Yamaha MT120 User Manual
®
YAMAHA
AUTHORIZED
PRODUCT MANUAL
MULTITRACK CASSETTE RECORDER
YAMAHA
MULTITRACK CASSETTE RECORDER
OPERATION MANUAL
ll
Explanation of Graphical Symbols
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenace (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an
equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient mag-
nitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS (PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH UL STANDARD 1270)
1.
Read Instructions—All the safety and operating instructions
should be read before the appliance is operated.
Retain Instructions—The safety. and operating instructions
2.
should be retained for future reference.
Heed Warnings—All warnings on the appliance and in the
3.
operating instructions should be adhered to.
4.
Follow Instructions—All operating and use instructions should
be followed.
Water and Moisture—The appliance should not be used near
5.
water—for example, near a bathtub, or near a swimming
pool, and the like.
Carts and Stands—The appliance
6.
should be used only with a cart or
stand that is recommended by the
manufacturer.
6A.
An appliance and cart combination
should be moved with care. Quick
stops, excessive force, and uneven
surfaces may cause the appliance
and cart combination to overturn.
7.
Wall or Ceiling Mounting—The appliance should be mounted
to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manufacturer.
8.
Ventilation—The appliance should be situated so that its
location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the appliance should not be situated on
a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block the ventilation openings; or placed in a built-in installation, such
as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of air
through the ventilation openings.
9.
Heat—The appliance should be situated away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
10.
Power Sources—The appliance should be connected to a
power supply only of the type described in the operating
instructions or as marked on the appliance.
Grounding or Polarization—The precautions that should be
11.
taken so that the grounding or polarization means of an
appliance is not defeated.
12.
Power-Cord Protection—Power-supply cords should be routed
so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by
items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the appliance.
13.
Cleaning—The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the manufacturer.
14.
Nonuse Periods—The power cord of the appliance should
be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long
period of time.
15.
Object and Liquid Entry—Care should be taken so that ob-
jects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclo-
sure through openings.
16.
Damage Requiring Service—The appliance should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged;
or
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the
appliance; or
C.
The appliance has been exposed to rain, or
D.
The appliance does not appear to operate normally or
exhibits a marked change in performance; or
E.
The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure dam-
aged.
17.
Servicing—The user should not attempt service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions.
FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.)
1.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT!
This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by
Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product.
2.
IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or another product use only high quality shielded cables. Cable/s supplied with this
product MUST be used. Follow all installation instructions. Failure to follow instructions could void your FCC authorization to use this product in the USA.
3.
NOTE: This product has been tested and found to comply with the requirements listed in FCC Regulations, Part 15 for Class “B” digital devices,
Compliance with these requirements provides a reasonable level of assurance that your use of this product in a residential environment will not result in
harmful interference with other electronic devices. This equipment generates/uses radio frequencies and, if not installed and used according to the
instructions found in the users manual, may cause interference harmful to the operation of other electronic devices. Compliance with FCC regulations
does not guarantee that interference will not occur in all installations. If this product is found to be the source of interference, which can be determined
by turning the unit “OFF” and “ON”, please try to eliminate the problem by using one of the following measures:
Relocate either this product or the device that is being affected by the interference.
Utilize power outlets that are on different branch (circuit breaker or fuse) circuits or install AC line filter/s.
In the case of radio or TV interference, relocate/reorient the antenna. If the antenna lead-in is 300 ohm ribbon lead, change the lead-in to co-axial type
cable.
If these corrective measures do not produce satisfactory results, please contact the local retailer authorized to distribute this type of product. If you can
not locate the appropriate, please contact Yamaha Corporation of America, Electronic Service Division, 6600 Orangethorpe Ave. Buena Park, CA 90620
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.
CANADA
THIS DIGITAL APPARATUS DOES NOT EXCEED THE “CLASS B” LIMITS FOR RADIO NOISE EMISSIONS FROM DIGITAL APPARATUS SET OUT IN
THE RADIO INTERFERENCE REGULATION OF THE CANADIAN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS.
LE PRESENT APPAREIL NUMERIQUE N’EMET PAS DE BRUITS RADIOELECTRIQUES DEPASSANT LES LIMITES APPLICABLES AUX APPAREILS
NUMERIQUES DE LA “CLASSE B” PRESCRITES DANS LE REGLEMENT SUR LE BROUILLAGE RADIOELECTRIQUE EDICTE PAR LE MINISTERE
DES COMMUNICATIONS DU CANADA.
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CANADA MUSIC LTD.
Dette apparat overholder det gaeldende EF-direktiv
vedrørende radiostøj.
Cet appareil est conforme aux prescriptions de la
directive communautaire 87/308/CEE.
Diese Geräte entsprechen der EG-Richtlinie 82/
499/EWG und/oder 87/308/EWG.
This product complies with the radio frequency
interference requirements of the Council Directive 82/499/EEC and/or 87/308/EEC.
Questo apparecchio è conforme al D.M.13 aprile
1989 (Direttiva CEE/87/308) sulla soppressione
dei radiodisturbi.
Este producto está de acuerdo con los requisitos
sobre interferencias de radio frequencia fijados
por el Consejo Directive 87/308/CEE.
YAMAHA CORPORATION
Connecting the Plug and Cord
IMPORTANT. The wires in this mains lead are coloured in accordance with the following
code:
As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this apparatus may not correspond with the
coloured markings identifying the terminals in your plug proceed as follows:
The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the terminal which is marked with
the lettcr N or coloured BLACK.
The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to the terminal which is marked
with the letter L or coloured RED.
Making sure that neither core is connected to the earth terminal of the three pin plug.
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM
BLUE : NEUTRAL
BROWN : LIVE
* This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA - KEMBLE MUSIC (U.K.) LTD.
WARNING: CHEMICAL CONTENT NOTICE!
The solder used in the manufacture of this product contains LEAD. In addition, the electrical/electronic and/or plastic (where applicable) components may
also contain traces of chemicals found by the California Health and Welfare Agency (and possibly other entities) to cause cancer and/or birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
DO NOT REMOVE ANY ENCLOSURE COMPONENTS! There are no user serviceable parts inside, All service should be performed by a service representative
authorized by Yamaha to perform such service.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Yamaha strives to produce products that are both user safe and environmentally “friendly”. We sincerely believe that our products
meet these goals. However, in keeping with both the spirit and the letter of various statutes we have included the messages shown above and others in various
locations in this manual.
*
This applies only to products distributed by YAMAHA CORPORATION OF AMERICA.
1
CONGRATULATIONS!
Your MT120 Multitrack Cassette Recorder is a powerful recording tool that will enable you
to work with sound in many ways. No other multitrack cassette recorder offers the straightforward
simplicity and ease-of-use of the MT120. Whether you need to record acoustic instruments or
voice using microphones, electronic instruments and line-level sources, or a creative blend of
the two, the MT120 makes the process of building tracks extraordinarily smooth and simple.
You can simply record and remix four tracks, or use the multitrack “ping-pong” recording
technique to individually record up to ten independent parts — adding sound layer by layer
until you create exactly the arrangement and texture your imagination demands with its
ability to record on all four tracks at once, or in any combination, MT120 is the ideal choice
for recording bands or layering tracks at home. And, because it’s a YAMAHA, you know that
the MT120 will give you the very finest sound quality and overall performance available.
In order to make use of the MT120’s many features and obtain maximum performance, we
urge you to read this operation manual thoroughly — and keep it in a safe place for later
reference.
CONTENTS
PRECAUTIONS
THE CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS 4
MT120 CONTROLS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
CONNECTION EXAMPLES
ABOUT CASSETTE TAPES
THE RECORDING PROCESS
RECORDING THE FIRST TRACK
STEP 1:
STEP 2:
STEP 3: SETTING RECORDING LEVELS
STEP 4:
OVERDUBBING
PING-PONG RECORDING
A PING-PONG RECORDING EXAMPLE 18
MIXDOWN
USING THE GRAPHIC EQUALIZER
USING THE TAPE OUT JACKS
USING THE AUX SEND/RETURN LOOP
PUNCH-IN/OUT RECORDING
MAINTENANCE
SPECIFICATIONS
BLOCK DIAGRAM
CHANNEL-TO-TRACK ASSIGNMENT
MONITOR SETUP
RECORD
10
11
12
13
13
14
15
15
16
17
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
79
3
5
2
PRECAUTIONS
1.
AVOID EXCESSIVE HEAT, HUMIDITY, DUST
AND VIBRATION
Keep the unit away from locations where it is likely to
be exposed to high temperatures or humidity — such
as near radiators, stoves, etc. Also avoid locations
which are subject to excessive dust accumulation or
vibration which could cause mechanical damage.
2.
AVOID PHYSICAL SHOCKS
Strong physical shocks to the unit can cause damage.
Handle it with care.
3.
DO NOT OPEN THE CASE OR ATTEMPT
REPAIRS OR MODIFICATION YOURSELF
This product contains no user-serviceable parts. For
other than routine cleaning, refer maintenance to qualified
YAMAHA personnel. Opening the case and/or tamper-
ing with the internal circuitry will void the warranty.
4.
MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF BEFORE MAK-
ING OR REMOVING CONNECTIONS
Always turn the power OFF prior to connecting or dis-
connecting cables. This is important to prevent damage
to the unit itself as well as other connected equipment.
7. ALWAYS USE THE CORRECT POWER SUPPLY
The MT120 is sold with the appropriate power specifications for the local area (power supply voltage and
power consumption are listed on the bottom panel). If
you move to a different area that might have a different
AC mains voltage, however, be sure to check with your
nearest YAMAHA dealer before using your MT120.
8.
KEEP THE HEADS AND TAPE PATH CLEAN
To ensure consistent high performance and sound quality
from your MT120, it is important to clean the head and
tape path regularly (ideally before each recording ses-
sion). To do this, use a cleaning kit specifically designed for use with cassette tape equipment.
9.
USE ONLY HIGH-QUALITY CHROME CAS-
SETTE TAPE
The MT120 is designed for use with CrO2 (chrome)
formulation tape, and will not provide proper performance
with any other type of tape. Always choose cassette
tapes from a reliable manufacturer.
5. HANDLE CABLES CAREFULLY
Always plug and unplug cables — including the AC
— by gripping the connector, not the cord.
cord
6.
CLEAN WITH A SOFT DRY CLOTH
Never use solvents such as benzine or thinner to clean
the unit. Wipe clean with a soft, dry cloth.
3
THE CONTROLS AND CONNECTORS
— CONTROL PANEL —
— FRONT PANEL —
— REAR PANEL —
4
MT120 MULTlTRACK CASSETTE RECORDER
MT120 CONTROLS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
[Note] The terms “channel” and “track”: In this owner’s manual, the term “channel” refers to the circuitry and
controls required to process one input source. MT120’s mixer section has four “channels.” The term “track”
refers to the magnetic bands on tape used to store signals recorded by MT120’s recorder section. Since
MT120 records four separate bands of audio on tape, it is a four-“track” recorder.
INPUT SELECT Switches
The INPUT SELECT switches are used to select the
input source for each of the four channels.
TAPE:
OFF:
MIC/LINE:
[Note] All channels which are not in use should be set
Select this position to play back already recorded material. When selected, mixer channel 1
will receive playback from track 1; channels 2, 3,
& 4 will receive tracks 2, 3, & 4 respectively.
In this position, the channel receives no input
signal.
In this position, the channel can receive a
microphone, keyboard, or other line-level signal
which is connected to the input jack.
to “OFF” position.
MIC/LINE Gain Controls
The gain controls adjust the sensitivity of the channel
inputs to accept a wide range of signal levels — from
line to microphone. The gain controls are used in conjunction for the input faders to set the optimum recording level with a wide range of sources (see “SETTING
RECORDING LEVELS” on page 15).
[Note] A gain control only affects the level of the signal
connected to the input jack.
Input Faders
The input faders are used to adjust the level (volume)
of the corresponding mixer channel’s signal, whether it
comes from a source plugged into an input jack or from
the MT120’s recorder section. (The INPUT SELECT
switches are used to choose between the two.) The
faders are used to set up the optimum levels when
recording, and to balance (mix) the sound from the
recorder’s tracks when playing back a recording.
Noise and distortion are at their lowest at input fader
level “7”.
[Note]
When any of the REC SELECT switches are set
to a position other than OFF, the red indicator
LED of the transport REC/PAUSE button will flash,
indicating that the MT120 is set up to record.
Recording will commence when the PLAY button
is pressed after pressing the REC/PAUSE button. If all REC SELECT switches are set to OFF,
the unit will not record even if the REC/PAUSE
and PLAY buttons are pressed.
PAN Controls
The PAN controls assign the signal from the corre-
sponding mixer channel to any desired position in the
“stereo sound field”. If a PAN control is set to the
maximum “LEFT” position, the signal from, that channel
will appear only at the left-channel MT120 output (STEREO
OUT L). If the PAN control is set fully RIGHT, the
signal will appear only at the STEREO OUT R output
jack. If a PAN control is set to its center position, then
the signal from that channel will appear equally at both
the left- and right-channel outputs, and the sound will
appear to come from the center of the stereo sound
field, a point midway between the two stereo speakers.
By varying the level of the signal sent to the left-and
right-channel outputs, the PAN control can be used to
position the sound at any point in the stereo spectrum.
The PAN controls can also be used during recording to
assign the signal from several channels to a single
track of the recorder section, or to assign a channel to
a differently-numbered recorder track (see “CHANNEL-
TO-TRACK ASSIGNMENT” on page 13).
REC SELECT Switches
The REC SELECT switches are used when recording
to assign (send) the signal from each mixer channel
either directly to the corresponding track of the recorder or to a different track via the PAN controls (see
"CHANNEL-TO-TRACK ASSIGNMENT” on page. 13).
5
AUX SEND Controls
The AUX SEND controls are used primarily when adding effects such as reverberation or echo to the sound
of a channel or track. The AUX SEND control on each
mixer channel determines the amount of signal from
that channel sent to the AUX SEND jack. The AUX
SEND jack must be connected to the input of an external signal processor such as the YAMAHA EMP100
Multi-effect Processor (see “USING THE AUX SEND/
RETURN LOOP” on page 22).
AUX RETURN Control
The AUX RETURN control determines the level at which
the signal from an external signal processor is re-
turned and mixed in with the MT120’s main stereo
output signal. The output from an external signal proc-
essor fed by the AUX SEND jack must be connected to
the AUX RETURN jack(s) (see “USING THE AUX SEND/
RETURN LOOP” on page 22).
MASTER Fader
The MASTER fader sets the overall output level of the
MT120 mixer section, and thus the level of the output
signal appearing at the STEREO OUT jacks. The MASTER fader also affects recording level when any of the
mixer section’s channels are assigned to the recorder’s tracks via the PAN controls (see “SETTlNG RECORDING LEVELS” on page 15).
LED Peak Meters
The four LED peak meters accurately display output
levels from the MT120’s four recorder tracks when the
METER switch is set to “4TR”, or meters 1 and 2
display the level of signals appearing at the mixer
section’s stereo outputs (the STEREO OUT jacks) when
the METER switch is set to “ST.”
The LED peak meters are a guide for setting up the
optimum recording levels. (see “SETTING RECORD-
ING LEVELS” on page 15).
MONITOR SELECT Switch
MONITOR: This position is selected to listen to the
four tape tracks. In this position a mix from the
four MONITOR controls is sent to the PHONES
jack and the MONITOR OUT jack.
MIX: This position is selected to hear a combination of
the four tape tracks and input sources connected
to the input jacks. The mix from the MONITOR
controls is combined with the stereo output from
the mixer section and sent to the PHONES jack
and MONITOR OUT jack.
STEREO:
This position is selected to monitor the stereo
output from the mixer section. In this position, the
mix sent to the MONITOR OUT jack and PHONES
jack is the same mix that is sent to the STEREO
OUT jacks.
MONITOR Controls 1 — 4
The four MONITOR controls determine the level of the
signal from the corresponding recorder tracks which is
sent to the PHONES jack and MONITOR OUT jacks
when the MONITOR SELECT switch is set to either
“MONITOR” or “MIX.” The MONITOR controls are primarily used to set up the optimum levels for monitoring
recorded tracks while recording new material
(overdubbing).
MONITOR/PHONES Control
This control is used to set headphone and control room
listening level. It adjusts the level of signal sent to the
PHONES jack and MONITOR OUT jacks with out affecting the signal level appearing at the STEREO OUT
jacks.
6
MT120 MULTITRACK CASSETTE RECORDER
METER Switch
When the METER switch is set to “ST,” meters 1 and 2
display the level of signals appearing at the mixer
section’s stereo outputs (the STEREO OUT jacks). When
set to “4TR,” the four LED peak meters display the
level of the corresponding recorder track signals.
dbx ON/OFF Switch
The dbx switch determines whether the MT120’s internal dbx noise reduction system is ON or OFF. For
normal recording and playback using the MT120, the
dbx switch should be turned ON. This provides a significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio (as much as
85 dB) so your recordings will sound cleaner and have
much less tape hiss.
If dbx noise reduction is to be activated during synchrorecording, set the switch to “SYNC”.
For dbx noise reduction to be effective, it must be
turned ON both during recording and playback.
The dbx switch may be turned OFF when playing back
tapes that were recorded on other equipment and which
are
not
dbx-encoded.
“For Error-free SYNC Recording”
l
When recording the FSK signal, set the Track 4 recording level between 0 and +3dB.
l
For recording and playback of the FSK signal on
Track 4, set the dbx switch to the “SYNC” position.
When the dbx switch is set to “SYNC”, Tracks 1 to
*
3 are set to dbx ON.
l
Do not record signals (music, etc.) other than the
FSK signal on Track 4, when the dbx switch is set to
the “SYNC” position.
l
If other signals (music, etc.) are recorded during recording of the FSK signal, avoid using adjacent tracks,
if possible.
ZERO STOP Switch
When the transport is in rewind, the ZERO STOP function automatically stops the tape at a specified location. To set the ZERO STOP point, play the tape to the
desired location and reset the tape counter to ZERO
by pressing the counter reset button. In rewind, with
the ZERO STOP switch “ON”, the transport will stop
when the tape counter reaches the vicinity of “999” (may
deviate due to tape slack). This is particularly handy in
the multitrack “overdub” process when it is necessary
to repeatedly rewind the tape and play from the same
point.
TAPE SPEED Switch
The TAPE SPEED switch selects either the standard
4.8-cm/sec cassette tape speed, or the MT120’s spe-
cial 9.5-cm/sec high tape speed. Use the standard
(4.8) speed when replaying tapes recorded on stand-
ard cassette recorders, or to obtain maximum tape
economy. When you want maximum sound quality, use
the high (9.5) tape speed. The improvement in sound
quality provided by the high tape speed is significant,
and we recommend that you use the high speed for all
important recordings.
[Note] Never change the TAPE SPEED setting while
the tape is running.
PITCH Control
The PITCH control varies tape speed by approx. ± 10%,
making it possible to “tune” material recorded on the
MT120 to match the pitch of musical instruments, or to
slightly lengthen or shorten the running time of a recording to meet specific timing requirements. Tape speed
is normal when the PITCH control is set to its center
click-stop position. Tape speed is increased by sliding
the control towards the “+” end of the scale, and de-
creased by sliding the control towards the “–” end of
the scale.
EQ Switch
This switch turns the graphic equalizer on and off.
Graphic Equalizer
An equalizer is used to tailor the signal to help it stand
out or integrate into a mix. MT120’s graphic equalizer is
a powerful signal shaping tool which allows you to aug-
ment or attenuate signal components up to approx. 10
dB in five frequency bands. The graphic equalizer can
be switched ON to enhance signals as they are recorded
on tape, and again in playback.
[Note] When switched ON, the graphic equalizer can
affect signals being routed to tape via the PAN
controls when the REC SELECT switches which
are set to “L” or “R”. The graphic equalizer will not
affect signals being routed to tape via REC SELECT switches which are set to “1 — 4”.
Transport Controls
These light touch electronic transport controls provide
smooth, sure control of the tape transport functions.
REC/PAUSE Button: When this button is pressed dur-
ing tape stop, the REC mode track will be set to
the record-ready mode. When this button is pressed
during tape recording (first press REC/PAUSE button
and then PLAY button), the recording can be in-
terrupted temporarily. For resuming recording, press
the PLAY button.
REC/PAUSE Indicator:
state (lit, slow/fast/specific blinking, and unlit), the
indicator indicates one of the following 5 modes:
•
Indicator lit: More than one track is set to REC
mode and the REC/PAUSE button has been
pressed (record-ready mode).
Recording of the track set to REC mode is underway
(during recording PLAY indicator will light-up as
well).
• Indicator slowly blinking: More than one track
is set to REC mode and the REC/PAUSE button
has not been pressed.
When pressing PLAY button, the unit will enter
not the recording mode but the playback mode.
•
Indicator fast blinking:
mode.
• Indicator specificly blinking (warning indica-
tion):
The indicator blinks twice in specific intervals.
The foot switch is connected to the PUNCH l/O
jack and all of the REC SELECT switches are
set to “OFF”.
•
Indicator unlit:
mode (PLAY mode).
[Note] Only tracks for which the REC SELECT switch
is set to a recording position will be recorded
when the RECORD mode is activated.
[Note] The RECORD mode cannot be activated if a
cassette is loaded from which the record-prevention tab has been removed.
PLAY Button: Using this button, you can select the 3
functions playback start, recording start, and punch-
in/out start.
• Playback start: Starts the playback of the track
set to PLAY mode (REC SELECT switch set to
OFF).
•
Recording start:
set to REC mode (REC SELECT switch not in
position OFF) when the record-ready mode has
been selected using REC/PAUSE button.
According to its corresponding
Indicates punch-in standby
None of the tracks is set to REC
Starts the recording of the track
7
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