Teac DM-24 User Manual

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DM-24

Digital Mixing Console

Professional

9101439701

OWNER’S MANUAL

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 of the plug 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: The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following code:

WARNING: This apparatus must be earthen.

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured GREEN-and-YELLOW must be connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the letter E or by the safety earth symbol ç or coloured GREEN or GREENand-YELLOW.

immediately, to avoid a possible shock hazard by

GREEN-AND-YELLOW : EARTH BLUE : NEUTRAL BROWN : LIVE

and dispose

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 in a residential installation. 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 residential 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.

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 approved 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.

2 TASCAM DM-24

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.

9) 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) Ventila ti on — Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation 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:

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

Example of Antenna Grounding as per

National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70

ANTENNA LEAD IN WIRE

GROUND CLAMP

ANTENNA DISCHARGE UNIT (NEC SECTION 810-20)

ELECTRIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT

NEC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE

GROUNDING CONDUCTORS

(NEC SECTION 810-21)

GROUND CLAMPS

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

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 opening 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:

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

e) 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 DM-24 3

Table of Contents

1 – Introduction

Features ........................................................ 8

Supplied accessories .................................... 9

About this manual ....................................... 9

How this manual is arranged .................................9

Word clock issues ...................................... 11

2 – User interface

Scope of controls ....................................... 12

Global screens ....................................................... 12

Module screens ..................................................... 12

PODs ....................................................................13

Fine value settings using the PODs .....................13

Other ways of changing values ........................... 14

Using the faders to change values ...................... 14

Soft keys ................................................................ 15

Soft key pull-up menus .........................................15

Rotary encoders (ring LEDs) ...................... 15

Encoders used as EQ gain controls ...................... 16

Encoders used as EQ frequency controls .............16

Encoders used as Q controls ................................. 16

Encoders used as pan controls .............................17

Encoders used as aux send controls .................... 17

Fader layers ................................................ 18

Machine control keys ................................ 18

Automation keys ....................................... 18

Automation status ................................................ 19

3 – System-wide options

OPTION screen ........................................... 20

SETUP ....................................................................20

UPPER BAR DISPLAY ................................................20

LOCATE DISPLAY MODE .........................................20

ENCODER OPERATION MODE .................................20

LIBRARY DIRECT KEY OPERATION ..........................20

OL/STATUS LED TYPE ..............................................20

FADER SENSITIVITY .................................................21

METER CALIBRATION ..............................................21

PREFERENCES .........................................................21

Fader Auto MODULE Select ....................................21

Select MODULE Return ...........................................21

ST Link by SEL key ...................................................21

Balance Level CENTER: 0dB .....................................21

SEL Key Follows Fader Layer Status ......................21

Meter Follows SEL key ............................................22

Automation fader OFF ............................................22

Cursor follows EQ Band Key ..................................22

FLASH Info. ..............................................................22

Version Info. ............................................................22

Battery Check ..........................................................22

SOLO ....................................................................22

MODE SELECT ..........................................................22

SOLO LINK ................................................................22

SOLO TYPE ...............................................................23

INPLACE SOLO DEFEAT ...........................................23

SYNC/TC .................................................................23

DTRS Remote Timecode ..........................................23

RS-422 IN Timecode .................................................23

TRA Target link ........................................................23

Automation synchronization source .....................23

TC IN .........................................................................23

MIDI IN MTC .............................................................24

INT. ...........................................................................24

INT. START TIME ......................................................24

FLY WHEEL (frames) ...............................................24

DIGITAL screens ..........................................24

CLOCK settings ......................................................24

High sampling frequency ....................................... 25

Fs Status ..................................................................25

D-IN MANUAL SETUP ..............................................25

WORD SYNC IN ....................................................... 25

TDIF interfaces ........................................................25

ADAT ........................................................................25

AES3 .........................................................................25

CASCADE MASTER ..................................................25

Word phase ............................................................. 25

Checking the clock sources ...................................25

Out of range clock signals ....................................26

The FORMAT screen ..............................................26

Type of DIGITAL IN connection ..............................26

Other digital input parameters .............................. 26

Digital output .......................................................... 26

Multi I/O settings .................................................... 26

Stereo out setup .....................................................26

SLOT screen ............................................................27

4 – Parts of the DM-24

Top surface .................................................28

Analog module inputs ...........................................29

Other analog I/O ....................................................29

Module control section .........................................30

Library section .......................................................30

Parameter control section .....................................31

Monitoring section ................................................32

Module faders and selection, etc. ........................33

Transport and automation control .......................33

Rear panel ...................................................34

5 – Setting up the I/O

Signal sources .............................................36

Sixteen mic/line analog inputs ..............................36

Three TDIF connectors ............................................36

ADAT connector ......................................................36

DIGITAL IN 1 & 2 ...................................................... 36

Card slots ................................................................. 36

Assignable returns ..................................................36

Internal effectors .................................................... 36

Output signals ............................................37

Eight output busses ................................................37

Six aux busses ......................................................... 37

Stereo master outputs ............................................37

Direct outputs .........................................................37

Physical outputs .....................................................37

TDIF-1 connectors ...................................................37

ADAT OUT connector ............................................. 37

Slot cards ................................................................. 37

Assignable sends ....................................................37

Digital outputs (x 2) ................................................37

STEREO OUTPUTS (L, R) ..........................................37

Patching between input and return .........37

Assigning inputs to channels ....................38

Input sources ..........................................................38

Return modules .....................................................39

Digital inputs .........................................................39

Channel-to-buss assignments (global) .....40

Master settings ....................................................... 40

AUX 1-2 ....................................................................40

Channel-to-buss assignments by channel ...........41

Other module parameters ....................................41

4 TASCAM DM-24

Table of Contents

Output assignments ...................................42

Digital outputs .......................................................42

Assignable sends and returns ...................43

Master compressors ...................................43

6 – Hookup

Analog connections ....................................44

MIC/LINE connections ...........................................44

External dynamics processors and effectors .......45

Analog monitoring and mastering ...................... 45

Digital connections .....................................46

DTRS recorder connections ...................................46

ADAT connections .................................................47

Digital inputs and outputs ....................................47

Synchronization and control connections 47

Word sync clock connections ................................ 48

MIDI connections ...................................................48

SMPTE/EBU timecode connections .......................48

Meter unit ..............................................................48

P2 connections .......................................................48

7 – Module operations

Selecting modules ......................................49

Common area indicators and controls ......50

Dynamics controls .................................................50

Gate/Expander ........................................................ 50

Compressor ............................................................. 50

Compressor insert point ......................................... 50

Dynamics meter ...................................................... 50

Other common controls and displays ..................51

Digital trim and pan ............................................... 51

Phase switch ........................................................... 51

Assignable inserts ................................................... 51

Input/return assignments ...................................... 51

Meter ....................................................................... 51

EQ and buss assignments ...................................... 51

Fader section ........................................................... 51

Mute and fader groups .......................................... 51

Digital trim control ................................................51

Pan control ............................................................. 51

Balance controls for stereo linked pair ................52

Global pan ..............................................................52

Ganging ................................................................... 52

Setup ....................................................................... 52

Dynamics screen .........................................53

Noise gate (GATE) .................................................53

Compressor ............................................................53

Expander ................................................................53

EQ ............................................................54

On/off (all bands) ................................................... 54

Gain (all bands) ....................................................... 54

Frequency range (all bands) .................................. 54

Q (all bands) ............................................................ 54

EQ band type .......................................................... 54

High band ................................................................ 54

High-mid band ........................................................ 54

Low-mid band ......................................................... 55

Low band ................................................................ 55

EQ library ...............................................................55

Aux sends ....................................................55

Aux sends (global) .................................................55

Fader control ........................................................... 56

Setup ....................................................................... 56

Copy ......................................................................... 56

Source (pre/post and SOURCE) settings ................56

Setup ........................................................................56

Linked aux sends .....................................................56

Setup screen ...............................................57

Channel source (CH SOURCE) .................................58

Gate switch (GATE SW) ...........................................58

Aux 1 and 2 source (AUX 1-2 SOURCE) ..................58

Compression insert (COMP INSERT) .......................58

Compressor switch (COMP SW) .............................58

Assignable insert position (ASSIGN INSERT) .........58

Assignable insert switch (ASSIGN INS SW) ...........58

Phase switch (

Digital delay time (DELAY) .....................................58

Digital delay units (UNIT) .......................................59

) .....................................................58

Digital trim and delay (global) .................. 59

Global digital trim ................................................ 59

Fader control ...........................................................59

Setup ........................................................................59

Global digital delay .............................................. 59

Unit ...........................................................................60

Fader control ...........................................................60

Setup ........................................................................60

PRE/POST .................................................................60

Linked modules .......................................... 60

Channels ..................................................................60

Master modules .......................................................60

Linking and unlinking modules ........................... 60

Stereo linking (global) .......................................... 61

Screens for linked modules .................................. 61

Phase ........................................................................61

Pan ............................................................................61

Mono switch (MONO SW) ......................................61

UTILITY copying ......................................... 62

8 – Dynamics processors

Turning the processors on and off ...................... 63

DYNAMICS (input channels 1–16) ............. 63

Selecting a gate or an expander ......................... 63

“Master” settings .................................................. 64

GATE/EXPAND .........................................................64

LINK L->R ..................................................................64

Trigger source ..........................................................64

Compressor ..............................................................64

Insert point ..............................................................64

LINK L->R ..................................................................64

Trigger source ..........................................................64

Soft keys (library) ................................................. 64

DYNAMICS (channels 17–32) ..................... 64

DYNAMICS (master channels) ................... 65

No expander or gate ...............................................65

Insert point ..............................................................65

Linking .....................................................................65

Assigning processors to master channels ........... 65

Dynamics diagram ..................................... 66

Gates/expanders ........................................ 66

Gate .................................................................... 66

Threshold .................................................................66

Range .......................................................................66

Hysteresis .................................................................66

Gate attack time ......................................................66

Gate hold time .........................................................66

Gate decay time ......................................................66

Expander ............................................................... 66

Threshold .................................................................66

Ratio .........................................................................66

TASCAM DM-24 5

Table of Contents

Attack .......................................................................66

Release .....................................................................66

Compressors ............................................... 67

Threshold .................................................................67

Compression ratio ...................................................67

Attack time ..............................................................67

Release time ............................................................67

Auto make-up ..........................................................67

Output gain .............................................................67

Preset library entries ................................. 67

Compressors .......................................................... 67

Gates/Expanders ................................................... 68

9 – Grouping

Mute groups .............................................. 69

Turning groups on and off ...................................70

Copying mute settings to the faders ...................70

Fader groups .............................................. 70

Fader groups to mute groups .............................. 71

Turning groups on and off ...................................71

Grouping layers ......................................... 71

10 – Monitoring

Control room monitoring .......................... 73

Control room outputs ...........................................73

Control room signal selection .............................. 73

2-track input ..........................................................74

Studio monitoring ..................................... 74

Studio monitoring volume ................................... 75

Soloing ....................................................... 75

MODE SELECT ........................................................75

SOLO LINK .............................................................. 75

SOLO TYPE ............................................................. 75

PFL ............................................................................75

AFL ............................................................................75

INPLACE SOLO .........................................................75

Inplace solo defeat ................................................ 76

SOLO level ............................................................. 76

Turning soloing on and off .................................. 76

Dimming and talkback .............................. 76

Slate settings ............................................. 77

Lineup oscillator .................................................... 77

Meters and faders ..................................... 77

Master meters ....................................................... 78

Channel faders ...................................................... 79

Meter and fader setup .......................................... 79

Fader level ...............................................................79

Meter ballistics (METER SETUP) ..............................79

11 – Machine Control/Location

Selecting devices for control .................... 80

Deleting devices from the list .............................. 81

Auto-detection of devices ....................................81

Selecting the control type for the devices .......... 81

STATE .......................................................................81

DEVICE ......................................................................81

ID ..............................................................................81

CHASE ......................................................................81

TRA ...........................................................................82

REC ...........................................................................82

Machine Control mapping memories ..................82

To use a machine control mapping ...................... 83

Viewing the transport mappings .........................83

Editing a mapping .................................................83

General parameters ...................................83

Program Change channels ....................................83

Program Change values ........................................84

General MIDI parameters ......................................84

MIDI OUT Active Sensing .......................................84

OUTPUT MTC when slaved ....................................84

RESET (ffh) ...............................................................84

MIDI filtering ..........................................................84

Serial output ..........................................................84

Edit Frames .............................................................84

Play Mode ..............................................................85

AUTO .......................................................................85

DEFERRED ................................................................85

IMMEDIATE .............................................................85

Cueing Mode ..........................................................85

Locate Preroll .........................................................85

Location memories .....................................85

Selecting the location point display .....................85

Storing a location memory “on the fly” ..............86

Manually entering and editing a location

memory ...............................................................86

Location to a location memory .............................86

Viewing a list of location memories ....................87

Manual location .....................................................87

Repeat play ............................................................87

Auto punch operations .........................................87

ALL INPUT and AUTO MON ...................................87

External control ..........................................87

Moving between screens ......................................88

DTRS devices ...............................................88

DA-98HR .................................................................89

DIGITAL INPUT .........................................................89

INPUT PATCH ........................................................... 89

OUTPUT PATCH .......................................................89

INPUT MONITOR .....................................................89

TRACK DELAY ..........................................................89

TIME MODE .............................................................89

TC REC ......................................................................89

TC Generator ........................................................... 89

Machine Offset ....................................................... 89

PUNCH IN/OUT ........................................................89

DITHER ..................................................................... 89

VARI SPEED .............................................................. 89

CLOCK ......................................................................89

DTRS mixer .............................................................90

DA-78HR .................................................................91

DA-98 .....................................................................91

DA-38 .....................................................................92

DA-88 .....................................................................92

MIDI controllers ..........................................93

MIDI faders .................................................93

12 – MIDI

Bulk dumps .................................................95

Bulk transfer of data from the DM-24 .................95

Bulk transfer of data to the DM-24 ......................96

Updating the system software .................96

Control Change messages to and from

the DM-24 ................................................96

MIDI Implementation Chart .......................98

13 – Library functions

Library concepts .....................................................99

6 TASCAM DM-24

Table of Contents

Managing library entries ...........................99

Storing active library entries ................................ 99

Storing entries in a non-active library ...............100

Loading entries from an active library ..............100

Loading entries from a non-active library .........100

Library undo/redo ...............................................101

Setting and editing titles ....................................101

Libraries—snapshots ................................102

Protecting snapshot settings ..............................102

I/O SEL / BUSS ASSIGN ......................................... 102

GROUPING ............................................................. 102

OTHER .................................................................... 102

Snapshot “neutral” setting ................................. 102

Libraries—effects ......................................103

Libraries—dynamics processors ..............104

Preset dynamics entries—compressors .............. 104

Preset dynamics entries—gates .........................105

Libraries—EQ ............................................105

Preset EQ entries .................................................106

14 – Surround operations

Selecting a surround mode ......................107

Monitoring surround patterns ...........................107

Selecting a buss pattern .....................................108

Assigning modules ...................................108

“Pan” controls ...........................................109

Global boom levels (5.1 only) .............................110

15 – High sampling frequency

To select high sampling frequency ....................112

Constraints on other devices ..............................112

Channels, etc. ............................................113

High sampling frequency I/O .............................114

Monitoring ................................................115

Aux sends ................................................. 115

Channel stereo linking ............................. 115

Grouping ................................................... 116

Trim and delay ......................................... 116

Libraries .................................................... 116

Other screens ........................................... 117

16 – Options

Clock sources ....................................................... 118

Cascade card ............................................. 119

Setting up the cascade ....................................... 119

Use of the cascade .............................................. 119

Cascaded facilities .............................................. 120

Soloing and muting ..............................................120

Snapshots ..............................................................120

Automation ...........................................................120

MIDI Control Change ............................................120

Cascading and effects ........................................ 120

High sampling frequency considerations ......... 121

TDIF-1 card ................................................ 121

ADAT card ................................................. 121

AES3 card .................................................. 122

Input options ...................................................... 122

Output options ................................................... 122

AD/DA card ............................................... 123

Timecode display ................................................ 123

17 – Specifications

Analog audio I/O ...................................... 124

Digital audio I/O ....................................... 125

Miscellaneous I/O connections ............... 125

Equalization ............................................. 126

System performance ............................... 126

Physical characteristics ............................ 126

Dimensional drawing .............................. 127

Messages and troubleshooting .............. 127

Block diagram (normal sampling

TASCAM DM-24 7

1 – Introduction

The DM-24 digital mixing console is designed to provide you with superlative audio quality in today’s digital audio recording environment, as well as ease of use and flexibility to meet changing needs.

This Reference Manual is not intended to be read from cover to cover, but we do suggest that you make

Features

The DM-24 includes many advanced features, including:

• the sixteen long-throw motorized “channel” faders are “layered”, allowing control of up to 32 mono inputs (which may be “ganged” in stereo pairs), eight buss sends and six aux sends in a compact package

• in addition to the sixteen faders mentioned above, one other dedicated motorized long-throw fader is used for the stereo out buss

• the TASCAM TDIF-1 digital audio format and other general digital audio formats such as ADAT, AES/EBU, SPDIF, as well as high-quality A/D and D/A conversion, are supported,

• Modular expansion slot facilities provide further flexibility

• sixteen integral high-quality microphone amplifiers, with switchable phantom powering and 24-bit A/D conversion

• the DM-24 is capable of accepting and transmitting digital audio data in 24-bit format, allowing it to be used with the HR series of TASCAM DTRS recorders as well as the MX2424 recorder

• internal processing is carried out at floating 32-bit resolution

• eight output busses and six auxiliary sends

• eight fader groups and eight mute groups

• grouping layers provide further flexibility in grouping arrangements

• all popular surround formats (2+2, 3+2, 5.1) as well as stereo, are supported for final mixdown

• expansion with another DM-24 console using an optional cascade slot card

• both 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz base sampling frequencies are supported, together with dual-frequency support (88.2kHz and 96 kHz), with flexible clock configuration

• each of the 32 analog input channels is equipped with 4-band fully-parametric equalization and a dynamics processor

yourself familiar with the contents of this section as well as the structure of this manual, so that you can find answers to questions when you need them.

If you learn a little about the key features and principles of operation now, before you start to use the DM-24 it will save you time and trouble later on.

• the capability of acting as a remote controller for a wide variety of devices using the DTRS remote, P2 or MMC protocol

• synchronization to SMPTE/EBU timecode and MIDI timecode, and MIDI timecode generation facilities, allowing location of connected recorders, etc. and integration with the DTRS tape system

• full control room and studio monitoring facilities are provided, along with an integral talkback microphone and master bargraph meters

• graphical user interface, based on the successful TASCAM series of digital mixing consoles, and featuring a backlit LCD with a flexible POD-based user interface

• “ring encoders” give instant visual feedback of key EQ, pan and aux send settings

• integral Antares© Microphone Modeler technology, allowing the DM-24 to emulate the distinctive characteristics of any of a wide variety of classic or modern microphones, using any standard microphone

• integral t.c.electronics reverberation technology, providing full standard reverberation facilities within the DM-24

• flexible digital multi-effector providing many standard effects without the need for outboard equipment or connections

• library facilities for snapshot mix settings, frequently-used EQ settings, effect settings, dynamics processor settings, etc.

• MIDI control allows dynamic control of parameters through MIDI messages, so mix events can be recorded on MIDI for replay, as well as snapshot recall being linked to Program Change messages

• the DM-24 contains its own automation system, allowing full real-time control of almost all mix parameters with no need for connection to other units

• an optional meter bridge unit provides channel and master metering facilities through LED bargraph displays which are switchable in “layers”

8 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Supplied accessories

1 – Introduction—Supplied accessories

As well as the documentation supplied with the DM24, you should also have packed with the unit:

• A power cord

• A warranty card

• A list of authorized TASCAM service stations

About this manual

Please note the following typographical and other conventions used in this manual:

• Physical “push” controls of the DM-24 are referred to as “keys”.

• “Push” controls which are shown and used on the screen are referred to as “buttons”.

• The names of keys and other connectors and controls of the DM-24 are given in the following typeface:

DYNAMICS.

• The names of on-screen buttons and other onscreen features, titles and prompts, etc. are given in the following typeface:

LIBRARY DATA.

If any of these items is missing, contact your TASCAM distributor.

Retain the box and other packing material that came with the DM-24 in case you need to transport it in the future.

• The names of any physical keys, connectors and controls of other devices are given in the following typeface: REMOTE IN.

WARNING

“Warnings” give advice regarding a possible hazard to equipment or personnel.

NOTE

“Notes” provide additional information which requires special attention.

How this manual is arranged

In addition to this manual, we also provide a Quick Reference Guide, which you can use to remind you

of the quick ways in which common operations are carried out.

Even if you are familiar with the operation of mixers and digital mixers, and even if you never usually read instruction manuals, we suggest that you read the first few sections of this manual. They will provide useful background information for you as you use the DM-24.

The other sections of this manual are more in the nature of background reference, and contain information that you may not need for everyday working.

1 – “Introduction” on page 8 : This section.

It provides an overview of the DM-24, its operational features, and the manual.

2 – “User interface” on page 12 : This sec-

tion explains how to use the DM-24 controls in order how to access the different screens, change values of parameters and so on.

this section in order to understand the way in which these global settings will affect the way in which you use the unit,

4 – “Parts of the DM-24” on page 28 : This

section introduces the different keys and controls of the DM-24. Since many of the keys have more than one function, which is determined by the software, it is impossible to give a full description of the use of each control in this section. A description of the top and rear panel connectors is also provided,

5 – “Setting up the I/O” on page 36 :

Because the DM-24 is essentially a “soft” product, many of the hardware features are not mapped to logical functions on a one-to-one basis. This section explains the different mapping and routing options available to you, and how to configure the DM-24 for your individual requirements.

6 – “Hookup” on page 44 : Explains how to

connect the DM-24 to other equipment (analog and digital audio, control and timing connections, etc.).

3 – “System-wide options” on page 20 :

There are a number of options available on the DM24 which affect the whole operation of the unit. See

7 – “Module operations” on page 49 : In

many ways, this can be regarded as the most essential part of the manual. It explains how to carry out the

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 9

1 – Introduction—About this manual

operations that you would typically carry out with an analog console (EQ settings, assigning channels, making Aux sends, etc.).

8 – “Dynamics processors” on page 63 :

The DM-24 contains flexible digital dynamics processors which can be used in a wide variety of ways, and these are treated in their own section here.

9 – “Grouping” on page 69 : The DM-24

allows channels to be grouped into fader and mute groups. This section explains how to set up and use these groups.

10 – “Monitoring” on page 73 : Using the

DM-24 in a studio situation demands an understanding of the relationship between the different outputs and what is heard in the control room as well as the studio. This section covers these topics, as well as the flexible solo facilities provided with the DM-24.

11 – “Machine Control/Location” on page 80 : The DM-24 can act as a remote control

unit for a wide variety of external devices, and provides MIDI timecode synchronization facilities. This section provides a guide to these facilities, as well as the way that the DM-24 can act as a location memory and recall unit for these external devices.

12 – “MIDI” on page 95 : MIDI devices can be

used with Program Change and Control Change messages for remote control of the DM-24. In addition, settings can be stored for later recall over a MIDI connection using System Exclusive messages. This section gives details of these facilities.

It also explains the procedures to be carried out if the internal system software is to be upgraded.

13 – “Library functions” on page 99 : Var i-

ous settings (effects, EQ settings, snapshots and

dynamics processors) can be stored for later use in internal libraries. Read this section in order to understand how to make the best of these facilities.

14 – “Surround operations” on page 107 : The DM-24 is capable of performing

mixdown operations in various surround modes as well as stereo. This section explains how to connect and use the DM-24 for surround operations together with the way in which it can be used for successful surround mixing.

15 – “High sampling frequency” on page 112 : The DM-24 can be used in high sam-

pling frequency modes (88.2k and 96k). This section describes the differences when the high sampling frequency is selected.

16 – “Options” on page 118 : This section

provides you with a quick reference to the extra facilities available to enhance your DM-24. It also contains a list of the messages displayed by the DM-24. Even though the DM-24 is relatively simple to operate, and should prove almost error-free in everyday operation, you may need to refer to this section in order to correct an abnormal situation.

17 – “Specifications” on page 124 : The raw

facts and figures concerning the DM-24. You may need to refer to this section to discover the compatibility of the DM-24 with other equipment.

There is also a list of messages which may be displayed by the DM-24. You may use this to help you understand what is going on when you see a message displayed on the screen.

Index : We try to make the index a useful place to

look if you need help on a particular topic. Use the index first when searching for an answer.

10 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Word clock issues

1 – Introduction—Word clock issues

The “word clock” in a digital audio system is the timing information that enables the digital audio samples in a system to be synchronized between the different devices. It is completely unconnected with timecode clocks, etc.

There must be one, and only one, word clock master device in a digital audio system. The DM-24 is capable of acting as a word clock master or as a slave.

WARNING

There should be one, and only one, word clock master in a setup. Multiple word clocks in a setup may result in noise. which can damage monitoring equipment (speakers and amplifiers).

Check with the other equipment that you are using to see whether it can be a master or slave, and work out which device will be your word clock master. If the DM-24 is to be a word clock slave in your system, it can accept word clocks from the following sources:

• An external clock connected through the dedicated connector

• The TDIF-1 interfaces

• The integral ADAT interface

• Either of the two

DIGITAL IN interfaces

• Either of the slots occupied by an optional digital interface card. In the case of an AES/EBU interface card, any of the four stereo signal pairs may be individually selectable as the word clock source.

• If two DM-24 units are being cascaded, the clock source on a cascaded DM-24 will always be the cascade master DM-24 unit. The master of the cascade chain can select its clock from any available source.

The clock can be at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz or 88.1kHz or 96kHz with some variation possible for varispeed, etc. at ±6%.

NOTE

When the DM-24 is linked to an external word clock, it can only use a base frequency clock. Even when many external devices are operating at high sampling frequencies, they output such a base frequency clock. If the external device does not do so, and only outputs a high sampling frequency clock, the DM-24 must be used as the word clock master for the system.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 11

2 – User interface

Scope of controls

The DM-24 has three main types of control screen: system screens, which control parameters for the whole of the system, “global” control screens which

Global screens

As the name suggests, the “global” screens allow you to see all the parameters for many channels (the prepost settings for Aux 3 in this example), and to edit them using the POD system as explained here (“PODs” on page 13).

affect a certain parameter for a number of channels or modules at once, and the “module” control screens controlling all the parameters for one module.

Sometimes a key will have two labels. The function described by the lower label (white on blue) is accessed by pressing the

SHIFT indicator is lit, and then pressing the appropri-

ate key.

In this example, the

MIDI/MC key when the SHIFT indicator is lit.

SHIFT key is a “smart” key. Pressing and releas-

The ing it within a short time (somewhat less than half a second) latches it on and off as shown by the indicator being lit.

SHIFT key so that the

EXT. CTRL key becomes the

These global display screens are selected using the

SCREEN MODE keys to the right of the display

screen.

Module screens

Alternatively, the screen can be used to show and set the parameters of one module (similar to a channel strip on a conventional console).

However, since the number of parameters and features available on the DM-24 is more than a single screen can display, four screens are available for each module, accessed through the soft keys (“Soft keys” on page 15).

To use a module:

1 Press the

the display.

2 Use the soft keys (“Soft keys” on page 15) to

select a sub-screen (

SETUP).

MODULE key situated to the left of

DYNAMICS, EQ, AUX or

Pressing and holding the key for more than about half a second and then releasing it will cause the indicator to go out when the key is released (non-latching).

While the (the white on blue) is always active.

4 Press the

SHIFT indicator is lit, the shifted function

SEL key of the module you want to

edit. The screen changes to show the settings for the selected module:

3 Press the

module whose parameters you want to edit.

FADER LAYER key containing the

12 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

5 Use the cursor keys, the soft keys and the

PODs to make changes to the module’s parameters. See below for details.

PODs

2 – User interface—Scope of controls

The DM-24 features four rotary controls immediately below the screen, called PODs.

These are used as “soft” controls to adjust parameters; that is, they have no fixed assignment to control any single parameter in the console, but are used to control a parameter which is currently highlighted on screen.

The POD controls have no end-stop, but are continuously moveable. The value of the parameter controlled by the POD is shown by the graphical onscreen representation of the control.

As part of the POD system, cursor keys are included, which move the cursor to the appropriate part of the screen.

In addition, the dial can usually be used to move the cursor around the screen. Usually when we mention that the cursor keys can be used for navigation, the dial can also be used, even when this is not explicitly stated.

Use the § and ¶ keys or the dial to move the cursor row (shown by a blinking box surrounding the row) up and down. Sometimes in some global screens (as shown here) the box does not cover the full width of

a screen row, and the Ó and Á keys or dial must be used to move the box within the row.

When a number of on-screen controls are highlighted by a box surrounding the row containing up to four on-screen knobs, the appropriate PODs are used to control the on-screen controls.

If the row also contains on-screen buttons, these are “pushed” by using the Ó and Á keys or dial to navigate to the button in the row (if necessary), and then pressing the

ENTER key.

Fine value settings using the PODs

By pressing and holding the 2ND F. key while turning a POD, the value set using the POD can be changed more precisely.

This feature is useful when the parameter being changed has many possible values (for example, the digital delay setting) which are first set using the default “coarse” setting, and then fine-tuned using the fine mode with the

This feature can also be used with the rotary encoders (“Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)” on page 15) to

2ND F. key.

set values entered using these controls with more precision.

There is also an option setting which allows PODs and encoders to be used for fine setting of values without the use of the OPERATION MODE” on page 20). If this is enabled, pressing the POD or encoder changes values in “coarse” or accelerated mode.

2ND F. key (“ENCODER

2ND F. key and turning the

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 13

2 – User interface—Scope of controls

Other ways of changing values

The JOG/DATA dial can also be used to change parameter values.

Checkboxes

On/off button

Radio buttons

Parameter values edited without the ENTER key.

1 Use the cursor keys to move the cursor

(sometimes shown by a blinking thick box surrounding the parameter to be changed, and sometimes by a

ƒ symbol beside the

parameter to be changed.

2 When the parameter to be changed is high-

lighted as described above, use the entry dial to set the value (it starts to flash), and the

ENTER key to confirm the value set with the

dial.

Alternatively, if the parameter is an on-off switching button or a checkbox (a number of checkboxes can be checked individually), press the

ENTER key when the cursor is next

to the button or checkbox.

If the parameter is a “radio button” (one of a number of alternative options), simply highlight another radio button in the same group, and press the

ENTER key to change the state

of the buttons in the group.

NOTE

In some screens, (for example the module screens), the active area is marked by a flashing box. The dial is then used for navigation, rather than for setting values.

There are other screens, where the dial is chiefly, but not exclusively, used for navigation (e.g. the

SETUP

screen (“SETUP” on page 20). If the dial is used for numerical data entry in such cases, it is necessary to press

ENTER

the value with the dial, and editing to confirm the value.

(the value flashes) before starting to edit

ENTER

once again after

OPTION

Using the faders to change values

In the global screens, there is often a special onscreen button, allowing the setting of the values in the screen directly using the faders.

To enable this feature, turn the on-screen

CONTROL

button to ON.

The name of this button is prefixed by the title of the screen (here it is an

AUX LEVEL screen which is being

edited).

When the button is turned on:

• The faders move to reflect the values set for the current parameter

• The fader layer key starts to flash (if it is a channel module layer and not the master layer—see “Fader layers” on page 18). This flashing key shows that the faders are not currently acting as channel faders

FADER

and that moving the faders will change the currently selected parameter, not the module’s signal level.

• Moving the fader of a channel changes the value of the current parameter.

• Using the POD to change the value of a channel’s parameter moves the corresponding fader if the layer is active. If the layer is not active, the fader will be moved to the new position when the layer is made active.

The status of the fader control setting is memorized between screens (and even when the DM-24 is turned off and on again). It is therefore possible for the faders to move when the screen is changed.

The layer continues flashing as long as the faders are not controlling the channel levels.

14 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Soft keys

2 – User interface—Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)

At the bottom of a display screen, there may be some “tabs” displayed, which lead to further related screens or pre-defined action.

Soft key pull-up menus

In a few screens, for example, the library screens, where many soft keys are used for the “one-off” actions, a soft key (usually soft key 1) is used to bring up a small menu at the bottom of the screen:

The four keys at the bottom of the screen, beside the PODs, are used as “soft keys” to jump to the screens shown on the “tabs”. In this example, the and

OSC/COM tabs are controlled by soft keys 2 and 3.

NOTE

It is also possible to jump to the different screens by repeated presses of the key which brings up the screen (in this case, the

MONITOR

key).

MONITOR

These keys are sometimes used to perform a unique “one-off” action, as shown in this screen, where the oscillator can be turned on and off using soft key 1.

When such a menu pops up, either the dial or the POD corresponding to the soft key (usually POD 1) is used to select the desired option (which is highlighted in inverse video).

Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)

These controls allow you to set commonly-used parameters such as EQ parameters, pan and balance, and Aux send levels.

These are not dedicated controls, as the parameters which may be controlled using them are changed using selection keys, but their action is confined to fewer parameters than the POD controls.

Like the PODs, these controls are continuously moveable, and have no end-stop. Unlike the PODs, though, the parameters that they control may not necessarily be shown on screen. In order to gain an indication of the current value, the eleven LED indicators

Use either the

ENTER key or the soft key which was

used to pull up the menu to make the selection from the menu.

arranged in a ring around the knob light to show the current value, as explained in the sections below.

These encoders have three different functions:

• EQ controls and pan controls to control the EQ

settings (gain, frequency and Q) as well as the current channel pan/balance of the currently active module. In this mode none of the encoder indicators (to the left of the encoders) is lit, and the band controlled is determined by the appropriate

EQUALIZER key.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 15

2 – User interface—Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)

• EQ gain controls, where the gain of the four EQ

bands is adjusted using these encoders. The encoder

EQ GAIN indicator is lit in this case.

• AUX send level controls, where either the encoder

AUX 1 through 4 indicators or the AUX 5 and 6

indicators are lit (in the latter case, only the two leftmost encoders have any function).

Encoders used as EQ gain controls

When the encoders are used as EQ gain controls, a unity gain (neither cut nor boost) is represented by the sixth (center) LED being lit, and the two LEDs at the extreme clockwise and counterclockwise positions “half-lit” (dimmed).

= on = dimmed = off

When the encoder is near the center position, but not quite there, the LED next to the center is lit, as well as the “end” LED on the appropriate side:

= on = dimmed = off

See the appropriate section on module operations (“Module operations” on page 49) for full details of the parameters controlled here.

NOTE

The option described in “Fine value settings using the PODs” on page 13 also affects the operation of these encoders when used in conjunction with the key.

2ND F.

If the EQ band is set as a high-pass for low-pass filter or is used as a notch filter (depending on the band), all LEDs around the rotary encoder are off:

= on = dimmed = off

When the encoder is turned either clockwise or counterclockwise, to boost or cut the gain respectively, the end LEDs go out, and the LEDs on the appropriate side of the center light (the more the cut or boost, the more LEDs will light). “Half steps” are shown by dimmed LEDs at the end of the chain. The illustrations below show a relatively small amount of gain applied, and then a little more gain:

= on = dimmed = off

Encoders used as EQ frequency controls

When the encoders are used to set the frequency controlled by an EQ band, only one or at most two LEDs are lit at any one time.

As the knob is turned clockwise, the ring LEDs light in turn, representing the position of the knob “pointer”. For greater accuracy, intermediate values

Encoders used as Q controls

The Q of an EQ band refers to the width of the filter when it is in notch or peak mode (but not in shelf or

= on = dimmed = off

are shown by two LEDs being lit simultaneously, as in the illustration below:

= on = dimmed = off

16 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

2 – User interface—Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)

filter mode). Low Q values affect a wide portion of the spectrum, as shown below:

= on = dimmed = off

Encoders used as pan controls

When the encoders are used to make pan settings, the center pan position is represented in the same way as unity gain on the EQ gain controls:

= on = dimmed = off

“Almost center” positions are shown in a similar way to the “almost unity” gain position (that is, the center LED is lit, along with the LED immediately next to it, with the end LED on that side being dimmed).

and high values affect a narrow frequency band:

= on = dimmed = off

Note that “intermediate values” are shown on the encoders by dimmed LEDs, as above. The LED pattern in Q mode is always symmetrical about the upper center indicator.

When the pan position is moved to either the left or the right of center, one (or two, to represent intermediate settings) LEDs light to show the current pan position.

The illustrations below show the pan position at the hard left position, and then at a position just right of hard left.

= on = dimmed = off

Encoders used as aux send controls

When the encoders are used as aux send controls and the control is turned clockwise, the LEDs light up, following the “pointer” of the knob.

The number of LEDs lit depends on the aux send level relative to unity position (0.0dB).

Below this position, the LEDs light clockwise, with intermediate positions shown by dimmed LEDs:

= on = dimmed = off

At the 0.0dB point, the LEDs representing values below this point are dimmed, and the “0” LED lights.

= on = dimmed = off

When aux sends are set above the 0.0dB level, the LEDs above the unity point light in sequence (intermediate positions shown by dimmed LEDs), with the LEDs below the unity point being dimmed. The diagram here shows a setting just below maximum (9.6dB):

= on = dimmed = off

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 17

2 – User interface—Fader layers

When two aux channels are linked together, the encoders work in a slightly different way for the selected channel. The first encoder ( the pan for the first two aux sends ( the second ( The third (

FREQ) controls the level for these sends.

Q) and fourth (PAN ) control the pan and

level respectively for aux sends

GAIN) controls

1-2 or 5-6) and

3-4 in the first AUX

encoder setting (they have no effect in the second

AUX encoder setting).

The operation of the pan settings is as described for channel operations (“Encoders used as pan controls” on page 17).

Fader layers

The DM-24 has sixteen physical “channel” faders and one master fader. However, it is capable of accepting more inputs than faders (up to 32 channels), and also has eight output busses and six aux sends, which are often controlled on conventional mixers using their own faders.

LAYER 12345678910111213141516

1–16 17–32 MASTER

a. Master fader

12345678910111213151516M

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 M

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 — — M

To allow the sixteen faders to control the different parts of the console, the faders are arranged in “layers”. The layers are arranged as follows (as shown above each fader on the console itself):

Use the

LAYER STATUS keys located to the right of

the master fader, to switch between the three fader layers. The selected key lights and the keys are of different colors, as shown in the table above, so that it is easy to see which layer is currently active, even from a distance.

Machine control keys

As well as the keys controlling the DM-24 functions, there are also dedicated keys to control external devices connected to the DM-24.

Among these keys there are dedicated transport keys which allow basic transport control, as well as controls for auto punch and repeat control of external devices.

There are also strip, which are used to arm tracks on a connected device.

REC keys at the top of each channel

These fader layers also affect the use of the module

REC keys (used for arming the tracks of external

control devices), the

SEL keys, and the MUTE keys.

When the fader layer is selected, the faders move to show the current status of the layer.

See “Machine Control/Location” on page 80 for full details.

A strip of location keys to the right of the display mode keys controls the location facilities on the connected machine. When these keys are used for location, the

NUMERIC ENTRY functions. The digits entered with

DISPLAY MODE keys take on their

these keys are labelled at the left of the keys.

These keys are also used to enter digits when naming or renaming library entries (“Setting and editing titles” on page 101).

Automation keys

The DM-24 has self-contained automation facilities. The dedicated keys to control these functions are all colored purple for easy identification.

18 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

These keys are the AUTOMATION block by the transport controls, and the purple key near the rotary encoders.

There is a separate “shift” key to control the second function of some of the automation keys (and the

2 – User interface—Automation keys

undo/redo function of the library. This key is the 2ND

key (above and to the left of the rotary encoders). These second functions are labeled below the key in inverse lettering:

To use these second functions, press and hold the

2ND F. key and press the key whose second function

is to be used.

Press and hold this key

and press this key

to access this function (KEEP)

Automation status

As explained in the automation manual, the automation engine can be turned on or off in the main automation screen.

The

AUTOMATION UNDO key is used in automation

operations in order to undo any unwanted changes to automated mixes.

The operation of the automation facilities is explained in a separate manual.

When the automation engine is enabled, the word

AUTO appears at the top of the screen, together with

any automation mode currently enabled.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 19

3 – System-wide options

The DM-24 provides a number of options which control the overall functionality of the console.

These are accessed through the

OPTION and DIGITAL

screens.

Within these screens, you can (in the

OPTION screen):

• Set up various interface preferences

• Set up the way in which soloing works

OPTION screen

To access the OPTION screen:

1 Press the

lit.

2 Press the

SETUP

The following options are available from this screen:

SHIFT key so that the indicator is

AUX 1-2/OPTION key.

• Set up timecode preferences for synchronization with other units

and in the

DIGITAL screen

• Set up the word sync clock

• Choose the digital input and output formats

• Define and make settings for the optional slot cards

These options are described in detail below:

The screen changes to show the

OPTION

screen. There are four screens available using the soft keys immediately below the display:

SETUP, PREFERENCES, SOLO and SYNC/TC.

ENCODER OPERATION MODE When using

the encoders (“Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)” on page 15), or the PODs, the parameter being edited may sometimes have too many values to allow easy setting using the encoder (for example, there are 127 different pan positions). Using the “click” of the encoders corresponds to one step in the parameter values. Using the changing of the parameter values to be accelerated, with fewer clicks of the encoder.

1Step setting, one

Coarse option allows the

Use the § and ¶ cursor keys (or dial) to move the cursor to the appropriate fields, and then press the

ENTER key to change the value.

UPPER BAR DISPLAY This parameter has two

options:

TIMECODE, the top right field of the display shows

incoming timecode, and when set to system parameters (clock source, solo mode, etc.) are displayed.

TIMECODE and SYSTEM. When set to

SYSTEM, certain

LOCATE DISPLAY MODE This parameter deter-

mines how a location entry will be shown on the display: in the timecode position ( as a separate popup display in the center of the screen (

LCD Screen Popup).

TIMECODE DISPLAY) or

Holding down the

2ND F. key while turning the POD

or encoder reverses the usual acceleration mode (if

1Step is chosen, 2ND F. + POD/encoder = acceler-

ated, and if

Coarse is chosen, 2ND F. + POD/encoder

= accelerated.

LIBRARY DIRECT KEY OPERATION This

parameter controls the type of library accessed by the

RECALL and STORE, and the + and – keys in the LIBRARY section to the left of the screen. There are

six choices: tings, for gate and expander effects, processor settings for compression effects, equalization setting library, and

Snapshot refers to the overall mixer set-

Gate/Expand to the dynamics processor settings

Comp to the dynamics

EQ to the

Effect1 and Effect2 to

the first and second internal effector settings, respectively.

+/- Key Direct box is checked, this allows instant

If the recall of a library entry selected using the

+ and –

keys.

OL/STATUS LED TYPE The OL/STATUS LED

indicators above each fader can serve one of two purposes: firstly, if either of the two “overload” options

20 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

3 – System-wide options—OPTION screen

(MIC/LINE or INPUT) is selected, they act as overload indicators when the input level exceeds the level set in the

LEVEL field (OVER, 0, –2, –4, –6, –8, –10, –12,

–18, –30 or –42 (dB).

This status can be set for either the through 16 or for the

INPUT associated with the mod-

MIC/LINE inputs 1

ule, using the appropriate radio buttons.

Set the level for the overload lighting by moving to the value, pressing the set the value and pressing

ENTER key, turning the dial to

ENTER to confirm the

value.

Otherwise, if the

AUTOMATION option is selected,

these indicators show the current automation status of the channels, as explained in the automation manual.

FADER SENSITIVITY This parameter allows you

to specify the sensitivity of the faders, as used in the automation process.

The DM-24 touch sensing capabilities are dependent on the ambient humidity and environment. Depending on these factors, it may sometimes happen that faders which have been touched are not recognized as having been touched, or the faders are recognized as having been touched when they have not actually been touched.

The value of the sensitivity is set by default to 4.0k, but you may wish to set it to any of the following values:

1.0k, 1.5k, 2.0k, 2.5k, 3.0k, 3.5k, 4.0k (Hz). High

values mean higher touch sensitivity.

While the switched

FADER SENSITIVITY on-screen button is

ON and this screen is visible, touching any

of the faders with your fingers will illuminate the

STATUS/OL indicator for as long as the fader is

touched. This provides a very useful check for the sensitivity of the faders.

METER CALIBRATION Move the cursor to the

START button and press ENTER to start the process of

calibrating the DM-24 meters.

WARNING

You must turn down the headphone and control room monitor levels before starting this check, to avoid any possible damage to your ears and to the control room monitoring system.

Press the ENTER key (or cancel the process using a cursor key). After the meter calibration process has finished (about 3 seconds), the message

calibration finished

appears as a popup message. You can then restore the control room and headphone levels.

METER

PREFERENCES

The following general working preference settings are available from this screen:

Fader Auto MODULE Select When enabled

and a

MODULE or DYNAMICS screen is shown, this

option allows a module to be selected whenever its fader is touched, in addition to the usual method of pressing the option is enabled, the module shown at the top left of the screen changes when its fader is touched.

SEL key. In other screens, when this

Select MODULE Return When checked, this

option allows the module to appear if the pressed and held for about two seconds.

MODULE screen of the appropriate

SEL key of the module is

ST Link by SEL key When checked, this option

allows the stereo linking of two adjacent modules (provided the left module of the pair is odd-numbered) by pressing and holding the module and pressing the

SEL key of the other.

SEL key of one

Balance Level CENTER: 0dB When two chan-

nels are linked together as a stereo pair, the pan controls change to a balance control, as mentioned earlier. In the center position, the level may either be set to 0dB (checked) or a 3dB cut (unchecked).

SEL Key Follows Fader Layer Status allows

the setup of the automatic linking of the selected channel to the selected meter layer.

When this option is selected, if a channel is selected, the fader layer is changed, and then the fader layer is changed back again, the originally-selected channel is automatically selected.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 21

3 – System-wide options—OPTION screen

For example, if this option is active, and SEL 2 key is lit with fader layer 1-16 active, fader layer 17-32 is then selected, then fader layer 1-16 is then re-selected,

SEL key 3 (channel 19) is selected, and

SEL key 2

will be active.

If the option is not active, any

SEL key which is lit

remains lit when the fader layer is changed. For example, if this option is not selected, and

SEL key 2

is lit with fader layer 1-16 active, and fader layer 17-24 is then selected,

SEL key 2 will still be lit (that

is, channel 18).

Meter Follows SEL key When this option is

checked, the meter layer automatically changes when the appropriate faders” on page 77). The modes are as follows:

Fader layer SEL keys Meter layer

CH 1–16 CH 1–16 CH 1–24

CH 17–32

MASTER Buss 1–8/Aux1–6/Stereo MASTER/CH 25–32

SEL key is pressed (see “Meters and

CH 17–24 CH 1–24

CH 25–32 MASTER/CH 25–32

FLASH Info. This on-screen button allows you to

see how many times the flash memory used for storing library entries, etc. has been used (written to). Moving the cursor to this on-screen button and pressing

ENTER brings up a pop-up panel showing the

number of times that the flash memory locations have been used. Pressing

ENTER again allows you to

view the automation memory area usage. Dismiss this pop-up by pressing

ENTER once more.

If any flash memory location has been written to too many times in the life of the unit, a popup message will automatically appear to alert you of this fact. You should then contact your TASCAM dealer for service.

Version Info. For service, etc. it is useful to know

the software version numbers of the different components. Moving the cursor to this on-screen button and pressing software version numbers of the different components (including the internal effector units). Press

ENTER to dismiss this panel.

ENTER brings up a pop-up panel with the

Automation fader OFF When this option is

active (checked), in automation mode, when the automated mix is being read (played back), the faders do not move.

Cursor follows EQ Band Key When the

option is enabled and modules are being edited, and any of the EQ band keys (

LOW) is pressed, the box cursor surrounding the

HI, HI MID, LOW MID or

active on-screen controls will move to highlight the active band.

SOLO

The solo modes on the DM-24 can be set up in a number of different ways using this screen:

Battery Check This is a “read-only” display. It

shows the current voltage and the status of the DM-24’s internal battery.

If the battery voltage falls below a certain level, or is reported as being above a certain level, this display blinks, and the screen shows

Can’t Save System Data,

together with the out-of-range voltage.

Consult your TASCAM distributor if you see this message.

MODE SELECT Either Mix Solo or Exclusive Solo

can be selected here. The number of channels (that is, all whose are lit in solo mode) to have their outputs added together to the solo mix. The allows one channel (the one whose pressed last) to be soloed at one time.

Mix Solo mode allows a

MUTE keys

Exclusive Solo mode only

MUTE key was

SOLO LINK This option allows the fader and mute

groups to be used with the solo function. This is explained more fully in the solo part of the section describing monitoring (see “SOLO LINK” on page 75). Briefly, if one of the group options (

or FADER GROUP) is enabled, selecting a group

GROUP

master module solos or unsolos the whole of the group. If a group slave module is selected, the solo status of only that slave module is affected.

MUTE

22 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

3 – System-wide options—OPTION screen

SOLO TYPE There are three options that may be

selected here: post-fader listen) and explained in more detail in the solo section, but briefly; the the signal before it is sent through the panpot and fader. The stereo outputs are unaffected (soloing is only done through the puts) An AFL selection will output the post-fader signal from the selected channels through the monitoring system. By contrast, soloing a channel in Inplace Solo mode monitors the soloed signal(s) via the stereo outputs while all the other signals are cut from the stereo outputs.

PFL (pre-fader listen), AFL (after- or

INPLACE SOLO. Again, these are

PFL option provides a way of listening to

CR and STUDIO monitor out-

SYNC/TC

The following settings affect the timecode and synchronization settings (as can be selected for display on the top right of the screen, used for automation purposes as well as for location, etc.):

INPLACE SOLO DEFEAT This option is a defeat

option to prevent channels selected in this way from being muted when other channels are soloed. It can be used with a pair of effect returns, for instance, so that these effect returns will always be added in the inplace mix, together with those other channels selected for inplace soloing. Inplace soloing will output the soloed channel(s) from the stereo outputs, and cut all other channels. Use the cursor keys (or channel

SEL key) to highlight a channel, and the ENTER

key to change the status of the INPLACE SOLO DEFEAT setting.

Alternatively, use the direct selection and de-selection of the channels (use

ENTER to make the setting).

at the top right of the DM-24 display (above the timecode value). If timecode is selected as the timing source on the DTRS unit, of the display.

SEL keys of the modules for

TC is shown on the top right

The screen is split into two parts: the top part allows the selection of a timecode source for display. This displayed timecode may be the source used for automation synchronization ( source of timecode (

Sync Source is selected, the source selected in the

Sync Source) or another

OTHERS).

lower part of the screen to determine the automation synchronization source is displayed.

The following options are available for the display of incoming timecode:

DTRS Remote Timecode This is the timecode

embedded in the REMOTE/SYNC output from a DTRS unit. The actual format and the relationship of this to the ABS time on the DTRS unit depends on the setup of the DTRS unit. If the ABS time is used as the timing source on the DTRS unit,

ABS is shown

NOTE

A DTRS unit connected to the DM-24 through a card inserted in slot 1 or 2 cannot be used as a timecode display source in this way.

RS-422 IN Timecode This refers to any timecode

received through the RS-422. If this option is selected,

TC is shown on the top right of the DM-24

display.

TRA Target link This refers to the timecode from

the currently selected transport target (as set up in the

MIDI/MC settings

TC or DTRS is shown on the top right of the

Either screen if the transport target is a DTRS unit (as explained above), the transport target is a closed MMC loop, and

ABS if an ADAT is selected, MTC if

INT if

the internal generator is selected as the transport target.

If the transport target is a MMC closed loop device,

MMC Closed) is highlighted on screen.

this (

Automation synchronization source

Choose from the following options to select the automation synchronization timecode source:

TC IN This refers to the analog linear timecode sig-

nal received at the selected,

TC is shown on the top right of the DM-24

display.

TC IN jack. If this option is

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 23

3 – System-wide options—DIGITAL screens

MIDI IN MTC This refers to any MIDI Timecode

received at the

MTC is shown on the top right of the DM-24 display.

MIDI IN jack. If this option is selected,

INT. This refers to the DM-24’s own internal (MIDI

Timecode) generator.

NOTE

The internal timecode generator is not functional in this release of the DM-24 software. It will be implemented in a future release, and appropriate documentation concerning its use will be provided at that time.

If the internal generator is chosen, the frame type can be selected from the following list: drop-frame), fps drop-frame), (25 fps) and

30NDF (30 fps non-drop), 29.97DF (29.97

29.97NDF (29.97 fps non-drop), 25

24 (24fps). If this option is selected, INT

is shown on the top right of the DM-24 display.

If the internal frame type is changed, then an automatic calculation is performed to convert the old frame type as accurately as possible to the new frame rate. For instance, if the frame type is 24 fps and the

30DF (30 fps

current frame position is set to 12 (that is, halfway through a second), if the frame type is changed to 30 fps the frame position will be set to 15 (again, halfway through a second).

NOTE

When external timecode sources are used, the frame type is automatically recognized.

INT. START TIME If the internal generator is

selected as the timecode source, then the PODs are used to set the generator start time. Move the cursor so that the time is surrounded by an on-screen box, and then use the four PODs to set the hours, minutes, seconds and frames of the generator start time.

FLY WHEEL (frames) If an external timecode

source is selected, then it is possible to compensate for loss of incoming signal, allowing the DM-24 to “flywheel” for a set number of frames before it reports the loss of incoming timecode. The values available here are 8, 16 and 32 frames (the length of a frame depends on the frame type being received).

DIGITAL screens

The DIGITAL screens contain a number of different parameters affecting the digital audio operation of the DM-24.

There are three screens: the digital clock source is selected, the which provides facilities for controlling the format of digital data transmitted from and received by the

CLOCK settings

This screen allows the viewing and selection of digital audio clocks from devices connected to the DM-24.

CLOCK screen, where the

FORMAT screen,

DM-24, and the

SLOT screen, to control any optional

cards fitted in the slots.

NOTE

There should be one, and only one, word clock source in a digital audio setup. Multiple word clocks in a setup may result in noise which can damage monitoring equipment (speakers and amplifiers).

Use the cursor keys or dial to move around the screen, and the

ENTER key to make selections.

Depending on the current assignments, the screen may change a little from that shown here. For example, if ADAT has not been selected as a return source, then it will not be shown in the appropriate position. If slot cards are not fitted, they will not appear on this screen, but if they are fitted, the

SLOT fields to the left

of the screen are filled, and show the slot cards currently fitted.

24 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

The condition of a master clock status is shown using symbols.

If the right clock is not available, or if the clock is out of the permissible limits, an appropriate symbol (cross or question mark) is shown.

3 – System-wide options—DIGITAL screens

A popup appears with an unlocked indication and an error message. If this happens, correct the clock source, and press the

ENTER key to dismiss the

popup.

When a clock source is selected, the clock indicators to the left of the console change to show the current clock frequency and the

EXT CLOCK indicator lights

if an external clock has been selected as the clock source.

High sampling frequency To select high sam-

pling frequency mode, select

ENTER.

When the DM-24 changes to high sampling frequency, a popup message is shown on screen, telling you to turn off the DM-24 and turn it on again, to enter high sampling frequency mode.

NOTE

Remember to turn down the monitor value, etc. to avoid “thumps” which may damage equipment when turning the DM-24 on and off.

Hi-Sampling, and press

D-IN MANUAL SETUP A manual selection may

be made in the case of one of the digital inputs ( being selected as a clock source with sampling frequency conversion. Select the appropriate destination frequency here.

Whether the RCA or XLR connector is used as the clock source is selected in the

I/O screens (“Digital

inputs” on page 39), not here.

D-IN)

WORD SYNC IN Since the frequency information

of any signal received at the nector is not used by the DM-24, if this source is to be selected as the word sync source for the DM-24, the sampling frequency must be explicitly selected.

WORD SYNC IN con-

TDIF interfaces In the case of the TDIF-1 inter-

faces card), the device attached to the card source is shown as either a

OTHER (another type of recorder connected through

the TDIF-1 interface). If the indicator shows DA88, then I/O data is truncated to 16 bits, otherwise I/O is carried out at 24 bits.

DA-88 (DA-88 DTRS recorder) or

The clock source screen changes in the case of high sampling frequency being selected.

NOTE

Many other display screens will change if high sampling frequency is selected. These differences are described in a separate chapter (“High sampling frequency” on page 112).

Fs Status This shows the current sampling fre-

quency status (base frequency, deviation from the nominal value, and the locked/unlocked status).

Select the appropriate clock source. In the case of the internal clocks, the frequency may be chosen as either 44.1kHz or 48kHz. In most other cases, the frequency is pre-determined.

There are one or two other points to be borne in mind when making these settings.

ADAT In the case of an ADAT “lightpipe” interface

card, the clock master, is always selected.

INT setting, allowing the ADAT to act as the

AES3 In the case of an AES/EBU interface card,

there are four different sources (the four AES/EBU

inputs

) which may be selected as the word clock

source for the DM-24.

CASCADE MASTER If the DM-24 has been set

up as a cascade slave (using the screen), then this cascade master option is automatically selected, and this setting cannot be changed (the master is free, of course, to accept its clock from anywhere).

DIGITAL SLOT

Word phase The phase of the word sync signal

can be inverted independently for input and output relative to normal. Use the phase correction facilities to match word clocks from different equipment.

1. This changes to two inputs when high frequency sampling is selected.

Checking the clock sources

To give details of all possible sources, move the cursor to the on-screen

A popup message appears. Use the continue with the check (cancel using any of the cursor keys).

CHECK button, and press ENTER.

ENTER key to

The DM-24 mutes, and a panel appears with details of all possible clock sources. Press

ENTER once

again to dismiss this panel.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 25

3 – System-wide options—DIGITAL screens

Out of range clock signals

When setting the clock, the sampling frequency received can be ±6% of the stated nominal value. When in use, the frequency can be ±7% of the stated value. This allows a digital device which has a varispeed feature to be used as the word clock source for the DM-24.

If the selected clock source goes out of range, the DM-24 mutes, the currently-selected clock indicator flashes, and a message appears on the display.

The FORMAT screen

This screen allows you to see and work with the digital audio inputs and outputs connected to the DM-24.

The DM-24 reports the out-of-range clock frequency at a range of ±9.9% relative to the stated frequency, but mutes at 7.0% or over.

Press the change to the condition (by selecting another clock source, or by re-selecting the clock if it has come back into range).

ENTER key to dismiss the popup message,

CLOCK screen, and correct the error

Other digital input parameters At normal

base sampling frequencies, the DM-24 is capable of performing sampling frequency conversion on the incoming data. This can be turned on or off individually using the on-screen

MUTE DEFEAT checkbox allows the DM-24 to

The ignore a status bit in some implementations of digital audio, which are otherwise satisfactory. If this is unchecked, when this audio is received, the input may be muted and the following messages may be displayed on screen: bit 1=1 of the channel status) or (byte 0, bit5=1).

Fs CONVERT buttons.

Not Audio data Digital In1 (byte 0,

Source Fs unlocked

The first part of this screen affects the digital inputs. Note that the I/O screen is used to determine whether the XLR connector or RCA pin jack is used for each of these inputs.

Type of DIGITAL IN connection Typically,

these connectors will be used for base frequency digital audio (44.1 k or 48 k). This is shown as on the display. However, if the DM-24 is in high sampling frequency mode, these inputs may be used for high sampling frequency inputs. There are two ways in which they can be used for high sampling frequency; used to transmit one channel of high sampling frequency audio, hence two lines are needed for a stereo pair) and at twice the usual speed, where one AES/EBU cable is used to transmit a pair of high sampling frequency signals at high speed.

Use the cursor, dial and If the DM-24 is set to an incompatible sampling frequency, a popup message appears.

DUAL-LINE (where one AES/EBU cable is

HIGH-SPEED where the audio is transmitted

ENTER key to set this value.

NORMAL

Details of the digital audio data can be obtained from a popup produced by pressing the Such information includes the format, type, emphasis status, etc.

DETAIL button.

Digital output The assignments for the two digi-

tal outputs are made using the I/O screen. The format can be changed between AES/EBU and SPDIF (the

SPDIF option is meaningful at base sampling frequen-

cies only) and details of the data can be obtained from a popup produced by pressing the ton. Such information includes the format, contents, emphasis status, word length, etc.

DETAIL but-

Multi I/O settings These assignments are made

in the I/O screen, and cannot be changed. However, the word length for each of the TDIF groups can be set (either viewed ( mode, sampling frequency, word length and emphasis status, etc.

16bit, 20bit or 24bit) and the details can be

DETAIL button). These details include TX/RX

Stereo out setup This allows the choice of the

word length output from the stereo out as being either 24-bit data, 20-bit with noise shaping, or 16-bit with noise shaping.

26 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

SLOT screen

3 – System-wide options—DIGITAL screens

On the slot screen, the different optional interface cards that can be fitted to the DM-24 are automatically detected and the options can be set. These are described separately in “Options” on page 118.

If slot cards have been fitted, they are shown on this screen, as in the example below.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 27

4 – Parts of the DM-24

This section is divided into what we hope is a functional and logical order to help locate and use the controls.

Top surface

The top surface of the DM-24 may be conveniently divided into the following sections:

Analog module inputs

Library section

This section is not a complete guide to the functions of the DM-24—treat it more as a “road-map” than a guidebook.

Other analog I/O

Module control

Parameter control

Transport and automation control

Module faders and selection, etc.

Monitoring

28 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Analog module inputs

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Top surface

These inputs typically feed the first sixteen input channels, but may be assigned in other ways as explained in “Setting up the I/O” on page 36.

12 3 4

1 INSERT These TRS 1/4” connectors are used

to provide a postthe return (–2dBu) occurring just pre-AD convertor.

TRIM insert (send at –2dBu), and

2 LINE IN (BAL) These balanced 1/4” jacks

accept analog inputs at a nominal +4dBu input level, adjustable with the

TRIM controls.

3 MIC These XLR connectors accept analog

inputs for balanced microphones. Phantom power is available (switchable in groups of 4 inputs).

The input level is adjustable with the

TRIM controls.

NOTE

There is no switch to allow a choice between the and the not be made to both inputs of a channel simultaneously.

LINE

inputs. Accordingly, connections should

WARNING

Connection of microphone cables and microphones: to prevent hazard or damage, ensure that only microphone cables and microphones designed to the IEC 268-15A standard are connected.

Connexions des microphones et de leurs câbles: pour éviter tout endommagement, s’assurer de brancher uniquement des microphones et des câbles de microphones conçus selon la norme IEC 268-15A.

MIC

4 TRIM These controls allow the input levels

from the range of 56dB.

Turning these controls clockwise increases the level of the signal fed to the channel AD convertors.

MIC and LINE inputs to be adjusted over a

5 PHANTOM (+48V) These switches allow

+48V phantom power to be provided to the channel inputs. These switches are arranged so that one switch controls the phantom power for four input channels (1 through 4, 5 through 8, 9 through 12, and 13 through 16).

MIC

Other analog I/O

These inputs and outputs provide analog feeds to monitoring systems, etc.a balanced pair of stereo master outputs and an insert loop for these outputs.

There are also four assignable sends and returns, as explained in “Setting up the I/O” on page 36.

6 MONITOR OUTPUTS [CR (BAL)] These

1/4” balanced analog outputs are used to provide monitoring signals to the control room as selected

using the monitor select switches (+4dBu nominal level).

7 STEREO OUTPUT This pair of balanced

XLR connectors provides the analog stereo out signal at +4dBu.

8 MONITOR OUTPUTS [STUDIO] These

unbalanced RCA connectors provide unbalanced signals to the studio at a nominal output level of –10dBV.

9 2-TR IN These two RCA unbalanced inputs

are typically used for monitoring the replay from an analog mastering device at a nominal input level of –10dBV.

A STEREO OUTPUT [INSERT] These 1/4”

TRS connectors provide insert facilities for the

STEREO OUTPUTs. The send (level –2dBu) is post

DA convertor and the return (level –2dBu) is immediately before outputs.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 29

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Top surface

B ASSIGNABLE SENDS These balanced

1/4” jacks (–2dBu) are used either as insert sends for the input channels or as aux sends (see “Setting up the I/O” on page 36).

C ASSIGNABLE RETURNS (BAL) These

quasi-balanced returns (–2dBu) are either used as

Module control section

This section is chiefly used for the control of the most commonly-used module parameters:

rt y u

aux returns or as insert returns for the input channels (see “Setting up the I/O” on page 36).

D PHONES These two stereo 1/4” jacks provide

headphone outputs.

BUSS 1-2, BUSS 3-4, BUSS 5-6 and BUSS 7-8)

ses ( or to the stereo outputs ( (

DIRECT).

The legends in parentheses on the first three buss keys refer to surround assignments if a surround mode has been selected.

STEREO) or to direct output

I EXT CLOCK indicator If this indicator is

lit, the DM-24 is referenced to externals word sync. If unlit, the DM-24 is acting as the master word sync source for the system. If flashing, the clock source is not connected, or is not otherwise available for use by the DM-24.

pa s

E FS indicators These indicators show the

current sampling frequency used by the system.

F 2ND F. (MOVE) key This key is mainly

used in conjunction with the automation (purple) keys to access the secondary functions of these keys.

G EQUALIZER keys As explained in “Rotary

encoders (ring LEDs)” on page 15, four of these keys (

HIGH, HI MID, LOW MID, LOW) are used to select

the frequency band of the active module which will be affected by the rotary encoders. The the EQ on and off for the selected module.

ON key turns

H CH ASSIGN keys These keys are used to

assign the selected module to the pairs of output bus-

Library section

These keys are used for the storage and recall of commonly-used parameters in snapshots, EQ settings, effects and so on.

dfg

J MODULE key Pressing this key brings up

the module editing screen, allowing the different parameters of a module to be viewed and edited.

K Encoder function select key and indicators Successive presses of this key light, in

order: no indicator,

AUX (5 and 6), as explained in “Rotary encoders

(ring LEDs)” on page 15. The indicators show the current function of the encoders.

EQ GAIN, AUX (1 through 4) and

L TOUCH/MOVE [KEEP] key This key is

used in conjunction with the automation software, as explained in the automation guide.

M Rotary encoders These are used to set

parameters as explained in “Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)” on page 15.

N LIBRARY + and – [BANK] keys These

are used to change the selected active library entry (usually shown at the top of the screen).

O RECALL [UNDO/REDO] key The

RECALL key is used to recall the settings of stored in

the currently-select active library entry. It can also be used for comparison between the new and previous settings.

30 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

P STORE key This key stores the current set-

tings to the currently-selected library entry.

Parameter control section

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Top surface

This section is used to control the different parameters and to navigate through the different options available on the DM-24

hj kl;z x

Q LCD display This backlit display shows the

parameters and values that can be adjusted, as well as popup status and error messages.

R Soft keys These four keys are used to select

options and sub-screens shown at the bottom of the display (“Soft keys” on page 15).

S PODs These encoders are used to set values

highlighted on the screen with the cursor (“PODs” on page 13).

Number Unshifted function Shifted function

Aux 1 and 2 sends (

AUX 1-2)

Aux 3 and 4 sends

AUX 3-4)

(

Aux 5 and 6 sends

AUX 5-6)

(

Pan and balance (surround settings if surround selected) (

SURROUND

Channel-to-buss assignment (

On-screen meters and fader positioning (

FADER

Library settings and selection (

Effect settings and editing

EFFECT)

(

Dynamics processor settings (

PA N/ BA L

)

ASSIGN)

METER/

)

LIBRARY)

GATE/DYN)

System options (

Input and output assignment (I/O)

System setup options (SETUP)

Digital trim and channel

TRIM/DLY)

delay (

Stereo linking and fader/ mute grouping (LINK/

GRP

)

Monitoring settings and options (

—

Various system utilities (UTILITY)

OPTION)

MONITOR)

W SHIFT key and indicator This is a

“smart” key. Press and release it briefly to light the indicator. Press and release it briefly again to turn off the indicator.

T Display contrast Use this control to set the

most convenient viewing angle for the display.

U Cursor keys These keys are used to move

the on-screen cursor to highlight the parameters to be edited with the PODs or the data dial.

V Number and predefined function keys These keys are used to access the setting

screens where global parameters may be set up and for changing between sub-screens.

SHIFT key is also used to provide a secondary

The function for most of these keys, bringing up screens which probably will not be used so frequently.

In some location modes, these keys are used to enter numeric values directly:

Number Unshifted function Shifted function

CLR AUTOMATION (auto-

mation) control

External device control

EXT. CTRL)

(

—

MIDI and machine control parameters (MIDI/MC)

Press and hold the key for more than about half a second to light the indicator for only as long as the key is held down (when the key is released, the indicator goes out).

When the indicator is lit, the predefined function keys will then perform their secondary shifted function (as marked on the lower label above the key).

X LOCATE keys and indicators These

keys are used to set the way in which location of the currently-selected machine transport is controlled.

If any of these indicators is lit, the predefined function keys act as number keys (as explained in “Location memories” on page 85).

Y AUTOMATION UNDO key This key is

used with the automation system to undo changes made to automated mixes.

Z JOG/DATA dial This dial is used for setting

on-screen parameter values, etc. When the DM-24 is controlling the transport of a remote device, it may be used to perform a jog function.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 31

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Top surface

a ENTER key Use this key to confirm entries

and to answer “yes” to questions (the cursor keys are usually used to cancel or answer “no”).

Monitoring section

This section is used to control what is heard from the control room and the studio monitoring systems. Since many of the choices here are “soft” choices (that is, determined by the software), the full explanation of these keys and indicators is provided in a separate section (“Monitoring” on page 73).

m,./!@

# $%^ &

b Meters These meters show the level of the

currently-monitored signal.

c SOLO control and indicator When the

indicator is lit, soloing is enabled and a channel has been selected for soloing. The level of the soloed signal is controlled by this knob.

f Talkback microphone This integral

microphone can be used for studio talkback or slate output.

g DIM key and indicator This “smart” key

works in the same way as the

When on, the control room outputs are attenuated (the amount is set using the monitor screen).

STUDIO key above.

h MONO This outputs the selected signal in

mono to the control room monitors and phones.

i STUDIO key and indicator This “smart”

key latches on when pushed and released within a second, and is switched off by pushing it again in the same way. If pushed and held down for more than a second it is non-latching, that is, it turns off when released.

When on, the control room outputs are attenuated, and the talkback microphone signal is routed to the studio outputs.

j CR volume control This control adjusts

the level of the signal selected with the selection keys and sent to the control room outputs and outputs.

PHONES

d PHONES control This control regulates the

level of the signal sent to the phones outputs.

e Monitor selection keys These keys are

used to select the signal sent to the control room monitor outputs (and the phones outputs).

STEREO key routes the stereo output signal to

The the monitor outputs. The keys route the signals selected in the monitor screen to the monitor outputs.

SEL 1, SEL 2 and SEL 3

k TO SLATE key and indicator This

“smart” key works in the same way as the key above.

When on, the control room outputs are attenuated and the talkback microphone signal is routed to the eight output busses, the stereo buss and the six aux busses.

STUDIO

l T/B volume control This control adjusts

the level of the signal from the talkback microphone, fed to the selected outputs (slate or studio).

32 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Module faders and selection, etc.

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Top surface

The module faders are arranged in layers (see “Fader layers” on page 18). Accordingly, the 16 module faders are used to control all 32 inputs, the six aux sends and the output buss sends as shown on the preprinted labels above and below each channel strip.

( ) Q

Note that a wipe-off surface is provided (below the

REC keys) for you to write in soft pencil the func-

tions of the channels (equipment connected to the DM-24, etc.).

m REC key These keys, with integral indicator,

are used to set and show the recording status of tracks of devices controlled by the DM-24.

n SEL keys These keys, with integral indica-

tors, are used to select the modules for editing operations, as well as for stereo linking and other editing

functions. The indicators light to show which module has been selected.

o MUTE keys These keys, with integral indica-

tors, show the muting status of the modules. When used with the solo modes, they give instant indication of what module(s) are selected for soloing.

p OL/STATUS indicators These indicators

may be selected using software to show either overload to the input channels or the current status of the channel when automation operations are being carried out. See “OL/STATUS LED TYPE” on page 20 for details of these settings.

q Module faders These 100mm motorized

faders are labeled from ∞ (full cut) to

0 position may be set to be equivalent to the appro-

priate full-scale value using software.

+10 (dB). The

r ALL SAFE key This key, with integral indi-

cator, is used to “safe” any tracks of recording devices controlled by the DM-24.

s SOLO key This key, with integral indicator,

is used to enable the soloing function as selected in “SOLO” on page 22.

t STEREO fader This fader does not change

function as the layers are changed, but controls the level of the stereo outputs.

It is labeled from ∞ (full cut) to

0 (full scale).

u LAYER STATUS keys These keys (with

integral indicators), as explained in “Fader layers” on page 18, change the function of the modules to provide access to the different fader layers.

Transport and automation control

UI O P

This controls in this section provide remote control facilities for recording devices, etc. attached to the DM-24.

v REPEAT key This key, with integral indica-

tor, is used to control repeat playback.

w ALL INPUT key Provides input monitoring

for all tracks on the selected unit(s).

x AUTO MON key Provides automated

switching between input and off-tape monitoring.

y AUTO PUNCH IN/OUT keys Typically

used with the DTRS family of recorders.

z Transport keys and indicators The

exact function of these keys (

PLAY and RECORD) and indicators depends on the

device currently selected for external control.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 33

REW, F FWD, STOP,

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Rear panel

S Automation control keys and indicators These keys (REHEARSE, WRITE,

TRIM and REVERT) are used to control the automa-

tion functions. These keys have other functions, as selected by the

2ND F key (F).

Rear panel

The rear panel of the DM-24 houses the digital audio and control connections.

56 7 8 9

NOTE

Although some of these keys have similar names to other keys on the DM-24, note that their functions are restricted to automation operations.

23 4

ABCDE

NOTE

Only use TASCAM-supplied and TASCAM-approved cables when making digital audio and control connections to the DM-24. Though the cables and connectors may resemble computer cables, they serve different purposes, and meet a different set of specifications. The use of cables other than TASCAM cables will at best cause the equipment to work erratically, and at worst cause damage to the equipment.

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

1 TO METER This 25-pin ‘D’-sub connector is

used to connect the DM-24 and the optional MU-24/ DM meter unit.

2 ADAT [IN, OUT] Use these “lightpipe” con-

nectors to connect ADAT-compatible units to the DM-24 with a Toslink-type optical cable. Each of these connectors carries eight digital audio input or outputs channels.

The input may be used as a clock source, and routed to any of the three groups of eight input channels (1 through 8, 9 through 16, 17 through 24).

3 WORD SYNC [OUT/THRU, IN] and switch

sync. The switch controls the behavior of the connectors (75Ω input impedance and switching between OUT and THRU functions) as described here:

Position

Left

Center

Right

A word sync signal received at the means that the DM-24 originates a word sync signal (and is therefore to be the word sync master for the system).

These BNC connectors are used for word

Ω

75 termination?

No Thru

No Out

Ye s O ut

THRU setting means that the connector echoes the

OUT/THRU

IN. An OUT setting

34 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

4 – Parts of the DM-24—Rear panel

4 TDIF [1, 2 3] These 25-pin ‘D’-sub connec-

tors are used for the connection of suitably-equipped digital audio devices.

At the base rates of 44.1k and 48k, each connector carries eight channels of input and eight of output. These numbers are halved when dual-frequency sampling frequencies (88.2k and 96k) are used.

These may be routed to any of the three groups of eight channels capable of accepting return signals (1 through 8, 9 through 16, 17 through 24).

TDIF 1 only may be selected as the clock source for

the system.

5 MIDI IN, OUT and THRU These three 5-

pin DIN connectors correspond to the MIDI standard (

MIDI IN receives MIDI data, MIDI OUT outputs

MIDI data originated by the DM-24, and echoes data received at

The MIDI is used for MIDI Timecode, Program Change and Control Change messages, as well as for MIDI System Exclusive bulk data dumps, etc. The details of these are all given in the section on MIDI (“MIDI” on page 95).

MIDI IN).

MIDI THRU

6 EXT SW This 1/4” jack is used to connect a

footswitch (for example, the TASCAM RC-30P), which is selectable through software to provide a variety of functions.

7 TIME CODE This unbalanced RCA connec-

tor accepts SMPTE/EBU analog timecode.

8 DTRS REMOTE CONTROL This 15-pin

‘D’-sub connector connects to the first unit in a chain of DTRS recorders, allowing the DM-24 to remotely control the recorders.

9 SLOT [1 and 2] These expansion slots allow

the fitting of optional cards, such as a cascade card, AES/EBU interfaces, additional “lightpipe” interfaces, or additional AD-DA conversion interfaces.

Consult your TASCAM dealer for availability of such cards, and the documentation supplied with the cards for details of how to fit and use them.

A POWER SWITCH and IN Use this push-

on/push-off switch to switch the power to the DM-

24. Use only the provided power cord to connect the DM-24 to the AC supply, ensuring that the voltage of the supply matches the voltage requirements as given on the rear panel of the DM-24. If you are in any doubt, consult a qualified electrician.

NOTE

The equipment draws nominal non-operating power from the AC outlet with its position.

POWER

switch in the OFF

B DIGITAL OUTPUT 1 and 2 Each of these

outputs has two connectors: an XLR-type and an RCA connector. The format of the output is determined by software.

The function of these connectors (master stereo output, stereo aux send, etc.) is also determined by software settings.

C DIGITAL INPUT 1 and 2 Each of these

inputs has two connectors: an XLR-type and an RCA connector. Only one connector at a time can be used for the input (selected by software).

The routing of these connectors is also determined by software settings.

D GPI This 9-pin ‘D’-sub connector is a General

Purpose Interface, used for remote control of devices attached to the DM-24.

E RS-422 This 9-pin ‘D’-sub connector is a

remote control interface, to the RS-422 standard, allowing remote control of devices attached to the DM-24.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 35

5 – Setting up the I/O

Because the DM-24 is a “soft” digital mixing console, there are few of the hard-wired assignments that you find on an analog console.

In addition, the DM-24 includes an internal patchbay, which allows routing and splitting of signals within the console, providing a high degree of flexibility, and easy re-configuration when the requirements within a project change.

These routing and configuration settings can be stored in snapshot settings, allowing easy switching between the commonly-used routing patterns (for example, tracking, overdubbing and mixdown).

Signal sources

The DM-24 defines channel signal sources as inputs and returns, as explained here.

In the I/O assignment screens, each channel from 1 through 24 has two different sources—input and return—available (channels 25 to 32 have only one source—input—available):

The library facilities also allow the retention of I/O patches, etc. between snapshots, so that the I/O settings are not always overwritten by the recalled snapshot. See “Protecting snapshot settings” on page 102 for full details.

NOTE

This section deals only with the assignments in normal sampling frequency modes (either 44.1k or 48k). If the DM-24 is to be used in high sampling-frequency mode, the screens and the options are a little different. See “High sampling frequency” on page 112 for details.

ADAT connector The single “lightpipe” ADAT

input connector carries eight channels of digital audio input.

The eight audio channels received through this connector may be assigned to any of the console channels numbered 1 through 24.

returns

inputs

In this illustration, the mic/line inputs are selected as the inputs (upper box) for channels 17 through 24.

The ADAT connector audio is selected as the return source (lower box) for these channels.

Sixteen mic/line analog inputs are avail-

able on the DM-24. These are referred to on-screen as

M/L.

They may be assigned to the console channels numbered 1 through 32. These are inputs.

Three TDIF connectors (1 through 3) carry

eight channels of I/O digital audio each (in base frequency mode—in dual-frequency mode, this situation is different).

These TDIF inputs may also be assigned to console channels numbered 1 through 24.

These are returns.

DIGITAL IN 1 & 2 Each of these logical inputs has

two physical connectors: an XLR, typically used for AES/EBU connections, and an RCA jack, typically used for SPDIF connections. One of these can be selected for each logical input, and routed to any of the console channels numbered 1 through 32. These are inputs.

Card slots Optional cards may be installed in the

two card slots for expansion of the digital and analog I/O. These are treated as returns, and may be routed to the channels 1 through 24.

Assignable returns These four balanced analog

inputs may be assigned as channel inputs (for example, when they are used with external effect processors).

These are inputs and are assignable to channels 1 through 32.

Internal effectors The DM-24 has two internal

digital effectors, with stereo returns.

These returns are inputs and are assignable to channels 1 through 32.

36 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Output signals

5 – Setting up the I/O—Output signals

The following are the signals output from the DM-24 (excluding the monitoring signals):

Eight output busses These busses are typically

routed to the built-in multi-track outputs (TDIF and ADAT) or to the optional slot cards.

Six aux busses These six aux busses may be

routed to the assignable sends, as well as to the internal effect units.

Physical outputs

This excludes the monitoring outputs (control room, studio, etc.).

TDIF-1 connectors These connectors are used as

outputs as well as inputs, carrying eight channels each in normal-frequency mode. In dual-frequency mode situation this is different.

ADAT OUT connector This lightpipe connector

can be used as outputs from busses or as direct output. It carries eight channels in normal-frequency mode.

Stereo master outputs These stereo outputs

are typically used as the sum of the mixed output busses (except in surround mode).

Direct outputs The signals from the channels can

be output directly, not passing through busses, etc. to the connectors (TDIF, ADAT, slot) below.

Slot cards These may act as outputs, depending on

the cards installed.

Assignable sends These sends may be used as

either analog insert sends or as aux sends.

Digital outputs (x 2) Can be assigned to output

the stereo buss, adjacent pairs of busses, adjacent pairs aux busses or the control room source.

STEREO OUTPUTS (L, R) Used as the analog

outputs for the stereo master buss.

Patching between input and return

The DM-24 allows you to switch between the assigned inputs and returns for channels 1 through 24 without having to connect or disconnect cables. The sources for channels 25 through 32 are not selectable in this way.

These switches are accessed from the I/O screens.

1 With the

key.

2 Press either the first or second soft key to

bring up the channel assignment screens.

The on-screen channels have two columns, the sources, and the destinations, with a “patch cable” connecting them.

The source column has two alternative sources for each channel: the input (top) and the return (bottom) sources.

Move the cursor to the “patch cable” and turn the dial.

SHIFT indicator lit, press the I/O

3 Press

NOTE

This switching can also be done in the fourth screen (“Channel source (CH SOURCE)” on page 58).

ENTER to confirm the change.

Mic/line input 1 is routed to input channel 1

The cursor is moved to highlight the “patch cable”

The dial has been turned to “repatch” TDIF1 channel 1 to channel 1

ENTER

The pressed to confirm the repatching process.

key has been

MODULE

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 37

5 – Setting up the I/O—Assigning inputs to channels

Assigning inputs to channels

The I/O screens control the input/output assignments, as explained here:

1 With the

SHIFT indicator lit, press the I/O

key.

There are four tabs at the bottom of the screen. The two leftmost tabs, accessed through the first two soft keys, control the inputs to the first sixteen ( ond sixteen (

CH17-32 IN) channels, respec-

CH1-16 IN) and sec-

tively.

choice between input and return for each channel, as well as the input source for the

DIGITAL IN signals.

Each of the channels from 1 through 24 can be used either as an input or a return, as described above.

In the screen above, the mic/line inputs are assigned to the first sixteen channels, which would be an appropriate setting for the recording phase of a project. In the screen below, however, tape returns from TDIF groups 1 and 2 are assigned to these channels (for mixdown).

2 Press either of the two soft keys described

above. These screens control the selection of the return block, the input source, and the

Input sources

Any mic/line input can be assigned to any channel (1 through 32). The same mic/line input can be assigned to more than one channel, if required.

1 In either of the two channel

the cursor to the source column of the group of channels.

2 Use the § and ¶ keys to move up and down

the column.

NOTE

Note that the returns (as explained below) are premapped and cannot be changed here. The cursor never highlights them.

I/O screens, move

Channels 25 through 32 can be used for input only.

3 Use the dial to select from the available

options as listed here (

x represents a dis-

played number in this table):

Screen display Meaning

M/L x D-INx-L

ASN RTNx EFF x-L

Since input sources can be shared (routed to more than one input at once), simultaneous recordings can be made of the same take. For example, you can try recording the same vocal take with different compression or EQ settings.

(or R)

NOTE

Mic/line analog input x

Digital input x (1 or 2) – either the left or the right channel

One of the four assignable returns

Internal effector 1 or 2, left or right channel

38 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Return modules

5 – Setting up the I/O—Assigning inputs to channels

Return sources are available for channels 1 through 24 (channels 25 through 32 are input only).

The return options for each group of eight channels are selected by moving the cursor to the

RETURN field

at the left of the list of channels, and using the dial to select from the available options.

Press

ENTER to confirm the setting.

NOTE

If a slot card has not been fitted, an error message appears. Press

ENTER

to dismiss the message.

Each group of eight channels is assigned to use the same return source block (though it is possible to mix inputs and returns within the same block).

It is important to note the following:

• The returns from TDIF1-1 cannot be assigned and used at the same time as the returns from a card fitted in slot 1.

• The returns from TDIF1-2 cannot be assigned and used at the same time as the returns from a card fitted in slot 2.

• The returns from TDIF1-3 cannot be assigned and used at the same time as the returns from the internal ADAT connector.

The first 24 channels may have the following sources assigned to them as returns:

Channel Return signal

1,9,17 TDIF1-3 Trk1 / Slot1-2 Trk1 / Slot1-2 Trk9 /

Slot1-2 Trk17 / ADAT Trk1

2,10,18 TDIF1-3 Trk2 / Slot1-2 Trk2 / Slot1-2 Trk10 /

Slot1-2 Trk18 / ADAT Trk2

3,11,19 TDIF1-3 Trk3 / Slot1-2 Trk3 / Slot1-2 Trk11 /

Slot1-2 Trk19 / ADAT Trk3

4,12,20 TDIF1-3 Trk4 / Slot1-2 Trk4 / Slot1-2 Trk12 /

Slot1-2 Trk20 / ADAT Trk4

5,13,21 TDIF1-3 Trk5 / Slot1-2 Trk5 / Slot1-2 Trk13 /

Slot1-2 Trk21 / ADAT Trk5

6,14,22 TDIF1-3 Trk6 / Slot1-2 Trk6 / Slot1-2 Trk14 /

Slot1-2 Trk22 / ADAT Trk6

7,15,23 TDIF1-3 Trk7 / Slot1-2 Trk7 / Slot1-2 Trk15 /

Slot1-2 Trk23 / ADAT Trk7

8,16,24 TDIF1-3 Trk8 / Slot1-2 Trk8 / Slot1-2 Trk16 /

Slot1-2 Trk24 / ADAT Trk8

As can be seen, it is possible for the same return to be assigned to more than one channel at the same time (of course, it is not possible for one channel to accept the signal from more than one return at the same time).

Although the return module for each block can be selected, the channels of the module cannot be changed. For example, if an MTR return is assigned to channels 1–8, track 2 of an MTR cannot be assigned to channel 1. Track 3 can only be assigned to TDIF channel 3 (in the TDIF1, TDIF2, TDIF3 return source blocks), or ADAT channel 3, etc.

Note, though that when slot cards are fitted, the number of the channel in the slot card may be offset by 8 or 16, so that channel 9 (or 17) of slot card 2 may be assigned to channel 1, etc.

Digital inputs

Each digital input has two connectors; an XLR-type connector and an RCA pin jack. One of these is selected for input as described here.

These connectors can both be used for either AES/ EBU or SPDIF data, and the data format is automatically detected by the DM-24—no settings are necessary to choose the data format.

See “The FORMAT screen” on page 26 for details of how to set the parameters for sampling frequency conversion, etc. at these inputs.

However, although there are two physical connectors for these inputs, the audio data for an input can only be accepted from one of these connectors at any one time.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 39

5 – Setting up the I/O—Channel-to-buss assignments (global)

The inputs are chosen in a similar way to the input/ return selection for channels 1 through 24.

The cursor is moved to the “patch cord” linking the inputs to the digital input (either

D IN1 or D IN2), and

Channel-to-buss assignments (global)

These may be made either on a central “global” basis, or individually, channel by channel.

NOTE

Surround modes are treated in a similar, but different, manner. See “Surround operations” on page 107 for full details of how to make assignments in surround mode.

To use the global screen:

the dial and

ENTER key are used to change the

“patch” setting.

RCA XLR

4 Use POD 4 to move the cursor at the right of

the screen to select the buss groups (

5-6 and 7-8), the stereo output (ST), direct out

(

DIR) or AUX 1-2 (see below).

5 Press

ENTER to assign/de-assign the high-

1-2, 3-4,

lighted channel to and from the selected group. The appropriate

CH ASSIGN key indi-

cators light and go out as the selections are made in this way.

1 With the

ASSIGN key.

2 Continue to press the

soft key 3 to display the

SHIFT indicator off, press the

ASSIGN key, or press

BUSS screen.

3 Use the Ó and Á keys or dial to move the

cursor along the row. The § and ¶ keys move between the blocks, and the

SEL indi-

cator of the currently-highlighted channel lights (if the fader layer containing the channel is selected).

Alternatively, use the

SEL keys of the chan-

nels to move the cursor and highlight the channels on the screen. Channel 1 is highlighted here.

Alternatively, if the

SEL key of the selected

channel is lit (that is, the fader layer of the selected channel is active), use the dedicated

ASSIGN keys to change the assignments.

NOTE

Direct output is only possible from channels 1 through

16.

Master settings The on-screen buttons ALL CH

(soft key 1) and ALL CH OFF (soft key 2) are used to

assign or de-assign all channels from the assignment highlighted using POD 4.

AUX 1-2 The AUX 1-2 setting at the bottom of the

POD 4 list does not have a corresponding hardware key or indicator. It is used to switch a link between the stereo output and aux 1-2, or aux 1-2 may be assigned to the stereo outputs. Obviously, only one of these assignments may be made at one time.

The first of these assignments (stereo to aux 1-2) is only possible when the lighted, and when the cursor is on the (bottom right of screen).

The second such assignment (aux 1-2 to stereo) is possible only when the highlighted, and the cursor highlights the ule (to the left of the

In either case, press the assignment has been made, a popup message appears

AUX 1-2 POD 4 button is high-

ST module

AUX 1-2 POD button is not

AUX mod-

ST module—lower right).

ENTER key. If the other

40 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

5 – Setting up the I/O—Channel-to-buss assignments (global)

(STEREO to AUX1-2 is assigned. or AUX1-2 to STEREO is

assigned.

). Press ENTER again to dismiss the message, then unlink the existing assignment, and retry the link of the new assignment.

Channel-to-buss assignments by channel

This method allows the setting of channel-to-buss assignments per channel.

1 Select a channel using the

keys and the

SEL key if the channel is part of a stereo link

SEL key of the channel (either

FADER L AY E R

pair).

2 Use the

CH ASSIGN keys to the left of the dis-

play to assign and de-assign channels to and from busses.

Other module parameters

Phase, gate on/off, compressor on/off, pre- or postEQ compressor location, and EQ on/off can all be set in the

PARAMETERS sub-screen of the ASSIGN display.

Press soft key 4, or the screen is displayed.

ASSIGN key until this sub-

When the link is successfully made, the appropriate on-screen indicator is reversed.

If the assignment is not possible (for instance, no direct out is possible for channels 17 through 32), the appropriate key is disabled.

If either the

MODULE or the ASSIGN screen is dis-

played, changes made to the assignments using these keys will be reflected in the display.

Use POD 4 to select the type of parameter to be changed, and the cursor keys to move between the modules, as before.

The parameters selected by POD 4 are:

GAT CMP INS

Phase on and off (inverse signifies phase reversal)

Gate switch on/off (inverse signifies on) Compressor switch on/off Inverse signifies on)

Compressor insert point (changes between EQ) and

Turns EQ on and off (inverse signifies on)

PST

(post-EQ)

PRE

(pre-

Note that channels 17 through 32 cannot have a gate assigned to them.

If a compressor has been assigned to any of the master modules (aux or buss or stereo as described in “Master compressors” on page 43), this will appear at the bottom of the screen, otherwise, a gray box will be shown.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 41

5 – Setting up the I/O—Output assignments

Output assignments

The buss settings and the aux sends 1 through 4 may be routed to the three internal TDIF slots, as well as to the ADAT output and any slot cards fitted.

The output grouping destinations are grouped in out- put blocks of eight signals. Block sources (busses, direct outputs or aux sends) are mapped to these blocks. The blocks are grouped together, and the block sources are sent in parallel to all blocks in the group

The eight output busses are assigned on a one-to-one basis to the outputs within a block (that is, buss 1 will feed channel 1 of the output block, etc.is

NOTE

The more recent models of TASCAM DTRS recorder have an internal patchbay which allows you to reassign inputs to tracks.

If a direct out has been selected in the assignments (“Channel-to-buss assignments (global)” on page 40), this will take priority over the buss outputs (the appropriate buss output will not be selected for the block/channel combination used by the direct outs).

The composition of the output blocks, and the choices for the block sources are:

Block

1TDIF 1 (1–8)

2 TDIF 2 (9–16)

3 TDIF 3 (17–24)

Output block

groups

Slot 1 (1–8) Slot 2 (1–8)

Slot 1 (9–16) Slot 2 (9–16)

ADAT (17-24) Slot 1 (17–24) Slot 2 (17–24)

Block Source options

Buss 1–8 / Direct out 1–8 Aux 1–4 Parallel (paralleled 1->1&5, 2->2&6, etc.)

Buss 1–8 / Direct out 9–16 Aux 1–4 Parallel (paralleled 1->1&5, 2->2&6, etc.)

Buss 1–8 / Direct out 1–8 Buss 1–8 / Direct out 9–16 Aux 1–4 Parallel (paralleled 1->1&5, 2->2&6, etc.)

Digital outputs

The two DIGITAL OUTPUTs may output: the stereo outputs (

, BUSS5–6, or BUSS7–8), a pair of aux sends (AUX1-2,

AUX3-4, AUX5-6) or the control room signal (C.ROOM).

The XLR and RCA connectors for each output are fed in parallel with the selected signal, and the format

STEREO), a pair of busses (BUSS1–2, BUSS3–

In the

I/O OUTPUT sub-screen, use the dial and

ENTER key to select the source for each output

block.

is determined in the

DIGITAL FORMAT screen (“Digital

output” on page 26).

Move the cursor to the appropriate field (

OUT1

or DIGITAL OUT2) on the left of the screen, Use

the dial and

ENTER key to select the desired output

DIGITAL

signal.

42 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

5 – Setting up the I/O—Assignable sends and returns

Assignable sends and returns

The four sets of analog I/O connectors may be used as either analog insert points for selected channels or as the send part of effect loops (

SECT.

sub-screen, accessed with soft key 4).

Move the cursor to the button and press

INSERT or SEND RETURN radio

ENTER to make the setting for the

I/O display, ASSIGN

appropriate assignable connectors.

If the insert mode is selected, move the cursor to the channel (

CH) column, and use the dial and ENTER

key to select and confirm the channel (any channel from 1 through 32 can be entered here). There is also an “off” setting (all fields are filled with

---).

The location of the insert can be selected (pre/post fader) in the or off (

If the send loop is selected (the button is selected), the send signal source (

AUX 6) can be selected. To select the send signal

source, move the cursor to the then use the dial and

POINT field and the insert loop turned on

ON/OFF button) in the ON/OFF column.

SEND/RETURN radio

AUX 1 to

SEND SIGNAL field,

ENTER key to select and con-

firm the source.

NOTE

The assignable returns can be assigned to the inputs in the first and second I/O screens (“Assigning inputs to channels” on page 38).

Master compressors

To assign up to six compressors (in three stereo pairs) to the

STEREO L-R, the aux sends or the output busses,

move the cursor to one of the pairs of (1-2, 3-4 or 5-6) at the right of the screen.

MASTER fields

ENTER, and use the dial to select an adjacent

Press pair of aux sends or output busses. Confirm the selection with the

ENTER key.

Set the compressor for each of the master pairs on or off using the appropriate on-screen button (or using the

PARAMETERS

ENTER key when the cursor is on the

ASSIGN

screen—“Other module parameters” on

page 41).

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 43

6 – Hookup

This section explains how to connect the DM-24 to other equipment, dividing the connections into analog, digital and sync/control type connections.

These are not sample setups, but pointers to the capabilities of the DM-24 when used with other equipment in your setup.

NOTE

Always turn off the power to the DM-24 and other equipment when making and breaking connections.

Analog connections

Dynamics processor Effector / Dynamics

IN OUT IN OUT

MIC LINE IN INSERT ASSIGNABLE SENDS

Reapply power in the direction of source to destination (for example, turn on any external effect units and electronic instruments or other audio source first, followed by the DM-24 and any recording devices, and finish with the monitoring system.

Refer to “Parts of the DM-24” on page 28 for details of the specific terminals and connectors named in this section, and to “Setting up the I/O” on page 36 for details of how the internal assignments and patching are performed inside the DM-24.

processor

ASSIGNABLE

RETURNS

DM-24

STUDIOCR PHONES

Control room

monitoring system

Studio monitoring

system

MIC/LINE connections

The main analog inputs are the mic/line source connections made to the of the unit.

Both sets of connectors are balanced (though when unbalanced plugs are inserted into the jacks, these are used as unbalanced inputs).

MIC/LINE connectors at the top

LINE 1/4”

STEREO OUTPUT

Dynamics processor

INSERT

OUT

STEREO OUTPUT

(REC)

Analog mastering

recorder

2TR IN

OUT

(PLAY)

single channel). There is no way to switch between them.

The MIC XLR connectors can be supplied with phantom power (+48V). This is switched in blocks of four, with one switch controlling the phantom power supply to inputs 1–4, 5–8, 9–12, and 13–16.

NOTE

Only one connector of each channel (XLR or 1/4”) should be in use at any one time. Do not make connections to both the 1/4” jack and the XLR connector of a

44 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

NOTE

Always take care when switching the phantom power, to ensure that devices which may be damaged if phantom power is supplied are not connected to XLR connectors where phantom power is supplied.

6 – Hookup—Analog connections

The way in which these inputs are used by the channel modules is described in “Setting up the I/O” on page 36.

Use the and

TRIM controls to adjust the gain of the MIC

LINE inputs.

External dynamics processors and effectors

Use the MIC/LINE channel INSERT connectors for the connection of external dynamics processors for channels 1 through 16.

There is no software control to turn these on or off.

Note that the position of these inserts is fixed as posttrim, and immediately before the AD convertor.

Analog monitoring and mastering

The main stereo buss signal is output from the

STEREO OUT terminals, which should therefore be

connected to the analog mastering machine.

Return the analog mastering machine into the terminals. These are assigned by default to the

2TR IN

SEL 3

As explained in “OL/STATUS LED TYPE” on page 20, the LEDs by the faders can be used as signal level or overload indicators. Set the level at which they light to match your working conditions.

The assignable sends and returns can be set up as insert loops or as send/return effect loops “Assignable sends and returns” on page 43).

When used as inserts, these are available for channels 1 through 32.

When used as send/return loops, aux sends 1 through 6 may be assigned to the sends, and the returns are made through any channel.

monitoring selection key for easy monitoring of the two-track master in the control room.

Connect the two independent monitoring output sources ( toring systems.

CR and STUDIO) to the appropriate moni-

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 45

6 – Hookup—Digital connections

Digital connections

SYNCREMOTE/SYNC IN SYNC

DTRS 1

TDIF TDIF TDIF

DTRS 2 DTRS 3

DTRS REMOTE

TDIF-1 TDIF-2 TDIF-3

CONTROL

DM-24

ADAT INADAT OUT

OUTIN

ADAT unit

The digital audio connections mentioned here refer to the standard (non-expanded) model and are all made on the rear panel of the unit.

DIGITAL OUTPUT 1

DIGITAL INPUT 1

DIGITAL OUTPUT 2

DIGITAL INPUT 2

(REC)

OUT

(PLAY)

OUT

Digital mastering

recorder

Digital effector

If expansion slot cards have been fitted, consult the appropriate documentation for these cards for full details of operations, etc.

DTRS recorder connections

WARNING

ranty is voided.

war-

Connect the appropriate TDIF interface of the DM24 to the TDIF interface of the DTRS unit using a TASCAM cable. The interface carries both input and output signals.

46 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Use an appropriate TASCAM remote cable to connect the

DTRS REMOTE CONTROL connector of the

DM-24 to the REMOTE/SYNC IN of the first DTRS unit in a chain. Connect the SYNC OUT of this unit to the REMOTE/SYNC IN of the next unit in the chain, and so on. Remember to terminate the last unit in the chain.

Control the remote DTRS units as described in “External control” on page 87.

The TDIF signal can carry timing signals, but for reliability, it is suggested that a separate word connection is made wherever possible, whether the DM24 will be acting as a word clock master or as a slave. This connection need only be made to the first DTRS unit in the chain (with the lowest ID). Other units in the chain receive their clock through the REMOTE/ SYNC connections.

6 – Hookup—Synchronization and control connections

ADAT connections

Use two TOSLINK-type fiber cables to connect the ADAT device ( device) and

ADAT IN to OUT on the remote

ADAT OUT to IN on the remote device).

If the ADAT is to be controlled from the DM-24, a third-party device to convert MMC to ADAT sync

Digital inputs and outputs

The two sets of digital inputs and two sets of digital outputs each comprise an XLR-type connector and an RCA pin jack. Typically, the XLR-type connector will be used for AES/EBU digital audio, while the RCA is used for SPDIF.

These inputs can be assigned to any of the channel modules (1 through 32). They can therefore be used as returns from digital effects units, etc. as well as source inputs from CD players, DAT decks, etc.

The DM-24 incorporates a sampling frequency converter, allowing input from sources with a sampling frequency different from that of the DM-24.

Synchronization and control connections

commands will be necessary. Examples of such

devices are the JL Cooper dataSYNC

, or the MOTU MTP AV. These convert the ABS code from the ADAT to MTC, allowing synchronization for automation purposes.

The DM-24 can output audio data from both the XLR and the RCA connectors of each digital output at the same time.

Each of these output pairs can be used as the stereo mastering outputs, as paired buss outputs, as paired aux sends, or as the feed to the control room monitoring system.

The sampling frequency of the digital audio from these outputs is always the system sampling frequency of the DM-24.

To clock slave From clock master

OUT/THRU IN

WORD SYNC

TIME CODE IN

DM-24

P2-compatible

equipment (e.g. VTR)

RS-422

TO METER

MIDI THRU/ MTC OUT OUT IN

MU-24

External timecode

source

MIDI equipment MIDI equipment

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 47

6 – Hookup—Synchronization and control connections

Word sync clock connections

NOTE

In every digital audio setup, there must be one, and only one, word sync source. If there is more than one source in a system, there is a risk of causing damage to the monitoring system (and your hearing).

The DM-24 can act as either a word sync clock master or as a slave.

In the case of the DM-24 acting as a master for the system, make sure that the switch by the BNC word sync connectors is in the center position (75-ohm termination is word sync signal from the

OFF, and the DM-24 generates the

OUT terminal).

In the case of the DM-24 being a word sync clock slave, it is possible for the DM-24 to either retransmit

the word sync to other units, or to act as the last unit in the word sync chain.

When retransmitting the sync, set the switch to the left position (75-ohm

OFF/THRU setting is set to THRU).

IN termination is OFF and the

If the DM-24 is the last unit in the word sync chain, the switch should be in the right position (75-ohm termination is

ON).

All input and output is at TTL level.

Select the word sync source using the in the

DIGITAL section (“CLOCK settings” on

page 24).

NOTE

It is not recommended that any ADAT unit is set up to be a word clock slave.

CLOCK screen

MIDI connections

Make these connections following the usual MIDI standards

See “MIDI” on page 95 for details of how the DM-24 uses MIDI.

SMPTE/EBU timecode connections

SMPTE/EBU analog timecode is received at the

TIME CODE IN connector on the rear panel

The timecode is needed when using the automated mix functions.

Meter unit

The optional MU-24/DM meter unit may be connected to the

TO METER connector.

P2 connections

Devices which implement the P2 protocol can be controlled by the DM-24.

Also see “SYNC/TC” on page 23 for further details of MTC operation.

Note that the DM-24 does not output analog timecode, but can output MTC for use by other units.

See “SYNC/TC” on page 23 for details of setting up the DM-24 to use the timecode.

Consult the documentation with the meter unit for full details of installation and using the meters with the DM-24.

See “Machine Control/Location” on page 80 for full details of control of other devices using the DM-24.

48 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

7 – Module operations

The DM-24’s modules are controlled by a series of screens which allow the viewing and control of the parameters which can be set for each module.

For the most part, modules have the same parameters available to them. If there are difference between module options, these are explained in the appropriate section.

There are four module screens, accessed using the “soft keys” by the PODs. These screens control the channel dynamics processing, EQ, the aux sends, and general setup parameters.

There is also a “common area”, which is always visible, regardless of the module screen currently visible.

The different parameters visible on each screen are given here:

Screen Parameters

Common area Dynamics switch, compressor insert,

phase switch, assignable insert switch, buss assignment, EQ switch, EQ grapha, dynamics graph mute/fader grouping

meter

, metering point, digital trim, pan

, mute switch, fader,

, input sourceb,

Screen Parameters

DYNAMICS EQ AUX SETUP

a. Visible, but not editable b. Editable on channels 1 through 24 only

Dynamics processor parameters

EQ parameters

Aux send levels, source select

Channel source, gate switch, aux 1–2 source, compressor insert, compressor switch, assignable insert, assignable insert switch, phase, channel delay

On-screen controls are operated as explained in “User interface” on page 12 (the dial and cursor keys are used to navigate so that a control is highlighted, and the value changed with the PODs and the

ENTER key).

Selecting modules

To select a module for editing using these module screens, press the in module editing mode, followed by the of the module to be edited.

If two modules have been linked as a stereo pair, pressing the bring up the screen allowing control of both modules (see the section on “Linked modules” on page 60 for further details).

It is possible to reverse this order; that is, press the

SEL key and then the MODULE key.

MODULE key J to place the unit

SEL key n

SEL key of either module of the pair will

In addition, even if the

MODULE key has not been

pressed (the DM-24 is not in module editing mode), it is possible to configure the DM-24 so that pressing and holding the

SEL key of a module for more than

two seconds will automatically select that module’s editing screen (“Select MODULE Return” on page 21).

It is also possible to select the module for editing (when the

MODULE screen (or the DYNAMICS screen)

is displayed) by touching the module’s fader, rather than pressing the SEL key (“Fader Auto MODULE Select” on page 21).

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 49

7 – Module operations—Common area indicators and controls

Common area indicators and controls

Input selector

EQ graph

Dynamics meter

Digital trim

Grouping indicators

Gate switch

Compressor switch

Compressor insert point

Pan controls

In addition to the parameters visible above, the common area also provides a way of viewing the current I/O assignment, together with a graphical view of the current EQ settings, as well as the current dynamics processor (with meter) and meter facilities.

Dynamics controls

The exact controls and display vary, depending on what channel has been selected (see “Dynamics processors” on page 63 for full details of the availability of dynamics processors for the different modules of the DM-24):

Stereo meter

Metering point

EQ and buss status

Phase control

Assignable insert control

Fader and level

NOTE

Some of these parameters can be viewed and set globally for the whole console. See “Setting up the I/O” on page 36.

The on-screen controls available in the common area are:

Link setting Shown as

Right channel acts as trigger

Both channels act as triggers

Gate/Expander An on-screen button allows the

gate/expander to be switched, with a gain reduction meter displayed.

Compressor An on-screen button allows the com-

pressor to be turned on and off ( dynamics graph. The gain reduction meter also applies to the compressor.

The appearance of this button changes, depending on what link option has been selected (see “LINK L>R” on page 64):

Link setting Shown as

Link off

Left channel acts as trigger

ENTER key), with a

Compressor insert point The compressor can

be inserted either pre- or post-EQ (channels). The master insert is pre-fader.

Simply press the

is highlighted, to toggle between the two positions

ENTER key when PRE EQ or POST

(the dial key acts as a cursor here).

Dynamics meter This meter shows the post-com-

pressor effect of the dynamics processor assigned to the module.

A graphical display of the settings is also provided (with attack, knee point, compression ratio, hysteresis, etc. displayed).

50 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

7 – Module operations—Common area indicators and controls

Other common controls and displays

Digital trim and pan There are also two other

controls visible at the bottom of the screen—the digital trim and pan—above the soft key labels. These are dealt with below (“Digital trim control” on page 51 and “Pan control” on page 51.

Phase switch This on-screen switch reverses the

phase of the input signal (use the gle on and off).

In the case of linked pairs, each channel’s phase is independently reversible.

ENTER key to tog-

Assignable inserts If one of the assignable sends

and returns has been assigned to this channel (two send/return pairs in the case of a linked pair), the insert can be turned on or off.

The status of the insert (pre- or post) is shown by the small “cutout” on the left of the on-screen button.

Pre-fader Post-fader

On Off On Off

EQ and buss assignments These buss assign-

ments, together with the status of the EQ (on or off) are shown at the right of the screen.

In addition, the EQ response curve is shown at the top of the screen. If the EQ is disabled, this is “grayed out”, and is solid if the EQ is enabled.

NOTE

It is not possible to change the buss assignments or the EQ switching from here. Use the dedicated keys (to the left of the display screen) for this. Full details are in “Channel-to-buss assignments by channel” on page 41.

Fader section The current fader position (which

will almost always correspond to the physical fader position, except when automation motor control is turned off) as well as the mute status, is provided onscreen, as is the mute status of the module.

The exact numerical value of the level is also displayed here. This allows the fader to be “normalized” easily, as when the fader is at the zero position, the on-screen fader knob is reversed.

Input/return assignments The current assign-

ments for this module, depending on whether it is being used as an input or return module, are shown. They cannot be changed from this screen. Use the fourth module ( page 57) or the dedicated I/O setup to change these settings (“Setting up the I/O” on page 36).

SETUP) screen (“Setup screen” on

Meter The on-screen meter gives a reading taken

from the defined metering point, which is switchable here between the input, pre-fader and post-fader.

Digital trim control

The digital trim control (POD 1 of the bottom row) allows the adjustment of the module level between

–50dB and +10dB in 61 0.5 dB steps.

Pan control

The pan control is on the bottom row of the PODs (that is, move the cursor to the bottom row and use the PODs).

The pan control is controlled by POD 4. Hard left is represented by position is represented by ble pan positions available.

L, and hard right by R. The center

C, and there are 201 possi-

Mute and fader groups Any assignments to

mute and fader groups are shown to the right of the screen.

These cannot be changed here (see “Grouping” on page 69 for full details).

See also “Global digital trim” on page 59.

To center the pan position easily, move the cursor to the

CENTER on-screen button, and press ENTER.

If the channel is odd-numbered and is not part of a stereo linked pair, it can be ganged to the module to the right (even-numbered channels can be linked to odd-numbered channels to the left). If this trol is enabled (move the cursor to it and press

GANG con-

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 51

7 – Module operations—Common area indicators and controls

ENTER), the CENTER button described above will be

disabled (grayed out).

Balance controls for stereo linked pair

See “Linked modules” on page 60 for details of linked modules.

The balance controls in for linked modules are all on the bottom row of the

MODULE screen. Move the cur-

sor to the bottom row and use the PODs to change these parameters.

In the case of a stereo linked pair of modules, the is replaced by a but a

CENTER button is available, which centers the

BAL control. Ganging is not possible,

PAN

stereo signal.

POD 2 is used to select the source. Either the left (odd-numbered) channel— numbered) channel—

STEREO can be selected. This allows the previewing

L MONO or right (even-

R MONO or both together—

of either channel individually, without having to unlink the channels

Global pan

As well as individual pan settings, it is also possible to view and make the pan settings on a global basis.

1 With the

PAN/BAL SURROUND key.

2 Continue to press the

key until the following screen appears (or use soft key 2):

SHIFT indicator unlit, press the

PAN/BAL SURROUND

POD 3 is used as an image width (

IMAGE) control.

This controls the width of the stereo spread of the two channels. The center position is labeled as

MONO

and provides a pinpoint mixture of the two

L+R

channels. Turning the control fully counterclockwise provides a full stereo (

STEREO) image. Turning the

control clockwise from the center reverses the left and right channels in the stereo image. Turning the control fully clockwise shows

NOTE

In the Options screen (“Balance Level CENTER: 0dB” on page 21), the way in which the balance control level is modified at the center position can be changed between 0dB and a 3dB cut. Make this setting to reflect your preferred way of working.

REVERSE on the screen.

Ganging Note that ganged channels are displayed

as ganged, but this setting cannot be changed at this position.

Move to the lower right of the screen and use POD 1 to select a pair of channels to be ganged (linked channels cannot be selected here).

Use

ENTER to make the gang setting (or break it if it

has already been made).

Use the cursor keys (and channel

SEL keys) to navi-

gate around the screen and set the pan or balance positions.

52 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Setup It is possible to apply the same pan/balance

setting to groups of channels.

Move the cursor to the lower left of the screen, and use POD 1 to set the master pan/balance setting.

The scope of the setting is determined using POD 2: choose between nels),

ODD (odd-numbered channels), 1-8, 9-16, 17-24

25-32.

ENTER to apply the POD 1 setting and press

Press

ENTER again to confirm this when the popup

appears (cancel with the cursor keys).

ALL, EVEN (even-numbered chan-

Dynamics screen

7 – Module operations—Dynamics screen

In this screen, the dynamics processor functions of the modules can be controlled. There are three different types of dynamics processor that can be assigned: noise gates, expanders and compressors.

NOTE

Gate and expander settings may not be made for input modules 17 through 32, as shown here.

Particular settings for these processors are stored in the DM-24 libraries and are recalled as necessary.

See “Library functions” on page 99 for full details of how settings are stored.

To recall one of these settings stored in the library:

1 Move the cursor to either of the

on the display (either or

COMP (compressor)).

2 Press the

ENTER key.

GATE (gate/expander)

LIB -> buttons

3 This jumps to the library where the appro-

priate dynamics processor (either compressor or gate/expander) is stored.

4 Use POD 4 or the dial to scroll through the

list of stored settings.

5 Use the fourth soft key (

RECALL) to recall the

highlighted setting.

Only gates or expanders can be recalled to

GATE section, and compressors to the

the

COMP section. The type of dynamics proces-

sor cannot be changed.

NOTE

The same procedure can be used to store the current settings to a library entry, using the rather than the

These procedures are explained in more detail in “Library functions” on page 99.

RECALL

key.

STORE

soft key

Noise gate (GATE)

The purpose of a noise gate is to keep the input closed while the signal is below a threshold level, and open it when the signal rises above that level. In this

Compressor

The compressors prevent loud transients from putting too much signal through the system.

Expander

The expander expands the dynamic range of the input signal.

way, the bad effects of hum, hiss, background noise etc. can be reduced effectively in quiet passages.

Full details of the parameters are given in “Gate” on page 66.

Full details of the parameters are given in “Compressors” on page 67.

Full details of the parameters are given in “Expander” on page 66.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 53

7 – Module operations—EQ

The principles of the EQ interface using the encoders are also explained in the section on “User interface” on page 12.

Briefly, when the module is selected, and the EQ screen is visible, the rotary encoders and PODs can be used to set up to four parameters of the selected EQ bands (gain, frequency, Q and type).

The EQ band to be edited in this way is selected using the ing the encoders show the current status of the parameters, as explained in “Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)” on page 15.

See “Cursor follows EQ Band Key” on page 22 for details of setting up the DM-24 so that the on-screen cursor automatically follows the band selected using the EQUALIZER keys.

Alternatively, if the encoder function key pressed so that the indicator is lit), the gain of the four EQ bands of the selected modules can be changed using the encoders. Again, the relative gain is shown using the LEDs surrounding the encoders.

The PODs may also be used to make EQ settings, in conjunction with the cursor keys.

EQUALIZER keys G. The LEDs surround-

K is

EQ GAIN setting is selected (the

The EQ parameters are as following:

On/off (all bands) Each band can be turned on

or off individually using the on-screen button beside the gain control (

If a band is turned off in this way, the gain of the band is automatically set to zero.

If the band is turned off, turning the gain encoder or gain POD for the band will automatically turn the band on again.

ENTER key).

Gain (all bands) The maximum cut and boost

(gain) on all bands is ±18 dB.

Gain control is not possible when an EQ band type is set to notch filter, or high- or low-pass filter. In this instance, all LEDs of the appropriate encoder are turned off.

Frequency range (all bands) The frequency

range for all bands is between 31 Hz and 19 kHz. The adjustment is made in semitone steps, giving a total of 112 different frequency positions across the range.

Q (all bands) When a band is set as a peak-type

band, there are 24 Q settings available

2.87, 2.14, 1.71, 1.41, 1.20, 1.04, 0.92, 0.82, 0.74,

0.67, 0.61, 0.56, 0.51, 0.47, 0.44, 0.40, 0.38, 0.35,

0.33, 0.30, 0.28, 0.27.

When a band is set to non-notch filter or shelf mode, the Q cannot be set (the on-screen Q control is grayed-out) and all LEDs of the appropriate encoder are turned off.

: 8.65, 4.32,

EQ band type The EQ band type is always set

using the fourth POD. The setting for the band is displayed on screen using the following symbols:

Peak

Shelf (low)

Shelf (high)

HPF LPF Notch

When a row is highlighted on screen, the PODs control the parameters in that row (in the screen above, the

HI band is highlighted).

In addition, the cursor keys and data dial can also be used to make changes.

The response graph at the top of the screen changes as changes are made to the parameters. If the EQ is turned off for the module, this graph is grayed out (and of course, any changes made to the EQ cannot be heard!).

54 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

PEAK L.SHELF H.SHELF HPF LPF NOTCH

High band The high band can be set as either a

shelving (high shelf), peaking, or LPF type.

High-mid band The high-mid band can be set as

either a peaking or a notch filter.

1. Q is defined as the width affected by a filter. The higher the Q value, the narrower the band affected by the filter.

7 – Module operations—Aux sends

Low-mid band The low-mid band can be set as

either a peaking or a notch filter.

EQ library

Commonly-used EQ settings can be stored into and recalled from the library. Full details of the library operation are given in “Library functions” on page 99, but briefly, moving the cursor to the onscreen ing

1 Move the cursor to highlight the

EQ LIB button above the high band and press-

ENTER will jump to the EQ library.

EQ LIB shown

on the display.

2 Press the

ENTER key.

Aux sends

The aux sends are set using the screen accessed through the third soft key.

Low band The low band can be set as either a

shelving (low shelf), peaking, or HPF type.

3 This jumps to the library where the EQ set-

tings are stored.

4 Use POD 4 (or the dial) to scroll through the

list of stored settings.

5 Use the fourth soft key (

highlighted setting.

NOTE

The same procedure can be used to store the current settings to a library entry, using the rather than the

RECALL

key.

In addition, as explained in the section on the user interface (“Encoders used as aux send controls” on page 17), the rotary encoders can also be used to set the send levels for the first four aux sends, and the last two aux sends for the selected channel. They can also be used to make the pan and balance settings when two aux sends are linked.

RECALL) to recall the

STORE

soft key

The PODs can be used to adjust the gain of the aux sends (first and third rows), as well as the pre-post settings of the sends (second and fourth rows).

In addition, if two aux sends have been linked together, the odd-numbered POD on the first and third rows of the screen is used to control the pan position of the signal sent to the stereo aux send.

Aux sends (global)

In addition to the module screen, it is also possible to display a global aux screen to allow the viewing and setting of aux levels for many channels together.

Aux sends may be linked as a pair (1&2, 3&4, 5&6). See “Linked modules” on page 60 for details of how they are linked.

The level of the aux sends is settable between –∞ dB and +10dB (relative to nominal) in 127 steps.

Pan settings for stereo linked aux sends can be made from hard left ( (

R)—127 steps.

L) through center (C) to hard right

Pre-post settings are made by turning the POD counterclockwise (

PRE), and clockwise (POST).

Note that for aux sends 1 and 2, as well as pre-fader and post-fader selections, a

RETURN setting is also

available. This allows aux 1 and 2 to be used as the tape return path if channels 1 though 16 are being used as direct outputs.

1 With the SHIFT indicator off, press either

AUX 1-2, AUX 3-4 or AUX 5-6, for control of

the appropriate aux sends.

The screen that appears depends on whether the selected aux sends have been linked together or not.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 55

7 – Module operations—Aux sends

If they are not linked, a screen similar to the following appears:

Using the cursor keys to move a cursor consisting of a box highlighting four on-screen controls around the screen. Alternatively, press the

SEL key for a given

channel to jump the cursor to the appropriate position on the screen.

The four controls correspond to the four PODs. If two channels are linked (as with channels 9&10 and 11&12 on this screen), only PODs 1 and 3 are active.

Move the cursor to the bottom right of the screen, and use POD 1 to select the or the other way round (

ENTER when the source/destination selection

Press has been made, and press

CH FADER LVL->AUXx LVL

AUXx LVL->CH FADER LVL).

ENTER again to confirm

the copy (cursor keys cancel).

NOTE

See also “UTILITY copying” on page 62.

Source (pre/post and SOURCE) settings

As the tabs at the bottom of the display show, there are four screens available through the soft keys (or repeated presses of the appropriate

LEVEL screens are identical. The SOURCE screens (aux

1 and 2) and

AUXx PRE/PST (other aux sends) appear

like this:

AUX key. The two

NOTE

The rotary encoders, if selected to control aux send levels, are also valid controls for the selected channel or pair of channels.

Fader control At the top of the screen is a button

which allows the faders to be used for setting the aux levels (as described in “Using the faders to change values” on page 14).

Setup A master level can be applied to selected

channels by moving the cursor to the bottom left position setting the desired value with POD 1 and pressing

ENTER.

The scope of the setting is determined using POD 2:

ALL, EVEN (even-numbered channels), ODD

either (odd-numbered channels),

ENTER is pressed, a popup message appears

When (

Ch parameters setup?). Press ENTER again to con-

1-8, 9-16, 17-24 or 25-32.

firm, or a cursor key to cancel.

Copy It is possible to copy the fader settings to the

aux levels, or the other way round (aux levels to fader). This can be used as a starting point for mixes, setting up an initial monitor mix to mirror the stereo output, for example, which can then be adjusted as necessary.

Use the cursor to navigate around the screen and the PODs to select either fader aux sends). For aux sends 1 and 2, the

PRE or POST (pre-fader or post-

RETURN

source is also available for channels 1 through 16.

Setup A master pre-post setting can be applied to

selected channels by moving the cursor to the bottom left position setting the desired value with POD 1 and pressing

ENTER.

The scope of the setting is determined using POD 2:

ALL, EVEN (even-numbered channels), ODD

either (odd-numbered channels),

1-8, 9-16, 17-24 or 25-32.

Linked aux sends Two aux sends are linked in

the same way as for channels—with the MASTER fader layer active press and hold the aux channel and press the

SEL key of an adjacent

send. Aux sends 1&2, 3&4, and 5&6 can be linked in this way. No other linking is possible.

When they are linked in this way, naturally they share the same level (the faders are linked) and any input to the linked aux send is panned.

SEL key of one

56 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

7 – Module operations—Setup screen

NOTE

The appropriate preference must be set for the keys to be used in this way (“ST Link by SEL key” on page 21).

SEL

Instead of four screens shared between the two separate aux sends, as described above, there are now three screens for the pair, as follows:

The linked level control screen is the same as for the mono (separate aux screens). Setup and copy facilities are available in this screen for global setups.

Note the

AUX 1-2 (LINK) title at the top of the screen,

though.

The linked aux pan screen allows the positioning of the pan position (or balance in the case of linked input channels) to the pair of aux sends.

There is a master setup at the bottom left, allowing all pan and balance settings (or a selected set) to be made identical, as well as a bidirectional copy facility, allowing channel-to-aux, as well as aux-to-channel, pan setting copying, as described earlier.

The faders can also be used to make the aux level settings, as described in “Using the faders to change values” on page 14.

Setup screen

The setup screen acts almost as a channel “patchbay”, allowing the configuration and readjustment of the components that make up a module.

At the top of the screen, a block diagram of the module’s current configuration is shown. As changes are

The pre-post settings (

RETURN, and PRE/POST for 3-4, 5-6) are made in the

SOURCE for 1-2, as this includes

same way as for unlinked aux sends.

made, the block diagram is updated to reflect these changes

The above screen is the

SETUP screen for channels 1

through 16. Channels 17 through 24, and 25 through

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 57

7 – Module operations—Setup screen

32 have slightly different screens, reflecting the different configuration:

Channels 17 through 32 have no gate available.

The aux 1-2 sends are more limited in the choice of their source points (no return available)

Channels 25 through 32 have no channel digital delay available.

Aux 1 and 2 source (AUX 1-2 SOURCE)

This (POD 4) selects the source for the Aux 1 and 2 sends to be either pre-fader ( or the return associated with the module ( This selection is available in this screen because these aux sends may be used effectively as studio monitor sends, and flexibility is therefore a useful feature here.

For channels 17 through 32, only the pre and post options are available here.

NOTE

Note that even if aux sends1 and 2 are unlinked, the settings of both are modified together using this control.

PRE), post-fader (POST)

RETURN).

Compression insert (COMP INSERT) This

selects the position for the compressor insert (if assigned) to be either pre-EQ ( wise) or post-EQ (

POST EQ, clockwise).

PRE EQ, counterclock-

Compressor switch (COMP SW) This switch

(POD 2) turns the compressor (if assigned) either off (

OFF, counterclockwise) or on (ON, clockwise).

The controls available on these screens (through the PODs or through the cursor keys and data dial) are:

Channel source (CH SOURCE) This is a 2-way

switch. Turning POD 1 (top row) counterclockwise selects the input ( wise selects the return ( through 24 only). Both of the actual sources (input and return) are defined in the I/O screen, not here.

The display at the top left of the screen is updated, as is the block diagram.

INPUT) source, and turning it clock-

RETURN) source (channels 1

Gate switch (GATE SW) This (POD 2) turns the

gate (if available) on (clockwise) or off (counterclockwise). Channels 1 through 16 only.

Assignable insert position (ASSIGN

INSERT) This (POD 3) allows the positioning of

the assignable insert in the module chain. There are two positions, pre-fader ( (

POST FADER).

PRE FADER) and post-fader

Assignable insert switch (ASSIGN INS

SW) This switch (POD 4) allows the switching of

the assignable insert loop (at the position determined by the previous switch) as either on ( or off ( disabled if no assignable loop has been assigned to the channel.

OFF, counterclockwise). These controls are

ON, clockwise)

Phase switch (Φ) This (POD 1) reverses the

phase of the input when turned clockwise ( otherwise, the phase of the signal is normal (

NORMAL).

For stereo linked channels, PODs 1 and 2 are used for controlling the phase of the left (odd) and right (even) channels respectively.

REVERSE),

Digital delay time (DELAY) The channel can

be delayed by up to 16,383 samples (the maximum in high sampling frequency is 32,767 samples). This is equivalent to 341.2 milliseconds at 48k or 96k sampling frequencies, or 371.5 milliseconds at 44.1k or

88.2k sampling frequencies.

58 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

7 – Module operations—Digital trim and delay (global)

Channel delay is only possible on modules 1 through

24. See also “Global digital delay” on page 59.

Digital trim and delay (global)

Two dedicated screens allow the viewing and setting of the digital trim and delay parameters.

Global digital trim

1 With the SHIFT indicator lit, press the DIGI.

TRIM/DELAY

appears:

key until the following screen

Digital delay units (UNIT) Choose either sam-

ples (

SAMPLE) or milliseconds (ms) as the unit in

which channel digital delay is measured.

See also “Global digital delay” on page 59.

Use the PODs to set the amount of digital trim from

to +10.0dB in 0.5dB steps.

50.0dB

Linked channels share the same digital trim setting.

Fader control At the top of the screen is a button

which allows the faders to be used for setting the trim levels (as described in “Using the faders to change values” on page 14).

Setup A master trim can be applied to selected

channels by moving the cursor to the bottom left position setting the desired value with POD 1 and pressing

ENTER.

Use the cursor keys and the

SEL keys to navigate the

cursor round the screen.

Global digital delay

1 With the SHIFT indicator lit, press the DIGI.

TRIM/DELAY

appears:

key until the following screen

The scope of the setting is determined using POD 2:

ALL, EVEN (even-numbered channels), ODD

either (odd-numbered channels),

When

ENTER is pressed, a popup message appears

(

Ch parameters setup?). Press ENTER again to con-

1-8, 9-16, 17-24 or 25-32.

firm, or a cursor key to cancel.

Use the cursor keys and the

SEL keys to navigate the

cursor round the screen.

Use the PODs to set the amount of digital delay up to 16,383 samples (the maximum in high sampling frequency is 32,767 samples). This is equivalent to

341.2 milliseconds at 48k or 96k sampling frequencies, or 371.5 milliseconds at 44.1k or 88.2k sampling frequencies.

This delay can be used to compensate for signal processing, etc. and can be applied either before or after the fader. It is available for channels 1 through 24 only.

NOTE

This is not a delay or echo effect as provided by the internal effectors.

Linked channels share the same digital delay setting.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 59

7 – Module operations—Linked modules

Unit Change the delay units between samples (SP)

and milliseconds ( of the screen.

ms) using POD 3 at the bottom left

Fader control At the top of the screen is a button

which allows the faders to be used for setting the delay (as described in “Using the faders to change values” on page 14).

Setup A master delay setting can be applied to

selected channels by moving the cursor to the bottom left position setting the desired value with POD 1 and pressing

ENTER.

Linked modules

Modules which may be linked in stereo pairs must be adjacent to each other, with the odd-numbered module of the pair being the lower-numbered. That is, modules 3 and 4 may be linked, but modules 4 and 5 may not.

The scope of the setting is determined using POD 2:

ALL, EVEN (even-numbered channels), ODD

either (odd-numbered channels),

ENTER is pressed, a popup message appears

When (

Ch parameters setup?). Press ENTER again to con-

1-8, 9-16 or 17-24.

firm, or a cursor key to cancel.

PRE/POST The delay can be applied pre-or post-

fader. This setting is made globally, for all 24 channels and cannot be made individually.

Move the cursor to the bottom right of the screen, and turn POD 4 to select between

PRE and POST fader

operation.

Channels Digital Trim, Gate (only Ch1-16), Com-

pressor, EQ, Aux1-6 (Pre/Post, Level), Mute, Fader Level, Assign, Delay, Solo (On/Off, Defeat setup), Input select, Aux1-2 select, Compressor insert point, Assignable send/return, Grouping.

When modules have been linked, pressing the

SEL

key of one module of the pair selects the pair.

The parameters and settings which are shared by the pair are:

Linking and unlinking modules

Modules may be linked either by means of the linking screen (see the section on groups for details) or by means of the (“ST Link by SEL key” on page 21).

1 Press and hold down the

the pair of modules to be linked.

2 Press the

pair to be linked.

To unlink modules, repeat the process (press and hold down one other

SEL key).

SEL keys if the option has been set

SEL key of one of

SEL key of the other module in the

SEL key of the pair, and press the

Master modules Compressor, Mute (except Ste-

reo), Fader Level, Assign.

NOTE

When two faders are linked, you may find that moving both faders together produces a feeling of stiffness in the controls, as each fader is constantly attempting to keep up with the other. We suggest that in the case of two linked faders, you only move one fader. Even if the movement of a fader may seem a little rough or jerky when you are moving the other fader of the pair, it is only the physical control that exhibits this symptom. The change in the actual signal level of the second channel will be as smooth as the fader movement that you are making.

60 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Stereo linking (global)

7 – Module operations—Linked modules

There is a global screen which allows the viewing and setting of stereo links:

To use this screen:

1 With the

GRP

2 Press the

SHIFT indicator lit, press the LINK/

key.

LINK/GRP key until the ST LINK

screen appears (or soft key 3).

3 Use the cursor keys or the channels’

SEL

keys to navigate round the screen (the cursor is an upward-pointing arrow – in this screen it is highlighting channel 3).

Linked channels and unlinked channels are shown in the following way:

Linked Unlinked

4 Press

ENTER to make a stereo link from

unlinked channels, or to break the link of linked channels.

Note that busses as well as aux sends can be stereo linked using this screen. When they are linked, the compressor settings, assignments, muting and fader levels are linked.

NOTE

The grouping patterns (“Grouping” on page 69) may change when channels are linked or unlinked. Recheck the grouping patterns after making or breaking these stereo links.

Screens for linked modules

The screens controlling stereo linked modules differ from unlinked modules in the following ways:

Phase Phase can be set individually for both mod-

ules of the pair

Pan Changes to balance, and an image width control

is added.

The balance control can be centered, but naturally there is no gang option.

POD 3 is used as an image width ( This controls the width of the stereo spread of the

IMAGE) control.

two channels. The center position is labeled as

MONO

and provides a pinpoint mixture of the two

L+R

channels. Turning the control fully counterclockwise provides a full stereo (

STEREO) image. Turning the

control clockwise from the center reverses the left and right channels in the stereo image. Turning the control fully clockwise shows

REVERSE on the screen.

Mono switch (MONO SW) The mono switch

is situated in the bottom row (POD 2). It allows the selection of either channel of the stereo pair ( or

R MONO), as well as the normal (STEREO) position.

L MONO

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 61

7 – Module operations—UTILITY copying

UTILITY copying

This screen allows the aux send levels and pan settings for a group of channels to be set up to mirror the settings made on the channel faders, and the other way around. This may be useful when setting up a studio monitor mix, for example, and the levels and pans of the aux sends used for the monitor mix should initially be set to the same as the channels.

The screen above allows these copies to be made from one screen.

1 With the

UTILITY key.

SHIFT indicator lit, press the

There is only one screen, as shown here.

2 Check either of the two checkboxes (

and/or

LEVEL) to select the settings to be cop-

PAN/BAL

ied.

3 In either of the two boxes, select either the

AUX -> CH or the CH -> AUX setting radio but-

ton.

Naturally, it is not possible to select both in the same box, though it is possible to select

CH -> AUX in one box and AUX -> CH in the

other.

4 Select the source and the destination parame-

ters as explained here.

For pan/balance settings, aux sends must be linked to be used as either sources or destinations. It is not possible to select individual aux sends here.

The aux sends are selectable individually or as linked pairs as sources or destinations for level copying.

Channels are divided into blocks of eight:

17-24, 25-32 and ALL. Individual channels cannot be

1-8, 9-16,

selected.

5 Move the cursor to the on-screen

and press

ENTER. A confirmation popup

COPY button

message appears.

6 Press

ENTER again to confirm the copy, or a

cursor key to cancel.

If neither of the checkboxes is checked when you press the

COPY button, an error message is displayed.

62 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

8 – Dynamics processors

The DM-24 includes dynamics processors, which may be assigned as required throughout the mixing chain.

These high-quality processors are all digital and include compressors, gates and expanders.

The processor list comprises:

• Sixteen gate or expander units available for the first 16 input channels

Turning the processors on and off

When there is more than one processor available for a module (that is, for channels 1 through 16), the module screen is used to select whether the gate or the expander is on or off.

In all module screens, the compressor can be turned on and off (channels 1 through 16 also allow the independent turning on and off of the gate/expander).

DYNAMICS (input channels 1–16)

• Thirty-two compressor units for channels 1 through 32

• Six assignable output compressors for the aux sends, the buss masters and the stereo outputs

In addition, the placement of the compressors may be controlled so that they affect the signal at different points in the processing chain.

In the

DYNAMICS screen (channels 1 through 16), the

gate or expander can be turned on and off, and the compressor can also be turned on and off independently.

The screen accessed by the DYNAMICS key shows the settings for the currently selected input channel (as shown by the

SEL indicator).

Selecting a gate or an expander

The processors are selected using the library function. If a template, preset or user library entry which corresponds to a noise gate is selected from the gate/ expander library, the gate parameters appear on screen.

If the selected channel is linked as part of a stereo pair, the settings affect both channels.

Pressing the nels) will bring up the dynamics settings for that channel.

If, on the other hand, an expander library entry is selected, the expander parameters will appear on screen.

When the a gate to an expander, or vice versa, use the soft key to bring up the library screen, and recall a library entry of the appropriate type.

SEL key of another channel (or chan-

DYNAMICS screen is shown, to change from

G/E... LIB

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 63

8 – Dynamics processors—DYNAMICS (channels 17–32)

“Master” settings

The “master” settings for channels 1 through 16, affecting the dynamics processors, and accessed (by means of on-screen “on-off switches”) by moving the cursor to the appropriate on-screen control and pressing

ENTER, are:

GATE/EXPAND This allows the gate or expander

to be turned on or off for the selected channel.

LINK L->R This allows triggering of two gates or

expanders by a common trigger signal.

NOTE

The linking of the gates or expanders cannot be turned off when two channels have been linked. The above screen display shows

L=R

when the channels are linked.

Trigger source (TRIGGER) is only valid when two

gates or expanders are linked. This option (selected using

ENTER key, the dial and ENTER key again)

allows the triggering for both processors to be initiated by

BOTH (both channels act as triggers—in other words,

the first channel to be triggered will automatically activate the second channel’s processor).

L-ch (left channel), R-ch (right channel) or

Compressor This allows the compressor to be

turned on or off for the selected channel.

Insert point (INSERT) allows the compressor to be

inserted either pre-EQ or post-EQ. Move the cursor to this field and use the setting.

ENTER key to change this

LINK L->R This allows triggering of two compres-

sors by a common trigger signal.

NOTE

The linking of the compressors cannot be turned off when two channels have been linked. The above screen display shows

L=R

when the channels are linked.

Trigger source (TRIGGER) is only valid when two

compressors are linked. This option (selected using

ENTER key, the dial and ENTER key again) allows

the triggering for both processors to be initiated by

(left channel), R-ch (right channel) or BOTH (both

channels act as triggers—in other words, the first channel to be triggered will automatically activate the second channel’s processor).

L-

Soft keys (library)

There are two soft keys at the bottom of this screen. The first jumps to the gate/expander library, and the second jumps to the compressor library. In this way, it is easy to store the current settings to a library entry for future use, or to use the library to recall a previ-

DYNAMICS (channels 17–32)

The DYNAMICS screen shown when a channel between 17 and 32 is selected differs from the screen when a channel between 1 and 16 is selected:

???

ously-stored set of settings for the current session, or in the case of channels 1 through 16, to change between gate and expander settings.

See “Library functions” on page 99 for full details.

No expander or gate is available for these master screens. Any on-screen controls associated with these processors are therefore unavailable. This includes the soft keys—only the compressor library is available from these screens.

64 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

8 – Dynamics processors—DYNAMICS (master channels)

DYNAMICS (master channels)

The screen accessed by the DYNAMICS key when a master channel (an aux send, a buss or the stereo master) is selected is slightly different from the screen displayed when a channel 1–16 is selected:

Assigning processors to master channels

The assignment of stereo compressors to up to three master channels is done using the

SECT.

sub-screen

I/O display ASSIGN

The screen above shows two linked aux sends (1 and

2), but the same principle applies to buss masters as

well as the stereo master.

Note that the following features are different from the channel 1–16 dynamics screens:

No expander or gate available for these mas-

ter screens. Any on-screen controls associated with these processors are therefore unavailable. This includes the soft keys—only the compressor library is available from these screens.

Insert point The insert point is fixed to pre-fader.

Linking The way in which the links are labeled is

different for master modules. Instead of the channels being referred to as left and right, they are referred to as 1and 2 (“left” and “right” do not have any real meaning in these cases).

Use the fourth soft key to bring up the master assignment section.

Move the cursor to the second column (

COMP INSERT MATRIX

possible master channels (confirm with

), and use the dial to assign the

MASTER

ENTER).

NOTE

The stereo master counts as two channels, as shown in the sample screen here.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 65

8 – Dynamics processors—Dynamics diagram

Dynamics diagram

The following display provides a graphical representation of the compressor settings, as shown below. As

Gates/expanders

The following parameters affect the gate and expander, if these have been assigned to the selected channel.

Gate

the signal is fed through the compressor, bargraph meters are shown on the appropriate scale:

Gain reduction

Output levels

Input levels

Compressor “knee”

Threshold (THRESH), controlled by the POD 1

knob, allows the setting of the threshold at which the gate will open. Variable from

-80dB to 0dB in 1dB

steps.

Range (RANGE), controlled by the POD 2 knob, sets

the gate range, from

60dB to 0dB in 1dB steps.

Hysteresis (HYST), controlled by the POD 3 knob,

from

0dB to 24dB in 1dB steps.

Gate attack time (ATTACK), controlled by the

POD 1 knob on the last row. Variable from

125ms in 1ms steps.

0ms to

Expander

Threshold The threshold of the expander function,

from

–48dB to 0dB, in 1dB steps.

Ratio The ratio of the original signal relative to the

expanded signal. Values are 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, 1:16, 1:32, 1:64.

Attack The attack time of the expansion effect.

From

0ms to 125ms in 1ms steps.

Gate hold time (HOLD), controlled by the POD 2

knob on the last row. Variable from 100 steps.

0ms to 990ms in

Gate decay time (DECAY), controlled by the POD

3 knob on the last row. Variable from

From 5ms to 200ms, the steps are 5ms apart; from 200ms to 300ms, the steps are 10ms apart; from 300ms to 500ms, the steps are 20ms apart; from 500ms to 1.00s, the steps are 50 ms apart; from 1.00 s to 3.00s, the steps are 0.1s apart; and from 3.00s to

5.00s the steps are 0.2s apart.

50ms to 5.0s.

Release The release time of the expansion effect.

From 5ms to 5.00 seconds.

5.00s the steps are 0.2s apart.

66 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Compressors

8 – Dynamics processors—Compressors

The 32 channel compressors and the six assignable output compressors all have the following parameters which may be set. The controls here refer to the controls on the

DYNAMICS screen:

Threshold (THRESH), controlled by the POD 1

knob, and variable from

-48dB to 0dB in 1dB steps.

Compression ratio (RATIO), controlled by the

POD 2 knob, and variable from compression).

1:1 to ∞:1 (infinite

The steps are as follows:

1.25:1, 1.33:1, 1.43:1, 1.54:1, 1.67:1, 1.82:1, 2.00:1,

2.22:1, 2.50:1, 2.86:1, 3.33:1, 4.00:1, 5.00:1, 6.67:1,

10.0:1, 20.0:1, ∞:1.

1.00:1, 1.05:1, 1.11:1, 1.18:1,

Attack time (ATTACK), controlled by the POD 3

knob, and variable from

0ms to 125ms in 1ms steps.

Release time (RELEASE), controlled by the POD 4

knob, and variable from

From 5ms to 200ms, the steps are 5ms apart; from 200ms to 300ms, the steps are 10ms apart; from 300ms to 500ms, the steps are 20ms apart; from 500ms to 1.00s, the steps are 50ms apart; from 1.00s to 3.00s, the steps are 0.1s apart; and from 3.00s to

5.00s the steps are 0.2s apart.

5ms to 5.0s in 100 steps.

Auto make-up (AUTOmk-up), controlled by POD

3 used as a switch. This is used if the compression settings have resulted in gain reduction.

Output gain (OUTGAIN), controlled by the POD 4

knob on the last row (grayed out if the auto make-up above is on). Variable from steps.

-20dB to +20dB in 1 dB

Preset library entries

The following preset entries are provided either to be used “as-is”, or to be used as templates or starting points for experimentation.

These library entries are read-only (marked with an inverse ten. However, it is possible to load the entries, edit

Compressors

Program Number

000

001

002

003

004

005

006

007

008

009

010

R on the display), and may not be overwrit-

Name Comment

Sample Snare Slap bass Wood bass Synth.Bass 1 Synth.Bass 2 Acoustic Guitar Ele.Guitar 1 Ele.Guitar 2 Ele.Guitar 3 Brass Vocal 1

For use with snare drums

For use with slap-type bass inputs

For use with upright bass (double-bass or contra-bass)

For use with synthesized bass lines

To be used with acoustic guitars (nylon or steel-strung)

For use with electric guitars

Effective with brass (horn) sections, etc.

Use with vocal lines

the parameters, and then store them to a different library entry.

As always, there are no hard and fast rules as to what “works”. Feel free to use the settings in a variety of contexts and change them as seems appropriate to you.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 67

8 – Dynamics processors—Preset library entries

Program Number

011

012

013

014

015

016

017

Name Comment

Vocal 2 Total Comp 1 Total Comp 2 Total Comp 3 Post Pro.1 Post Pro.2 Narration

Gates/Expanders

Program Number

000

001

002

003

Name Comment

Noise Gate 1 Noise Gate 2 Light Expander Slow Expander

Use with vocal lines

Overall compressor setting

Useful in post-production environments

For the spoken word

General noise gate setting

General noise agate setting

An expander setting which is not too strong

A slower expander setting

68 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

9 – Grouping

TheDM-24 provides the ability to group channels in either fader or mute groups or both.

Note the following points with regard to the use of these groups:

Up to eight groups of each type may be used.

The pattern of the mute groups can be copied to the fader groups, so that the two group sets are identical.

A channel cannot be a member of more than one group of each type. In other words, it can be a member of only one fader group (or of no fader groups) and/or only one mute group (or of no mute groups).

In a group (whether fader or mute) there is always one channel which is referred to as the “master” channel. This channel sets the status for all the other “slave” channels in the group. For a mute group, this

Mute groups

The two grouping screens (for fader grouping and mute grouping) are similar. This is the mute group screen.

means that the slave channels echo the mute status of the master channel. For a fader group, this means that moving the fader of the master channel will move the faders and alter the levels of the other channels in the group.

A “slave” channel in a group can be operated independently of the other channels in the group.

In addition to channels being members of the groups, groups can also be members of groups, allowing hierarchical “group layers” to be created. Fader groups can only be members of other fader groups, and mute groups can only be members of other mute groups.

The grouping screen includes a linking sub-screen, and this is covered in “Linked modules” on page 60.

If any channels have previously been assigned to the group, the when the group is selected, and the

SEL key of the master channel flashes

SEL keys of any

slave channels light.

As the name suggests, mute groups allow the channels to be grouped together in such a way that pressing the

MUTE key of the master channel of a mute

group affects the mute status of all the other (slave) channels in the group.

Slave mute may be turn on or off independently of the other mutes in the group.Groups are shown as horizontal rows in the matrix in the upper part of the screen. The 32 channels are shown as columns.

If a row (group) has no check marks or large “bullet” dots in it, no channels have been assigned to that group.

To assign a channel to a group, use the § and ¶cur- sor keys or dial to move the cursor to the appropriate row.

NOTE

It may not always be possible to see the flashing key indicating a group master when you select a group on screen, as the master channel may be in an inactive fader layer.

SEL

Press the unlit SEL key of any channel to assign the channel to the group.

If the channel is the first one to be assigned to the group, the symbol changes to a large bullet point, showing that it is the master channel of the group and the

SEL indicator flashes.

If the channel is assigned to a group and it is not the first channel in the group, it is shown with a check mark to show that it is a slave channel, and the

SEL

indicator lights.

If a channel has already been assigned to a group as a slave and that group is currently selected, pressing

SEL key unassigns it from the group.

the

If a channel has already been assigned to a group as a master and another group is currently selected, pressing the nel brings up a warning message (

grouping?

SEL key to turn the channel into a slave chan-

Re-assign mute

), and pressing ENTER reassigns the group. Any of the cursor keys may be used as “no” or “escape” keys here.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 69

9 – Grouping—Fader groups

If a channel has already been assigned to a group as a master, pressing the A popup message appears (

SEL key clears the whole group.

Clear this mute grouping?),

Turning groups on and off

When a group is highlighted on screen (the cursor box surrounds it), either use the fourth soft key or the

Copying mute settings to the faders

At the right of the display, about halfway down the screen, there is an on-screen

When this button is off, it is labeled

LINK button.

MUTE>FADER.

Moving the cursor to this button and pressing

ENTER brings up a popup asking whether a link

should be made:

Grouping link(Mute -> Fader) (ENTER

for yes, cursor keys for no).

Fader groups

and pressing

ENTER clears the group. Any of the

cursor keys may be used as “no” or “escape” keys here.

ENTER key to turn the group functionality on or off.

This does not clear the group settings.

This transfers the mute groupings to the fader groupings (that is, the fader group settings become identical to the mute group settings). This is a “live link”— when changes are made to the mute groups, they are echoed in the fader groups and the other way round.

The button is now labeled

MUTE=FADER and is shown

in inverse, showing that the link is active.

Pressing the

LINK button in either the mute or the

fader group screens deactivates the link.

As the name suggests, fader groups allow the channels to be grouped together in such a way that moving the master fader of a group affects the fader level of all the other (slave) faders in the group.

Slave faders may be moved independently of the other faders in the group.

Groups are shown as horizontal rows in the matrix in the upper part of the screen. The 32 channels are shown as columns.

If a row (group) has no check marks or large “bullet” dots in it, no channels have been assigned to that group.

To assign a channel to a group, use the § and ¶cur- sor keys (or the dial) to move the cursor to the appropriate row.

If any channels have previously been assigned to the group. the when the group is selected, and the

SEL key of the master channel flashes

SEL keys of any

slave channels light.

NOTE

It may not always be possible to see the flashing key indicating a group master when you select a group on screen, as the master channel may be in an inactive fader layer.

SEL

Press the unlit SEL key of any channel to assign the channel to the group.

If the channel is the first one to be assigned to the group, the symbol changes to a large bullet point, showing that it is the master channel of the group and the

SEL indicator flashes.

If the channel is assigned to a group and it is not the first channel in the group, it is shown with a check mark to show that it is a slave channel, and the

SEL

indicator lights.

If a channel has already been assigned to a group as a slave and that group is currently selected, pressing

SEL key unassigns it from the group.

the

70 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

If a channel has already been assigned to a group as a master and another group is currently selected, press-

9 – Grouping—Grouping layers

ing the SEL key to turn the channel into a slave channel brings up a warning message (

grouping?

), and pressing ENTER reassigns the group.

Re-assign fader

Any of the cursor keys may be used as “no” or “escape” keys here.

Fader groups to mute groups

At the right of the display, about halfway down the screen, there is an on-screen

When this button is off, it is labeled

LINK button.

FADER>MUTE.

Moving the cursor to this button and pressing

ENTER brings up a popup asking whether a link

should be made:

Grouping link(Fader -> Mute) (ENTER

for yes, cursor keys for no).

Turning groups on and off

When a fader group is highlighted on screen (the cursor box surrounds it), either use the fourth soft key or

If a channel has already been assigned to a group as a master, pressing the A popup message appears ( and pressing

ENTER clears the group. Any of the

SEL key clears the whole group.

Clear this fader grouping?),

cursor keys may be used as “no” or “escape” keys here.

This transfers the fader groupings to the mute groupings (that is, the mute group settings become identical to the fader group settings). This is a “live link”— when changes are made to the fader groups, they are echoed in the fader groups and the other way round.

The button is now labeled

FADER=MUTE and is shown

in inverse, showing that the link is active.

Pressing the

LINK button in either the fader or the

mute group screens deactivates the link.

the ENTER key to turn the group functionality on or off. This does not clear the group settings.

Grouping layers

It is often useful to make groups of groups in order to simplify mixing. This applies to both fader groups and to mute groups.

For example, when using mute groups, you might find it useful to group the vocal microphones of a session into one mute group, the drum microphones into another, and other percussion microphones into yet another.

In order to cut out any microphone spillage, these three microphone groups could be layered into a “supergroup” which controls all the microphone inputs.

It is also possible to layer the layers,

The right part of this detail showing a three-level layering setup is a tree diagram, showing that group 6 is the “supermaster” group. In other words, pressing the master

SEL key of this group controls the status of

groups 7 and 8 (for mute groups) or moving the master fader of the group.

These “submaster” groups in turn control groups 1 and 2 (controlled by group 8) and 4 and 5 (controlled by group 7).

To use these grouping layers:

1 Use the § and ¶ cursor keys or dial to navi-

gate the cursor to the master groups shown as horizontal rows in the matrix at the lower part of the screen.

Empty groups (with no master or slave) are shown with an

2 Use the

SEL keys of modules 1 through 8 as

x by the group number)

group selectors to assign slave groups.

NOTE

Note that here the they refer to the groups that have been set up in the top part of the screen. They can be used in this way in the two channel layers (

MASTER

layer.

SEL

keys do not refer to channels—

1-16

and

17-32

) but not in the

Pressing the SEL key corresponding to any group except the highlighted master group adds (check mark) or removes (dot) the group to or from the layer controlled by the master group. The master group has

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 71

9 – Grouping—Grouping layers

a bullet mark added by its number when a subgroup is added (groups 6, 7 and 8 in the example screen).

The tree diagram is updated.

Pressing the group brings up a popup message asking if the current group should be cleared ( keys for no).

Attempting to make a “circular group layer”, for example making group 5 into a submaster of group 2, and then attempting to make group 2 a submaster of

SEL key corresponding to the master

ENTER for yes, cursor

group 5, brings up an appropriate error message (

Cannot assign fader grouping layer).

Moving the cursor to the grouping layers to be cleared together. A popup message appears ( the case of fader grouping layers)). Pressing clears all group layers, but does not clear the groups themselves). Any of the cursor keys may be used as “no” or “escape” keys here.

Clear all mute grouping layers? (or fader in

CLEAR button allows all

ENTER

72 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

The DM-24 contains a sophisticated monitoring system which allows different mixes to be set up in the control room and the studio, as well as an integral talkback microphone, lineup oscillator, etc.

Control room monitoring

The control room (CR) monitoring section, which also includes two stereo headphone jacks, is located to the right of the stereo meters.

Control room outputs

10 – Monitoring

As might be expected, the control-room output signals are always output from the balanced 1/4” analog

CR (BAL) connectors (+4dBu) 6.

However, if the digital outputs are not being used for any other purpose, the

I/O OUTPUT screen may be

used to assign the control room outputs to either the

DIGITAL 1 or DIGITAL 2 sets of outputs.

From the I/O screen, use the third soft key to bring up the output selection screen.

Move the cursor to either of the selection boxes opposite the

Turn the dial until

ENTER.

DIGITAL OUT1 or DIGITAL OUT2 selector.

C.ROOM is shown, and press

The control room signal will now be output from the selected digital outputs.

NOTE

The signal is sent from both the XLR-type jack and the RCA jack simultaneously. The output format (AES/EBU or SPDIF) is set using the screen.

DIGITAL

display

FORMAT

sub-

The level of the signal sent from the analog outputs is adjusted by the

CR control.

The level of the signal sent from the headphone jacks (both headphone jacks together) is adjusted using the

PHONES control.

Control room signal selection

There are four signal selection keys for the control room signal.

These are:

, SEL 3 (2 TR IN).

The first of these, when this option is selected, the control room outputs as selected above will always output the stereo buss signal.

The other three keys are “soft”, and may be patched internally to output signals other than those given as the defaults (in parentheses on the panel).

The default settings may be useful when used in the following way, however:

STEREO, SEL 1 (AUX 1-2), SEL 2 (D IN

STEREO, is hard-wired. That is,

When recording, aux sends 1 and 2 may be used as the studio cue mix, leaving aux sends 3 through 6 for effect use, etc. By using the default

AUX 1-2 setting, it is therefore possible for

SEL 1 key set to the

the control room monitor to echo the signal sent to the studio.

When mixing, the mastering devices (connected to the stereo buss) may be digital or analog. The

SEL 2

key is by default set to the first digital input (whether this is the XLR-type connector or the RCA jack is determined in the channel

IN screens of the I/O setup)

and can therefore be used for monitoring the replay from the digital 2-track mastering device.

SEL 3 key is by default assigned to the analog 2-

The track inputs

9. These are typically used to monitor

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 73

10 – Monitoring—Studio monitoring

the playback from an analog mastering recorder connected to the DM-24.

The setting of these keys may be changed using the

MONITOR screen.

With the

FADER

SHIFT indicator lit, press the METER/

[MONITOR] key to bring up this screen:

Use the cursor keys to move the cursor to the three selection key icons (

Turn the dial to select from the available options:

, AUX 2, AUX 3, AUX 4, AUX 5, AUX 6, AUX1-2, AUX3-4,

AUX5-6, buss 1, BUSS 2, BUSS 3, BUSS 4, BUSS 5, BUSS 6

, BUSS 7, BUSS 8, BUSS 1-2, BUSS 3-4, BUSS 5-6,

BUSS 7-8, DIGITAL IN 1, DIGITAL IN 2, 2-TR (ANALOG).

Press

ENTER to confirm the choice.

NOTE

It is possible to assign the same option to more than one of the monitor selection keys.

SEL 1, SEL 2 and SEL 3).

AUX

The Follow LINK Setting also affects what is output from the control room outputs. If a mono source which has been stereo linked (that is, an individual aux or buss) is selected, and the checkbox here is checked, the source will be stereo linked to its “partner” in the monitoring.

In this case, the odd-numbered aux or buss will be output from the left channel, and the even-numbered aux or buss from the right channel.

2-track input

Because of the analog nature of the 2TR IN inputs, the following should be noted when monitoring from this source:

• Dimming when monitoring this signal is fixed at a level of –30dB relative to normal and cannot be changed.

• If the control room output is set to one of the

DIGITAL OUTPUTS (1 or 2) as explained earlier

Studio monitoring

The studio monitoring can be selected to follow the control room monitoring selection or to be independent of the control room monitoring using the same screen as the control room setup (above).

To make the studio outputs follow the control room sources:

On the main monitoring page (soft key 2) move the cursor to the press

ENTER. When this is selected, whatever is

selected for the control room output will also be output from the studio monitoring outputs.

From CONTROL ROOM “radio button” and

(“Control room outputs” on page 73), it is not possible to monitor the 2-track source

• In addition, even though the studio output is an analog output, if the control room monitoring system is set up to use a digital output, it is not possible to monitor the 2-track inputs through the studio system when echoing the control room outputs to the studio (see below, “Studio monitoring” on page 74).

To set a different source for the studio, move the cursor to the output select “radio button” and press

ENTER to select the monitoring source displayed to

the right of the radio button.

After this, move the cursor to the right and use the dial to select from the list:

Buss 5-6, Buss 7-8, Aux 1-2, Aux 3-4, Aux 5-6, Digital In 1, Digital In 2, 2TR(Analog). Press ENTER to confirm the

Stereo, Buss 1-2, Buss 3-4,

selection.

A pair of aux sends makes a good choice for the studio source, as these can be individually adjusted prefader, and a completely separate studio mix can be built up in this way.

74 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Studio monitoring volume

10 – Monitoring—Soloing

The volume of the studio monitoring outputs is set on the same screen as the output selection, using POD 4.

Soloing

The solo facilities have been described briefly in the module section (“SOLO” on page 22), but are repeated here for convenience.

Note that soloing is provided only for the 32 input channels. It is not possible to solo aux sends or busses (use the control room selection “Control room signal selection” on page 73 for this).

The DM-24 provides two modes of soloing, as explained here. Soloing occurs when both the key (above the stereo fader) and the least one channel are active. What happens when this

MUTE key of at

MODE SELECT

SOLO

The level is adjustable from –∞dB (silence), to +10dB.

happens is dependent on the settings made in the

SOLO screen (from the OPTION display).

Either Mix Solo or Exclusive Solo can be selected here. The

Mix Solo mode allows a number of channels (that

is, all whose mode) to have their outputs added together to the

MUTE keys are flashing or lit in solo

SOLO LINK

This option allows the fader and mute groups (see “Grouping” on page 69) to be used with the solo function.

If one of the group options (

GROUP

) is enabled, selecting a group master channel solos or unsolos the whole of the group. This is regardless of the described above.

Mix Solo/Exclusive Solo setting

MUTE GROUP or FADER

SOLO TYPE

There are three options that may be selected here: PFL (pre-fader listen), ten). Again, these are explained in more detail in the solo section, but briefly:

AFL (after- or post-fader lis-

PFL provides a way of listening to the signal before

it is sent through the panpot and fader. The stereo

solo mix. The channel (the one whose to be soloed at one time.

If a group slave channel is selected, the solo status of only that slave channel is affected. The effect on other previously-soloed channels (whether or not they are part of the group) depends on the

Exclusive Solo setting described above.

See also “Turning soloing on and off” on page 76.

outputs are unaffected (soloing is only done through the monitor outputs—

Exclusive Solo mode only allows one

MUTE key was pressed last)

Mix Solo/

CR and STUDIO).

AFL outputs the post-fader (pre-pan) signal from the

selected channels through the monitoring system.

INPLACE SOLO monitors the soloed signal(s) via

the stereo outputs while all the other signals are cut from the stereo outputs.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 75

10 – Monitoring—Dimming and talkback

Depending on the solo type selected, the SOLO key (above the

STEREO fader) and the MUTE key of any

soloed channel(s) will flash or light:

Inplace solo defeat

The solo defeat option prevents channels selected in this way from being muted when other channels are soloed. It can be used with a pair of effect returns, for instance, so that these effect returns will always be added in the inplace mix, together with those other channels selected for inplace soloing.

SOLO level

The level of the PFL and AFL signals is determined by the

SOLO control above the monitor selection

keys. The indicator by this control lights or flashes

Turning soloing on and off

The SOLO key with integral red indicator above the

STEREO fader is used to turn the solo mode (as

selected in the option screen) on and off.

PFL fast flashing AFL slow flashing Inplace lit

Inplace soloing will output the soloed channel(s) from the stereo outputs, and cut all other channels.

Use the cursor keys (or the channel light a channel (“box” cursor), and the change the status of the

INPLACE SOLO DEFEAT.

SEL key) to high-

ENTER key to

(depending on the selected solo mode) when any soloing is taking place.

channels which belong to that group will be soloed. More than one group may be soloed at a time in Mix Solo mode.

When soloing is active;, this indicator lights or flashes (as does the indicator above the control). All previously-lit

MUTE keys are used to control which channels

The are soloed. Pressing the

MUTE indicators go out.

MUTE key of a channel will

un-mute it, therefore soloing it. The

SOLO level

MUTE indicator

of a soloed channel lights or flashes.

Mix Solo is selected as the solo mode (see “MODE

If SELECT” on page 75, pressing another

MUTE key

will add that channel to the solo mix. If solo linking is switched on, and the channel is a group master, all

Dimming and talkback

On the same screen as the control room selection, it is possible to change the amount by which the control room outputs are “dimmed” (attenuated) when the dim is active or the studio-routed talkback is active.

Use POD 2 to set the level to the level that the dimmed output will be, relative to the normal control room level. This can be set from steps.

When dimming the studio output, the acts as a “smart” key. That is, if pressed and released quickly, the dimming status latches on or off. Pressing and releasing the key quickly again changes the status back again.

–40dB to 0dB in 1 dB

DIMMER key

Exclusive Solo is selected as the solo mode, the

channel whose

MUTE key was pressed last will be

soloed. If solo linking is turned on, and the channel is a group master, all channels which belong to that group are soloed. If another channel’s

MUTE key is

pressed (whether or not the channel is part of the group or not), only that channel will be soloed. Only one group at a time may be soloed in Exclusive Solo mode.

The type of soloing (pre-fader, etc.) is determined by the settings described in “SOLO TYPE” on page 75.

If the key is pressed and held for more than half a scone, the switch becomes non-latching, that is, the dimming status is on as long as the key is held down.

Whenever the dimming is active, the indicator is lit.

The level of the talkback microphone (which is located below the using the

T/B control.

PHONES control) can be adjusted

The talkback signal can be routed to the studio outputs (use the

SLATE key), that is, to a selected group of aux and

STUDIO key) or to a “slate” (use the

buss outputs, as explained below.

Both the working in the same way as the

STUDIO and SLATE keys are smart keys

DIMMER key. If

76 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

pressed and released quickly, they are latching, but if pressed and held, they are non-latching. Indicators show the active status of these keys.

Slate settings

10 – Monitoring—Slate settings

The DM-24 allows you to define the “slate”—the destination of the talkback microphone.

From the (

OSC/COM) to bring up the oscillator and slate setting

MONITOR screen, press the third soft key

screens.

Use the

SLATE panel in this screen to choose which

aux sends, output busses and stereo channels will be included in the slate.

Lineup oscillator

The DM-24 includes a lineup oscillator, which can be assigned in the same way as the slate output.

Meters and faders

Use the cursor keys to move along the row, and the

ENTER key to include and uninclude the busses,

In addition to being able to choose the outputs to which the oscillator is sent, POD 1 allows the oscillator frequency to be selected (

10kHz).

100Hz, 440Hz, 1kHz or

The level of the oscillator is also variable (POD 2)

–36.0dBFS to 0.0dBFS in 0.5dB steps.

from

Use soft key 1 to turn the oscillator on (button is in inverse video) and off.

As well as the stereo meters, the DM-24 provides onscreen metering for all modules in the console.

With the

FADER

SHIFT indicator unlit, press the METER/

key.

The following screen shows the metering for the input channels:

METERING POINT for channels 1 through 32

The (

CHANNEL) can be set as INPUT (before the digital trim

and after the input selection), before any assignable send/return insert), or

PRE (pre-fader and

POST

(post-fader, and post any assignable send/return insert).

MASTER (aux sends, busses, stereo) metering

The point can also be set: compressor insertion), compressor insertion), and

INPUT (buss level, before any

PRE (pre-fader and post any

POST (post fader).

Since only 24 channels can be shown on screen at once, there is a choice of what will be metered on screen at any one time: either the 24 track returns, the

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 77

10 – Monitoring—Meters and faders

24 channels or a screen with channels 25 through 32, aux sends 1 through 6 and busses 1 through 8:

The

SEL Key Follows Fader Layer allows the setup of the

automatic linking of the selected channel to the selected meter layer.

When this option is selected, if a channel is selected, the fader layer is changed, and then the fader layer is changed back again, the originally-selected channel is automatically selected.

For example, if this option is active, and

SEL 2 key is

lit with fader layer 1-16 active, fader layer 17-32 is

then selected, then fader layer 1-16 is then re-selected,

SEL key 3 (channel 19) is selected, and

SEL key 2

will be active.

If the option is not active, any

SEL key which is lit

remains lit when the fader layer is changed. For example, if this option is not selected, and

SEL key 2

is lit with fader layer 1-16 active, and fader layer 1724 is then selected,

SEL key 2 will still be lit (that is,

channel 18).

When the

Meter Follows SEL key option is checked, the

meter layer automatically changes when an appropriate

SEL key is pressed. The modes are as follows:

Fader layer SEL keys Meter layer

CH 1–16 CH 1–16 CH 1–24

CH 17–32

MASTER Buss 1–8/Aux1–6/Stereo MASTER/CH 25–32

NOTE

If the

FADER->METER Follow

SEL Key Follows Fader Layer

follow option will not be enabled.

These settings can also be made in the

PREFERENCES

CH 17–24 CH 1–24

CH 25–32 MASTER/CH 25–32

option is checked, and the

is not checked, the meter

OPTION

sub-screen (“PREFERENCES” on page 21).

Master meters

As well as the option described immediately above, pressing soft key 3 in the vides a view of the master meters and faders as shown here:

METER/FADER display pro-

METERING POINT can be set (ENTER key, dial and

The

ENTER key) in the same ways as described earlier

(here the options are described as

POST (post-fader) and INPUT (input)). Changes made

here are reflected in the

Use the

SEL or cursor keys to move the box cursor

METER screen and vice versa.

PRE (pre-fader),

around the screen in groups of 4 modules, and the PODs to set the fader values.

78 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Channel faders

10 – Monitoring—Meters and faders

It is sometimes useful (for instance, in automation) to have a view of the fader levels while another fader layer is selected.

The

FADER screen shown here (accessed with soft key

2), as well as the

MASTER M/F screen immediately

above, provides such a view.

In addition, the pan settings and fader levels of the channels (fader level only in the case of the aux sends and busses) can be changed.

The mute settings for all modules can be viewed.

Use the cursor and PODs to change the pan settings or the fader levels on screen. Channels are selected using the cursor and

SEL keys in blocks of 4, corre-

sponding to the 4 PODs.

NOTE

If the DM-24 is in a surround mode, these pan controls affect the position of the channel in the front L-R outputs.

If the fader layer being edited is selected, the appropriate fader(s) will move as the on-screen faders are moved.

Normalled faders change appearance, as in “Fader section” on page 51.

The

SEL keys can also be used to navigate around

the groups.

Meter and fader setup

Use this screen to set meter characteristics, and to transfer a specific value to a fader or group of faders.

Fader level Use POD 1 to change the fader level

(

LEVEL) between –∞ and –36dB in 128 steps.

Use POD 2 to select the scope of the setting: groups of eight channels (

CH1–8, CH9–16, CH17–24, CH25–

), the eight busses (BUSS1–8), the six aux sends

(

AUX1–6), the stereo master (STEREO), the individual

channels ( individual aux sends (

Press appears. Press

CHx), the individual busses (BUSSx), the

AUXx) or all channels (ALL CH).

ENTER to copy the level. A popup message

ENTER again to confirm the copy, or a

cursor key to cancel the operation.

Meter ballistics (METER SETUP) The

RELEASE (fall time) of the meters can be set to either Slow, Normal or Fast using POD 3.

Use POD 4 to set the peak hold time (

Off, 1, 2, 4, 8 or ∞ (seconds). In the case of an infinite

hold (∞) the peak levels can be reset by selecting another value or changing the meter layer.

These settings refer to both the on-screen meters and to the optional meter bridge meters. Note that when the meter layer is changed using the optional meter bridge, the STEREO master meter peak hold is not cleared.

PEAK HOLD) to

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 79

11 – Machine Control/Location

The DM-24 is capable of acting as a remote control unit for a wide variety of external devices.

The exact functionality of the machine control depends, of course, on the device to be controlled.

The device control is carried out through the DTRS control port, the MIDI connections (for MMC), or the serial port (

RS-422).

Different devices can be selected for simultaneous control by the DM-24, with different devices being

Selecting devices for control

The EXT CTRL – MIDI/MC key is used to set up the control of external devices.

1 With the

CTRL [MIDI/MC]

2 Use the second soft key to bring up the

machine control screen (

SHIFT indicator lit, press the EXT

key.

MACHINE CTRL):

controlled in different ways. For instance, it is possible to select one device to have its transport functions controlled by the DM-24, while the DM-24 controls the track arming functions of another device.

NOTE

In this section, the term “controller” is used to refer to a part of the DM-24 software controlling an external device, rather than a hardware feature of the device or the DM-24.

At the bottom of the list is a key to the method used for controlling each item in the list:

Display Meaning

Internal devices REMOTE (DTRS)

MIDI Machine Control

P2 (RS-422)

The current list of devices (at the time of writing) is:

3 With the cursor pointing to either the

INFO buttons, use the dial to scroll through

<-ADD

the list of devices on the right of the screen that may be controlled by the DM-24 (

SUPPORTED DEVICES).

4 When a device to be controlled by the DM-24

is selected in the list, move the cursor to the

<-ADD button, and press ENTER. The device

will be added to the list.

To obtain more information regarding a particular item in the list of devices which may be controlled by the DM-24, highlight the item, move the cursor to the

INFO button, and press ENTER. A popup screen pro-

vides information regarding the list item.

Device Screen display

MIDI Timecode generator

Cascade mastering

DA-88 DTRS recorder

DA-38 DTRS recorder

DA-98 DTRS recorder

DA-78HR DTRS recorder

DA-98HR DTRS recorder

MMC open-loop control

MMC closed-loop control

VTR (playback only)

2-track VTR with record support

4-track VTR with record support

MMR-8 or MMP-16 TASCAM HD recorder

DAT recorder with timecode track

MTC Generate I CASCADE MSTR I DA-88 R DA-38 R DA-98 R DA-78HR R DA-98HR R MMC OPEN M MMC CLOSE M VTR PLAYonly 4 VTR 2Trk REC 4 VTR 4Trk REC 4 MMR8/MMR16 4

TC DAT 4

Control type

Other devices may be added to the list of supported devices in the future. If the list does not contain the name of a device that you wish to control, please contact your TASCAM dealer regarding the availability of a software upgrade which contains the control capability for your device.

Up to 16 devices may be added to the Machine Control List. If more devices are connected and added to the list than can be shown on screen, arrow marks appear at the top and bottom of the list.

80 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

11 – Machine Control/Location—Selecting devices for control

When an entry in the Machine Control List is highlighted (that is, the cursor is on the left of the screen),

Deleting devices from the list

If a device is added in error to the Machine Control List (or is no longer required), highlight the device,

Auto-detection of devices

In addition to the manual addition of controlled devices, there are two auto-detect buttons. One is used is used for detecting all devices attached to the DM-24 ( transport mapping (see “Machine Control mapping memories” on page 82 below).

Move the cursor to the on-screen button and press report on the detected devices, adding the controllers to the Machine Control list (see “Machine Control mapping memories” on page 82.

NOTE

Because not every device that may be controlled by the DM-24 is capable of reporting its presence accurately, some devices will not appear on the list, and must be added to the list manually.

LIST AUTO DETECT) and the other is used for

LIST AUTO DETECT

ENTER to scan the control ports and

the dial is used to scroll through the list, including those items which may not be visible on the screen.

move the cursor to the on-screen DELETE button, and press

ENTER. The last item in the list will be deleted.

This process can be repeated to clear the list.

When attempting to identify a MIDI device, the DM24 first sends out an MMC Read Signature command. It adds a generic “closed loop” device for every device ID that responds to this command.

It also sends out a MIDI Device Inquiry Message. If a remote device replies to this message, and an appropriate controller is available, this controller replaces the generic MMC closed-loop controller.

After power has been applied, it may take between one and two minutes for the remote devices to be recognized. Even if they have been added to the memorized Machine Control list previously, it may not be possible to control them immediately the system is powered up.

Selecting the control type for the devices

The Machine Control list is composed of a number of columns. These are explained below:

STATE An icon shows the state of the controlled

device. A one-way arrow represents an open-loop device (that is, commands are sent from the DM-24 to the device, but no information is transmitted back from the device to the DM-24 along the same channel—information is transmitted from the other device through a different channel, such as timecode or MIDI).

A double-ended arrow represents a closed loop, where information flows both ways between the remote device and the DM-24 along the same channel.

A cross indicates that the device is not being controlled by the DM-24.

Two dash e s ( relevant here (for instance, the internal MIDI timecode generator).

--) show that the type of control is not

DEVICE The name of the name of the device being

controlled, together with its control type. These list items cannot be changed or edited.

ID In the case of DTRS units, it refers to the unit ID,

and cannot be edited. In the case of MMC units, it refers to the MMC ID (2 hexadecimal digits) of the unit. This list item cannot be changed or edited. Use the

JOG dial to change the value and confirm with

ENTER.

CHASE This applies to DTRS units, and allows the

CHASE mode of the selected unit to be turned on or off. Any unit which can have its chase mode controlled by the DM-24 has this item represented by a square box. Units whose CHASE mode cannot be remotely controlled have this item represented by two dashes ( list item, and the check mark is shown in the box) and off (the box is empty).

--). Use the cursor keys to navigate to the

ENTER key to toggle between on (a

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 81

11 – Machine Control/Location—Selecting devices for control

TRA This two parameter allows the transport con-

trols of the DM-24 to control the transport of the selected device (

Only one device at a time can be selected for transport control, as shown by the circled device has been selected for transport control, and it is required to control another device, the first device selected for external control must be de-selected from transport control before the “new” device is selected for this purpose.

If the device is not active when an attempt is made to assign the transport control here, a popup message appears and the assignment is not made.

One feature which is not visible from the transport controls is an “eject” function. DTRS units, as well as most VTRs, can have their media ejected by pressing and holding the the

CLEAR key of the auto-punch section (not the

number keypad

Some machines may unthread the tape if the key is pressed while the transport is stopped.

NOTE

The exact way in which the transport controls work with the external device depends on the capabilities of the device. For instance, the notion of “record” is not very meaningful when applied to the internal timecode generator.

TRA).

STOP transport key, and pressing

CLR key).

STOP

If you require further information on the control features of a specific device that are not detailed here, please contact your TASCAM dealer, who should be able to supply you with further information.

REC This allows the selection of the REC keys on

the DM-24 which arm the tracks on the remote external device.

Use the dial to choose between (8 tracks),

1-16, 17-32 (16 tracks), 1-24 and 9-32 (24

tracks).

Use the

ENTER key to confirm the choice.

An appropriate pop-up error message is displayed if an attempt is made to assign two overlapping groups

REC controllers. Use the ENTER key to accept the

of new assignment, or the cursor keys to dismiss this message and return to the previous assignment.

NOTE

When the selected), the module

MASTER

indicator is lit (the master layer is

REC

The ALL SAFE key above the STEREO fader can be used to turn off the track arming for all tracks for all assigned

REC

REC keys. While ALL SAFE is active, the

keys are disabled, until ALL SAFE is turned off

again. The recording status that was active before the

ALL SAFE was turned on is restored when ALL SAFE

is turned off again.

1-8, 9-16, 17-24, 25-32

keys have no effect.

Machine Control mapping memories

So that commonly-used machine control settings can be stored and recalled easily, the DM-24 provides 10 memories of machine control mappings (numbered from 0 through 9).

Each of these may contain a device which may be controlled by the transport control facilities of the DM-24.

Each of these memories includes: the the

SCR setting and the TRA setting.

An an example of the practical use of this, take the example of three DTRS units connected to a VTR, chasing to timecode supplied by the VTR. Usually, the transport keys will control the VTR, and the keys will control the three DTRS units. The DTRS units will be locked and chasing the VTR. Sometimes, though, it will be necessary to control the DTRS units directly (through the first DTRS). Recording functions are still assigned to the DTRS units.

CHASE setting,

REC

The mappings are automatically assigned when the

TRA AUTO DETECT button is “pressed” after the units

have been added to the list.

A pop-up window appears asking if the autodetect process should take place (as it will delete all previous mappings).

ENTER to continue with the autodetection, or

Press any of the cursor keys to cancel the process.

When the scan is complete, a pop-up screen appears, showing the detected devices and their assignments to the control maps.

Any selected devices that may be controlled are detected and a new map is created for each such device.

A message is shown if there are more devices connected than can be added to the list (that is, more than

10).

If there are IDs associated with the devices, these are also shown.

82 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

11 – Machine Control/Location—General parameters

To use a machine control mapping

Of course, at least one machine control mapping must exist before this operation can be carried out.

1 Press and hold down the

numeric

CLR key.

SHIFT key and the

2 Press the numeric key corresponding to the

map you want to use (

0 through 9).

Viewing the transport mappings

To view the transport mappings (that is, the list of the devices that will be controlled in each mapping):

1 Press and hold down the

numeric

2 Press the

CLR key.

EDIT key.

SHIFT key and the

Editing a mapping

When a mapping has been made, parameters other than the transport control may be edited (for instance, the use of the

To make these changes a permanent part of the currently-loaded map:

REC keys).

The DM-24’s transport control keys will now control the device selected in that map and the other mapping features will also be enabled.

MAP field at the lower part of the screen shows

The the currently-loaded map.

A pop-up list appears on the screen. The device controlled in each map, together with its ID, is shown.

3 Press the

1 Move the cursor to the number by the

ENTER key to continue operations.

MAP

field.

2 Use the dial to select the mapping memory

into which the current mapping will be stored. Press

ENTER.

General parameters

When the SHIFT indicator is lit, press the MIDI/MC key. Use the first soft key to bring up this screen:

Program Change channels

3 Press

ENTER (the on-screen STORE button).

This allows the setting of such items as MIDI channels, the flow of MIDI data (including MIDI timecode) through the system, and various machine control parameters.

In order to allow independent remote changing of the mixer snapshots and the two internal effector settings using MIDI Program Change commands, these three libraries can be assigned to respond to Program Change commands received on different channels.

Move the cursor to the MIDI Ch box by either

SNAPSHOT, EFECT 1 or EFFECT 2 at the top left of the

screen, use the dial to select the MIDI channel (from 1 through 16), and press

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 83

ENTER.

11 – Machine Control/Location—General parameters

Each of these libraries must use a separate MIDI channel. A popup message is displayed if an attempt

Program Change values

This setting allows a given Program Change number to be associated with a particular library entry. This means that there does not have to be an exact match between, say, a particular synthesizer patch number and number of the effect setting that you always use with that patch.

These settings are made at the bottom left of the screen. The three libraries mentioned above (snapshot and the two internal effects libraries) may have these settings made. The method is identical for each library.

General MIDI parameters

The following parameters may be set (consult a general reference work on MIDI if you are unsure of the operation of some of these MIDI functions):

MIDI OUT Active Sensing This turns the

Active Sensing output from the DM-24 on and off.

OUTPUT MTC when slaved This controls

whether the DM-24 will output MTC as an echo of

is made to assign the same MIDI channel to more than one library.

1 Move the cursor to the library table to be

edited ( 1, and

2 Press

3 Use POD 3 to select the MIDI Program

change number.

4 Use POD 4 to select the library entry to be

associated with the program change.

Continue this process until the library Program Change table is set up as you want.

the input timecode when it is acting as a timecode slave.

MIXER for snapshots, EFF1 for effector

EFF2 for effector 2).

ENTER.

RESET (ffh) This controls the action to be taken

when a MIDI Reset message is received. The DM-24 can be either set to ignore all Reset requests, or when a Reset is received, to pop up a panel on the display informing the user asking if the Reset request is to be honored or ignored.

MIDI filtering

The following types of MIDI messages can be set to be accepted or ignored by the DM-24 on input and/or output: Control Change messages, Program Change messages, System Exclusive (

MIDI Time Code) and MIDI Machine Control (MMC)

( messages.

When a checkbox is checked, that particular MIDI message is accepted if the checkbox is in the

SysEx) messages, MTC

IN col-

Serial output

The DM-24 can be set to output its own timecode from the

MIDI OUT port (MTC OUT).

Edit Frames

When this is set on, location memories, etc. are edited to frame accuracy. When it is set to off, location settings are made to second accuracy.

umn, and will be transmitted by the DM-24 if the checkbox is in the

The

PASS and CUT boxes are not selectable. There are

there to remind you that a checked box means that the MIDI message is passed, and an unchecked box means that it is filtered (cut).

Alternatively, it can output incoming timecode as MIDI timecode from the MIDI THRU and the RS-422 serial port (

RS-422).

OUT column.

84 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Play Mode

11 – Machine Control/Location—Location memories

This function determines the way in which the PLAY key works in conjunction with the location facilities. There are three settings:,

Auto, Deferred and Immediate.

AUTO The PLAY indicator flashes as the unit is

locating to a location point. When the location point is reached, playback starts automatically. However, if the

PLAY key is pressed before the location point is

reached, the unit stops locating and starts playing.

DEFERRED The unit stops after location is com-

pleted. However, if the

PLAY key is pressed while the

Cueing Mode

“Cueing mode” here means that if the controlled device is in play mode, and either of the fast transport keys (forward or rewind) is pressed, the fast transport mode is not latched and the unit is in cue mode (that is, when the fast transport key is released, the unit goes back into play mode). To latch the unit in the fast transport mode, press the ing fast transport mode.

STOP key before enter-

unit is locating, the

PLAY indicator flashes, and play-

back starts when the location point is reached.

NOTE

Because an open MMC connection cannot determine when the locate point has been reached, deferred play is not possible for a machine controlled in this way.

IMMEDIATE The unit stops after location is com-

pleted. If the locating, the machine goes straight into play mode, without locating.

A VTR controlled over the RS-422 connection which is put into fast wind with the cueing mode set on fast winds with the picture visible.

If cueing mode is not selected, when a fast transport key is pressed, irrespective of the current transport mode, the unit enters the fast transport mode, even when the fast transport key is released.

PLAY key is pressed while the unit is

Locate Preroll

Move the cursor to the numeric field, which shows the pre-roll time when a location point is reached (displayed in minutes and seconds). For example, if this field shows

0:10, if a location operation is carried

out to a location memory of 00:20:32, the actual point located to is 00:20:22.

Note that this is used only in the case of Direct location (“Location to a location memory” on page 86), and not in the case of manual location operations (“Manual location” on page 87), which locates to the

Location memories

The DM-24 allows the storage and recall of up to ten location memories, allowing easy location of the controlled devices to predetermined cue points.

Selecting the location point display

As explained in “LOCATE DISPLAY MODE” on page 20, the

OPTION SETUP screen is used to determine whether

the LED time counter shows the location memories as they are entered, edited and recalled, or whether they are shown as “popup” panels on the LCD display screen.

LOCATE DISPLAY MODE setting in the

value entered, irrespective of the pre-roll time set here.

Use the dial to set the pre-roll value and confirm the setting of this value with the

NOTE

A DA-98 DTRS unit controlled by the DM-24 always locates to a point about seven seconds before the location point as entered on the DM-24, irrespective of the setting made here.

ENTER key.

When this section mentions “the display” showing location memory values, this refers to the display that has been selected in this option.

NOTE

Depending on the settings for frame display (“Edit Frames” on page 84), the frames value may or may not

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 85

11 – Machine Control/Location—Location memories

be shown on the display when location memories are being edited, etc.

Storing a location memory “on the fly”

This procedure allows you to set a location memory, regardless of whether timecode is currently being received or not. If timecode is not currently being received, the value of the location memory is the last received value as shown on the time counter on the

ABS time. If an ABS time is captured, other controllers will assume that this was a timecode value, and will locate the unit to this timecode position.

1 Press the

display.

The value on the time counter, regardless of source,

2 Press any of the numeric keys, corresponding

is stored as the location memory. This may be timecode, MTC or an ABS time from a DTRS unit. How-

3 The

ever, only a controller which is specifically for DTRS use can locate a DTRS unit correctly, if there is an offset or other difference between timecode and the

Manually entering and editing a location memory

This procedure can be used for editing existing location memories or for adding new ones.

1 Press the

EDIT key. The indicator starts to

flash.

2 Press one of the number keys to select the

location memory which will store the value. The

EDIT indicator lights steadily.

3 Enter the timecode value using the numeric

keypad. The display shows the value, “filling up” from the right digit towards the left.

Or, if the

EDIT key is pressed again after the

location memory number has been pressed, the indicator starts to flash again, allowing the checking and editing of another location memory.

4 Press the

5 Press

NOTE

All blank location memories are assumed to be timecode memories. Editing one, and attempting to locate using ABS with a DTRS controller will almost certainly result in an unwanted result. It is suggested that an ABS time is captured first and then edited.

MEMO key. The indicator starts to

flash.

to the ten location memories available.

MEMO indicator stops flashing and the

currently-displayed timecode value is stored in the location memory corresponding to the numeric key which was pressed.

ENTER key when the timecode

value for the location memory has been entered.

EDIT again once to edit another loca-

tion memory, or press

EDIT twice to exit the

location memory editing mode.

CLR key is pressed before the ENTER

If the key, a location memory entry which has been made in error is cleared. Pressing

ENTER

stores the cleared memory.

Location to a location memory

When the location memories have been entered, they are recalled in the following way:

1 Press the

DIRECT key. The indicator lights.

2 Press any one of the numeric keys, corre-

sponding to the ten location memories.

3 The controlled device locates to the memory

stored in the location memory.

86 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

It is possible to switch between the capture, edit and location procedures at any time.

What happens next depends on the

MODE

setting (see “Play Mode” on page 85).

NOTE

If a pre-roll time has been set (“Locate Preroll” on page 85), the controlled device will locate to the location memory point, minus the value set as the preroll time.

PLAY

11 – Machine Control/Location—External control

Viewing a list of location memories

To view a popup list of all the location memories which have been stored:

1 Press the

SHIFT key so that the indicator is

lit.

Manual location

It is also possible to enter a location point manually, (from a cue list, for instance) and locate straight to it.

1 Press the

MANUAL key so that the indicator

lights.

2 Use the number keys to enter a number in

hh:mm:ss (and optionally frames) format.

3 When the

ENTER key is pressed, the con-

trolled device starts to locate to the location point just entered.

Repeat play

Location memories 8 and 9 (accessed with the 8 and

9 keys) are used as the start and end points of a repeat

loop that can be played by pressing the in the transport control section.

REPEAT key

2 Press the

EDIT key (now the LIST key as

shown by the shifted legend).

The location memory source (timecode or MTC, or ABS) is shown, along with the value of each location memory.

This location point can be stored by pressing the

MEMO key so that the indicator flashes, followed by

pressing the

MANUAL key again.

To locate to this point again after storing the location point, press the

ENTER key.

MANUAL key, followed by the

Note that the pre-roll time (“Locate Preroll” on page 85) does not apply here.

If point 8 follows point 9, or if the distance between the two points is very short, the behavior of the repeat playback depends on the device being controlled.

Auto punch operations

For DTRS units, the three AUTO PUNCH keys:

RHSL, IN/OUT and CLEAR are used in the same way

as the corresponding keys on the DTRS unit.

Consult the documentation for the DTRS unit for details of how to perform punch operations.

ALL INPUT and AUTO MON

The ALL INPUT and AUTO MON keys send the appropriate commands to all devices in the list that have the

REC function enabled. When the function is

active, the key’s indicator lights.

If the controller does not support the function, the indicator does not light.

If a number of controllers have had the

REC function

selected, some of which do accept this command,

External control

These following notes apply to the external control screens, etc. for some of the specific devices that may be controlled by the DM-24.

When punch operations are taking place, the punchin and punch-out points may be viewed and edited in location memories

CLEAR key is pressed to finish punch operations, the

4 and 5 respectively. When the

original location memories (if any) are restored.

and some which do not, the indicator will not light in the majority of cases.

DTRS devices can accept this command, as can MMC devices. Some devices controlled using the P2 protocol can accept these commands, but some cannot, depending on the manufacturer’s implementation of the protocol.

The list of devices which are assigned to the DM-24 for control is set up in the following way:

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 87

11 – Machine Control/Location—DTRS devices

Press the EXT CTRL key (SHIFT indicator should not be lit) to bring up the main external control screen:

Initially, the list will be blank, but devices can be added as described here.

Note that this list is unconnected with the lists of machine and transport control devices described earlier in this section and refers to specific control capabilities of these devices, rather generic controls.

Move the cursor to the right column of the screen, and use the dial to scroll through the list of supported devices. When the desired device is highlighted, press the on-screen

<ADD button to add it to the main

list in the left part of the screen.

To obtain information on the selected device, press

INFO button for a pop-up message describing the

the connected device of the selected type.

As the device type is added to the external control list, the ID and the communication type (as described in “STATE” on page 81 and “ID” on page 81) are

also detected and displayed. The devices available are:

DEVICE Screen name

DA-98HR DTRS recorder (“DA-98HR” on page 89)

DA-78HR DTRS recorder (“DA-78HR” on page 91)

DA-98 DTRS recorder (“DA-98” on page 91)

DA-38 DTRS recorder (“DA-38” on page 92)

DA-88 DTRS recorder (“DA-88” on page 92)

Common MIDI Control Change Parameters for a single MIDI channel (“MIDI controllers” on page 93)

Faders control a MIDI Control Change parameter on 16 channels (“MIDI faders” on page 93)

DA-98HR internal submixer control (“DTRS mixer” on page 90)

DA-98HR

DA-78HR

DA-98

DA-38

DA-88

CONTROLLERS

MIDI FADERS

DA-98HRMixer

Up to eight devices may be added in this way. If an attempt is made to add more, a popup panel (

Control List Full

) appears. Press ENTER to dismiss this

External

message.

In the case of MIDI devices (controllers and faders), the ID can be set to correspond to the MIDI channel in the case of controllers (see “MIDI controllers” on page 93), and the Control Change number in the case of faders (see “MIDI faders” on page 93).

To delete a device from the active list, move the cursor to the left part of the screen so that the dial scrolls through the active list.

Turn the dial to highlight the device to be deleted, move the cursor to the on-screen press

ENTER.

DELETE button, and

Moving between screens

When an external screen is selected in this way, the bottom of the screen shows two buttons, accessed with soft keys 3 and 4.

DTRS devices

Depending on the functionality of the DTRS unit (DA-98HR, DA-78HR, DA-98, DA-88 or DA-38),

88 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

To jump to the specific control screen for the selected device, highlight the device so that the cursor is by

JUMP button, and press ENTER.

the

These keys allow jumping between the different pages of the devices selected for external control in the main

EXTERNAL CONTROL setup screen.

different options, such as track delay, dither setting, etc. are available, allowing these menu operations to

11 – Machine Control/Location—DTRS devices

be carried out easily from the DM-24. Consult the documentation of your DTRS unit for full details of how these operations affect the unit.

It is essential the unit connected directly using the

DTRS REMOTE CONTROL connection from the

DM-24 has an ID of 1 (0 in the case of DA-88s). It is suggested that the other units in the chain are numbered in order following this (but this is not essential). Remember that all chains of DTRS units should be terminated.

DA-98HR

This screen (accessed using soft keys 3 and 4) allows the remote control of the following parameters.

NOTE

When the DA-98HR is set to any sampling frequency other than the eight base-frequency track setting (including dual-frequency or quad-frequency recording modes), the number of tracks shown on screen whose parameters are shown will differ from those shown here. In addition, some features are only available in the eight track mode. Consult your DA-98HR documentation for full details of some of these features.

If the DTRS units are to be word clock slaves of the DM-24, the dedicated word clock input of the DTRS unit connected directly to the DM-24 should be connected to the word clock sync output of the DM-24, and the clock source set to WORD. Subsequent units in the chain will receive their word clock information directly through the REMOTE connections, and do not require dedicated word clock connections.

Some specific information concerning the individual models in the range is provided here.

TRACK DELAY Can be set individually, or

together. Move the cursor to the appropriate row and use the appropriate PODs to set the individual track or POD 3 to set all values together, and confirm with the on-screen

Change between samples and milliseconds as the unit of measurement, using POD 4.

SET button.

TIME MODE Select between ABS and TC timing

reference.

TC REC Arm and unarm the timecode track using

this on-screen button.

DIGITAL INPUT Use this to change between the

TDIF and AES/EBU inputs.

INPUT PATCH The input patchbay can be viewed

and set using this screen. Navigate around the matrix using the cursor keys.

OUTPUT PATCH View and set the output patch-

bay using this part of the screen.

INPUT MONITOR The individual track monitor-

ing can be set and viewed with this part of the screen.

TC Generator Start and stop the DA-98HR gener-

ator, as well as setting the start time. Individual hours, minutes, seconds and frames are set by navigating to the appropriate field.

Machine Offset Set this value here. Individual

hours, minutes, seconds and frames are set by navigating to the appropriate field.

PUNCH IN/OUT Set the preroll and postroll val-

ues.

DITHER Set the dither type to off, rectangular or

triangular.

VARI SPEED Can be set on or off, and the value

changed to ±6.0% relative to the nominal pitch.

CLOCK Choose between the different available

clock sources for the DA-98HR:

VIDEO, SLOT, WORD and the AES/EBU inputs. If the

AES/EBU inputs are selected, the pair to be used as the clock source can then be chosen.

INT (internal),

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 89

11 – Machine Control/Location—DTRS devices

DTRS mixer

In addition to the screen just described, there is an on-screen output mixer which controls the internal mixer of up to two DTRS units.

DTRS units have been added to the list of controllable devices.

See the DTRS documentation for full details of how the mixdown mode functions with each model.

If more than one DTRS unit has been displayed in this way, the screen is split into two, with two “top rows”, etc.

The

INPUT SELECT section at the top of each half-

screen allows the assignment of sources to channels. Use the cursor keys, dial, and

ENTER key to change

these assignments. For DA-78HR units, these can be selected as Track ( for DA-98HR units, they can be Track ( or Slot (

S).

The on-screen

T), Digital (A) or Analog (A) and

T), Digital (D)

MIX DOWN button controls the mix-

down mode of the DTRS unit.

In the first row of each half-screen, POD 1 allows the setting of a master PAN value, with a confirm the setting for a scope set by POD 2 (

ODD, EVEN, 1-8 and 9-16).

SET button to

ALL,

This is selected as a separate item in the list of devices to be controlled by the DM-24 (

Mix

). If this item is not added to the list of controlla-

DA-98HR

ble devices, it will not be possible to make these mixer settings described here, even if the appropriate

Also in the first row, POD 3 is used to control the overall output master level for the first eight channels (the first unit), and POD 4 does the same for the second eight channels (the second unit).

The PODs in the remaining rows of the half-screen are used to control the pan positions of the outputs.

The master layer faders and

MUTE keys are used to

control the DTRS mixer when this screen is active (modules 1 through 8 control the first unit, and 9 through 16 control the second unit). While this is screen active, and the master layer is selected, the

MASTER indicator flashes, as do the MUTE keys of

the modules.

90 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

11 – Machine Control/Location—DTRS devices

DA-78HR

This is very similar to the DA-98HR settings displayed above, except that the eight tracks are always available (since the DA-78HR always has eight tracks available). The main other difference is the inability of the DA-78HR to provide individual input monitoring selection on a per-track basis, and so this feature is not present in the control screen.

The digital input selection is between the TDIF1 inputs and the SPDIF input (2 channels only)

In addition, the clock sources which do not exist on the DA-78HR (video, AES/EBU and slot) are not available on this screen.

The internal mixers of up to two units can be controlled using another screen, in the same way as for the DA-98HR. In this case, the must be added to the list of controllable devices. If this item is not added to the list of controllable devices, it will not be possible to make these mixer settings described here, even if the DA-78HR has been added to the list of controllable devices.

DTRS Mixer device

DA-98

The DA-98 includes many of the features of the two units above, but with the following differences:

Digital input can only be switched on and off.

Track copying can be enabled or disabled, and the track copy routing can be set using the screen. Use the cursor to navigate to the input ( row, and use the dial to make the assignments between tape and inputs.

The input monitor can be switched on a track-bytrack basis.

The three clock sources available are internal, word and video.

IN) or the tape (TP)

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 91

11 – Machine Control/Location—DTRS devices

DA-38

The DA-38 does not include quite so many options as the DA-98.

DA-88

This provides the following facilities as shown on the screen here:

Input monitoring is not possible, but track copying is available in the same way as for the DA-98.

Since the DA-38 does not include a timecode generator, the range of options available in the tion is more limited, being restricted only to setting the machine offset value.

The clock sources are restricted to internal and word.

Similar to the DA-38, digital input can be switched on and off (that is, between analog and digital inputs).

The track delay time can be set individually, as well as a global setting. Use the PODs here to make the adjustment.

TC/SYNC sec-

If an SY-88 card is fitted in the DA-88, the timecode settings can be made in the same way as for the DA98 timecode.

Punch preroll time only can be set (postroll cannot be set).

Clock source options are restricted to internal, video and word.

92 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

MIDI controllers

11 – Machine Control/Location—MIDI controllers

The PODs of the DM-24 can be used to send MIDI Control Change messages as described here.

The most common controllers are listed here, and the cursor keys and PODs are used to set the values of these controllers on the selected channel.

The selected channel is shown at the top of the screen, and is the same as the ID selected on the setup page.

Control Functions available in this screen are:

No. Control Function No. Control Function

01 Modulation 64 Sustain 02 Breath 67 Soft 04 Foot 16 Gpc1 11 Expression 17 Gpc2

18 Gpc3 07 Ch.vol 19 Gpc4 08 Balance 5 Porto Time 10 Pan 84 Porto Ctrl 12 Eff Ctrl 99 Non Reg 13 Eff Ctrl 101 Reg

MIDI faders

In the MIDI faders screen, the master layer of the DM-24 faders is used to control MIDI Control Change values, on the same controller, for all sixteen MIDI channels:

The MIDI Control Change number can be selected and set in this screen. As the example here shows, this may be used most often with MIDI volume (Control Change 7) in order to provide an easy way of independently controlling the volume of up to 16 MIDI devices connected to the DM-24.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 93

11 – Machine Control/Location—MIDI faders

The MIDI faders may be used to control the following settings:

No. Control Function No. Control Function

00 Bank Select 50 GP Controller 3 (LSB) 01 Modulation 51 GP Controller 4 (LSB) 02 Breath Control 52 - 63 Undefined 03 Undefined 64 Damper Pedal (sustain) 04 Foot Controller 65 Portamento On / Off 05 Portamento Time 66 Sostenuto 06 Data entry MSB 67 Soft Pedal 07 Channel Volume 68 Legato Footswitch 08 Balance 69 Hold 2 09 Undefined 70 Sound Variation 10 Pan 71 Harmonic Intensity 11 Expression 72 Release Time 12 Effect Control 1 73 Attack Time 13 Effect Control 2 74 Brightness 14 - 15 Undefined 75 Sound Controller 6 16 GP Controller 1 76 Sound Controller 7 17 GP Controller 2 77 Sound Controller 8 18 GP Controller 3 78 Sound Controller 9 19 GP Controller 4 79 Sound Controller 10 20 - 31 Undefined 80 GP Controller 5 32 Bank Select (LSB) 81 GP Controller 6 33 Modulation (LSB) 82 GP Controller 7 34 Breath Control (LSB) 83 GP Controller 8 35 Undefined 84 Portamento Control 36 Foot Controller (LSB) 85 - 90 Undefined 37 Portamento Time (LSB) 91 Effect 1 Depth 38 Data entry MSB (LSB) 92 Effect 2 Tremolo 39 Channel Volume (LSB) 93 Effect 3 Chorus 40 Balance (LSB) 94 Effect 4 Detune 41 Undefined 95 Effect 5 Phaser 42 Pan (LSB) 96 Data increment 43 Expression (LSB) 97 Data decrement 44 Effect Control 1 98 Non-Registered LSB 45 Effect Control 2 99 Non-Registered MSB 46 - 47 Undefined 100 Registered LSB 48 GP Controller 1 (LSB) 101 Registered MSB 49 GP Controller 2 (LSB) 102 - 119 Undefined

94 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

12 – MIDI

The DM-24 can be used for control of MIDI devices, as well as being controlled by them.

In the section on machine control, it is explained how the DM-24 can be used to control MIDI devices, using the PODs to transmit different common Control Change messages on a single channel (“MIDI controllers” on page 93) or using the faders to send the same Control Change message on up to 16 different MIDI channels (“MIDI faders” on page 93).

Bulk dumps

This provides a convenient way for you to store and recall the settings you make on the DM-24. Since most sequencer programs, etc. allow you to save such System Exclusive dumps on floppy disks or other portable media, you can easily carry the settings for a project (including all the automated mix moves) between different facilities equipped with DM-24s.

In addition, if you have two DM-24 units side-byside, it is possible to use this facility to transfer settings from one unit to another.

In each case, the connected to the MIDI IN of the remote unit, and the

MIDI IN of the DM-24 to the MIDI OUT of the

remote unit.

MIDI OUT of the DM-24 must be

In the section on Machine Control, it is also explained how the DM-24 can be set up to use or ignore certain MIDI messages, as well as other MIDI setup parameters (“General MIDI parameters” on page 84 and “MIDI filtering” on page 84).

The DM-24 can also be controlled by means of MIDI messages, etc. as well as being able to save and load library settings, etc. to and from MIDI bulk storage devices, by using System Exclusive bulk dump messages.

Enter the

MIDI/MC key with the SHIFT indicator lit.

MIDI BULK SEND/RECEIVE screen by pressing

Then use soft key 3 to bring up this screen.

It is possible to save the library memories for snapshots, dynamics processors (gates and expanders, and compressors), the EQ library entries and the two internal effector entries. These can be saved as

ALL

entries in that library, or individually).

Automation data can also be stored in this way (individual banks or

ALL).

Other options are the Program Change table (“Program Change values” on page 84) and the Control Change tables (“Control Change messages to and from the DM-24” on page 96) stored together as

CTRL/PGM Change Table.

Bulk transfer of data from the DM-24

Prepare the other MIDI device to receive System Exclusive bulk data.

Select the data to be transferred from the DM-24. When the appropriate set of data to be dumped to the MIDI device has been selected, move the cursor to the on-screen

BULK DUMP button, and press ENTER.

The Machine Control Mappings, the external control list and the location time memories (“Location memories” on page 85) can also be selected for MIDI dump storage (

MC Map/EXT CTRL LIST/Locate Time).

All system data can also be dumped in this way

System Data All).

(

Last on the list is the

ALL option, where all the above

options—the contents of all libraries as well as the other data described above ( entries of all the libraries, (

ALL), all the library

LIBRARY) or all the library

entries of all the libraries together with the automation data (

Library+Automation) can be selected for

dumping.

A popup appears, giving the progress as a percentage as the data is transferred to the remote bulk device.

The dump process can be halted by pressing any of the cursor keys.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 95

12 – MIDI—Updating the system software

At the end of the dump, the popup display shows

Done! and then disappears from the screen.

Bulk transfer of data to the DM-24

When the appropriate set of data to be dumped to the MIDI device has been selected, move the cursor to the on-screen

BULK LOAD button, and press ENTER.

A popup message appears, saying that the DM-24 is now ready to receive the selected data. At this point, a cursor key can be pressed to cancel the operation. At this point, it is a good idea to check that important data which is needed and stored on the DM-24 will not be overwritten by the incoming data.

Updating the system software

This is a special case of bulk data transfer. Periodically, TASCAM makes upgrades to the DM-24 available through your TASCAM dealer. Consult your dealer, or the TASCAM Web site, for details of these upgrades.

The software is provided in the form of a standard MIDI file which must be dumped if it was a song being played from a MIDI sequencer to the DM-24.

The bulk dump from the remote device should then be started. The receiving DM-24 shows that the start command has been received and when the data transfer is finished, this is also shown on the DM-24 screen.

NOTE

It is important that the data transfer from a remote device to the DM-24 is not interrupted while it is in progress. If only part of the data is transferred, there is a risk that the library contents, etc. will be corrupted and become unusable.

A popup message appears. The update procedure can be cancelled at this stage by pressing a cursor key.

4 Start the “playback” from the remote device.

The screen shows that a MIDI file dump is taking place and what data is currently being transferred. It provides an indication of the transfer process by blinking.

To update the system software:

1 Turn off all audio devices connected to the

DM-24. As the DM-24 resets itself after the software has been updated, this may cause unwanted “thumps”, etc. in the audio chain.

2 Connect the

MIDI IN of the DM-24 to the

OUT of the remote device.

WARNING

It is MOST IMPORTANT that you do not turn off the power or otherwise interrupt the transfer of data while a system update is taking place. If the transfer in interrupted, it is almost certain that the DM-24 will be unusable.

The DM-24 resets itself when the data has been transferred successfully. After the reset,

3 On the

PROGRAM VERSION UPDATE [READY] button and

press

BULK screen, move the cursor to the

ENTER.

the other audio devices can be turned on again.

Control Change messages to and from the DM-24

As well as being able to send Control Change messages (as described in “MIDI controllers” on page 93), the DM-24 is also able to send and accept Control Change messages to and from a MIDI device using the audio faders, pan settings and of the channels, and the faders and

MUTE keys

MUTE keys of the

master channels.

Although the Control Change messages received do not provide full remote control of the DM-24, this does allow for some useful functions.

For example, a sequencer can be used to mute and un-mute channels precisely in sync with the musical timing of a piece, rather than by timecode values.

The Control Change messages transmitted in this way can also be used to make settings on remote MIDI devices in time with fader movements, etc.

96 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

12 – MIDI—Control Change messages to and from the DM-24

To access this facility, use the CTRL. CHANGE (Control Change) screen of the MIDI/MC group, with the fourth soft key providing access to this screen:

Use POD 4 to choose the option that will be affected by the selected Control Change numbers.

Since there are 32 channels and only 16 MIDI channels, there must be some mapping performed. It is not possible, for example, to use the MIDI volume Control Change (07) to affect the fader values of all 32 channels of the DM-24.

If two channels have been linked, the even-numbered channel of the pair is represented by upward-pointing arrows, and no assignment can be made to it, since it will use the assignment of the odd-numbered member of the pair.

If a MIDI Channel/Control Change combination has already been used, a popup message appears (

Chx [Control No. y] is already assigned.

). Press ENTER

MIDI

to dismiss this popup message.

The above assignments apply to the first three options:

Ch. Fader (fader), Ch. Pan (pan) and Ch. Mute

(mute). For the other options, the situation changes a little:

As shown here, each target (channel and value) is associated with both a MIDI channel and a MIDI Control Change number. These are edited using the cursor keys, dial and

NOTE

The following Control Changes are not available for use with this function: 0, 6, 32, 38, and 96 through 127.

ENTER key.

If the

Master option is selected, the fader values and

mute settings for the buss and for the aux sends are displayed, as well as the main STEREO fader value.

Assign MIDI channels and Control Change numbers to these parameters.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 97

12 – MIDI—MIDI Implementation Chart

MIDI Implementation Chart

TEAC [Digital Mixer] DATE : 25 June, :2001 Model:DM-24 MIDI Implementation Chart Version : 1.0

Function Transmitted Recognized Remarks

Basic Channel

Mode Default

Note Number True Voice

Velocity Note On

After To uc h

Pitch Bend x x

Control Change

Prog Change True #

System Exclusive O O *1, *3

Common MTC Quarter Frame

System Real Time

Aux Messages

Default Changed

Messages Altered

Note Off

Key’s Ch’s

1-5, 7-31, 64-95 0, 6, 32-63-96-119

1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 10-13, 16-19 64, 67, 84, 99, 101

0, 3, 6, 9, 14-15, 20-63 65-66, 68-83, 85-98, 100 102-119

0-119 O O *c

Song Pos Song Sel Tune

Clock Commands

Local ON/OFF All Notes OFF Active Sense Reset

1-16 1-16

x x ************

x ************

x x

O x

O O

x x x

O (1-127) ************

O x x x

x x

x x O (*1) x

1-16 1-16

x x x

x x

O x

O O

x x x

O (1-127) ************

O x x x

x x

x x O O (*1)

Memorized

Assignable *1, *a

Assignable, *1, *b

*a.Capable of being enabled or disabled *b.Snapshot, Effect1, Effect2 *c.Bulk Dump (MFD Header, MFD Data Packet, MFD EOF) MMC, MTC Full Message, Device Enquiry *a.Fader, mute, pan effect settings with the Control Change on the MIDI screen *b.Usable with the MIDI Controllers display *c: Usable with the MIDI Faders display

MODE 1: OMNI ON, POLY MODE 2: OMNI ON, MONO O:Yes MODE 3: OMNI OFF, POLY MODE 4: OMNI OFF, MONO x: No

98 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

13 – Library functions

The DM-24 allows storage of commonly-used settings in libraries.

The settings that can be stored are:

• Snapshots

• EQ settings

• Internal effector settings (separate groups for effec-

tors 1 and 2)

• Internal dynamics processor settings (both com-

pressor and gate/expander)

• Automation data

The procedure for working with all of these libraries is very similar (except for the automation library,

Library concepts

Each library contains a number of different locations as follows:

Library Total locations

Snapshots 100 1 EQ 128 20 Effect 1 (P1) 128 128 Effect 2 (P2) 128 128 User effect library (U1) 128 0 Compressor 128 18 Gate/Expander 128 2 Automation 7 –

Read-only locations

which has various different features and is explained in the automation manual).

For all the libraries, practically all the administration can be carried out from a single screen.

The dedicated

STORE) to the immediate left of the display do not

LIBRARY keys (–, +, RECALL and

work with the automation data. As explained in “LIBRARY DIRECT KEY OPERATION” on page 20, these keys can be set up to work with any of the libraries above except for the automation data.

If we make reference to the library which is selected for use with the dedicated keys in this way, we refer to it as the active library.

On the screen, a read-only location is displayed with an inverse

R (as is snapshot 000 in the screen below):

In most of the libraries, several locations are reserved as read-only, with the settings in these locations being set up containing useful pre-set values.

The effect libraries are divided into two types: preset

P), where none of the locations can be overwritten,

( and a user library (

U), where all locations can be use

for storing user settings. See the separate effects manual for further details.

Managing library entries

Library entries can be stored, recalled and edited (including the addition of meaningful alphanumeric names).

Storing active library entries

When a library has been set as the active library, with direct key operation enabled, storing the current setting of that library is carried out in the following way from other screens:

Use these read-only settings “as-is” as presets, or use them as starting points for experimentation.

If you try to store your own settings to any of these read-only entries, an appropriate popup error message appears.

1 Use the + and – keys to the left of the display

to change the library entry number shown at the top of the screen.

2 Press the

STORE key below the + and – keys

to store the current settings to the library.

TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual 99

13 – Library functions—Managing library entries

If the currently-selected entry is read-only (the inverse

R is shown), an appropriate error

message is displayed and the data is not stored.

Storing entries in a non-active library

When a library has not been set as active, the dedicated library screen must be used.

1 With the

(key corresponding to the last library used appears.

2 To change the library, press soft key 1 so that

a pull-up menu containing the different libraries appears. Turn POD 1 to highlight the library that is to store the data, and press

ENTER.

The screen changes depending on the selected library, as a “preview” of the selected entry is shown, and the way in which this preview is displayed changes according to the library.

SHIFT indicator off, press LIBRARY

7 on the numeric keypad). The screen

If data already exists in the library entry, a popup message appears to show that data is already there and will be overwritten.

3 In the case of overwriting an existing entry,

press

ENTER to overwrite the entry, or any of

the cursor keys to cancel the operation.

3 Use POD 4 to scroll up and down through the

list of entries. Read-only entries are marked, and entries which contain data are titled.

4 When the entry where the current data is to

be stored is highlighted, press the second soft key (

STORE) or the dedicated STORE key.

If the currently-select entry is read-only (the inverse

R is shown), an appropriate error

message is displayed and the data is not stored.

If data already exists in the library entry, a popup message appears to show that data is already there and will be overwritten.

5 Overwrite existing entries using the

ENTER

key.

6 When a library entry is to be stored, it must

be named. See below for details of naming entries.

Loading entries from an active library

When a library has been made active, you can recall entries in the library from almost any screen.

1 Use the

+ and – keys to the left of the display

to change the library entry number shown at the top of the screen.

2 Press the

RECALL key below the + and – keys

to recall the library entry and overwrite the current settings.

Loading entries from a non-active library

1 With the SHIFT indicator off, press LIBRARY

(key

7 on the numeric keypad). The screen

corresponding to the last library used appears.

2 To change the library, press soft key 1 so that

a pull-up menu containing the different libraries appears. Turn POD 1 to highlight

If there is no data in the library entry, a popup message appears to show this, and no data is recalled.

NOTE

Recalling library entries, especially if you are unsure of the contents of the entry, may result in unexpected changes of volume. Be prepared for this, and turn down the monitoring system to avoid damage to your ears (and the monitoring equipment) if you feel that this may be a problem.

the library that is to store the data, and press

ENTER.

The screen changes depending on the selected library, as a “preview” of the selected entry is shown, and the way in which this preview is displayed changes according to the library.

100 TASCAM DM-24 Reference Manual

Teac DM-24 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

1 – Introduction

Features

Supplied accessories

About this manual

How this manual is arranged

Word clock issues

2 – User interface

Scope of controls

Global screens

Module screens

PODs

Fine value settings using the PODs

Other ways of changing values

Using the faders to change values

Soft keys

Soft key pull-up menus

Rotary encoders (ring LEDs)

Encoders used as EQ gain controls

Encoders used as EQ frequency controls

Encoders used as Q controls

Encoders used as pan controls

Encoders used as aux send controls

Fader layers

Machine control keys

Automation keys

Automation status

3 – System-wide options

OPTION screen

SETUP

ENCODER OPERATION MODE When using

UPPER BAR DISPLAY This parameter has two

LOCATE DISPLAY MODE This parameter deter-

LIBRARY DIRECT KEY OPERATION This

OL/STATUS LED TYPE The OL/STATUS LED

FADER SENSITIVITY This parameter allows you

METER CALIBRATION Move the cursor to the

PREFERENCES

Fader Auto MODULE Select When enabled

Select MODULE Return When checked, this

ST Link by SEL key When checked, this option

Balance Level CENTER: 0dB When two chan-

SEL Key Follows Fader Layer Status allows

Meter Follows SEL key When this option is

FLASH Info. This on-screen button allows you to

Version Info. For service, etc. it is useful to know

Automation fader OFF When this option is

Cursor follows EQ Band Key When the

SOLO

Battery Check This is a “read-only” display. It

MODE SELECT Either Mix Solo or Exclusive Solo

SOLO LINK This option allows the fader and mute

SOLO TYPE There are three options that may be

SYNC/TC

INPLACE SOLO DEFEAT This option is a defeat

DTRS Remote Timecode This is the timecode

RS-422 IN Timecode This refers to any timecode

TRA Target link This refers to the timecode from

Automation synchronization source

TC IN This refers to the analog linear timecode sig-

MIDI IN MTC This refers to any MIDI Timecode

INT. This refers to the DM-24’s own internal (MIDI

INT. START TIME If the internal generator is

FLY WHEEL (frames) If an external timecode

DIGITAL screens

CLOCK settings

High sampling frequency To select high sam-

D-IN MANUAL SETUP A manual selection may

WORD SYNC IN Since the frequency information

TDIF interfaces In the case of the TDIF-1 inter-

Fs Status This shows the current sampling fre-

ADAT In the case of an ADAT “lightpipe” interface

AES3 In the case of an AES/EBU interface card,

CASCADE MASTER If the DM-24 has been set

Word phase The phase of the word sync signal

Checking the clock sources

Out of range clock signals