Teac DP-03 User Manual

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DP-03

Digital Portastudio

OWNER'S MANUAL

D01131020B

2 TASCAM DP-03

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

12 Use only with the car t, stand, tripod, bracket, or

table specied by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid

injury from tip-over. CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USERSERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within equilateral triangle, is intended to alert 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 ale rt the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

13 Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or

when unused for long periods of time.

14 Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

Servicing is required when the apparatus has been

damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or

plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects

have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has

been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate

normally, or has been dropped.

WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK

HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS

APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

1 Read these instructions.

2 Keep these instructions.

3 Heed all warnings.

4 Follow all instructions.

5 Do not use this apparatus near water.

6 Clean only with dry cloth.

7 Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in

accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

8 Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators,

heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliers) that produce heat.

9 Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized

or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding pro n g. The wide bla d e o r the thi r d p rong ar e provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10 Pr otec t the power cord from being walk ed on

or pinche d partic ularly at plu gs, conve nienc e receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

Do not expose this apparatus to drips or splashes.

•

Do not place any objects filled with liquids, such as

• vases, on the apparatus.

Do not install this apparatus in a confined space such

• as a book case or similar unit.

The apparatus draws nominal non-operating power

• from the AC outlet with its POWER or STANDBY/ON

switch not in the ON position.

The apparatus should be located close enough to the

• AC outlet so that you can easily grasp the power cord

plug at any time.

The mains plug is used as the disconnect device, the

• disconnect device shall remain readily operable.

Caution should be taken when using earphones or

• headphones with the product because excessive

sound pressure (volume) from earphones or headphones can cause hearing loss.

This appliance has a serial number located on the bottom panel. Please record the model number and serial number and retain them for your records.

Model number ______________________________

Serial number ______________________________

11 Only use attachments/accessories specified by the

manufacturer.

TASCAM DP-03 3

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

CAUTIONS ABOUT LASER RADIATION

This product has been designed and manufactured according to FDA regulations “title 21, CFR, chapter 1, subchapter J, based on the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968,” and is classified as a class 1 laser product. There is no hazardous invisible laser radiation during operation because invisible laser radiation emitted inside of this product is completely confined in the protective housings.

The label required in this regulation is shown at 1.

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. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures.

a) Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

b) Increase the separation between the equipment and

receiver.

c) Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit

different from that to which the receiver is connected.

d) Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV

technician for help.

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.

Cautions:

DO NOT REMOVE THE PROTECTIVE HOUSING USING A

• SCREWDRIVER.

USE OF CONTROLS OR ADJUSTMENTS OR

• PERFORMANCE OF PROCEDURES OTHER THAN THOSE

SPECIFIED HEREIN MAY RESULT IN HAZARDOUS RADIATION EXPOSURE.

IF THIS PRODUCT DEVELOPS TROUBLE, CONTACT YOUR

• NEAREST QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND DO

NOT USE THE PRODUCT IN ITS DAMAGED STATE.

Optical pickup

Type : SF-DS29I Manufacturer : SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. Laser output : Less than 49.1 mW on the objective lens Wavelength : 785 nm (Typ.) Standard : IEC60825-1: 2001

For U.S.A.

TO THE USER

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in

For European Customers

Disposal of electrical and electronic equipment

(a) All electrical and electronic equipment should be

disposed of separately from the municipal waste stream via collection facilities designated by the government or local authorities.

(b) By disposing of electrical and electronic equipment

correctly, you will help save valuable resources and prevent any potential negative effects on human health and the environment.

equipment can have serious effects on the environment and human health because of the presence of hazardous substances in the equipment.

(d) The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

symbol, which shows a wheeled bin that has been crossed out, indicates that electrical and electronic equipment must be collected and disposed of separately from household waste.

(e) Return and collection systems are available to end

users. For more detailed information about the disposal of old electrical and electronic equipment, please contact your city office, waste disposal service or the shop where you purchased the equipment.

4 TASCAM DP-03

Contents

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ............2

1 – Introduction ..............................................7

Features ..................................................................................7

Product parts ........................................................................ 7

About this manual .............................................................. 7

Intellectual property rights ............................................. 8

Precautions for placement and use ..............................8

Beware of condensation ................................................... 8

Cleaning the unit .................................................................8

About Compact Discs ........................................................9

Precaution for CD use .................................................9

About CD-R and CD-RW discs .................................9

About SD cards .................................................................... 9

Precautions for use ......................................................9

2 – Quick Start Guides ..................................10

Playback and mixing ........................................................10

Preparations .................................................................10

Listening to the demo song ...................................11

Recording and mastering ..............................................12

Creating a new song .................................................12

Connecting and setting the input sources .......13

Set the guitar as the recording source for

TRACK 1..........................................................................13

Adjusting and monitoring the input level ........13

Recording a guitar to TRACK 1 ..............................14

Playing back the recording .....................................15

Recording a guitar to TRACK 2 ..............................15

Recording a vocal to TRACK 3 ...............................16

Mixing the tracks ........................................................17

Mastering a stereo track ..........................................18

Creating an audio CD with the master track ..........20

Insert a CD .....................................................................20

Writing to a CD ...........................................................21

Eject the CD ..................................................................21

Shutting down ...................................................................22

3 – Names and Functions of Parts ...............23

Top panel .............................................................................23

Rear panel ............................................................................26

Left side panel ....................................................................27

Right side panel .................................................................27

Bottom panel ......................................................................28

Home Screen .....................................................................29

Menu structure ..................................................................29

Screen operations .............................................................30

4 – Preparations ............................................31

Preparing the power and the SD card .......................31

Installing an SD card ................................................31

Ejecting the card .......................................................31

Preparing the power .................................................31

Startup & shutdown .........................................................32

Starting up the unit ...................................................32

Shutting down ............................................................32

Formatting SD cards ........................................................32

Recorder modes ................................................................33

Connecting other equipment ......................................33

Rear panel .....................................................................33

Left side panel .............................................................34

Adjusting the contrast .....................................................34

5 – Song Management ..................................35

Partitions and songs ........................................................35

Editing names .....................................................................35

Loading a saved song ......................................................35

Creating a new song ........................................................35

Saving a song .....................................................................36

Viewing song information .............................................36

Copying songs ...................................................................36

Erasing songs ......................................................................37

Protecting songs ...............................................................37

6 – Basic Recording .......................................38

Selecting the input sources ...........................................38

Using phantom power ...................................................38

Monitoring input signals ................................................38

OL indicators and level meters ....................................39

Assigning inputs ................................................................39

Using input EQ (equalizer) .............................................39

Making the first recording ............................................40

Multitrack recording ........................................................41

Prepare tracks for recording ..................................41

Track pan and level settings ................................... 41

Input selection and assignment ...........................41

Setting input levels ....................................................41

Record additional tracks ..........................................41

Undoing an operation ....................................................41

Undoing the last operation (single undo) .........41

Cancelling an undo operation (redo) .................41

Undoing a previous operation (multi-undo) ...41

Erasing the operation history ................................42

7 – Recorder Functions .................................43

Punching in and out.........................................................43

Using the foot switch to punch in/out ...............43

Setting the foot switch .............................................43

Bouncing tracks .................................................................43

Using the bounce function .....................................44

TASCAM DP-03 5

Contents

Confirming the result................................................44

Locate and search functions .........................................44

Direct locate function ...............................................44

Location marks ..................................................................45

To set a location mark ...............................................45

To move to a location mark ....................................45

To delete a location mark ........................................45

To edit a location mark .............................................45

Return To Zero (TO ZERO) and Last Recording

Position (TO LAST REC) .............................................46

Fast forward/rewind search ....................................46

Repeat playback ................................................................46

Using IN, OUT and TO points .................................46

Using repeat playback ..............................................47

Setting the interval between repetitions ..........47

Automatically punching in and out ...........................48

Rehearsal .......................................................................48

Using auto punch in/out to record ......................48

8 – Editing Tracks ..........................................49

Overview of track editing...............................................49

Editing points ..............................................................49

Basic editing procedures ........................................49

Explanation of items .................................................49

COPY/PASTE .......................................................................50

COPY/INSERT ......................................................................50

MOVE/PASTE ......................................................................51

MOVE/INSERT ....................................................................51

OPEN (insert silence) .......................................................51

CUT (remove part) ............................................................52

SILENCE (part erase) ........................................................52

CLONE track (track duplication) ...................................52

CLEAN out (track erase) ...................................................52

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks .......53

Mixing down tracks ..........................................................53

Levels and balance ....................................................53

Stereo position (panning) ......................................53

Track EQ (equalizer) ..................................................53

Reverb ...........................................................................53

Muting tracks ..............................................................54

Creating a stereo master track .....................................54

Setting the starting and ending points .............55

Recording a stereo master track ..........................55

Exiting MIXDOWN mode ........................................55

Checking the stereo master track ...............................55

End stereo master track checking ........................56

Mastering the stereo master track .............................56

Mastering procedures ..............................................56

Using mastering EQ (equalizer) .............................57

Using mastering compression ..............................57

Using normalize ..........................................................58

Copying the stereo master track ..........................58

Exiting MASTERING mode .....................................58

10 – Miscellaneous Functions ......................59

Metronome .........................................................................59

Tun er ......................................................................................59

Chromatic tuner mode .............................................59

Oscillator mode ...........................................................60

Restoring the initial preference settings ..................60

Viewing information ........................................................61

11 – SD Card Management ...........................62

Overview of partitions ....................................................62

Formatting cards ...............................................................62

Reformatting MTR partitions ........................................62

Reformatting the FAT partition ....................................63

Viewing the capacity of the MTR partition ..............63

Initializing SD cards ..........................................................64

12 – Exchanging Data with a Computer ......65

Supported operating systems......................................65

Connecting with a computer .......................................65

Disconnecting .............................................................66

Song backup and restoration .......................................66

Backing-up songs.......................................................66

Restoring songs ..........................................................67

Track import and export .................................................67

Importing tracks .........................................................67

Exporting tracks .........................................................68

Exporting a stereo master track ..................................69

13 – Using CDs ...............................................70

CD drive uses ......................................................................70

Preparations before using CDs with this unit ..70

Types of CDs that can be used with this unit ..70

Loading and ejecting CDs ..............................................70

Inserting a CD ..............................................................71

Ejecting a CD ...............................................................71

Forcing disc ejection .................................................71

Playing back an audio CD ..............................................72

Creating an Audio CD ......................................................72

Using Disc At Once ...................................................72

Using Track At Once .................................................74

Finalizing a CD .............................................................74

Importing songs from an audio CD ............................ 74

Backing up song data to CDs ........................................75

Restoring a song from CDs ............................................76

Erasing a CD-RW ................................................................76

6 TASCAM DP-03

Media compatibility Table .............................................77

14 – Mastering compressor settings list .....78

Library of mastering compressor presets ................78

Masetring compressor parameters list ....................78

15 – Troubleshooting....................................79

16 – Messages ...............................................80

General messages .............................................................80

CD mode messages ..........................................................82

CD-related error messages ............................................83

17 – Specifications ........................................84

Ratings ..................................................................................84

Audio input/output ratings ...........................................84

Control input/output ratings ........................................84

Audio performance ..........................................................84

Computer requirements .................................................84

General .................................................................................85

Backup memory ................................................................85

Dimensional drawings ....................................................85

Block diagram.....................................................................86

18 – Commonly-used Functions ..................87

TASCAM DP-03 7

1 – Introduction

Thank you for your purchase of TASCAM’s 8-Track Digital Portastudio, the DP-03.

Before connecting and using the unit, please take time to read this manual thoroughly to ensure you understand how to properly set up and connect the unit, as well as the operation of its many useful and convenient functions. After you have finished reading this manual, please keep it in a safe place for future reference.

You can also download the Owner’s Manual from the TASCAM web site (http://www.tascam.com).

Features

This unit uses SD cards for multitrack recording of 2 tracks simultaneously with up to 8 tracks of playback. Using the built-in mixer functions, multiple tracks can be mixed down to stereo to create a stereo master track.

Stereo master tracks can be written to CD-Rs and similar media, as well as transferred to a computer that is connected by USB.

Moreover, since transferring data between the unit and a computer is possible, in addition to stereo master tracks, you can also copy the data for individual tracks and back up song files to a computer.

8-Track Digital Portastudio includes a CD-R/RW drive

• Uses SD cards as recording media, and supports SDHC

• standards for large capacity cards of up to 32GB

Multitrack recorder functions include simultaneous

• 2-track recording and 8-track playback (44.1 kHz,

16-bit)

Nine 45-mm faders include eight track faders and one

• master level fader

Each track has independent REVERB and PAN

• adjustments and track selection buttons, as well as

volume faders and track select (REC) buttons

Input on two channels through standard 6.3-mm (1/4”)

• TRS jacks, XLR connectors or built-in microphones

XLR connectors can supply phantom power

• Built-in microphones can record mono tracks separately

• or a stereo track together

High-impedance guitar input supported by the

• standard jack on INPUT A

Graphic display (128 x 64 pixel) with backlighting

• Independent two-band equalizers can be used on each

• input and playback track

Mixing down to a dedicated master track possible

• Included mastering effects can be used on mixdowns

• of master tracks

Reverb effect can be adjusted independently for each

• playback track

Automatic punch in and out functions

• Track bounce function

• Track editing functions include COPY, MOVE, OPEN,

• CUT, SILENCE, CLONE and CLEAN OUT

Undo and redo functions, including multi-undo (and

• redo) using an operation history

Locate mark function

• Tuner and metronome functions

• Audio CDs can be created from mixed down master

• tracks

Tracks on audio CDs can be played back and imported

• Songs can be backed up and restored using CD-R/RW

• discs

WAV files and backed-up songs on the FAT partition of

• the SD card can be moved and copied to a computer

connected by USB 2.0

Punch IN/OUT and other functions can be assigned to

• and controlled by foot switches (RC-3F, sold separately)

Product parts

The DP-03 package contains the following items.

Take care when opening the package not to damage the items. Keep the package materials for transportation in the future.

Please contact the store where you purchased this unit if any of these items are missing or have been damaged during transportation.

Main unit• ........................................................................................ 1

AC adaptor (TASCAM PS-1225L)• ............................................1

Power cord for AC adaptor• ...................................................... 1

SD card (in the unit)• ...................................................................1

Warranty card• ............................................................................... 1

Owner’s manual (this document)

•

.......................................... 1

About this manual

In this manual, we use the following conventions:

The names of buttons and controls are given in the

• following typeface: MENU.

Messages on the unit’s display are shown like this:

•

Characters that appear on a computer display are given

• in the following light typeface: OK

The four buttons beneath the LCD display are called

• function buttons, and are referred to as F1, F2, F3 and

F4 from left to right. The functions displayed at the bottom of the screen above the buttons are sometimes shown after the button name in parentheses (e.g. F4 (¥) button, F2 (

“SD memory card” is sometimes abbreviated as “SD

• card.”

Additional information is introduced in the styles

• below when needed:

TIP

Useful hints when using the unit.

EXEC

) button).

8 TASCAM DP-03

1 – Introduction

NOTE

Explanation of actions in special situation and supplement.

CAUTION

Instructions that should be followed to avoid injury, damage to the unit or other equipment, and loss of data.

Intellectual property rights

TASCAM is a trademark of TEAC Corporation, registered

• in the U.S. and other countries.

SDHC Logo is a trademark of SD-3C, LLC.

•

Microsoft, Windows, Windows XP, Windows Vista,

• and Windows 7 are either registered trademarks or

trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Apple, Macintosh, iMac, Mac OS and Mac OS X are

• trademarks of Apple Inc.

Pentium and Intel are trademarks of Intel Corporation

• in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Other company names, product names and logos

• in this document are the trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective owners.

Any data, including, but not limited to information, described herein are intended only as illustrations of such data and/or information and not as the specifications for such data and/or information. TEAC Corporation disclaims any warranty that any use of such data and/or information shall be free from infringement of any third party’s intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights, and further, assumes no liability of whatsoever nature in the event of any such infringement, or arising from or connected with or related to the use of such data and/or information.

This product is designed to help you record and reproduce sound works to which you own the copyright, or where you have obtained permission from the copyright holder or the rightful licensor. Unless you own the copyright, or have obtained the appropriate permission from the copyright holder or the rightful licensor, your unauthorized recording, reproduction or distribution thereof may result in severe criminal penalties under copyright laws and international copyright treaties. If you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal advisor. Under no circumstances will TEAC Corporation be responsible for the consequences of any illegal copying performed using the recorder.

Precautions for placement and use

The operating temperature should be between 5°C and

• 35°C (41°F and 95°F).

Do not install in the following types of places. Doing

• so could degrade the sound quality and/or cause

malfunctions.

Places with significant vibrations or that are

•

otherwise unstable

Near windows or other places exposed to direct

•

sunlight

Near heaters or other extremely hot places

•

Extremely cold places

•

Places with bad ventilation or high humidity

•

Very dusty locations

•

Make sure that the unit is mounted in a level position

• for correct operation.

Do not place any object on the unit for heat dissipation.

• Avoid installing this unit on top of any heat-generating

• electrical device such as a power amplifier.

Beware of condensation

If the unit is moved from a cold to a warm place, or used immediately after a cold room has been heated or otherwise exposed to a sudden temperature change, condensation could occur. Should this happen, leave the unit for one or two hours before turning the unit on.

Cleaning the unit

To clean the unit, wipe it gently with a soft dry cloth. Do not wipe with chemical cleaning cloths, benzene, paint thinner, ethyl alcohol or other chemical agents to clean the unit as they could damage the surface.

TASCAM DP-03 9

1 – Introduction

About Compact Discs

In addition to audio CDs (CD-DA), the DP-03 can play CD-R and CD-RW discs on which audio CD format files are recorded. The unit can also play 3-inch CDs.

Precaution for CD use

Use only CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs that bear the

• following logos.

CD-R

CD-RW

Always place the compact discs in the trays with their

• label facing upward.

To remove a disc from its case, press down on the

• center of the disc holder, then lift the disc out, holding

it carefully by the edges.

Do not touch the signal side (the unlabeled side).

• Fingerprints, oils and other substances can cause errors

during recording.

To clean the signal side of a disc, wipe gently with a soft

• dry cloth from the center towards the outside edge.

Dirt on discs can lower the sound quality, so clean them and always store them in a clean state.

Do not use any record spray, anti-static solutions,

• benzene, paint thinner or other chemical agents to

clean CDs as they could damage the delicate playing surface. It may cause CDs to become unplayable.

Do not apply labels or other materials to discs. Do

• not use discs that have had tape, stickers or other

materials applied to their surface. Do not use discs that have sticky residue from stickers, etc. Such discs could become stuck in the unit or cause it to malfunction.

Never use a commercially available CD stabilizer. Using

• stabilizers with this unit will damage the mechanism

and cause it to malfunction.

Do not use cracked discs.

• Only use circular compact discs. Avoid using non-

• circular promotional, etc. discs.

responsible for any consequences or guarantee the quality of reproduction. If you experience problems with such non-standard discs, you should contact the producers of the disc.

About CD-R and CD-RW discs

CD-R discs can be recorded only once, and recorded tracks cannot be erased. However, if the disc has not been finalized and sufficient space is available on the disc, additional material can be recorded. After finishing recording, finalizing a CD-R makes it playable in most ordinary CD players (some CD players might not be able to play these discs).

If a CD-RW disc becomes full, you can erase the recorded data to allow reuse. However, you cannot designate specific songs for erasure

Even after being finalized, CD-RW discs can only be played in players that specifically support their playback.

About SD cards

This unit uses SD cards for recording and playback. SD and SDHC cards that are at least 512 MB in size can be used. A list of SD cards that have been tested with this unit can be found on the TASCAM web site (www.tascam.com).

Precautions for use

SD cards are delicate media. In order to avoid damaging a card or the card slot, please take the following precautions when handling them.

Do not leave them in extremely hot or cold places.

• Do not leave them in extremely humid places.

• Do not let them get wet.

• Do not put things on top of them or twist them.

• Do not hit them.

• Do not remove or insert an SD card when the power is

• ON

Copy-protected discs and other discs which do

• not conform to the CD standard may not play back

correctly in this player. If you use such discs in this unit, TEAC Corporation and its subsidiaries cannot be

10 TASCAM DP-03

2 – Quick Start Guides

AC outlet

TASCAM PS-1225L

DC plug

Headphones

Playback and mixing

In this section, we will play back the demo song on the included SD card.

When this unit is purchased new, the SD card with the demo song on it is already installed in the unit, but we will start by explaining how to insert an SD card using the procedures below.

Preparations

1 Open the SD card slot cover on the left side panel

and insert the included SD card into the slot.

CAUTION

Be careful not to forcibly insert the card in the wrong direction. Doing so could damage the slot or the card.

4 Connect headphones to the PHONES jack on the

rear panel.

2 After inserting the SD card, close the card slot

cover.

3 Connect the included AC adaptor (TASCAM PS-

1225L) to the DC IN 12V connector on the rear panel.

CAUTION

Never use any adaptor other than the TASCAM PS1225L AC adaptor (included), because it is designed for the power requirements of this unit. Use of a different adaptor could cause malfunction, fire or electric shock.

There is a hook for holding the AC adaptor cord in place (cord holder) on the bottom panel. When using the adaptor, wrap the cord around this hook to prevent it from being disconnected during use.

5 Press the STANDBY/ON button on the rear panel to

turn the power ON.

Startup Screen

After the unit starts the Home Screen appears on the display.

Home Screen

CAUTION

Do not remove or insert an SD card when the power

• is ON. Always turn the power OFF (standby) before

removing or inserting a card.

If you remove or insert an SD card when the power

• is ON, all recorded data and settings made since the

last time the unit was shut down or a song was saved will be lost. These lost data and settings cannot be recovered.

TASCAM DP-03 11

When the power is ON, do not cut the power to the

• unit by disconnecting the power cord, for example.

Before turning the power ON, minimize the

• headphones volume and the volume on any monitoring

system connected to this unit.

TIP

If an amplifier or powered speakers are connected to the

LINE OUT jacks, you can monitor using speakers.

Listening to the demo song

The included SD card in the unit contains a demo song. We will use this demo song to practice listening to and mixing a recording.

1 Press the HOME button to open the Home Screen.

2 – Quick Start Guides

2 When the Home Screen is open, press the MENU

button to open the

screen.

4 Use the DATA wheel to select the

press the F4 (¥) button to open the screen, which shows a list of the songs on the card.

5 Use the DATA wheel to select

the F2 ( return to the

EXEC

) button to load the demo song and

SONG

screen.

LOAD

SONG LOAD

DEMO_03

item and

and press

3 Use the DATA wheel to select the

and press the F4 (¥) button to open the screen.

NOTE

When an item is selected, it appears as light characters on a dark background.

SONG

menu item

SONG

6 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

7 Press the PLAY (Á) button, and raise the TRACK

1–8 faders, MASTER fader and PHONES LEVEL knob to listen to the demo song.

12 TASCAM DP-03

2 – Quick Start Guides

The MASTER fader adjusts the overall volume of TRACKS 1–8. The standard position of the MASTER fader is “0”.

Use TRACK 1–8 faders to adjust the balance of the

tracks.

Use the PHONES LEVEL knob to adjust the final

monitoring volume.

connected monitoring equipment, started the unit and installed the SD card.

TIP

This example uses the built-in mic for recording vocals, but you could also connect an external mic to the INPUT A or INPUT B connector on the rear panel and record with it.

Creating a new song

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

screen.

8 Use the TRACK 1–8 PAN knobs to adjust the stereo

position of each track signal.

TIP

Press the • STOP (ª) and REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) buttons at the same time to return to the beginning of the song (ZERO point) (TO ZERO function) .

If you press the wrong button and open a different

• screen, press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen at any time.

Recording and mastering

In this section we will practice multitrack recording. In the following example, we will explain how to record a rhythm guitar part with an electric guitar to track 1 and a lead guitar part to track 2. Then, we will use the built-in microphone to record vocals to track 3. Finally, we will mix down the tracks to stereo.

In this section, we assume that you have already followed the instructions in the previous section, and that you have

2 Use the DATA wheel to select the

press the F4 (¥) button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select the

and press the F4 (¥) button to open the

CREATE

The song that has been created is given the name (title) “

SONG***

screen.

“ (*** is a number).

SONG

item, and

SONG

CREATE

SONG

screen.

item,

TASCAM DP-03 13

4 Change the name (title) of the song as necessary.

Guitar

(See “Editing names” on page 35.)

5 Press the F2 (

loaded song and create a new song.

6 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

EXEC

) button to save the currently

Connecting and setting the input sources

1 Connect an electric guitar to the INPUT A jack on

the rear panel.

2 – Quick Start Guides

Set the guitar as the recording source for TRACK 1

By default, the recording source for tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7 is set to INPUT A (“A”), and the recording source for tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8 is set to INPUT B (“B”). See ”Assigning inputs” on page 39.

In the “Connecting and setting the input sources” section above, we set a guitar as the input source for INPUT A and the built-in microphone (INTERNAL MIC B) as the input source for INPUT B, so the guitar can be recorded to tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7, while INTERNAL MIC B can be recorded to tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8. For this reason, there is no need to change the input assignments in this example in order to record a guitar to track 1.

2 Set the INPUT A switch to GUITAR.

TIP

When connecting an electric-acoustic guitar with a builtin preamp or an active-type electric guitar, or when using an effects pedal, for example, between the guitar and this unit, set in the INPUT A switch to MIC/LINE.

3 Set the INPUT B switch to INTERNAL MIC B to use

the built-in microphone on the right side of the front panel (MIC B) as the input source for INPUT B.

Adjusting and monitoring the input level

1 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

14 TASCAM DP- 03

TRACK 1 REC indicator

OL indicator

TRACK 1 REC indicator

2 – Quick Start Guides

2 Press the TRACK 1 REC button.

The TRACK 1 REC indicator blinks and the unit enters record standby.

3 Use the INPUT A TRIM knob to adjust the guitar

input level.

Set the TRIM knob so that the OL indicator for

INPUT A does not light even when the loudest sound to be recorded is input.

If the OL indicator continues to light even when the TRIM knob is turned down, the guitar signal itself is

too loud. In this case, lower the output level on the guitar.

NOTE

Use the • TRACK 1 PAN knob to set the stereo position when monitoring.

When the • TRACK 1 REC indicator is unlit, the input cannot be heard.

Recording a guitar to TRACK 1

1 Press and hold the RECORD (º) button and press

the PLAY (Á) button to start recording. Play the guitar.

The TRACK 1 REC indicator stop blinking and stays lit.

When you play guitar, the input level is shown by the level meters for “ ” (INPUT A) and “ ” (TRACK 1) on the display.

When you raise the TRACK 1 fader, the MASTER fader and the PHONES LEVEL knob, you can hear the sound of the guitar through the headphones, and the and

level meters move.

2 When you are done performing, press the STOP (ª)

button to stop recording.

3 Press the TRACK 1 REC button to end record

standby. Its REC indicator becomes unlit.

TASCAM DP-03 15

TRACK 2 REC indicator

2 – Quick Start Guides

Playing back the recording

1 To return to the beginning of the song (ZERO

point), press and hold the STOP (ª) button and press the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) button (TO ZERO function).

2 Press the PLAY (Á) button to play back the

recording on TRACK 1.

3 Use the TRACK 1 fader and the MASTER fader to

adjust the playback monitoring level. Use the PHONES LEVEL knob to adjust the final monitoring volume.

By default, the recording source for tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7 is set to INPUT A (A), and the recording source for tracks 2, 4, 6 and 8 is set to INPUT B (B).

2 Press the TRACK 2 REC button to set the

for

TRACK 2

3 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

to A.

SOURCE

TIP

Use the TRACK 1 PAN knob to set the stereo position when monitoring.

Recording a guitar to TRACK 2

We will listen to the rhythm guitar on TRACK 1 as we record the lead guitar on TRACK 2.

Follow these procedures to change the recording source.

1 Press the ASSIGN button to open the

ASSIGN

screen.

INPUT

4 Press the TRACK 2 REC button. The TRACK 2 REC

indicator blinks and the unit enters record standby.

When you play guitar, the input level is shown by the level meters for “ ” (INPUT A) and “ ” (TRACK 2) on the display.

On this page you can set the recording source for

each track to INPUT A or INPUT B.

16 TASCAM DP-03

2 – Quick Start Guides

5 Return to the beginning of the song and start

playback of the recorded rhythm guitar. Play the lead guitar part along with the recording.

Raise the TRACK 2 fader to hear both the playback

of TRACK 1 and input guitar signal through your headphones.

Recording a vocal to TRACK 3

1. Press the ASSIGN button to open the

ASSIGN

screen.

INPUT

6 As necessary, use the TRACK 1 and 2 faders, PAN

knobs, MASTER fader and PHONES LEVEL knob to adjust the monitoring level and balance.

2 Press the TRACK 3 REC button to set the

for

TRACK 3

3 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

to B.

SOURCE

7 Return to the beginning of the song, press and

hold the RECORD (º) button and press the PLAY (Á) button to start recording. Perform the lead guitar part.

The RECORD (º) button lights red, and the TRACK 2 REC indicator stops blinking and stays lit.

8 When you are done performing, press the STOP (ª)

button to stop recording.

9 Press the TRACK 2 REC button to end record

standby. Its REC indicator becomes unlit.

4 Press the TRACK 3 REC button.

Its REC indicator blinks and the unit enters record standby.

TASCAM DP-03 17

Headphones

TRACK 3 REC indicator

5 Use the TRIM knob for INPUT B to adjust the input

OL indicator

level suitably for the mic.

Set the TRIM knob so that the OL indicator for

INPUT B does not light even when the loudest sound to be recorded is input.

2 – Quick Start Guides

CAUTION

Always monitor through headphones when using a mic. If you monitor through speakers, feedback could occur.

6 Return to the beginning of the song, and start

playback of the recorded rhythm guitar and lead guitar parts. Sing along with the recordings.

You can hear the playback of the recorded guitar parts on tracks 1 and 2 along with the vocal on your headphones.

7 As necessary, use the TRACK 1 and 2 faders, PAN

knobs, MASTER fader and PHONES LEVEL knob to adjust the monitoring level and balance.

When you input a sound through built-in MIC B, the input level is shown by the “ ” level meter.

When you raise the TRACK 3 fader, the MASTER fader and the PHONES LEVEL knob, you can hear the sound of the mic input through the headphones

8 Return to the beginning of the song, press and

hold the RECORD (º) button and press the PLAY (Á) button to start recording. Sing your song.

The RECORD (º) button lights red, and the TRACK 3 REC indicator stops blinking and stays lit.

9 When you are done singing, press the STOP (ª)

button to stop recording.

10 Press the TRACK 3 REC button to end record

standby.

Its REC indicator becomes unlit.

Mixing the tracks

After you finish recording, the next step is to make a stereo mix.

1 Use the TRACK 1–3 faders to adjust their levels

and balance. Use the MASTER fader to adjust the overall level.

NOTE

If the OL indicator continues to light even when the TRIM knob is turned down, the mic signal itself is too loud. In this case, move the mic further away from the sound source or lower the volume of the sound source.

18 TASCAM DP-03

2 – Quick Start Guides

2 Use the TRACK 1–3 PAN knobs to adjust the stereo

positions of each track.

Watch the and meters on the display as you

make adjustments.

3 Set the IN point.

The time from the IN point to the OUT point will be used for the stereo master track.

Play back the song and press and hold the IN [SET

IN] button at the point where you want to start the stereo master track. The

SET IN !

pop-up appears.

TIP

You can also use the IN [SET IN] and OUT [SET OUT] buttons to set the IN and OUT points when playback is stopped.

5 Press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button to open

the

MIXDOWN

Mixdown mode is enabled and the Home Screen reopens.

6 Press and hold the RECORD (º) button and press

the PLAY (Á) button to start recording a stereo master track.

Recording automatically stops when the OUT point is reached.

screen.

MIXDOWN

appears in the upper left.

The time when you began to press and hold the IN

[SET IN] button is set as the IN point, which is where the mix down will start.

4 Set the OUT point.

Play back the song and press and hold the OUT [SET

OUT] button at the point where you want to end the stereo master track. The appears.

SET OUT !

pop-up

NOTE

The IN and OUT points must be at least 4 seconds

• apart. If the interval is shorter than 4 seconds, the

Too Short

cannot be started.

During recording, you can use the track faders to adjust

• the levels of the tracks and the overall level.

You can use the equalizer and reverb effect while

• recording a stereo master track. (See “Trac EQ

(equalizer)” on page 53 and “Reverb” on page 53.)

You can mute unwanted tracks so that they are not

• recorded to the stereo master track. (See “Muting

tracks” on page 54.)

pop-up appears and mixdown mode

Trk

Mastering a stereo track

Mastering is the process of adjusting a stereo master track to improve the final sound.

Confirming the stereo master track

1 In multitrack mode, press the MIXDOWN/

MASTERING button to open the screen.

The unit begins mastering mode and the Home Screen reopens.

MASTERING

appears in the upper left.

MASTERING

The time when you began to press and hold the

OUT [SET OUT] button is set as the OUT point, which is where the mix down will end.

TASCAM DP-03 19

NOTE

Mastering mode cannot be started if you have not

• created a stereo master track.

From multitrack mode, press the • MIXDOWN/ MASTERING button once to enter mixdown mode and once again to enter mastering mode.

2 In this mode, press the PLAY (Á) button to listen to

the stereo master track that you have created.

2 – Quick Start Guides

4 Press the F2 (ON) button to turn the equalizer ON.

The word to ON.

5 Press the F1 (

screen.

6 Press the PLAY (Á) button to listen to the stereo

master track with equalization.

Applying compression

Use the compressor on the stereo master track to adjust the impact of the entire song.

1 In mastering mode, press the F2 (

open the

OFF

at the top left of the screen changes

BACK

) button to return to the Home

COMP

) button to

MASTERING COMP

screen.

NOTE

Confirm that both the

• to be

OFF

. If either is ON, the sound heard will be

and

COMP

items are shown

affected by the equalizer and/or compressor. (See “Using mastering EQ (equalizer)” on page 57 and “Using mastering compression” on page 57.)

MASTERING

•

mode, the MASTER fader cannot be

used to adjust the level.

Applying equalization

In this example, we will use the equalizer on the master track to reduce high frequencies and increase low frequencies slightly.

1 In mastering mode, press the F1 (EQ) button to

open the

MASTERING EQ

screen.

2 Press the F3 (

LIB

) button to open the library list.

2 Turn the EQ HIGH knob to the left to lower the

GAIN

knob shown on the screen. Set the value to

–

2.0dB

to reduce the high frequencies.

3 Next, turn the EQ LOW knob to the right to increase

the

Lo GAIN

value to

knob shown on the screen. Set the

+6.0dB

to increase the low frequencies.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (

MASTERING COMP

EXEC

) button to return to the

screen.

POP ROCK 1

20 TASCAM DP-03

2 – Quick Start Guides

TIP

Press the F4 ( can also adjust the parameters of the compressor.

4 Press the F2 (ON) button to turn the compressor

ON. The word changes to ON.

5 Press the F1 (

screen.

6 Press the PLAY (Á) button to listen to the stereo

master track with compression.

NOTE

If the EQ item is also ON, the effect of the equalizer on the sound will also be heard.

Normalizing the stereo master track

Normalizing maximizes the volume of the stereo master track.

1 In mastering mode, press the F3 (

open the

PARM

) button to open the screen where you

OFF

at the top left of the screen

BACK

) button to return to the Home

NORM

NORMALIZE

screen.

) button to

Creating an audio CD with the master track

You can use a stereo master track that you have created to make an audio CD that can be played on an ordinary CD player, for example.

Insert a CD

1 In multitrack mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Press the F4 (

3 Press the F1 (

screen.

Rerecord the stereo master track

Record the master track with equalization and compression applied to create a new stereo master track.

1 In mastering mode, press and hold the RECORD (º)

button and press the PLAY (Á) button.

2 This will record over the master and create a

new stereo master track with equalization and compression applied.

EXEC

) button to normalize the track.

BACK

) button to return to the Home

CAUTION

The

• than multitrack mode. If in mixdown or mastering

mode, press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button repeatedly until you return to multitrack mode. If in bounce mode, press the BOUNCE button to open multitrack mode.

The disc tray will not open when the Home Screen or a

• menu screen is shown. Open the disc tray when the CD

screen or

2 Press the F2 (ø) button or the disc tray eject button

3 Hold the edge of the disc with the label side up and

screen cannot be opened in any mode other

CD PLAYER

on the right side panel to open the tray slightly. Pull the tray out until it opens completely.

put it into the tray so that its central hole is on the round protrusion in the center of the tray. Press the disc gently near the center to mount it on the tray.

screen is shown.

TASCAM DP-03 21

NOTE

The disc will click into place and be level with the tray.

4 Press the tray to close it. The tray will click when

shut.

2 – Quick Start Guides

4 Repeat step 3 as necessary.

5 When you have decided the songs to write to

the disc, press the F2 (

WRITE SONG LIST

can change the order that the stereo master tracks will be written to the CD and set the gaps between them. (For details about changing song order and length, see “Creating an Audio CD” on page 57.)

) button to open the

screen. On this screen, you

Writing to a CD

When writing to a CD the procedure differs when you are choosing multiple stereo master tracks and when you are using only one track. In this example, we will select multiple stereo masters to create a CD that can be played in ordinary CD players.

For details about writing to a CD, see “Creating an Audio CD” on page 72.

1 In mixdown mode, press the CD button to open the

screen.

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open a list of songs that have recorded stereo master tracks.

MASTER WRITE

and

6 Press the F2 (

then open a pop-up confirmation message.

7 Press the F3 (

CD.

8 After writing completes, a message appears asking

whether you want to write another CD with the same contents.

Press the F3 (

another CD with the same contents. If not, press the F4 (NO) button to complete the procedure.

) button to mount the CD and

YES

) button to begin writing to the

YES

) button if you want to write

Eject the CD

1 In multitrack mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

CAUTION

3 Use the DATA wheel to select a song that you want

to write to the CD, and press the F4 (✔) button to check the box for the selected song. Press the F4 (✔) button again to uncheck the box.

The disc tray will not open when the Home Screen or a menu screen is shown. Open the disc tray when the CD screen or

2 Press the F2(ø) button or the disc tray eject button

Hold the disc by its edges and lift it out

CAUTION

Do not lift the disc forcibly. Doing so could damage the unit or the disc.

CD PLAYER

on the right side panel to open the tray slightly. Pull the tray out until it opens completely.

screen is shown.

22 TASCAM DP-03

2 – Quick Start Guides

Shutting down

Turn the unit off when you are done using it.

1 Press the HOME button to open the Home Screen.

2 Press and hold the STANDBY/ON button on the rear

panel until

PORTASTUDIO

appears on the display.

When the unit completes its automatic shutdown procedures, which includes recording various information about the operations that have been conducted until now, the power turns OFF (standby).

Always use the procedures above to turn the power off properly.

CAUTION

If you cut the power to the unit by disconnecting the power cord, for example, all recorded data and settings made since the last time the unit was shut down or a song was saved will be lost. These lost data and settings cannot be recovered.

TASCAM DP-03 23

Top panel

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

1 TRIM knob/OL indicator (INPUT A)

Use this TRIM knob to adjust the input level of INPUT A. (See “Making the first recording” on page 40.)

If the input source signal is too loud, the OL (overload) indicator lights.

2 INPUT A switch

Set this according to the signal source input through the INPUT A — MIC A connector or LINE A/GUITAR jack on the rear panel. Set it to GU ITAR when connecting an electric guitar or electric bass directly. Set it to MIC/LINE when connecting a microphone or line level signal. Set it to INTERNAL MIC A when using built-in MIC A.

3 PHANTOM button/indicator

Press this button to open the you can turn phantom power ON and OFF.

The indicator lights when phantom power is ON.

CAUTION

Use the • MASTER fader to lower the output volume of the unit before turning phantom power ON or OFF. Depending on the mic, a loud noise could occur, damaging equipment and harming people’s hearing.

PHANTOM

screen where

Do not connect or disconnect a mic when phantom

• power is ON.

Turn this switch ON only when using a condenser

• microphone that requires phantom power.

Do not supply phantom power to an unbalanced

• dynamic microphone.

Supplying phantom power to some types of ribbon

• microphones could break them. Do not supply

phantom power to a ribbon microphone if you are in doubt.

4 ASSIGN button

Use this button to set the input assignment (INPUT A and INPUT B) of a track. Press this button to open the

INPUT ASSIGN

signal of the assigned input becomes the recording source. (See “Assigning inputs” on page 39.)

screen on the display. The input

5 TRIM knob/OL indicator (INPUT B)

Use this TRIM knob to adjust the input level of INPUT B. (See “Making the first recording” on page 40.)

If the input source signal is too loud, the OL (overload) indicator lights.

24 TASCAM DP-03

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

6 INPUT B switch

Set this according to the signal source input through the INPUT B — MIC B connector or LINE B jack on the rear panel. Set it to MIC/LINE when connecting a microphone or line level signal. Set it to INTERNAL MIC B when using built-in MIC B.

7 BOUNCE button

Press this button to switch between and

BOUNCE

modes.

MULTITRACK

8 MIXDOWN/MASTERING button

Press this button to switch between

MIXDOWN

• to

•

MASTERING

or to return to

• to

NOTE

A pop-up appears when the mode changes.

and

MASTERING

MULTITRACK

MIXDOWN

MASTERING

MULTITRACK

mode.

mode, press this button to switch to

mode if there is a stereo master track

MULTITRACK

mode, press this button to return

mode, press this button to switch

mode.

MULTITRACK

modes.

mode if not.

9 REVERB button

Press to open the you can adjust reverb parameters. (See “Reverb” on page 53.)

REVERB SETTING

screen where

0 PHONES LEVEL knob

Use this to adjust the headphones output volume.

qEQ button

Press to open the you can adjust track EQ parameters. (See “Track EQ (equalizer)” on page 53.)

After opening the button, press F1 (INPUT) to open the screen where you can adjust input EQ parameters. (See “Using input EQ” on page 39.)

EQ SETTING

screen where

screen with this

INPUT EQ

wEQ HIGH/EQ LOW knobs

Use EQ HIGH knob to adjust high-frequency gain on EQ setting screens, including the

INPUT EQ

Use EQ LOW knob to adjust the low-frequency gain on EQ setting screens, including the

INPUT EQ

and

MASTERING EQ

and

MASTERING EQ

EQ SETTING

screens.

EQ SETTING

screens.

e Display

This shows various types of operation information.

r Function buttons

The functions of these buttons depend on the screen currently displayed. The current function assignments are shown at the bottom of the screen.

NOTE

For convenience, the four function buttons are referred to in order from the left as F1, F2, F3 and F4 in this manual.

t REVERB knobs (TRACK 1–TRACK 8)

Use to adjust the level (volume) sent to the reverb effect of the track’s playback signal or the input signal assigned to that track.

y PAN knobs (TRACK 1–TRACK 8)

Use to adjust the stereo position of the track’s playback signal or the input signal assigned to that track. (See “Stereo position (panning)” on page 53.)

u REC buttons/indicators (TRACK 1–TRACK 8)

Use to arm a track for recording (turn recording ON/OFF). To monitor a track’s input sound through headphones or a monitoring system, press that track’s REC button. When the track is armed for recording (REC button ON), the REC indicator blinks when the unit is stopped and lights when recording.

On the to change the assignment.s

On the mute and unmute the tracks.

Press these buttons when the open to select tracks.

INPUT ASSIGN

TRACK MUTE

screen, press these buttons

screen, press these buttons to

TRACK EQ

screen is

iTrack faders (TRACK 1–TRACK 8)

Use to adjust the monitoring level of the track’s playback signal or the input signal assigned to the track. (See “Levels and balance” on page 53.)

o CD button

Press this to open the

CD MENU

screen.

p MENU button

Press this to open the

screen.

a HOME button

Press this to open the Home Screen.

When the unit is stopped and the Home Screen is open, use this button to move between the time counter divisions. (See “Direct locate function” on page

44.)

s DATA wheel

Use this to change parameter values and select items when using menus.

d METRONOME button

Press this to open the “Metronome” on page 59.)

METRONOME

screen. (See

f TUNER button

Press this to open the page 59.)

TUNER

screen. (See “Tuner” on

g MIC A

This built-in omnidirectional microphone becomes the input source for INPUT A when set to INTERNAL MIC A.

When using the tuner, use this built-in microphone to input the sound of the instrument being tuned.

h MASTER fader

Use to adjust the stereo signal level output from the LINE OUT jacks and PHONES jack. Use also to adjust

TASCAM DP-03 25

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

the recording level when bouncing or mixing down tracks.

j MUTE button

Press to open the tracks” on page 54.)

TRACK MUTE

screen. (See “Muting

k STOP (ª) button

Press to stop playback, recording and searching forward/backward.

Press at the same time as you press the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) button or F FWD () (TO LAST REC) button to locate the beginning of the song (ZERO point) or the last position that recording started (last recording position). (See “Locate and search functions” on page

44.)

lPLAY (Á) button/indicator

Press this button to start playback. To start recording, press and hold the RECORD (–)

button and press this button. During recording, press this button to stop recording and start playback (punch out).

During playback or recording, this indicator lights.

;MIC B

This built-in omnidirectional microphone becomes the input source for INPUT B when set to INTERNAL MIC B.

This built-in microphone does not function when using the tuner.

zRECORD (º) button/indicator

To start recording, press and hold this button and press the PLAY (Á) button. During recording, this indicator lights.

During playback, if you press this button when a track REC indicator is blinking, recording to that track will begin (punch in). (See “Automatically punching in and out” on page 48.)

xVarious function buttons

cREPEAT button

Press to turn repeat playback mode ON and OFF.

(See “repeat playback” on page 46.)

v LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] button

Press this to open the current song does not contain any location marks, press this to open the

LOCATE LIST

I/O SETTING

screen. If the

screen.

Press and hold this button to add a mark at the current location.

b AUTO PUNCH button

Press to turn the auto punch mode ON and OFF.

When auto punch mode is active, appears on the screen. (See “Automatically punching in and out” on page 48.)

n UNDO/REDO [HISTORY] button/indicator

Press this button to undo the immediately previous action (single undo) or cancel a single undo (redo). (See “Undoing an operation” on page 41.)

After a single undo or multi-undo, the UNDO/REDO indicator lights, showing that and operation has been undone.

Press and hold this button to open the screen where you can view the recording and editing history and also conduct multi-undo operations.

HISTORY

m REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) button

When stopped, press this button to search backwards. Press it repeatedly to change the speed from 10x to 50x, 100x and 1000x.

During playback, press this button to search backward while pressing.

Press and hold the STOP (ª) button and press this button to locate to the beginning of the song (ZERO point = functions” on page 44.)

00:00:00:00

). (See “Locate and search

, F FWD () (TO LAST REC) button

When stopped, press this button to search forward. Press it repeatedly to change the speed from 10x to 50x, 100x and 1000x.

During playback, press this button to search forward while pressing.

Press and hold the STOP (ª) button and press this button to locate to the last position that recording started (TO LAST REC). (See “Locate and search functions” on page 44.)

. IN [SET IN] button

Press this button to locate to the IN point.

Press and hold this button to set the playback position at that moment as the IN point.

/ OUT [SET OUT] button

Press this button to locate to the OUT point.

Press and hold this button to set the playback position at that moment as the OUT point.

! TO [SET TO] button

Press this button to locate to the TO point.

Press and hold this button to set the playback position at that moment as the TO point.

26 TASCAM DP- 03

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

Rear panel

@ STANDBY/ON button

When the power is in standby, press this button to turn it ON. When ON, press and hold this button to put the power into standby. (See “Startup & shutdown” on page 32.)

# DC IN 12V jack

Connect the dedicated AC adaptor (PS-1225L).

$ PHONES jack (stereo mini jack)

Connect headphones. Use the PHONES LEVEL knob on the top panel to adjust the volume.

% LINE OUT jacks (unbalanced RCA)

Use these to connect a monitoring system (powered speakers or an amplifier with speakers).

^ INPUT B connector (balanced XLR)

This is an input source when the INPUT B switch on the top panel is set to MIC/LINE.

This is an XLR-type mic/line input jack.

You can also connect a condenser microphone that requires phantom power.

(1: GND, 2: HOT, 3: COLD)

NOTE

Do not input signals into both the XLR and standard jacks at the same time.

& INPUT B jack (balanced TRS standard jack)

This is an input source when the INPUT B switch on the top panel is set to MIC/LINE.

You can input a line-level signal (balanced/ unbalanced) or mic signal (balanced/unbalanced).

* INPUT A jack (balanced TRS standard jack)

This is an input source when the INPUT A switch on the top panel is set to MIC/LINE or GU ITAR .

You can input a guitar/line-level signal (balanced/ unbalanced) or mic signal (balanced/unbalanced).

( INPUT A connector (balanced XLR)

This is an input source when the INPUT A switch on the top panel is set to MIC/LINE.

This is an XLR-type mic/line input jack.

You can also connect a condenser microphone that requires phantom power.

(1: GND, 2: HOT, 3: COLD)

NOTE

Do not input signals into both the XLR and standard jacks at the same time.

) REMOTE jack (2.5-mm TS jack)

Connect a TASCAM RC-3F foot switch (sold separately) to allow a variety of remote control operations, including punch in/out (start and stop recording).

TASCAM DP-03 27

Left side panel

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

Q Kensington lock attachment hole W SD card slot/USB connector cover E USB port

Use a USB2.0-compliant mini-B cable to connect the unit with a computer to share files with the computer, including importing and exporting, as well as backing up song files. (See “Connecting with a computer” on page 65.) (No USB cable is supplied with this unit. Please use one at hand or purchase one is necessary.)

Right side panel

R SD card slot

Insert the SD card into this slot.

T Disc tray

Press the F2 (ø) button when the CD screen is shown to open the disc tray to insert or remove a disc.

Push the disc tray until it clicks shut to close it.

Y Access indicator

This lights when the unit is accessing the disc.

U Eject button

Press to open and close the disc tray when the CD screen is shown.

I Emergency eject button

If the disc tray will not open, press the button inside this hole to forcibly open the disc tray.

CAUTION

Do not use this button at any time other than an emergency. Before using this, set the power to S TAND BY and disconnect the AC adaptor.

28 TASCAM DP-03

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

Bottom panel

O Cord holder

Wrap the cord of the included TASCAM PS-1225L AC adaptor around this to prevent the plug from becoming disconnected accidentally.

P GROUND connector

Depending on the use environment, you might hear noise when monitoring. If this occurs, use this connector to ground the unit. (Please prepare the necessary wiring yourself.)

TASCAM DP-03 29

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

Home Screen

1 Recorder mode

Shows the current recorder mode.

MULTI TRACK

BOUNCE

MIXDOWN

MASTERING

2 Location mark number indicator

The number (001-999) of the current location mark is shown after the flag icon.

3 SD card protection indicator

If the SD card is protected, the lock icon appears.

4 SD card insertion status

If an SD card is inserted appears. If not, appears.

5 Recorder transport state

When playing Á appears. When stopped ª appears. When recording –appears. When searching backward, Ô appears. When searching forward,  appears.

6 Repeat playback/auto punch mode indicator

When repeat playback mode is active, appears.

When auto punch mode is active, appears.

7 Recorder time counter

Shows the elapsed time from the start of the song.

8 Cursor

This shows the time increment being edited.

Turning the DATA wheel changes the value of the selected time increment. Each time you press the HOME button, the cursor moves in order from right to left (f, s, m, h) and back to the right after the hour increment is reached.

9 Level meters and EQ status for INPUTS A and B

Shows the signal levels of INPUT A ( ) and INPUT B ( ).

When INPUT EQ is ON, A and B are shown with frames ( ).

0 Level meters and mute/track EQ status for TRACKS

1–8

Shows input levels when recording and playback signal levels when playing back.

When mute is ON, the track number is shown in inverse. For example, means that tracks 3 and 4 are muted.

When muting is OFF and TRACK EQ is ON, the track numbers are shown with frames ( ).

q Level meter for stereo outputs (L, R)

Shows the signal level output from the LINE OUT jacks.

Menu structure

Press the MENU button to open the contains the following items.

Item Explanation Reference page

Shows file information, SD

INFORMATION

SONG

CARD

TRACK EDIT

DATA BACKUP

IMPORT/ EXPORT

PREFERENCE

Press the CD button to open the CD screen, which contains the following items.

Item Explanation Reference page

CD PLAYER

MASTER WRITE

CD-DA IMPORT

CD BACKUP

CD RESTORE

FINALIZE

ERASE

card information and system information.

Load, save and create new songs, for example.

Format SD cards, for example.

Edit tracks. 49 Backup and

restore songs. Import and

export tracks and stereo master tracks.

Make and initialize settings for the repeat playback interval, contrast and foot switch use.

Play back a CD. 71 Create an audio

CD from stereo master tracks.

Import songs from an audio CD.

Backup songs to a CD-R/RW.

Restore songs backed up on a CD-R/RW.

Finalize an unfinalized CD-R/ RW.

Erase the contents of a CD-RW that has already been written.

screen, which

34, 43, 47, 60

35, 36, 37

62, 63, 64

66, 67

67, 68, 69

72, 73

37, 75

30 TASCAM DP-03

F1 F2 F3 F4

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

Use the following dedicated buttons to access specific functions.

Button Explanation Reference page

Turn PHANTOM

PHANTOM

ASSIGN

BOUNCE Bounce a track. 44

MIXDOWN/ MASTERING

REVERB

MUTE Mute tracks. 54

TUNER

METRONOME

LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET]

UNDO/REDO [HISTORY]

Screen operations

power ON and OFF.

Assign INPUT A or B as the track source.

Make and adjust stereo master tracks.

Make reverb settings.

Make track and input equalizer settings.

Use to tune instruments

Use to operate the metronome

Use to set and jump to marks and IN/OUT/TO points.

Press and hold to show the undo/ redo history and select undo steps.

55, 56, 58

39, 53

59, 60

45, 46, 47

41, 42

BACK

appears above the F1 button, so the assignment of the F1 button is “ this manual, we show this as the “F1 (

BACK

” when using this screen. In

BACK

) button”. Likewise, the assignments of the F2, F3 and F4 buttons are

EXEC, INS

When an item has a sub-screen (the

•

and

DEL

, respectively.

screen, for

example) a “¥” appears to the right of the item. Use the F4 (¥) button to advance to that sub-screen.

On a sub-screen, press the • F1 (

BACK

) button to return

to the previous screen.

To execute an item, press the function button with the

• “

EXEC

” assignment.

In this example of the the F2 (

EXEC

) button the song that is selected by the

SONG LOAD

screen, if you press

cursor will be loaded.

When the cursor is on a setting value, use the • DATA wheel to change the value. Use the function buttons with § and ¶ assignments to move the cursor.

Use the MENU button and dedicated buttons to open screens. Follow the guidelines below to use the functions on the screens. These examples show basic operation procedures, but the actual assignments of the function buttons vary depending on the screen.

Use the • DATA wheel to select the desired item.

In this example from the

screen, “

SONG

” is selected

by the F4 (¥) button.

NOTE

The assignments of the function buttons are shown at the bottom of the screen above the buttons themselves.

In this example of the

COPY PASTE

screen, you

can use the DATA wheel to change the value of the

SOURCE TRK

to move the cursor up and down. Press the F2 (

. Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons

EXEC

button to copy and paste the contents shown.

When it is necessary to move left and right, use the

•

REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) and F FWD () (TO LAST REC) buttons. At such times, an illustration appears on the screen showing that the REW (Ô) and F FWD () buttons are assigned to control the

CURSOR

Press the • HOME button to return to the Home Screen.

)

TASCAM DP-03 31

Preparing the power and the SD

Unprotected Protected

AC outlet

TASCAM PS-1225L

DC plug

card

Installing an SD card

1 Open the SD card slot cover on the left side panel

of the unit.

2 Insert the SD Card into the slot as shown in the

illustration until it clicks into place.

4 – Preparations

Write-protected cards

SD cards have write-protect (lock) switches.

When the protect switch is in the LOCK position, files cannot be recorded or edited on the card. Slide the switch away from the LOCK position if you want to record, erase or otherwise change files on a card.

Preparing the power

As shown in the illustration, connect the included PS1225L AC adaptor to the DC IN 12V jack.

3 After inserting the card, close the cover.

NOTE

An SD card is installed in the card slot when the unit is shipped from the factory. You can use this card as is to record and play back files. There is no need to reinsert it.

Ejecting the card

Push and insert the card further in to eject it.

CAUTION

Always turn the power OFF before removing an SD

• card. Removing a card while the power is still ON will

cause any recordings and settings made since the last time the power was turned OFF or the song was saved to be lost. These data and settings cannot be recovered.

This unit uses SD cards for recording and playback. SD

• and SDHC cards that are at least 512 MB in size can be

used.

A list of SD cards that have been tested with this unit

• can be found on the TASCAM web site (www.tascam.

com).

The bottom panel has a hook (cord holder) that can be used to hold the AC adaptor cord in place.

When using it, wrap the cord around this cord holder to prevent it from being disconnected during use.

CAUTION

Use only the TASCAM PS-1225L AC adaptor and power

• cord. Using an AC adaptor other than this one could

cause malfunction, fire or electric shock.

The AC adaptor must be used to supply power to this

• unit. Power cannot be supplied to this unit by USB.

32 TASCAM DP- 03

4 – Preparations

Startup & shutdown

Starting up the unit

Press the STANDBY/ON button on the rear panel.

When the unit starts, the startup screen will appear followed by the Home Screen, as shown below.

Startup Screen

Home Screen

When the unit starts up it defaults to recorder mode regardless of the mode used last before shutting down.

CAUTION

When turning the unit’s power ON and OFF (STANDBY), turn down the volume of any speakers or amplifiers connected to the unit. Moreover, do not wear headphones connected to the unit when switching the power ON or OFF (STANDBY). This will avoid damage to speakers and possible harm to your hearing from noise that might occur.

Shutting down

Make the following preparations before shutting down the unit.

Stop the recorder. (The unit cannot be shut down

• during playback, recording, searching forward, etc.)

Return to the Home Screen.

• If the unit is connected to a computer, disconnect the

• USB cable after conducting the necessary procedures

on the computer to unmount the unit.

After making these preparations, press and hold the STANDBY/ON button on the rear panel until the following screen appears.

MULTITRACK

CAUTION

Do not disconnect the power cord or otherwise cut

• the power supply when the power is ON. If you do so,

all recorded data and settings made since the last time the unit was shut down or a song was saved will be lost. These lost data and settings cannot be recovered.

When the power is turned OFF (STANDBY), the

• operation history of the currently loaded song will be

erased (cleared). When you turn the power back ON, the song will be restored to the previous state, but you will not be able to undo or redo operations on the song.

Formatting SD cards

To use a new SD card with this unit, it is necessary to format it first. SD cards formatted by the unit are divided into FAT partitions and MTR partitions.

For more information about partitions see “11 – SD Card Management” on page 62.

CAUTION

If you format a card, all data saved on it by this or any other device will be erased and you will not be able to recover it.

NOTE

The included SD card is already formatted so formatting it is not necessary. If you format this card the demo song on it will be erased.

1 The first time you put a new SD card in this unit, a

message prompting you to format it appears.

NOTE

The message shown above prompting you to format it also appears if you put in an SD card that has been formatted by any device other than this unit.

2 Press the F3 (

3 The Home Screen appears after formatting

completes properly.

NOTE

To cancel formatting press the F4 (NO) key instead in step 2 above.

YES

) button.

The power turns OFF (STANDBY) after the unit completes its shutdown process, including saving various information from your session.

TASCAM DP-03 33

AC outlet TASCAM PS-1225L

DC plug

Headphones

Footswitch TASCAM RC-3F (Optional)

Connect guitar/base to INPUT A

Powered speakers or amplier and speakers

Connect mics to MIC A and B

Drum machine

Connect electronic keyboard to INPUT A and B

4 – Preparations

Recorder modes

This unit has four recorder modes.

MULTITRACK

Use to operate the unit as a multitrack recorder.

BOUNCE

Use to bounce tracks. (See “Bouncing tracks” on page 43.)

MIXDOWN

Use to mix down tracks to create a stereo master track. (See “Mixing down tracks” on page 53 and “Creating a stereo master track” on page 54.)

MASTERING

Use to play stereo master tracks that you have created and apply effects to them (mastering). (See “Checking the stereo master track” on page 55 and “Mastering the stereo master track” on page 56.)

When the unit’s power is turned ON, it always starts up in

MULTITRACK

When in any mode besides of the usual operations using the screen are unavailable.

In this Owner’s Manual, the recorder mode explained unless otherwise noted.

mode.

MULTITRACK

mode, many

mode is the

Rear panel

Connecting other equipment

This section shows examples of connecting other equipment with this unit.

Turn the power of this unit and all devices that you will

• connect with it OFF (or put them in standby power

mode) beforehand.

Supply power to all the devices from the same line.

• When using a power strip, for example, use one with a

cable that has a high electric current capacity in order to minimize power voltage variations.

Precautions before making connections

CAUTION

Do not input signals into both the XLR and standard

• jacks at the same time.

Do not connect a dynamic microphone using an

• unbalanced connection when phantom power is ON.

Doing so could break it.

Do not connect or disconnect a mic when phantom

• power is ON. This could cause a loud noise and damage

equipment.

Turn the unit output volume down using the • PHONES knob and MASTER fader on the front panel before turning phantom power ON or OFF. Depending on the mic, a loud noise could occur, damaging equipment and harming people’s hearing.

34 TASCAM DP-03

USB

Computer

4 – Preparations

Left side panel

NOTE

Recorder functions cannot be used when the unit is connected to a computer by USB.

Adjusting the contrast

The contrast of the display can be adjusted.

Follow the procedures below to adjust the contrast.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the data wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open the screen.

screen.

PREFERENCE

, and

3 Use the F3 (§) and F4 () buttons to select the

Contrast setting value, and use the DATA wheel to adjust the display contrast.

The setting range is from 1–10.

The default value is 5.

Lower values reduce the display contrast while higher values increase it.

Adjusting the contrast might make the display easier to read. Its appearance differs depending on the angle from which it is viewed, so adjust the contrast while the unit is in the actual position in which it will be used.

4 After making the setting, press the HOME button

to return to the Home Screen.

TASCAM DP-03 35

5 – Song Management

This unit manages data in units called “songs”. Ordinarily, each project should have its own “song” file. The first step is to load the song that you want to manage (load an existing song or create a new song).

In a song, the audio data for the recorded multitrack (tracks 1–8) and the stereo master track are saved.

This chapter starts with an explanation of SD card partitions, and then covers basic operations, including procedures for loading songs and creating new songs, as well as various song management functions.

Partitions and songs

This unit uses SD cards to record songs. SD cards formatted by the unit are divided into partitions.

The partitions include MTR partitions for recording song data and FAT partitions that can be read and written to by computers.

Editing names

You can edit names on the following screens.

When creating, saving or editing the name of a song

• (

SAVE, CREATE

When exporting a WAV file (

•

EXPORT MASTER

When backing up a song (

•

and

NAME EDIT

)

SONG BACKUP

)

NAME EDIT

and

)

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the data wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the which shows a list of songs in the current partition. A star (*) icon appears to the right of the currently loaded song. A lock ( ) icon appears to the left of songs that are protected.

4 Use the DATA wheel to select the song you want,

and press the F2 (

The currently loaded song is saved and the selected song is loaded.

5 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

EXEC

screen.

SONG

screen.

LOAD

SONG LOAD

) button.

, and press the

screen,

Creating a new song

SONG CREATE name editing screen

Use the following controls to edit names.

Use the • REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) and F FWD () (TO LAST REC) buttons to move the cursor (underline) position. The character at the cursor position is the one that can be edited.

Use the • DATA wheel to change the characters at the cursor (underline) position. Ordinary symbols, numerals and English upper and lower case letters can be input.

To insert a blank at the cursor position, press the • F3

(

INS

) button. When editing a file name, an “A” is

inserted at the blank space.

Press the • F4 ( the cursor position.

When you have finished inputting and editing, press

• the F2 (

DEL

) button to delete the character at

EXEC

) button to save the edited name.

Loading a saved song

Follow these procedures to load the song you want.

Follow these procedures to create a new song.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

the F4 (¥) button to open the screen.

A default song name like “S new song. ( above the name is “

4 Change the song name (title) as necessary. (See

“Editing names” on page 35 for how to do this.)

TIP

You can edit the name of a song later by selecting

EDIT

from the

name when saving the song.

****

SONG

screen.

SONG

, and press the

SONG

screen.

CREATE

SONG CREATE

ONG****

indicates a number. In the example

SONG0020

screen. You can also edit the song

”.)

, and press

” is given to the

NAME

36 TASCAM DP-03

5 – Song Management

5 Press the F2 (

loaded song and create the new song.

6 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

EXEC

) button to save the currently

Saving a song

This unit automatically saves the current song during shutdown and when loading another song. You can also save a song at any time using the following procedures.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

SONG

, and press the

SONG

screen.

SAVE

, and press the

SONG SAVE

screen.

NOTE

The

INFORMATION

SONG (1/3), CARD (2/3)

the F3 ( page (see “Viewing information” on page 61).

) and F4 (

screen has three pages, including

and

F/W (3/3)

) buttons to change the

. Use

Copying songs

You can copy a single song or multiple songs at once. You can make a copy of a song in the same partition if you want to save a certain mix, for example.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the which shows a list of songs.

screen.

SONG

, and press the

SONG

screen.

COPY

, and press the

SONG COPY

screen,

4 Change the song name (title) if you want, and then

press the F2 ( page 35). To save without changing the name, just press the F2 (

5 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

EXEC

) button (see “Editing names” on

EXEC

) button.

Viewing song information

You can check the name, partition and remaining recording time of the currently loaded song.

1 Press the MENU button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open the page of the the name and remaining recording time of the current song.

INFORMATION

screen, which shows

screen.

INFORMATION

SONG (1/3)

, and

4 Use the DATA wheel to select a song that you want

to copy, and press the F4 (✔) button.

The song is selected as a copy source and a check appears in the checkbox.

NOTE

To remove a check from the checkbox, press the F4 (✔) button while the song is selected.

5 To copy multiple songs, repeat step 4.

6 After selecting all the songs that you want to copy,

press the F2 ( you can select the MTR partition that you want to be the copy destination.

) button to open a screen where

This screen also shows the amount of open space on the partition selected ( song being copied ( than the size of the song, copying is not possible and a

No Disk Space

Free

) and the size of the data of the

Total

warning appears.

). If the open space is smaller

TASCAM DP-03 37

NOTE

An SD card formatted by this unit can only have one partition, so it is not usually possible to copy to a different partition. However, this unit can use an SD card that has been created with multiple partitions on another TASCAM DP series unit, and copying between partitions is possible in this case.

7 Press the F4 (

return to the

NOTE

To cancel song copying, press the F1 ( instead of the F4 (

EXEC

) button to copy the file(s) and

SONG

screen.

BACK

EXEC

) button.

) button

8. Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

Erasing songs

5 – Song Management

7 Press the F3 (

After the songs are erased, the

NOTE

To cancel erasing a song, press the F4 (NO) button instead of F3 (

YES

8 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

NOTE

Every MTR partition must always have at least one song, so if you erase all the songs on a partition, a new song is created automatically.

YES

) button.

SONG

screen reopens.

You can erase a single song or multiple songs at once. You might want to erase unneeded songs if the SD card starts to run out of open space.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

SONG

, and press the

SONG

screen.

ERASE

SONG ERASE

, and press the

screen,

which shows a list of songs.

4 Use the DATA wheel to select a song that you want

to erase and press the F4 (✔) button.

A check appears in the checkbox next to the song.

Protecting songs

If you protect a song, editing, recording and erasing of that song is prevented.

1 Load the song that you want to protect.

2 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

4 Use the DATA wheel to select

the F4 (¥) button to open the screen, where you can turn protection ON and OFF.

5 Use the DATA wheel to set

press the F2 (

After

PROTECT

reopens.

6 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

screen.

EXEC

) button.

is turned ON, the

SONG

, and press the

SONG

screen.

PROTECT

SONG PROTECT

PROTECT

SONG

, and press

to ON, and

screen

NOTE

To remove the check from the checkbox, press the F4 (✔) while the song is selected.

5 To erase multiple songs, repeat step 4.

6 After selecting all songs that you want to erase,

press the F2 (

EXEC

) button. A confirmation screen

opens.

NOTE

In the song list used to copy, erase and conduct other

• functions, a lock icon ( ) appears next to protected

songs.

If you try to execute a prohibited operation (edit,

• record, erase) on a protected song, a “

Protected

” message appears and the operation is

Song

prevented.

To remove protection from a song, follow the above

• procedures but set

PROTECT

OFF

in step 4.

38 TASCAM DP-03

6 – Basic Recording

Selecting the input sources

This unit has two inputs (INPUT A and INPUT B) that can be selected separately as input sources.

The input sources that can be selected with the INPUT

A and INPUT B switches include the built-in mics (MIC A and MIC B) on the front panel or connected devices

input through INPUT A and INPUT B on the rear panel. In addition to mic and line signals, the INPUT A standard jack can accept guitar input. Set the INPUT A switch to

GU ITAR to input a guitar.

INPUT A INPUT B

Use when connecting a

GU ITAR

MIC/LINE

INTERNAL MIC A/B

NOTE

Do not connect to both the XLR connector and the standard jack of an input (INPUT A or INPUT B) at the same time.

TIP

When connecting an electric-acoustic guitar with a built-in preamp or an active electric guitar, as well as when connecting an electric guitar with an effect pedal between it and this unit, set the INPUT A switch to MIC/

LINE.

Using phantom power

When connecting a condenser microphone that requires phantom power, follow the procedures below to turn phantom power ON. When phantom power is ON, phantom power is provided to the XLR jacks of both

INPUT A and INPUT B.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the PHANTOM

button to open the

guitar or bass directly to the standard INPUT

A jack INPUT A jack

(XLR or standard jack)

Built-in mic (MIC A)

PHANTOM

screen.

—

INPUT B jack (XLR or standard jack)

Built-in mic (MIC

2 Press the F4 (ON) button to turn phantom power

ON. The indicator above the PHANTOM button lights, and the Home Screen reopens.

To turn phantom power OFF, press the F1 ( button instead.

The following screen appears whenever phantom power is being turned ON or OFF.

NOTE

The screen above appears when phantom power is being turned ON or OFF. No other operations can be conducted while this message is shown. Other operations will be possible after this message disappears and the Home Screen reopens.

CAUTION

Turn the master fader down before turning phantom

• power ON or OFF. Depending on the mic, a loud noise

could occur, damaging equipment and harming people’s hearing.

Do not connect or disconnect a mic when phantom

• power is ON. This could cause a loud noise and damage

equipment.

Turn phantom power ON only when using a condenser

• microphone that requires phantom power.

Do not supply phantom power to an unbalanced

• dynamic microphone. Doing so could break it.

Supplying phantom power to some types of ribbon

• microphones could break them. Do not supply

phantom power to a ribbon microphone if you are in doubt.

OFF

)

Monitoring input signals

To monitor an input signal press the REC button for the track set to record that signal. That track’s REC indicator will light/blink.

NOTE

When the unit is playing back, both the playback signal and the input source signals are mixed and output through the PHONES and LINE OUT jacks and can be heard with connected headphones and monitoring systems.

TASCAM DP-03 39

Overload indication

6 – Basic Recording

OL indicators and level meters

The audio levels of this unit can be checked using the INPUT A and INPUT B OL indicators and the level meters shown on the display.

The level meters allow the signal levels to be monitored, and they can also be used to confirm whether signals are being input into the unit. For example, if the A and B level meters are moving a signal is being input into the unit even if you cannot hear anything when monitoring.

As shown below, if a “–” appears at the top of a level meter, the level is too high (when a “–” appears, it will stay on screen for a while before automatically disappearing). If the level is too loud, the sound might be distorted, so lower the level until the “–” stops appearing.

If an OL indicator lights, the signal from the input source could be too loud or the TRIM knob set too high.

If the OL indicator lights even though the TRIM knob is set to the minimum position, the input source signal is too strong. Lower the volume on the input source.

Input level meters (A, B)

The and level meters on the left side of the display show the input levels of INPUT A and INPUT B.

Use the INPUT A and INPUT B TRIM knobs and the output volumes of the input sources to adjust the level.

Track level meters (1–8)

These level meters show either the playback signal levels or the input signal levels of the corresponding tracks.

The signal levels shown by the track level meters depend on the operating conditions as shown below.

REC indicator Transport status

Unlit Playback

Blinks (record standby)

Lit (during recording)

Playback

Stopped Track input signal

Recording Track input signal

Level meter

display contents

Track playback signal

Stereo level meter (L, R)

These show the stereo bus output level of this unit. Adjust the output level with the MASTER fader.

Assigning inputs

When using this unit, “assigning inputs” means setting the recording source for each track to either INPUT A or INPUT B.

This unit can simultaneously record a maximum of two tracks. You can also record one input to two tracks simultaneously (in this case, you cannot use the other input). You cannot assign two inputs to the same track.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the ASSIGN

button to open the

By default, A (INPUT A) is assigned as the recording source for tracks 1, 3, 5 and 7, and B (INPUT B) is assigned as the recording source for tracks 2, 4, 6 and

2 Use the REC button to set the input source for each

track to either A (INPUT A) or B (INPUT B).

Each time you press the REC button the setting

switches between A and B.

3 After making the settings, press the HOME button

to return to the Home Screen.

INPUT ASSIGN

screen.

Using input EQ (equalizer)

INPUT A and INPUT B each have a two-band equalizer

(EQ).

Use the

1 Press the EQ button to open the

INPUT EQ

screen.

screen to make input EQ settings.

EQ SETTING

NOTE

When the playback signal is being shown, the level of the recorded signal of the track is shown, so the levels shown by the meters cannot be changed.

When the input signal is being shown, the levels shown by the meters can be changed using the TRIM knobs for INPUT A and INPUT B.

40 TASCAM DP-03

INPUT EQ is ON

6 – Basic Recording

This shows the setting screen for track one (

2 Press the F1 (

screen. This shows the setting screen for

INPUT

) button to open the

TR1

INPUT

IN A

The equalizer parameters are as follows.

GAIN FREQ

High-frequency gain

Setting range: ±12 dB (Default value: 0.0 dB)

High-frequency value Setting range: 1.7–18 kHz (Default value: 5 kHz)

Low-frequency value

Low-frequency gain

Setting range: ±12 dB (Default value: 0.0 dB)

Setting range: 32 Hz–1.6 kHz (Default value: 350 Hz)

Use the F2 (

IN B

) (or (

IN A

)) button to switch

between INPUT A and INPUT B.

Use the EQ HIGH knob to adjust the Hi gain and the EQ LOW knob to adjust the Lo gain.

Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) button to select Hi or Lo, and use the DATA wheel to set the

Press the F1 (

SETTING

TRACK

screen.

) button to return to the

FREQ

value.

3 After making the setting, press the HOME button

to return to the Home Screen.

NOTE

When input EQ is ON for an input, the input is shown on the Home Screen as in the illustration below.

Making the first recording

Before beginning the following recording procedures, connect a recording source to an input, assign that input as the recording source for a track, and prepare your monitors (headphones).

1 Press the REC button of the track that you want to

record on. The REC indicator blinks red (this status is called “record standby”).

A maximum of two tracks can be recorded

simultaneously. If you press a different REC button when two track REC indicators are already blinking, the track that was put into record standby first will become inactive and its REC indicator will become unlit.

For example, if you press the REC buttons for

TRACK 1, TRACK 2 and TRACK 3 in that order,

TRACK 1, which was pressed first, will no longer be in record standby, but TRACK 2 and TRACK 3, which were pressed afterwards, will still be in record standby.

2 Set the recording level.

Use the INPUT A or INPUT B TRIM knob to adjust

the input level. Watch the A or B level meter on the display and the OL indicator above and to the left of the TRIM knob while setting the level suitably.

At the same time, confirm that sound heard from

the headphones or the monitoring system is not distorted.

NOTE

The level meter of the track that has an input

• signal assigned to it shows the input level after the

application of input EQ. Therefore, when using input EQ, you should also watch the level meter of the track that has the affected input signal assigned to it.

The • OL indicator lights if the input is too loud.

If the • OL indicator stays lit even when you lower the TRIM knob for that input, lower the input source signal level.

3 Press and hold the RECORD (–) button and press

the PLAY (Á) button to start recording. The RECORD (–) button lights red and the track REC indicator stops blinking and stays lit.

4 Press the STOP (ª) button to stop recording.

If you want to check a part of the recording, use

the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) button, for example, to locate to it.

TIP

Use the TO LAST REC function to locate to the last position that recording started and the TO ZERO function to return to the start of the song (

00:00:00

), for example, to move through a recording easily. For information about the forward and backward search functions, see “Locate and search functions” on page 44.

5 Press the PLAY (Á) button to play back the

recorded track.

Use the track faders and MASTER fader to adjust

the playback level. Adjust the PHONES LEVEL knob or the volume control on your monitoring system to set the final monitoring volume. Use the PAN knobs to set the stereo position of each track between the left and right speakers.

NOTE

The track PAN knobs and level faders control that recorded track’s playback output signal or the monitored input signal. They do not control the signal being recorded to the track.

If you are not satisfied with the recorded sound, follow the procedures above again from the beginning.

TASCAM DP-03 41

UNDO/REDO

indicator

6 – Basic Recording

Multitrack recording

You can record new sounds to different tracks while playing back already recorded tracks.

Prepare tracks for recording

1 Press the REC buttons of the already recorded

tracks to disarm recording to them (REC indicators OFF).

2 Press the REC buttons of the tracks that you want

to record to put them into record standby (REC indicators blinking).

Track pan and level settings

Use the track faders and PAN knobs of the already recorded tracks to adjust their levels and stereo positions for monitoring their playback signals while making new recordings.

Input selection and assignment

Use the procedures described earlier in this chapter to assign input sources to tracks for recording.

Setting input levels

After making the above settings, press the PLAY (Á) button to start playback.

Just as though you were recording, you can monitor the sound of already recorded tracks playing back and the input sources on the tracks for recording, allowing you to check the monitoring balance and volume. Adjust the input levels suitably as you monitor both playback and input signals.

Undoing the last operation (single undo)

Press the UNDO/REDO [HISTORY] button to return to the state before the last operation was conducted. After doing this, the UNDO/REDO indicator lights, showing that redo (see below) is possible.

Cancelling an undo operation (redo)

Press the UNDO/REDO [HISTORY] buttons when its indicator is lit to return to the state of the last operation. The UNDO/REDO indicator becomes unlit.

NOTE

If single undo is used when multi-undo (described below) has already been used to return the unit to a previous state, it will go one more step backward.

If you press the UNDO/REDO [HISTORY] button again to redo, the single undo operation is cancelled, and the previous multi-undo state is restored. In this case, the operations undone by multi-undo are still retained in history, so the UNDO/REDO indicator stays lit.

Undoing a previous operation (multiundo)

1 Press and hold the UNDO/REDO [HISTORY] button

to open the

HISTORY

screen.

Record additional tracks

Press and hold the RECORD (–) button and press the PL AY (Á) button to start the new recordings to the other

tracks while monitoring the playback signal

Undoing an operation

This unit allows you to undo an operation or recording that did not work as planned or was otherwise unsatisfactory. Undo can be used on many ordinary operations, including editing and recording operations.

This unit has two types of undo functions. Single undo can be used with a simple button press, while multi-undo allows you to return to a specific past operation and undo the operations that occurred after it.

NOTE

The UNDO/REDO indicator lights when a single undo or multi-undo has been conducted

This screen shows the operation history as a list. Each operation in the list is called an “event.”

The event list starts at the bottom with event number “0” (

-START UP-

recent event at the top, which has a * next to it.

All events in this list that occurred after a selected event can be undone at once. This operation is called “multi-undo” because it allows you to undo multiple events and return to an earlier state.

2 Use the DATA wheel to select the event that you

want to return to (all events after the selected event will be undone).

3 Press the F2 (

undo and restore the song state to just after the

) and proceeds up to the most

EXEC

) button to execute the multi-

42 TASCAM DP- 03

6 – Basic Recording

selected event was conducted. In this state, the UNDO/REDO indicator lights.

The event information undone through the above operation is not erased. The unit has simply been returned to a previous state. On the screen, a * appears next to the most recent event after undoing.

NOTE

When the [HISTORY] button does not function, so single undo and redo cannot be used.

CAUTION

When saving a song, a maximum of 500 operation

• history items can be saved with the song data. If the

operation history exceeds 500 items, the oldest events in the history are erased when the song is saved. These erased events cannot be restored.

When the power is turned OFF (STANDBY) the

• operation history is completely erased. The operation

history is not restored when the power is turned ON again.

HISTORY

screen is open, the UNDO/REDO

HISTORY

4 Press the F3 (

history and erase the unused data.

The Home Screen reopens when this operation completes.

NOTE

To cancel erasing the operation history, press the F4 (NO) button.

TIP

If you open the

• erasing the operation history, the event (operation)

that appears is “0” ( operation history has been cleared.

If you want to keep the operation history even

• when you power OFF (STANDBY), turn song protect

ON before turning the power OFF (STANDBY) (see “Protecting songs” on page 37).

CAUTION

YES

) button to clear the operation

HISTORY

-START UP-

screen immediately after

), confirming that all

Erasing the operation history

When the power is turned OFF (STANDBY), the operation history of the currently loaded song is erased (cleared).

When the power is turned ON again, the song last in use is reloaded in the same state it was in when the power was turned OFF (STANDBY). The operation history is not restored, however, so past operations cannot be undone or redone.

NOTE

The operation histories of songs that are not loaded are not erased when the power is turned OFF (STANDBY).

Using the following procedures, you can also erase (clear) the operation history of the currently loaded song without turning the power OFF.

1 Press and hold the UNDO/REDO [HISTORY] button

to open the

2 Press the F4 (

A confirmation message appears.

HISTORY

CLEAR

) button.

screen.

You cannot undo erasing the operation history! Only erase it when you are certain that you want to do so.

3 Press the F3 (

Another confirmation message appears again.

YES

) button.

TASCAM DP-03 43

7 – Recorder Functions

Foot switch TASCAM RC-3F (optional)

Punching in and out

Punching in/out is a technique to replace a part of an already recorded track.

Start playback and when you reach the part that you want to replace, switch to record (punch in), then switch back to playback (or stop) when you finish the part that you want to replace (punch out).

1 Decide what part of the track you plan to replace

and choose a point to begin where the new recording can sit well with the existing recording.

2 Press the REC button of the track that you plan

to replace part of to start record standby (REC indicator blinks).

3 Start playback before the part of the track that you

want to replace.

4 Press the RECORD (–) button to start recording

(punch in) when you reach the part. Play or sing what you want to record.

5 Press the PLAY (Á) button to switch to playback

(punch out) when you finish the replacement recording.

NOTE

When the recording source is set to a built-in microphone (INTERNAL MIC A/B), the sound of pressing a button to punch in and out could be recorded. This can be avoided by using a foot switch to punch in and out or the automatic punching in and out functions. (See “Automatically punching in and out” on page 48.)

TIP

You can also press the STOP (ª) key to punch out at the end of the replacement recording.

Using the foot switch to punch in/out

Using a foot switch connected to the REMOTE jack on the rear panel, you can punch in and out.

In step 4 above, step on the foot switch instead of pressing the RECORD (–) button. In step 5, step on the foot switch again instead of pressing the PLAY (Á) button.

NOTE

Press the switch (pedal) that you have set to the foot switch settings. By default, the center pedal (Foot SW C) is set to page 43.)

PUNCH

. (See “Setting the foot switch” on

PUNCH

Setting the foot switch

Set the foot switch on the

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open the screen.

3 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select

FootSW L

4 Use the DATA wheel to select the function to assign

to the left foot switch pedal.

5 In the same way, use the

the function of the center pedal and the

item to set the function of the right pedal.

6 After making the settings, press the HOME button

to return to the Home Screen.

Setting Function

PLAY REC STOP

F FWD

REW

PUNCH

PLY/STP

CUE

Same as the unit’s PL AY (Á) button Same as the unit’s RECORD (–) button Same as the unit’s STOP (ª) button Same as the unit’s F FWD () (TO LAST

REC) button Same as the unit’s REW (Ô) (TO ZERO)

button Press during playback to PUNCH IN and

during recording to PUNCH OUT Press when stopped to start playback, and

press at any other time to stop Locate to the last point where playback

started

PREFERENCE

screen.

PREFERENCE

Foot SW C

screen.

, and

PREFERENCE

item to set

Foot SW

Default values:

CUE

(L),

PUNCH

(C),

PLY/STP

(R)

Bouncing tracks

Use this unit’s bounce function to mix already recorded tracks (1–8) down to one or two tracks.

Multitrack tape recorders can only bounce to an open track (in other words, they can not record to a track that is also a source of the mix). For example, tracks 1–7 could be bounced to track 8, but tracks 1–8 could not be bounced to track 1. This unit, however, does not have this limitation. You can bounce tracks 1–8 to mix down to tracks 1 and 2

44 TASCAM DP-03

TRACK 1

Drum L

TRACK 2

Drum R

TRACK 3

Perc. L

TRACK 4

Perc. R

TRACK 5

Bass

TRACK 6

Piano L

TRACK 7

Piano R

TRACK 8

TRACK 3 Perc. L (Over writing possible)

TRACK 4 Perc. R (Over writing possible)

TRACK 8 SE (Over writing possible)

TRACK 7 Piano R (Over writing possible)

TRACK 5 Bass (Over writing possible)

TRACK 6 Piano L (Over writing possible)

TRACK 1 & 2

Rhythm, Bass, Piano, SE

TRACK 1 & 2

Rhythm, Bass, Piano, SE

TRACK 3

Guitar L

TRACK 4

Guitar R

TRACK 5

Lead Guitar

TRACK 6

Lead Vocal

TRACK 7

Chorus L

TRACK 8

Chorus R

New recording possible on tracks 3-8

Bounce tracks 1-8 to mix down to tracks 1-2

7 – Recorder Functions

(stereo bounce), or bounce tracks 1–8 as a mono mix to track 1 (mono bounce).

NOTE

Inside this unit, a mixdown is made to create a mix master that is recorded to the designated tracks.

Source tracks are erased when they are bounce destinations. (In the illustration above the drum parts are overwritten by the stereo mix). However, you can use the unit’s (undo) function to return to the previous state if you make a mistake (see “Undoing the last operation (single undo)” on page 41).

For a mono bounce, turn the PAN knobs of the

bounce source tracks all the way to L.

Use the MASTER fader to adjust the overall level.

4 After returning to the start of the song, press the

PLAY (Á) button while pressing and holding the RECORD (–) button to start the bounce.

Confirming the result

Mute the bounce source tracks (see “Muting tracks” on page 54), and play the song from the beginning.

If you are not satisfied with the result because, for example, the balance between instruments is poor, or the pan settings are wrong, use the undo function (see “Undoing the last operation (single undo)” on page 41).

If you are satisfied with the result, press the BOUNCE button to return to the

After bouncing tracks, you can make new recordings over the other tracks.

TIP

If it is possible that you might need the original tracks at

some later time, back-up the track data to a computer or

copy the song before bouncing (see “Backing-up songs”

on page 66, “Backing up song data to CDs” on page 75 and “Connecting with a computer” on page 65).

MULTI TRACK

mode.

Using the bounce function

1 In multitrack mode, press the BOUNCE button.

After the switches to BOUNCE mode and the Home Screen reopens.

2 Press the REC buttons for the bounce destination

For a stereo bounce, press the REC buttons for any

3 Adjust the track faders and PAN knobs for the

When making a stereo bounce, the lower numbered

Bounce !

pop-up message appears, the unit

tracks (the indicators blink).

two tracks. For a mono bounce (bouncing the mix to a single track) press the REC button for any one track.

bounce source tracks.

track is the left (L) side.

Locate and search functions

Direct locate function

The current recorder position is shown at the top of the

display as “hours: minutes: seconds: frames” (there are 30

frames per second). You can move the current recorder

position to a specific time by inputting it here.

1 On the Home Screen, use the HOME button to move

the cursor (underline) between time divisions. You can edit the value at the cursor positions.

The seconds are selected in the following figure.

2 Turn the DATA wheel to change the value above

the cursor. When adjusting, the value will carry over automatically when it reaches the highest or lowest value in a field. For example, when turning the DATA wheel to increase the value in the seconds field, the number will change from 59 to

and the minutes value will increase by one. The time display blinks when using the DATA wheel. The blinking stops when the recorder moves to the displayed position.

TASCAM DP-03 45

7 – Recorder Functions

3 Press the HOME button to move to a different time

division and turn the DATA wheel to change the value.

4 After setting the desired time value, press the PLAY

(Á) button to start playback from that position.

Location marks

The unit can store up to 999 location marks per song! Use these to mark the start of verses, vocal entry points, etc.

To set a location mark

While stopped, recording or playing, press and hold the LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] button at the point where you want the new mark.

The mark number is shown next to the icon on the Home Screen. The mark number you see is the one at or immediately before the current position. In the example below,

001

indicates thefirst mark in the selected song.

Mark

pop-up appears briefly and then the

SETTING

screen opens.

I/O

To delete a location mark

You can erase a location mark when the recorder is stopped.

1 Press the LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] button to

show the location mark list.

2 Use the DATA wheel to select a mark and press the

F2 (

EDIT

) to bring up the edit screen.

3 Press the F2 (

return to the

4 Press the F1 (

HOME button to return to the Home Screen.

DEL

) button to erase that mark and

LOCATE LIST

EXIT

), LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] or

screen.

NOTE

Marks are numbered in the order you enter them, not according to their position in the song. Mark 005 can therefore appear in a song before mark 001.

To move to a location mark

Press the LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] to show the location mark list:

Use the DATA wheel to choose a mark (they’re listed in the order they appear in the song) and press F4 ( to jump to that mark.

JUMP

NOTE

The marks are shown in the order they appear in the

• song, not by number.

This operation cannot be undone. Be certain before

• executing it.

To edit a location mark

If you made a mistake when you entered a location mark, you can change the time of the mark.

TIP

This is sometimes called “trimming”.

1 Press the LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] button to

show the location mark list.

2 Use the DATA wheel to select a mark and press the

F2 (

EDIT

) to bring up the edit screen.

)

NOTE

Press the • F1 ( HOME button to return to the Home Screen.

If the current song does not have any location marks,

• the location mark list will not open. A

EXIT

), LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] or

No Locate

46 TASCAM DP-03

7 – Recorder Functions

NOTE

The marks are shown in the order they appear in the song, not by number.

3 Use the F3 () and F4 () buttons to move the

cursor between time fields.

4 Turn the DATA wheel to change the value above the

cursor. When adjusting, the value will carry over automatically when it reaches the highest or lowest value in a field. For example, when turning the DATA wheel to increase the value in the seconds field, the number will change from 59 to 0 and the minutes value will increase by one.

NOTE

You can’t move a mark forward past the next mark in the list, or backwards to before the previous mark in the list.

5 After you have finished editing, press the F1 (

button to confirm the edited value and return to the

LOCATE LIST

screen.

EXIT

Return To Zero (TO ZERO) and Last Recording Position (TO LAST REC)

Use simple button operations to return to the top of a song or to the position where recording last started.

Return to the zero point (song beginning at 00:00:00:00)

Press the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) button while pressing and holding the STOP (ª) button. (TO ZERO function)

Last Recording Position (the position recording last started)

Press the F FWD () (TO LAST REC) button while pressing and holding the STOP (ª) button.

This function is useful when you want to record the same passage again.

Repeat playback

Use the repeat playback function to play the same part again and again.

The repeated passage is time between the IN and OUT points.

Using IN, OUT and TO points

In addition to setting the repeat playback interval, the IN and OUT points are also used to set track editing intervals and as the punch in and punch out points when automatically punching in and out. Moreover, these points are used as the starting and ending points when creating a master track.

You can set these points during recording, playback or

)

when the unit is stopped.

NOTE

The IN, OUT and TO points cannot be set or edited at the following times.

During repeat playback

• When in automatic punch in and out mode

• When the recorder is in MIXDOWN or MASTERING

• mode

When the

• is open

Setting IN, OUT and TO points

Regardless of whether the unit is stopped, playing back or recording, you can set these points at the positions you like by pressing and holding the IN [SET IN], OUT [SET OUT] or TO [SET TO] button. The corresponding IN, OUT or TO point is set at the time when you began pressing and holding the button, and the time set appears below a pop-up message (

TO !

LOCATE LIST

SET IN !, SET OUT !

as appropriate).

I/O SETTING

screen

SET

Fast forward/rewind search

Press the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) or F FWD () (TO LAST REC) button when stopped to rewind or fast

forward, respectively.

Each time you press one of these keys, the speed increases from 10x to 50x, 100x and 1000x.

Press these buttons during playback to search backward or forward while pressing. The search speed is fixed at 10 times normal playback speed.

SET IN pop-up message

Locating to IN, OUT and TO points

Regardless of whether the unit is stopped or playing back, you can press the IN [SET IN], OUT [SET OUT] or TO [SET TO] button to locate the corresponding point.

You can also use the

1 Press the LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] button to

open a list of location marks.

I/O SETTING

screen to locate.

TASCAM DP-03 47

Repeat icon

7 – Recorder Functions

2 Press the F3 (

SETTING

NOTE

POINT

screen.

) button to open the

I/O

If the current song does not have any location marks, the location mark list will not open. A “ pop-up appears briefly and then the

No Locate Mark

I/O SETTING

screen opens.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select the mark, and press

the F4 (

JUMP

) button to locate to the designated

point.

Editing IN, OUT and TO points

1 Press the LOCATE LIST [LOCATE SET] button to

open the location mark list.

To return to the home screen without locating to

the point, press the F1 (

EXIT

) or HOME button

instead.

Using repeat playback

1 Set the starting (IN) and ending (OUT) points for

the time that you want to repeat, and then return to the Home Screen.

”

2 Press the REPEAT button to start repeat playback.

The repeat icon on the Home Screen appears.

2 Press the F3 (

SETTING

NOTE

POINT

screen.

) button to open the

I/O

If the current song does not have any location marks, the location mark list will not open. A pop-up appears briefly and then the

No Locate Mark

I/O SETTING

screen opens.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select a mark, and press

the F2 (

EDIT

) button to open the

I/O SETTING

screen in editing mode.

4 Use the F3 () and F4 () buttons to move the time

unit cursor.

5 Use the DATA wheel to change the value of the

unit at the cursor. The larger adjacent time unit will automatically increase or decrease when a unit is turned past its high or low limit. For example, when the DATA wheel is turned to increase the second unit past 59, it will become “00” and the minute unit will increase by one.

6 Press the F1 (

EXIT

) button when you are done editing the point to confirm the value and return to the

I/O SETTING

7 Press the F4 (

screen.

JUMP

) button to locate to the point.

Playback starts from the IN point. When the OUT point is reached, after the repeat interval elapses, playback starts again from the IN point. Playback continues to repeat between the IN and OUT points.

3 Press the REPEAT button again to stop repeat

playback.

The repeat icon on the Home Screen disappears.

The next section explains how to set the repeat interval that determines the amount of time until playback starts again after the OUT point is reached.

Setting the interval between repetitions

The interval can be set from 1.0 to 9.9 seconds.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

PREFERENCE

, and

PREFERENCE

screen.

3 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select the

setting value for the the DATA wheel to set the value from

sec.

in 0.1-sec. units.

The default setting is

Repeat Int

1.0sec

item. Turn

1.0

9.9

4 When finished making settings, press the HOME

button to return to the Home Screen.

48 TASCAM DP-03

Auto punch in/out mode icon

7 – Recorder Functions

Automatically punching in and out

When an IN point and an OUT point are set, press the AUTOPUNCH button to enter auto punch in/out mode.

Auto punch in/out mode includes a rehearsal function. When using this function, monitoring between the IN and OUT points in the same way as when recording is possible without actually recording.

Rehearsal

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Press the REC buttons on tracks to use auto punch

in/out with them.

3 After setting the IN and OUT points, press the

AUTOPUNCH button to enter auto punch in/out mode.

screen.

Using auto punch in/out to record

When you are done rehearsing, you can use auto punch in/out for recording.

1 While in auto punch in/out mode, press and hold

the RECORD (–) button, and press the PLAY (Á) button.

In the same way as during rehearsal, playback begins from two seconds before the IN point. Recording occurs and the RECORD (–) indicator lights between the IN and OUT points.

2. One second after reaching the OUT point, the recorder automatically stops, auto punch in/out mode is exited and the transport locates to two seconds before the IN point.

NOTE

Auto punch in/out mode cannot be entered during

•

repeat mode or if no REC button has been pushed.

Auto punch in/out can be undone.

•

4 Press the PLAY (Á) key.

Playback begins from two seconds before the IN point, and the sound monitored on the recording track(s) switches at the IN point from the track playback sound and the input sound to just the input sound. The RECORD (–) indicator blinks when between the IN and OUT points.

When playback reaches the OUT point, the track playback sound and the input sound becomes the monitored sound again, and the RECORD (–) indicator stops blinking and turns off. Playback automatically stops one second after the OUT point.

You can repeat rehearsal until you are satisfied.

TASCAM DP-03 49

8 – Editing Tracks

Editing on a conventional tape recorder in the past required advanced techniques, but with this unit editing tracks is easy and accurate. Moreover, with a tape recorder, an editing error could not be undone, but this unit uses nondestructive editing, allowing you to edit without altering the original data. This means that the undo function can be used to correct an edit easily (see “Undoing the last operation (single undo)” on page 41).

Overview of track editing

This unit has the following track editing functions.

COPY/PASTE (copy and paste)

• COPY/INSERT (copy and insert)

• MOVE/PASTE (move and paste)

• MOVE/INSERT (move and insert)

• OPEN (insert a silent section)

• CUT (remove part of a track)

• SILENCE (erase part of a track)

• CLONE TRACK (duplicate a track)

• CLEAN OUT (erase a track)

•

Basic editing procedures

1 When the recorder is stopped and the Home Screen

is open, press the MENU button to open the screen.

2 Use the DATA wheel to select the

menu, and press the F4 (¥) button to open it.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select the desired track

editing function, and press the F4 (¥) button to open that function’s screen.

TRACK EDIT

Editing points

Among the track editing functions, COPY/PASTE, COPY/ INSERT, MOVE/PASTE and MOVE/INSERT use the IN and OUT points as editing points. They also use the current position when the editing operation is begun as the TO point. SILENCE, CUT, and OPEN use the IN and OUT points. These IN and OUT points are the same IN and OUT points used during repeat playback. See “Using IN, OUT and TO points” (on page 46) for instructions about how to do this.

IN point

The IN point is the starting point for the part of the track subject to track editing.

The IN point is set at the time when you begin pressing the IN [SET IN] button.

OUT point

The OUT point is the ending point for the part of the track subject to track editing.

The OUT point is set at the time when you begin pressing the OUT [SET OUT] button.

TO point

The TO point is used as the PASTE destination point for COPY and MOVE operations.

The TO point is set at the time when you begin pressing the TO [SET TO] button.

The IN, OUT and TO points can also be changed on various editing screens.

4 Select the setting item value. If there are multiple

setting items, use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select one. Turn the DATA wheel to set an item’s value.

5 Press the F2 (

Press the F1 (

EDIT

menu screen without executing the function.

EXEC

) button to execute the function.

BACK

) button to return to the

TRACK

Explanation of items

SOURCE TRK

• OPEN TRK

• CUT TRK

• SILENCE TRK

• CLEAN OUT TRK

•

This is the track to be edited. The choices available depend on the editing function.

to 8: single tracks

•

/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8: track pairs

•

-8: all tracks

•

MST

•

: stereo master track

ALL

: all tracks or the stereo master track

SOURCE TRK screen

50 TASCAM DP- 03

IN OUT TO

8 – Editing Tracks

CLEAN OUT TRK screen

IN/OUT/TO

These points are used for editing. To change the IN, OUT or TO point, use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select one. Then, use the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) and F FWD

() (TO LAST REC) buttons to move the cursor and the DATA wheel to set the time.

IN point editing screen

COPY TIMES

Set the number of times that the copied section will be pasted. Set the number between 1 and 99.

COPY/PASTE

OUT point editing screen

TO point editing screen

DESTINATION TRK

Select the track that you want to be the destination for a COPY, INSERT or MOVE operation. The choices depend on what you have already chosen for the the track to be edited.

When a single track has been set as the the

DESTINATION TRK

tracks).

When a track pair (for example, 1/2) has been set as the

SOURCE TRK 1/2, 3/4, 5/6

When

1-8

the

DESTINATION TRK

other words, this setting cannot be changed in this case.

, the

and 7/8 (track pairs).

(all tracks) has been set as the

choices are 1 to 8 (single

DESTINATION TRK

choice is

SOURCE TRK

choices are

SOURCE TRK

1-8

(all tracks). In

This function copies the audio data from between the IN and OUT points on the COPY source track, and pastes it on the COPY destination track starting from the TO point. This operation does not change the COPY source track.

This operation overwrites recorded data on the COPY destination track. Therefore, the length of the COPY destination track is not changed.

You can make multiple copies in a single operation. In other words, you can overwrite the COPY destination track from the TO point with a designated number of repetitions of the COPY data.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

SOURCE TRK (

• IN/OUT/TO

• DESTINATION TRK

• COPY TIMES

•

COPY/INSERT

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8)

TASCAM DP-03 51

IN OUT TO

IN OUT

8 – Editing Tracks

This function copies the audio data from between the IN and OUT points on the COPY source track, and inserts it on the COPY destination track starting from the TO point. This operation does not change the COPY source track.

This operation inserts recorded data into the COPY destination track. The recorded data on the COPY destination track after the TO point is offset by the amount of time used by the inserted audio data. Therefore, the COPY destination track becomes longer.

You can make multiple copies in a single operation. In other words, you can insert a designated number of repetitions of the COPY data into the COPY destination track from the TO point.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

SOURCE TRK (

• IN/OUT/TO

• DESTINATION TRK

• COPY TIMES

•

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8)

MOVE/PASTE

MOVE/INSERT

The audio data between the IN and OUT points on the MOVE source track is removed and inserted in the MOVE destination track from the TO point. This operation leaves a silence between the IN and OUT points on the MOVE source track.

This operation inserts recorded data into the MOVE destination track starting from the TO point. Therefore, the MOVE destination track becomes longer.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

SOURCE TRK (

• IN/OUT/TO

• DESTINATION TRK

•

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8)

The audio data between the IN and OUT points on the MOVE source track is removed and pasted in the MOVE destination track starting from the TO point. This operation leaves a silence between the IN and OUT points on the MOVE source track.

This operation overwrites recorded data on the MOVE destination track. Therefore, the length of the MOVE destination track is not changed.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

SOURCE TRK (

• IN/OUT/TO

• DESTINATION TRK

•

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8)

OPEN (insert silence)

This function inserts silence between the IN and OUT points on the selected track.

This function splits the track at the IN point and shifts the recorded data after the IN point to after the OUT point. Therefore, the track becomes longer.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

OPEN TRK (

• IN/OUT

•

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8,

ALL

)

52 TASCAM DP- 03

IN OUT

8 – Editing Tracks

CUT (remove part)

This function cuts (deletes) the audio data between the IN and OUT points on the selected track, and shifts the remaining recording after the OUT point forward to the IN point. Therefore, the track becomes shorter.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

CUT TRK (

• IN/OUT

•

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8,

ALL

)

SILENCE (part erase)

CLONE track (track duplication)

Use this function to duplicate a single track, a track pair or the stereo master track on a different track or track pair. Each track is copied entirely, so the IN/OUT/TO points have no effect.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

SOURCE TRK (

• DESTINATION TRK

•

NOTE

If you choose the same track for both the SOURCE TRK and the DESTINATION TRK and press the F2 ( the

Same Track

not executed.

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8,1-8,

EXEC

message appears and the operation is

MST

) button,

)

This function cuts (deletes) the audio data between the IN and OUT points on the selected track, leaving silence between the IN and OUT points, as though there had been no recording.

This operation does not change the length of the track.

The following parameters are used in this operation.

SILENCE TRK (

• IN/OUT

•

TIP

Using this function, you can delete short noises, for example.

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8)

CLEAN out (track erase)

Use this function to completely erase the selected track. This erases the entire track, so the IN, OUT and TO points have no effect.

The following parameter is used in this operation.

CLEAN OUT TRK (

•

to 8, 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 1-8)

TASCAM DP-03 53

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks

TRACK EQ is ON

Mixing down tracks

Mixing down tracks is the process of adjusting the volumes and stereo positions of each recorded track and mixing them into a well-balanced stereo track.

Levels and balance

Use the TRACK 1-8 faders to adjust the relative balance of the tracks. Then use the MASTER fader to adjust the overall level. Watching the L and R meters on the display, adjust the level until it is suitable.

If the volume is too loud, the sound will be distorted.

NOTE

The track meters on the display show the recorded signal levels of the tracks. Therefore, these meters do not change when the TRACK faders are adjusted.

TIP

You do not need to keep the entire song at the same volume. For example, you could gradually increase the volume during a guitar solo.

Stereo position (panning)

Use the PAN knobs of the tracks to adjust the stereo positions of their signals.

GAIN FREQ

High-frequency gain

Setting range: ±12 dB (Default value: 0.0 dB)

Low-frequency gain

Setting range: ±12 dB (Default value: 0.0 dB)

Use the REC button to select the track.

Use the EQ HIGH knob to adjust the Hi gain and

the EQ LOW knob to adjust the Lo gain.

Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select Hi or

, and use the DATA wheel to set the

Press the F1 (

settings. (See “Using input EQ (equalizer)“ on page

39.)

3 After making the setting, press the HOME button

to return to the Home Screen.

NOTE

When track EQ is applied to a track, the track is shown on the Home Screen as in the illustration below.

INPUT

) button to make

High-frequency value Setting range: 1.7–18 kHz (Default value: 5 kHz)

Low-frequency value Setting range: 32 Hz–1.6 kHz (Default value: 350 Hz)

FREQ

value.

INPUT EQ

Track EQ (equalizer)

Each track has a 2-band equalizer (EQ).

Set the track EQ using the EQ SETTING screen.

1 Press the EQ button to open the

screen.

2 Set the track EQ (equalizer).

The track equalizer has the following parameters.

EQ SETTING

Track EQ is used on all tracks in the example above.

Reverb

This unit has six types of reverb effects.

Adjust the level of the signal sent to the reverb effect from each track by using their REVERB knobs.

NOTE

Both reverb and track EQ (equalization) can be used the same time. The reverb is applied after the track EQ.

1 Press the REVERB button to open the

SETTING

screen.

REVERB

54 TASCAM DP-03

racks 2, 3, 4 and

7 are muted

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks

2 Set the reverb using the following parameters.

Parameters Setting values

Hall 1, Hall 2, Room, Studio,

TYPE

TIME

LEVEL

Use the F3 (˙) and F4 (¥) buttons to select

parameters, and use the DATA wheel to set the parameters.

The reverb return signal (signal after the effect is applied) is mixed into the stereo signal.

3 After making the reverb setting, press the HOME

button to return to the Home Screen.

4 Use the track REVERB knobs to adjust the amount

of track signal sent to the reverb effect.

Reverb type

Reverb time (depth)

Reverb amount (volume)

Plate 1, Plate 2 (Default: Hall 1)

0.2 (0.8 for Plate types) – 3.2 Sec

0–100

Muting tracks

1 Press the MUTE button to open the

screen.

2 Press the REC button of each track to turn mute

ON or OFF for it. When mute is ON, the track number is shown in inverse (dark number on light background).

TRACK MUTE

NOTE

The default values of each reverb type are as follows.

TYPE

Hall 1

Hall 2

Room

Studio

Plate 1

Plate 2

When a setting value is the same as the default value for the reverb type,

INI

appears below that setting value.

Default values

TIME LEVEL

1.8 80

2.2 80

1.4 10

0.6 20

1.4 60

1.8 60

Tracks 2,3,4 and 7 are muted in the example above.

3 After muting the desired tracks, press the HOME

button to return to the Home Screen.

NOTE

When tracks are muted, their track numbers also appear in inverse (dark number on light background) on the Home Screen as shown below.

Creating a stereo master track

When you are satisfied with your mix, this unit can record the mixed down tracks and create a stereo master track internally.

A stereo master track recorded by this unit is saved as part of the song.

This stereo master track can be recorded by an external stereo recorder, and can also be converted by the unit into a WAV file and exported to a computer. (See “Exporting a stereo master track” on page 69.)

NOTE

Only one stereo master track can be saved in each song.

TASCAM DP-03 55

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks

Setting the starting and ending points

Before creating a stereo master track, set the stereo master track start and end points. The time between the song’s IN point and the OUT point will be recorded as the stereo master track.

Ordinarily, set the beginning of the song as the IN point and the end of the song as the OUT point.

Press and hold the IN [SET IN] button where you want to set the start (IN) point of the stereo master track, and press and hold the OUT [SET OUT] button where you want to set the end (OUT) point.

For details about how to change the IN and OUT points, see “Using IN, OUT and TO points” on page 46.

Recording a stereo master track

After setting the IN and OUT points, you are ready to record the stereo master track.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the MIXDOWN/

MASTERING button.

2 Press and hold the RECORD (–) button and press

the PLAY (Á) button to start the mixdown. The RECORD (–) button indicator lights.

Regardless of the recorder’s current playback position, the mixdown starts from the IN point.

Use the TRACK faders and PAN knobs as necessary

to mix the tracks to stereo. These adjustments will be reflected in the stereo master track.

When the recorder reaches the OUT point, recording automatically stops.

3 If you want to redo the creation of the stereo

master track, press and hold the RECORD (–) button and press the PLAY (Á) button to begin. A new stereo master track will be created, and the previous stereo master track will be overwritten.

NOTE

After recording the stereo master track, you can play back the stereo master track to check it. (See “Checking the stereo master track” on page 55.)

TIP

You can also undo the creation of a stereo master track. In other words, after recording the stereo master track multiple times, you can undo and use a stereo master track that you recorded earlier.

After the the unit switches to Screen reopens.

In this state, if you play back or record, you can hear the signal of the mixed tracks (the signal being recorded) through headphones or a monitoring system.

NOTE

When in MIXDOWN mode,

• bar at the upper left of the display.

If you try to enter

• of the interval between IN and OUT points is less than

4 seconds, a appears and you cannot enter

MIXDOWN

• TO points.

Some playback functions and other functions do not

• work when the unit is in mixdown mode. If you try to

use one of these functions, an “In Mixdown Mode” popup message appears.

Mixdown !

Trk Too Short

mode, you cannot change the IN, OUT or

pop-up message appears

MIXDOWN

mode and the Home

MIXDOWN

mode when the length

pop-up message

MIXDOWN

appears in the

mode.

Exiting MIXDOWN mode

Press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button twice to return to MULTITRACK mode.

Checking the stereo master track

Follow these procedures to listen to a stereo master track after you have completed recording it.

1 In MIXDOWN mode, press the MIXDOWN/

MASTERING button.

After the the unit switches to Home Screen reopens.

NOTE

When in MASTERING mode,

• the bar at the upper left of the display.

When in MULTITRACK mode, press the • MIXDOWN/ MASTERING button to activate MIXDOWN mode, and then press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button again to activate MASTERING mode.

MASTERING mode cannot be entered if there is no

• stereo master track.

Mastering !

pop-up message appears

MASTERING

mode and the

MASTERING

appears in

56 TASCAM DP-03

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks

2 In this state, press the PLAY (Á) button to start

playback of the stereo master track.

NOTE

Confirm that both the EQ and COMP items are shown to be OFF. If either is ON, the sound heard will be affected by the equalizer and/or compressor. (See “Using mastering EQ (equalizer)” on page 57 and “Using mastering compression” on page 57.)

3 In MASTERING mode, the transport controls have

the following functions.

Press the PLAY (• Á) button to play the stereo master track from the current position until its end.

Use the REW (• Ô) (TO ZERO) and F FWD () (TO LAST REC) buttons to search backward and forward, in the same way as in MULTITRACK mode.

Press the STOP (• ª) button to stop playback.

Ordinary recording is not possible.

• Repeat and location mark functions cannot be used.

•

Since the stereo master track playback signal is output from the PHONES jack and LINE OUT jacks, you can record the output to an external stereo recorder.

If you are not happy with the completed stereo master track, you can conduct a mixdown again.

NOTE

To listen to a stereo master track recorded in a saved song, load that song, set the recorder mode to and press the PLAY (Á) button to start playback.

TIP

A stereo master track can be copied to any track pair among tracks 1–8 by creating a “clone” track (see “CLONE TRACK (track duplication)” on page 52).

MASTERING

End stereo master track checking

When you are done checking the stereo master track, press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button to return to MULTITRACK mode.

Mastering the stereo master track

This unit has specialized tools for mastering the stereo master track. Use multi-band compression, equalization and normalization to adjust the overall volume and sound quality. Put the unit into MASTERING mode and use the mastering tools to finish (master) the stereo master track.

After the Mastering ! pop-up message appears the unit switches to MASTERING mode and the Home Screen reopens.

NOTE

When in MULTITRACK mode, press the • MIXDOWN/ MASTERING button to activate MIXDOWN mode, and then press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button again to activate MASTERING mode.

MASTERING mode cannot be entered if there is no

• stereo master track.

Step 2. Use the mastering tools to adjust the sound of

the track.

Press the F1 (EQ), F2 ( open the screen for the desired tool.

These include

MASTERING COMP

screens. You can also select either a single band or multiband compressor using the library. The multi-band compressor screen is split into a LOW BAND, a MID BAND and a HIGH BAND.

Make settings for each on their screens. (For details, see “Using mastering compression,” “Using mastering EQ (equalizer)” and “Normalizing” below.)

In MASTERING mode, since you can use the PLAY (Á),

STOP (ª), REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) and F FWD () (TO LAST REC) transport buttons, adjust the settings as you

monitor the playback signal.

Step 3. Record with mastering effects.

After adjusting the settings of the mastering tools, press and hold the RECORD (–) button and press the PLAY (Á) button to start recording. During recording, the PLAY (Á) and RECORD (–) indicators light.

Recording always starts from of the current position.

Recording in MASTERING mode overwrites the stereo master track.

NOTE

If you stop recording in the middle, a stereo master track will be created until the time when you stopped the unit.

Step 4. Check the mastered recording.

Turn the equalizer and compressor OFF before playing back the mastered stereo track to check the results of mastering. Undo and redo can be used, so you can compare the sound before and after mastering.

MASTERING EQ

COMP

) or F3 (

(compressor) and

NORM

(equalizer),

00:00:00:00

) button to

NORMALIZE

regardless

Mastering procedures

Follow these steps to master a stereo track.

Step 1. Enter MASTERING mode.

In mixdown mode, press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button.

If you are not satisfied with the result:

Undo the recording to restore the stereo master track to the state before being overwritten and repeat the mastering procedures above from Step 1.

TASCAM DP-03 57

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks

NOTE

Undo and redo cannot be used when the unit is in MASTERING mode. Switch to MULTITRACK or MIXDOWN mode to use these functions.

Using mastering EQ (equalizer)

1 When the

(EQ) button to open the

2 Set the mastering equalizer using the following

parameters.

Use the EQ HIGH knob to adjust the Hi gain and the EQ LOW knob to adjust the Lo gain.

Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select Hi or Lo, and use the DATA wheel to set the

Whether the mastering equalizer is ON or shown in the upper left of the display. When press the F2 (ON) button to turn EQ ON, and when ON press the F2 (

3 After making the setting, press the F1 (

button to return to the Home Screen.

The EQ item on the whether the mastering equalizer is currently ON or OFF.

MASTERING

screen is open, press the F1

MASTERING EQ

GAIN FREQ

High-frequency gain Setting range: ±12 dB (Default value: 0.0 dB)

Low-frequency gain Setting range: ±12 dB (Default value: 0.0 dB)

OFF

) button to turn EQ OFF.

MASTERING

screen.

High-frequency value Setting range: 1.7–18 kHz (Default value: 5 kHz)

Low-frequency value Setting range: 32 Hz–1.6 kHz (Default value: 350 Hz)

FREQ

value.

OFF

BACK

)

screen shows

Using mastering compression

You can select either a single band or multi-band type of mastering compressor from the library.

Multi-band compressors divide the stereo master track into low, mid and high frequency ranges that can

be processed using independent settings, allowing adjustment of the overall volume balance.

By using compression, you can reduce unwanted peaks and increase the overall gain in order to raise the volume, creating a mastered sound with greater impact.

1 When the

F2 (

MASTERING

COMP

) button to open the

screen is open, press the

MASTERING COMP

screen.

2 Press the F3 (

LIB

) button to open the library

screen.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select an item in the library,

and press the F4 (

EXEC

) button to confirm the

selection.

Items with the while

COMPX1

After the item loads from the library, the

COMP

screen reopens.

4 Next, press the F4 (

TYPE

COMPX3

are multi-band,

items are single band compressors.

MASTERING

PARM

) button to open the

parameter setting screen.

At this time, the selected band is shown in the

upper left. If it is a multi-band compressor, press the F2 (

BAND

) button to change the band that you are adjusting. Each time you press this button, the band cycles through single band types, F2 switches between “

A.MAKEUP

LOW, MID

and

HIGH

BAND

band. For

and

5 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select the

value of the item that you want to set, and use the DATA wheel to set it. When a setting is at its default value, an “i” appears next to it.

The setting items and their ranges are as follows.

THRSHLD

: Set the threshold value that determines when the compressor begins to operate. (Range: –32 dB to 0 dB in 1 dB steps)

RATIO

: Set the compression ratio. (1.0: 1, 1.1: 1, 1.3: 1,

1.5: 1, 1.7: 1, 2.0: 1, 2.5: 1, 3.0: 1, 3.5: 1, 4.0: 1, 5.0: 1, 6.0: 1,

8.0: 1, 16.0: 1, inf: 1)

LEVEL

: Set the output level. (Range: -20 dB to +20 dB

in 1 dB steps)

58 TASCAM DP-03

ON/OFF indication

9 – Mixing down and mastering tracks

6 When using a multi-band compressor, press the

F2 (

BAND

) button to open the next band. Make

settings as necessary for all brands.

7 When using a single band compressor, press the F2

(

BAND

) button to show the

You can turn this automatic gain makeup function ON to automatically increase the volume when it is decreased by the compressor. When a setting is at its default value, an “i” appears next to it.

8 After making the parameters settings, press the

F1 (

BACK

) button to return to the

COMP

screen.

9 Use the F2 (SW) button to turn the compressor

ON and OFF. The ON/OFF status is shown on the

MASTERING COMP

screen.

A.MAKEUP

MASTERING

setting.

Copying the stereo master track

You can use the clone track function to copy the stereo master track to other tracks. (See “CLONE TRACK (track duplication)” on page 52.)

Exiting MASTERING mode

Press the MIXDOWN/MASTERING button to exit MASTERING mode and return to ordinary MULTITRACK mode.

10 When you have finished making the settings, press

the F1 ( screen.

For information about compressor settings, see “14 – Mastering compressor settings list.”

BACK

) button to return to the

MASTERING

Using normalize

Use the normalize function to automatically adjust the volume.

This function detects the highest volume level and raises the overall volume until the highest level reaches the maximum limit.

CAUTION

If you use equalization or compression after normalizing the track, distortion might occur. Use normalization after adjusting the sound quality with equalization and compression.

1 When the

(

NORM

MASTERING

) button to open the

screen is open, press the F3

NORMALIZE

screen.

2 Press the F4 (

3 After normalization completes, press the F1 (

EXEC

) button to normalize the track.

button to return to the

MASTERING

screen.

BACK

)

TASCAM DP-03 59

10 – Miscellaneous Functions

Metronome

This unit has a built-in metronome function that can be used when the recorder is operating. You can set it to function during both playback and recording or only during recording.

1 Press the METRONOME button to open the

METRONOME

2 Set the following items. Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶)

buttons to select each item, and turn the DATA wheel to change the value.

MODE

OFF

REC&PLAY

REC ONLY

TEMPO

Set speed from 20 to

The default setting is

BEAT

Set the frequency of the accent from 1 to 12 for different time signatures.

The default setting is 4.

LEVEL

Set the metronome volume from 0 to

The default setting is

3 When finished making settings, press the HOME

button to return to the Home Screen.

The metronome functions according to the setting made in step 2 above.

The metronome signal is not recorded even if set to operate during recording.

screen.

Default, metronome OFF Functions both during

recording and playback Functions only during

recording

250

beats per minute (BPM).

120

100

MODE

might also be recorded when you use a microphone to record.

When the metronome is operating, you can adjust the

•

LEVEL

cannot be changed. Moreover, during recording, you cannot open the adjust the

METRONOME

different screen.

TIP

You can use the metronome like a click track to help

• keep time when recording the first tracks (rhythm

guitar, bass, etc.) in a song.

If you want to use the metronome when practicing,

• you can either turn each track’s fader all the way down

during playback or play a song that does not have any recordings.

, but other items on the

METRONOME

LEVEL

if you start recording while the

screen is open and do not switch to a

METRONOME

screen. You can

screen

Tuner

Use the built-in chromatic tuner to tune guitars and wind instruments.

In addition to the chromatic tuner mode, which allows you to tune an instrument while looking at the tuning meter, this unit’s tuner, also has an oscillator mode that outputs a standard pitch.

Chromatic tuner mode

1 Connect a guitar or bass to INPUT A. INPUT B

cannot be used for tuning.

Use built-in MIC A when tuning wind instruments,

for example.

2 Set the INPUT A switch to GUITAR (see “Selecting

the input source” on page 38).

To use the built-in mic, set the INPUT A switch to

INTERNAL MIC A.

3 When the recorder is stopped, press TUNER to open

the

TUNER

The value of the selected.

screen.

CALIB

item (standard frequency) is

NOTE

When the metronome is operating, you can monitor

• the sound of the metronome through connected

external speakers. In this case, the metronome sound

60 TASCAM DP-03

10 – Miscellaneous Functions

4 Turn the DATA wheel to set the standard frequency

of the A note between 435 and 445 Hz. The default setting is 440 Hz.

5 Play the instrument and begin tuning. The pitch

name closest to the string appears above the meters. Tune the string roughly until the sound name that you want appears. Then, fine tune the string until the rectangle at the middle of the meter darkens, showing that the string is in tune. If the pitch is too low, a bar extends to the left of the middle and if it is too high it extends to the right. The more out of tune, the longer the bar appears.

When the pitch played matches the note shown, the note name appears between the ¥ icons.

6 When finished tuning, press the HOME button to

return to the Home Screen.

NOTE

If you want to monitor the input sound, press the REC button of a track that has

INPUT A

assigned to it.

Oscillator mode

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the TUNER

button to open the

TUNER

screen.

LEVEL

Use this to set the output level. The setting range is 10 (minimum) – 100 (maximum).

The default setting is 50. Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select

parameters, and use the DATA wheel to set the parameter values.

Use the F2 (ON) button to turn the output ON and OFF.

Use the F1 ( tuner mode.

3 When you have finished tuning, press the HOME

button to return to the Home Screen.

CHROM

) button to change to chromatic

Restoring the initial preference settings

You can restore the their initial values (the values that they had when the unit was shipped from the factory). This operation is called initialization.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open the screen.

PREFERENCE

screen.

screen settings to

PREFERENCE

, and

2 Press the F4 (

screen.

The following settings can be made on this screen.

CALIB

Use this to adjust the standard frequency of A4. The setting range is 435Hz–445Hz.

The default setting is 440Hz.

NOTE

Use this to set the note output. The setting range is

C3–B5

The default setting is A4.

OSC.

) button to display the oscillator

3 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select

next to the

4 Press F2 (

5 Press F3 (

PREFERENCE

finishes.

NOTE

Press the F4 (NO) button to cancel initialization.

Initialize

EXEC

) to open a confirmation screen.

YES

) to initialize the unit. The

screen reopens when the process

item.

Exec

TASCAM DP-03 61

6 When finished, press the HOME button to return to

the Home Screen.

Viewing information

You can view information about the current song, the SD card and the firmware.

1 Press the MENU button to open the

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button.

The

INFORMATION

appears.

screen

SONG (1/3)

screen.

INFORMATION

page

and

10 – Miscellaneous Functions

The

INFORMATION

this one.

3 Use the F3 (

change the page. The pages contain the following information.

SONG (1/3)

loaded song, remaining recording time on partition

CARD (2/3)

FAT partition capacity

F/W (3/3)

page: system firmware version

screen has three pages including

) and F4 (

page: name and partition of currently

page: MTR partitions and capacities,

) buttons to

62 TASCAM DP-03

11 – SD Card Management

MTR partition size

FAT partition size

Total card size

Overview of partitions

As described in “Partitions and songs” (page 35), SD cards formatted by this unit are divided into partitions. MTR partitions are for recording data while the FAT partition can be accessed with a personal computer.

The FAT partition is FAT32 format and can be accessed by a computer connected to this unit by USB. This FAT partition is used to save songs and export stereo master tracks to computers, as well as to allow this unit to import audio files into songs, for example. For this reason, two steps are necessary to copy from a MTR partition and a computer. You can also format an entire card or individual partition as well as change the divisions between partitions (repartition) as necessary.

CAUTION

Formatting and repartition operations cannot be undone!

NOTE

The FAT (File Allocation Table) format is a disk format

• that can be read by a computer.

SD and SDHC card that are at least 512MB in size can

• be used.

Formatting cards

This operation formats the entire card.

CAUTION

This operation erases all the data on the card and cannot be undone! Confirm that you will not lose important data before formatting a card.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press MENU to open

the

screen.

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

CARD

menu screen.

, and press the

The following table shows the FAT and MTR partition sizes for different SD card capacities. The FAT partition size is set automatically according to card capacity.

Card capacity and partition size

Card capacity FAT partition

size

32 GB 4GB 28 GB 16 GB 4GB 12 GB 8 GB 2GB 6 GB 4 GB 2 GB 2 GB 2 GB 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB 512 MB 512 MB 512 MB 256 MB 256 MB

A message warning that all songs will be erased appears.

4 Press the F3 (

For example, if you format a 16 GB card, 12 GB are left for MTR partitions after 4 GB is used for the FAT partition. (Since 1GB is actually 1024 MB, the total size of the partitions does not always match the card size.)

When formatting finishes the

• reopens.

After formatting, one song is automatically created in

• each MTR partition.

To cancel formatting, press the • F4 (NO) button.

YES

) button to format the card.

CARD

MTR partition

size

menu screen

Reformatting MTR partitions

You can reformat an MTR partition if you want. Use this function when you just want to format a specific partition without changing its size.

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select

the F4 (¥) button.

The

FORMAT

screen opens.

FORMAT

and press

CAUTION

You cannot undo this operation! All the data on the selected MTR partition will be erased, so be certain that you will not lose anything important when reformatting.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

CARD

, and press the

menu screen.

TASCAM DP-03 63

11 – SD Card Management

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select

Press the F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

A list of the MTR partitions and their sizes (not open capacities) appear.

A * marks the active partition.

4 Turn the DATA wheel to select the partition that

you want to reformat and press the F2 ( button.

A pop-up message warning that all data on the partition will be erased appears.

REFORMAT

EXEC

)

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button.

A pop-up message warning that all data on the FAT partition will be erased appears.

4 Press the F3 (

partition.

When reformatting finishes the

• reopens.

To cancel reformatting, press the • F4 (NO) button.

YES

) button to reformat the FAT

FAT REFORMAT

CARD

menu screen

Viewing the capacity of the MTR partition

5 Press the F3 (

When reformatting finishes the

• After reformatting, one song is automatically created in

• the MTR partition.

To cancel reformatting, press the • F4 (NO) button.

YES

) button to reformat the partition.

CARD

menu reopens.

Reformatting the FAT partition

You can also reformat just the FAT partition. The size of the FAT partition cannot be changed.

CAUTION

You cannot undo this operation! All data on the FAT partition will be erased, so be certain that you will not lose anything important when reformatting.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

CARD

, and press the

menu screen.

Follow these procedures to view the capacity of the MTR partition.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the CARD screen.

Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open the screen, where you can view the capacity of the MTR partition.

screen.

CARD

PARTITION

, and press the

, and

PARTITION

64 TASCAM DP-03

11 – SD Card Management

Initializing SD cards

If you want to use an SD card that was used with this unit on other equipment, we recommend that you initialize it.

When you initialize an SD card, the entire card is formatted as FAT32.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button to open the

screen.

CARD

, and press the

menu screen.

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select the

INITIALIZE

A pop-up message warning that all data on the card will be erased appears.

4 Press the F3 (

card and format it as FAT32.

To cancel initialization, press the F4 (NO) button.

CAUTION

After initializing an SD card, it is necessary to format it if you want to use it with the DP-03 again. (See “Formatting SD cards” on page 32).

item and press the F4 (¥) button.

YES

) button to initialize the entire

TASCAM DP-03 65

12 – Exchanging Data with a Computer

You can backup song data on this unit to a computer and restore backed-up song data later. Moreover, you can export track files and master files from a song to a computer and import audio files on the computer to the unit.

Backed-up data can be restored to a different DP-03 unit than the one that created it. In other words, files can be freely exchanged between DP-03 units, making it easy to add additional recordings or mix existing recordings in a different location.

NOTE

The MTR partitions where song files are stored cannot

• be directly accessed from a computer.

In this chapter, “computer” refers to a Windows or

• Macintosh personal computer connected to this unit

(see “Supported operating systems” below).

CAUTION

If you want to remove an SD card from this unit and backup its data on a computer using a card reader, always turn off the unit’s power before removing the card.

The following types of data can be transferred from this unit to a computer.

NOTE

Data transfer between this unit and a computer occurs at USB 2.0 speed (maximum). Data can still be transferred if the computer connection is USB1.1, but it will be slower.

In addition, to assure USB 2.0 speed, use a cable that meets USB 2.0 standards.

Connecting with a computer

To use the FAT partition of this unit, the unit must be connected to a computer by USB. When connected by USB, this unit’s record, playback and other recorder operations cannot be used.

To connect with a computer, connect the USB port on the left side panel of the unit with a USB port on the computer using a mini-B-type USB 2.0 cable. It does not matter whether you turn the unit’s power ON before or after the USB connection is made.

If the USB connection is made while the unit’s power is ON, the currently loaded song is saved before the USB connection becomes effective. When connected, the following screen appears on the display.

Entire songs

You can transfer the data for an entire song from the unit’s BACKUP directory on the FAT partition to a computer. This operation is called “backup.” In addition, data backed-up on a computer can be transferred to the BACKUP directory on the FAT partition, and then restored as song data. This operation is called “restore.”

WAV format tracks

One or more tracks can be converted to WAV files and exported to a computer, and WAV files on a computer can be imported to this unit. These WAV files are stored on the WAVE directory of this unit’s FAT partition.

Stereo master track

A stereo master track made on this unit can be transferred to a computer as a stereo WAV file from the WAVE directory on the FAT partition. Only export is possible.

Supported operating systems

You can connect this unit to computers with the following operating systems.

Windows

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Mac OS X

Mac OS X 10.2 or later

When this unit is connected to a computer, the computer recognizes it as a removable disk. There is no need for a special driver.

If you turn the unit’s power ON after making the USB connection, the screen above appears right away.

The unit appears as an external drive named DP-03 on the computer’s display.

The FAT partition of the TASCAM DP-03 has three directories (folders): BACKUP, WAVE and UTILITY.

CAUTION

This unit can receive power from the AC adaptor. It

• cannot be powered by a USB connection.

Do not change the names of three directories (folder)

• in DP-03.

The total number of files and folders that this unit

• can recognize on a FAT partition is 100. If the number

exceeds 100, use a computer or other device to move them.

Do not disconnect the AC adaptor or otherwise cut the

• power to the unit during data transfer. Doing so will

cause all the data to be lost. This lost data cannot be restored.

NOTE

Confirm that you have copied all the files that you want

• to transfer to a computer to the FAT partition before

connecting the unit and the computer by USB.

The • UTILITY directory is used to, for example, update the system software used by the unit.

66 TASCAM DP-03

12 – Exchanging Data with a Computer

Disconnecting

Use the following procedures to disconnect the USB connection correctly.

NOTE

When disconnecting from a computer, the procedure on the computer might be called “eject”, “unmount” or “remove.”

CAUTION

When transferring data, do not disconnect the unit or remove the USB cable. Doing so could cause data on the computer or this unit to be damaged.

Disconnecting from Windows XP/Windows Vista/ Windows 7

Follow the procedures below to disconnect computers that use Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 operating systems.

A PC card icon and arrow appear in the taskbar (usually at the bottom right of the screen).

Song backup and restoration

Song backup saves not only audio tracks, but also backs up editing data and other song data. Song restoration is the reverse of this process. In short, song data is transferred from the computer to the FAT partition of the unit and then used to restore the song.

Backing-up songs

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2. Turn the DATA wheel to select

Press the F4 (¥) button to open the

BACKUP

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button to open a song list.

menu.

screen.

DATA BACKUP

DATA

SONG BACKUP

, and

1 Left-click on this icon to open a pop-up bar. Click

this pop-up bar to disconnect this unit from the computer.

2 After a message appears on the computer screen

saying that this unit can be disconnected, remove the USB cable.

This unit restarts and the Home Screen appears on the display.

If a message appears on the computer screen saying that this unit cannot be disconnected safely, do not disconnect the USB cable. Close all the computer programs and windows that are accessing files on this unit, and then try the operation again.

Disconnecting from Macintosh systems

1 Drag the DP-03 icon that represents this unit to the

Trash, or type Command-E to eject the DP-03.

TIP

Depending on the OS version or OS settings you might also be able to eject the DP-03 icon by clicking an eject button next to it in the Finder window or by using a control button.

2 After the icon disappears from the desktop, remove

the USB cable.

This unit restarts and the Home Screen appears on the display.

4 Turn the DATA wheel to select the song that you

want to backup, and press the F4 (

A screen appears that allows you to set the file name for the song being backed up.

5 Use the REW (Ô)/F FWD () buttons, the DATA

wheel and the F3 ( name the song (maximum of 8 characters) (see “Editing names” on page 35).

6 After setting the name, press the F2 (

A backup copy of the song on the active partition is made on the FAT partition ( extension).

Writing File

INS

) and F4 (

appears on the display.

DEL

.001

is added as an

) button.

) buttons, to

EXEC

) button.

TASCAM DP-03 67

12 – Exchanging Data with a Computer

When the backup is complete, the

DATA BACKUP

menu reopens.

NOTE

If the open space necessary to back-up a songs is not available in the FAT partition, an error message appears. In this case, connect this unit and a computer, and erase unnecessary files on the partition using the computer to make enough open space.

7 Connect this unit to a computer using a USB cable

(see “Connecting with a computer” on page 65).

8 Use the computer to copy backup files from the

BACKUP directory on the FAT partition of the unit to the computer.

9 After copying finishes, disconnect the unit from

the computer using the proper procedures and then remove the USB cable (see “Disconnecting” on page 66).

CAUTION

If you use a computer to change the name of a song

• file that has been backed up, use no more than eight

ordinary single-byte English letters and numbers.

Do not change the file extension.

•

NOTE

An error message appears if there are no files on the FAT partition.

7 Turn the DATA wheel to select the file that you

want to restore, and press the F2 (

EXEC

) button.

The actual song name and a confirmation message (

Are you sure

NOTE

?) appear.

If the file name is short, spaces appear after the file name on the FAT partition, but those spaces are not included in the actual file name.

8 Press the F3 (

YES

) button.

After the currently loaded song is saved, the song selected in step 6 is restored and loaded.

Restoring songs

Basically, restoring is the reverse of backing up. In short, transfer a backup file on a computer to this unit to restore a song.

1 Connect this unit to a computer using a USB cable

(see “Connecting with a computer” on page 65).

2 Use the computer to copy backup files from the

computer to the BACKUP directory on the FAT partition of the unit.

3 When copying finishes, disconnect the unit from

the computer using the proper procedures and then remove the USB cable (see “Disconnecting” on page 66).

4 After this unit restarts automatically, press MENU

to open the

5 Turn the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button.

DATA BACKUP

6 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button.

screen.

screen appears.

DATA BACKUP

SONG RESTORE

and

NOTE

If the open space on the card is insufficient, an error message appears.

9 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

Track import and export

You can import and export individual tracks between a computer and this unit’s FAT partition. Files that can be imported/exported as tracks must be WAV files (with the “.WAV” extension). You can import both mono and stereo files and export mono files. If you want to import audio into this unit that is of a different format, you must convert it to a 16-bit, 44.1-kHz mono/stereo WAV file first.

Importing tracks

1 Connect this unit to a computer using a USB cable

(see “Connecting with a computer” on page 65).

2 Use the computer to copy WAV files on its drive to

the WAVE directory in this unit’s FAT partition.

3 Disconnect the unit from the computer using the

proper procedures and then remove the USB cable (see “Disconnecting” on page 66).

4 After this unit restarts automatically, press the

MENU button to open the

5 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button to open the

EXPORT

menu.

screen.

IMPORT/EXPORT

IMPORT/

The screen shows the backup files on the FAT partition.

68 TASCAM DP-03

12 – Exchanging Data with a Computer

Exporting tracks

You can export tracks as 16-bit, 44.1-kHz mono WAV files.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

6 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button.

WAV files on the FAT partition are shown.

NOTE

This unit cannot use WAV files that are a sampling

• frequency other than 44.1 kHz. Such files are not

displayed even if they have been imported.

If no files that can be imported are on the FAT partition, a pop-up saying

Import File Not Found

appears.

If the file name is short, spaces appear after the file

• name on the FAT partition, but those spaces are not

included in the actual file name.

7 Turn the DATA wheel to select the WAV file that you

want to import, and press the F2 (

The amount of open space on the MTR partition and the size of the selected WAV file appear on the display.

IMPORT TRACK

) button.

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button to open the

EXPORT

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select the

TRACK

Song tracks that have audio recordings are displayed in a list. The file name makes the source track number clear.

TIP

Press F3 (

screen.

IMPORT/EXPORT

menu.

EXPORT

item, and press the F4 (¥) button.

NAME

) to change the file name.

IMPORT/

8 Turn the DATA wheel to select the track that you

want to import the WAV file to, and press the F4 (

EXEC

) button.

Importing begins.

NOTE

If there is not enough open space or the file format is

• wrong, an error message appears.

The track that is the destination for the import must be

• empty.

This unit reads the file from the FAT partition, and imports it to the designated track. The beginning of the file is set at the start of the song (00:00:00:00).

In the same way as other recording tracks, you can edit the track that has received the imported file (see “8-Editing tracks” on page 49).

To import a stereo WAV file, an empty track pair is

• necessary.

9 After importing completes, press HOME to return

to the Home Screen.

NOTE

Song tracks that do not have audio recordings are not displayed in the file list.

4 Turn the DATA wheel, to select a track for export,

and press the F4 (✔) button to put a check in the checkbox.

By checking multiple checkboxes, you can export

more than one track at once. Select a track and press the F4 (✔) button again to remove the check from its checkbox.

5 When you finish putting checks next to the tracks

that you want to export, press the F2 (

)

button.

The amount or open space on the FAT partition (which is the destination for the exported tracks) and the total number of tracks to be exported is shown.

TASCAM DP-03 69

12 – Exchanging Data with a Computer

6 Press the F4 (

EXEC

) button. The selected track is exported to the FAT partition with the edited file name with the “.WAV” extension added as the track file name. If you have previously exported a track file with the same name, a confirmation message (

Duplicate name

appears. Press the F3 (

–

Are you sure?

YES

) button to overwrite the

)

older track.

7 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

8 Connect this unit to a computer (see “Connecting

with a computer” on page 65).

9 Use the computer to copy track files from the WAVE

directory on the FAT partition to the computer.

10 After exporting track files to the computer,

disconnect the unit from the computer using the proper procedures and then remove the USB cable (see “Disconnecting” on page 66).

The default file name is displayed and can be edited.

NOTE

If there is no stereo master track, an error message appears.

4 Use the REW (Ô)/F FWD () buttons, the DATA

wheel and the F3 (

INS

) and F4 (

DEL

) buttons to edit the name of the stereo master file being exported (See “Editing names” on page 35).

5 After setting the name, press the F2 (

EXEC

) button.

A stereo master track file is exported as a 16-bit,

44.1-kHz, stereo WAV file to the FAT partition. The file name of the exported file is the name set in step 4 above plus the “.WAV” extension.

If you have previously exported a stereo master track with the same name, a confirmation message (

Duplicate name - Are you sure?

)

appears.

Exporting a stereo master track

You can export a stereo master track that you have made on the unit (see “Creating a stereo master track” on page 54) to a computer. When you create a new stereo master track for a song, the existing stereo master track is overwritten, so if you want to keep multiple different stereo master tracks, you might want to save them to a computer.

Before starting the following export procedures, make sure that the song that you want to export a stereo master track for is currently loaded and that you have already created a stereo master track for it.

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU

button to open the

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button to open the

EXPORT

menu.

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button.

screen.

IMPORT/EXPORT

EXPORT MASTER

IMPORT/

Press the F3 (

YES

) button to overwrite the older

track.

If you don't want to overwrite the older track, press

F4 (NO) button.

NOTE

To cancel exporting, press the F1 (

BACK

) button.

6 Press the HOME button to return to the Home

Screen.

7 Connect this unit to a computer using a USB cable

(see “Connecting with a computer” on page 65).

8 Use the computer to copy the stereo master file

from the WAVE directory on the FAT partition of the unit to the computer.

9 After copying finishes, disconnect the unit from

the computer using the proper procedures and then remove the USB cable (see “Disconnecting” on page 66).

70 TASCAM DP- 03

13 – Using CDs

CD drive uses

This unit has a CD drive that supports writing to CD-R and CD-RW discs. In addition to playing back Audio CDs (CDDA), the unit’s CD drive can also be used for the following purposes.

Create audio CDs from stereo master tracks that you

• have made

Import tracks from audio CDs into the current song

• Backup the current song to one or more CDs

• Restore songs backed up on CDs to the unit

•

Preparations before using CDs with this unit

When using CDs with this unit, please make the following preparations.

Before using a CD, put the unit into

• mode. If you press the CD button when in the mode

other than and the CD screen does not open.

From MIXDOWN/MASTERING button one or two times until the unit is put in

BOUNCE

MULTITRACK

Open the

•

MULTITRACK

MIXDOWN

MULTITRACK

mode, press the BOUNCE button to switch

mode.

screen before inserting or ejecting a CD.

mode, a warning appears

MASTERING

MULTITRACK

mode, press the

mode.

Writing to an already written CD-RW

With this unit, you do not need to erase a CD-RW beforehand. You can use a previously written CD-RW by erasing it at the beginning of the desired operation.

When creating an audio CD or backing up a song, the following message will appear if you insert an already written CD-RW disc.

CD BACKUP confirmation screen

Press the F3 ( continue with the intended procedure (backup in the example above).

If you do not want to erase the CD-RW disc, press the F4 (NO) button. The disc tray will open slightly. Pull the tray out and replace the disc with another one.

CAUTION

If you use Track At Once to write a stereo master track to an unfinalized CD-RW in audio CD format (a CD-RW created using stereo master track and setting track will be added without showing the CD-RW erasure warning, and it will not overwrite existing data on the disc.

YES

) button to erase the CD-RW disc and

MASTER WRITE

by selecting a single

FINALIZE

OFF

), the

NOTE

You can only unmount a CD from the CD and

PLAYER

drive being operated from occurring during recording, for example, the power to the drive is disabled when in any other mode besides CD mode (when the CD screen or one of its submenus is open). For this reason, it is necessary to put the unit into CD mode in order to load or eject a CD. After a CD has been mounted (the pop-up has appeared) return to the CD or screen to eject the CD.

screens. In order to prevent the sound of the CD

CD MOUNTING

CD PLAYER

Types of CDs that can be used with this unit

This unit is compatible with 12-cm and 8-cm CD, CD-R, CD-RW and CD-RW High Speed discs. CD-RW Ultra Speed and CD-RW Ultra Speed+ CD-RW discs are not supported.

For the relationship between media types and CD functions, see the “Media compatibility table” on page 76.

Loading and ejecting CDs

Put the CD into the disc tray on the right side of the unit.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

TASCAM DP-03 71

13 – Using CDs

2 Press the F2 (ø) button or the disc tray eject

button on the right side panel to open the disc tray slightly. Pull the tray out completely as shown in the illustration below.

CAUTION

The disc tray will not open when the Home Screen or

•

screen, for example, is shown. Open the CD screen or the disc tray.

Pull the tray out completely. If you try to load a disc

• into the tray or remove a disc from it when it is not

open completely, the disc could be scratched, making it unusable.

Do not touch the writable side of a disc (the unlabeled

• side). Doing so could cause it to become dirty or

scratched, making it unusable.

CD PLAYER

screen before trying to open

Handling a disc that did not load properly

If a disc gets caught, for example, and the tray will not close properly, do not push it in with unnecessary force. Pull the tray out completely once, reload the disc properly and push the tray closed again. (If you force the disc in, the unit or the disc could be damaged.)

Ejecting a CD

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Press the F2 (ø) button or the disc tray eject button

on the right side panel.

The disc tray will open slightly. Pull the tray out

completely. Hold the disc by its edges and lift it out.

CAUTION

The disc tray will not open when the Home Screen or a

• menu screen is shown. Open the disc tray when the CD

screen or

Do not lift the disc forcibly. Doing so could damage the

• unit or the disc.

CD PLAYER

screen is shown.

Inserting a CD

1 As shown in the illustration, hold the edge of the

disc with the label side up and put it into the tray so that its central hole is on the round protrusion in the center of the tray.

2 Press the disc gently near the center to mount it

on the tray. The disc should click into place and be level with the tray.

3 Press the tray until it clicks shut to close it.

Forcing disc ejection

Next to the eject button is a hole that can be used to force disc ejection. Use this if you need to remove a disc when the power is OFF. Insert the end of an extended paperclip or another long, needle-like item into the hole to manually eject the disc.

Before using this, press and hold the STANDBY/ON button on the back of the unit to put it into standby mode, and disconnect the AC adaptor from the unit. Then, press the button inside this hole. When the disc tray opens slightly, use your hand to pull it out.

CAUTION

Use this function only in an emergency. Follow the ordinary procedures for removing discs whenever possible. (See “Ejecting a CD” above.)

72 TASCAM DP-03

13 – Using CDs

Playing back an audio CD

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put an audio CD into the disc tray.

3 Select

4 Use the DATA wheel to move up and down through

5 When the CD player is stopped, press the PLAY

6 When the

CD PLAYER

open the use the CD-RW drive as a CD player.

CD PLAYER

, and press the F4 (¥) button to

screen, which allows you to

1 This shows the number of the track currently

playing back.

2 This shows the numbers and times of each track. 3 This shows the time elapsed from the beginning of

the track currently playing back.

4 These meters show the level of the audio being

played back from the CD.

NOTE

CD PLAYER

used to adjust the level of the CD signal sent to the

LINE OUT jacks and PHONES jack.

the track list and change the selected track.

button or F3 ( the selected track.

buttons and the DATA wheel as follows to control the CD player.

DATA wheel

STOP (ª) button Press to stop CD playback

PLAY (Á) button

REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) button

F FWD () (TO LAST REC) button

STOP (ª) +REW (Ô) buttons

mode, the MASTER fader cannot be

SELECT

CD PLAYER

) button to start playback of

screen is open, use the

Use to select a track for playback

When stopped, press to start playback of the selected track

When near the beginning of a track, press to skip to the previous track. When in the middle of a track, press to skip to the beginning of the current track.

Press to skip to the next track

Press together to skip to the first track on the CD and stop playback

F2 (ø) button

F3 (

SELECT

button

NOTE

If you use the • DATA wheel to select another track during playback, the currently playing track will continue to play. Stop playback once and then start again to play the selected track.

The search forward and backward functions cannot be

• used.

)

Press to stop playback and open the disc tray.

Press to play the selected track

Creating an Audio CD

Using the DP-03, you can create audio CDs that can be played back by ordinary CD players by writing the stereo master tracks created for songs (see “Creating a stereo master track” on page 54) to CD-R and CD-RW discs.

Use the following two methods to create a CD.

Disc At Once (DAO)

Use this method to write multiple stereo master tracks at one time. Since this method automatically finalizes the disc (see “Finalizing a CD” on page 74), making it playable by an ordinary CD player, you will be able to use the completed disc with other CD players right away. However, after DAO completes, you will not be able to add any more tracks to the disc that was automatically finalized.

Track At Once (TAO)

Use this method to write a single stereo master track at a time to a CD.

Use this way when you want to write tracks to a CD at different times. TAO does not automatically finalize a CD, and unfinalized CDs cannot be played back in ordinary CD players. (Playback in the DP-03 is possible.) After you have written all the stereo masters to a disc using TAO, finalize the disc (see “Finalizing a CD” on page 74). You cannot add more tracks to a CD that has been finalized.

Using Disc At Once

Use Disc At Once when you have selected multiple songs.

Using Disc At Once, you can set the order of multiple songs as you like. Moreover, you can set the time and add silent gaps between songs.

NOTE

When using Disc At Once, you can also make multiple discs with the same contents. When doing so, use identical discs (same manufacturer, type and capacity).

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put a blank CD-R/CD-RW or a CD-RW that you want

to erase into the disc tray.

TASCAM DP-03 73

13 – Using CDs

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

MASTER WRITE

and press the F4 (¥) button.

A list of all the songs that have a recorded stereo master track is shown.

4 Use the DATA wheel to select a song that you want

to write to the CD, and press the F4 (✔) button to check the box for that song. Press the F4 (✔) button again to remove the check for a song.

5 Repeat step 4 above as many times as necessary.

6 When you have completed selecting songs to write

to the disc, press the F2 (

WRITE SONG LIST

) button to open the

screen. Use this screen to set the order that the stereo master tracks are written to the CD and set the length of the gaps between tracks.

NOTE

If you want to change the order of multiple songs, repeat steps 8 and 9.

10 After changing the song order, press the F1 (

button to return to the

WRITE SONG LIST

EXIT

screen.

11 If you want to change the length of the gaps

between songs, press the F4 ( the

WRITE SONG GAP

GAP

screen.

) button to open

12 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select the

song for which you want to change the length of the gap that follows it. Use the DATA wheel to set the gap length in a range between 0.0 and 9.9 seconds in 0.1-second intervals.

NOTE

If you want to change the gap for multiple songs, repeat step 12.

13 Press the F2 (

ALL

) button to set all gaps to the

same value at once.

)

7 Press the F3 (

SONG ORDER

ORDER

) button to open the

WRITE

screen where you can change the

order of the songs.

8 Use the DATA wheel or the F3 (§) and F4 (¶)

buttons to select the song that you want to change the order of, and press the F2 (

MOVE

) button. Up and down arrows ( ) appear to the left of the song name.

9 Use the DATA wheel to change the song position,

and press the F2 (

SELECT

) button to confirm the

change.

Use the DATA wheel to set the gap value. Press the

F4 (

SET

) button to confirm the setting and return

to the

WRITE SONG GAP

14 After changing the setting, press the F1 (

button to return to the

screen.

EXIT

WRITE SONG LIST

)

screen.

15 After setting the song order and the gaps between

songs, press the F2 (

) button.

16 After a CD mounting pop-up appears, a

confirmation message will be shown. Press the F3 (

YES

) button to start writing to the CD.

NOTE

Press the F4 (NO) button instead to cancel and return to the

WRITE SONG LIST

screen.

17 After the writing completes, the following message

appears asking if you want to create another CD with the same contents.

74 TASCAM D P-03

13 – Using CDs

If you want to burn another CD with the same contents, press the F3 (

If you do not want to burn another CD with the same contents, press the F4 (NO) button.

YES

) button.

Using Track At Once

When using Track At Once, after writing one track competes, a 2 second gap will be added after it.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put a blank CD-R/CD-RW or an erased CD-RW.

NOTE

If you put a CD-R/RW that has been used previously to write tracks using TAO and has not been finalized, you can add another track to it. In this case, the CD-RW will not be erased.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button.

MASTER WRITE

mounting pop-up, followed by the confirmation message shown below.

7 Press the F3 (YES) button to start writing to the CD.

Finalizing a CD

If you do not plan to write any more songs to a CD using Track At Once, finalize it so that it can be played on a regular CD player.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put the CD-R or CD-RW that you want to finalize

into the disc tray.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button.

FINALIZE

, and

A list of all the songs that have a recorded stereo master track is shown.

4 Use the DATA wheel to select one song that you

want to write to the CD, and press the F4 (✔) button to check the box for that song. Press the F4 (✔) button again to remove the check for that song.

5 Press the F2 (

WRITE

not to finalize the disc after writing the track.

TIP

Finalize the disc if you do not plan to add any more tracks to the CD. (See “Finalizing a CD” on page 74.)

6 To finalize the disc, use the DATA wheel to set it to

. If you do not want to finalize it, use the DATA wheel to set it to Press the F2 (

) button to open the

screen where you can decide whether or

OFF

. (The default setting is OFF.)

) button again to open the CD

MASTER

After a CD mounting pop-up appears, a finalization confirmation message will be shown.

4 Press the F3 (

the CD.

NOTE

A CD-R or CD-RW that has not been finalized cannot be played in an ordinary CD player. You cannot add tracks to a disc that has been finalized.

YES

) button to start finalization of

Importing songs from an audio CD

You can import tracks (songs) from the currently loaded audio CD (CD-DA).

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put an audio CD into the disc tray.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

and press the F4 (¥) button to open the

CD IMPORT

screen.

CD-DA IMPORT

AUDIO

TASCAM DP-03 75

4 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select the

FROM

item, and use the DATA wheel to select the

track (song) to import.

5 Use the F3 (§) and F4 (¶) buttons to select the

item, and use the DATA wheel to select the pair of tracks that you want to use as the import destination (

Trk7-8

6 Press the F2 (

message, and press the F3 (

Trk1-2, Trk3-4, Trk5-6

EXEC

) button to open a confirmation

YES

) button to import

the file from the CD.

13 – Using CDs

5 Use the REW (Ô) (TO ZERO) and F FWD () (TO

LAST REC) buttons and the DATA wheel to set the song name with up to 8 characters). (See “Editing names” on page 35.)

6 Press the F2 (

message.

7 Press the F3 (

8 The number of discs necessary to make the backup

will be shown. Prepare that number of discs. These discs should be identical with the same type, manufacturer and capacity.

NOTE

Backing up a long song could require more than 2 CDs.

EXEC

) button to open a confirmation

YES

) button.

The CD screen reopens after importing completes.

Backing up song data to CDs

You can also back up (write) song data to CDs.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put a blank CD-R/CD-RW or a CD-RW that you want

to erase into the disc tray.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button.

A list of songs (on the currently selected partition) is shown.

CD BACKUP

, and

9 Press the F3 (

YES

) button again.

10 When writing to the first CD has completed, a

message appears requesting the next CD. Put the next blank CD into the disc tray.

11 After mounting the CD, a confirmation message

appears. Press the F3 (

YES

) button.

12 When writing to the CDs has been completed, the

screen reopens.

4 Use the DATA wheel to select the song that you

want to back up, and press the F4 (

) button.

A screen where you can enter the name of the file that you will write to the CD appears.

NOTE

Only one song can be written to a backup CD.

76 TASCA M DP-03

13 – Using CDs

Restoring a song from CDs

Follow these procedures to restore a song that has been backed up on one or more CDs.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put the CD that contains the backup file in the disc

tray.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

press the F4 (¥) button.

4 A confirmation screen appears. Press the F3 (YES)

button.

5 If the song was backed up on multiple CDs, a

message requesting the next CD will appear after restoration from the first CD is complete. Put the next backup CD into the tray.

CD RESTORE

, and

4 Press the F3 (

RW disc. After erasure completes, the CD screen reopens.

CAUTION

Following this procedure will erase all the data on the CDRW. Erased data cannot be recovered. Only erase a CD-RW if you are certain that you do not need the data on it.

NOTE

You cannot erase a CD-R disc.

YES

) button to begin erasing the CD-

6 When restoration is complete the CD screen will

reopen.

Erasing a CD-RW

Follow the procedures below to erase a CD-RW disc that has already been written to.

1 In MULTITRACK mode, press the CD button to open

the CD screen.

2 Put the CD-RW that you want to erase into the disc

tray.

3 Use the DATA wheel to select

F4 (¥) button.

The following confirmation message appears.

ERASE

, and press the

TASCAM DP-03 77

Media compatibility Table

13 – Using CDs

Playback of Audio

CDs CD-DA Import

CDDA standard format Commercially available CD

CDDA standard format Made on this CD-R/CD-RW player

CDDA standard format Made on a CD player other than this CD-R/CD-RW player

CDDA standard format Made on this CD-R/CD-RW player Non-finalized

CDDA standard format Made on a CD player other than this CD-R/CD-RW player Non-finalized

Format other than CDDA standard Commercially available CD (protected CD, DATA CD, CD extra, etc.)

Format other than CDDA standard CD-R/CD-RW (DATA CD, CD extra, etc.)

ISO 9660 Level1 CD-R/CD-RW Backup on this CD player

CD-R/CD-RW – HIGH Speed — A — A “Ultra Speed” CD-RW media N N N N

A — — —

B — — —

A A — —

N N — —

B — — —

— — A —

Writing of Audio CDs Data Restore Data Backup

A: Compatible; B: Operation not assured; N: Not compatible

78 TASCAM DP- 03

14 – Mastering compressor settings list

Library of mastering compressor presets

Multiband compressor

Preset name Description

Basic CD M. Good for basic CD mastering

POP

POP Rock1

POP Rock2 Applies even more compression than the “POP Rock1” setting

Rock1 Brings out a full low end suitable for rock

Rock2

Classic Smooth compression suitable for classical music

Dance Suitable for dance music, this preset emphasizes very high and very low frequencies

R&B Hip Hop

Makes the sound quality more showy, bringing out low frequencies and especially emphasizing high frequencies

While bringing out the high frequencies, this also increases the impact of mid-range frequencies

Emphasizes low and high frequencies even more than “Rock1” for a sound that stands out

Good for R&B and hip-hop, this puts strong compression on high frequencies and adds punch to low frequencies

Single band compressor

Preset name Description

Basic Comp Basic setting for evening out the level

Basic Limit Basic limiter setting

Hard Comp Results in fairly deep compression

Hard Limit Deep limiter setting

If using the compressor causes the sound to become distorted, lower the gain of each band or adjust the mixdown so that the maximum level does not quite cause the overload indicator to light. By doing this, you can achieve a good balance and effectively increase the overall sound level.

Masetring compressor parameters list

Lib TYPE

Basic CD M. 3 Band –16dB –11dB –15dB 3.0:1 3.0:1 3.0:1 +6dB +5dB +6dB — POP 3 Band –13dB –13dB –11dB 4.0:1 4.0:1 4.0:1 +8dB +2dB +6dB — POP Rock1 3 Band –13dB –13dB –11dB 4.0:1 4.0:1 4.0:1 +7dB +2dB +6dB — POP Rock2 3 Band –15dB –13dB –11dB 6.0:1 6.0:1 6.0:1 +7dB +2dB +5dB — Rock1 3 Band –17dB –13dB –11dB 2.0:1 2.0:1 3.0:1 +4dB +2dB +3dB — Rock2 3 Band –17dB –13dB –11dB 2.0:1 2.0:1 4.0:1 +8dB +2dB +3dB — Classic 3 Band –15dB –13dB –15dB 1.5:1 1.5:1 1.5:1 +3dB +5dB +3dB — Dance 3 Band –14dB –13dB –16dB 4.0:1 1.5:1 4.0:1 +8dB +2dB +5dB — R&B 3 Band –20dB –13dB –19dB 8.0:1 2.0:1 6.0:1 +11dB +1dB +8dB — Basic Comp 1 Band –16dB –16dB –16dB 2.0:1 2.0:1 2.0:1 +2dB +2dB +2dB On Basic Limit 1 Band –18dB –18dB –18dB 16:1 16:1 16:1 +2dB +2dB +2dB On Hard Comp 1 Band –24dB –24dB –24dB 2.5:1 2.5:1 2.5:1 +2dB +2dB +2dB On Hard Limit 1 Band –24dB –24dB –24dB 16:1 16:1 16:1 +1dB +1dB +1dB On

High Mid Low High Mid Low High Mid Low

Threshold Ratio Level

Auto

Makeup

TASCAM DP-03 79

15 – Troubleshooting

When working with any new piece of equipment like the unit, it’s sometimes difficult to work out why something isn’t happening the way you expect. The main thing is to take your time—after all, you’re not paying hourly studio rates! Stop and think. Ask yourself questions, like the ones below, and you can usually find the answer.

Also, see the “Messages” section on page 80 for the meaning of messages that may pop up on the display. Consult this table when a message appears when an operation cannot be completed by the unit.

Why can’t I hear any sound when I play back?

Are the track faders of the tracks set to high enough?

• Is the • MASTER fader set to high enough?

Have you connected the • PHONES or LINE OUT jack to your monitoring system properly, and is your monitoring system set up correctly?

Is the • PHONES LEVEL knob set to high enough?

Why does the sound I'm recording distorted?

Are the • TRIM knobs of the INPUT A or INPUT B on the top panel of the unit set too high? Is the input source too loud?

Isn’t the monitor system distorted as the monitor level

• is too high?

Why can’t I record?

You must have at least one track armed (• REC indicator blinking) before you start recording by pressing the PL AY (Á) button while pressing the RECORD (–) button.

Are input channels assigned to tracks • (see “Assigning input” on page 39)?

The disc tray does not open

The disc tray will not open unless the CD screen or

CD PLAYER MULTITRACK CD

screen, and then press the F2 (ø) button or the disc

tray eject button on the right side panel..

An audio CD that I made will not play on an audio CD player.

Did you finalize the audio CD? An audio CD that has

• not been finalized cannot be played on an ordinary

audio CD player. Finalize the audio CD and try again. (You cannot add songs to a finalized CD.)

Are you trying to play a CD-RW disc on an audio CD

• player that does not support CD-RW media? Use an

audio CD player that supports CD-RW media or use CD-R media to make your audio CD again. (Some audio CD players might not be able to play all CD-R media either.)

I cannot (or fail to) make an audio CD or backup a song.

Are you using media that is supported by this unit? This

• unit does not support CD-RW Ultra Speed or CD-RW

Ultra Speed+ media.

Depending on the manufacturer and type of media,

• writing might fail, writing might succeed but result in

an unreadable disc or writing might take a long time. In any of these cases, try using media from a different manufacturer or of a different brand.

screen is shown on the display. In

mode, press the CD button to open the

Why can’t my computer “see” the unit files?

Is the unit connected to the computer via the USB

• terminal (see “Connecting with a computer” on page

65)?

Before making the USB connection, songs, tracks, or

• stereo master tracks are backed up or exported to

the FAT partition? (Files on the MTR partition cannot directly be read.)

Noise occurs if I connect a passive guitar or bass directly.

Connecting another device to the unit’s line output

• (LINE OUT) jacks might reduce the noise.

This might be caused by interference noise from

• another device. If there is a power amplifier or other

device that uses a large transformer, a fluorescent light or something similar nearby, you might be able to reduce the noise by changing the distance and orientation of this unit in relation to such equipment.

You might also be able to reduce the noise if you use

• this unit’s GROUND connector to ground the unit.

80 TASCAM DP-03

16 – Messages

General messages

The following popup messages alert you to conditions that may arise while you are using the unit. Consult this table if you see something you do not understand.

Messages Meaning and remedy

Card Full

Empty Export Track

File Not Found

I/O Too Short

Import File Not Found

Import File Too Large

In Bounce Mode In Master Mode In Punch Mode In Repeat Mode

nvalid Card

Mark Full

Master Track Not Found

Master Track Too Large

No Armed Track

No Disk Space

No Locate Mark

No Master Trk

No SD Card No Undo History

Not Stopped

Now Recording

The SD card is full during recording. You tried to export a track that does not contain any recording data.

This pop-up appears if you try to export a song track that does not contain any recording. (See “Track import and export” on page 67.) Export a song track that has been recorded.

You are trying to restore a song when there are no backed-up songs on the FAT partition ("Song backup and restoration" on page 66).

You are trying to enter repeat mode, but the time between the IN and OUT points is too short. Make the time longer (more than 4 seconds). (“Using IN, OUT and TO points” on page 46”).

You are trying to import a WAV file from the FAT partition when there are no WAV files there ("Importing tracks" on page 67). Connect the unit to a PC and transfer some files to the FAT partition for import.

You are trying to import a WAV file from the FAT partition that is too large for the remaining space on the partition. Free up some space on the MTR partion and try again.

You tried to perform an action that cannot be done while in Bounce mode. You tried to perform an action that cannot be done while in Master mode. You tried to use a function that is prohibited during punch in/out mode. You tried to perform an action that cannot be done while in Repeat mode. Insert another SD card after turning off the unit, or format the card by MENU ®

CARD

FORMAT

You tried to store more than 999 location marks in a song (“Location marks” on page

45). Delete some location marks and try again. You have tried to export a stereo master track ("Exporting a stereo master track" on

page 69) when the song does not have one. Master the song and then export the stereo master track.

You tried to export a stereo master track which was too large for the remaining space on the FAT partition ("Exporting a stereo master track" on page 69). Connect the unit to a computer and free up some space on the FAT partition or reformat the FAT partition.

You tried to enter auto punch in/out mode when no tracks were in record standby. (See “Automatically punching in and out” on page 48.) Put a track into record standby before enabling auto punch in/out mode

This pop-up message appears when the MTR partition does not contain enough open space when you are trying to create or copy a song. Erase an unwanted song (see “Erasing songs” on page 37), format the card (see “Formatting cards” on page 63) or take other steps to make space available on a card.

You’re trying to edit the location mark list (“To edit a location mark” on page 45) when no location marks have been set.

You have tried to use a non-existent master track as the source in a track cloning operation ("CLONE track (track duplication)" on page 52). Select another source or master the song and try again.

Insert an SD card after turning off the unit. There are no actions to be undone. See "Erasing the operation history" on page 42. The recorder is moving (not stopped, but playing back, recording, etc.) and you have

pressed a button such as the UN/REDO [HISTORY] button which cannot be used until you press STOP.

You are trying to perform an action which cannot be done while recording.

TASCAM DP-03 81

Messages Meaning and remedy

Protected Card Same Track SD Size Error

Song Protected

Too Many songs

Track Full

Trk Edit Fail

Trk Too Short

Work Memory Full

Audio Rst Fail Device Error FileErr FX Busy FX Rx Failed

/F Error Mount Error SaveParam Fail SD-Card Error! SD Not Found SD Read Busy SD Write Busy

16 – Messages

To record or edit, turn off the unit and un-protect the SD card. You cannot clone a track to itself. ("CLONE track (track duplication)" on page 52.) Use an SD card larger than 512 MB. The song is protected ("Protecting songs" on page 37) and you are trying to change

it (record or edit, etc.). Unprotect the song. You have 250 songs on one partition. You must delete some before you can create

another song. This message appears if you try to import a file when all tracks already have

recordings. (See “Importing tracks” on page 67.) Save the song and turn the unit off and then on, and perform track edit again. You are trying to enter mixdown mode but the time between the IN and OUT points

is too short. Make the time longer (more than 4 seconds). (“Using IN, OUT and TO points” on page 46”)

Even if the card has enough remaining memory space, this error may occur when you record a long song or edit a lot. You may be able to continue the work if you clear the history ("Erasing the operation history" on page 42.) which may increase the open work memory. You may also be able to continue work by turning the unit off and then on again, which may increase the open work memory.

If any of these errors occur, turn the the unit power OFF and restart it. If these error message continue to appear, please contact a TASCAM Service Center.

82 TASCAM DP-03

16 – Messages

CD mode messages

The following pop-up messages appear when the unit is in CD mode (when the CD screen or one of its submenus is open).

Refer to this chart when you want to understand the meaning of these messages and how you should respond to them.

Messages Meaning and remedy

Blank CD Insert CD-RW

Blank CD Insert Opened CD

Finalized CD Insert CD-RW

Finalized CD Insert Opened CD

Import File Too Big

Invalid CD Insert Backup CD

Invalid CD Insert Blank CD

Invalid CD Insert CD-RW

Invalid CD Insert Opened CD

Low Capacity Insert Blank CD

No disc Insert Backup CD

No disc Insert Blank CD

No disc Insert CD-RW

“A blank CD has been inserted. Insert a CD-RW that is not blank” An erased CD-RW or unwritten CD-R has been inserted in the There is no need to erase the inserted CD. “A blank CD has been inserted. Insert a non-finalized CD.” An erased CD-RW or unwritten CD-R has been inserted in the Insert the CD to be finalized. “A finalized CD has been inserted. Insert a CD-RW that is not blank.” A finalized CD has been inserted in the Only CD-RW discs can be erased. “A finalized CD has been inserted. Insert a non-finalized CD.” A finalized CD has been inserted in the This CD does not need to be finalized. “The import file is too big.” The size of the file to import equals or exceeds the free space on SD card when executing an import in the Create more free space on the SD card by CLEAR, for example, to ensure sufficient free space for reading the import file. “An invalid CD has been inserted. Insert the backup CD.” A CD not written with backup data has been inserted in the Insert a CD written with backup data. “An invalid CD has been inserted. Insert a blank CD.” A CD other than a blank CD has been inserted when writing to CD by the or

CD BACKUP

writing by Track at Once.) Insert a blank CD. “An invalid CD has been inserted. Insert a CD-RW.” A CD-R or other CD that cannot be erased has been inserted in the Insert a CD-RW to be erased. “An invalid CD has been inserted. Insert a non-finalized CD.” A CD that cannot be finalized has been inserted in the Insert a CD to be finalized. “A CD with low capacity has been inserted. Insert a blank CD with adequate capacity.” This appears when writing to multiple discs if a CD with a capacity smaller than that of the first one is loaded.

• When making multiple copies of CDs with the same contents using Disc At Once

• When backing up a song to a CD that requires multiple discs

(This message is displayed, for example, when writing is executed with the CD capacity at 700 MB and the data capacity at 700 MB at the initial write, and a 650 MB CD is inserted after “Another CD?” is displayed after writing ends.) Load a blank CD with the same capacity as the first disc. “A CD has not been inserted. Insert the backup CD.” There is no CD in the disc tray in the Insert a CD written with backup data. “A CD has not been inserted. Insert a blank CD.”

• There is no CD in the disc tray when writing to a CD in the

EXPORT

• The disc tray was opened after preparation for backup was completed in the

menu. Insert a blank CD. “A CD has not been inserted. Insert a CD-RW that is not blank.” There is no CD in the disc tray in the Insert a CD-RW to be erased.

CD-DA IMPORT

menu. (This is also displayed when a finalized CD has been inserted when

menus.

ERASE

FINALIZE

menu.

CD RESTORE

ERASE

menu.

FINALIZE

menu.

ERASE

FINALIZE

CD RESTORE

MASTER WRITE

menu.

MASTER WRITE

ERASE

menu.

CD BACKUP

TASCAM DP-03 83

Messages Meaning and remedy

No disc Insert Opened CD

No Room On CD Press HOME

Not Audio CD Insert Audio CD

Not Blank Insert Blank CD

Import CD-DA Track Full

Wrong Order Insert Backup CD

16 – Messages

“A CD has not been inserted. Insert a non-finalized CD.” There is no CD in the CD tray in the “An attempt has been made to write data exceeding the capacity of the CD. Exit the menu.” The total capacity of the specified stereo master track exceeded the capacity of the inserted CD when writing to CD is started in the and specify the track to write to again. "You loaded a CD that is not an audio CD. Load an audio CD." This message appears if the loaded CD is not an audio CD when you try to use the audio import function on the Loan an audio CD. “A non-finalized CD has been inserted. Insert a blank CD.” A CD written in the Track at Once is inserted when writing by Disc at Once in the

WRITE

Either insert a blank CD or write by Track at Once. “No free tracks” There are no more tracks to import (that is, all tracks are used) when you execute an import in the Either import after you have made empty tracks by song. “The CD order is wrong. Insert the backup CD.” You have inserted the backup CD in the wrong order while you are restoring from two or more CDs in the Insert the correct backup CD.

menu.

CD-DA IMPORT

menu.

CD RESTORE

menu.

FINALIZE

MASTER WRITE

screen.

menu.

CLEAN OUT

menu. Press HOME to exit the menu,

MASTER

, or import after making a new

CD-related error messages

If you experience a problem while reading or writing a CD, you may see one of the following error messages: When a popup message is displayed, press HOME button to clear the display, check the state of the media, and retry the operation.

Messages Meaning

Backup Error Press HOME

CD Read Error Press HOME

CD Write Error Press HOME

Erase Error Press HOME

Finalize Error Press HOME

Import Error Press HOME

Media Error Press HOME

Restore Error Press HOME

An error occurred in the

A CD read error occurred in the and

ERASE

An error occurred in the processes.

An error occurred in the

An error occurred in the CD media in the

An error occurred in the

execution processes.

CD BACKUP

FINALIZE, CD BACKUP, CD RESTORE

ERASE

FINALIZE

CD-DA IMPORT

CD RESTORE

execution process.

FINALIZE, CD BACKUP, CD RESTORE, CD-DA IMPORT

execution process.

CD PLAYER

execution process.

menu.

, and

ERASE

execution

Writing Failed Press HOME

An error occurred in the CD write process in the

MASTER WRITE

menu.

84 TASCAM DP-03

17 – Specifications

Ratings

Recording media

SD card (512 MB - 2 GB) or SDHC card (4 GB - 32 GB)

LINE OUT jack

Connector: RCA pin jack

Standard output level: –10 dBV

Maximum output level: +6 dBV

File system

MTR partition: TASCAM original

FAT partition: FAT32

Built-in mic

Omni directional, 2 pcs

Audio input/output ratings

INPUT A jack

XLR type (Balanced)

Connector: XLR-3-31

(1: GND, 2: HOT, 3: COLD)

Input impedance: 2.4 kΩ

Standard input level: –16 dBu

Maximum input level: 0 dBu

1/4” phone jack type (Balanced)

Connector: 6.3 mm (1/4”) TRS phone jack

(Tip: HOT, Ring: COLD, Sleeve: GND)

When INPUT A switch is set to MIC/LINE:

Input impedance: 10 kΩ or more

Standard input level: +4 dBu

Maximum input level: +24 dBu

Headroom: 20 dB

When INPUT A switch is set to GU ITAR:

Input impedance: 1 MΩ

Standard input level: –2 dBV

Maximum input level: +14 dBV

Headroom: 16 dB

INPUT B jack

XLR type (Balanced)

Connector: XLR-3-31

(1: GND, 2: HOT, 3: COLD)

Input impedance: 2.4 kΩ

Standard input level: –16 dBu

Maximum input level: 0 dBu

1/4” phone jack type (Balanced)

Connector: 6.3 mm (1/4”) TRS phone jack

(Tip: HOT, Ring: COLD, Sleeve: GND)

Input impedance: 10 kΩ or more

Standard input level: +4 dBu

Maximum input level: +24 dBu

Headroom: 20 dB

PHONES jack

Connector: 3.5 mm stereo mini jack

Maximum output level: 40 mW + 40 mW or more (THD + N 0.1% or less, 32Ω load)

Control input/output ratings

USB jack

Connector: Mini-B type

Format: USB 2.0 HIGH SPEED, mass storage class

REMOTE jack

Connector: 2.5 mm TS jack

Audio performance

Frequency response

INPUT (MIC/LINE) → LINE OUT: 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +1 dB/

–3 dB

Distortion

INPUT (MIC/LINE) → LINE OUT: 0.01% or less

S/N ratio

INPUT (MIC/LINE) → LINE OUT: 90 dB or more

Computer requirements

See the TASCAM website for updated information about OS compatibility.

Windows

Pentium 300 MHz or faster

128 MB or more memory

USB port (USB 2.0 recommended)

Macintosh

Power PC, iMac, G3, G4 266 MHz or faster

64 MB or more memory

USB port (USB 2.0 recommended)

Recommended USB host controller

Intel chipset

Supported OS

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7

Macintosh Mac OS X 10.2 or later

TASCAM DP-03 85

17 – Specifications

290mm

54.1mm

207.2mm

General

Power supply

TASCAM PS-1225L AC adaptor (included)

AC input: 100-240 V, 1.0 A

DC output: +12 V, 2.5 A

Power consumption

10 W

Dimensions (WHD)

290 x 54.1 x 207.2 mm/

11.42 x 2.13 x 8.16 in

(w/o projections)

Weight

1.8 kg/3.968 lb (w/o AC adaptor)

Operating temperature range

5 - 35°C/41 - 95°F

Dimensional drawings

Backup memory

The following settings are backed up even when the unit power is turned off.

PREFERENCE item

Repeat Int

• Contrast

• Foot switch L/C/R

•

Illustrations in this manual might differ from the actual product.

• In order to improve the product, specifications and appearance could be changed without prior notice.

•

86 TASCAM DP-03

17 – Specifications

Block diagram

TASCAM DP-03 87

18 – Commonly-used Functions

This section is a brief guide to some operations on the DP-03 which may not be immediately obvious from looking at the panel controls.

Button sequences are written like this: STOP + Ô means “press and hold the STOP button and press Ô.” Menu items are written like this: MENU ® CARD ® FORMAT, meaning “press the MENU button, select the CARD menu,

and then the FORMAT action.

The list of popup messages and their meaning (“Messages” on page 80) may also be useful to you.

How to Buttons, etc. to press Description

Add reverb REVERB See "Reverb" on page 53.

Adjust the gain and frequency of EQ (equalizer)

Back up a song to a PC

Back up data to a CD

Bounce tracks BOUNCE See "Bouncing tracks" on page 43. Burn a stereo master track to a CD

Change the interval time during repeat

Change the screen contrast

Change the track to which INPUT A/B is assigned

Copy a song Create a new song

Create a stereo master track MIXDOWN/MASTERING

Cut and close up part a track

Delete a location mark

Delete a song

Delete the whole of a track

Display the song name

Edit the IN and OUT and TO points

Edit the location marks

Erase an already written CD-RW

Export a stereo master track to a PC

Export a track's contents to PC

Find out how much time is left for recording

Format an SD card

Format the FAT partition

Format the MTR partition

Import a WAV file to a track (from the FAT partition)

Import an audio file from a CD

MENU ® DATA BACKUP ® SONG BACKUP

CD ® CD BACKUP

CD ® MASTER WRITE

MENU ® PREFERENCE

ASSIGN See "Assigning inputs" on page 39.

MENU ® SONG ® COPY MENU ® SONG ® CREATE

MENU ® TRACK EDIT ® CUT LOCATE LIST ® select the mark with

DATA wheel ® F2 (EDIT) ® F2 (DEL) MENU ® SONG ® ERASE

MENU ® TRACK EDIT ® CLEAN OUT

MENU ® INFORMATION LOCATE LIST ® F3

(F3 is not necessary if no marks have been added yet)

LOCATE LIST ® select the mark with DATA wheel ® F2 (EDIT)

CD ® ERASE MENU ® IMPORT/EXPORT ® EXPORT

MASTER MENU ® IMPORT/EXPORT ® EXPORT

TRACK

MENU ® INFORMATION

MENU ® CARD ® FORMAT

MENU ® CARD ® FAT REFORMAT

MENU ® CARD ® REFORMAT

MENU ® IMPORT/EXPORT ® IMPORT TRACK

CD ® CD-DA IMPORT

See "Using input EQ (equalizer)" on page 39. See "Track EQ (equalizer)" on page 53.

See "Backing-up songs" on page 66.

See “Backing up song data to a CD” on page 75.

See “Creating an Audio CD” on page 72. See "Setting the interval between

repetitions" on page 47. See "Adjusting the contrast" on page

34.

See "Copying songs" on page 36. See "Creating a new song" on page 35. See “Creating a stereo master track” on

page 54. See "CUT (remove part)" on page 52.

See “Location marks” on page 45.

See "Erasing songs" on page 37. See "CLEAN OUT (track erase)" on page

52. See "Viewing information" on page 61.

See "Using IN, OUT and TO points" on page 46.

See “Location marks” on page 45.

Erasing a CD-RW See "Exporting a stereo master track"

on page 69.

See "Exporting tracks" on page 68.

See "Viewing song information" on page 36.

See "Formatting cards" on page 62. See "Reformatting the FAT partition" on

page 63. See "Reformatting MTR partitions" on

page 62.

See "Importing tracks" on page 67.

See “Importing songs from an audio CD” on page 74.

88 TASCAM DP-03

18 – Commonly-used Functions

How to Buttons, etc. to press Description

Insert silence at a point in a track

Jump to a location mark

Jump to the IN and OUT and TO points Press IN, OUT or TO

Listen to a CD

Load a song Make all of an SD card usable by a PC

Make an exact copy of (clone) a track

Metronome settings METRONOME See "Metronome" on page 59. Mute the playback sound of the track MUTE See "Muting tracks" on page 54 Name a song Normalize the volume of the stereo

master track Ping-pong (bounce) to other tracks BOUNCE See "Bouncing tracks" on page 43.

Playback a created stereo master track MIXDOWN/MASTER x 2

Protect a song

Record a guitar Set the INPUT A switch to GUITAR

Redo one operation UNDO/REDO

Remove a section of a track and replace it with silence

Remove the USB connection Disconnect the unit from a PC See "Disconnecting" on page 66.

Restore a song from a PC

Restore data backed up on a CD

Save a song Set a location mark Press and hold LOCATE LIST See “Location marks” on page 45.

Set the IN and OUT points Press and hold IN, OUT or TO

Tune a guitar or wind instrument TUNER See "Tuner" on page 59.

Undo one operation UNDO/REDO

Un-protect a song Use EQ (equalizer) on a track EQ See "Track EQ (equalizer)" on page 53.

Use EQ (equalizer) on an input signal EQ

Use equalization on the stereo master track

Use phantom power PHANTOM

Use the built-in mic

Use the metronome METRONOME See "Metronome" on page 59.

Use the USB connection

User compression on the stereo master track

MENU ® TRACK EDIT ® OPEN LOCATE LIST ® select the mark with

DATA wheel ® F4 (JUMP)

CD ® CD PLAYER

MENU ® SONG ® LOAD MENU ® CARD ® SD INITIALIZE

MENU ® TRACK EDIT ® CLONE TRACK

MENU ® SONG ® NAME EDIT

MIXDOWN/MASTERINGx2 ® F3

MENU ® SONG ® PROTECT

MENU ® TRACK EDIT ® SILENCE

MENU ® DATA BACKUP ® SONG RESTORE

CD ® CD RESTORE

MENU ® SONG ® SAVE

MENU ® SONG ® PROTECT

MIXDOWN/MASTERINGx2 ® F1

Set the INPUT A/B switch to INTERNAL MIC A/B

Connect the unit and a PC with the USB cable.

MIXDOWN/MASTERINGx2 ® F2

See "OPEN (insert silence)" on page 51.

See “Location marks” on page 45.

See "Using IN, OUT and TO points" on page 46.

See “Playing back an audio CD” on page

72. See "Loading a saved song" on page 35. See "Initializing SD cards" on page 64. See "CLONE track (track duplicatin)" on

page 52.

See "Editing names" on page 35. See “Mastering the stereo master track”

on page 56.

See “Checking the stereo master track” on page 55

See "Protecting songs" on page 37. See "Selecting the input source" on

page 38. See "Undoing an operation" on page

41.

See "SILENCE (part erase)" on page 52.

See "Restoring songs" on page 67.

See “Restoring a song from a CD” on page 76.

See "Saving a song" on page 36.

See "Using IN, OUT and TO points" on page 46.

See "Undoing an operation" on page

41. See "Protecting songs" on page 37.

See "Using input EQ (equalizer)" on page 39.

See “Mastering the stereo master track” on page 56.

See "Using phantom power" on page

38. See "Selecting the input source" on

page 38.

See "Connecting with a computer" on page 65.

See “Mastering the stereo master track” on page 56.

TASCAM DP-03 89

Notes

90 TASCAM DP-03

Notes

TASCAM DP-03 91

Notes

DP-03

TEAC CORPORATION

Phone: +81-42-356-9143 1-47 Ochiai, Tama-shi, Tokyo 206-8530, Japan

TEAC AMERICA, INC. http://tascam.com/

Phone: +1-323-726-0303 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640 USA

TEAC CANADA LTD. http://tascam.com/

Phone: +1905-890-8008 Facsimile: +1905-890-9888 5939 Wallace Street, Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1Z8, Canada

TEAC MEXICO, S.A. de C.V. http://www.teacmexico.net/

Phone: +52-55-5010-6000 Río Churubusco 364, Colonia Del Carmen, Delegación Coyoacán, CP 04100, México DF, México

TEAC UK LIMITED http://www.tascam.co.uk

Phone: +44-8451-302511 Suites 19 & 20, Building 6, Croxley Green Business Park, Hatters Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 8TE, UK

TEAC EUROPE GmbH http://www.tascam.de/

Phone: +49-611-71580 Bahnstrasse 12, 65205 Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany

http://tascam.jp/

Printed in China

Teac DP-03 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1 – Introduction

Features

Product parts

About this manual

Intellectual property rights

Precautions for placement and use

Beware of condensation

Cleaning the unit

About Compact Discs

Precaution for CD use

About CD-R and CD-RW discs

About SD cards

Precautions for use

2 – Quick Start Guides

Playback and mixing

Preparations

Listening to the demo song

Creating a new song

Recording and mastering

Connecting and setting the input sources

Set the guitar as the recording source for TRACK 1

Adjusting and monitoring the input level

Recording a guitar to TRACK 1

Playing back the recording

Recording a guitar to TRACK 2

Recording a vocal to TRACK 3

Mixing the tracks

Mastering a stereo track

Creating an audio CD with the master track

Insert a CD

Writing to a CD

Eject the CD

Shutting down

Top panel

3 – Names and Functions of Parts

Rear panel

Left side panel

Right side panel

Bottom panel

Home Screen

Menu structure

Screen operations

Installing an SD card

4 – Preparations

Preparing the power

Ejecting the card

Startup & shutdown

Starting up the unit

Shutting down

Formatting SD cards

Recorder modes

Rear panel

Connecting other equipment

Left side panel

Adjusting the contrast

5 – Song Management

Partitions and songs

Editing names

Creating a new song

Loading a saved song

Saving a song

Copying songs

Viewing song information

Erasing songs

Protecting songs

6 – Basic Recording

Selecting the input sources

Using phantom power

Monitoring input signals

OL indicators and level meters

Assigning inputs

Using input EQ (equalizer)

Making the first recording

Multitrack recording

Prepare tracks for recording