Panasonic 744T User Manual

744T

High Resolution Digital Audio Recorder with Time Code User Guide and Technical Information rev. 1.04

1.8" HDD

2.5" HDD

Sound Devices, LLC

300 Wengel Drive • Reedsburg, WI • USA +1 (608) 524-0625 • fax: +1 (608) 524-0655 Toll-Free: (800) 505-0625 www.sounddevices.com

Table of Contents

Introduction

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Quick Start Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Powering the Unit Menu Navigation Basics Connecting Audio Sources Routing Inputs to Tracks Recording Parameter Setup Time Code Setup Recording Playback FireWire File Transfer

Front Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

LCD Display Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Left Panel Connectors and Controls . . . . . . . . . . 11

Right Panel Connectors and Controls . . . . . . . . . 12

Back Panel Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Input Setup and Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Input Source Selection Analog Inputs 1 and 2 Analog Inputs 3 & 4 Signal Presence and Peak Indicator Digital Inputs – AES3 Digital Inputs – AES3id (S/PDIF) Input Delay

Word Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Clock Master Clock Slave C. Link – Multi-Unit Linking

Input-to-Track Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Outputs – Analog and Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Master Output Bus Output Bus 2

Headphone Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Choosing Headphone Sources Setting Headphone Source Options Multi-Function Controller Behavior Headphone Favorite Selection Headphone Playback Mode Warning Tones

Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Output Meter Meter Ballistics Peak LEDs Tone Oscillator LCD Contrast & Backlight, LED Brightness

Sample Rate and Bit Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Sample Rates Bit Depths

Time Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Frame Rate Time Code Mode Jam Menu User Bits NTSC Standard Def Video Production

Audio File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

WAV / BWF MP3 – MPEG Layer 3

Recording and Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Recording Playback AutoPlay

Storage Medium – Internal Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Formatting Drive Repair Drive Type Drive Life Span Drive Replacement

Storage Medium – Compact Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

When to Use CF Formatting Testing Drive Repair Qualiﬁ ed CF Cards

File Naming / Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Scene Numbers Take Numbers

File Management and Copying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

File Finder Navigation File Directory Screen Setting/Clearing Flag Bits Automatic Flag Clearing Folders File Time and Date File Size Maximum File Copying – Between Internal Drives File Transfer – FireWire

Powering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery External Powering Charging Time Code Master Clock Battery

Firmware Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Version Information Upgrade Process

Setup Menu Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Built-In Presets User Setups

Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Speciﬁ cations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Connector Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Recording Time Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Uncompressed Recording Time in Track-Hours MP3 Compressed Record Time in Hours

Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Menu Navigation Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Warranty and Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Software License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

744T User Guide and Technical Information

Welcome

Thank you for purchasing the 744T. The super-compact 744T records and plays back audio to and from its internal hard drive or Compact Flash medium, making ﬁ eld recording simple and fast. It writes and reads uncompressed PCM audio at 16 or 24 bits with sample rates between 32 kHz and 192 kHz. Compressed (MP3) audio playback and recording are also supported. The time code implementation makes the 744T ready for any recording job—from over-the-shoulder to cart-based production.

The 744T implements a no-compromise audio path that includes Sound Devices’ next generation microphone preampliﬁ ers. Designed speciﬁ cally for high bandwidth, high bit rate digital recording, these preamps set a new standard for frequency response linearity, low distortion performance, and low noise.

With documentary and ENG mixing engineers in mind, the 744T is very small, while still being feature-rich. No other recorder on the market matches its size and feature set. In addition, its learning curve is quite short—powerful does not mean complicated. While the 744T is a very capable recorder by itself, it truly excels when used in conjunction with an outboard audio mixer such as Sound Devices’ own 442 or 302.

Sound Devices took advantage of the best in professional and consumer electronics technologies to bring incredible feature depth with ease of use. Its two recording media (hard drive and Compact Flash) are highly reliable, industry standard, and easily obtainable. The removable, rechargeable battery is a standard Sony-compatible Li-ion camcorder cell. The 744T interconnects with Windows and Mac OS computers for convenient data transfer and backup.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the expressed written permission of SOUND DEVICES, LLC. SOUND DEVICES is not responsible for any use of this information.

SOUND DEVICES, LLC shall not be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized modiﬁ cations, repairs, or alterations to this product, or failure to strictly comply with SOUND DEVICES, LLC’s operating and installation instructions.

Microsoft Windows is registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

The sound waves logo is a registered trademark of Sound Devices, LLC.

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Quick Start Guide

The 744T is an extremely powerful and ﬂ exible portable audio recorder. Before recording, familiarity with the product is essential. Several settings should be veriﬁ ed or set based on individual recording needs.

Powering the Unit

1. Apply power to the unit by connecting the (included) removable, rechargeable Li-ion (lithium ion) battery to the back panel battery mount. The metal tabs on the mount line up with the electrical contacts on the battery. From the factory, the battery may not have a charge, so external DC may be needed for initial operation and charging. Connect the included AC-to-DC power adapter to the DC input plug to power and charge the removable Li-on battery.

2. Press and hold the power key (150 ms) to power up the unit. To power down the unit the power button must be held for one second.

If this is the ﬁ rst time the recorder has been powered, or if it has been without a battery for an extended period, the date and time may need to be set.

Charge the included Li-ion battery for 6 hours prior to initial use.

Menu Navigation Basics

The setup menu provides options for recording, routing, and control parameters. The one layer menu structure allows for very quick navigation and selection of functions. To enter the setup menu press the front panel key. Once in the setup menu, the following conventions are shared for navigating among selections and to select speciﬁ c parameters.

• - enters setup menu

• iitemh - highlighted menu item

•  - selects highlighted item or parameter

• - moves up in menu and between menu parameters

• - moves down in menu and between menu parameters

•  - exits the selected menu or menu altogether

• The stop key will exit from any menu and cancel any changes. Use it to escape out of the

setup menus.

The right panel Multi-Function Controller (labeled “Select”) is a convenient control to quickly navigate among menu items and item options. Its push-to-select function duplicates the check mark in most menus.

Connecting Audio Sources

1. Connect audio sources, either analog or digital, to the appropriate input connector.

2. When using either input XLR 1, set the appropriate input level—mic, line, or digital—with the adjacent

slide switch.

3. If mic-level inputs are used on XLR 1 or XLR 2, make certain that phantom power, input limiters, and high-pass ﬁ lters are activated, as required.

4. When using inputs 3 or 4, set gain levels in the setup menu.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

Routing Inputs to Tracks

Before recording, inputs must be assigned to tracks. Each of the 744T’s four inputs (1, 2, 3, 4) can be assigned to any of the four tracks (A, B, C, D). These sixteen possible routing combinations are shown on the front panel with 16 blue LEDs. Illuminated LEDs indicate input-to-track assignment.

1. Press the input key to cycle through factory routing presets. The 744T has six often-used presets for quick setup of input-to-track routing combinations. Note the routing combinations on the blue LEDs with each successive press.

2. If none of the preset routing combinations are suitable, assign a custom routing. Sequential presses of the input key will eventually cycle to the custom routing option (see Input to Track Routing, pg. 18).

3. Press Exit to leave input routing mode.

The custom input routing menu allows any input to be assigned to any track. Multiple inputs can be assigned to a single track.

Recording Parameter Setup

For most productions, the general recording parameters of sample rate, bit depth, media selection, and ﬁ le format are changed infrequently. Enter the setup menu to verify recording settings. Sample rate and bit depth are displayed on the LCD panel.

1. Select the bit depth as needed.

2. Set the sample rate as needed.

3. Select the ﬁ le format for recorded ﬁ les.

4. Select the storage medium (internal hard drive, Compact Flash, or both) for recording.

Time Code Setup

When using a time code workﬂ ow, proper time code setup is essential. Skip this section if time code is not being used.

1. Select a time code frame rate appropriate for your project. For ﬁ lm, typical the time code rates are 30 fps non-drop (US) or 25 fps (EU). For standard deﬁ nition video projects, use either 29.97 or 29.97 non-drop. For high-deﬁ nition projects, use either 23.976 or 29.97.

2. Select the time code run mode: free run, continuous jam, record run, or 24 hr. run.

3. Use the 744T as the master clock source and jam time code to all other recording devices. This will

assure that every device is using the same time reference. (See Time Code for additional information on time code setup).

Recording

Now that ﬁ le basics are set, you are ready to begin recording. The 744T is a record-priority box. Pressing the record key cancels all functions—except ﬁ le operations—and immediately starts recording a new ﬁ le. When record is pressed, the red record LED illuminates to conﬁ rm record mode. The ﬁ lename in the LCD display shows the currently recorded ﬁ le. Push the stop (150 ms) key to end recording.

Playback

When recording is stopped, the most recently recorded ﬁ le is immediately available for playback. Press the key to begin ﬁ le playback from the beginning of the ﬁ le.

To select a ﬁ le for playback:

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Quick Start Guide

1. Press and hold the key to select the volume for playback. The default playback directory is the present volume being recorded.

2. Use the Multi-Function Controller, or the arrow soft-keys, to navigate through the ﬁ le directory.

3. Once a ﬁ le is highlighted, press the

play key to begin playback.

When playback has ﬁ nished, the ﬁ lename will begin ﬂ ashing. Use the fast-forward key or rewind key to step through ﬁ les in the folder, or press the stop key to exit playback mode.

FireWire File Transfer

When connected via FireWire (IEEE-1394a) to a Mac OS or Windows OS computer (see Speciﬁ cations

for computer requirements), the internal hard drive and connected Compact Flash storage mediums are

mounted onto the computer as “letter” accessible drives. Use the appropriate FireWire cable, either 6-pin to 4-pin or 6-pin to 6-pin, for interconnection. Files on the 744T can be treated as if they are local ﬁ les, including renaming ﬁ les, copying, and playing directly from the 744T medium.

In general, it is good practice to copy all needed audio ﬁ les from the 744T to a computer before any processing is performed on the ﬁ les.

To connect the 744T for FireWire transfer:

1. Stop all playback and recording activity.

2. Make certain the 744T battery is fully charged, or connect to external DC.

3. Connect the 744T to the host computer with a FireWire cable.

4. The 744T will enter FireWire transfer, indicated by COMPUTER CONNECTION in the LCD display. All

functions of the 744T are stopped while the 744T is connected to a computer through FireWire.

5. Navigate the drives on the computer and copy all needed audio ﬁ les to the computer.

To avoid possible directory corruption on the 744T internal media, do not interrupt the connection process and always properly dismount the drives from the operating system. On Mac OS platforms, drag the drive icons to the trash. On Windows platforms, use the “Disconnect External Media” icon in the system tray.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

Front Panel Descriptions

All settings of the 744T can be accessed and monitored through the front panel LCD and navigation keys. This allows the unit to be placed in a production bag along with ﬁ eld mixers and wireless transmitters and receivers.

2 1

1) Digital Input LEDs

Indicates the presence of digital signal on the respective input. When ﬂ ashing, indicates that digital input is selected but no valid digital clock signal is present.

2) Input 1 Gain

Controls the analog gain (input trim) of the channel 1 input. Normal mic input range is from 25 dB to 70 dB, low gain mic range is from 10 dB to 55 dB, line input range is from −6 dB to 18 dB. For line-level inputs, this control can be defeated and gain can be setup menucontrolled. If the LCD display shows “locked” when the pot is turned, gain control of the line-level input is menucontrolled. When inputs are linked as a stereo pair input gain 1 controls the gain of both inputs.

3) Input 2 Gain

Controls input 2, as in #2 above. When inputs are linked as a stereo pair input controls left-to-right balance.

4) MENU Key

Used to access all 744T setup menu selections. When in menu mode, used to move up through the menu selections. Pressing the HDD and MENU keys simultaneously brings up the time code jam menu.

5 6

5) LCD Display

6) Tone Oscillator

7) Input-to-Track Matrix LEDs

8) INPUT Select Key

10)

7 8 9 3

15 16 17 18 19

14 20 21 22 23 24

Primary display of 744T status. The LCD is backlit using the LCD backlight control (#15).

Tone frequency, tone level, and routing are controlled in the setup menu. Press and hold to activate the tone oscillator.

Blue LEDs indicate inputs (1, 2, 3, 4) enabled for recording to tracks (A, B, C, D). A solid blue LED indicates an input is routed to a track. A ﬂ ashing LED during “custom” routing mode shows the selected input/track combination.

Pressing this key cycles through the six factory preset input-to-track routing combinations plus the custom routing menu. In the custom routing menu any input can be routed to any track. See

Input-to-Track Routing, page 18.

Level Meter LEDs

Four, 19-segment track level-meters indicate level in dBFS. Metering ballistics are selected in the setup menu.

Power Key

Press and hold (150 ms) to power up the 744T. Press and hold (1 second) to power down.

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Hardware Descriptions

11) Charge LED

Indicates the status of the onboard battery charger. Flashes when external power is connected and battery is charging; solid when battery is fully charged.

12) Power LED

Indicates the 744T is powered and available for operation. Flashes when the removable battery or external DC is in a low-voltage state.

13) Record Key

Starts recording. The 744T is a recordpriority box, pressing this key activates recording and discontinues all other functions, except ﬁ le operations. Pressing key while recording can set a cue marker or start a new ﬁ le, as selected in the setup menu.

14) Stop/Pause Key

Press (150 ms) to stop recording. In playback mode, a single press pauses

playback (play-pause), enabling audio scrubbing with the FF and REW keys. Another press of the key enters playstop mode where the FF and REW keys select ﬁ les for playback from the current directory. One more press of the key exits playback mode. In the setup menu the stop key is also used exit from any menu, returning to the main display.

17) Play Key

Plays back the ﬁ le displayed on the LCD. If pressed immediately after recording is stopped, the most recently recorded ﬁ le is played back.

18) Rewind Key

Performs reverse (REW) scrubbing through the played ﬁ le when pressed in playback and play-pause mode. Playpause indicated by ﬂ ashing A-time on LCD. Reverse playback rate increases the longer the key is held. In play-stop mode (indicated by ﬂ ashing ﬁ lename on LCD) selects the previous ﬁ le in the record folder (either daily folder or main folder).

19) HDD Key

Press to enter the directory listing of the selected storage medium (either internal hard drive or CF). Selected medium is shown in white type. Press-and-hold to toggle between available mediums. If only one media is present, press-andhold is disabled.

Pressing simultaneously with MENU opens the time code jam menu.

20) Headphone Output Peak LED

Indicates overload of the headphone ampliﬁ er. When lit, the headphone circuit is overloading. Reduce headphone level.

15) LCD Backlight

Toggles LCD and key backlighting. Hold down and turn the Multi-Function Controller to vary the brightness of LEDs. In menu mode, functions as the cancel key.

16) Fast Forward Key

Performs fast-forward (FF) scrubbing through the played ﬁ le when pressed in playback and play-pause mode. Playpause indicated by ﬂ ashing A-time on LCD. Fast forward rate increases the longer the key is held. In play-stop mode (indicated by ﬂ ashing ﬁ lename on LCD) selects the next ﬁ le in the record folder (either daily folder or main folder).

21) LIM LED

Indicates that the microphone input limiters are activated. This LED does not show input limiting activity (see descrip-

tor #27, Microphone Input Limiter LEDs).

22) Link LED

Indicates that channels 1 and 2 are linked as a stereo pair. In link mode the channel 1 potentiometer controls gain, channel 2 potentiometer controls leftto-right balance. Inputs can be linked as either a stereo L/R pair or as an MS pair.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

23) Media Ready LEDs

Indicates storage media is present and available to record; IN (internal hard drive), CF (Compact Flash), EX (external Firewire device) [EX not available in

ﬁ rmware version 1.x]. Flashing indicates

media problem.

24) Media Activity LEDs

Indicates storage media read/write activity. IN (internal hard drive), CF (Compact Flash), EX (external Firewire device) [EX not available in ﬁ rmware ver-

sion 1.x].

25) High-Pass Filter LEDs (mic-level only)

Indicates that the high-pass (low-cut) ﬁ lter is active for the individual channel.

26) Phantom Power LEDs

Indicates phantom power (48 V) is active for the individual channel.

27) Microphone Input Limiter LEDs

Illuminates orange when limiting is occurring on the microphone input. If constantly lit, the microphone input is being “hit” with too high of a signal. Turn down the input sensitivity until limiting occurs infrequently.

28) Input Signal Presence LEDs

Indicates presence of analog or digital signal and its relative level on each of the four inputs.

29) Input Peak (Overload) LED

Indicates analog signal is approaching clipping (–3 dBFS) on each of the four inputs.

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

LCD Display Descriptions

Hardware Descriptions

1) Battery Level Indicator

Shows voltage level of removable battery or external power sources. External power overrides internal power when present. Graphical bar for relative level and numeric indicator for precise voltage measurement.

2) File Name Display

Shows ﬁ le name actively being recorded or played back. In playback-stop mode, ﬂ ashing ﬁ le name indicates that the fastforward and rewind keys are available for stepping through ﬁ les in the current playback directory.

3) Absolute Time (A-time) Display

Shows the elapsed time of the ﬁ le being recorded or played back. Flashes in playback pause mode. In this mode the FF/REW keys will scrub through an open audio ﬁ le.

4) Time & Date Display

Alternating display between the set date and time of the 744T. This information is written as the creation date for generated audio ﬁ les.

9 10

4 2 3

8 7

6) Sample Rate Indicator

Shows the set record sample rate. In playback, shows the ﬁ le sample rate.

7) Time Code Rate

Shows the set time code frame rate. If a ﬁ le has time code information embedded, the playback frame rate is indicated. If external time code is connected and the external rate differs from the rate set internally, the time code rate will ﬂ ash.

8) Headphone Source Display

Indicates the source for headphone output. Sources and selection order are user selectable in the setup menus.

9) Time Code Display

In stop and record, shows the time code generated by the 744T. In play mode, the display shows the play ﬁ le’s time code information (if available). If non-time code ﬁ les are playing, the display shows dashes.

5) Bit Depth Indicator

Shows the set record bit depth. In playback, shows the ﬁ le bit depth.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

10) External Media Space Status

(space remaining/record ready)

Not available on version 1.x ﬁ rmware. Bar

graph indicates amount of record time remaining on the external FireWire volume. Numbers show time in hours and minutes based on the presently selected number of record tracks, sample frequency, bit rate, and ﬁ le type.

11) Compact Flash Status

(space remaining/record ready)

Bar graph indicates amount of record time remaining on the Compact Flash media. Numbers show time in hours and minutes based on the presently selected number of record tracks, sample frequency, bit rate, and ﬁ le type.

12) Internal Hard Drive Status

(space remaining/record ready)

Bar graph indicates amount of record time remaining on the internal hard drive. Numbers show time in hours and minutes based on the presently selected of number of record tracks, sample frequency, bit rate, and ﬁ le type.

15) External Digital Clock Indicator

The 744T is locked to a valid external digital or word clock source when the L is in the display.

For all three media types, an asterisk in front of the media descriptor indicates that the media is selected for record. Highlighted media descriptor indicates media selected for record monitoring, playback or ﬁ le directory display.

13) Input 1/2 Level

When control knobs are adjusted, indicates the gain level in dB for each analog input gain control. Normal mic input gain range is from 26 dB to 70 dB, low gain mic range is from 10 dB to 50 dB, line input range is from −6 dB to 18 dB. “Locked” will be displayed on the LCD when the pot is turned with digital inputs, and with line inputs with menu control.

14) Cue Marker Display

In record mode, indicates when cue markers are set. Markers set by pressing the record key (option must be selected in setup menu). In playback mode, displays cue points numerically as they are reached in a ﬁ le.

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Left Panel Connectors and Controls

Hardware Descriptions

1) XLR Input 1/AES3 Input 1&2

Dual function input connection. Input type set with switch above. Active-balanced analog microphone- or line-level input for input 1. Transformer-balanced two-channel AES3 input (1 and 2).

2) XLR Input 2/AES3 Input 3&4

Dual function input connection. Input type set with switch above. Active-balanced analog microphone- or line-level input for input 2. Transformer-balanced two-channel AES3 input (3 and 4).

1 8 7

7) Headphone Volume

Adjusts the headphone volume. NOTE: the 744T is capable of producing eardamaging levels in headphones.

8) Tape Output

Unbalanced tape (–10 dBv nominal) output on 3.5 mm TRS stereo connector. Signal source is identical to the Master Output Bus. Tip left, ring right, sleeve ground.

3) Mic-Line-AES3 Input Switch

Selects the input level and mode of the associated XLR input connector.

4) TA3 Channel 3&4 Line Inputs

Active-balanced line-level input connectors. Pin-1 ground, pin-2 (+), pin-3 (−).

TA3 Master (L/R) Analog Outputs

Active-balanced, line-level analog L/R outputs for the Master Output Bus. Program source and attenuation level are user selectable. Pin-1 ground, pin-2 (+), pin-3 (–).

Headphone Output

3.5 mm TRS stereo headphone connector. Can drive headphones from 8 to 1000 ohm impedances to required levels. Tip left, ring right, sleeve ground.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

Right Panel Connectors and Controls

9 8 7 6 5

1) Time Code Multi-Pin

Time code input and output on 5-pin LEMO® connector.

2) AES3id Inputs 1/2 and 3/4

Unbalanced digital inputs accept four channels of either AES3 or S/PDIF on BNC connectors.

3) FireWire (IEEE-1394) Port

Connection to a computer for access the internal hard drive and Compact Flash volumes as mass storage devices. Direct connection to Mac OS (X-only) and Windows (XP- and 2000-only) computers.

4) C. Link In/Out

RS-232 protocol interface on 6-pin modular (“RJ-12”) connector for linking multiple 744T’s together. Word clock, machine transport, and time code are carried on C. Link connector.

External DC In

Accepts sources of 10–18 volts DC for unit powering and removable Li-on battery charging. The Hirose 4-pin connector is wired pin-1 negative (−), pin-4 positive (+). Pin-2 (−) and pin-3 (+) are used to charge the removable Li-on battery. DC ground is at the same potential as chassis and signal ground.

4 3 2

Word Clock Input and Out

6) Provides clock input and output for the 744T. Word input accepts sample rates between 32 kHz and 192 kHz. Word clock out is rate that box is running. There is no sample rate conversion utility in the 744T.

7) AES3id Master Output Bus Unbalanced digital output, two-channel, for the Master Output Bus. Signal source is menu-selected and is identical to the Analog Master Output Bus signal.

8) AES3id Output Bus 2 Unbalanced digital output, two-channel, for Output Bus 2. Signal source is menuselected.

9) Multi-Function Controller When in the setup menu, the controller scrolls between menu selections; push enters selection or enters data. In record and playback modes, selects headphone monitor source; pus-h action user selectable.

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Back Panel Descriptions

Hardware Descriptions

1 32

1) Security Slot

Compatible with the Kensington Security Slot speciﬁ cation. Useful for securing the recorder to a ﬁ xed object with a compatible computer lock.

2) Compact Flash Slot

Insert Compact Flash medium with the label-side up. Compatible with Type I, Type II, and MicroDrives.

3) Battery Mount

Accepts Sony® InfoLithium L- or MSeries batteries. Also accepts batteries conforming to this mount. Numerous capacities, from 1500 mAh to 5400 mAh can be accommodated.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

Input Setup and Control

The 744T has four inputs and four record tracks. Inputs are selectable among analog or digital sources. Analog inputs 1 and 2 use XLR connectors; analog inputs 3 and 4 use TA3 connections. Digital inputs can be either AES3 (balanced XLR) or AES3id (BNC) inputs.

One analog pair and one digital pair can be used simultaneously.

Input Source Selection

Input sources are selected in pairs, 1, 2 and 3, 4. Each input pair (1, 2 and 3, 4) accepts analog or digital audio. The XLR input signal is selected with slide switch above the connector. Inputs 3 and 4 are selected from the setup menu.

Manually selecting the audio source is used to force the inputs to analog while using an AES3 or AES3id input to lock the 744T to an external sample rate.

Digital sources connected to AES3id BNC inputs override analog signals on the correspond-

ing XLR input. The BNC input signal type is set in the menu settings Input 1,2: Source and Input 3,4:Source. For most situations the appropriate setting is auto select—the 744T will choose

the input type based on signal present.

The 744T is capable of off-speed sample rates when clocked from either external digital inputs or the word clock input.

Input sources can be set to “disabled (power save)”. This option shuts down all circuitry associated with an input pair to save power and prolong battery life. When an input pair is disabled, the digital input LEDs associated with the pair will slowly ﬂ ash. In playback-only applications, both input pairs can be shut down to maximize power-efﬁ ciency and extend battery runtime.

Analog Inputs 1 and 2

Analog inputs 1 and 2, on XLR connectors, are the primary connections into the recorder. These inputs accept balanced or unbalanced mic- or line-level inputs. Gain control for mic inputs 1 and 2 is adjusted solely by the front panel push knobs. Gain for the line level inputs can be controlled by the front panel potentiometers or menu settings. Line input gain is available in 0.1 dB steps.

A digital input present on the BNC inputs will override an analog signal present on the XLR inputs unless the input source is set to analog in the setup menu.

In the setup menu, the following functions can be controlled for analog inputs 1 and 2:

Phantom Power (mic- and line-level inputs)

Phantom power (48 volts) can be activated for inputs 1 and 2. When active, phantom is indicated by front panel LEDs ( ).

Phantom power is available for both mic and line level inputs. Using line-level inputs with microphones is useful in extreme SPL environments such as concert recording. Make certain to deactivate phantom power when line level output devices are connected that are susceptible to damage from DC.

Shortcut: To toggle phantom power without entering the menus, press and hold the tone key then

press the menu key for channel 1. Channel 2 phantom can be toggled by pressing the tone key then

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

Input Setup and Control

pressing the HDD key. If the inputs are in line level mode, phantom power will not activate from the shortcut keys and must be activated from the menus.

Input Limiters (mic-level only) Microphone inputs 1 and 2 each have a limiter circuit designed to prevent input overload. In normal operation, with proper gain settings, the limiters should rarely engage. When activated, these limiters will prevent unusually high input signal levels from clipping the analog input stage of the preamp. The front panel LIM LED ( ) shows that the limiter is engaged. Limiter activity is indicated by additional front panel LEDs, one for each input channel ( ). The input limiters are active only with mic-level inputs. The limiters are engaged by (factory) default.

When limiters are engaged, audio on channels 1 and 2 is limited to −6 dBFS.

Microphone-Level Control Microphone gain is controlled by the front panel recessed knobs. The gain control adjusts an analog gain stage and is identical to the input trim on a mixing console or stand-alone microphone preampliﬁ er.

Line-Level Gain Control

When in line-level position, the gain for inputs 1 and 2 is controlled by the front panel recessed knobs or by a menu sensitivity setting. When set for front panel control, the user menu selection for input 1 and 2 line input sensitivity are lined out and not accessible.

Input Linking (mic- and line-level) Analog inputs 1 and 2 can be linked as a stereo pair. When linked, the channel 1 front panel potentiometer controls the signal level of both inputs, and the channel 2 pot controls the left-to-right balance of the pair. When the inputs are linked, their peak limiters are linked, as well.

When set as an MS pair, the inputs gain and balance for the pair work the same as stereo linking. There is no stereo width control as an MS pair since gain is adjusted.

High-Pass Filters (microphone-level only)

The high pass ﬁ lters on the microphone inputs use a combination of analog and digital ﬁ lters to reduce sensitivity to low frequency signals. When the high-pass is engaged on an input, its front-panel LED illuminates to indicate it is active ( ). The ﬁ rst pole of the high-pass circuit is an analog ﬁ lter at 40 Hz, 6 dB per octave and is part of the microphone preampliﬁ er circuit. Additional poles of high-pass ﬁ ltering are done in DSP.

Several frequency and slope combinations are selectable, including corner frequencies of 40, 80, 160, or 240 Hz, and ﬁ lter slopes of 12 dB, 18 dB, or 24 dB per octave. The high-pass is selected in the setup menu for each input independently.

Shortcut: The ﬁ lters can be toggled with a two-key combination. Press and hold the LCD back-

light key and press the menu key for channel 1 high-pass. Press and hold the LCD backlight key and press the HDD key to toggle channel 2 high-pass.

Gain Range (microphone-level only) The microphone inputs operate in two gain ranges, normal and low. The normal range is from 25 dB to 70 dB of gain. The low range is from 10 dB to 55 dB. The low range is useful for high SPL recording environments.

Analog Inputs 3 & 4

Appearing on TA3 connectors, inputs 3 and 4 accept balanced or unbalanced line-level signals. These inputs have few controls and are typically fed from the output of a mixer or preampliﬁ er.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

Gain (sensitivity) for inputs 3 & 4 is controlled in the setup menu. Gain resolution is in 0.1 dB increments.

Analog Line Input Sensitivity

Input level sensitivity for the line-level inputs is adjustable, in 0.1 dB steps, from -6 dBu to +18 dBu. While adjusting the input sensitivity, the meters will show the relative signal level present on each input on the meters.

While channel 1 and 2 levels can be controlled by either the menu settings or the front panel pots, channels 3 and 4 are adjusted only in the setup menu.

Signal Presence and Peak Indicator

The four signal presence and peak indicators show audio activity before input-to-track routing. Input signal presence LED’s illuminate when a -50 dBFS or greater signal is present. Input signal peak LEDs illuminate when signal levels reach -3 dBFS or greater.

Digital Inputs – AES3

The 744T accepts AES3 (AES/EBU) balanced digital at the XLR connectors. Digital inputs are in pairs—AES3 signals on XLR-1 appear at inputs 1 and 2, AES3 signals input to XLR-2 appear at inputs 3 and 4. To use the AES3 inputs, the input mode-select switch must be set to AES/EBU.

The front panel digital input LEDs will illuminate when digital input is selected for the in-

dicated track(s). If the LED is ﬂ ashing, digital input is selected but a no valid digital clock is received.

Digital Inputs – AES3id (S/PDIF)

The 744T accepts AES3id and S/PDIF unbalanced digital signals at the BNC connectors. The 744T will auto detect the type of digital signal and adjust accordingly. Input signals are in pairs, signals on BNC 1 appear at inputs 1 and 2, signals on BNC 2 appear at inputs 3 and 4.

AES3id inputs override analog signals present at the XLR inputs. To input analog audio while using the AES3id signal as a digital clock source, you must select analog in the input source menu selection for the appropriate inputs.

When a digital signal is present, the 744T will lock its sample rate to the source frequency. This is indicated by a highlighted block on the main LCD display to the right of the bit depth and sample rate indicators. Recording bit depth is not affected by the external digital source.

If you are locking the 744T to an external digital signal, be certain the source is stable. Loss of the digital signal will cause the 744T to revert to its internally set sample rate, even while recording. The portion of the ﬁ le recorded after the loss of signal may not play back properly. Once recording has begun, unused digital inputs are muted, digital signals that appear on them after the record key has been pressed will not be recorded or affect the sample rate of the 744T.

The 744T will clock itself to the ﬁ rst digital signal presented to it. If the 744T detects a digital signal on the BNC inputs and locks to that signal, a digital signal applied to the XLR input will be ignored until the ﬁ rst digital signal is removed.

Input Delay

A digital delay is selectable on each channel of the 744T. Delay time per input in one microsecond (µS) steps. 1,000 microseconds equals 1 millisecond (ms). The Multi-Function Controller and menu

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arrows are accelerated. The more you press or spin, the faster the delay setting will increment or decrement. Delay is not set until enter is pressed. The amount of delay available is dependent on the sampling frequency in use.

Sample Frequency Maximum Amount of Delay Available (per input)

32, 44.1, 48, 48.048 kHz 30,000 µS

88.2, 96, 96.096 kHz 15,000 µS

176.4, 192 kHz 7,500 µS

Input delay can be useful for time aligning input signals from differing sources. For example, digital wireless mics that have a processing delay in their outputs or recording a direct PA board feed as well as a live mic in the front of house space.

Word Clock

Stable word clock is fundamental to a high quality audio signal. The 744T uses a rock-stable time code crystal to generate its internal word clock frequencies. The 744T can clock external devices from its word clock and accept external clock sources for recording.

Word Clock

The 744T can be used as a master word clock source or it can lock to external word clock during recording. The 744T disregards external clock, both AES and word clock, during playback.

Clock Master

When sending digital audio to several devices, one unit is designated as the word clock master and the others should be slaves. Generally, the device with the analog-to-digital converter is designated as the word clock master.

The 744T can function as an A/D converter and can be used as the master word clock source. Slaved devices will derive their word clock timing from either their digital audio inputs, S/PDIF or AES/ EBU, or through their word clock input connection. As a word clock master the 744T generates word clock whether or not audio is sent.

Clock Slave

When using an external digital preampliﬁ er connected to the 744T inputs, the recorder can derive its clock signal from the AES (S/PDIF) stream (it will slave to the external device), or the external device can be slaved from the 744T (if the external device has word clock input). If, for example, you are using a wireless receiver with a digital output, it may not have an external word clock input, and will be the word clock master.

If digital audio is connected to the 744T from more than one digital device, you must word clock the sources to the same clock, otherwise variations between the sources will render their signals unusable.

If the 744T is slaved to external word clock, be certain that the source is stable. Loss of the word clock signal during recording can cause the 744T to revert back to its internally set sampling frequency. If this occurs, the portion of the ﬁ le recorded after the loss of word clock may not play back at the proper speed. For reliability, we recommend you set the 744T to the same sample frequency as the word clock source. Loss of the word clock signal in this case will most likely cause a glitch in the ﬁ le, but the ﬁ le will still be usable.

744T User Guide and Technical Information

To avoid digital loops, when using the word clock and digital input signals, you must make the 744T the word clock follower of the digital source.

C. Link – Multi-Unit Linking

The proprietary C. Link protocol (control link) allows multiple 744T’s and 722 recorders to be connected and word clocked together. When linked, the 744T units have a master/slave relationship. When the master recorder is put into record, the slave unit will roll as well. Multiple units can be daisy-chained together to record many tracks. The C. Link protocol links carries the following data:

• word clock

• time code information

• RS-232 machine transport data

master

unit

To link units:

1. Connect multiple units as shown in the illustration above.

2. Set all linked recorders to the same sample rate, bit depth, ﬁ le format, and time code frame rate (if

used). This will ensure that all ﬁ les generated are compatible.

3. If time code is being used, set slave units to continuous jam mode so that they will follow the master recorder’s time code generator.

4. Set scene and take numbers on all linked recorders to the same starting ﬁ le name. There is no ﬁ le name synchronization with multiple unit linking.

When linked, record start and stop on slave units will not affect units “above” it in the linked chain. This makes it possible for units to get out of synchronization if a unit other than the master is set to record or stop. Using the master unit will assure that all machines begin and end recording together.

The C. Link jack is a proprietary RS-232 port. Under no circumstances should analog or digital telephone lines be connected to either jack. Serious damage could result.

slave

unit

slave

unit

Input-to-Track Routing

The 744T uses a simple, yet powerful routing scheme. The microprocessor-controlled matrix allows any input to be routed to any track. Multiple inputs can be routed to a single track to create monomixed recordings.

The 4 by 4 blue LED matrix makes it easy to check your current routing at a glance. A solid blue LED indicates an input is assigned to a record track.

firmware v. 1.04 Features and specifications are subject to change. Visit www.sounddevices.com for the latest documentation.

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