10 - Mixing Down And Mastering Songs; Mixing Down Tracks; Levels And Balance; Fader Group - Tascam DP-32 Digital Portastudio Owner's Manual

10 - Mixing Down and Mastering Songs

Mixing down tracks

Mixing down tracks is the process of adjusting the
volumes and stereo positions of each recorded track and
combining them into a well-balanced stereo track.
Including recorded tracks (32 maximum) and inputs (8
maximum), you can mix down up to 40 total tracks.

Levels and balance

Use the track faders to balance the relative levels of the
tracks.
Then, use the STEREO fader to adjust the overall level.
Watching the stereo level meters on the display, adjust
the level until it is suitable.
If the level is too loud, the sound will become distorted.
NOTE
The track meters on the display show the recorded signal
levels of the tracks. Therefore, these meters do not change
when the TRACK faders are adjusted.
TIP
You do not need to keep the entire song at the same volume.
For example, you could gradually increase the volume during
a guitar solo.

Fader group

You can group multiple faders to control them
simultaneously with a single fader.
Group and ungroup tracks while the GROUP button is lit.
ª Grouping tracks
1. Press the GROUP button.
2. Adjust the level and balance between tracks you
want to control.
3. Press the SELECT buttons of tracks to control.
A lit SELECT button indicates a track in the group.
The track fader with the smallest number will be the
master fader, and faders in the group can be controlled
by it. When a fader other than the master fader is
moved, the SELECT button of the master fader blinks
and the movement will have no effect.
This fader group internally retains the relative level
differences from the master fader that it had when it
was set. The relationship between physical faders is
not retained.
NOTE
After tracks have been grouped, they will not be ungrouped
when you press the GROUP button. (The GROUP button
will blink.)In this case, if the group master fader is moved,
the SELECT buttons of tracks in the group will light during
operation.
If another fader is moved, the SELECT button of the
master fader will blink and the movement will have no
effect.
64
TASCAM DP-32
ª Ungrouping tracks
1. Press all the SELECT buttons of tracks in the group
to turn them off.
2. Press the GROUP button.
If you press the GROUP button before turning off all
the buttons (a button is still lit), the GROUP button
will blink, indicating that tracks are still grouped.
CAUTION
After ungrouping tracks, the positions of the physical
faders and the actual levels (values shown onscreen)
might not match. In such a case, when you move a
physical fader, the actual level will change to match the
physical fader value, and thereafter the physical fader
will controls the level. This might cause a sudden level
change and loud noise, so turn the stereo fader down
beforehand.
NOTE
After grouping tracks, if the group master fader changes
because the lowest numbered track is ungrouped or a lower
numbered track is added to the group, the track levels are
reset to their physical fader values.

Stereo position (panning)

Use the PAN knobs on the Mixer screen of each mono
track to set the stereo position of the track signal.
For stereo tracks, instead of panning, adjust the balance
(BAL) between left and right channels.

Track equalizer

Each track has a 3-band equalizer that can be adjusted on
the Mixer screen.
1. Press the MIXER button to open the Mixer screen.
2. Adjust the track equalizer.
The equalizer parameters are as follows.
GAIN
Setting range: ±12 dB
HIGH
(Default: 0 dB)
Setting range: ±12 dB
MID
(Default: 0 dB)
Setting range: ±12 dB
LOW
(Default: 0 dB)
Use track SELECT buttons to select desired tracks.
FREQ
Setting range: 1.7 kHz to
18 kHz
(Default: 10 kHz)
Setting range: 32 Hz to
18 kHz
(Default: 1.0 kHz)
Setting range: 32 Hz to
1.6 kHz
(Default: 100 Hz)