Tascam Midistudio 644 Owner's Manual
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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION:
• Read all of these instruct ions.
• Save these instruct,ions for later use.
• Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the
audio equipment.
1. Rttad Inst ructi ons -All the safety and operating instructions
should be read before the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Inst ruc tions - The safety and operating instructions
should be retai 'ned for future reference .
3. Heed Warnin1P - 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 bathtu b, washbo wl, kitchen
sink, laundr y tub , in a wet basement, or near a swimming
pool, etc.
6. Carts and S1ands - The appliance should be used only wit h
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 celling on ly as recommended by the manu facturer .
e. Vent ilation - The appliance should be situ.rt,ed so that its
location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example , the appl.iance should not be situated
on a bed, sofa, ,rug, or simi lar surface that may block the
ventilation ope'nings; or, pl !!!=ed in a built-in installa tion ,
such as a bookc ase or ca~lnef t~at may impede the flow of
air through the vent ilation 'openings.
9. Heat - The appliance shoo.Id t,e situ ated away from heat
sources such as radiators,
tieat regliter~, stoves, or. ,.other
appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heal . ,
10. Power Sourc es - The ap.pliance should be conn-ected to a
power supply only of the type described in the operetingi instruction s or as marked oh the appliance.
11. Groundi~g or Poluization - The precautions that shou ld
be take~ ' so that the grounding or polarization means of an
applianc e is not defeate d,
12. Power-Cord Pro tion - Power-supply cords should be
routed so that they
Me not likely 10 be walked on or pinch -
ed by items placed upon or against them, paying part icular
attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptac les, and
the point where they exit from th e appliance.
- 3-
13. Clean ing - The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer.
14. Power Lines - An outdoor antenna should be located away
from power lines.
16.
Outdoor Antenna Grounding - If an outside antenna is
connected to the receiver, be sure the antenna system is
grounded so as to pro vide 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 suppo rting structure, grounding of the lead-in
wire to an antenna discharge un it, size of grounding conductors, location of antenna-discharge unit, connection to
grounding electrodes , and requirements for the grounding
electrode . See Figure below.
EX AMPLE OF AN TENNA GROU ND I NG
. AS PER NAT ION AL
EL ECTRJCAL CODE
ANTENNA
LfAD IN
WIRE
ANTENNA
DISCHARGE UNIT
{NE C SECTION 610-20)
GROUNOINC CONDUCTORS
(NEC SECflON 8 l 0 - 2 1)
...,...._- POWER SERVICC. GROUNOINC
-:- ELECTRODE SYSTEM
(NEC ART 250, PART H)
N EC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE
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 shou ld be taken so that
objects do not
fall and liquids are not spilled into the en-
closure th rough openings .
18. Damage Requiring Ser.ice - The appliance should
be ser-
vicedby qualified serv ice pertonnel 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; or
C. The appliance has been exposed to rain ; or
D. The appliance does not appear to operate normally or
exh ibits a marked chan ge in performance ; or
E. The appliance has been dropped, or the enc losure da'Tl-
aged.
19.
Servicing - Th e user should not att empt to service the
appliance beyo nd that described in the operating instr uctions . All other servicing should be referred to qualified
service personnel.
How to Use This Manual
The 644 Midistudio is different in major ways from
previous Portastudios. The basic structure of the mixer,
the features of the tape transport, the MIDI implemen tation, and the electronic switching are all new. To get
the most out of your 644, spend some time now to
READ THE MANUAL! You'll be glad you did. Even if
you're experienced , you'll discover some tricks you
haven't tried before .
This manual is divided into sections.
INTRODUCTION: Everyone , from expert to novice,
should read this part.
STANDARD OPERA TION : This covers the "how
to " procedures of basic multitrack recording with the
644. It advances to inst ruct ions about using effects,
bouncing tracks , and punch ing in.
MIDI OPERATIONS: After you've worked with
and are comfortable with the mixer and the recorder
sections , read this if you want " how to" procedures of
MIDI synchroni zation . Non-MIDI users don't need this
part.
FEATURES AND CONTROLS: Everyone shou ld
use this "what is it?" dictionary that defines every
control and indicator on the 644 in detail.
You'll get the best results by having your system set up
so you can experiment with it as you read.
Don't make
the mistake of booking a cruc ial recording session before
you've had free time to really get to know your 644.
Dual used as MONITOR
Main Channels
(1-8) =
8 mies to
multitracks
L([Q•; I
~
Dual Channnels
(9-16)
=
HEADPHONES
4 tape returns
4 line inputs
-----------0
Dual used at MIXDOW N
Main Channels
(1-8) =
4 tape returns
4 line inputs
2-Track Recorder
Multl-timbral
Sound Modulo
Dual used as STEREO EFFECT SEND
Main Channels t-- ------ To GROUP OUT
(1-8)
Aux,-... Gated
Reverb
Dual
L STEREO
Channels
i------ -
1
Digital
(9-16) R Reverb
-4-
Introduction
The 644 Midistudio ® is a 4-channel multitrack cassette
recorder, a 16 input mixing system with electronic
routing control, and a Ml DI Tape Synchronizer combined into a single workstaion . It's the first Portastudio®
expressly designed to meet the challenge of the MIDI
revolution . Its mixing section is designed in a new
way to accommodate the greater number of line inputs
in a typical MIDI studio, up to 16 at once plus 4 effect
returns. Each main channel can access up to 4 effects
busses, so you can use a variety of different effects
(reverbs, de lays, choruses etc .) on different inputs. MIDI
Tape synchronization with Song Position Pointer (same
as that used by the T ASCAM MTS-30) is built in, so that
the capabi lities of MIDI sequencing can be blended with
the advantages of multitrack recording.
To make the 644 Midistudio easy to use, TASCAM
designed an all-electronic switching system that auto mates all mixer routing into one central display panel.
You can change the settings of the whole mixer by
pressing just two buttons . This makes each stage of
mult itrack recording more automatic, so you can con centrate on the creative work instead of getting bogged
down in the technical details of moving from tracking
and overdubbing to the final mix. Unlike many of the
units an electronic musician has to face today that use
menus and complicated messages, t he Midistudio shows
what it's doing with an easy-to-read, black on white LCD
screen.
In addition, the Midistudio can be synchronized to other
multitracks (like the TASCAM MSR-16 or 238) or to a
video tape recorder using the TASCAM MIDiiZER.
For those who are already familiar with previous Portastudio operation, there are two innov ations in particular
that make the Midistudio different from other units :
Dual Section
Just above the main fader and pan is the DUAL section,
with its own LEVEL' and PAN controls. The DUAL is
called that because
ff Wa's dual functions. The first
function is as an in:line stereo monitor mixer, which
allows you to get a 'mix of tape tnicks ' (and live MIDIcontrolled instrum ents) so you can play along with
previous tra cks while overdubbing . withou t interfering
with the levels being sent10 the recorde r.
At mixdo-.yn time , the dual section converts to its
second function: as
8 additional inputs to the main
mixer, each with independent pan , level, and effect
sends. This LINK feature makes the Midistudio into a
16x2 console, while maintaining a compact size.
Alternatively, the DUAL can be used as a 'stereo effects
send, which in addition to the 2 Oedfcat,ed AUX sends
adds up to 4 possible sends from each of the 8 main
input channel s.
To summariz e, the DUAL section is
an independent 8x2
"mixer within the mixer", with its own input selection,
master volume control, and output jacks that can also be
linked to the main mixer outputs without repatching.
Assignment Board and Display
Every switch on a mixing console, no matter how many
there are or what compan y made them, performs one of
three relative ly humble tasks:
1. Where FROM- called "input selection" or "sourc-
iQg"
2. Where TO-called "assignment"
3. How MUCH-called level, gain, attenuation, trim,
mute, on/off, etc . etc.
Recording mixers need all these switches so they can
perfo rm the three processes of multitrack, in which the
signal flow through the mixer changes direction.
The Three Steps To Multit rack Recording
~
Track ng
~
Monitor Section
~ ---+ I Main Section
ra=.
I:
0
l__. 544__J
{lJ Overdubbing
V /
~
Monitor Section
II , --11911 Main Section
1(800
1:
0
L___5 44 __J
2 Track
Mixdown
Monitor Section
M,in S.Ctlon
l__5 44___J
The Midistud io is equipped with an electronic routing
display and switch matrix to control the signal flow. To
change a setting, you select what you want to do-for
example, select LINE for the main input channel source
-then press the channel buttons under the screen. The
change in settings . is shown by the black squares next
to LINE in the · UCO display.
These blac k dq~~res ihow that MAIN channe ls (1-8)
are assigned
to iGrou ps 1 and 2.
I
CMM!'Nl.lllNP UT
'
'
'
.1.
•
,
I
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__ ..,,.
0 0
0 uw:)
0 0
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:......:...=.-
- -·
--------
~
~: 05
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... , .. --. -
....
000 0 0 0 00 DD>
....
DD D D CJ:'' o · o D
Do,
-
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····-··-
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DO D D D DDD D •
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D D D
DD•
DDD C
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OUTPUT I
2 3
.
fl 2/R 3
.
'-- TAPE -
'-GRO UP _..
These show that th e MA IN channels (1-8) are getting
their inputs from the MIC jacks.
- 5-
With mechanical switches, you might have had to press
dozens of separate switches to go from overdub to
mixdown modes. But because the switching of the
Midistudio is electronic, a computer chip can memorize
your most frequently used switch settings in a preset we
call a SCENE. For example, Scene 1 could be your
"tracking" setup, Scenes 2
& 3 can be "overdub"
settings, and Scene 12 could be "mixdown" assignments.
The 644 Midistudio can store 99 different scenes in its
battery-backed up memory . All you have to do is change
scenes (by pressing
UP, DOWN, or the number keys,
then RECALL), and everything changes for you. You
can successfully use the Midistudio just by stepping
through the scenes preset by the factory; but it's easy to
make scenes customized for your particular studio.
You can also have the scenes chanqe via external MIDI
commands (see p. 26,
"MIDI Automation Secti,on").
MIDI Tape Synchron izer
MIDI sequencers and rhythm machines can be synchronized using
MIDI clocks, digital pulses that set the
tempo of the machines. A MIDI Tape Synchronizer
(MTS) built -in to the Midistudio can read this MIDI
timing information and translate it into a special FSK
sync tone that can be recorded onto track 4 of the
multitrack recorder. During playback, the MTS reads the
FSK sync tones off of track 4 and translates them back
to MID I clocks that the system uses to stay in tempo
(sync) with the tape recorder. Since the MTS is built-in,
the audio connections and level setting is done auto matically . All you have to do is connect the sequencer
to the MIDI jacks of the 644.
Unlike some other methods of tape sync, the built-in
MTS has MIDI Song Position Pointer capab ility. This
allows you to locate the tape to any location within a
song and have your MIDI sequencer and rhythm
machine go to the correct part of the sequence. You no
longer have to go back to the beginning of the song as
you may have had to with the sync tones generated by
the sequencer itself. No more time lost waiting through
the first verse when you want to punch-in to the chorus!
Depending on the size and complexity of your system
you can have many different MIDI keyboards, modules,
and rhythm machines all controlled by a sequencer
which is synchronized to the tape using the MTS tone .
Some MIDI keyboards and modules are
multitimbral,
meaning one instrument can play different sounds,
sometimes through different output jacks, at the same
time.
You can use these MIDI instruments as
virtual tracks,
meaning that they play along "live" with the tape tracks
all the way through final mixdown. Or, you can get
more out of your MIDI system by
layering tracks,
actually recording a sound onto tape, then using the
same synthesizer (or group of synthesizers) to record a
different sounding layer on another track .
Multitraci<. R~c.order
The 644 records on read ily available standard (Philips)
Compact Cassette tape, high bias Type II. You can
record on any oral! four tracks of the 644 at any time.
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 T ASCAM heads.
Using DBX noise reduction at high speed (3 3/4 i.p.s.),
the sonic quality of the 644 is only exceeded by reel-to -
reel recorde rs with noise reduction .
The transport controls of the Midistudio are mic roprocessor operated, allowing high reliab ility and automatic
functions that make the unit easier to use :
• REHEARSE and AUTO IN-OUT use the counter to
electronically mark punch-in and out times. Once
you have set the points, you can practice an insert
severa l ti mes befo re actual ly recording, with
machine precis ion eat::h time.
• A three position autolocator
(MEMO 1 and 2 and
Zero) allows key positions to be located automatic-
ally
• REPEAT allows a section to be played over and
over for rehearsal
NOTE FOR U.K. CUSTOM ERS
U.K. Customers Only:
Due to the variety of plugs being used in the U.K.,
the provided PS-M 1 power supply unit is equipped with
no AC plug. Please request your dealer to install the
correct plug to match the mains power outlet where
your unit wil I be used as per these instructions.
IMPORTANT
The wires in this mains lead are coloured in ac-
cordance with the following code:
BLUE:
BROWN:
NEUTRAL
LIVE
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of
this apparatus may not correspond with the
coloures markings identifying the terminals
of
your plug, proceed as follows.
The wire which is coloured 8 LUE must be con-
nected 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 manufac tured to comply with the
radio interference of EEC direct ive "82/499/EEC."
• There are two counter displays, one showing the
current position and the other showing an autolocate or punch point
• The counter display can show either reel revolutions
or acts as a timer showing ho w long the transport
has been in PLAY mode
In add ition , the transport capstan motor is
servo-
control!ed, so that the tape speed can be increased or
decreased with the PITCH CON TROL to match pitch or
for specia l effects. The capstan can be externally
controlled by a synchronizer (such as the TASCAM
MIDiiZER) connec te d to the ACCESSORY 2 interface
of the 644 so the tape will "lock" to another recorder,
either audio or video, using SMPTE Time Code.
The 644 can be remotely contro lled by the optiona l
RC-88 which puts the transport controls up to 5 m ( 15
feet) away . Punch-in and Punch -out can be engaged
using the optional RC-30P or RC-60P footswitch, which
gives you an "extra hand" in the recording process. (The
RC-60P can also
be used to recall scenes on the assign
board.)
- 6 -
Bescheinigung des Herstellers/lmporteur s
Hiermit wird bescheinigt, daB der/die/das
MISCHPUL T MIT MAGNETT0NBAN0GER~T 644
(Gerat . Typ , 8ezei chn ung)
in Obereinstimmung mil den Bestimmungen der
AMTSBLATT 163/1984, VFG 1045/1984, VFG 1046/1984
{Am ts bl att verfOgung )
funk-entst6rt isl.
Der Deutschen Bundespost wurde das lnverkehrbringen
dieses Gerates angezeigt und die Berechtigung zur Ober-
prufung der Serie auf Einhaltung der Bestimmungen eingeraumt.
TEAC CORPORATION
Name des Herstellers/lmpo rleu rs
THIS DIGIT AL APPARATUS DOES NOT EXCEED THE CLASS
8 LIMITS FOR RAD IO
NOISE EMISSIONS FROM DIGITA L APPARA TUS AS SET OUT IN THE RA DIO INTER -
FERENCE REGULA TIONS OF
THE CANADIAN
DEPAR TMENT OF COMMUN ICATIO NS.
LE PRESENT APPAREIL NUMERIOUE N'EMET
PAS DE BRUITS RADIO ELECTRIOUES DE-
PASSANT LES LIMITES APPLICABLES AUX
APPAREi LS NUMERI OUES DE CLASSE 8
PRESCRITES DANS LE REGLEMENT SUR LE
BROUILLAGE RADIOELECTRIOUE EDICTE
PAR LE MINISTERE DES COMMUNICATIONS
DU CANADA
Precautions and Recommendations
Track Format and Compatibility
The 644 Midlstudio uses either the standard cassette
speed of 4.75 cm/sec. (1-7/8 ips-inches per second) or
the high speed of 9.5 cm/sec . (3-3/4 ips). Here is a
comparison of various cassette formats:
TASCAM
4Tr 4ch
Phil ips
4Tr4ch
®
®
Philips
4Tr 2ch
©
©
ANSI
(Philips)
2Tr 2ch
(Uni1: mm)
Tapes recorded on stereo ca~ette recorders will only
play back on the first two tracks of the 644 at low
speed. Tapes made on all 4 tracks of the 644, will not
play back properly on stereo cassette recorders . Material
recorded on the 644 must be mixed down to stereo for
general distribution.
The 644 Midistudio, like all multitr ack cassette recorders, records and plays the tape in one direction only.
The 644 needs the entire width of the tape to record its
four tracks , eliminating the option of recording on both
sides (actually , it's both
directions). Therefo re, you
should decide wh ich side (side "A" or side "B" ) you
want to use and use that side exclusi vely. It's a good idea
to get into the habit of consistently using the same side
on all multitrac k tapes.
Accidental Erase/Record Protl!ction
To protec t a finished master tape, it is necessary to
punch out both record protect tabs . Even though you
are recording in only one direc tion, the 644 Midistud io
uses the entire width of the tape, as mentioned above.
If, for example, you remo ve only one of the tabs, you
could accidentally insert t he cassette into the 644 backwards and erase all four t racks of the master .
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Tape Type
The 644 Midistudio is internally adjusted for HIGH
BIAS "Type II" tape. This means that for best results,
you should only use tapes of this type. Examples would
include TDK SA, Maxell XL-II or equivalent formula tions . We strongly suggest that you select one good
qualit y 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 644's
transpo rt. 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 of the tracks .
High quality tapes are less likely to cause prob lems in
the long run.
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 tha t is as close as possible to
the length of the program you plan to record . Cassett es
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 coatin g of the tape which will
destroy your wor k. Don't use C-120s in the 644.
Remember that at 2X normal speed, and the "one-side only" 4-track single direction format means that you
have only 1/4X normal play time:
(approx.)
C-30
7.5 min.
C-46 11.5min .
C-60 15
min.
C-90
22.5 min.
CHANGING THE MEMORY BACK-UP BATTERY
The included battery lasts about 5 years. We recomme nd
you to change the battery in advance to prevent accidental erasure of the conten ts of the 99 scene memor ies. If the battery has run low, when you tu rn on
the 644 you will see the switch sett ings of factory preset
scene 01, instead of the last scene you used. For informat ion on how to change the battery , consult
TASCAM or your nearest TASCAM dealer.
AOVARSEL!
Lith iumbatteri - Eksplosions fare.
Udskiftning mii kun foretages af en sagkyndig,
og som beskrevet i servicemanualen.
The Recording System
There are six elements to a complete recording system:
Multitrack recorder
Mixer
2 Track recorder
Input devices (microphones, synthesizers)
Output devices (headphones or amp and speakers)
Effect processors
Ml>eer
The Midistudio combines the mixer and the multitrack
recorder into one unit, virtually eliminating the time
consuming and confusing patching that used to be
associated with multitrack audio production. Even
though they are internally wired together, it is important
to recognize that they behave as if they were separate .
When you plug into Input 1, you're plugging into the
mixer, not track
1 of the recorder. You have to use the
mixer controls to
assign that input to whatever track of
the recorde r yo u want it to go to .
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Multitreck Recorder
Undemanding the Mixer
The mixer of the 644 functions as a traffic control
center for all the other elements of the complete
system. l_t takes multiple inputs, processes them for level
and tone, and sends or assigns them to multiple outputs.
A large system, like the mixer, is easier to understand if
you break it down into several subsystems. The DUAL
section (p. 4) is a subsystem of the mixer.
Main Mix: The largest of these subsystems is the MAIN
mix (faders 1-8). It receives signals from the input jacks,
routes them through equalizers and faders, and then
combines or GROUPS them together so many inputs can
TAPE~
(Ch. 1- 4 o
Only)
0
Aux Mix: AUX 1 and AUX 2 are two subsys tems that
allow the 644 to send separate mixes to external dev ices,
such as d igita l delays and reverb un its or headphone
amplifiers. They are similar to the " Effect Send " or
" Fo ldback " contro ls on many mixers, but have mo re
flexibility - each AUX can choose its signal from two
different points in the Main or Dual mix. Th e AUX 1
and AUX 2 OUT jacks on the back pane l can then be
connected to your signal proc essor, and the processor 's
ol.itput(s) can be connected to the EF FECT RETURNs,
or even back to anothermixer input . Note that the
EFFECT RETURNs are act ually fo ur specia lized inputs
to the Main Mix, since the y can also be assigned to the
four groups .
- 9-
be recorded onto one track. The Main mix is most often
used to cut basic tracks, overdub, ping-pong, and at
final mixdown. The Main Mix system can also be used as
a sound reinforcement mixer.
PAN
SCENE
DISPLAY
(ASSIGN)
GROUP OUT
1/L
Aux 1 always gets its signal from the MAI N signal path ,
eithe r before (PRE) or after (POST) the main fader . Th is
allows it to be used as either an independent headphone
feed (similar to " monitor" or "foldback" con tro ls on a
PA board) or as an effect send from channels 1-8.
Aux 2 can get its signal either from the MAIN path
(POST, same as Au x 1), or from the DUAL path . This
allows it to be used as a second effect send fro m main
channels 1-8, or as the only effect send from dua l
channels 9- 16.
Operations Section
Following are step-by-step instructions for the basic
procedures of the Midistudio. They will give you the
basic experience you need to fully understand the
sections that explain the capabilities of the
644 in detail,
so you can customize it for your own situation.
I PLAYING BACK A PRERECORDED TAPE I
Before actually beginning recording, try playing a tape
with audio already on it. It doesn't matter if it was made
on a standard cassette or what it sounds like; this
exercise is so you can become familiar with the
644 and
check your connections .
Preliminary Setup
Preset the control s:
To avoid problems , begin with th e
power off. Make st..lre the follow ing controls are set:
• Bring all th e faders down.
In the channels:
• Set all MIC T RIMS to full coun ter-clockwise
(7
o'clock)
• Set all EOs, AUX 1 and 2, and PAN controls to
center (12 o'clock)
In the master and monitor section :
• Turn all the EFFECT RETURNS, AUX and DUAL
MASTERS, both MONITOR GROUP LEVELS, and
the monitor MASTER off (to f\,111 counter -clockwise
(7 o'clock))
• Put all the MONITOR SWITCHES (from GROUP
1-2 to MONO) in their OFF posit ion (up)
In tW!e transpo rt section:
• Set the TAPE SPEED to LOW.
• Set the PITCH CONTRO L to FIX.
• Turn the DBX Noise Reduction OFF.
• Set the SYNC switch to OFF .
Insert a cassette: Press on the cassette door's lower right
hand corner, and it will spring open : Insert a prerecorded
tape. Close the door.
Plug in
haadphone s or monitor amplifier and speakers:
Make sure the headphones are stereo. Inserting any
mono jack into the headphone jack shorts out the head-
phone amplif ier. If you'd rathe r use a monitor speaker
setup, connect the MONITOR OUT jacks on the back of
the
644 to the inputs of your power amplifier.
Turn the power on. Put on your headphones .
Listen to a cassette
1. On the numbered CHANNEL keys, press "O" then
"1" .
This should make "SCENE 01" appear in the
two-digit display: it's a special factory preset (unless
your unit has already been used by someone else,
in which case you should see p.19, "Restor ing Factory
Presets" .
OR, press the UP or DOWN keys until "SCENE 01"
appears in th e display.
2.
Press RECALL. The scene number will stop blinking.
(To recall scenes you can opt ionally use the RC-60P
foots witch. When connec ted to the REMOTE UP/
DOWN jack C:,n the front and pressed, it has the same
effect as pressing UP or DOWN and .then RECALL).
-10 -
3. Press PLAY. The cassette should start to move.
4. Find the three DISPLAY keys and indicators, and
press METER OUTPUT.
If there is signal on the tape,
it should make at least some of the first four mete rs
(TAPE 1-4) move.
5. Press the DUAL switch in the monitor section.
6. Bring DUAL LEVEL controls 9 and 10 up to the 2
o'clock positi on.
7. Bring the DUAL MASTER up until the monitor level
JTI9ter reads in
the middle, averaging around O dB.
8. Slowly increase the rotary MASTER control In the
monitor sectio n
until you get a comfortable level in
the headphones .
Further experiments- to try: Now that you're hearin g
something, here are some th ings to try before moving on
to recording.
Turn the DUA L PAN 9 and 10 controls. You
should hear the stereo image shift in your head-
phones.
Bring up the DUAL 11 and 12 controls. If it's a
standard cassette with mater ial recorded on both
sides (A and B) of the tape , you'll hear the othe r
side backwards.
Put the PITCH CONTROL into VAR I, and turn
the knob to increase and decrease the speed.
Turn the first two AUX 2 controls all th e way to
the left (DUAL). In the MONITOR section, press
AUX 2 and turn off DUAL. As you slowly
increase the AUX MASTER
2 control, you'll start
hearing the tape again.
Notice that if you turn down the DUAL 9 and
10 pots ,
it will affect the signal: this . is because AUX 2 gets its
signal from the DUAL pots when it's turned to the left.
After you're done with these experiments, return the
contro ls to their original positions . Press STOP and
remove the prerecorded cassette.
I RECORDING THE FIRST TRACK I
Prepare to record
1. Press on the cassette door's lower right hand corner ,
and it will spring open.
Insert a high quality .blank
High Blas (Type II) tape. Close the door .
• Press the DBX switch so that the LED goes ON.
• Set the TAPE SPEED to HIGH for the best quality
recording .
2. Plug a source (microphooe or instrument) into MIC
(LINE A) jack 1/9.
If the instrument has its own
volume controls , set them to maximum.
Select the input and output for t he channel:
3. Press SCENE in the DISPLAY keys above the shuttle
knob. The LED indicator will go on, and the LCD
display will show you the current switch status.
4. On the numbered CHANNEL keys, press "O" th en
"1". This should make "SCENE 01" appear in the
scene display.
5. Press RECALL. The scene number will stop blinking.
NOTE: For now, make sure Channel l's main PAN
control (the one closest to the fader) is set to center . If
it is set hard right, signal can not go to group 1 even
though it is assigned there.
Set the input level
6. Press METER
INPUT ln the DISPLAY keys above the
shuttle knob . The assign display will disappear, and
the LCD is now acting as an input meter.
7. Play the instrument or speak into the microphone
while slow ly increasing the MIC TRIM. When the
meter goes up to the
"O" indication in the middle,
the level is set correctly. If the instrument peaks the
meter even at the lowest settings of the MIC TR IM,
you'll have to turn down the level on the instrument.
Set the output level
8. Press METER OUTPUT in the DISPLAY keys above
the shuttle knob.
9. Increase the Channel 1 fader to the shaded area
between 7 and 8.
10. While. playing the instrument or speaking into the
microphone,
slowly increase the MASTER 1/L-2/R
fader until the meter reads in
the middle, averaging
around "O dB".
Set the monitor level
11. In the MONITOR section, press the GROUP 1-2
switch (down position) .
12. Slowly increase the GROU P 1-2 LEVEL rotar y
control until the MONITOR L-R METER is reading
around
O dB.
13. If you haven't already, put on t he headphones and
increase the MASTER monitor rotary control to a
comfortable listening level.
IMPORTANT: Do not change the settings of the
MASTER and CHANNEL faders to adjust the monitor
level-change the monitor controls only .
Put the recorder into record mode .
14. Press PLAY and allow the tape to nm for about 15
second s.
This will run the tape leader onto the take up reel, and put the beginning of the tape in front
of the heads.
- 11 -
15. Press the TRT key until the COUNTER/TAT
display is
in counter mode. It will show 4 numbers
without a colon.
16.
Press RESET. This "zeros out" the COUNTER
display,
so you can use the RTZ (Return to Zero)
key when you're done recording to get back to this
point on the tape.
17. Press RECORD FUNCTION key # 1. The red LED
above the key will start to flash.
18. While holding RECORD, press PLAY. The RE-
CORD FUNCTION, RECORD, and PLAY lights
will all go on solid, and you are now recording on
track one . Perform you·r first track.
19. Press STOP, then RTZ. The 644 will rewind the
tape to the start position .
Listening to the First Track
1. Press the RECORD FUNCTION key #1, so you can't
accidentally erase what you've just recorded. Its LED
will go out.
2. Listen t o the track via the DUAL section, as you did
in the "Playing Back a Prerecorded Tape" exercise:
bring up DUAL 9 (whose INPUT source should still
be TAPE if you're using factory preset
#1 ), the
DUAL MASTER,
and press the DUAL switch in the
monitor.
If you are having problems, press
DISPLAY ASSIGN
and make sure that the screen looks like this:
CHANNEL/INPUT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MONITOR
CHAHNELMUTE Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q L • '"'
1!1!!!!1!111 cw,•••••••• o o ..
~
MAJN GRP
2
D D D D D D D D D D • L/ /
GRPJ DD t:J DD DD D DD•
GRP
4
D D D D D D D D D D o
...., •••• - - • - 00,
MAIN UNEDDDDDDDDD D•
TAPEDDDDDDDDDD,o
D D D D D D D D D D-,o
OUTPUT 1 2 3 4 1/L 2/R 3 4
L._ TAPE --1 L-.. GROUP --'
If not, see p. 16 "Using the Scene Display" to make it
this way .
At this point , you have completed the first track, also
called a take or pass. If the recording quality, level, and
performance are OK, proceed to the next step: recording an overdub.
I OVERDUBBING I
Overdubbing is a procedure consisting of recording one
or more additional tracks wn ile a performer (or per·
formers) listens to previously recorded tracks, typically
with headphones.
In this quick tutorial, we're going to continue using
factory preset Scenes as our basis.
Before performing the
following steps press UP to go to Scene 02, preset for
overdubbing onto track
2, and press RECALL.
Set the 01.ttP\lt lev!ll
This is the same procedure as in recording the first tra ck.
1.
Press METER OUTPUT in the DISPLAY keys above
the shuttle knob.
2. Increase tbe Channel fader ta the shaded area he-
tween 7 and 8.
3. While playing the instrument or speaking into the
microphone,
slowly increase the MASTER 1/ L-~/R
fader until the meter reads in the middle, averaging
around "O dB".
81,t the monitor le'4el
Monitoring is what makes overdubbing different from
tracking. You need to set how much you will hear in
your monitor of the first track and your live instrument,
without disturbing the settings that control how much
goes to the tape recorder. (See p.
5. "Tracking, Over-
dubbing, and Mixdown" .)
4. In the MONITOR section,
press the GROU P 1-2
switch (down position).
5. While playing your instrument, slowly increase the
GROUP 1-2 LEVE L rotary control until th e
MONITOR L-R METER is reading around
O dB.
6. If you haven't already, put on the headphones and
increase the MAST-f:;R monitor
rotary contro l to a
comfortable listening level.
7. Assuming the DUAL 9, DUAL MASTER, and
DUAL MONITOR switch haven't been touched
since you listened to the playback of the first track,
press PLAY. You will hear the first track in your
headphones, along with your live instrument.
8. Adjust the GROUP 1-2 LEVEL and DUAL
MASTER COl'\trols until you hear the balance you
want in your headphones .
9.
P, s RTZ to rewind the tape to the start position .
Put the recorder into record mode
10. Press RECORD FUNCTION KEY #2. The red LED
above the key will start to flash . Make sure all other
record function keys are off - especially the first
track .
11.
While holding RECORD, press PLAY. The RE-
CORD FUNCTION, RECORD, and PLAY lights
will all go on solid, and you are now recording on
track two'. Perform your first overdub .
-12-
12.
Press STOP, then RTZ. The 644 will rewind the
tape to the start position.
Li1ten to the overdub
13. Press ?LAY. Increase the DUAL LEVEi- #10
cont,oJ to hear the playback of track 2. You can
adjust the DUAL PAN and LEVEL controls to get
a stereo monitor mix of the first two tracks.
Performing overdubs 3 and 4
Tracks 3 and 4 can be recorded using almost the identic-
al procedure as a.bove . The differences are :
• Use of preset Scenes 3 and
4
• Different RECORD FUNCTION keys
• Use MASTER FADER 3-4 to set the record levels
• Use the GROUP 3-4 LEVEL and switch to hear the
"live" instrument while you're overdubbing onto
tracks 3 and 4.
Factory preset scenes 01-04 assign all Main inputs to
one group at a time. If you want to record to two or
more groups simultaneously, use scene 05 for groups
1-2 or scene 06 for groups 3-4, using the PAN controls
for assignment to either side; or Scene 10 for all 4
tracks at once. See p. 55-6.
I MIXDOW N I
The last stage of multitrack recording is mixing down
your 4 tracks to a stereo master. You will need ?not~er
tape recorder for this. Any stereo recorder with line
inputs will do, but a quality recorder such as those made
by TASCAM will ensure that you're not stepping down
in quality at this last stage, which to many people is the
most crucial since it's the tape you'll actually release
outside the studio.
Put the Midistudio into mixdown mode
1. If your 644 still has the factory presets, press UP
unt il you arrive at SCENE 12. Press RECALL. In this
preset, TAPE appears at the MAIN channels 1-4, and
is assigned to groups.
1-2. Make sure the ASSIGN DISPLAY looks like this:
CHANNEL/IN PUT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MONITOR
CHANHOLMUn Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q ' • •
_, • • ••••••DD,.
ClRP2- - - - - - - - 0 0 •
GRP3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
°""
4
O O O O O O O O O O o
..,0 000 ••••00•
YA1H UNI D O O O D D D O O O •
~-~-~
TAn· ---0000 0 010
O D O O O D D D O 0-20
OUTPUT 1 2 3 4 1/L 2/R 3 4
L__ TAPE ___J '-- GROUP _.J
If you don't have factory presets, see "Using the Assign
Board" on p.16 to:
a. Select INPUT TAPE for
MAI N channels 1-4.
b. Assign MAIN channels to GROUPs 1 and 2.
c. (Optional) If you wish to use DUAL as an effects
send , select INPUT POST for the DUAL channels
9-16.
2. Rewind the tape to the start of the take by pressing
RTZ. Make sure all RECORD FUNCTION switches
on the 644 are off.
Prepare the mastering recorde r
3. If you r mastering recorder has an input level control,
set it to its nomi nal posit ion. Consult the manual for
your recorder to see how to do this. The goal is that
when the Midistudio's L/R meter reads
O dB, the
meter on your two-track will also read
O dB, so
there's no confusion. ·
4. Connect the GROUP OUT jacks 1 and 2 (also labeled
L and RI to the line level inputs of your mastering
stereo recorder
using good quality shielded cable .
5. Put a blank high-quality tape on your mastering deck.
Run off fifteen seconds of tape to get past the leader
if necessary. Reset the master's counter to zero so
you can rewind 'to that point.
6. Set the mastering recorder so that it will metet input.
This depends on the deck: some have their own REC
FUNCTION switches, others have an INPUT switch,
others must be put into REC PAUSE mode.
Set the output level
7. Press DISPLAY OUTPUT on the 644.
8.
Press PLAY o~the 644 .
9. Set the MASTER 1) L-2/R FADER at the nominal
area (shaded area between 7 and 8).
10. Increase the channel fade rs until the GROUP 1 and
2 meters read between -3 and O dB. At this point ,
the meters on your mastering recorder should be
reading the same; if not, adjust the input level
control of the mastering recorder. When in doubt,
the meters of the master should be your reference.
11. Adjust the channel PAN controls as desired .
• See p. 21, "Using the Dual" for effects during mixdown.
Set yo ur monitoring level
You can't mix it if you can't hear it. And your monitoring levels need to be variable without affecting the mix
feeding the mastering recorder . There are two ways to
monito r: source , and tape .
12. SOURCE MONITORING:
a. Turn off all MONITOR switches except GROUP
1-2.
b. Adjust the monito ring level with the GROUP 1-2 ·
LEVEL and MASTER MONITOR po1s.
TAPE MONITORING:
a. Connect th e line outputs of you r masterin g
recorder to the inputs of your monitor amp.
Ideally , your monitoring amp has an input switch
that will allow it to swit ch between the 644's
monito r output and the 2-track output.
-1 3 -
b. Adjust the output level of your mastering deck
for the overall level. Alternatively (especially if
your deck's meters follow the output level
control), adjust the level using the controls on
your monitor amp.
Record the Mixdown
13. Rewind the 644 to the beginning poi nt using RTZ.
14. Press RECORD-PLAY on yo ur master ing deck, or
release PAUSE, so it's rolling in record.
15. Press PLAY on the 644 .
16. When finished, stop both recorders. Rewind and
play th e tape on the master. Listen to the results; if
you're not satisfied, make notes of changes you'd
like to make and repeat the mixdown, making the
desired changes.
Advanced Operations
Once you feel comfortable with the basics of tracking,
overdubbing, and mixdown on the 644 , it's time to
dive into more challenging act ivities: using signal
process ing, qouncing tracks, punching in, and making
your own scenes .
I PUNCH-IN OR INSERT RECORDIN G I
It is possible to record over a section of a track ~ontai ning an error without having to re-record the entire part .
Th is procedure is called "punch ing in" or " insert "
recording. The 644 can manually punch -in with the
RECORD ( • ) button, the RECORD FUNCTIO N
switches or the opt ional RC-30P or RC-60P footswitch .
You ca~ also program an automated punch- in and out
with the REHEARSAL and AUTO IN/ OUT functions .
Before moving on to punch -in recording , check
t? _make
sure that you are on the scene you ' ve used for origina lly
recording the track you now intend to insert on. If you
are on any other scenes , recall the original scene (by
pressing UP/DOW N or numeric keys then RECALL).
Manual Punch-In
METHOD A: Punch ing w ith the RECOR D button or
footswitch
Get ready to record
1. Press the RECORD FUNCTION switch of the track
yo u int end
to insert on. Its LED w ill start blinking.
2. If you are fixing a mistake right after the original
recording, don't touch any volume settings-they
should be the same . If not, adjust the monitor and
record levels as
you would for a normal overdub.
Preroll
3. Rewind the tape to a po·nt befo re the punch-in point.
You may wish to press MEMO
1 so you can return to
th is point.
4. PrMS PLAY. You will be able to hear both your live
instrument and tape playback . Adjust the MONITOR
GROUP LEVE L to control the "live" instrument ,
and the DUAL to control tape playba ck .
5. When the tape reaches the desired punch- in point ,
press RECORD or the foots witch to start recording .
The RECORD LED and RECORD FUNCTION LED
both stay on .
6. Punch out by pressing STOP, PLAV, or tile foot-
switch.
METHOD B: Punch ing with the RECOR D FUNCTION
button
This method is sometimes called "roll ing in record " and
requires th at you have a free hand .
1. After the recording and mon itor ing levels are set,
make sure that all tracks are
SAFE (no LEDs blink -
ing).
2. Press RECORD and
PLAY tggeth er to start play ing
the tape . The RECORD LED will blink , showing that
the 644 is in record -ready mode .
-1 4 -
3. Press the RECORD FUNCTION but11on of the
punch-in track when the tape reaches the punch-in
point . The LEDs above the Track and RECORD
button will light steadily , sho wing that recording is
taking place .
4. To punch out , press REC ORD FUN CT
ON again
(you could also press STOP or PLAY ).
I REHEARSAL AND AUTO IN/OUT PROCEDUR ES I
The 644 Ml DISTUDIO can automatically punch in and
out for you , relying on its built- in counter for reference.
Rehearsing Inserts
(R HSL)
Before you actually record an insert , the 64 4 allows you
to "preview" the punch-in and out points with its speci~I
REHEARSE function. During a rehearsal , the tracks in
record ready mode will be muted between the punch in
and out points but won 't actually record. What you
hear in your mon itor mix will be the same as during
recording ; so if a punch accidentally overruns existing
material you can chang e the points until you've got
exactly what you want . During a rehearsal , the
MEMORY disp lay will show you what's going to happen
next, and when .
• At any time before you enter the OUT poin t (in step 7
of the procedure below) you can press STOP , PAUSE ,
REW and F.F WD to abort the procedure and enter new
points. Once you have entered the OUT point thos e
transport buttons , though active, don't clear the
memory points.
PLAY and RECORD have special effects durin g the
RHSL SET procedure as specified below.
Entering the automatic preroll and punch in/out points
1. Check to make sure that the fou r RECORD FUNC-
TION LEDs are all off. If you press at this point the
FUNCTION key of the punch-in trac k, you cannot
hear the track after you enter the In point and before
you enter the Out point .
2. Adju st t he record
and monitorin g levels as you would
for a manual punch in.
3. Press th e RHS L switch . "RHSL" will appea r blinking
in the counter window. As long as this indicator
appears, you can't actually record: you are "rehears ing" your insert recording .
4. Press PLAY ( • ). Whatever number is on the left side
counter will become the preroll START point , as
indicated by the appearance of "START" und~r the
RHSL indicator. The right side MEMORY display
window will show the counter position you started
at.
If you pre!>s PLAY again before performing the n~xt
step, that point is memorized as a new ST ART pomt
and the old one is erased from memory .
5. At th e punch-in point , press RECORD ( •) or the
footswitch. "IN" will appear in the counte r display,
and 'the MEMORY display will show the counter
posit ion you punched-in at . The LED over the
RECORD button will blink (which sho ws you that
recording is not actually taking place).
6. Press PLAY ( .,.. ) or the footswitch when the tape
reaches the punch-out point.
"OUT" appears under
the counter. and the MEMORY display shows the
Punch out point that has been put into memory . The
RECORD LED will go out.
After a 3-second postroll, the RHSL indicator will turn on
solid, the MEMORY display will show "START", while
the tape will automatically rewind back to the START
point. You are now in Rehearsal Play mode.
NOTE: The rewinding tape will overshoot the start
counter position. This is intentionally done to ensure the
tight uniform preroll playbac k start . The punch-in
track's output will be muted until the start point is
reached.
Rehearsing the punch-In ("dry run")
During Rehearse Play mode , the MEMORY display will
show you the counter position of the upcoming IN and
OUT points .
1. Make sure that the 644 is in "Reh ear sal Play" mode
with the RHSL indicator on solid.
Press the RECORD
FUNCTION switch of th.e traci( you want to punch-in
on.
Its LED will start blinking. Check to make sure
that
all other tracks are in safe mode.
2. Press PLAY ( .. ) or RC-30P foots witch. You will be
able to hear the tape just from the MEMORY START
point . The MEMORY display will sho w the upcoming
punch-in point .
You can use REW then press PLAY to start listening
to the -tape from a point lower than the preset
ST ART point .
3. When the tape reaches the displayed IN point (i.e.,
when the COUNTER readout matches the MEMORY
readout), "START" will change to "IN". The
MEMORY display will switch to show you the
upcoming punch -out point. The track's output will
mute, so you will hear only your "live" instrument.
The RECORD LED will start blinking and the
RECORD FUNCTION LED will light on solid.
4. When the tape reaches your preset punch -ou t point,
"IN" will change to "OUT". You will be able to hear
the tape again (along with your "live" instrument) .
The RECORD LED will go out and the RECOR D
FUNCTION LED will again blink, indicating that the
"dry run" record is over .
5. After a 3-second postroll, the tape will automat ically
rewind to the "MEMO RY ST ART" point, ready for
as many rehearsals as you wish.
Practice the perform a nce until you
are sure that you will
get it right when actually recording . Remember, once
you punch -in over existing material , that original signal
is erased!
To Leave REHEARSAL Mode:
• To defin itely QUIT rehearsal without recording at any
time , press CLEAR . The RHSL memory points will be
- 15-
cleared and "RHSL" will disappear from the display.
• To temporarily leave rehearsal, press STOP, PAUSE,
REW or F.FWD . The
MEMORY display will continu-
ously show the start point regardless of where you
move the tape to. To resume rehearsal press PLAY
when you
are at a point lower than the IN point. If
you
are not, "START" should be blinking, asking you
to rewind the tape back to any point behind the IN
point.
• To change the memory points , press CLEAR and go
through the SET procedure again.
• Ejecting the tape or turn ing the power off will clear the
RHSL memory points.
Actu al, Auto Punch-in
Once you're sure your performance and the in/out
points selected are correct , you're ready to actually
record the insert. RHSL should be on solid in the
display. All tracks should be in SAFE mode except the
ones you intend to record .
1.
Press the AUTO IN/OUT key. "AUTO IN/OUT"
(blinking) replaces "RHSL" in the display.
2.
Press PLAY ( .. ) or the footsw itch to begin the
pre roll from the ST A RT point . The upcoming IN
point wil l be displayed in the MEMORY window.
3. When the tape reaches the MEMORY IN point, the
punch -in track will automatically enter the actual
record mode, and the RECORD button and track
RECORD FUNCTION LEDs will turn on solid . New
material is being recorded, erasing the original part.
The MEMORY display will show the upcoming OUT
point .
4. When the tape reaches the MEMORY OUT point, the
644 punches out of Record. The RECORD LED will
turn off and the track's FUNCTION LED will be
blinking.
5. After a 3-second postroll , the AUTO IN/OUT disp lay
will go on solid and the tape will automatically
rewind to the Mli:MORY START po int .
To review the result, press PLAY (
11>-) or the footsw itch.
The tape will play the entire segment and rewind to the
start point .
To try again, re-enter AUTO REC by pressing AUTO .
"AUTO IN/OUT" will start blinking again and you can
record ano ther pass using the same points .
To quit
the auto in/out procedure at any time , press the
CLEAR switch . "AUTO IN/OUT" will disappear from
the counter d isplay. By hitting CLEAR, you erase all
of the memory points , START , IN and OUT.
To abort a take and rewind to the start, press PLAY,
STOP, REW, or the foots witch before the OUT point is
reached . "AUTO IN-OUT" will blink, showing you 're
still in AUTO REC mode .
To set new points , you must press CLEAR and RHSL
again .
ABOUT PUNCHING IN
Selecting in and out points: For both musical and
technical reasons, when punching in or out of a track,
you must select points that are "in the clear", i.e., in the
pauses between phrases or notes . It sounds unnatural
and makes the insert noticeable if you record a new note
before the old orre · has ended, or are holding a note as
you punch in
or out. For this reason, some session
players leave a beat or two of silence between passages
they might want to edit later. Making_ inserts well
requires some practice. Many engineers count bars and
beats to keep track of the punch in and out points and
hit them on cue. Because of the spacing between the
erase and record heads, you need to antic ipate your
in/out points by a fraction of a second for extremely
tight cues.
I BOUNCING TRACKS (PING-PONG ) I
The recording capability of the 644 Midistudio is not
limited to four tracks . You can "bounce" or combine
tracks you have recorded to an empty track, and then
replace the original tracks with new material. A bounce
is like a mixdown, except you are recording to one of
the tracks of the 644 instead to an external recorder .
While you are bouncing, you can add live sources to the
combination of the prerecorded tracks. Any mixer
channel that is not being used for Tape can be used to
add a new part .
Using these techniques, it is possible to get ten "passes"
onto tape, without re-recording any part more than
once. Thanks to the quality of the 644's recorder
section, it's hard to tell the difference between original
and bounced tracks, if you follow the proper steps.
In this example, we will combine material from tracks
1-3 plus a live synthesizer onto Track 4.
Prepare the mixer
1. If you are using factory preset scenes, go to Scene
09 and press
RECALC.. The screens should look like
this:
CHANNEL/INPUT 1 2 J 4 5 6 7 8 MONITOR
CMANNELMUTE O O O O O O o_o , • ... __
lmlZI GAPl DD DD D D D D DD .. /IQ
- GRP > D D D D D D DD D D• LJ _/
GAP
3
DD DD D D DD D D •
GAP4 - - - - - - - - 0 0 o
._ Mico oo •••• • o o ,
- UNED D DDD D DDDD •
,.,.. . - • DD DD DD D,.
D D D D D D D D D D-20
OUTPUT 1 2 3 4 1/L 2/R 3 4
.__ TAPE -.J '-- GROUP --'
If you don't have this, make the assignments following
"Using the Scene Display to Create Your Own Scenes" ,
col. 2 of this page, or load factory presets following
p. 19, "Restoring Factory Presets."
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2. Bring up the MONITOR GROUP 3-4 level control.
Turn off all other
MONITOR switches except Group .
3-4. During a bounce, it's · important that you don't
hear anything in the mix except the mix feeding the
tape recorder .
3. Press the DISPLAY OUTPUT key o you can mete r
Group 4.
4. Plug the synthesizer into any input feeding the main
mixer (in the preset, MIC ins
5-8).
Prepare
the recorder
5. Press the RECORD FUNCTION switch for track 4.
Its light shou ld star t to blink. All other RECORD
FUNCTION switches and lights should be off
6. Rewind the tape to the beginning of the song.
Set recording levels
7. Set the MAIN FADERS to their nominal position.
8. Press PLAY . Slowly increase the GROUP 3-4 MAST-
ER fader until the GRO UP meter reads around 6 dB.
If you are adding live sources to the mix, play them
and adjust the level. Get the mix you want. If you
wish, you can add effects to the
mix.
9. R ewind the tape to the start of the selection.
Bounce the tracks
10. Press PLAY and RECORD. Track 4 will record a
copy of what is on tracks
1-3, plus any live instru-
ment you add to the mix.
11. At the end of the selection, press STOP and rewind
to the begin ning. Do not change the settings of any
controls yet.
Listen to playback
12. In the MONITOR SWITCH section , tu rn GROUP
3-4's switch off , and turn DUAL on. The factory
preset brings only TAPE 4 to the dual, nothing else.
Turn up DUAL 12 and DUAL MASTER to hear
playback.
Repeat bouncing
Once you are totally satisfied with the mix on track 4,
you can record new material on tracks 1 and 2, then
bouncing them onto track 3 the same wa'Y you bounced
onto track 4. Of course, this will erase the "first generation" tracks , but you have a "second generation" copy
on track 4 .
USING THE SCENE DISPLAY TO CREAT E YOUR
OWN SCENES
Once you have become familiar with the basics of multitrack recording using the factory presets, you will want
to make customized presets to fit vour own studio.
There are 99 different scenes possible in memory . By
creating your own scenes you can:
• Set up a library of often-used scenes that you can
recall with just a few keystrokes
• Set up a chain of scenes that follow your own habit
of recording in sequence
•Create a series of scenes that mute unused channels
for quiet recording
The SCENE display is designed o show you the switch
settings of the
mixer section and change th em if neces-
sary. To keep the screen at a reasonable size, it doesn't
show everything at once. Two keys (ASSIGN MAIN/
EFF and INPUT MAIN/DUAL) toggle sections
of the
display to show some settings, and hide others. Other
keys are used to change settings, which then can be
saved in memory as a SCENE. Even when a display
is "hidden", its switch settings are active and can be
copied from one scene to another. A SCENE in memory
consists of all switch sett ings: main and effects assign,
main and dual input, dual-group links, and channel
mutes.
Understanding th e Switch Settings
The switches on the 644, like switches on any othe r
recording mixer, control three things:
WHERE FROM : Where is the signal coming from?
The Midistudio calls this INPUT select. The possible
sources for a channel include MIC, LINE, TAPE, or
POST.
WHERE TO: Where does the signal go to ? !n the
Midistudio, there are four GROUPS or mixes that are
connected directly
to the input of the four-track
recorder and also to the GROUP OUT con nectors. The
Midistudio calls this ASSIGN.
Another "where to" swi,tch sett ing, on the right hand
side of the display , is called LINK DUAL-GROUP, This
can send the left and right outputs of the DUAL
submixer to the Group 1-Z and Group 3-4 outputs if
desired.
HOW MUCH: Most controls on a mixer are "how
much" controls. The CHANNEL MUTE is in this categ- -
Ory.
In summary, each black square in a SCENE display
stands for an electronic switch tha t' s tu rned on, showing
where from (Input), where to (Assign), or how much
(Channel Mute).
"H idden"
Displays. There are more switches than the
assign display can show at one time. At any given time,
about half of the settings are "hidden" , although they
are still active.
ASSIGN is divided int9 .JlflAIN and EFF. In MAIN
you are setting the "where to' ' of main input channels
1-8. In EFF you are setting the-0estination of the four
effect returns .
INPUT is divided into MAIN and DUA L. In MAIN
you can select the input sources for main channels 1-8;
in DUAL you select the sour ces for dual ch;mnels 9-16.
Scene-related
displays~ On tfu, right hand side of the
display is the SCENE number and MEMORY indicator .
Once you have made your switch sett ings, the se indicators will help you store them permanen t ly into memory .
OPERATION of the Scene Display
Whe~ you want to change th e sett ings of a scene, the re
are three • steps :
.,, a. Display the data you want to change (you can' t
change what you can't see). If th isplay was in
a 11/ETER mode, the display will automat ically
-17 -
switch to the scene display the moment you press
any assign or input key (except MUTE).
b. "Arm" the particular routing you .want to take-
choose the groups you want to assign, or the
source you want to select (they show th at the y're
"armed" by blinking in the display).
c. Press the keys of the channels you want to chan ge.
That's all there is to it.
Selecti ng Inpu ts
1. Pte!s the INPUT MAIN/DUAL key. T he MAIN and
DUAL indicators will alternately appear in th e
display under INPUT. The black square ~ will
chan9J
if the .settings are diff erent. Leav.e it in whatever
sectio n you wish to change. ·
2.
Press the INPUT source key you want (MIC, LINE,
TAPE or POST). The indicator of the source you've
selected will flash, and the 644 is now "armed" in
that mode. Note that you cannot select POST unless
you are on the DUAL screen .
3. Press the numbered CHANNEL keys for the channels
you want to switch
to the new source. A black square
will appear in the channel column, in the row corre sponding to the input you've chosen, and any other
inputs that were on previously will turn off-there
can only be one input per channel. You will also
notice that "MEMORY" appears under the scene
number, to show you that the change s you are
making are in a temporary memory area.
4. To choose a different source, repeat steps 2 and 3.
When you are finished with your setting, proceed to
"Saving Scenes"on p. 18.
Assigning to Groups
1.
Press the ASSIGN MAIN/EFF key. You will seethe
MAIN or EFF indicators appear in the left upper half
of the display (under ASSIGN), and the black squares
will change if the settings are differ ent . leave it in
whatever section you wish ta chang e.
2. Press the ASSIGN GROUP key you want (GROUP 1,
2, 3 or 4). The indicator of the group you 've selected
will flash, and the 644 is now "armed" in that mode.
You can select as many groups at once as you wish.
3.
Press the numbered CHANNEL keys for the channels
you want to assign
to the new destination. One or
more black squai:es will appea r in the channe l
colum n, in the row corresponding to the groups
you've chosen. You will also notice that "MEMORY"
appears under the scene number, to show you that
the changes you are making are in a tem por,ary
memory area.
Note that because there are only fou r EF FECT
RETURNS, only the first fou r CHANNEL keys have
any effect while you are in ASSIGN EFF mode.
4. To turn a group off, repeat steps 2
end 3. The second
time you press a channel key, th e groups will turn
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