Tascam 2488 Owners Manual
Digital Portastudio
D00776200A
Ü
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert
ÿ
Ÿ
This appliance has a serial number
located on the rear panel. Please record
the model number and serial number
and retain them for your records.
Model number
Serial number
the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure
that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.
USER’S GUIDE
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK
HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS
APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1 Read these instructions.
2 Keep these instructions.
3 Heed all warnings.
4 Follow all instructions.
5 Do not use this apparatus near water.
6 Clean only with dry cloth.
7 Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radi-
ators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has
two blades with one wider than the other.
Grounding type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. The wide blade or the third
prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult
an electrician for replacement of the obsolete
outlet.
10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit from
the apparatus.
11 Only use attachments/accessories specified by
the manufacturer.
12 Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table specified by the manufacturer or sold with
the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution
when moving the cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.
13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.
14 Refer all servicing to qualified service person-
nel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way, such as power-supply
cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled
or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture,
does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
● Do not expose this apparatus to drips or
splashes.
● Do not place any objects filled with liquids, such
as vases, on the apparatus.
● Do not install this apparatus in a confined space
such as a book case or similar unit.
● The apparatus draws nominal non-operating
power from the AC outlet with its POWER
switch in the off position.
2 TASCAM 2488 User's Guide
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
IMPORTANT (for U.K. Customers)
DO NOT cut off the mains plug from this equipment.
If the plug fitted is not suitable for the power points in your
home or the cable is too short to reach a power point, then
obtain an appropriate safety approved extension lead or
consult your dealer.
If nonetheless the mains plug is cut off, remove the fuse and
dispose of the plug immediately, to avoid a possible shock
hazard by inadvertent connection to the mains supply.
If this product is not provided with a mains plug, or one has
to be fitted, then follow the instructions given below:
IMPORTANT: The wires in this mains lead are coloured in
accordance with the following code:
GREEN-AND-YELLOW:EARTH
BLUE : NEUTRAL
BROWN : LIVE
WARNING: This apparatus must be earthed.
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this
apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings
identifying the terminals in your plug proceed as follows:
The wire which is coloured GREEN-and-YELLOW must be
connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the
letter E or by the safety earth symbol ç or coloured
GREEN or GREEN-and-YELLOW.
The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the
terminal which is marked with the letter N or coloured
BLACK.
The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to
the terminal which is marked with the letter L or coloured
RED.
When replacing the fuse only a correctly rated approved
type should be used and be sure to re-fit the fuse cover.
IF IN DOUBT — CONSULT A COMPETENT
ELECTRICIAN
For U.S.A
TO THE USER
This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment
does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures.
a) Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
b) Increase the separation between the equipment
and receiver.
c) Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit
different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
d) Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV
technician for help.
CAUTION
Changes or modifications to this equipment not
expressly approved by TEAC CORPORATION for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate
this equipment.
TASCAM 2488 User's Guide 3
SAFETY INFORMATION
SAFETY INFORMATION
This product has been designed and manufactured according to FDA regulations "title 21, CFR, chapter 1, subchapter
J, based on the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act
of 1968", and is classified as a class 1 laser product. There
is no hazardous invisible laser radiation during operation
because invisible laser radiation emitted inside of this product is completely confined in the protective housings.
The label required in this regulation is shown in 1.
CAUTION
- DO NOT REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE HOUSING USING A
SCREWDRIVER.
- USE OF CONTROLS OR ADJUSTMENTS OR PERFORMANCE OF PROCEDURES OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFIED HEREIN MAY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS RADIATION
EXPOSURE.
- IF THIS PRODUCT DEVELOPS TROUBLE, CONTACT
YOUR NEAREST QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND
DO NOT USE THE PRODUCT IN ITS DAMAGED STATE.
Optical pickup: Type : SF-W35
Manufacturer : SANYO Electric Co. Ltd.
Laser output : Less than 0.7 mW (Play) and 74 mW
(Record) on the objective lens
Wavelength: 780 - 786 nm
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT
LASER KLASS 1
4 TASCAM 2488 User's Guide
Contents
1 – Setting up and introduction
Important notice
Copyright
............................................................9
An overview of the 2488
Setting up the 2488
Shutting down the 2488
Some general notes on using the 2488
The HD indicator
Saving songs
Navigation
Confirming
Escaping
SHIFT key
Changing values
Titling
Main menu
Home screen
Some notes on CD-R media
About CD-R and CD-RW discs
Handling of compact discs
Additional notes with regard to CD-R and
CD-RW discs
Never use a stabilizer or printable discs
Setting up your first song
New song
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Setting the tempo
Making the first recording
Recording the guitar
Lead line
Congratulations!
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2 – Mixer
Inputs and assignments
Checking assignments
Breaking assignments
Saving and loading assignments (QUCK
ROUTING)
The channels
Input channels
Digital pad/gain
EQ
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Effect send
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The fader/pan screen
Phase
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Pan
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Faders
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Mute
....................................................................25
Linking channels
Stereo bus
EQ
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Dynamics
Dynamics library
Fader
Output selection
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Monitoring
Monitor selection
Mono monitoring
Record source monitoring
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Monitor muting
Soloing and toggle
Sub mix
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Scene memories
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3 – Effects
Mic effects
MIC X 4
MIC X 8
Assigning mic effects
Selecting mic effects
Editing mic effects
Compressor (CMP)
De-esser (DSR)
Exciter (EXC)
Multi-effect
Assigning the multi-effect to a channel or
input
Editing the multi-effect
Modulation effects
Using the multi-effect library
Single effect
Single effect library presets
REV
DLY
CHO
PIT
FLG
PHA
GRV
Saving your own settings
Tuner
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4 – Recorder
First steps in recording (song management)
Creating a song
Loading a song
Saving a song
Reverting to the previously saved version of a
song
................................................................. 36
Erasing a song
Copying songs
Deleting unused space from a song
Protecting a song
Transport controls
Setting the playback position
Return to zero (RTZ)
Last Recording Position (LRP)
Jog positioning
Fast forward and rewind
During playback
From the stop position
Recording
Recording (ii)
Hands-free recording
Dropping out of record mode
Rehearsing recording
IN/OUT/TO points
Setting the IN, OUT and TO points
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36
TASCAM 2488 User's Guide 5
Contents
Locating to the points
Editing the IN, OUT and TO points
Markers
Direct location
Location marks
Active location marks
Editing the active mark
Using the location mark list
Repeat
Setting the repeat interval
................................................................ 42
................................................... 42
Direct location (i)
Direct location (ii)
Entering location marks
Giving a title to the active location mark
Deleting the active location mark
Locating using the list
Using the IN OUT and TO marks
Titling using the list
.................................................................. 46
Auto punch operations
Setting the punch points
LAST REC
IN -> OUT
LAST TAKE LOAD
Checking the punch points
Rehearsing the punch
Recording the punch
Checking the take
After finishing the punch
If you change your mind
Bouncing tracks
Making a bounce mix
About track editing
IN, OUT and TO
Entering the edit mode
Track editing functions
COPY -> PASTE
COPY -> INSERT
MOVE -> PASTE
MOVE -> INSERT
OPEN
................................................................... 53
CUT
..................................................................... 53
SILENCE
CLONE TRACK
CLEAN OUT
................................................... 51
.............................................................. 53
.................................................... 54
........................................................ 54
UNDO and REDO
Undoing and redoing actions
An undo/redo example
Virtual tracks
....................................................... 56
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Varispeed operations (pitch and SSA)
Pitch
.................................................................... 58
To use the set pitch
SSA (Slow Speed Audition)
To use the SSA
.............................. 58
.......... 57
5 – Mastering
Pre-mastering
Recording the pre-master
Exiting mastering
Checking the master
Exiting master checking
Trimming the master
Recording to CD-R
Recording to CD-R (TAO recording)
Finalizing the disc
Recording to CD-R (multiple tracks)
Playing back CDs using the 2488
......................................................59
..................................59
...............................................60
..........................................60
.........................................60
..............................................61
..................61
..............................................62
...............62
....................64
6 – Disk management and file import/export
Disk management
Selecting the active partition
Enabling and disabling USB
Formatting the disk
Reformatting individual partitions
Reformatting the FAT partition
CD-RW erase
CD EJECT
...............................................................67
File import and export
USB import (audio files)
USB import (SMF files)
USB export (audio files)
Disc import (audio files)
Disc export (audio files)
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................66
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7 – Backup and restore
Backup
Restoring
Using USB for backup and restore
..................................................................72
..............................................................72
Backing up
Restoring
..........................................................74
............................................................74
.................73
8 – MIDI
Internal module mode
SMF
........................................................................76
Editing the MIDI instruments
Tempo map
Tapping the tempo
Time signature
Metronome
Patterns
Deleting a section
Inserting a section
Copying sections
Selecting the drum kit
..........................................................78
...................................................79
..........................................................79
................................................................80
MTC, MIDI clock, etc.
MIDI Time Code
MIDI clock
Remote
...........................................................83
..................................................................83
.......................................76
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............................................78
.......................................81
.........................................81
..................................................82
6 TASCAM 2488 User's Guide
9 – General preferences
Global preferences
Key sense time
Meter peak hold time
Meter release time
Shift key behavior
Mixer preferences
Fader matching
Digital input
Recorder
User word
...............................................................85
............................................................85
.............................................84
..............................................84
10 – Specifications, etc.
Block diagram
Level diagram
Dimensional drawing
Specifications
Audio connections
Audio performance
Physical specifications, etc.
.....................................................86
......................................................87
........................................88
......................................................88
.............................................88
...........................................89
Contents
...............................89
TASCAM 2488 User's Guide 7
1 – Setting up and introduction
About this manual
This manual is designed to give you an overview of
how to use the features of the 2488.
Read it carefully to understand how the different features work alone and with each other.
NOTE
Throughout this manual we show controls and indicators on the 2488 like this:
Inputs and controls of other equipment are written like
this:
AUX IN
Messages shown on the 2488’s display are written like
this:
Are you sure?
We use the term “key” to describe a push-button control on the 2488’s surface.
We use the term “soft switch” or “button” to describe
an on/off control on the display.
Also note the difference between “disc” and “disk”.
When we refer to a disc, we are refer to a CD-R, CD-RW
or pre-recorded audio CD. A disk, on the other hand,
refers to the 2488’s internal hard disk drive, or that of a
connected computer.
.
.
The different sections of the manual are as follows
(arranged roughly in the order in which you will
carry out operations in a project):
1, “Setting up and introduction” (page 8)
This section. Read it carefully to get an overall picture of the 2488 and the basic operations which you
will find yourself using all the time. It includes a
brief tutorial to help you get acquainted with the way
to work with the 2488.
HOME
.
insertion, a multi-effect, which may be inserted to
give guitars, etc. some life, and a single effect which
may be used on mixdown. This section explains the
effects and how they work.
4, “Recorder” (page 36) The 2488’s 24-track
recorder incorporates many advanced features: location memories, rehearsal and auto-punch modes,
undo and redo operations, and virtual tracks. Read
this section to understand its operation.
5, “Mastering” (page 59) After recording, the
final stage is mastering. Use the 2488’s built-in CD
recorder to produce your own CDs.
6, “Disk management and file import/
export” (page 65)
puter, the 2488 internal hard disk can be formatted
and managed, with audio and MIDI files being copied between the hard disk and recordable CD media,
as well as a personal computer connected using a
USB 2.0 connection.
Like that of a personal com-
7, “Backup and restore” (page 72) To
ensure the integrity of your projects, you should back
up your song data to recordable CD media or a personal computer (through USB).
8, “MIDI” (page 76) The 2488 integrates into
your MIDI system as a master or slave device, allowing external MIDI devices to synchronize and play
with the recorded audio. In addition, there is an internal GM-compatible tone generator, which can either
be used to play backing patterns, or imported Standard MIDI files.
2, “Mixer” (page 21) The 2488 incorporates a
fully-featured mixer. Read this section to understand
how the input assignment, the EQ, effect sends, etc.
work, as well as scene memories and other information essential to the everyday operation of the unit.
3, “Effects” (page 31) There are three types of
digital effects included in the 2488: mic effects for
Important notice
NOTE
This product is designed to help you record and reproduce sound works to which you own the copyright, or
where you have obtained permission from the copyright holder or the rightful licensor. Unless you own the
copyright, or have obtained the appropriate permission
from the copyright holder or the rightful licensor, your
8 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
9, “General preferences” (page 84) This
section explains the settings you can make to personalize the 2488 for your style of working.
10, “Specifications, etc.” (page 86) The
facts and figures (including block and level diagrams) about your 2488.
unauthorized recording, reproduction or distribution
thereof may result in severe criminal penalties under
copyright laws and international copyright treaties. If
you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal
advisor. Under no circumstances will TEAC Corporation
be responsible for the consequences of any illegal copying performed using the 2488.
Copyright
Windows, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Macintosh, MacOS, and MacOS X are trademarks of
Apple Computer.
An overview of the 2488
1 – Setting up and introduction
All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Home key
Shift key
The “road map” above can help you find your way
around the 2488. At first, the array of keys and controls may seem a little daunting, but we are sure that
with a little time, you will become familiar with the
layout and operation of the 2488.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 9
1 – Setting up and introduction
Setting up the 2488
First, find a flat level surface for the 2488 which is
stable and can’t be jogged or jolted easily.
This should be a hard surface. Don’t put the 2488 on
a carpet or furnishings, as this will block the airflow
and possibly cause overheating.
You should avoid moving the 2488 while it is
switched on. Especially, you should never move it
while the HD indicator by the display is lit or
flashing.
Leave a little space at the back of the 2488 to plug
and unplug microphones, etc.
Before switching on the 2488, you should connect
the monitoring system (this term refers to the amplifier and speakers and headphones that you will use to
listen to your recordings).
TIP
When you are recording electric guitars and basses, etc.,
you can listen through speakers. When you are recording using a microphone, this may cause acoustic feedback, so you should use headphones at this time.
Most sound professionals recommend that you do not
use headphones for monitoring all the time, even
though they are very convenient and useful in some circumstances.
Plug a standard pair of headphones into the 1/4"
PHONES jack at the front left of the 2488.
Plug in and turn on the 2488. The power switch is on
the rear, by the power cord.
The display shows the “loading” screen.
Connect the MONITOR OUTPUT jacks on the rear
panel to your amplifier’s AUX inputs (or any inputs
except those designed for a record turntable). You
will probably need a pair of 1/4"-to-RCA cables for
this.
NOTE
The 2488 outputs balanced signals from the monitor
outputs. If you are lucky enough to have an amplifier
with balanced inputs, use balanced cables rather than
unbalanced connections here.
After about 10 seconds, the 2488 will be ready and
the
HD (hard disk) indicator stops flashing.
Adjust the display so that it is comfortable for you to
read, using the contrast control.
10 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Shutting down the 2488
It may seem odd to talk about turning off the 2488
before you’ve even started to use it, but there is a reason for this. The 2488 contains a hard disk which is
used to store your song data. If you simply turn off
the unit using the power switch, there may be some
data in the 2488’s memory which hasn’t been written
to disk and you will therefore lose that data when you
turn off the unit.
1 – Setting up and introduction
1 Press and hold down the SHUT DOWN key for
a second or two. The red indicator lights, and
the display shows an
2 Press the YES key. The HD indicator (orange)
flashes as data is written to the hard disk (the
display also shows this process).
Are you sure? message.
You should always use the
SHUT DOWN key before
turning off the 2488.
Some general notes on using the 2488
NOTE
When transporting the unit, always use the original packing
materials. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you
save all the packing materials that came with the 2488, in
case you need to transport it in the future.
In addition, when transporting the unit, you should tape the
disc tray closed, using an adhesive tape that will not spoil
the finish of the unit.
3 When all data is written to the hard disk, the
SHUT DOWN indicator flashes red. The dis-
play shows
SHUT DOWN COMPLETE.
4 Use the power switch at the rear of the 2488 to
turn off the unit.
NOTE
A “song” consists of not only the audio material that
you have recorded, but the mixer and recorder settings,
editing, etc. that you have made.
1 Press the MENU key, move to the SONG icon,
and press
ENTER.
The HD indicator This indicator, located by the
display, shows when data is being read from the
internal hard disk or written to it. You should avoid
moving the 2488 when it is switched on, in any case,
but you should never move or jolt the 2488 when the
HD indicator is lit, as there is a (small) risk of your
losing your data.
Saving songs To be sure that all your data is safe,
you should save songs manually at intervals (just in
case the power goes off unexpectedly).
2 Move the cursor to highlight the SAVE option,
and press
indicator lights, and when the song is saved
(progress is shown by an on-screen indicator),
the display shows the home screen again.
ENTER. The song is saved, the HD
Navigation To navigate inside the 2488 screens,
use the cursor keys to move the cursor.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 11
1 – Setting up and introduction
Confirming Press the YES/ENTER key to do an
action, to enter a sub-menu or to answer “yes” to a
question. We’ll often refer to this as just the
ENTER key.
or the
YES key
Escaping Press the NO/EXIT key to do the opposite
of confirming (that is, to “escape” from a screen
without performing an action, to go up a menu level,
or to answer “no” to a question). We’ll often refer to
this as just the
NO key or the EXIT key.
and hold it while you are pressing the other key, or a
latching key that stays on until the other key is pressed.
See “Shift key behavior” on page 84 for details of how
to make this change.
Changing values Use the JOG/DATA wheel
(we’ll just call it “the wheel” from now on) to
increase or decrease values shown on the screen.
Titling An important feature of the 2488 is the abil-
ity to give real names to songs, virtual tracks, effect
settings and so on.
Press and hold the
key to set or edit the title of one of these objects. A
popup appears allowing you to edit the title:
SHIFT key and press the TITLE
SHIFT key Many keys have two functions: the first
is written in normal (black) type, and the second is
written under this in white on a blue background (the
exception is the
HOME key, which works in shifted
or unshifted mode).
To access these second shifted functions:
1 Press the SHIFT key so that the indicator
lights.
2 Press the key whose second function you want
to use.
SHIFT indicator goes out.
The
NOTE
As the 2488 is shipped from the factory, if you press the
SHIFT
key and do not press another key within a second or so, the
you from accessing unwanted functions by accident. If
you hold down the
for the next key, it will stay on.
You can change this behavior so that the
becomes a non-latching key—that is, you have to press
SHIFT
indicator goes out. This prevents
SHIFT
key while you are looking
SHIFT
key
Use the left and right cursor keys to move around
inside the title, and the wheel to select a character at
the cursor position.
Use the
INSERT and DELETE keys to insert and
delete characters at the cursor position.
You can also use the up and down cursor keys as
“shift” keys, allowing you to select between:
•
CAPS—uppercase CAPITAL LETTERS
•
small—lowercase small letters
•
NUM—numbers
•
WORD—you can use the wheel to select from a
range of preset words (
VERSE, CHORUS, etc.)
The preset words can be edited to meet your needs,
as described in “User word” on page 85.
12 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
1 – Setting up and introduction
Main menu This is the “control center” for the
2488’s setup, maintenance and preference setting,
etc. operations.
Press the
Use the cursor keys to move around the screen, and
press
highlighted.
MENU key to enter the main menu screen:
ENTER when the function you want to use is
Some notes on CD-R media
NOTE
When the menu screen is active, you may not be able to
perform some operations on the 2488 (including transport operations).
Home screen This shows the track levels, current
position in the song, the current song and the total
number of minutes remaining on the disk for recording further material. Press the
screen:
HOME key to see this
The 2488 incorporates a CD-RW drive. To obtain the
best results when using this, please take the trouble to
read these notes.
About CD-R and CD-RW discs
The 2488 uses CD-R and CD-RW media, and can
also use CD-R and CD-RW Digital Audio media.
In this manual, when we refer to “CD-R” and CDRW” discs, we always include “CD-R Digital Audio”
and “CD-RW Digital Audio”, even when this is not
explicitly stated.
CD-R discs can be recorded once only. Once they
have been used for recording, they cannot be erased
or re-recorded. However, if space is available on the
disc, additional material can be recorded. The packaging of CD-R discs will include one of the following logos:
By contrast, a CD-RW disc can be used in much the
same way as a CD-R disc, but the last track or tracks
recorded can be erased before the disc has been
“finalized”, and the space on the disc can be re- used
for other recordings. The packaging of CD-RW discs
will include one of the following logos:
However, you should note that an audio CD created
using a CD-RW disc may not play back satisfactorily
on every audio CD player. It will, naturally, be playable on the 2488. This is in no way a limitation of the
2488 itself, but of the difference between the different types of media and the methods used to read
them.
CD-R discs created on the 2488, by contrast, may be
played satisfactorily on the majority of audio CD
players.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 13
1 – Setting up and introduction
Handling of compact discs
Observe the following:
• Always place the compact discs in the trays with
their label facing upward (compact discs can only
be played on one side).
• To remove a disc from its storage case, press down
on the center of the case, and lift the disc out, holding it carefully by the edges.
• Finger marks and dust should be carefully wiped
off the disc’s recorded surface with a soft cloth.
Unlike traditional vinyl records, the compact disc
has no grooves to collect dust and microscopic
debris, so gently wiping with a soft cloth should
remove most particles.
• Wipe in a straight motion from the inside to the
outside of the disc. Small dust particles and light
stains will have absolutely no effect on reproduction quality.
• Never use such chemicals as record sprays, antistatic sprays or fluid, benzine or thinner to clean
compact discs. Such chemicals will do irreparable
damage to the disc’s plastic surface.
• Discs should be returned to their cases after use to
avoid serious scratches that could cause the laser
pickup to “skip”.
• Don’t expose discs to direct sunlight or high
humidity and temperature for extended periods.
Long exposure to high temperature can warp the
disc.
• Only use circular compact discs. Avoid using noncircular promotional, etc. discs.
• To keep the laser pickups clean, don’t touch them.
For the same reason, don’t leave the disc tray
opened unnecessarily.
Additional notes with regard to CD-R and CD-RW discs
There are additional precautions that you should take
when handling CD-R and CD-RW discs, that are different to those that you should take when handling
ordinary CDs.
• Avoid touching the recording (non-label) side of a
disc on which you will be recording. Recording on
a disc requires a cleaner surface than playing back,
and fingerprints, grease, etc. can cause errors in the
recording process.
• CD-R discs are more sensitive to the effects of heat
and ultraviolet rays than ordinary CDs. It is important that they are not stored in a location where
direct sunlight will fall on them, and which is away
from sources of heat such as radiators or heat-generating electrical devices.
• Always store CD-R discs in their “jewel cases” to
avoid dirt and dust accumulating on their surfaces.
• Do not put labels or protective sheets on the discs
and do not use any protective coating spray.
• When labeling CD-R discs, always use a soft oilbased felt-tipped pen to write the information.
Never use a ball-point or hard-tipped pen, as this
may cause damage to the recorded side.
• Dirty discs may be cleaned using a soft dry cloth
and/or a commercial CD cleaning fluid or ethyl
alcohol. Do not use thinner, gasoline, benzene or
LP cleaning fluid, as these will damage the disc.
• If you are in any doubt as to the care and handling
of a CD-R disc, read the precautions supplied with
the disc, or contact the disc manufacturer directly.
14 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Never use a stabilizer or printable discs
Using commercially available CD stabilizers or
printable recordable discs with this player will damage the mechanism and cause it to malfunction.
Setting up your first song
1 – Setting up and introduction
NOTE
Never use a disc that has had a stabilizer mounted to it.
The residual adhesive may cause the disc to stick to the
mechanism of the 2488. If it sticks to the mechanism,
you will need a technician to get it out.
This first song won’t be very musical, but it will help
you get used to finding your way around the 2488.
New song
To make sure we start with a “clean slate”, we’ll create a new song.
NOTE
The 2488 is shipped from the factory with a new song
ready to for you to record. However, if the 2488 has
1 Press the MENU key, and use the
cursor keys to highlight the
item. Press
ENTER.
SONG
2 At the SONG menu, use the cursor
keys to highlight the
Press
ENTER.
CREATE option.
We really suggest that you do through these procedures—it will help you later when you come to do
more complex work with the 2488.
been used before, it will automatically load the last
song that was worked on, and you may need to follow
these instructions to create a new song. Normally,
though, this won’t be needed.
3 In the CREATE screen, press the SHIFT
key followed by the
enter titling mode.
TITLE key to
4 Use the wheel and the cursor keys to
give the song a name up to 12 characters in length.
Press
ENTER when you’re done. The
display shows the home screen.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 15
1 – Setting up and introduction
Setting the tempo
The 2488 has a built-in metronome. We’ll set up a
very simple 4/4 beat which stays the same all the way
1 Press the MENU key, and use the
cursor keys to highlight the
item. Press ENTER.
MIDI
SYNC/
2 Highlight the METRONOME option in
the
SYNC/MIDI menu and press ENTER.
Use the cursor keys and wheel to set
the
OUTPUT to INTERNAL, set the mode
REC, the LEVEL to 100, and press
to
ENTER.
3 At the SYNC/MIDI menu, use the cursor
keys to highlight the
option. Press ENTER.
TEMPO MAP
through, to drive the metronome and help you stay in
time.
4 Move the cursor to the TEMPO field,
and use the wheel to set a value (if
you want to tap a value, see “Tapping the tempo” on page 78).
EXIT when you’re done, to
Press
return to the
HOME screen.
5 Press the CLICK key. The indicator
lights orange.
Making the first recording
We assume that you’re recording the rhythm guitar to
start with, and that you are going to be recording it on
track 1.
Note that inputs on the 2488 are lettered from
through
H. Tracks are numbered from 1 through 24.
A
Input
H is special on the 2488—it is duplicated at the
front of the 2488 with an input for electric guitars
and passive basses (active basses should use a 1/4"
LINE jack at the rear of the unit). Only use this front
input jack for electric guitars (and basses) and do not
plug these instruments into any other jacks.
16 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Recording the guitar
1 Plug the guitar into the GUITAR [H]
input on the front of the 2488.
Then plug a pair of headphones into
PHONES jack on the front
the
panel.
2 Play the guitar, and adjust the level
TRIM control H so that when
using
you play a loud note, the
tor above the
very briefly. Then turn the
counterclockwise a little more.
If you want to tune the guitar using
the 2488, see “Tuner” on page 35.
INPUT-H key lights
OL indica-
TRIM
1 – Setting up and introduction
3 Press and hold the INPUT-H key so
that it starts to flash. While holding
it down, press the
channel 1. Now both these keys will
flash.
Now release both keys. They will
both be lit. This means that input H
is now assigned to track 1.
SELECT key of
4 Press the REC key of track 1. It
starts to flash.
5 Set both fader 1 and the STEREO
fader to the 0 position.
6 Adjust your listening level by using
the
MONITOR level control with the
MONITOR SOURCE set to STEREO.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 17
1 – Setting up and introduction
7 Adjust the tone of the guitar, by
pressing the
1, and then pressing the
8 Use the cursor keys and the wheel to
move around the display and change
values. The settings are shown as
numbers and as a graph.
SELECT key of channel
EQ key.
Use the on-screen
of the display (or press and hold
SHIFT and press EQ) to compare the
sound with and without the equalization.
SW on the left side
9 Press and hold down the RECORD
key and press the
PLAY and RECORD indicators above
the transport keys both light, and the
REC key of track 1 lights solidly.
PLAY key. The
10 The metronome you set up earlier
starts to play, and you can play your
rhythm part along with it, recording
as you go.
Press the
finished.
STOP key when you are
11 To return to the zero position, where
your song began, press and hold the
STOP key, and press the REW key
(marked as
RTZ—“return to zero”).
12 When you’ve finished recording,
press channel 1’s
track.
REC key to safe the
18 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Lead line
Now we can use track 2 to record the lead guitar line.
We’ll add an effect to the lead guitar to make it sound
a little more interesting.
If you don’t want to play through the whole song,
you can use the procedures described in “Auto punch
operations” on page 46.
1 Assign the guitar input (H) to track
2.
You can always see all the current
mappings by pressing
lowed by the
MAP key (use the cur-
sor keys to view the mappings for
tracks 13 through 24).
2 Play the song to a little before the
place where you want the guitar solo
to start. Use fader 1 to adjust the
level of the previous track.
SHIFT fol-
\
1 – Setting up and introduction
NOTE
You can also perform audio edits, cutting, copying and
pasting between tracks, etc. to correct small mistakes.
These operations are explained in “About track editing” on page 49.
Use the transport keys to move back
about five seconds before this. Press
and hold the
IN key to set a convenient location
SHIFT key and press the
point.
3 Press and hold the MULTI key, and
press the channel 2
assign the multi-effect to channel 2.
SELECT key to
4 Press the MULTI key again to bring
up the multi-effect screen.
Press
ENTER to show the library
choices, move the cursor to
PRESET to
select the preset multi-effect library.
5 Use the wheel to select the preset
multi effect. See “Using the multieffect library” on page 33 for details
of the effects available.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 19
1 – Setting up and introduction
6 Press the RHSL key to enter
rehearsal mode. When this mode is
active, you do not actually record
when the
keys are pressed (the
cator flashes).
RECORD key and PLAY
RECORD indi-
Continue rehearsing, and use the
key (without
the point you set earlier.
SHIFT) to locate back to
IN
7 When you’re happy with the solo,
press the
turn the indicator off.
RHSL key once more to
8 Use the RECORD and PLAY keys to
record the solo.
9 Press channel 2’s REC key to safe the
track.
Congratulations!
By now you should be familiar with the basic concepts of the 2488: how the inputs and channels work
together; how the mixer controls are accessed and
operated, how recording and playback take place,
and a little about the location and effect facilities provided by the 2488.
20 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Inputs and assignments
2 – Mixer
The 2488 has eight inputs, marked from A through H,
and twenty-four mixer channels.
Inputs
A through D are fitted with dual XLR-1/4"
balanced inputs and can be supplied with +48 V
phantom power for condenser microphones.
WARNING
Never connect or disconnect microphones to or from
inputs
A
through D with the phantom power turned
on.
Never use unbalanced dynamic microphones with
microphone inputs
turned on. If you are in any doubt, consult your local
audio expert.
A
through D with phantom power
Inputs E through H are suitable for line input, and are
fitted with 1/4" balanced jacks. An unbalanced “mirror” of H, with an impedance suitable for electric
guitars and basses, is provided at the front of the unit.
It is possible to record up to eight tracks at one time,
with the inputs being freely assignable to the tracks.
Checking assignments
When either an input key (or channel SELECT key)
is pressed and held down it flashes, together with the
channel (or input key) to which it has been assigned.
Also, if the
MAP key, a screen is shown with the current assign-
ments.
SHIFT key is pressed, followed by the
Assigning inputs is carried out by pressing and holding the appropriate input key below the
TRIM con-
trols (the key flashes), and then pressing the
appropriate channel
SELECT key(s) which will also
flash. It is also possible to reverse the order (press
and hold a channel’s
SELECT key and press the
appropriate input key).
An input can be assigned to more than one channel,
but of course a channel cannot be fed by more than
one input.
This shows an instrument (guitar or bass) plugged
into input
H being assigned to channel 1
The eight inputs are represented by horizontal lines,
which are joined to the channel labels at the bottom
of the screen by vertical lines when they are assigned
to the channels.
Breaking assignments
If an input or channel SELECT key is held down, the
assigned channel (or input) key flashes. Press the
other key to break the assignment.
Use the left and right cursor keys to change between
viewing channels
NOTE
Assigning and unassigning linked channels (see “Linking channels” on page 25) works in much the same way
as for single channels. Pressing one
linked channel pair is typically the same as pressing
both together.
1 through 12, and 13 through 24.
SELECT
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 21
key of a
2 – Mixer
Saving and loading assignments (QUCK ROUTING)
There are three “slots” that can be used to save commonly used routing assignments. These slots
accessed through the
QUICK ROUTING key:
1 Press the QUICK ROUTING key to bring up the
screen shown here.
The channels
2 Use the wheel or “up” and “down” cursor
3 Use the “left” and “right” cursor keys to select
4 Press ENTER. The routing assignments are
NOTE
If you save a routing assignment to the BOUNCE slot,
even if you are not in bounce mode (“Making a bounce
mix” on page 49), the 2488 will enter bounce mode
when this assignment is next recalled.
keys to select the slot to be loaded or to which
the current routing assignments will be saved.
LOAD or SAVE.
either stored (the home screen shows
briefly) or loaded (the home screen
routing
shows
Load routing briefly).
Save
Each of the 24 channels provides the following facilities:
• Digital pad/gain
• 3-band parametric EQ
• Effect sends
Input channels
Like the 24 track channels, the eight inputs are provided with phase, digital pad/gain, EQ, effect sends,
etc.
They are not provided with physical faders, but the
output from these “extra channels” can be adjusted
on-screen. Although these settings can be made at
any time, they are only effective when the inputs
have been assigned to the sub mix. See “Sub mix” on
page 29 for details.
Digital pad/gain
Press the channel’s SELECT key, followed by the EQ
key (this order can be reversed).
• Phase reversal switch
•Panpot
• A physical fader (which may be overridden by an
internal “virtual fader”)
•A mute key
• Solo facilities
In this manual we talk about “pressing a channel’s
SELECT key” to select the appropriate screen, often
this includes the
INPUT keys as well, even when this
is not actually stated.
Many times, there will be no need for these facilities
to be used on the input channel (there are times when
this is useful, though—see the sections on “Monitoring” on page 27 and “Sub mix” on page 29).
Use the cursor keys to navigate to the PAN /G AI N
area, and set the value to between
–42 and +6 dB.
22 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Usually, this value will be set to
0.
Use this to add volume to a quiet instrument or to
remove excess volume from a loud one.
When a channel’s
ing the
the
SELECT key of another channel will show
EQ screen for that channel.
EQ screen is shown, simply press-
EQ
Set the three-band equalization for each channel
using the same screen as the digital pad/gain (see
above)
On the 2488 channels, you can adjust the gain (the
amount that the signal is cut and boosted) by ±12 dB,
and the frequency (high or low) affected by the
equalization in three bands. The frequencies are (in
Hz):
Low (
L) 32 — 1.6k
Mid (M) 32 — 18k
High (H) 1.7k — 18k
Note that the frequencies are set in discrete steps; it is
not possible to set the center frequencies to intermediate values.
In addition, you can adjust the “Q” (the width of the
effect) in the center band from 0.25 to 16.
2 – Mixer
TIP
“Q” is defined as the center frequency of the equalization band divided by the bandwidth. A high Q value
provides narrow filtering.
As you adjust the equalization, the graph at the bottom of the screen changes to provide an idea of how
the equalization affects the signals.
TIP
You can press and hold the
EQ
key to “zero” (return to default setting) the
selected channel’s EQ settings.
There is also an on/off soft switch provided at the
upper left of the screen to allow A/B comparison of
the equalized and unequalized signals. Press
YES
to turn it on, and SHIFT + NO turn it on off (you
can also use the cursor).
SHIFT
key and press the
SHIFT +
Effect send
There is one stereo “loop” send (using the internal
effects) in addition two effect sends (using the external
EFFECT SENDS jacks) for each channel.
NOTE
Recording effects can also be inserted at the input
stage. See the section on effects (“Effects” on page 31)
for full details of the effect architecture and use. Such
effects are not affected by these channel sends.
Press the channel’s SELECT key, followed by the
SEND key (this order can be reversed).
For each effect send, there is a soft switch at the left
side of the screen. Use the wheel to set this switch
OFF or POST (post-fader) or PRE (pre-fader).
either
TIP
“Pre-fader” means that the channel fader does not
affect the level of the effect send, as opposed to “postfader” where the effect send level is affected by the
channel fader setting.
Set the level of each channel send (LVL) from 0 to 127.
This screen also allows the master send level (
to be set (again from
0 to 127).
MSTR)
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 23
2 – Mixer
The fader/pan screen
Press the channel’s SELECT key, followed by the
FADER/ PAN key (this order can be reversed) to bring
up this screen:
Phase
Use this to correct miswired microphones, etc. Outof-phase sources can result in unnatural EQ and a
“hole in the middle” stereo effect.
Pan
The pan position (PAN) refers to the stereo position
(left or right) of the channel in the mix.
Full left (“hard left”) is represented by
right by
R63. The center position, where the signal is
sent equally to the left and right is represented by
L63, and hard
C.
Here, you can make phase and pan settings and view
the fader settings for four channels at a time (linked
channels still count as two channels here).
The phase symbol (∅)shows the current status of the
channel: either normal (
N) or reversed (R). Use the
cursor keys and wheel to change these settings.
TIP
Press and hold
the highlighted channel’s pan position to the center. In
the case of linked channels, the pan position both of
the highlighted channel and the channel to which it is
linked will be centered.
SHIFT
and press the
PAN
key to reset
Faders
The faders cannot be set in this screen (except for the
inputs). However, it is possible to obtain a numerical
representation of the physical position of the fader, as
well as a view of the virtual position of the fader, if
this is different.
The minimum fader value as shown on screen is
(full cut), and the full level is
127. A level of 100 cor-
responds to the “unity gain” position of 0 dB.
Because the 2488 supports the storage and recall of
scenes (see “Scene memories” on page 29), as well
as MIDI control of the faders and other mixer controls, it may sometimes happen that the physical
fader position is not the same as the internal “virtual”
fader level, as set by the software control.
0
See “Fader matching” on page 84 for an explanation
of the different ways in which the physical and virtual faders can be set to interact.
In order to reconcile the physical position with the
virtual position, a process known as nulling must be
carried out.
1 Press and hold the SHIFT key and press the
NULL key:
24 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
2 – Mixer
2 In this screen, the physical faders are repre-
sented with side-pointing triangles beside
them representing the virtual fader positions.
Mute
The MUTE keys for each channel also serve as solo
keys (see “Soloing and toggle” on page 29).
Linking channels
Stereo linking provides a way of controlling two
channels (usually, but not always, a stereo pair) with
one set of controls.
Controls shared by linked channels are:
• Fader (the left fader of the pair controls the level
for both channels)
•EQ
• Digital pad/gain
• Effect send levels and pre/post position
•
SELECT keys
Record arming, muting and soloing are carried out
separately for each linked pair.
Pan and phase are linked, but these can be changed
independently after linking.
Above each on-screen fader whose position
does not correspond to that of the internal virtual fader, there is an arrow pointing either up
or down, depending on whether the physical
fader must be moved up or down to null it.
A fader which is nulled (faders 15+16 in the
screen above) has no triangle above it.
When a channel’s MUTE key is pressed (when soloing is not active), the orange indicator lights, and the
sound from that channel is not sent to the stereo bus.
The channel’s recording source is also muted.
An odd-numbered channel can be linked to the evennumbered channel to its right. In other words, channels 1 can be linked to channel 2, but to no other
channel (and channel 2 cannot be linked to any channel other than 1).
Linking channels is done by pressing and holding
down the
to be linked, and pressing the other.
Unlinking channels is done by pressing the
key of one of the linked pair (both keys flash) and
pressing the other.
NOTE
It is also possible to link two inputs together in the
same way so that the EQ, etc. for each input is controlled in common.
SELECT key of one of the pair of channels
SELECT
Stereo bus
The stereo bus may be thought of as a special permanently-linked pair of channels.
The output from this bus can be monitored as the
STEREO selection (see “Monitoring” on page 27)
and is also as the source for mastering and rendering
the final mix (see “Recorder” on page 36).
At the final mastering stage, it is possible to add
equalization and dynamics to the stereo bus.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 25
2 – Mixer
EQ
Like the ordinary channels, the stereo bus has threeband equalization, with sweepable center frequencies, and variable Q for the midrange.
To access this,
1 Press the STEREO key.
Dynamics
The stereo bus has a stereo dynamics processor
(compressor or expander) available.
1 Press and hold the SHIFT key.
2 Press the EQ key:
3 Use the cursor keys and wheel to select and
adjust the EQ parameters for the stereo bus.
Dynamics library From the screen above, press-
ENTER brings up the stereo dynamics library
ing
screen.
2 Press the STEREO key.
3 Use the cursor keys and wheel to select and
adjust the parameters for the effect. Note that
the last parameter is an on/off switch. When
set to
OFF, the dynamics processor is bypassed.
Use the left and right keys to select the
USER libraries, or to SAVE the current setting.
Use the wheel to select library entries and press
ENTER to load the entry.
If you save a setting, you can add a title to the current
stereo dynamics settings and press
as a user library effect.
PRESET or
ENTER to save it
26 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
Fader
Like the channel faders, the position of the STEREO
fader can differ from the internal setting if it has been
changed as the result of a MIDI command or a scene
recall.
Press the
bus fader screen:
STEREO key alone to bring up the stereo
2 – Mixer
In this case, the
fader level, and
value (as marked by the triangular symbol beside the
on-screen fader). In both cases,
up, and
100 is the unity gain value.
LVL value corresponds to the physical
INT gives the internal virtual fader
0 is full cut, 127 is full
Output selection
A pair of tracks can be routed for direct output
through the analog
DIGITAL OUT).
Usually, the
OFF (that is, the stereo bus is the signal output from
DIRECT OUTPUT parameter should be set to
STEREO OUT terminals (and the
these terminals).
Monitoring
Monitoring is a vital part of the whole recording and
production process. The 2488 provides stereo monitoring facilities through an external amplifier/speakers combination, as well as headphones.
However, you can use the wheel to select a pair of
tracks for output from these terminals, though.
NOTE
When this function is on, the channel and stereo faders
have no effect.
The level for these two monitoring systems is set
using the
MONITOR LEVEL control.
This monitoring level is affected by the level from
the
STEREO fader, but does not affect the level of the
stereo bus.
Monitor selection
As well as the stereo bus, it is possible to monitor the
sub mix (see “Sub mix” on page 29), the effect loop,
and the two effect sends (one in each channel), which
are all shown by indicators; as well as turning off the
monitoring, when no indicator is lit.
Monitoring the loop and effect sends is useful when
you want to check the exact mix (as created by the
effect sends) of the signals being sent to the effects.
Use the
MONITOR SELECT key to cycle through the
selections.
TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide 27
2 – Mixer
Mono monitoring
Typically monitoring is carried out in stereo, echoing
the stereo bus. However, there may be times when
you want to check what the mix sounds like in mono.
1 Press the shifted MONITOR SOURCE key.
While the monitoring is in mono, the appropriate monitor selection indicator flashes.
Record source monitoring
Record source monitoring is a feature of the 2488. It
allows monitoring of the input sources rather than the
monitoring coming from the mixer channels.
This has a number of advantages as can be seen when
we examine a highly simplified block diagram.
The signal is passed through the input section, to the
track. From there, it is passed through the channel.
Input Channel
Typically, monitoring is done from the track, and
therefore any effects and EQ added to the channel, as
well as any effects, EQ added to the input, will be
monitored.
Sometimes, however, it’s a good idea to record “dry”
(that is, with no effect). An effect setting, for example, which sounds fine during recording, may clash
with another effect added later on in the project.
However, singers and other performers often like to
hear the effects in their headphones (it helps with the
recording in many cases). The answer is to add some
effects to the channel, allowing the artiste to hear the
effected sound. Meanwhile, the sound is actually
recorded dry.
This presents a minor problem, though; the effect
may mask any imperfections in the source material
Track
Use the
MONITOR SOURCE key to turn off
mono monitoring.
recording process, and it’s a good idea to be able to
monitor the “dry” signal sometimes.
This is where the record source monitoring comes in.
As you can see from the illustration below, the usual
monitoring source is the channel.
Input
"dry"
Track
Usual Monitoring Mode
Input
"dry"
Monitoring
Track
Record Source Monitoring
Channel
(+ FX)
Monitoring
Channel
(+ FX)
Mode
In the record source monitor mode, the source is the
input.
1 Simply press the RECORD SOURCE
MONITOR
record source monitoring is in operation.
Note that this only applies to monitoring the
STEREO bus, not to the sub mix or the effect sends
or loops.
key. The indicator lights when
Monitor muting
When recording with microphones, the microphones
and speakers should not be in the same space, as this
will cause feedback. If you are using the microphone
in the same room as the 2488, you should then use
headphones when monitoring.
28 TASCAM 2488 User’s Guide
The monitor MUTE key allows you to cut the output
to the monitor amplifier/speakers, while still monitoring through headphones. The
MUTE indicator
lights when muting is active.
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