How To Mix Down; Punch-In/Out Procedure - Tascam PortaStudio 424 Owner's Manual

Punch-in or Insert Recording
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I HOW to Mix Down I
"Punching in" or "insert recording" is when you record over a small
When the four tracks are all recorded, the final step is mixing them section of a previously recorded track in order to fix a mistake or
into a standard stereo format. This procedure is known as improve a performance, while keeping the rest of the track as
Remixing or Mixing down. During this procedure the tracks are before. The mixer settings should be exactly the same as they
blended together and balanced to create the desired sound, were during the original recording.
; Connections 1. Connect the LINE OUT L jack of the 424 to the left line input of
the mixdown deck, and the LINE OUT R jack, to the right line
; _,_ input.
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I Punch-in/out Procedure I
Master level 2. Raise the MASTER fader to the shaded area between 7 and 8. The 424 offers 2 ways to initiate the punch- in. The first is with the
transport RECORD key, the second, with the remote foot switch.
Monitor source 3. Press the LEFT and RIGHT MONITOR selector switches. The
=o,,o_ CUE MONITOR switch must be UP. In the following example, we'll use track 2 as the punch-in track.
Preliminary 1. Either plug the source into Channel 2 if you're using DIRECT
"-'1-'-_._ recording, or turn the PAN control all the way to the right if
i Channel source to tape 4. Set all the INPUT switches on the four input channels to their
you're recording using RIGHT.
' _=,_._ center TAPE position. No resetting of the mixer is necessary if you're punching into a
-[_.L track you've just recorded.
Playback level 5. Press PLAY and, while listening to the tape play, use the Tape monitor 2. To hear the tape, use the TAPE CUE. Press the CUE switch in
channel faders to set each track's relative level for the desired the MONITOR switch rack. Press PLAY to play the tape. Turn up
balance. The channel 1 fader is being fed with track 1, the the TAPE CUE 2 control to the desired level.
channel 2 fader, with track 2, the channel 3 fader, with track 3, Live monitor 3. To hear the instrument, press the MONITOR RIGHT switch, and and so on.
play the instrument. You'll hear it together with the tape
6. Adjust the PAN controls to set each track's left-to-right position signals in the headphones, in mono (centered) if the MONITOR
for the desired stereo image. You may also want to use the EQ LEFT switch is Off/Up.
controls to adjust the individual tracks for the desired tonality. Adjust the PHONES and TAPE CUE controls for the desired
(For using effects, see page 25.) listening level of the headphones.
Stopping the tape will allow you to hear only the instrument.
Review 7. When the signal balance, level, and tonality sound right, rewind
the tape, and press PLAY again to check the result. 4. Set the TRK 2's RECORD FUNCTION switch to the RIGHT
position. The TRK 2 indicator will switch to light in red, and the
8. Rewind the Multitrack tape again. Put a blank tape in the respective meter will show the level from your instrument. If
mixdown deck and let it play for 10 to 15 seconds, then stop it your previous settings were disturbed, adjust the channel fader
and reset the mixdown deck's counter to zero. _ and the MASTER fader for a level matching that of the original
recording.
9. Press PLAY on the 424. _ Use the TAPE CUE 2 control to set the balance between the
Record level 10. Put the mixdown deck into its "Record Ready" mode, and adjust new signal and the recorded one in the headphones.
its input level controls for the desired record level.
11. Rewind the multitrack tape to the beginning of the recording.
12. Put the mixdown deck into Record mode then press PLAY on
the 424.
13. When the recording is done, stop both machines, rewind the
mixdown tape and listen to it.
If the mixdown tape does not sound right, make the necessary
corrections and re-do from the beginning.
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