FOSTEX X-12 (01) PDF MANUAL

1. Read Instructions – All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the appliance is operated.

2. Retain Instructions – The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference.

3. Heed Warnings – All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.

4. Follow Instructions – All operating and use instructions should be followed.

5. Water and Moisture – The appliance should not be used near water – for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, and the like.

6. Carts and Stands – The appliance should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer. 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.

11. Grounding or Polarization – The precautions that should be 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 objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure 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 damaged.

17. Servicing – The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond that described in the operating instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

• When unplugging the AC adaptor from the outlet, be sure to grasp the adaptor. Attempting to unplug it by pulling on the AC cable may damage the wiring.

• It is dangerous to use any power cable that is cut or frayed. If the power cable is damaged, immediately stop using it, and have it repaired.

• Do not plug in or unplug the AC adaptor with wet hands. Doing so may result in dangerous electric shock.

• Do not open the unit or touch any parts inside. Doing so may result in a dangerous electric shock, and could damage the X-12.

• Do not let water or other liquids, flammable materials, or metal objects such as pins get inside the X-12. These things may cause electrical shock or short circuit the X-12, and damage it.

• When turning the power on, turn the X-12 on first before turning on any equipment connected to it. This will avoid possible damage to other equipment. Also, when connecting or disconnecting cables, make sure the [LINE OUT/PHONES] volume is set to “0.”

• When the AC adaptor is connected to an AC outlet, it will continue to draw small amounts of power even if the switch is set to off (STANDBY). If you will not be using the X-12 for an extended period of time, be sure to unplug the AC adaptor from the outlet.

Avoid using the X-12 in the following locations:

• Locations of extreme low or high temperatures, or extreme changes in temperature.

• Locations with excessive moisture or dust.

• Locations where direct sunlight falls for an extended time, or near a stove or other source of heat.

• Locations where electrical voltage varies.

• Unstable locations or where there is heavy vibration.

• Near strong magnetic fields (on top of a television or speaker).

Standard boom boxes and stereo cassette decks record on both the A and B sides of a cassette tape. The tape is divided into 4 tracks, with 2 used for the A side (Left and Right channels) and the other 2 used for the B side (Left and Right channels) when you flip the tape over.

A multitracker like the X-12 uses all four tracks for recording in the same direction, without turning the cassette over. This allows for four independent channels of audio. The X-12 records these 4 tracks one at a time. Because all tracks are recorded in the same direction, if you play a tape made on the X-12 in a standard cassette deck, tracks 1 and 2 will be heard correctly, but if the tape is turned over, tracks 3 and 4 will be heard in reverse.

Cassette tape suitable for recording: The X-12 is designed to perform best with high-position cassette tape (TYPE II, HIGH). The use of C-120 tapes (60 minutes per side) is not recommended as they are too thin for repeated recording or playback. Use C-90 or shorter tapes for stable performance.

Using write-protection tabs: To prevent accidental erasure of recorded data, you can break the write-protection tabs on the spine of the cassette. Since the X-12 uses all four tracks on one side, you may want to break the tabs for both side A and B. If you later wish to record on a tape with broken tabs, you can cover the tab hole with a piece of scotch tape.

Storage: Fresh or recorded tapes should not be kept in locations of strong magnetic fields (like near speakers or TV sets) and should be stored in dust-free and non-humid locations.

1. Do not bring a microphone too close to monitor speakers that are connected to the [LINE OUT] jack, especially when the [LINE OUT/PHONES] level control knob is raised. This can cause feedback, which could damage your hearing and equipment.

2. Do not directly connect the [LINE OUT] jack to the [INPUT] jack. This creates a feedback loop that will cause oscillation, which could hurt your hearing if you are monitoring with headphones.

1. AC adaptor connector [DC IN]: Connect the included AC adaptor here.

2. Power switch [POWER]: Turns the power on/off (STANDBY).

3. Line output jack [LINE OUT L, R]: Outputs the stereo signal adjusted by the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob. Connect this to a master recorder for mixdown.

4. Record track select indicator: The indicator for the track selected by the [REC TRACK] selector will light up in red.

5. Record track selector [REC TRACK]: Selects which of the four tracks will be recorded. Only one track can be selected at a time. Note that this selector does not have an “OFF” position, so a track is always selected for recording.

6. Counter / Reset button [RESET]: The counter indicates the tape count. Pressing the [RESET] button resets the counter to “000”.

7. Line out / Headphone level knob [LINE OUT/PHONES]: Adjusts the output level at the [LINE OUT L, R] jacks and the [PHONES] jack.

8. Cassette lid / Cassette tray: Insert a cassette tape here.

9. Level meter: Indicates the input level.

10. Transport control buttons:

• Record button [REC]: After selecting a track, press this button to enter recording mode. The [PLAY] button will also be automatically pressed. This button is disabled if the cassette’s write-protection tab is broken.

• Pause button [PAUSE]: Pauses or resumes playback or recording.

• Stop button [STOP]: Stops tape transport.

• Fast Forward button [FF]: Fast forwards the tape.

• Rewind button [REW]: Rewinds the tape.

• Play button [PLAY]: Starts tape playback.

11. Record indicator [REC]: Lights red when in recording mode or record pause mode.

12. Power indicator [POWER]: Lights green when the power is on.

13. Playback level fader [1 – 4]: Adjusts the playback level of each individual track.

14. Playback Panpot knob [PAN]: Adjusts the stereo position (left to right) of the playback sound for each track.

15. Headphone jack [PHONES]: Connect monitoring headphones here. Volume is controlled by the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob.

16. Input jack [INPUT]: Connect sound sources like an external microphone, guitar, or keyboard here.

17. Gain control knob [LINE-MIC]: Adjusts the input gain to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio. Turn it toward “MIC” for low-level sources (like a microphone, -50dBV) and toward “LINE” for high-level sources (like a keyboard or effects unit, -10dBV).

1. Connect the AC adaptor to the [DC IN] connector and plug it into an AC outlet.

2. Open the cassette lid and insert a recording tape. Ensure the write-protection tabs are intact.

3. Plug your microphone or instrument into the [INPUT] jack and your headphones into the [PHONES] jack.

4. Turn on the power switch. The [POWER] indicator will light up.

5. Press the [PLAY] button to wind the tape a few seconds past the beginning leader tape. Then press [REW] to rewind to the beginning and repeat this step. Once past the leader, press the [STOP] button.

6. Press the [RESET] button to set the tape counter to “000”.

7. Use the [REC TRACK] selector to choose the track you want to record on (e.g., track 1). The corresponding indicator will turn red.

8. Speak into the mic or play your instrument. The level meter LED will blink. Adjust the [LINE-MIC] gain knob so that the “+3” LED lights up at the loudest parts, but the “+6” LED does not light up frequently, as this indicates the signal is too high and may cause distortion.

9. To set the recording level, first press the [PAUSE] button, then the [RECORD] button. This puts the unit in record standby mode.

10. Slowly raise the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob to hear the input signal in your headphones. Adjust your performance volume or distance from the mic to get a good level on the meter, as there is no separate recording level fader.

11. To begin recording, press the [PAUSE] button again to release it.

12. To stop recording, press the [STOP] button. To pause recording momentarily, press the [PAUSE] button.

1. Press the [REW] button to rewind the tape to the beginning (counter “000”).

2. Press the [PLAY] button to start playback. Be careful not to press the [REC] button by mistake.

3. Slowly raise the playback level fader for the track you want to hear (e.g., fader 1 for Track 1).

4. Adjust the corresponding [PAN] knob to position the sound in the stereo field (left, center, or right).

5. Adjust the main headphone volume by slowly raising the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob. Avoid setting the volume too high for long periods to protect your hearing.

Overdubbing is a recording technique where you add a new performance to an empty track while listening to (monitoring) previously recorded tracks. For example, you can record a drum machine on Track 1, then listen to the drums while you record an electric bass on Track 2. This allows you to build up a song by recording performances on all four tracks, one by one.

This example assumes you have a drum machine on Track 1 and want to add an electric bass to Track 2.

1. Insert the tape with the recorded drum machine and rewind it to the starting position (“000”).

2. Plug your electric bass (perhaps through an effects unit) into the [INPUT] jack.

3. Rotate the [LINE-MIC] knob towards “LINE” to match the output level of your instrument/effects unit.

4. Play the bass to check the input level on the meter. Adjust the volume on your bass or effects unit so the level is not too high (the +6 LED should not light up frequently).

5. Press [PLAY] to listen to Track 1 and rehearse your bass part. Use playback fader 1 and PAN knob 1 to adjust the monitoring level and balance of the drums. Use the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob to set the overall headphone volume.

6. After rehearsing, rewind the tape to “000”.

7. Use the [REC TRACK] selector to select track 2 for recording.

8. Press the [PAUSE] button, then press the [REC] button to enter record pause mode.

9. Press the [PAUSE] button again to start recording your bass part on Track 2 while listening to the drums on Track 1.

10. When finished, press the [STOP] or [PAUSE] button to stop the tape.

Task	Sound Source	[LINE-MIC] Knob	[REC TRACK] Selector	Playback Level Fader	Playback [PAN] Knob
Overdubbing the keyboard to Track 3	Plug the keyboard output to the [INPUT] jack.	Adjust to optimum level by CCW rotation (LINE) of the knob.	Select track 3 for recording.	Adjust playback levels of tracks 1 and 2 with playback faders 1 and 2.	Adjust the playback sound for comfortable monitoring.
Overdubbing the Vocal to Track 4	Plug the mic into the [INPUT] jack.	Adjust to optimum level by rotating the knob CW (MIC).	Select track 4 for recording.	Adjust playback levels in tracks 1 – 3 with playback level faders 1, 2 and 3.	Adjust the playback sound for comfortable monitoring.

When you are overdubbing, you are listening to both the new sound being recorded (from the input) and the previously recorded tracks (from the tape). The sound you are currently recording will always be positioned in the center of the stereo field in your headphones. The [PAN] knob only affects the stereo position of the track being played back.

[PAN] Position	Monitoring Sound Position
Center	Both playback sound and recording sound will be centered.
Hard “R”	The playback sound will be positioned on the right and the recording sound will be centered.
Hard “L”	The playback sound will be positioned on the left and the recording sound will be centered.

Mixdown is the process of combining your four recorded tracks into a two-channel stereo mix and copying it to a master recorder (like a stereo cassette deck or MD recorder).

1. Insert the tape with your 4-track recording into the X-12 and rewind it to your playback start point (e.g., “000”).

2. Connect the [LINE OUT L, R] jacks on the X-12 to the line input jacks of your master recorder.

3. Insert a blank tape or MD into the master recorder and prepare it for recording.

4. Set the master recorder to its record standby mode (usually by pressing PAUSE and then RECORD).

5. On the X-12, press [PLAY]. Adjust the playback faders [1-4] and [PAN] knobs for each track to create your desired stereo mix. Watch the level meters on the master recorder and adjust the input level on that device so the signal is strong but not distorted. Use the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob on the X-12 to adjust the overall output level if needed.

6. Once you are happy with the mix, rewind the tape on the X-12 back to the “000” point.

7. Start recording on the master recorder, then immediately press the [PLAY] button on the X-12.

8. After the mixdown is complete, stop both the X-12 and the master recorder.

You can record your favorite music on a standard cassette deck and then use the X-12 to overdub your own performance or vocals.

1. On a standard boom box or cassette deck, record your favorite music source onto one side of a cassette tape (e.g., Side A). This will record the music onto what the X-12 recognizes as Track 1 (L channel) and Track 2 (R channel). Leave the other two tracks (3 and 4) empty.

2. Insert this recorded tape into the X-12.

3. Follow the “Overdubbing” procedure to record your performance (e.g., vocals) onto Track 3 and/or Track 4 while listening to the playback from Tracks 1 and 2.

Symptom	Check Point	Corrective Action
The power is not turned on when you press the power switch on.	Is the AC adaptor plugged in securely?	Check the connection at the AC outlet and the [DC IN] jack of the X-12.
Sound flutters or skips.	Is the head dirty?	Clean the head.
	Are you using a type of tape other than high position?	Use a high-position tape.
The sound is distorted or clipping.	Is the level appropriate for the input signal?	Use the [LINE-MIC] knob to set the optimum level.
The [REC] button is not pushed in.	Is the write-protection tab on the cassette tape broken?	Place a strip of scotch tape over the broken tab.
The sound cannot be heard through the headphones.	Is the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob turned up?	Turn the [LINE OUT/PHONES] knob.
You cannot record to a desired track.	Is the [REC TRACK] selector set correctly?	Set the [REC TRACK] selector repeatedly until the desired track is selected.

Cleaning the exterior: For normal cleaning, use a dry cloth. For stubborn dirt, moisten a cloth in diluted detergent, wring it out firmly, and wipe the dirt off. Then polish with a dry cloth. Never use solvents such as alcohol, thinner or benzene, as these will damage the finish.

Cleaning the head: As the X-12 is used, the record/playback head will become coated with oxide residue from tapes, leading to noise and dropouts. Regular cleaning is important. Use a commercially available cleaning kit to clean the head. If sound quality does not improve, the head may be worn and require service.

Cleaning the pinch roller and capstan: These parts move the tape at the correct speed and can also become dirty with oxide residue and dust, causing increased wow or flutter or even tape damage. Clean them using a cotton swab or gauze soaked in cleaning solution or isopropyl alcohol. Never use organic solvents like lacquer thinner, as this will severely damage the pinch rollers.

Demagnetizing the head: After long periods of use, the head can develop a magnetic field, which degrades frequency response and increases noise. This can also happen if a magnetized object touches the head. Once a month or so, use a head demagnetizer (head eraser) to demagnetize the head. Follow the instructions included with your demagnetizer carefully and do not allow it to come near recorded tapes.

INPUT

• Connector (x1): Ø6mm PHONE jack

• Input Impedance: 20kΩ or higher

• Reference Input Level: -50dBV ~ -10dBV (adjustable with the GAIN knob)

LINE OUT (L, R)

• Connector (x2): RCA pin jack

• Output Load Impedance: 10kΩ or higher

• Reference Output Level: -10dBV

PHONES

• Connector (x1): Ø6mm STEREO PHONE jack

• Output Load Impedance: 16Ω or higher

• Maximum Output: 10mW (at 32Ω)

Recording Tape: Less than C-90 (TYPE II/HIGH position)

Record Tracks: 4 tracks, one direction

Tape Speed: 4.76cm/s

Frequency Response

• Mixer section: 20Hz ~ 20kHz

• Recorder section: 40Hz ~ 10kHz

Heads

• Rec/Play: 4-track, 4-channel recording/playback

• Erase: 4-track, 4-channel erase

Power Supply: Fostex AC Adaptor, AD-12A DC12V (12 ~ 16V), 8W

Weight: Approx. 1.1kg (excluding the AC adaptor)

Dimensions (mm): 275 (W) x 68 (H) x 177 (D)

Accessories: Owner’s manual x1, AC adaptor x1