Tascam IF-AE8 User Manual

»

IF-AE8

Digital Audio Interface Unit

D00446000A

OWNER’S MANUAL

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.

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 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. DO NOT

terminal which is marked with the letter E or by the safety
earth symbol ç or coloured GREEN or GREEN-and­YELLOW.

The wires in the mains lead on this product are coloured in
accordance with the following code:

BLUE: NEUTRAL
BROWN: LIVE

make any connection to the larger

For U.S.A

TO THE USER

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class A digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial
environment. 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.
Operation of this equipment in a residental area
is likely to cause harmful interference in which
case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense.

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.

As these colours may not correspond with the coloured
markings identifying the terminals in 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.

When replacing the fuse only a correctly rated appro

ved

type should be used and be sure to re-fit the fuse cover.
IF IN DOUBT — CONSULT A COMPETENT

ELECTRICIAN.

For the consumers in Europe
WARNING

This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment, this
product may cause radio interference in which case the user
may be required to take adequate measures.

Pour les utilisateurs en Europe
AVERTISSEMENT

Il s’agit d’un produit de Classe A. Dans un environnement
domestique, cet appareil peut provoquer des interférences
radio, dans ce cas l’utilisateur peut être amené à prendre
des mesures appropriées.

Für Kunden in Europa
Warnung

Dies is eine Einrichtung, welche die Funk-Entstörung nach
Klasse A besitzt. Diese Einrichtung kann im Wohnbereich
Funkstörungen versursachen ; in diesem Fall kann vom
Betrieber verlang werden, angemessene Maßnahmen
durchzuführen und dafür aufzukommen.

TASCAM IF-AE8

2

ANTENNA
LEAD IN
WIRE

ANTENNA
DISCHARGE UNIT
(NEC SECTION 810-20)

GROUNDING CONDUCTORS

(NEC SECTION 810-21)

GROUND CLAMPS

POWER SERVICE GROUNDING
ELECTRODE SYSTEM
(NEC ART 250. PART H)

NEC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE

ELECTRIC
SERVICE
EQUIPMENT

Example of Antenna Grounding as per

National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70

GROUND
CLAMP

IMPORTANT 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 product is operated.

2) Retain Instructions — The safety and operating instructions should

be retained for future reference.

3) Heed Warnings — All warnings on the product and in the operating

instructions should be adhered to.

4) Follow Instructions — All operating and use instructions should be

followed.

5) Cleaning — Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning.

Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for clean­ing.

6) Attachments — Do not use attachments not recommended by the

product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.

7) Water and Moisture — Do not use this product near water — for

example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a wet
basement; or near a swimming pool; and the like.

8) Accessories — Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand,

tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, causing serious injury to a
child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with a cart,
stand, tripod, bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer, or sold
with the product. Any mounting of the product should follow the manufac­turer’s instructions, and should use a mounting accessory recommended by
the manufacturer.

A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops,
excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart com­bination to overturn.

10) Ventilation — Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ven-

tilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it
from overheating, and these openings must not be blocked or covered. The
openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa,
rug, or other similar surface. This product should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided
or the manufacturer’s instructions have been adhered to.

11) Power Sources — This product should be operated only from the

type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of
the type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local
power company. For products intended to operate from battery power, or
other sources, refer to the operating instructions.

12) Grounding or Polarization — This product may be equipped with a

polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug having one blade wider than
the other). This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. This is a
safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try
reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician
to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the
polarized plug.

13) Power-Cord Protection — Power-supply cords should be routed so

that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or
against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience
receptacles, and the point where they exit from the product.

14) Outdoor Antenna Grounding — If an outside antenna or cable

system is connected to the product, be sure the antenna or cable system is
grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built­up static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA
70, provides information with regard to proper grounding of the mast and
supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge
unit, size of grounding conductors, location of antenna-discharge unit, con­nection to grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding elec­trode.

"Note to CATV system installer:

…

…

…

9)

e)

a)

b)

c)

This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer’s attention to

d)

Section 820-40 of the NEC which provides guidelines for proper grounding
and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the
grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as
practical.

15) Lightning — For added protection for this product during a lightning

storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time,
unplug it from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna or cable system.
This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line
surges.

16) Power Lines — An outside antenna system should not be located in

the vicinity of overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits,
or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits. When installing an
outside antenna system, extreme care should be taken to keep from touch­ing such power lines or circuits as contact with them might be fatal.

17) Overloading — Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords, or

integral convenience receptacles as this can result in risk of fire or electric
shock.

18) Object and Liquid Entry — Never push objects of any kind into

this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points
or short-out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill
liquid of any kind on the product.

19) Servicing — Do not attempt to service this product yourself as open-

ing or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other
hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

20) Damage Requiring Service — Unplug this product from the wall

outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following
conditions:

when the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
if liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the product.
if the product has been exposed to rain or water.

if the product does not operate normally by following the operating
instructions. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating
instructions as an improper adjustment of other controls may result in
damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to
restore the product to its normal operation.

if the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.

f ) when the product exhibits a distinct change in performance – this

indicates a need for service.

21) Replacement Parts — When replacement parts are required, be

sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the
manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part.
Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock, or other
hazards.

22) Safety Check — Upon completion of any service or repairs to this

product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine
that the product is in proper operating condition.

23) Wall or Ceiling Mounting — The product should be mounted to a

wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manufacturer.

24) Heat — The product should be situated away from heat sources such

as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other products (including amplifiers)
that produce heat.

TASCAM IF-AE8

3

IF-AE8 Digital Audio Converter

The TASCAM IF-AE8 provides a convenient way of
exchanging digital audio data between
TDIF-1-equipped devices, such as DTRS recorders,
and AES/EBU devices.

A single TDIF-1 connector carries eight channels of
digital input and output. Four XLR-type connectors
accept four two-channel input signals in AES3-1992
format, and another four XLR-type connectors out­put four two-channel input signals in AES3-1992
format.

The word synchronization is selectable, using a front
panel switch, from any of the four
from the TDIF-1 source, or from an external inde­pendent word clock source.

The word clock source can be used as the clock
source for sampling frequency conversion. All stan­dard rates (32 kHz, 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz) are sup­ported for input and output.

AES/EBU

inputs,

If sampling frequency conversion is carried out, the
IF-AE8 will generate an independent clock signal,
based on the target frequency, so that other units may
be synchronized to it.

The signal transmitted from the
can be selected to come from the
signals or from those received at the TDIF-1 connec­tor, using a front panel switch.

Format conversion is possible with up to 24-bit data
with TDIF digital audio format, and 20-bit with
AES3-1992 format data if no sample rate conversion
is performed (20-bit data for both formats if the sam­pling frequency is converted).

The digital audio output format is selectable as either
professional or consumer format using a front panel
switch.

AES/EBU

AES/EBU

outputs

input

1 Front panel

1

POWER switch and indicator

Push the
again to turn it off. The
when power is supplied to the IF-AE8.

2

When a valid clock signal is received at the selected
clock source, this indicator will light.

3

This switch allows you to cycle between the six pos­sible clock sources for the IF-AE8: the

SYNC IN A connector, the

9

AES/EBU connectors (

INPUTS (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8) 8), as shown by the

indicators to the right of the switch.

POWER

switch once to turn on power , and

POWER

indicator lights

LOCKED indicator

CLOCK switch and indicators

WORD

DIGITAL I/O (TDIF-1)

connector, or any of the four two-channel

DIGITAL I/O (AES/EBU)

WARNING

There should usually never be more than one
word clock signal in a digital audio system. If
there are not, at worst, damage may occur to
speakers, amplifiers, etc. as a result of

high-frequency noise generated by word cloc k
incompatibilities.

4

DIGITAL OUT switch and indicators

This switch allows you to select the source of the
digital audio signals that are output from the

DIGITAL I/O (AES/EBU) OUTPUTS (1/2, 3/4,
5/6, 7/8) 7. The source can either be the signals

received at the
or at the

If the

TDIF-1

the TDIF-1 audio are mapped on a “one-to-one”
basis to the eight

If the

DIGITAL IN

received at the
the corresponding output ports. However, it may be
passed through the sample rate conversion before
reaching the output ports.

5

DIGITAL OUT FORMAT switch and

AES/EBU

TDIF-1

connector 9.

option is selected, the eight channels of

AES/EBU

option is selected, the input data

AES/EBU

inputs 8 (

audio output channels.

ports is passed through to

DIGITAL IN

indicators

The format of the digital audio output from the

AES/EBU

fessional AES3-1992 format (

output connectors 7 may be either pro-

PRO

) or

)

4

TASCAM IF-AE8

IF-AE8 Digital Audio Converter

CONSUMER

trical characteristics of the output connectors remain
the same, regardless of the data format selected.

6

Fs RATE CONVERT switch and

IEC-60958 TYPE II format. The elec-

indicators

This switch provides two settings:

CONVERT

When the switch is set to
(selected using the
output from the
same frequency.

When the switch is set to
nals will be output at the sampling frequency of the
clock source selected with the

Note that any of the

INPUTS (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8) 8 may be selected as

.

DIGIT AL OUT

AES/EBU

THRU-1

output connectors at the

CONVERT

DIGITAL I/O (AES/EBU)

THRU-1

, the input signals

4 switch) will be

, the input sig-

CLOCK

switch 3.

and

the clock source for the converted signal. The

DIGITAL I/O (TDIF-1) 9 cannot be used as the

clock source for conversion, though both it and the

DIGITAL I/O (AES/EBU) OUTPUTS (1/2, 3/4,
5/6, 7/8) 7 can be the destination.

NOTE

The

AES/EBU

source may be different from the unit which
provides either the input or the output signals.
You must, however, make sure that word
clock synchronization is correctly carried out.

unit which provides this clock

2 Rear panel

7

DIGITAL I/O (AES/EBU) OUTPUTS (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8)

These balanced connectors output digital audio data
in AES3-1992 professional or in consumer format,
depending on the selection made with the

OUT FORMAT

The content of the data depends on the setting of the

DIGITAL OUT

The sampling frequency of the output data depends
on the setting of the

6

, and the currently-selected clock source 3.

8

DIGITAL I/O (AES/EBU) INPUTS (1/2,

switch 5.

switch 4.

Fs RATE CONVERT

DIGITAL

switch

3/4, 5/6, 7/8)

These balanced connectors accept digital audio data
in AES3-1992 format.

The signal received at any of these connectors may
be selected as the clock source for the IF-AE8 using
the

CLOCK

switch

3

The signals received at this connector may be
selected as the word clock source using the
switch 3.

WARNING

Note that you should always use genuine
TASCAM cables, or cables which have been
approved for use with TDIF-1 interfaces by
TASCAM.

Although these cables appear similar to cer­tain types of computer cables and use similar
connectors, the cables themselves are very
different, and the diff erent electrical character­istics of the cables can cause damage to the
equipment connected with the wrong cables.

If the use of cables other than TASCAM
cables causes or results in damage, the war­ranty is voided.

A

WORD SYNC IN

CLOCK

9

DIGITAL I/O (TDIF-1)

Use this connector to connect a suitably-equipped
TDIF-1 digital audio unit (e.g. a DTRS recorder or a
TASCAM digital mixing console).

The BNC connector accepts a word clock signal
from an external source.

It may be selected as the word clock source for the
IF-AE8 using the

CLOCK

switch 3.

TASCAM IF-AE8

5

IF-AE8 Digital Audio Converter

B WORD SYNC OUT

This BNC connector outputs a word clock based on
the word clock source selected using the CLOCK
switch 3.

NOTE

This may or ma y not be the same as the clock
received at WORD SYNC IN A and retrans-

C

mitted through WORD SYNC THRU

. How­ever, it is always the word clock selected
using the CLOCK switch 3.

C WORD SYNC THRU

This BNC connector echoes the word clock signal
received at WORD SYNC IN A. It may or may not
be the same signal as is output at WORD SYNC

OUT B. It is auto-terminating.

3 Application example

In this example, the original material (from two
sources) has been mixed to DAT, and has been pro­duced in both professional and consumer formats,
and at both 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz sample rates.

The final master data will be recorded and coded on a
computer-based system, with an AES/EBU interface.

DAT 1

DAT 2

Here, the two DAT recorders are fed through the
IF-AE8. Since the resulting data will be at 44.1 kHz,
the DAT playing back the material at 44.1 kHz
(DAT 1) is selected to act as the clock master.

Since the TDIF-1 I/O is not used here, the DIGITAL
OUT switch 4 is set to DIGITAL IN.

The word clock is therefore derived from this, and
used to resample the 48 kHz material from DAT 2,
and the Fs RATE CONVERT switch 6 is set to

CONVERT.

AES/EBU audio in

48 (C)

IF-AE8

44.1(P)

44.1 (P)*

Mastering

system

The mastering system takes its word clock through
the AES/EBU data from the appropriate DIGITAL
OUT of the IF-AE8.

The DIGITAL OUT FORMAT switch 5 is set to
PRO, so that the data coming from DAT 2 is con­verted to professional format data.

4 Specifications

DIGITAL OUTPUTs (1–2,
3–4, 5–6, 7–8)

DIGITAL OUTPUT output
format

DIGITAL INPUTS (1–2, 3–4,
5–6, 7–8)

DIGITAL INPUT input format Auto-detect professional

D IGITAL I/O (TDIF-1) Conforms to TDIF-1

Clock source Any of AES/EBU DIGITAL

LOCKED indicator Lights when valid clock

Valid input Fs rates 48 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 32 kHz
Valid output rates 48 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 32 kHz,

Word length Up to 24 bits TDIF-1,(20 bits

WORD SYNC IN
WORD SYNC OUT

WORD SYNC THRU

Dimensions (w x h x d) 428 x 48 x 194.8 (mm)

Weight 2.6 kg (5.7 lbs)
Power supply 120V (UL), 230V (Europe,

Power consumption 6 W
Supplied accessories Rack mounting kit

XLR-type, balanced outputs

Switchable between
professional (AES3-1992)
and consumer (IEC-60958
TYPE II) formats

XLR-type

(AES3-1992) and consumer
(IEC-60958 TYPE II) formats

specification

INPUTS, TDIF-1, or WORD
SYNC IN (front panel
selection)

source received at selected
input

taken from CLOCK source

with Fs conversion), 20 bits
AES3-1992

75

Ω

75

Ω

, reproduces clock
selected from front panel
switch

75

Ω

(auto terminating),
echoes clock at WORD
SYNC IN

16.9 x 1.9 x 7.7 (in.)

Australia)

6

TASCAM IF-AE8

IF-AE8 Digital Audio Converter

CLOCK

FSC

AD1892

THRU

Data In

Emph In

Data Out

4

Emph Out

LR CLK In

LR CLK Out

2

2

Digital Mixer

or

DTRS

FS Code In

FS Code Out

IN

THRU

(AUTO TERM)

WORD

PLL

LOCKED

4

TC9271

D OUT

D IN

TDIF

Fs CONVERT

CONVERT

THRU

Data

Fs / Emph

CLK

D IN 7-8
D IN 5-6
D IN 3-4
D IN 1-2
TDIF-1
WORD

OUT

DIGITAL I/O

INPUTS

(AES/EBU)

DIGITAL I/O
OUTPUTS
(AES/EBU)

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8

TC9271

DIGITAL I/O
(TDIF-1)

FSC

AD1892

THRU

FSC

AD1892

THRU

FSC

AD1892

THRU

75

CPU

Digital
Interface
Receiver

Digital
Interface
Receiver

Digital
Interface

Receiver

Digital
Interface
Receiver

Digital
Interface
Transmitter

Digital
Interface

Transmitter

Fs / Emph

4.1 Dimensional drawing 4.2 Rack mounting

32mm

44mm

4mm

4.3 Block diagram

482mm
466mm

194.8mm

181.5mm 10.5mm

Use the supplied rack mounting kit to install the
IF-AE8 in a standard 19” rack, as shown below:

TASCAM IF-AE8

7

»

IF-AE8

TEAC CORPORATION

Phone: [phone], Nakacho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8550, Japan

TEAC AMERICA, INC.

Phone: [phone] Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640

TEAC CANADA LTD.

Phone: [phone] Facsimile: 905-890-9888 5939 Wallace Street, Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1Z8, Canada

TEAC MEXICO, S.A. De C.V

Phone: [phone] Privada De Corina, No.18, Colonia Del Carmen Coyoacon, Mexico DF 04100

TEAC UK LIMITED

Phone: [phone] Marlin House, Marlins Meadow, The Croxley Centre, Watford, Herts. WD1 8YA, U.K.

TEAC DEUTSCHLAND GmbH

Phone: [phone] Bahnstrasse 12, 65205 Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany

TEAC FRANCE S. A.

Phone: [phone] Rue Alexis-de-Tocqueville, CE 005 92182 Antony Cedex, France

TEAC BELGIUM NV/SA

Phone: [phone] P.A. TEAC Nederland BV, Perkinsbaan 11a, 3439 ND Nieuwegein, Netherlands

TEAC NEDERLAND BV

Phone: [phone] Perkinsbaan 11a, 3439 ND Nieuwegein, Netherlands

TEAC AUSTRALIA PTY.,LTD. A.C.N. 005 408 462

Phone: [phone] Bay Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207, Australia

TEAC ITALIANA S.p.A.

Phone: [phone] Via C. Cantù 11, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Milano, Italy

PRINTED IN JAPAN 0199U0.7 M-1479A