Tascam 488 User Manual
TASCAM
TEAC Professional Division
488
5700123804
Table Of Contents
Safety Instructions 3
Introduction 4
The Recording System 5-6
The three steps to multitrack 6
Understanding the Mixer 7-8
Signal flow in the 488 mixer 7
Cue monitor system 7
Multitrack Cassette Recorder 9
Track Format and Tape Recommendations 9-10
Block Diagram 11
Brief Guide 12-15
Step-By-Step Operations Guide 16-24
Let's tray the 488 mixer 16
How to record on track 1 18
How to make an overdub on track 2 20
How to record all other tracks 20
How to record many sources
onto a single track 22
How to record multiple tracks
simultaneously 22
How to mix down 23
Using Memory Location Points 25-26
Loading MEMO points 25
Locating the tape 26
Repeat Play 27
PUNCH-IN or INSERT Recording 28-30
REHEARSE function 28
Punch-in/out procedure 28
Punch-in/out with RECORD 29
Using RECORD FUNCTION switch 30
Using the remote footswitch (RC-30P) 30
Bouncing Tracks (Ping-Pong) 31-32
Ping-pong procedure 31
Ping-pong in stereo procedure 32
Using Effects with the PORTASTUDIO 488 33-34
Setting effect send levels 33
Setting the output level of effect devices 33
Setting the mix/balance control
on effect devices 33
How to connect your effects devices 34
Recording with TAPE SYNC 35
Features and Controls 36-43
488 Mixer
Input section 36
Tape monitor section 37
Channel controls 37
Channel assignment section • 37
Effect send section 38
Stereo input section 38
Group master section 40
Monitor section 40
488 Recorder
Cassette loading and dbx system 41
Transport-controls 41
Track controls 42
Displays 42
Auto locators 3
Sync features 43
Care and Maintenance 44-45
Cleaning 44
Degaussing (demagnetizing) 45
How the dbx Works 45
Troubleshooting 46
Specifications 46-48
Level Diagrams 49-50
Optional Accessories 51
Safety Instructions
CAUTION:
• Read all of these instructions.
• Save these instructions for later use.
• Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the
audio equipment.
1. Read Instructions — All the safety and operating instructions
should be read before the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions — The safety and operating instructions
should be retained for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings — All warnings on the appliance and in the
operating instructions should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions — All operating and use instructions
should be followed.
5. Water and Moisture — The appliance should not be used
near water — for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen
sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming
pool, etc.
6. Carts and Stands — The appliance should be used only with
a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer.
6A. An appliance and cart combination should be moved with
care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may
cause the appliance and cart combination to overturn.
7. Wall or Ceiling Mounting - The appliance should be mount¬
ed to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manu¬
facturer.
8. Ventilation — The appliance should be situated so that its
location or position does not interfere with its proper venti¬
lation. For example, the appliance should not be situated
on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block the
ventilation openings; or, placed in a built-in installation,
such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of
air through the ventilation openings.
9. Heat — The appliance should be situated away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
10. Power Sources — The appliance should be connected to a
power supply only of the type described in the operating in¬
structions or as marked on the appliance.
11. Grounding or Polarization — The precautions that should
be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an
appliance is not defeated.
12. Power-Cord Protection — Power-supply cords should be
routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinch¬
ed by items placed upon or against them, paying particular
attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and
the point where they exit from the appliance.
13. Cleaning — The appliance should be cleaned only as recom¬
mended by the manufacturer.
14. Power Lines — An outdoor antenna should be located away
from power lines.
15. Outdoor Antenna Grounding — If an outside antenna is
connected to the receiver, be sure the antenna system is
grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage
surges and built up static charges. Section 810 of the
National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA No. 70 - 1984, pro¬
vides information with respect to proper grounding of the
mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in
wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding con¬
ductors, location of antenna-discharge unit, connection to
grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding
electrode. See Figure below.
EXAMPLE OF ANTENNA GROUNDING
AS PER NATIONAL
ELECTRICAL CODE
NEC - NATIONAL ELEC TRICAL CODE
(DISCHARGE UNIT
(NEC SECTION 81 0-2 0)
GROUNDING CONDUCTORS
(NEC SECTION 61 0-2 1)
GROUND CLAMPS
POWER SERVICE GROUNDING
ELECTRODE SYSTEM
(NEC ART 250. P ART H)
16. Nonuse Periods — The power cord of the appliance should
be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long
period of time.
17. Object and Liquid Entry — Care should be taken so that
objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the en¬
closure through openings.
18. Damage Requiring Service - The appliance should be ser¬
viced by qualified service personnel when:
A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the
appliance; o r
C. The appliance has been exposed to rain; or
D. The appliance does not appear to operate normally or
exhibits a marked change in performance; or
E. The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure dam¬
aged.
19. Servicing — The user should not attempt to service the
appliance beyond that described in the operating instruc¬
tions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified
service personnel.
3
Introduction
The PORTASTUDIO 488 is...
The PORTASTUDIO 488 is an 8-track "Multitrack
Master" cassette tape recorder and a full-function
mixer with 12 inputs/4 outputs combined into a
single workstation.
Its high audio quality and creative flexibility
reflect the experience and innovation that have
allowed TASCAM to earn its reputation in
professional audio production fields, and its
user-friendly design makes the 488 suitable for
anyone, from expert to novice.
Using this manual : To get the most out of your
488, please take the time to read through this
manual. Some time spent now will keep you
from overlooking some of the features that make
the 488 a more creative tool. You may discover
some new tricks you haven't tried before.
Use of capital letters : In general, we use all
upper case type to designate a particular switch,
control, jack name or label (like PAN). Transport
modes and some features are described with an
upper case first letter (like Record mode).
NOTE FOR U.K. CUSTOMERS
U.K. Customers Only:
Due to the variety of plugs being used in the
U.K.; this unit is sold without an AC plug. Please
request your dealer to install the correct plug to
match the mains power outlet where your unit
will be used as per these instructions.
IMPORTANT
The wires i n this mains lead colored i n
accordance with the following code:
BLUE: NEUTRAL
BROWN: LIVE
in
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead
of this apparatus may not correspond with
the coloured markings identifying the
terminals of your plug, proceed as follows:
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.
This product is manufactured to comply with the
radio interference of EEC directive "82/499/EEC."
THIS DIGITAL APPARATUS DOES NOT EXCEED THE CLASS B LIMITS FOR RADIO
NOISE EMISSIONS FROM DIGITAL APPARA-
TUS AS SET OUT IN THE RADIO INTER-
FERENCE REGULATIONS OF THE CANADIAN
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS.
4
The Recording System
The PORTASTUDIO 488 is a complete audio
production facility in a single box. It is divided
into two major sections: a full-function mixer and
an 8-channel, multitrack cassette recorder. To
complete the recording system, you'll
additionally need these: Input devices
(microphones, instruments). Output devices
(headphones), 2-track recorder, Effects
processors, etc.
5
The Three Steps to Multitrack
The diagram below depicts how signals from
equipment connected to the 488 can be routed.
In TRACKING and Overdubbing, the mixer inputs
are usually microphones or instruments, going
IC. different tracks of the recorder. In
OVERDUBBING, the MONITOR section and TAPE
CUE of the mixer must be used to listen to
previous tracks while you record new ones, so
there is a two-way flow through the console. In
MIXDOWN, signal comes from the multitrack
and is sent to an external 2-track recorder.
6
Understanding the Mixer
Signal Flow in the 488 mixer
The illustration below shows how the input
signal passes through the 488 Mixer section.
After the MASTER faders they go to the GROUP
OUT jacks and the multitrack recorder (not
shown). This is the most important signal route
in the mixer and is called "Main Mix".
To Tape
(RECORD FUNCTION switches)
Cue Monitor System
The CUE mix and MONITOR switches are also
crucial for successful multitrack recording,
because they control what you hear in the
headphones. This CUE mix is totally independent
from the Main Mix going to tape. If you don't use
the CUE mix, you run the risk of accidentally
"bouncing tracks" every time you record new
material.
The TAPE control in each of the first 8 channels
gets its signal from the multitrack recorder, and
sends playback to either the Main Mix, or the
CUE Monitor. When all of these TAPE controls
are turned to the right (CUE), and CUE is pressed
in the MONITOR switch, you can hear tape
playback in the headphones. You can adjust the
monitor level of each track by adjusting its TAPE
control. The channels of the Main Mix remain
free to handle external inputs for recording.
The five MONITOR Source switches choose
which mix(es) you can hear in the PHONES - the
CUE mix, and any of the four GROUPS. You press
the applicable GROUP switch to hear what you
are recording: for example, GROUP 4 while
recording onto Track 4.
If you need to add external sources to the CUE
mix (for example, a MIDI-synchronized drum
machine that you don't want to record on tape),
the INPUT ASSIGN switches for channels 5 to 8
have a CUE position. This sends the LINE IN jack
signal directly to the CUE mix. (In this case, the
LINE IN signal is disconnected from the mixer
channel controls, so there must be a volume
control on the source device.)
8
Multitrack Cassette Recorder
The 488 records on readily available standard
(Philips) Compact Cassette tape, high bias Type
II. The recorder has 8 tracks while the mixer has
4 group outs; you can record a maximum of 4
tracks at one time. For more details, see "How to
Record Multiple Tracks Simultaneously", page
22.
The 488's dbx Noise Reduction virtually
eliminates unwanted tape noise. A special SYNC
feature turns off the dbx on track 8 separately,
making it possible to record and play back the
MIDI sync tones or SMPTE/EBU time code
without being affected by the dbx
encode/decode. This ensures that the sync
tones/code are recorded and played back without
unnecessary processing. With proper operating
techniques, it is not necessary to leave a guard
band between music and sync tone tracks
because of the low crosstalk of the TASCAM
heads.
reliable functions that make the unit easier to
use:
• A three position autolocator (MEMO 1 and 2
and Zero) allows key positions to be located
automatically.
• REPEAT allows a section to be played over
and over between the MEM01 and MEM02
points for rehearsal.
• RHSL (rehearsal) allows you to "preview"
what your recording will sound like and repeat
the record punch in/out sequence as many
times as you wish before actually executing it
on tape.
• The tape speed can be increased or decreased
with the PITCH CONTROL dial in both
playback and record, to match pitch or for
special effects.
The transport controls of the 488 are
microprocessor operated, allowing highly
• Punch-in and Punch-out can be engaged using
the optional RC-30P footswitch, which gives
you an "extra hand" in the recording process.
Track Format and Tape Recommendations
The Portastudio 488 uses a basic speed of 9.5
cm/sec. (3-3/4 ips) which is two times (2X) the
normal speed of a standard audio cassette. It
also employs a discrete 8-channel format head
developed especially by TEAC for TASCAM
multitrack cassette recorders. Here is a
comparision of various cassette formats:
9
Tapes recorded on stereo cassette recorders will
not playback properly on the 488 because of the
differences in the track format and tape speed.
For the same reasons, tapes recorded on the
Portastudio 488 will not playback properly on
stereo cassette recorders. Material recorded on
the 488 must be mixed down to stereo for final
distribution.
The 488 needs the entire width of the tape to
record its eight tracks, eliminating the option of
recording on both sides (actually, it's both
directions). Therefore, you should decide which
side (side- "A" or side "B") you want to use and
use that side exclusively. It's a good idea to get
into habit of consistently using the same side on
all multitrack tapes.
Tape Type
The Portastudio 488 is internally adjusted for
HIGH BIAS "Type II" tape. For best results, you
should only use tapes of this type. TDK SA,
Maxell XL-II or equivalent formulations are
recommended. We strongly suggest that you
select one good quality brand and use it
exclusively. The time you spend creating your
multitrack master is much more valuable than
the money you save by buying inferior tape. The
cassette shell essentially becomes a part of the
488's transport. Poor quality shells can cause
wrinkles, snarls and shredding of the edges of
the tape with use. Even small scratches on the
tape oxide can cause "dropouts" (temporary loss
of signal) on one or more tracks. High quality
tapes are less likely to cause problems in the
long run.
Accidental Erase/Record Protection
To protect a finished master tape, it is necessary
to punch out both record protect tabs. Even
though you are recording in only one direction,
the 488 uses the entire width of the tape, as
mentioned above. If, for example, you remove
only one of the tabs, you could accidentally
insert the cassette into the 488 backwards and
erase all eight tracks of the master.
Tape Length
Use the shortest possible tape for a given work.
It is not unusual to play a tape 100 times before
you are finished, so select a cassette length that
is as close as possible to the length of the
program you plan to record. Cassettes C-60
length and shorter are often made from thicker
stock than longer cassettes.
The tape used in C-120 cassettes is extremely
thin and can cause winding problems, crimping,
wrinkling, and other damage to the oxide coating
of the tape which will destroy your work. Don't
use C-120s in the 488.
Remember that at 2X normal speed, and the
"one-side-only" 8-track single direction format
means that you have only 1/4X normal play time:
(approx.)
C-30
7.5 min
C-46
11.5 min
C-60
15
min
C-90 22.5 min
SideB
safety tab
Side A
safety tab
10
Sliders and Controls
Brief Guide
Input selection and adjustment
MIC/LINE IN (Ch. 1-2) or LINE IN (Ch. 3-8): These are the input jacks for the mixer
channels. Connect line-level signals to any channel; connect lower-level
signals (from microphones and some guitar pickups) to the MIC/LINE INs
(channel 1 or 2).
TRIM (Ch. 1-2 only): Sets how much preamplification will be added to the
MIC/LINE IN jack. Turn to the right if the signal needs amplification, to the left
if the signal is so loud it is distorting the mixer electronics.
•INPUT ASSIGN: Determines where the IN jack signal will go to.
MIX sends it through the mixer channel, and is the normal setting.
OFF is used during a typical mixdown.
GRP 1-4. or CUE sends the input signal directly to a GROUP or the CUE mix,
bypassing the channel controls - this makes the IN jack work as a "buss
input", for use with external mixers or other line inputs that don't need
channel control.
• If you are using MIDI-sequenced "virtual tracks", connect them to channels
5-8, so they can be sent directly to the CUE mix without being recorded.
Tape Mix/Cue
This acts as a combination level and assignment control for the
corresponding tape track.
• At center (12 o'clock), the tape signal is off and cant be heard.
• Turn it to the left of center (MIX) to send the tape signal through the mixer
channel.
- If INPUT ASSIGN is also in its MIX position, the tape return and the input
signal will both go through the mixer channel simultaneously.
- Turn it all the way to the left and turn INPUT ASSIGN off to make tape
the only source of the channel at mixdown.
• Turn it to the right of center (CUE) to send the tape signal to the CUE mix
for monitoring through headphones.
Equalization and Effect send
•EQ HIGH: Cuts or boosts treble frequencies. Its shelving point is 10 kHz; it can
affect frequencies down to 2 kHz.
EQ LOW: Cuts or boosts bass frequencies. Shelving type, 100 Hz, can affect
frequencies up to 500 Hz.
• EFFECT: A post-fader effect send from the channel. The center position is OFF.
Turn to the left to send signal to Effect Send Master 1, and to the right to send
signal to Effect Send Master 2.
Channel Output section
-ASSIGN switches: Press to send the output of the channel to any (or all) of four
output groups for recording onto the multitrack. Works in cooperation with
PAN.
• PAN: Sets the pan position (left-right balance) of the channel between odd/even
groups (left for 1 & 3, right for 2 & 4, center for all).
- Channel fader: Sets the volume of the channel feeding the group master faders.
12
STEREO INPUTS (Channel 9-12)
STEREO INPUTS: Connect any line-level signal (such as
an effect return, or electronic instrument) here. They
can operate in three different ways.
• Four Sources: By using a special 3-conductor Tip-
Ring-Sleeve (TRS) cable, each jack can accept two
signals at once (Tip to the left. Ring to the right on
Channel 9/10, vice versa on Channel 11/12).
• Two Sources: If TRS "stereo splitter" cables are not
available, standard mono 1/4" cables can be
connected to these jacks. In this case, the left (9/10)
jack can be assigned only to the "left" groups (1 &
3), and the right (11/12) jack can only reach the
right groups (2 & 4).
• One source: Plug a mono cable into the left (9/10)
jack and leave the right (11/12) jack empty. The
signal automatically connects to both channels,
making assignment to all four groups possible.
ASSIGN switches: Press to send the output of the Stereo
channel to any (or all) of the four output groups for
recording onto the multitrack.
-LEVEL: Controls the volume of the stereo channels
feeding the GROUP MASTERS.
Master Section
-EFFECT SEND MASTERS: These are the master controls
for the two effect send outputs.
-CUE MASTER: This controls the overall level of the TAPE
CUE mix. (CUE must be pressed in the MONITOR
section for this to have any effect on your headphone
mix.)
-MONITOR switches: These select what signals you will
hear in the PHONES, and see displayed on the
MONITOR L/R meter. You can hear any or all of the
four output groups of the mixer, plus the tape cue
mix, depending on what is pressed down.
•PHONES: This is the volume control for the built-in
headphone amp.
3
Recorder controls
-METERS: These show the recorded level of the
respective tape tracks. The average level
should be in the center (0), but peaks up to
+6 are acceptable.
• The MONITOR L/R meters show the level
of mixes selected by the MONITOR
switches.
COUNTER: A four-digit display that shows the
current tape position, used for autolocation
functions.
•COUNTER RESET: Press to change the counter
to "0000".
RTZ: Return-To-Zero - press to fast wind the
transport to the "0000" position.
REPEAT: Press to set up a continuous play-
rewind loop between the two MEMO points.
LOC 1 and 2: Press to fast wind (LOCate) the
transport to either MEMO point.
MEMO: Hold and press LOC 1 or LOC 2 to enter
the current counter location as a new MEMO
point.
RHSL: Rehearsal. In this mode, recording is not
possible. Pressing the punch in pedal, or the
RECORD key, will automatically mute the
tape playback of any tracks' in Rec Ready
mode.
TRANSPORT KEYS: These work the same as on
any cassette recorder.
RECORD FUNCTION switches 1-8: It is possible
to record on up to four tracks at once. Each
Group of the mixer connects to two tracks;
for example. Group 1 connects to tracks 1
and 5. You cannot record on track 1 and 5
simultaneously. When a track is in REC
READY, its indicator will flash above in the
meter panel. In Record mode, the indicator
will turn solid.
PITCH CONTROL: Increases or decreases the
speed of the transport in both Record or Play
mode, over a 12% range.
14
OUTPUT JACKS: Rear panel
EFFECT SENDS 1 and 2: Connect these to
the inputs of effect devices.
-GROUP OUTs 1-4: Connect 1/L and 2/R to
the inputs of your mixdown deck. The
GROUP OUT jacks can also be
connected to the inputs of external
mixers, etc.
• Note: Since the TAPE CUE section
does not come to these jacks,
GROUP OUTs are not intended for
connection to a monitoring system.
Use the PHONES jack for this
purpose.
•DBX NR: This turns the dbx noise reduction
on and off for all eight tracks. Normally,
leave it on.
•SYNC ON/OFF: This disconnects the input
and output of track 8 from the mixer,
and connects it to the SYNC jacks. For
normal recording, leave this off. When
using Track 8 to record and play back
MIDI sync tones or time code, turn it on.
•SYNC IN jack: Connect the output of a MIDI
sync or SMPTE time code generator to
this jack.
•SYNC OUT jack: Connect this to the input of
a MIDI sync or SMPTE time code reader.
15
Step-By-Step Operations Guide
Let's try the 488 mixer
Before connections
Input connections
Powering on
Headphone connection
Routing inputs
Panning
To learn how the mixer works, first you need to plug a signal source
into one of the ten 1/4" jacks located at upper top of the 488, in your
easy reach.
As an example, we'll use a microphone as the source.
• Turn all the TRIM controls all the way to the left/LINE position.
• Turn all the other level and EQ controls to their center "0" position;
bring all the faders down; and set all the switches to OFF or to
their Up position.
1. Have in hand a dynamic microphone and a set of stereo
headphones.
2. Plug the 1/4" plug on your microphone cable into the leftmost
MIC/LINE IN Jack for channel 1.
3. Turn the 488 on. (The POWER switch is located on the back,
beside the power cable.)
4. Plug your headphones into the front PHONES jack, so you can
hear the input signal going to the mixer section of the 488.
5. Set the channel 11NPUT ASSIGN switch to the left/MIX position.
6. Turn the channel 1 PAN control all the way to the left/ODD
position.
Assigning to groups
Channel level
Group level
Monitor selection
Listening level
TRIM adjustment
17
7. Press the channel 1 ASSIGN "1/L-2/R" switch.
8. Raise the channel fader to "7" on the scale.
9. Raise the MASTER "1/L-2/R" fader to "7".
10. Press the MONITOR "GROUP 1" switch.
11. Turn the PHONES level control up to the 12 o'clock position.
12. While speaking into the mic, slowly turn the TRIM control in
channel 1 to the right. You will hear your voice in the
headphones.
When using a line level source {such as electronic instruments)
instead of the mic, the TRIM does not need to be turned up very
far, if at all.
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