Tascam HD-P2 Owner's Manual

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Tascam HD-P2 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 6 page image

TASCAM HD-P Owner's ManualSystem OrganizationFile SystemProjectsProjects are a means of organizing files and settingsfor a specific situation or recording. When a newproject is created, you have the option to choose thecurrent system settings for the project or use a proj-ect template. These settings control how audio will berecorded as well as what type, if any, of timecode isused. Only one project is active at a time, and all newrecordings are saved into that project’s audio folder.Each project uses its own EDL, which is dynamicallybuilt in memory when the project is loaded. The EDLis not saved to the CF media. This is accomplished byexamining each audio file’s timestamp and creationdate, with the play sequence of files ordered by time-stamp and overlapping segments resolved to the mostrecent file creation date. When playing back the filesof a project, if any overlap on the timeline exists, youalways hear the most recently recorded material.Projects can be created and changed using the SystemMenu, which is covered later.FilesWhen the Record button is pressed the HD-P2 cre-ates a new file in the current project’s audio folder.The current timecode timestamp (location on theaudio timeline) is stored in the file header along with acreation date based on the system clock. The name ofthe file is automatically created using the file namingpreferences of the current project. (File names must beunique within a project.)MarkersTime-based markers are used to quickly identify andlocate specific points in your project. The HD-P2 hasdedicated buttons for creating and navigating betweenmarkers. Additionally, there are optional project set-tings for automatically placing markers in the case ofevents like input signal clipping and timecode drop-outs. Markers are not erased during recording.Markers are part of the current project and not associ-ated with individual audio files. A marker consists of aproject time and a name. Marker names are automati-cally created using the current project’s marker nam-ing preferences.SettingsThe HD-P2 maintains Project and System settingsin small XML text files. While this is a common fileformat, it is strongly recommended that you do notedit or modify these files yourself. This format waschosen for ease of troubleshooting and also so you cancopy them, as a means of back-up, when the HD-P2 isdocked to a host computer.Media ConsiderationsThe capabilities and performance of your HD-P2 willvary based on the speed and abilities of the CompactFlash (CF) media used. Older and some cheaperCompact Flash (CF) cards use slower memory com-ponents and little internal buffering which results inpoor recording performance. Newer CF cards, espe-cially those tailored for higher resolution DSLR cam-eras, not only perform reading and writing faster, butalso come in larger storage sizes. The HD-P2 supportsType I and II Compact Flash media. Type I cards aretypically FLASH-ROM based and provide higherperformance and durability than hard disk cards, whileType II cards are more commonly used for CF harddisks and can offer greater overall storage capacities.A current list of tested CF cards and their capabili-ties is maintained and available for viewing on theTASCAM website at www.tascam.comThe HD-P2 can test and display the performance ofthe CF card being used. For more information on thissee the Settings Menu in the Disk Management sec-tion on page 19.