TAScam DA-38 User Guide

DA-38

QUICK TIPS

This guide is intended to assist you with the majority of operations you are likely to
encounter while using your DA-38 digital recorder. It is not intended as a substitute for the
Owner’s Manual. For additional information on any of the procedures listed below,
consult your Owner’s Manual.

AUTO PLAY

This function enables the DA-38 to automatically begin playback upon completing
autolocation. You must first capture a Locate Memory position.

1) After pressing LOC, press PLAY - tape will autolocate and commence playback
upon reaching the Locate Memory position.

Pressing PLAY a second time will cause the DA-38 to commence playback from
the exact tape position at the time of the second press.

AUTO PUNCH

This function facilitates hands-free operation for Punch In/Out recording.

1) Press INSERT and REHEARSAL to enable Auto Punch mode.

2) Press PLAY.

3) At desired Punch IN point, press REC.

4) At desired Punch OUT point, press PLAY - Tape will automatically rewind after the
default post roll period of 3 seconds. Tape will stop at the point defined by Punch In
minus pre roll (default: 5 seconds).

At this point, Punch In/Out points can be reviewed for rehearsal purposes. When
ready to execute Auto Punch, perform the following:

5) If you haven’t already done so, arm the desired track(s).

6) Press AUTO IN / OUT - LED blinks

7) Press PLAY; at Punch IN point, both track LED and Record LED light solid.

8) After the Punch OUT point, tape will automatically rewind after the default post roll
period of 3 seconds. Tape will stop at the point defined by Punch In minus pre roll
(default: 5 seconds).

At this point, the punch can be reviewed without disarming the track. Notice that the
AUTO IN / OUT LED is now solid. By simply pressing PLAY, the punch can be
reviewed. If the punch is to be executed again, repeat steps 5-8. Press CLEAR to
exit.

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If you wish to Trim the Punch IN or OUT address, perform the following:

1) From either REHEARSAL or IN/OUT mode, press SHIFT (LED blinks) and then
either LOC 1 or LOC 2 - the display will momentarily show either IN POINT or OUT
POINT and then display the ABS address of that Punch point.

2) By pressing the corresponding LOC key successively, you can move the cursor
from HR to MIN to SEC to FRames and back to the HR position.

3) With the cursor positioned at the desired address segment, use the ▼ or ▲ keys to
alter the current value.

4) When the ABS address has been trimmed to your satisfaction, press SHIFT to exit
this edit mode.

BLOCK ERROR RATE DISPLAY

This function is a diagnostic routine that is capable of displaying the DA-38’s error
condition per frame (1 rotation of the head = 30 ms.) on the level meters during
playback. Normally, you will only have cause to view this information if you have
noticed excessive flashing of the PB CONDITION indicator and suspect that the DA­38’s heads may need cleaning or other servicing. Should this condition arise, contact
TASCAM Customer Service for additional information.

1) Press SHIFT (LED will blink), then press MENU successively until the message
“b.E.r. oFF” appears in the display.

2) Press either the ▼ or ▲ keys to enable / disable the function. When enabled, the
PB CONDITION indicator will blink.

3) Press SHIFT to return to the normal ABS display.

4) Press PLAY to begin playback.

CHECK DA-38 SYSTEM VERSION

1) HOLD STOP, PLAY, REC while powering On.

CHECK RC-848 SYSTEM VERSION

1) With unit attached, power on DA-38, then press REW, FF, STOP on RC-848.

CHECK SERVO VERSION

1) Hold REW, FF, STOP while powering on.

CLEANING THE UNIT

Use this mode very sparingly, as it can effect the DA-38’s head life. If you encounter
any difficulties, contact TASCAM Customer Service for further information.

1) Press SHIFT (LED blinks), then press MENU.

2) Press MENU successively until the message “CLE oFF” appears in the display.

3) Press the ▲ key to turn Cleaning Mode ON - if a regular cassette is in the unit, it will
automatically be ejected.

4) Insert the HC-8 Cleaning tape - the DA-38 will automatically commence cleaning
and will eject the tape roughly 5 seconds later. Cleaning mode is automatically
exited.

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By pressing the ▼ key at the Cleaning Mode menu, the DA-38 will display the
number of times the heads have been cleaned thus far. Pressing the ▼ key during
the cleaning process has no effect.

The DA-38 incorporates an internal cleaning mechanism that not only cleans the
rotary head but also the tape as it enters the tape path.

The inclusion of this cleaning mechanism significantly reduces the need for
manual cleaning, and all but eliminates the need to use the dry cleaning tape. Use
of a dry cleaning tape will reduce the head life of a DA-38 by approximately 5 hours
for every cleaning cycle, use is therefor reserved for situations when playback
errors occur and a manual cleaning is not possible. If you elect to use the dry
cleaning tape, RUN ONE PASS ONLY - NOT MULTIPLE CYCLES. If this does not
resolve the situation, a manual cleaning or alignment is required.

The following is a suggested maintenance schedule. Note that the cleaning
interval may be longer or shorter depending on your individual environmental
conditions.

350 to 400 hours: Perform manual cleaning of heads and guides.

Check tape path alignment after cleaning.

(requires proper test and measurement equipment, and
should be performed by qualified service personnel)

During third cleaning, (1000 hours) a complete alignment check is suggested.

Remember, the duration between cleanings may vary depending on your
environment. A dusty or smokey environment will shorten the cleaning cycle.

Although most name brand tapes are of very high quality, it is possible to receive
some “bad” stock. Most notably stock which exhibits excessive shedding. If you
receive tape stock that sheds, immediately stop using it, and clean your transport.

CROSSFADE TIME

During punch recording, the Crossfade Time parameter effects the transition between
existing material on tape and newly recorded material. Shorter values permit “tighter”
punches while higher values will effect longer transitions. Higher values better enable
you to maintain the natural decay of existing sounds - lessening the possibility of a
sound being “choked off,”

1) Press SHIFT (LED blinks), then press MENU.

2) Press MENU successively until the message “C. FAdE xx” appears in the display
(xx represents current value).

3) Use the ▼ and ▲ keys to alter the value of the Crossfade Time parameter.

4) Press SHIFT to exist this edit mode.

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