3and 4 selects the respective tape tracks these are direct record settings that bypass the PAN and EQ controls Setting the switch to the center position dis ables recording Setting it to L left or R right selects the respective signal of the stereo buss for recording The signal is recorded to the track number indicated on the switch For example if the first REC SELECT switch is set to L the left signal of the stereo buss will be recorded to track 1 This setting is particularly useful for recording multiple inputs sent on the stereo buss to a single track REHEARSAL SWITCH REHEARSAL AZEARI This switch is used for disabling enabling recording during punch in recording It also lets you hear the punch in and punch out as you rehearse without eras ing the original track Rehearsal mode is effective only when in the high speed mode and does not function in normal speed The REHEARSAL indication in the display lights up when in the rehearsal mode The tape speed can be switched from high speed to normal
48. in the display Practice the track bouncing by adjusting the levels with the faders until you are satisfied with the settings 8 Execute the track bounce by simultaneously press ing PLAY and REC 26 9 Finally check the ping pong recording you have just made Set track 4 s REC SELECT switch back to off and reverse the INPUT SELECT switches setting tracks 1 2 and 3 to INPUT and track 4 to TRK Play back the recording and check that the balance of all tracks is satisfactory Adding Live Parts to Ping pong Recording As we mentioned at the beginning of this section additional live instrumental and vocal parts can be mixed in with the tape tracks you are bouncing This example shows you how to add five sound sources to the three tape tracks ping pong recording a total of eight separate parts to a single track The technique can of course be used with several musicians supplying the live parts However it is even more effective and easy to control when coupled with a MIDI sequencer and several MIDI sound sources See the section Tape Sync page 28 for more on using a MIDI se quencer 4 3 PM 2 T DEFGH Live performance parts To add live parts to the previous ping pong recording example substitute the following instructions for steps 4 and 5 above 1 Connect the additional sources to be recorded to the available input channels 1 2 3 4 and 8 Note Input
49. isten to it It also means to check sound levels aurally over the headphones or speaker system or visually by means of the level meters One important thing you should understand about monitoring is that you can be recording a signal at one level and yet be hearing it through the monitor at a different level This is particularly crucial for example if the MONITOR control is set near 0 You may find yourself cranking up the input faders and TRIM controls just to be able to hear the signal which could result in a horribly distorted recording and even possible damage to the recorder For this reason always set the monitor controls to their optimum positions first then adjust the input levels Another thing to remember is that there are two different types of signals that are monitored during the recording process those currently being re corded live or input signals and those that have already been recorded tape signals This differ ence is important in overdubbing You must adjust the levels of the individual tape signals with the faders to get the proper balance of the recorded tracks when overdubbing a new part The X 28H always gives you a visual monitor of the tape signals with the level meters in the display regardless of the monitor settings However with direct recording setting REC SELECT to track numbers the input bypasses the stereo buss and the level shown in the stereo buss meter is NOT a true in
50. it when the rehearsal mode has been engaged with the REHEARSAL switch It flashes when changing the tape speed from high speed to normal speed by simultaneously pressing the REHEARSAL switch and the STOP SHRED button f TAPE TRANSPORT INDICATORS These indicate the current status of the tape transport whether it is stopped or recording or being rewound etc L R TAPE COUNT eC Ce Bon scs OC OGIO em Bhd sl eite aas Janum Stop LO R TAPE COUNT mS on 988 ome om eus SEE 6 nn m 0 44 Flashes to indicate auto play mode t R TAPE COUNT slat gag CIs ooo CIELO eme yore OC o 20L 3C 10 HEARS a TRANSPORT Play L R TAPE COUNT 6SLad 16 mum 2002 JAUNE 20 REHEARSAL SAN TRANSPORT m Flashes to indicate record ready or record enable and input monitor 0 with either the fast forward or rewind indicators indicates zero return g RECORD TRACK INDICATOR L R TAPE COUNT 676216 AnG HOS 0 ey 20 C J20 EEE Op TRANSPORT m Now recording L TAPE COUNT scars nc 3L JL 33 Baa b gt
51. jack 3 Instead of setting track 3 s REC SELECT switch to 3 set it to L This directs channel 8 s signal to stereo buss L which corresponds to track 3 Example 2 Ping pong Recording Recording Seven Parts on Four Tracks Ping pong recording is the process of mixing two or more recorded tracks onto an unrecorded track so that additional parts may be overdubbed Track bouncing is another term for this technique With the ping pong technique seven different parts can be recorded to four tracks You can even add live parts while bounc ing tracks effectively letting you record ten or even more separate instrumental or vocal parts by yourself Ping pong recording however requires very careful planning as to the sequence of the recording It also requires strict attention to the sonic quality since this technique creates second generation copies of the original recordings In this process some of the fre quencies especially at the upper end tend to be diminished There is also a slight degradation of the overall signal quality This is a characteristic of all analog recorders The procedure is outlined with the following instruc tions and illustrations Step 1 Record the basic track A and two overdubs B and C on tracks 1 2 and 3 DIDO Step 2 Mix tracks 1 2 and 3 and record them onto track 4 A B 25 Step 3 Overdub D and E on track
52. ng example demonstrates a creative appli cation of the AUX buss in making a recording with thirteen independent parts ten from MIDI instruments and three recorded tracks This application splits the FSK FSK duties of the AUX SEND control and the AUX RTN inputs to accommodate the additional inputs and uses the monitor buss for mastering the final recording OUT MIDI T MIDI FSK 90 converter MIDI IN IN Bre ost tow hha nl Tare ooi Aux a MOM A AK PERK mrt aaen are aypa then pute On 11111 cowie MCOMPOSTAX UT ie Sequencer MIDI OUT Ces Record tape sync to track 4 then disconnect Audio MIDI outputs i IN Rhythm machine MIDI 30 IN MIDI Sound source Synthesizer sampler In this example a multi timbral synthesizer or sampler with eight individual outputs and a rhythm machine are connected to the X 28H Bass guitar and vocal parts are recorded to the tape tracks 1 Setup the sequencer and X 28H for synchronized operation Follow steps 1 th
53. nly one side to the four track cassette tape if you turn it over and play it all you ll hear is a recording played in reverse Because it is recorded on just one side a 90 minute cassette tape will hold 22 5 minutes of four track audio at high speed Remember to remove the tabs for both side A and side B to protect against inadvertent recording Standard Cassette Deck X 28H deck ES y b dH The Proper Tape The X 28H is designed to be used with High Bias 70 usec EQ tape CrO2 and Type Il designations are common but always look for the 70 usec EQ identifica tion Maxell UD XL Il and TDK SA are recommended as are other tapes of comparable quality Metal tape Should not be used Never use 120 minute cassettes the backing is too thin and will quickly stretch and may break Because of their strength tapes of 60 90 min utes are recommended for withstanding the physical strains of recording The Right Connections Please exercise caution when connecting other equip ment to the X 28H Never connect the output of an amplifier to an X 28H input for example because you could seriously damage the recorder Less severe problems caused by impedance mismatching can re sult in a loss of volume and or frequency response In general microphones are low level signals and should be used on inputs 1 through 4 Rhythm machines synthesizers and other electronic instr
54. on to enable input monitoring Listening to each sound source carefully make the various settings level pan and effects balance for each input channel Begin with channel 1 First bring all ofthe faders on the other channels down to 0 set the MASTER fader and the fader on channel 1 to their optimum levels then use the TRIM control to adjust the level on channel 1 Do the same for the rest of the input channels using only the faders on channels 5 8 of course since they have no TRIM controls Next starting again with channel 1 determine the stereo position of each source by adjusting each channel s PAN control Finally go through each of the channels and set the amount of reverb that is applied to each source Follow the same procedure as you did in steps 7 and 8 in the section Mixdown and Effects Process ing Adding Reverb page 19 When the AUX SEND controls for channels 5 through 8 is set to the center no signal is sent to AUX SEND Adjust the control to the left to send the signal to the effects unit Turning the controls to the right will have no effect in this situation Note It is a good idea to rehearse the mix as much as possible taking special care to keep the levels inthe optimum range Keeping noise and distor tion at minimum levels is a tricky business You ll no doubt need to make further adjust ments to the levels and the other controls as all sound sources play together 4 Select
55. osstalk with the other tracks Crosstalk is when the signal from one track bleeds through to an adjacent track Track 4 has been chosen since track 1 is normally regarded as the first track of the recording Note For detailed information concerning proper re cording level for the FSK signal and the required length of the pilot tone that precedes the start of the song refer to the owner s manual of your MIDI device 3 Tocontrol the sequencer the newly recorded sync tone must be sent back to the converter Connect the TAPE OUT 4 jack to the sync in jack on the converter This tape output is direct and bypasses the mixing network The exact procedure for running the X 28H and the sequencer in synchronization differs depending on the sequencer used Generally though these are the steps you should follow 1 set your sequencer to external sync sometimes called MIDI slave mode and start the sequencer 2 press PLAY on the X 28H Once the sync tone has been received by the sequencer it will begin running and the two devices will play in perfect synchronization Note You cannot start synchronized playback with FSK inthe middleof a sequenced song Always rewind to well before the beginning of the sync tone and play back from that point Once you have recorded the basic parts of the song to the sequencer and synchronized the sequencer to the X 28H in the above steps you will need to listen to the sequencer tra
56. ou to sacrifice control over the panning of the two additional inputs one will be sent to the left the other to the right of the stereo buss It also eliminates the use of the AUX buss for effects processing at least at the time those sources are being recorded You can of course use the AUX buss for effects at mixdown 20 You will probably want to repeat playback several times to get the best mix for recording Once you are ready to record the results follow these basic steps 9 Use the stereo meter indications on the X 28H s display and the MASTER fader to set up the proper signal level that will be sent to the master recorder 10 Set the record level controls on the master recorder so that a 0 meter reading on the X 28H will produce corresponding 0 reading on the master recorder Punch in Recording Punch in recording is the process of re recording over a specific portion of a recorded track Normally this is used to fix a bad note in an otherwise acceptable performance Rather than record the entire track all over again and take the chance that the performance as a whole will suffer it s often easier and better to fix only the mistake s Other uses of this technique are to erase minor timing errors for example someone starts a part too soon or continues it too long or to eliminate unwanted sounds from an open mic loud coughing or inhaling This technique is also used to take advantage of non
57. out setting levels and making recordings on that deck Note If you want the master recording to fade in or fade out you should execute these from the MASTER fader on the X 28H not the master recorder Timingis all important with punch in recording and you must be very careful to punch in and punch out at precisely the right places If you punch in too early or punch out too late you could ruin the very thing that you re trying to fix As a rule of thumb try not to punch in and punch out at crucial points in the recording such as in the middle of a instrumental or vocal phrase For example if there s a mistake in the second chorus re record the entire second chorus It s also very important that you match the level and feel of the punch in out recording to the pre recorded per formance otherwise it will be obvious that the final recording was not made continuously This example assumes that all four tracks have been recorded like the example in the Basic Operation section on page 13 All four tracks will be monitored and the punch in will be made to track 4 D EST M nm iunii Connect input Connect footswitch footswitch for for Punch in Zero Return
58. port indicators A rehearsal function in the punch in out mode that allows youto hear and practice a punch in recording before the actual take Switchable Dolby B noise reduction e e e 9 Four track simultaneous recording The X 28H will perform all of the standard multitrack recording techniques such as overdubbing punch in recording and ping pong recording In addition effects processing is available with the AUX send and stereo AUX return functions The high speed setting 9 5 cm sec is intended for normal use The half speed setting 4 75 cm sec is useful when practicing along with or learning parts from a recording since playback is one octave lower than normal When used with a MIDI to FSK converter the opera tion of the X 28H can be synchronized with MIDI sequencers and rhythm machines allowing you to simultaneously run multiple musical instruments and Signal sources Please read this manual carefully so that you are thoroughly acquainted with the propert operation and maintenance procedures SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Connect the supplied AD 12T AC adaptor to a standard AC outlet and the AC adaptor connector of the X 28H In no case should you use an AC adaptor of another manufacturer If this adaptor is to be used with a voltage other than that specified consult your nearest Fostex dealer or service center before using it Never pull the cord of the AC adaptor to unplug it from the AC outle
59. recorded portions of a track To illustrate let s say you ve recorded a guitar solo in the middle of a song Exceptforthat part the track with the solo is silent You might want to add some percussion parts to those sections where the guitar is not playing Punch in recording is the perfect way to do this You can use the panel controls to execute punch in recording during playback To do this while the X 28H is running hold down the REC button and simulta neously press PLAY at the point you wish to start recording if the REC SELECT switches have been properly set recording will begin Press the STOP button to stop recording However if you are playing an instrument or for some reason need to be a distance away from the recorder you may find it difficult to use the panel controls for punch in recording For this reason the X 28H fea tures a special PUNCH IN OUT jack that allows you to control punch in recording with a footswitch so that you can turn the recording function on and off without having to take your hands from your instru ment By also connecting a second footswitch to the 0 RTN PLAY jack you can punch in automatically re wind and playback and even re record a passage without touching the panel controls 11 Place the master recorder in record mode press PLAY on the X 28H and record your mixdown Note You may have to consult the owner s manual of your master recorder for more detailed informa tion ab
60. recording that is all highs If you work marathon sessions try to give your ears a five or ten minute rest every two hours 9 Ask others for advice If you know someone whose sound you admire ask them what they did to get that Sound If you know someone who has been down this road just a little longer than you have ask them whatthey ve learned By the same token share your experiences with others No one has a monopoly on creativity or knowledge in fact the more you share with others the more they ll share with you 31 Tape 9 Keep your cassette tapes at least three feet away from any magnetic fields especially those of computer monitors speakers TVs and telephones they can damage or even erase what you ve recorded s 9 Clearly and logically label your tapes If your cre ative juices are flowing at all you ll soon amass a whole box worth of cassette recordings If your tapes are not labeled you ll waste a lot of time trying to find the one you need 9 After finishing a recording on cassette you should punch out the two record protect tabs so as not to inadvertently erase your newly created masterpiece Be sure to take BOTH tabs out since you ve recorded to all four tracks Settings 9 Startall your recordings by zero ing the controls that is setting them all to their 0 OFF or minimum position Adjust only those controls which pertain to the operation at hand 9 When using the EQ
61. rough 4 in the pre vious example 2 Connect all of the input signals the eight synthe sizer outputs to the input channels and the stereo output of the rhythm machine to the AUX RTN jacks 3 Set the MONITOR switch to AUX LINE and the INPUT B switch to REMIX 4 Record the basic parts of the song on the se quencer Atleast one of the sequencer parts should remain unrecorded or disconnected from the input section so that the tape tracks can be recorded 5 If you are using direct recording record the tape tracks plugging each input in turn to channels 1 2 and 3 Follow steps 7 and 8 in the previous example Monitor the tape tracks by using the AUX SEND controls on the corresponding INPUT B channels MULTITRACK RECORDING TIPS Recording engineering is a combination of artistic sense and technological expertise Many schools offer programs for those wishing to be professional recording engineers In this manual it would be impossible to list every technique to make perfect recordings but we can give you a few rules and suggestions that will get you started in creating your own multitrack master pieces Sometimes an hour of rehearsal will do more to improve a recording than the use of some fancy record ing technique or expensive outboard equipment Gui tar superstar Steve Vai recorded his first album on a Fostex 8 track in his garage Many of the great albums by the Beatles Rolling Stones Otis Redding B B
62. s 1 and 2 CAE BRC ES SERE NoD Step 4 Mix tracks 1 and 2 and record them onto track 3 AS B DEE nva Step 5 Record and G on tracks 1 and 2 SA BC IDA ESO 4 3 2 1 To actually execute ping pong recording mixing re corded tracks 1 2 and 3 onto track 4 1 Set the INPUT SELECT switch on the previously recorded tracks to TRK and bring up the faders for those tracks to suitable levels Using Step 2 above as an example set channels 5 6 and 7 to TRK 2 Set the MONITOR select switch to MONMIX LINE and the INPUT B switch to REMIX 3 Make sure that the INPUT SELECT switch of the destination channel for the recorded tracks is set to INPUT In this case channel 8 is set to INPUT 4 Bring up the channel 8 s fader to its optimum level 5 Set track 4 s REC SELECT switch to R This sends the three recorded tracks to stereo buss R which corresponds to track 4 6 Set the PAN controls for channels 5 6 and 7 to R This is also necessary to route the three recorded tracks to the right side of the stereo buss Note You may want to monitor the recording with the signal coming from the center of the stereo image Refer to MONO MONITORING IN STE REO RECORDING on page 18 for details 7 Press PLAY to play back the recorded parts then press the REC button once to enable monitoring of the signals from track 4 s level meter
63. s Recording Buss Overdubbing Recording Bass to Track 2 and Keyboard to Track 3 d Overdubbing the Final Track Guitar Mono Monitoring in Stereo Recording Mixdown and Effects Processing Adding Reverb Punch in Recording Special Applications Example 1 Simultaneous Stereo Hecording of Eight Sound Sources 24 Overdubbing Tracks to the Live Stereo Recording EN Example 2 Ping pong Recording Recording Seven Parts on Four Tracks 25 Adding Live Parts to Ping pong Recording 26 Helpful Hints for Ping pong Recording Example 3 Tape SYNC vs Tape Sync ESAME Ten MIDI inputs With Three Tape Tracks gt Multitrack Recording Tips Routine Maintenance Troubleshooting Guide Specifications INTRODUCTION Thank you for purchasing the Fostex Model X 28H Multitracker With proper use and maintenance it will provide years of excellent performance Included among the features and functions of the X 28H are 9 An eight input mixer with four gain adjustable mic line inputs and four line inputs all of which can be used for simultaneous recording 9 Logic controlled transport buttons for ease of use and sure transport control A large backlit LCD display that features a digital tape counter meters for all four tape tracks and Stereo outputs and tape trans
64. s for the input channels The INPUT A faders control the levels of input channels 1 4 The INPUT B faders can be switched to control the levels of either input chan nels 5 8 or recorded tracks 1 4 switching between the two functions is done with the INPUT SELECT buttons G INPUT SELECT SWITCHES 5 8 INPUT SELECT These two position switches determine the signal source to be sentto the INPUT B faders for channels 5 8 When INPUT SELECT is set to INPUT the faders control channel inputs 5 8 when set to TRK the faders control the recorded tape tracks 1 4 Fader 5 controls tape track 1 fader 6 controls track 2 etc Q CHANNEL PAN CONTROLS 1 8 PAN The channel pan controls determine the left and right balance of the respective input signals 1 8 as they are sent to the stereo buss For more details see Buss page 17 They also determine the stereo balance of the tape tracks when the INPUT SELECT Switches are set to TRK G AUX SEND CONTROLS 1 8 AUX The AUX SEND controls are used to send the respec tive input signals or tape tracks if selected to the AUX SEND jack Generally these are for sending the signals to signal processors such as digital reverb units or multi effect devices The AUX SEND controls are independent for each channel and are used to provide a mono mix signal which is sent to the AUX SEND master control For more details see the section AUX
65. t always grasp the AC plug itself when disconnecting The cord can be broken if it is pulled directly Never connect or disconnect the AC adaptor when your hands are wet Neither should you use this product if the cord s insulation is damaged or worn In either case doing so may result in electrical Shock Never open the case and touch anything inside Doing so may result in electrical shock or damage to the unit Be careful not to spill any water or liquids or drop any metal objects inside the unit This could also result in electrical shock If water or anything should acci dentally get inside immediately disconnect the AC adaptor from the outlet and contact your nearest Fostex dealer or service center Be sure to turn the power to this unit on first before switching on the power to other connected equip ment in order to avoid damaging them Also when connecting or disconnecting any input or output plugs make sure that the input volume control of the appropriate channel or buss is set to 0 HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL If you are using a multitrack recorder for the first time we recommend that you read through this manual in the following order In this way you can get the most out of your X 28H 1 Please read the section Before Using Your X 28H Multitracker on page 4 This introduces you to the basic concepts of multitrack recording D Go directly to the Basic Operation section page 13 an
66. the recording tracks with the REC SELECT Switches Tracks 1 and are dedicated to recording the left side of the stereo signal and tracks 2 and 4 are dedicated tothe right side Choose one track for each stereo side e g 1 and 2 or3and 4 To select a track for recording set the appropriate switch to the L or R position For this example switch REC SELECT for track 1 to L and track 2 to R 5 Now you re ready to record Press the PLAY and REC buttons simultaneously to begin recording The L and R meters in the display show the output signal of the stereo buss and the meters for tracks 1 and 2 indicate the respective recording levels Overdubbing Tracks io the Live Stereo Re cording Since the recording above is made using just two of the X 28H s tracks the remaining tracks can be used for overdubbing two additional sources This procedure is the same as that of normal overdub bing covered in the Basic Operation section pages 13 19 First set the REC SELECT switches to off center position then set the INPUT SELECT for the recorded tracks 1 and 2 in the above example to TRK and boost the faders so that you can monitor the playback Finally set up track 3 for recording and overdub the new part Follow the same steps in record ing another part to track 4 Note If you are using the synthesizer plugged into channel 8 in the last example you can record that instrument to track 3 without having to connect it to INPUT
67. they are fresh Also if your equipment is not at its best can you borrow or rent better equipment It s really worth it 9 Keep track of all your equipment and settings by marking them This is especially important for your cables Fold stickers around the ends of your cables so that you know what they are and where they go Be sure to use tape that doesn t leave a sticky mess such as drafting tape avoid masking tape and duct ape Ifyou have a lot of other equipment such as synthe sizers and signal processors you would do well to invest in a patch bay or two Patch bays are like elephone switchboards they provide a control center that lets you easily connect the inputs and outputs of all your equipment They are especially convenient if you re constantly reaching in back of bulky equipment to unplug and plug cords Beware of rheostats the electric switches that let you gradually dim or brighten your lights They may ook pleasant enough but they can add a horrible hum to your recording Never under any circum stances plug your recorder or other related electronic equipmentinto an AC circuit controlled by a rheostat By the same token beware of air conditioners refrigerators and fluorescent and neon lights these also are sources of electronic noise and hum ROUTINE MAINTENANCE In addition to the normal care required of all electronic equipment namely keeping it dry clean and free of dust
68. trols to compensate for sound deterioration A characteristic of all analog cassette tape recorders is that in the ping pong recording procedure actually any repeat recording the highs are attenuated and the lows are accentuated Judicious use of the EQ con trols such as boosting the highs during mixdown will help alleviate the problem Plan your recordings carefully Once the ping pong recording is made and the original tracks have been mixed together the relative balance cannot be changed In our example the signal on track 4 A B C and track 3 D E is each a single composite entity Hence the importance of rehearsal and planning Always save the most important parts for the final overdubs Normally these would include lead vocals and lead instrumental parts Record these last so that you have individual control over them during mixdown F and G in the above example 27 Example 3 Tape Sync Tape sync is the process of using one of the tracks on the X 28H to synchronize operation with a MIDI se quencer which in turn is used to control several in struments simultaneously A MIDI sequencer is basi cally a multitrack performance recorder that allows you to record and play back MIDI compatible instru ments Using tape sync with a MIDI sequencer offers many advantages MIDI controlled instruments need not be recorded on tape thus freeing up track space for acoustic instruments and
69. uments are line level devices and can be used on all of the X 28H inputs Electric guitars are so often customized elec tronically and used with such a wide variety of effects boxes that it s impossible to state even a general rule The best advice is always tum the controls on all equipment down to the minimum then gradually in crease the level controls to determine whether you ve made the right connections The Specifications section lists the inputand outputimpedances ofthe unit Never plug anything rated in watts W directly to an X 28H input Always use the best quality cable that you can afford This is one simple way to dramatically improve your sound both live and recorded Inexpensive cables often have poor shielding unusual impedance and poor signal to noise characteristics BLOCK DIAGRAM HAMOVELILINW HOVELY ONAS v o H f 3 a 2 z 8 o 2 3 8 v 1 q 2 sano ve Poe 700000 175 NIT INNON pene 9 i ipsias 3NN X0Y nr Esc o AT o gPOL S S XIANOW T PEL J dNI xnv ino NOW apt P INANI
70. unch in recording without erasing the punched in with each press of the footswitch original track and to hear the new part replacing the PUNCH PUNCH IN OUT Rehearsal lt New part is not recorded Take x New part is recorded over original part When LL il 1 rehearsal Previous take New part is heard Previous take function is heard is heard is on The TRANSPORT and REC TRACK indicators in the display change as shown in the following diagram during the rehearsal and punch in out processes PUNCH PUNCH IN OUT gt rue Se oz 8 1 8 Rehearsal ze qom q tN flashes both flash together Md un Ml EH Take both are lit continuously Record track indicator Input monitor record indicator 23 SPECIAL APPLICATIONS n the previous section the examples were kept as simple as possible e g one instrument pertrack input 1 recorded to track 1 etc to acquaint you with the basics of multitrack recording However as you ll see in this section your X 28H has a great degree of flexibility and sophistication and can be used in a wide variety of recording and mixing situations Example 1 Simultaneous Stereo Recording of Eight Sound Sources The flexible mixing controls of the X 28H allow you to make live stereo recordings using up to eight of the inputs simultaneously T
71. utput levels to a connected external device properly set 9 Is there an input output impedance mis match 2 10 the sequencer and or MIDI controlled instru ments properly programmed If the problem persists contact your local dealer or Fostex for the name of your nearest service facility INPUTS 1 8 Inputs 1 4 Microphone impedance Less than 10 Input impedance 20 Normal input level MIC 60 dBV 1mV LINE 10 dBV 0 3V Inputs 5 8 input impedance 10 kQ Normal input level 10 dBV 0 3V AUX RTN L R Input impedance 20kQ Normal input level 20 dBV 0 1V LINE OUT L R Output load impedance Normal output level AUX SEND Output load impedance Normal output level MONITOR OUT L R Output load impedance Normal output level TAPE OUT 1 2 3 4 Output load impedance 10 kQ or more 10 dBV 0 3V 10 KQ or more 10 dBV 0 3V 10 kQ or more 10 dBV 0 3V 10 kQ or more Normal output level 10 dBV 0 3V HEADPHONE OUT STEREO Load impedance 400 EQUALIZER Hl LO L R RECORDING TAPE 12 dB at 100 Hz 10 kHz Compact cassette C 60 C 90 TYPE II for use at high bias position TDK SA MAXELL UD XLII 4 tracks one direction Simultaneous recording of up to 4 tracks RECORD TRACKS 34 NOISE REDUCTION TAPE SPEED WOW AND FLUTTER FAST WIND TIME PITCH CONTROL RECORDING TIME FREQUENCY RESPONSE Mixer section Recorder section S N RATIO CROSSTALK ERASURE RATIO H
72. vocals 9 Better overall sound quality is achieved when the MIDI controlled instruments are mixed directly to the master recorder during mixdown Connection Example for Tape Sync FSK 9 Greater production flexibility is achieved through tape sync since you can change the MIDI recorded musical parts and even the sounds with the ex ception of tempo right up until the final mix Note Since MIDI signals cannot be recorded directly onto tape an FSK to MIDI converter is required This device converts the MIDI clock data from the MIDI sequencer into an FSK Frequency Shift Keying signal which is then recorded to tape In playback the FSK signal is converted back into MIDI data for synchronization with the sequencer Most modern sequencers rhythm machines and MIDI control devices have these FSK circuits built in in some cases you may need to purchase an external converter TAPE OUT AI SYNC Pado tee out tomo wl Vo do Sent foros nisl pue Las AID d MIDI OUT MIDVFSK converter MIDI IN MIDI MIDI OUT Y IN Sequencer MIDI OUT ese uem m esi

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