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Tascam HS-P82 End User Guide
for Film/Video Applications
By Fred Ginsburg CAS PhD
Introduction
This Guide to the Tascam HS-P82 and companion RC-F82 is intended to provide the new user a concise
review of the operation and setup of this portable multitrack recorder, along with explanations and a
suggested workflow for professional film/video applications.
It is not meant to replace the comprehensive Owners Manuals provided with the equipment, but rather
to supplement those documents.
Part 1 deals with the basic setup of the recorder. Part 2 covers recording with the unit, stand alone,
without a mixing board. Part 3 discusses using the recorder with an external mixer, and Part 4 deals with
the use of the Tascam companion fader controller.
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Table of Contents
Related Manuals for Tascam HS-P82
Summary of Contents for Tascam HS-P82
- Page 1 By Fred Ginsburg CAS PhD Introduction This Guide to the Tascam HS-P82 and companion RC-F82 is intended to provide the new user a concise review of the operation and setup of this portable multitrack recorder, along with explanations and a suggested workflow for professional film/video applications.
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Page 2: Part 1: Basic Setup
Page 2 of 29 Part 1: Basic Setup This section is an introduction to the basic operation of the Tascam HS-P82 recorder itself. These steps will guide you through the initial setup of the machine and explain the primary touchscreens and controls that you will need for film/video applications. - Page 3 Page 3 of 29 Format your CF card After powering up the unit, press MENU button. Select CF/USB MANAGE screen. Full format the first time you are using a new or used card. It can take a while, so do this BEFORE you arrive on set. Subsequently, just use the quick format button.
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Page 4: System Setup
Page 4 of 29 activate the Mirror Record function. I recommend that you use two compact flash cards of the same manufacture and read/write specs to insure the best results. Error messages may occur otherwise; as well as if there is not enough memory remaining on one of the cards. The Home screen shows the status of both CF cards. - Page 5 Page 5 of 29 Reference Level: These settings do two functions. Not only do they set the record level of the tone generator (which is normally set to -20dB), but it also controls the level for your analog “line level input” such as when you plug in an external mixing panel.
- Page 6 Page 6 of 29 It is your responsibility to make sure that you record in the correct format and frame rate, so ask the Post Production Supervisor for the correct settings to use. NEVER GUESS. NEVER ASSUME. Different editing houses and labs may prefer different settings according to their software and in-house workflow. If you are selecting the pull-down or pull-up rate (48k +/-), you can select the FAKE RATE button in order to stamp a 48k label onto a file in order to fool some recorders into performing a pull-up or pull-down in order to sync up with some sprocketed FILM projects.
- Page 7 Page 7 of 29 Sync T/C Press the MENU button, and select Sync T/C. This is where you set your timecode details. Note that the timecode frame rate was already set when you selected your FRAME RATE during Project creation. Go to the TIMECODE tab.
- Page 8 (default factory setting) Note that the HS-P82 will subsequently ignore external timecode, unless you switch modes to something else and back again. This is the main difference to JAM SYNC.
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Page 9: Panel Lock Function
Page 9 of 29 The CLOCK tab is for indicating whether the timecode signal is locking to the internal clock (default), word or video sync, or AES. Usually, just leave it on INTERNAL clock, unless you are doing something advanced. Panel Lock Function Depress the HOME button and then the MENU button while still depressing the HOME button, and the panel LOCK/UNLOCK screen will appear. -
Page 10: Meter Setup
Page 10 of 29 Note that you can also enable/disable record tracks from the HOME screen, as well. Just select the REC TRACK tab at the bottom of the screen. This is where you would normally access the tracks during a production session, after the initial setting up. The FILE FORMAT tab allows you to select mono (default)or poly formats for your tracks, the bit rate (16 or 24), mono file placement (subfolder is the default), max file size (2GB is default), and whether the file is split (default) or stays intact when you hit the pause button. - Page 11 Page 11 of 29 Start with the Setup tab. You can assign a name to any track for your convenience. For example, you could rename Track 1 as “Boom” Channel Link is for linking a stereo microphone so that one set of controls spans over two input channels.
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Page 12: Channel Setup
Page 12 of 29 Channel Setup From the MENU button, select the Channel Setup window. The Channel Setup window is a fast and convenient way to control the settings for each input channel, and is the best way to work with your channel settings during a session. -
Page 13: Updating The Firmware Version
Updating the Firmware Version One of the best features of the Tascam HS-P82 is the ability to update your firmware to the latest version. The engineers are continually improving on the basic design, and adding new features as well as shortcuts to simplify the workflow. -
Page 14: Xlr Inputs
Page 14 of 29 XLR Inputs On the right side of the Tascam are 8 XLR inputs and two XLR line level outputs. Plug your source devices into the inputs 1-8. Alongside each input is a physical switch to select normal mic level; strongly attenuated mic level (-25dB);... -
Page 15: Home Screen
Page 15 of 29 HOME screen As you might imagine, the HOME screen is where most of your recording activity will take place. The root HOME screen shows meters for input channels 1-8 as well as the LR master mixdown. The REC TRACK tab allows you to arm/disarm any track for recording. -
Page 16: Solo Mode
Page 16 of 29 Another way to edit the NEXT TAKE NAME is from the tab of that label. When you access the take name from its own tab, you cannot accidently arm/disarm an input channel. Otherwise, the screen is similar. Use whatever screen you feel comfortable with. -
Page 17: Setting Your Recording Levels
Page 17 of 29 The default setting for SOLO, in the System Setup screen, is SINGLE. That means only one channel at a time can be solo monitored. If you change the solo mode to MIX, then it is possible to highlight and monitor as many channels simultaneously as you want to. - Page 18 Page 18 of 29 Recording on the HS-P82 To begin recording, depress the physical button on the right of the display marked RECORD. To end recording, press STOP. To record the next take, just press RECORD again. The take number automatically increments.
- Page 19 The following is being recorded with 8 tracks of iso and a 2-track Production mixdown on the Tascam HS-P82 digital recorder at 16bit, 48K (or whatever your format is) at 23.976 timecode (or whatever your timecode rate is). ...
- Page 20 Page 20 of 29 New Take, New Scene As explained before, the take numbers will increment automatically every time you RECORD and STOP. In addition, you can manually change the number for the next take by using the tab at the bottom of the root HOME screen.
- Page 21 This section will provide practical advice for when you employ an external mixing panel in conjunction with the Tascam HS-P82 recorder. It is very rare in professional filmmaking to record & mix your mics directly into a recorder – without the enhanced control of a mixing board.
- Page 22 Page 22 of 29 Set the inputs of the Tascam to LINE LEVEL. The MAIN out as well as the DIRECT OUT of the mixer are almost always line level out. If for some reason your mixer is NOT line level out, then set the Tascam inputs accordingly to MIC or MIC ATTENUATED.
- Page 23 Page 23 of 29 Generate reference tone in your mixer to zero VU level on an analog board, or appropriately lower on a fully digital unit; and read the corresponding levels on the Tascam. They should read around –20dB to –15dB.
- Page 24 Page 24 of 29 Part 4: Recording with the Tascam RC-F82 Fader Unit An excellent alternative to the use of an external mixing panel is to use Tascam’s companion RC-F82 remote Fader Unit. The F82 is technically not a mixing panel; it is a remote controller for the recorder. That being said, for all intents and purposes, it serves the purpose of a mixing panel for our application! The unit allows us to control up to eight inputs and mix them down to the two master LR tracks of the Tascam recorder.
- Page 25 Page 25 of 29 input, or to control the output to the LR tracks. A dedicated knob for each input module is also assignable. For film/video applications, most soundmixers prefer to utilize the sliders for the output to the master LR tracks, and the rotary knob for adjusting the basic trim/gain of the input –...
- Page 26 Page 26 of 29 Connecting the RC-F82 to your Boom Operator To begin with, you will need either a professional duplex “boom operator” cable (equipped with a female XLR headphone feed at the panel end, and standard headphone jack at the operator’s end); or a standard XLR mic cable equipped with an XLR to ¼...
- Page 27 Page 27 of 29 Communicating to your Boom Operator Located directly beneath the label that reads TALKBACK is a button and a sliding switch. When the switch is in the OFF position, it means that audio from the live mix is feeding out to the Boom Operator. When the switch is moved to the ON position, it blocks the program audio and replaces it completely with your talkback mic.
- Page 28 Page 28 of 29 Master volume for the headphones is controlled by the headphone volume knob on the RECORDER. This signal passes into the Fader unit, where the volume can be re-adjusted by the phones volume knob on the Fader unit. Once you understand this signal flow, you can see how it could be utilized to split the headphones feed at the recorder (say, for example, to transmit program audio to the Director or Script Supervisor on the set), and then still have capability of re-adjusting the volume for the comfort of the soundmixer.
- Page 29 Page 29 of 29 Before you begin recording with the Fader unit, you must set up its parameters. From the MENU button on the recorder, go to the REMOTE SETUP screen. (If there is no remote setup screen present, you need to update your firmware software.) The Remote Setup screen allows you to assign values to the four Function keys to instantly open some of the menu screens.
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