Tascam HS-P82 Quick Start Guide

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TASCAM HS-P82 End User Guide
for Film/Video Applications v1.20

By Fred Ginsburg CAS PhD

Introduction

This Guide to the TASCAM HS-P82 and companion RC-F82 is intended to provide the new user a concise
review of the operation and setup of this portable multitrack recorder, along with explanations and a
suggested workflow for professional film/video applications.

It is not meant to replace the comprehensive Owners Manuals provided with the equipment, but rather
to supplement those documents.

Part 1 deals with the basic setup of the recorder. Part 2 (pg 17) covers recording with the unit, stand
alone, without a mixing board. Part 3 (pg 28) discusses using the recorder with an external mixer, and
Part 4 (pg 31) deals with the use of the TASCAM companion fader controller.

A helpful index (pg 37) is located at the end of this document.

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Part 1: Basic Setup

This section is an introduction to the basic operation of the TASCAM HS-P82 recorder itself. These steps
will guide you through the initial setup of the machine and explain the primary touchscreens and
controls that you will need for film/video applications.

One of the nice features of the TASCAM is the redundancy of control settings. As you explore the layout
of the touchscreen software, you will find that many of the same settings are accessible from multiple
screens. In the field, this advantage can really streamline your workflow.

Powering Up

The TASCAM can be powered from internal batteries, AC adapter, or external 12vDC via industry
standard XLR 4-pin connector.

The unit comes with an NP style Battery pack that takes 10 AA alkalines. Even if you are planning to use
AC or external power, it is a good idea to load up the battery pack and install it; it will serve as a power
backup should your external power be interrupted.

If you have access to them, you could also use standard NP style, rechargeable video batteries.

Factory supplied AC adapter outputs 12vDC via its donut connector.

Owners (not renters) of this TASCAM are encouraged to have a technician replace the OEM
donut connector with an XLR 4-pin, as the XLR 4-pin is a more secure connection.

External 12v DC or battery pack equipped with standard XLR 4-pin. Note that the industry standard for
the XLR 4-pin is pin 1=positive, and pin 4=negative. Pins 2 and 3 are not used.

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Format your CF card

After powering up the unit, press MENU button. Select CF/USB MANAGE screen. Full format the first
time you are using a new or used card. It can take a while, so do this BEFORE you arrive on set.
Subsequently, just use the quick format button.

Most mixers utilize the following workflow: Begin the project with a full formatted, fresh compact flash
card. At the end of the day, or when the card is almost full, remove the card and transfer the files over
to a laptop. As soon as the used card is removed, replace it immediately with a fresh one. Perform a
quick format, and then set up your project files, so that your recorder is good to go. (Keep a written

notepad with all of your project specs and naming conventions, so that all of your “blank” cards remain

consistent.) After transferring the files from the used card, perform a quick format and project setup on
that card, as well. In this manner, you will always have one in the machine, and another ready for a
quick change out.

New system firmware version 1.10 offered during the Fall of 2011 enables you to record to two compact
flash cards simultaneously, so that your material is still safe in the event that one CF card malfunctions
during a recording. A REC MODE tab has been added to the REC SET UP screen, which enables you to

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activate the Mirror Record function. I recommend that you use two compact flash cards of the same
manufacture and read/write specs to insure the best results. Error messages may occur otherwise; as
well as if there is not enough memory remaining on one of the cards. The Home screen shows the status
of both CF cards.

System Setup

From the MENU button, select the SYSTEM SETUP screen.

Keyboard type: US.

Solo mode: The default setting for SOLO is SINGLE. That means only one channel at a time can be solo

monitored. If you change the solo mode to MIX, then it is possible to highlight and monitor as many
channels simultaneously as you want to. MIX is better for film/video applications.

Slate type: you will find yourself alternating between Internal Mic for voice slating your takes, and the
TONE setting for recording a head tone at the beginning of your recording session. When you press the
SLATE button on the face of the recorder, it will activate the slate mic or tone generator, based on your
selection on this screen.

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However, if you use an external keyboard or the TASCAM Fader Controller, you can readily switch
between Mic or Tone by pressing the (user programmed) Function buttons (example, F1 for Mic and F2
for Tone) regardless of the screen selection for Mic or Tone. This is the popular way of doing it, and is
explained in the Remote Setup Screen section in Part 4 of this guide.

Reference Level: These settings do two functions. Not only do they set the record level of the tone
generator (which is normally set to -20dB), but it also controls the level for your analog “line level input”
such as when you plug in an external mixing panel. So in practice, you would select the -20dB button for
recording tone, but later you may need to select a higher setting if you need more gain from the line
level inputs.

Note that in firmware release v1.20, you can now adjust the level of LINE INPUT by using the trim knob,
similar to adjusting Mic level inputs. This allows you to maintain a -20dB level for your reference tone.

Set the internal clock and date by selecting the tab at the bottom of the screen. Just press any of the
displays to adjust the numbers shown.

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Create a PROJECT

A project is essentially the name of your film or video, along with the basic recording format. It is
possible to host multiple projects on the same CF card, even if those projects use different formats.

Press PROJECT button. Select Create Project tab at bottom of screen.

If you are not already in the ROOT folder, then tap the button located just under the “Project”
screen label until you back your way up to the root folder of the card.

Press the tab on the left to NAME your project. DO NOT use the whole word “project” in your new
name; it is too long and will not always be displayed! Just abbreviate it as P_ name. (letter P,
underscore, brief name or number). Example: P_My_ Film

Press the tab on the left to NAME your folder. Note that TASCAM sometimes uses the term “folder” for
what we would call “scene” in filmmaking. On the TASCAM, you can store all of your takes for each
scene inside of that scene folder. It is one of two options for keeping track of stuff!

DO NOT use the whole word “scene” in your new folder name; it is too long! Just abbreviate it as S_
number. (letter S, underscore, scene number/letter). Example: S_101A

This would create the following file tree on your CF card:

P_My_ Film (name of project)
S_101A (name of scene)
S_101A-T001 (name of each take, consisting of folder name

appended to incrementing take numbers)

However, in v1.20 firmware, you now have a different option for file naming. Instead of using the
FOLDER NAME as the scene, you can use the folder name to designate any organizational folder, such
as the camera media drive, date, or whatever label you choose. Then you can create a scene/take
number for each take, consisting of a USERWORD (which would be the actual scene number) appended
to incrementing take numbers. This gives you one additional layer of file management, and makes
changing scene numbers faster and very user friendly.

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Note that editing the USERWORD (aka “scene number”) takes place from the NEXT TAKE NAME tab in
the HOME screen, so it is very convenient.

Now, your file tree might look something like this:

P_My_ Film (name of project)
cam_drive_9 (name of folder, in this case the camera hard drive)
S_101A-T001 (name of each take, consisting of USERWORD scene name

appended to incrementing TAKE numbers)

Next, select the correct Fs (SAMPLING RATE) for your project. Most of the time, this will be 48k.

Sometimes, the post production people will ask for 96k. Depending on your video editing software, you
may even be asked to use 47.952 or 48.048, which are labeled as 48k +/-

It is your responsibility to make sure that you record in the correct format and frame rate, so ask the
Post Production Supervisor for the correct settings to use. NEVER GUESS. NEVER ASSUME. Different
editing houses and labs may prefer different settings according to their software and in-house workflow.

If you are selecting the pull-down or pull-up rate (48k +/-), you can select the FAKE RATE button in order
to stamp a 48k label onto a file in order to fool some recorders into performing a pull-up or pull-down in
order to sync up with some sprocketed FILM projects.

Otherwise, use the Actual Rate setting.

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(You select the bit rate, 16 or 24, from the REC SETUP screen, File Format tab, as described further
below).

Select NEXT at the bottom of the screen…

Select the correct FRAME RATE for your project. Most so called 24 frame video and HD video is actually

23.976. Standard video is 29.97 (drop frame or non-drop frame, make sure you know which is correct).
Sprocketed or electronic FILM may require 24F or 30ND; be sure to ASK the lab or the Post Production
Supervisor.

After entering all of your parameters, you may finalize your choices by confirming the CREATE PROJECT
button at the bottom of the screen.

Sync T/C

Press the MENU button, and select Sync T/C. This is where you set your timecode details. Note that the
timecode frame rate was already set when you selected your FRAME RATE during Project creation.

Go to the TIMECODE tab.

The STATUS window displays the frame rate that you selected for this project.

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You can select to EDIT or manually enter User Bits. This is non-changing information that is part
of the timecode data, such as a date, production number, or other simple value. It is important
to always enter a value for the user bits, since timecode alone will eventually repeat itself after
24 hours. A unique value in the user bits area for each timecode cycle (24 hrs or less) will make
it easier for post-production computers to identify material that otherwise might have the same
timecode data.

In the above example, we have entered CA for camera, 09 for the media drive, and 01 12 for the

date.

You can also manually enter a start value for the timecode. This will begin when you select the
FREE RUN or REC RUN buttons on the setup tab.

Go to the SETUP tab.

Select a generator mode:

TIME OF DAY refers to whatever time the internal clock is set to. It will continue to generate,
even if the TASCAM is powered off, so long as there is a battery inside. Many soundmixers
prefer this setting, as it is easy for any crew member to know the correct timecode just by
looking at their watch!

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FREE RUN means that once you manually enter a starting timecode, the generator will
continuously run.

FREE ONCE is similar to what Denecke would call a one-time jam sync. The generator will lock
onto an incoming timecode signal, sync to it once, and then continue to run on its own after the
external or master timecode has been disconnected. (default factory setting)

JAM SYNC is similar to FREE ONCE, except that the internal timecode generator will continue to
read and synchronize to the incoming signal. If the external timecode becomes disconnected,
then the TASCAM will enter a free run mode.

Note that the HS-P82 will subsequently ignore external timecode, unless you switch
modes to something else and back again. This is the main difference to JAM SYNC.

Kind of what happens when you jam sync the timecode slate to a recorder, but in this
instance the recorder jam syncs to an external master source.

Although Free Once is the factory default, JAM SYNC is the preferred mode to use by
most Sound Mixers, since it allows the TASCAM to continually update to the latest
external (jam sync) code coming in.

REGEN is what we would commonly refer to as external timecode mode. The TASCAM reads the
incoming timecode, and regenerates it as a clean signal.

REC RUN is when the timecode generator only runs during the RECORD mode. If the TASCAM is
in stop or pause, so is the generator. This will give all of your recorded files a continuous
timecode without gaps. However, cameras and timecode slates will be difficult to maintain sync
with, unless you physically cable or transmit to them at all times. Once they are disconnected
from the recorder, other devices will have no way of knowing when the TASCAM is recording or
stopped.

TC SYNC REC is a new setting that came out in v1.20 that allows the recorder to automatically
start and pause recording in response to the state of external timecode. This allows the camera
to operate in a REC RUN timecode mode and to control the start/pause of the TASCAM, so that
the final timecode on camera & audio tracks are continuous and without gap – which makes
some editors very happy, and the rest of us on the set less happy. It requires a very solid
hardwired or wireless connection between camera and sound; and inevitably that connection
will, after a time, physically fail – resulting in camera rolling without audio.

Power Off gen: the factory default setting is OFF. When the TC generator is set to TIME OF DAY, REGEN,
or REC RUN – this setting has no effect.

The power-off timecode generation requires a battery to be installed in the rear NP slot (the
HS-P82 doesn't have a secondary battery just for this purpose).

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The I/O tab allows you to assign the BNC OUT 1 connector as timecode output or AES output; and BNC
OUT2 can be WORD sync output or WORD sync throughput. Usually just leave it as timecode out and
word out, unless you are doing something advanced (in which case you would know).

The CLOCK tab is for indicating whether the timecode signal is locking to the internal clock (default),
word or video sync, or AES. Usually, just leave it on INTERNAL clock, unless you are doing something
advanced.

Panel Lock Function

Depress the HOME button and then the MENU button while still depressing the HOME button, and the
panel LOCK/UNLOCK screen will appear. All three of the windows should say UNLOCK. It is possible to
lock groups of the controls, should the need arise.

Enable the Record Tracks

Before you can record to any tracks, you must manually “arm” them, that is, enable them ready for
recording. Otherwise, tracks are locked out and will NOT record.

From the MENU button, select the REC SETUP screen. From the REC TRACKS tab at the bottom of your
screen, simply press each of the tracks that you wish enabled. Don’t forget to also enable the LR 2mix

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button on the end, which is the master track that you can mix all of the other tracks down to, in addition
to recording them as individual ISO’s.

Note that you can also enable/disable record tracks from the HOME screen, as well. Just select
the REC TRACK tab at the bottom of the screen. This is where you would normally access the
tracks during a production session, after the initial setting up.

The FILE FORMAT tab allows you to select mono (default)or poly formats for your tracks, the bit rate
(16 or 24), mono file placement (subfolder is the default), max file size (2GB is default), and whether the
file is split (default) or stays intact when you hit the pause button.

Important NOTE: the default bit rate for the TASCAM is 24 bit, which would be correct for music.
However, for film/video, the 16 bit setting has been more prevalent – but some productions are
beginning to favor 24 bit. Always ASK the Post Production Supervisor what settings they

require!

The OPTIONS tab is where you will find the capability of enabling the PRE RECORD function. The default
setting is OFF, but there are some field applications where it is extremely useful to be able to record
audio that occurred a few seconds BEFORE you pressed the RECORD button! Bear in mind that if you use
the PRE RECORD mode, it does require a few seconds of processing (downtime) before you can begin
recording a new take. That may or may not be a problem for you.