Control; On/Off - Tascam Midistudio 644 Owner's Manual

For playback:
7. Connect the EXT
SYNC
OUT jack to the input of
the exte rna l device . To start with, set the EXT
SYNC OUT LEVEL to the
"3
o'clock" position (a
quarter turn below full output).
8.
Press PLAY . When tape reaches the start point, the
sequencer should start.
If you experience miscueing or problems (especially
while overdubbing onto track 3), try this trick: turn
down the EXT SYNC OUT LEVEL control unt il the
sequencer stops playing. Then turn it back up unti l it
resumes, and a little past that point . By turning down
the SYNC OUT LEVEL , yo u are also turning down any
other interference that may be going out the jack ,
putting it below where the externa l sync unit can be
confused by it.
SYNCHR ONIZING THE 644 TO ANOTHER TA PE
DECK
Machine synchronization is much more complicated
than MIDI synchronization. MIDI is done electronically,
while synchronizing two tape machines together involves
motors, inertia , and other factors in addition to elec-
tronics .
It also involves SMPTE Time Code, an audio tone
recorded on a track of the recorder the same way that
MTS sync tone is. But instead of MIDI clocks and Song
Pointer, SMPTE time code continuously issues the time
in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. A synchronizer
reads this time code from two tape machines at once,
then issues commands to the slave mach ine that cause it
to "chase-lock" with the master machine .
The 644 Midistudio is equipped with a seria l interface
port (ACCESSORY 2) that allows it to be either master
or slave when connected to the TASCAM MIDiiZER or
other synchronizers that support the TASCAM serial
MIDI Automation Section
In addition to the MIDI Sync capabilities, the 644 also
provides access to functions wh ich are achieved relying
on MIDI Program Change and Note On/Off commands.
You don't have to use any of them if you don't want
to . But you should be aware of the possib ilities . More
specifically you can:
• Use an "UP/DOWN" footswitch to issue Prog ram
Change Commands t o y our MID I instruments from
the 644
• Send Program Change comma nds from a MIDI
keyboard or other contro ller to change scene
numb ers of the 644
• Lis e note commands from a keyboard or sequencer
to individually mute and unmute the main channels
of the 644
• Set the MIDI channel of the
644
so it wi ll send and
receive commands on any MIDI channe l.
interface standard. A complete explanation of proce-
dures will be found in the manual for your synchronizer
but here are a few notes about recording and playing
back SMPTE that you rhust know.
Recording SMPTE Time Code
1. Take the TIME CODE GENERATOR OUT
of
the
synchronizer
and plug
it into
the EXT SYNC
IN
jack
of
the 644.
2. Set the
SYNC switcli
on the 644
to EXT.
The
yellow LED will turn on .
3.
Tu
rn the RECORD FUNCTION fo r Track 4 on.
4.
Set the
DI SPLAY 10
OUTPU T
so you can see the
tape level.
5. Set
the EXT
SYNC IN LEVEL
control unti l
Group 4's met er reads O d8 . Alternatively, the
t ime code generator may have its own output level
control.
6. Press RECORD and
PLAY. Press
START on the
time code genera t or.
for playba ck:
7.
Conn ect the
EXT SYNC
quT
jack to th e Time
Code
input
(either Master or Slave) of the synchro-
nizer. To start with, set the EXT SYNC OUT
LEVEL to the "3 o'clock" position (a quarter turn
below full output).
8. Press
PLAY .
The time code display on the syn-
chronizer or reader should increment. To verify
that the machine is getting time code (and not
counting tach pulses), temporarily unplug the
ACCESSORY 2 jack from the 644. If the reader
still is running, and it stops and starts as you stop
and play the 644 , you've successfully recorded
SMPTE .
T RANSMITTING MIDI PROGRAM CHAN GE
COMMA NDS FROM THE 644
Hookup
1. Connect a MID I cable from one of the MID I OU Ts of
the 644 to the MIDI IN of the instrument.
2. (Optional) Connect the RC-60P footswitch to the
REMOTE UP/DOWN jack of the 64 4. (Otherwise,
you can use the 10-number keys or the UP, DOWN
keys d irectly on the 644).
Setting the MID I
Channel
3. Press the SCENE/MIDI CH key until the MID I CH
indicator appears above t he scene number. Now the
number display will show the current MID I send and
rece ive channel : (omn i) ON , 1-16, or OFF (off,
wh ich makes th e 644 ignore all PC and note on/off
messages) .
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