tascam DA-88 User Guide

DA-88

QUICK TIPS

(VERSION 4 SOFTWARE)

ABS / TC DISPLAY MODE SWITCHING (REQUIRES SY-88)

1) Hold DISPLAY and press UP to enter ABS display

2) Hold DISPLAY and press DOWN to enter TC mode

ABS / TC REFERENCE SWITCHING (REQUIRES SY-88)

1) Default is ABS Time

2) With DISPLAY set to ABS, press both UP and DOWN, then press either UP or
DOWN to toggle between ABS and TC

3) Press DISPLAY to exit

AUTO PLAY FUNCTION

1) After either MEMO 1 or MEMO 2 have been captured

2) Enable AUTO PLAY

3) Press either LOC 1 or LOC 2 - tape will locate and play

AUTO PUNCH

1) Press INSERT & RHSL ( INSERT LED solid, RHSL blinks)

2) Press PLAY

3) At Punch IN point, press REC

4) At Punch Out point, press PLAY

5) Tape will automatically rewind after default 3 second postroll period - stop point
is defind by Punch IN minus preroll (default: 5 sec)

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

6) Press AUTO IN / OUT (blinks) and arm track

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

8) Tape will automatically rewind after default 3 second postroll period - stop point
is defind by Punch IN minus preroll (default: 5 sec)

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 6-8.

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

1) In the DISPLAY area, MEMO 1 and MEMO 2 reflect PUNCH IN and PUNCH OUT
when RHSL is active. Notice that MEMO 1 and MEMO 2 blink as opposed to the
customary solid LED when reflecting locate points.

2) Use the UP and DOWN keys to modify the punch point in question

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BEGINNING OF TAPE PLAY

1) Hold REW, FF and PLAY while powering On

BEGINNING OF TAPE STOP

1) Hold FF and PLAY while powering On

CHASE LOCK SYNCHRONIZATION (CODE ONLY MASTER)
(Requires SY-88)

[Dip-switch settings]

1) In a post environment, all dip-switches would typically be set to the DOWN
position, unless the VIDEO THRU jack is used, in which case dip-switch S1 #1
would be UP.

2) If a composer is running virtual MIDI tracks in sync with the DA-88 while
slaved to TC, place dip-switch S1 #2 in the UP position.

CHECK DA-88 SYSTEM VERSION

1) Hold STOP, PLAY, REC while powering On

CHECK RC-848 SYSTEM VERSION

1) With unit attached, power on DA-88, then press REW, FF, STOP on RC-848

CHECK SERVO VERSION:

1) Hold REW, FF, STOP while powering On

CHECK SY-88 SYSTEM VERSION

1) Hold FF, PLAY, REC while powering On

CLEANING THE UNIT

1) Power up while holding UP & DOWN arrows to enter CLEANING MODE

2) Insert cleaning tape - the rest is automatic

3) Repower the machine to enter normal operational mode

The DA-88 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-88 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.

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

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

1) Default time: 10msec

2) To alter, in the ABS display mode, hold DOWN and press DISPLAY

3) Reset to 10msec: hold either UP or DOWN and press the other

DIGITAL DUBBING

Requirements: 1 PW-88S Sync Cable

Check tape path alignment after cleaning.
(requires proper test and measurement equipment, and
should be performed by qualified service personnel)

1 PW-88D Digital Dubbing Cable
2 DA-88s
1 RCA to RCA cable (if dubbing Time Code)

1) With power off, connect Source DA-88 SYNC OUT to Target DA-88 SYNC IN
using the PW-88S Sync Cable

2) With power off, connect Source DA-88 DIGITAL I/O port to Target DA-88 DIGITAL
I/O port using the PW-88D Digital Dubbing Cable

Note: If dubbing Time code, connect TC Out from source DA-88 to TC In on the
target DA-88 using the RCA to RCA audio cable.

3) Turn both DA-88s ON

4) On Source DA-88, enter a Track Delay value of 43 Fs for all eight tracks

---------------------- or ----------------------

From the ABS display, Hold the UP arrow and press DIGITAL IN (each press
toggles between ANALOG and DIGITAL).

Note: If dubbing Time code, on Source DA-88 set menu Item 6 to Digital (old S1 #5
Up)

5) Load Master tape into Source Machine and a blank formatted tape into the
Target machine

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