Troubleshooting - Teac Tascam Porta-02MKII Ministudio Owner's Manual

5 Troubleshooting

track tape in the Porta02. The left and
right stereo tracks of the mastering
recorder can be used as tracks 1 and 2 of
the Porta02, leaving tracks 3 and 4 ready
for recording.
There are a few points to remember:
• Although you can repeat this process
of mixing 4 tracks to 2 and then add-
ing 2 more, as you repeat the mix pro-
cess, noise and hiss will build up to a
point where the quality becomes unac-
ceptable.
• The mastering recorder must have its
noise reduction turned off when mix-
5 – Troubleshooting
Tracing faults in a recording setup is
often a mixture of logical deduction and
patience. Very often, the problem is
caused by something simple; a cable
The Porta02's POWER light does
not come on
The tape does not move when
PLAY is pressed
Some tracks have been recorded
on the tape, but nothing can be
heard when playing back
Nothing appears on the meter
indicators when a source is
played
Cannot press the RECORD key
The RECORD key is pressed, the
tape moves, but nothing is
recorded, or the level is very low
22
ing the Porta02 tracks to the mastering
machine, as the Porta02 does not use
noise reduction. Of course, on the
final stereo mix, you can use noise
reduction on the mastering machine.
• Once you have mixed the four tracks
to two, you cannot adjust their levels
or pan positions again on the new
tape. Think ahead to what tracks you
will record on the new tape, and mix
accordingly.
• When using this technique, always use
the same type of tape in the Porta02
and mastering machine. Differences in
tape type may affect the sound.
which hasn't been plugged in properly, or
a faulty cable. If you discover a faulty
cable, replace it with a new one–it's not
worth hanging onto bad cables!
Is the PS-P2 adaptor plugged into the power supply?
Is the PS-P2 adaptor plugged into the Porta02?
Is the switch on the Porta02 set to ON?
Is the tape properly inserted in the Porta02?
Is the tape at the end of the tape?
If you've just put in a tape you recorded in another session, make
sure that it's the right way round.
OUTPUT LEVEL
Make sure the
tape tracks (not at 0). Set the
SAFE
and look at the meters.
Try monitoring through headphones and adjust the
LEVEL
. If you can hear something through the headphones, check
LINE OUT
the connections.
Make sure the amplifier is set to the correct input source.
Is the source (microphone, guitar, etc.) switched on and volume
control turned up? If it uses batteries, does it need new batteries?
TRIM
Is the control of the channel set correctly?
Is the tape properly inserted in the Porta02?
Is the tape record-protected?
REC FUNCTION
Is the
OUTPUT LEVEL
Check the
TRIM
Is the level set correctly (a microphone feeding a channel set
LINE
to will sound very faint).
controls are set to monitor the
REC FUNCTION
switches to
PHONES
SAFE
set to ?
control for the track.