Recording With Tape Sync - Tascam 488 PORTASTUDIO Owner's Manual

Recording with TAPE SYNC

Connections
Meter 8 function during
SYNC
488
The 488 has a SYNC feature that allows you to have your electronic
instruments play in sync with the tape. MIDI clocks are themselves a
computer type digital language and cannot be recorded on analog
tape ; it is necessary to convert them to recordable FSK (Frequency
Shift Keying) signals using an appropriate converter, such as the MTS-
30.
The MTS-30 is not a mere MIDI-FSK converter but translates MIDI
clocks into a FSK sync signal containing score "bar" information or
"Song Position Pointer", allowing the associated MIDI equipment to
stay in sync and follow the tape no matter where you move the tape
within a given song. The maximum stability or resolution of the
synchronization is ensured by a TEAC-exclusive error correction
circuit in the MTS-30.
The 488 has dedicated jacks for SYNC tones and can directly record
and read them without passing through the 488 mixer. A direct
connection between the sync tone generator and the 488 recorder
ensures that FSK won't accidentally leak into the audio, and unwanted
audio won't leak into the FSK tone.
1. Locate the SYNC ON/OFF switch to the 488's rear panel and set it
to ON. This defeats the dbx encode/decode for track 8 only.
2. Connect the TAPE OUT of the MTS-30 to the SYNC IN of the 488,
and the SYNC OUT of the 488 to the TAPE IN of the MTS-30.
When the SYNC ON/OFF switch is set to ON, the level meter for track 8
is switched to the SYNC IN jack and is active only when track 8 is in
Record or Record ready modes. In playback, the meter 8 will not
display.
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