Playing Back Standard Stereo Prerecorded Taoes; Tape Type/Tape Length; Accidental Erase/Record Protection; Powering - Tascam PortaStudio 424 Owner's Manual

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- • Playing back standard (stereo) prerecorded
tapes:Tapes recorded on stereo cassette __
recorders can play back properly on the 424 if
: you set the track playback, tape speed, and
noise reduction type correctly. Tracks 1 and 2
roughly follow the standard "stereo" format, but
* tracks 3 and 4 use the "Side B" (reverse side)
tracks. So you must turn off Track 3- 4 playback _Side B safety tab
i to avoid hearing the flip side playing _"
backwards. If the cassette was recorded with safety tab
: Dolby B type noise reduction, the DBX switch
should be set to OFF. Tape Length
For the same reasons, tapes recorded on the Use the shortest possible tape for a given work.
Portastudio 424 will not playback properly on It is not unusual to play a tape 100 times before
stereo cassette recorders. Material recorded on you are finished, so select a cassette length
the 424 must be mixed down to stereo for final that is as close as possible to the length of the
distribution, program you plan to record. Cassettes C-60
length and shorter are often made from thicker
stock than longer cassettes.
The 424 needs the entire width of the tape to
record its four tracks, eliminating the option of The tape used in C-120 cassettes is extremely
recording on both sides (actually, it's both
directions). Therefore, you should decide which thin and can cause winding problems, crimping,
side (side "A" or side "B') you want to use and wrinkling, and other damage to the oxide
coating of the tape which will destroy your
use that side exclusively. It's a good idea to get work. Don't use C-120s in the 424. "*
into habit of consistently using the same side
on all multitrack tapes. Remember that at 2X normal speed, and the
"one-side-only" 4- track single direction format
Tape Type means that you have only 1/4X normal play
The Portastudio 424 is internally adjusted for time:
HiGH BIAS "Type I1" tape. This means that for
best results, you should only use tapes of this (approx.)
type. TDK SA, Maxell XL-II or equivalent
formulations are recommended. We strongly C-3O 7.5 min.
suggest that you select one good quality brand C-46 11.5 min.
_. and use it exclusively. The time you spend
creating your multitrack master is much more C-60 15 min.
valuable than the money you save by buying
inferior tape. The cassette shell essentially C-90 22.Smin.
becomes a part of the 424's transport. Poor
quality shells can cause wrinkles, snarls and
shredding of the edges of the tape with use. Powering the 424
Even small scratches on the tape oxide can
cause "dropouts = (temporary loss of signal)on IMPORTANT ! Only use the provided AC
one or more tracks. High quality tapes are less adaptor PS-P424 which is designed especially
for the Portastudio 424 and provides a
likely to cause problems in the long run. convenient connection and correct polarity.
Accidental Erase/Record Protection Should you attempt to employ an AC-DC
To protect a finished master tape, it is converter of any other brand or manufacturer,
necessary to punch out both record protect you will have to make sure that the connection
tabs. Even though you are recording in only one provides the proper polarity as shown by the
direction, the 424 uses the entire width of the symbols e-c.-e above the connector on the back
tape, as mentioned above. If, for example, you of the unit. Furthermore, the specified voltage
remove only one of the tabs, you could of 12 V and amperage of 1100 mA must be
accidentally insert the cassette into the 424 properly observed. Otherwise, damage may
backwards and erase all four tracks of the occur to the Portastudio 424 and such damaoe
master, would not be covered by the limited warranty
on the oroduct.
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