Teac DM-3200 Software Guide

D008893-10B
Digital Mixing Console
TMCompanion SOFTWARE GUIDE
Contents
1 – Introduction and installation
Installation (Windows) ........................... 3
Installation (Mac OS X) ........................... 4
Uninstalling TMCompanion ................................4
Copyright, etc. ......................................... 4
2 – Using TMCompanion
Backup and restore ................................. 5
Timecode/Transport window ................ 6
Meter bridge ........................................... 6
Firmware update .................................... 7
Screen shot .............................................. 7
3 – Preferences
MIDI Time Code ....................................................8
Window settings ..................................................8
Confirmations .......................................................8
Settings .................................................................8
2 TASCAM DM TMCompanion software guide
1 – Introduction and installation
The TASCAM Mixer Companion (or “TMCompanion”) is software for Microsoft Windows XP or Apple Com­puter’s Mac OS X, allowing the following operations to be carried out on the TASCAM DM-4800 and DM­3200 digital mixing consoles (referred to in this manual as “TASCAM DM”) from the host computer, using a USB connection for 2-way operation:
• Management of projects, allowing storage and archival of projects on the host computer, and res­toration to the TASCAM DM.
• On-screen metering for channels, busses, aux sends, and the main stereo buss.
• Firmware updates to the TASCAM DM are carried out through TMCompanion.

Installation (Windows)

A computer capable of running Windows XP, with at least one USB port, is required to run the program.
It is strongly recommended that Windows XP Ser­vice Pack 2 (SP2) is installed prior to installing TMCompanion (this provides better and more stable MIDI drivers than earlier versions). This Service Pack (English version) is provided on the TMCom­panion CD-ROM.
When the CD-ROM is inserted, the autoplay process opens a window providing the option to install TMCompanion or SP2, read the release notes, install Adobe Acrobat Reader or visit the TASCAM Web site to look for updates and further release notes, etc.
• A timecode display and on-screen transport con­trols mirroring those of the TASCAM DM can be used.
• A screen shot of the TASCAM DM can be down­loaded and stored as a PNG (Portable Network Graphics) file on the host computer.
Next>
Press
to move to the next screen, which sets out the licensing terms and conditions. Read these, select
I Agree
, and press
Next>
.
Choose the folder in which the program will
reside. The default folder
C:\Program Files\TASCAM
is one in which other TASCAM applications (e.g. GigaStudio) reside, so it is a good idea to leave the default settings here.
NOTE
If SP2 is to be installed, this should be done before TMCompanion is installed.
When installing TMCompanion, a confirma-
tion panel appears, followed by a standard Windows installation program:
Figure 1: Installation start screen
Figure 2: Destination folder selection
After a few more confirmation screens, the
program will then install.
Following the installation, there will be a new
TASCAM
group in the
Start
menu, with the TASCAM Mixer Companion as a sub-item in it.
Other items (e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader) can then be installed as required.
TASCAM DM TMCompanion software guide 3
1 – Introduction and installation : Installation (Mac OS X)

Repairing and uninstalling TMCompanion

To uninstall the software, run the from the CD-ROM:
Figure 3: Uninstalling the software
SETUP.EXE
program
Alternatively, the item can be used to remove the TMCompanion soft­ware in the usual way:
Control Panel
’s
Add/Remove Programs
Note that this option also allows reinstallation of
Repair
damaged components (
).

Installation (Mac OS X)

A computer running OS X 10.3 or above is required.
Insert the CD-ROM into the drive. A CD icon
labeled “DM Series” appears. Open this disc.
Double-click the installer package to launch
the standard OS X Installer program.

Uninstalling TMCompanion

Simply drag the (or press
Command-Delete
TMCompanion
).
application to the Trash

Copyright, etc.

Windows and Windows XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Figure 4: Using the Control Panel to remove the
TMCompanion software
When the installation is complete, you will see
a program called folder.
If you download the Installer from the
TASCAM Web site, it will be in the form of a disk image (.dmg) file, which should be attached and used in the usual way.
Macintosh, Mac OS, and Mac OS X are trademarks of Apple Computer.
TMCompanion
in the
Applications
4 TASCAM DM TMCompanion software guide
2 – Using TMCompanion
Make sure the TASCAM DM is connected to the computer and turned on. Double-click the application to start it.
If you launch TMCompanion with a TASCAM DM is not connected, you can run the program in offline mode, but it will not enable you to do very much.

Backup and restore

The different functions of the software are accessed through the main window, which appears when the software is launched.
The application will also automatically quit, display­ing a warning message panel if the connection to the TASCAM DM is broken while the software is run­ning.
Projects stored on the computer are named as
xxxxx.tpi
(TASCAM Project Image). This main window can be shown by using the
Main Window
->
menu item.
Window
To back up a file to the host computer
Use the methods described above to select the desti­nation folder.
Select a project on the TASCAM DM (left view) and drag it into the right view. Confirmation can be switched on and off through the application prefer­ences (see below).
Figure 5: TMCompanion Main screen
The left view lists the projects stored in the CF card of the TASCAM DM (the currently active project has a red icon).
The right view is a file browser for the host com­puter. Use the
Browse
button to select a working folder (the arrow buttons work like Web browser but­tons to go backwards and forwards through the navi­gation history).
Selected folders can be stored as favorites by using the
Add Current Folder
accessed by clicking the The
Remove All Favorites
option from the pull-down menu
Browse
button.
option clears the list of favor-
ite folders.
Alternatively, double-click the file, or use the
Backup
button. If the current project is selected, the last version of
this project stored on the CF card will be copied to the computer.
Multiple files can be selected and moved between the TASCAM DM and the host computer.
To restore a file from the host computer
Use the right view to navigate to the folder on the host computer containing the project.
Select a right column.
Either drag and drop the file into the left column (TASCAM DM), or double-click it, or use the button to move the file.
Multiple files can be selected and moved between the TASCAM DM and the host computer.
Note that you can rename a project on the host com­puter, and this name will be used when you restore the project to the TASCAM DM.
.tpi
project file from the list of files in the
Restore
TASCAM DM TMCompanion software guide 5
2 – Using TMCompanion : Timecode/Transport window

Timecode/Transport window

Use the
Window
->
Timecode/Transport
menu item to
bring up the transport window.
NOTE
To use the timecode display, you must use the prefer­ences to set the MIDI port used by the MTC (see “MIDI Time Code” on page 8).
This window has two appearances; a fixed size and a resizeable appearance. Change between them by clicking in the timecode area.
Click on the on-screen transport buttons, which work in the same way as the physical transport keys on the TASCAM DM. Note the “return to start” button which has no physical counterpart.
As timecode is received through the appropriate MIDI port, the display updates.
Figure 6: Fixed size (top) and resizeable (bottom)
transport window

Meter bridge

This allows all channels, all busses and all aux sends, along with the stereo buss, to be metered.
Select
Meter Bridge
Figure 7: Meter Bridge window
Note that this window comes in three “fold-out” sec­tions, accessed by the triangular controls on the left
from the
Windows
menu.
of the window. Figure 7, Meter Bridge window shows all sections displayed.
The top control section of the window allows the meter settings to be made: the type can be either
Regular
(peak) or
response). Sliders allow the
Hold Time
to be set and a check box provides
peak hold time. The
Average
Clear Peaks
(more similar to VU meter
Meter Decay Rate
and
Infinite
Peak
button resets pesak
hold displays. The pickoff points for the meters can then be set. For
channels 1 through 48 (DM-4800) or 1 through 32 (DM-3200), the choices are:
Pre Insert
and
Post Fader
. Consult the block diagram in
Input, Pre Gate, Post Gate
,
the Owner’s Manual if you are unsure of where these belong.
For channels 49 through 64 (DM-4800) or 33 through 49 (DM-3200), thse choices are restricted to
Input
or
Post Fader
For the busses (and aux sends) the choices are:
Comp
(compressor),
.
Pre Fader
and
Post Fader
Pre
.
6 TASCAM DM TMCompanion software guide

Firmware update

2 – Using TMCompanion : Firmware update
From time to time, TASCAM will make updates available from the Web site or through your TASCAM distributor. To install these updates, use the
Firmware Update
dows
menu) in the TMCompanion software:
Press the on-screen
window (accessed from the
Figure 8: Firmware update
Open
button to open a file
Win-
browser, where you can select the firmware update (these always have a
.tfi
extension).
The version of the mixer firmware and the version of the new firmware are shown in the
Status
fields, respectively.
Mixer Status
and
File
More information, including whether the file actually performs a recommended upgrade or not, is available by using the
More Info
foldout (not shown in Figure 8,
Firmware update).
To update the TASCAM DM Press the on-
screen Update button. An on-screen status bar dis­plays the progress of the operation, and the screen of the TASCAM DM shows the update progress. The process takes under five minutes, including the reboot of the TASCAM DM unit.
NOTE
The TASCAM DM should not be turned off during the update process or subsequent reboot, although it has a “safety-net” built in which allows the unit to be started without a full operating system.
Use the updating the unit.
Close
button to close the window without

Screen shot

The screen shot option allows you to capture the cur­rent mixer screen as a PNG file to a directory of your choosing.
When the option is selected, a standard browser panel appears, allowing you to select the directory and name the resulting file.
As the screen data is uploaded to the host computer, a progress bar appears on screen.
TASCAM DM TMCompanion software guide 7
3 – Preferences
The Preferences panel allows the setting of various parameters:
Figure 9: Preferences screen

MIDI Time Code

Firstly, MIDI Time Code can be accepted for use with the Transport Window, and the default for this over the USB connection is Port 3 (see the MIDI sec-

Window settings

The last window size and position can be remem­bered, using
Save Window Size and Position
.

Confirmations

By default, the TMCompanion software asks for con­firmation before transferring project data between the host computer and the TASCAM DM (during transfer a progress bar appears). Turn this confirma-

Settings

The mixer’s internal clock and calendar may be set from the host computer’s internal clock using the
Mixer Clock
button.
Set
tion of the Owner’s Manual for details of the virtual ports used by the TASCAM DM).
Enable
Display splash image
MTC In
and select the MIDI port.
allows you to choose whether a “splash screen” announces the launching of the TMCompanion application or not.
tion off with the
Skip Confirmation for Backup and Restore
option. You can also turn off the notice confirming quitting
the application with the
No Confirmation on Quit
option.
TEAC CORPORATION
Phone: +81-422-52-5082 www.tascam.com 3-7-3, Nakacho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8550, Japan
TEAC AMERICA, INC.
Phone: +1-323-726-0303 www.tascam.com 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640
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