Tascam 488 PORTASTUDIO Owner's Manual

Also see for 488 PORTASTUDIO: Owner's manual

Contents

Multitrack Cassette RecorderThe 488 records on readily available standard(Philips) Compact Cassette tape, high bias TypeII. The recorder has 8 tracks while the mixer has4 group outs; you can record a maximum of 4tracks at one time. For more details, see "How toRecord Multiple Tracks Simultaneously", page22.The 488's dbx Noise Reduction virtuallyeliminates unwanted tape noise. A special SYNCfeature turns off the dbx on track 8 separately,making it possible to record and play back theMIDI sync tones or SMPTE/EBU time codewithout being affected by the dbxencode/decode. This ensures that the synctones/code are recorded and played back withoutunnecessary processing. With proper operatingtechniques, it is not necessary to leave a guardband between music and sync tone tracksbecause of the low crosstalk of the TASCAMheads.reliable functions that make the unit easier touse:• A three position autolocator (MEMO 1 and 2and Zero) allows key positions to be locatedautomatically.• REPEAT allows a section to be played overand over between the MEM01 and MEM02points for rehearsal.• RHSL (rehearsal) allows you to "preview"what your recording will sound like and repeatthe record punch in/out sequence as manytimes as you wish before actually executing iton tape.• The tape speed can be increased or decreasedwith the PITCH CONTROL dial in bothplayback and record, to match pitch or forspecial effects.The transport controls of the 488 aremicroprocessor operated, allowing highly • Punch-in and Punch-out can be engaged usingthe optional RC-30P footswitch, which givesyou an "extra hand" in the recording process.Track Format and Tape RecommendationsThe Portastudio 488 uses a basic speed of 9.5cm/sec. (3-3/4 ips) which is two times (2X) thenormal speed of a standard audio cassette. Italso employs a discrete 8-channel format headdeveloped especially by TEAC for TASCAMmultitrack cassette recorders. Here is acomparision of various cassette formats:9