TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO (01) PDF MANUAL

Please follow all warnings and instructions marked on the audio equipment.

1) Read Instructions: All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated.

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

3) Heed Warnings: All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to.

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

5) Cleaning: Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.

6) Attachments: Do not use attachments not recommended by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.

7) Water and Moisture: Do not use this product near water – for example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming pool; and the like.

8) Accessories: Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, causing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer, or sold with the product. Any mounting of the product should follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and should use a mounting accessory recommended by the manufacturer.

9) A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart combination to overturn.

10) Ventilation: Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, and these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should not be placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer’s instructions have been adhered to.

11) Power Sources: This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local power company. For products intended to operate from battery power, or other sources, refer to the operating instructions.

12) Grounding or Polarization: This product may be equipped with a polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug having one blade wider than the other). This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug.

13) 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 product.

14) Outdoor Antenna Grounding: If an outside antenna or cable system is connected to the product, be sure the antenna or cable system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70, provides information with regard to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding conductors, location of antenna-discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding electrode.

15) Lightning: For added protection for this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges.

16) Power Lines: An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits. When installing an outside antenna system, extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits as contact with them might be fatal.

17) Overloading: Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords, or integral convenience receptacles as this can result in risk of fire or electric shock.

18) Object and Liquid Entry: Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short-out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.

19) Servicing: Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.

20) Damage Requiring Service: Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: a) when the power-supply cord or plug is damaged. b) if liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the product. c) if the product has been exposed to rain or water. d) if the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions as an improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to its normal operation. e) if the product has been dropped or damaged in any way. f) when the product exhibits a distinct change in performance – this indicates a need for service.

21) Replacement Parts: When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock, or other hazards.

22) Safety Check: Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.

23) Wall or Ceiling Mounting: The product should be mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manufacturer.

24) Heat: The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other products (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

Always use the PS-P2 power adaptor supplied with the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO. If you use any other adaptor, there is a risk of damage, or even fire. Make sure that the input voltage marked on the PS-P2 adaptor matches the power supply you are using.

Turn off your TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO and remove the cassette when you are not using it. If you will not be using it for an extended period of time, unplug the PS-P2 adaptor.

When connecting or disconnecting the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO to or from any other equipment, make sure the power to the unit and all other equipment is turned off. This will avoid possible damage to equipment.

Do not keep your TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO in a very hot place. Remember that in sunny weather, the inside of a parked car heats up very quickly. Avoid leaving your unit in such a place.

Do not spill liquid onto your TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO. Avoid eating, drinking and smoking near it (smoke particles are bad for audio equipment). If any liquid or any objects fall inside the unit, do not try to operate it. Return it to a TASCAM service center for repair.

If the case of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO becomes dirty, clean it only with a damp (not wet) cloth, moistened with a little detergent. Do not use solvents or thinners, etc. to clean the unit, as these will damage the surface.

There are no parts inside the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO that you can repair by yourself. Do not open the case or try to make any repairs. Return it to a TASCAM service center for repair.

Only use Type II (chrome or CrO2) cassettes with the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO. Find a reliable brand and stick with it. High quality cassettes will cause you fewer problems in the long run.

To avoid having to wind and rewind a lot of tape, use the shortest possible cassettes for your projects. Remember that because you are only using one side of the cassette, the marked length of the tape will be halved (that is, a C60 tape will run for 30 minutes, a C40 for 20 minutes, etc.).

Never use C120 cassettes with the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO. The tape in these cassettes is thin, and may stretch and break.

Always store cassettes in a safe place, away from the magnetic fields produced by speakers, television sets, computer monitors, etc.

The record-protect tab on a cassette stops you from recording on that side when it is removed. The TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO recognizes this protection and will not allow you to record on the side of a cassette where this tab has been removed. It is suggested that you remove both tabs when you want to protect a cassette used with this unit. This will stop you from putting the cassette in the wrong way around and accidentally recording over old material.

Yes, the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO can play back cassettes recorded on a stereo cassette recorder, using tracks 1 and 2. Also, if tracks 1 and 2 have been recorded on this unit, these cassettes can be played back on a stereo cassette recorder. However, if tracks 3 and 4 are used for recording on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, these cannot be played back on a stereo cassette recorder.

Note that if a cassette has been recorded with noise reduction, such as Dolby, etc., it will sound strange when played back on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO. Any tapes (tracks 1 and 2) recorded on this unit should be played back without noise reduction on a stereo recorder.

You should clean the tape heads regularly to keep the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO working properly. Dirt and tape oxide buildup on the heads will force the tape away from the tape head gaps that record and play back. Head cleaner will remove the dirt and restore the sound quality. Clean the heads and metal parts of the tape path before and after every session.

WARNING: Only use head and rubber cleaning fluid and cleaning swabs designed for use with tape recorders. The use of any other cleaning materials may cause damage to the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO.

1) Open the tape cassette cover.

2) Carefully clean the heads and metal parts (heads and tape guides) as shown in the illustration using a swab dipped in the head cleaning fluid.

3) Dry off the heads with a dry swab.

You should also clean the rubber pinch roller at regular intervals (at least once each day that you use the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO).

1) Open the tape cassette cover.

2) Press the PLAY key. The pinch roller will engage with the capstan shaft and start turning.

3) Press a swab dipped in the rubber cleaning fluid against the right side of the pinch roller. If you press the right side of the roller, the swab will not get caught between the roller and capstan.

4) Dry the capstan with a dry swab and make sure that there is no material on the pinch roller or capstan before you insert a cassette.

Apart from the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO itself, you will need:

Some kind of stereo mastering recorder to produce the stereo recordings. This can be a cassette recorder or an MD recorder. A recorder which does not have recording level controls is not suitable for use as a master recorder.

You will also need RCA (pin or phono) cables to connect the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO to other equipment.

Some monitoring equipment (some kind of amplifier and speaker system).

Headphones, if you intend doing any work with microphones. These will avoid acoustic feedback (“howl-round”) when recording. Additionally, headphones are sometimes useful when panning tracks on mixdown, as you can hear the precise position of each track.

Of course, you will also need some kind of sound source to record (instrument or microphone, etc.).

1) Make sure all the equipment is turned off.

2) Connect the LINE OUT terminals of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO to the amplifier, using a pair of terminals on the amplifier such as AUX or VIDEO.

NOTE: Do not use any terminals marked PHONO or intended for record decks. These are connected to a special circuit inside the amplifier which makes them unsuitable for anything except record decks.

3) Connect your mastering recorder to a set of four TAPE terminals on the amplifier (two for REC and two for PLAY).

You can listen to the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO by selecting the amplifier’s input source to be from the terminals to which you connected the unit (AUX or VIDEO, etc.). When you have mixed down and you want to listen to the mixed tape, you should select the mastering recorder as the amplifier’s input source.

1) Make sure all equipment is turned off.

2) Connect the LINE OUT jacks of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO to the AUX IN jacks of the amplifier.

3) Connect the mastering recorder REC IN and PLAY OUT jacks to the appropriate jacks of the amplifier.

4) With the INPUT 1 fader at the 0 position, plug the microphone into the MIC/LINE 1 jack. Do not plug anything into the MIC/LINE 2 jack. If the microphone has a switch, make sure this switch is off.

5) Plug the stereo headphones into the PHONES jack of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO.

6) Turn on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, the mastering recorder, and the amplifier (in that order).

7) Set the amplifier’s input source to AUX (or the name of the jacks to which the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO is connected).

1) Clean the heads and pinch roller.

2) Insert a Type II (chrome) cassette. The tape should be towards the front of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, and the full spool should be on the left side. Put the non-tape part of the cassette in first, and then push the tape (front) down into place.

3) Play the tape for about 10 seconds and then stop the tape.

4) Press the counter reset button.

The aim is to set the input level so that the average signals from the microphone light the 0 meter indicator, and the loudest will light the +6 indicator.

1) Make sure all OUTPUT LEVEL controls are set to 0. Put on the headphones and set the PHONES LEVEL to the 0 position. If you do not turn down the speaker volume, you will probably get feedback (“howlround”) when you start using the microphone.

2) Set both TRIM controls to the LINE position.

3) Take the INPUT 2 fader to the 0 mark. Bring the INPUT 1 fader up to between the 7 and 8 marks. This is the “nominal” position.

4) Switch the microphone on if necessary. Speak into the microphone at the volume you will be recording.

5) While talking into the microphone, turn the INPUT 1 TRIM control clockwise until the left 0 indicator is lit most of the time, and the +6 indicator is lit on the loudest parts. If the 0 indicator hardly lights at all, you may be too far from the microphone, or speaking too softly. You can also bring the fader up from the 7-8 position to increase the level, but you should do this only after the TRIM control has been turned fully clockwise.

6) Adjust the PHONES LEVEL until you are comfortable with what you hear in the headphones.

1) Set the REC FUNCTION switch of INPUT 1 to 1. You are now ready to record on track 1. Make sure the REC FUNCTION switch of INPUT 2 is set to SAFE, so you don’t record on it by accident.

2) Press the RECORD key (which will also press the PLAY key) and start recording the first spoken track. If the level as shown by the meters now seems a little high, you can “back off” on the fader a little.

3) When you have finished, press the STOP key.

4) Rewind the tape to the 000 mark.

5) Start playing the tape, and adjust the LEVEL and PAN controls of track 1 so that you can hear clearly what you have just recorded. Note that meter 2 now shows the level of the tape replay on the right LINE OUT, rather than what is being input to the tape.

6) Rewind and replay the tape again, listening carefully to your recording.

7) Rewind and re-record the track as many times as you think necessary.

8) When you’re happy with the recording, set the REC FUNCTION switch of INPUT 1 to SAFE. If you replay now, both meters will now show off-tape monitoring.

Since the microphone is plugged into MIC/LINE 1 / MONO, and nothing is in MIC/LINE 2, the signal is split to both channels.

1) Take fader 1 to the 0 mark.

2) Set the level for input channel 2 in the same way as you set it for input channel 1.

3) Set REC FUNCTION switch for INPUT 2 to 2. You are now ready to record on track 2.

4) Rehearse your second part by playing back the first track (adjusting its level and pan if necessary) while speaking the words for the second track.

5) Rewind and record when you are ready. The meter for INPUT 2 will show the input levels. The meter for input 1 will not show anything.

6) Rewind and playback when you have recorded. Adjust the level and pan position of the two tracks with the LEVEL and PAN controls for tracks 1 and 2. Remember that the fader adjusts the level of what goes onto tape, not the replay levels.

7) Rewind and repeat the recording of track 2 until you are satisfied. Then, set the REC FUNCTION switch for input channel 2 to SAFE, and take both faders down to 0. Set the TRIM controls of both inputs to LINE.

1) Make sure the volume on the amplifier is turned all the way down.

2) Take off the headphones and unplug the microphone.

3) Connect the left and right LINE OUT of the CD player (or other stereo source) to MIC/LINE inputs 1 and 2 of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO.

4) Set the REC FUNCTION switches of INPUTs 1 and 2 to 3 and 4 respectively. You are now ready to start recording on tracks 3 and 4.

5) Start playing the CD track you will be recording. Adjust the faders so that the +6 meter indicators light on the loudest parts of the CD.

6) Slowly turn up the amplifier volume so that you are listening at a comfortable level.

7) Make the CD ready to play, and make sure that the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO is rewound to the start of the recording.

8) Start recording on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, and start replaying the CD.

9) When you come to the end of the CD material, stop the CD and TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, and rewind the tape to the beginning of the recording.

Make sure that your mastering recorder is connected to the monitoring system.

1) Set both REC FUNCTION switches to SAFE, and move both faders down to 0. This will stop any extra unwanted noise from the inputs appearing in the final mix.

2) Make sure the mastering recorder is ready to record, and put it into record pause mode. Do not start recording yet.

3) Play back the recording on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO and adjust the OUTPUT LEVEL and PAN controls. The nominal position for the LEVEL controls is about the 2 to 3 o’clock position.

4) While adjusting the levels on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, watch the recording levels on the mastering recorder. If they are too high, take down the recording level on the mastering recorder.

5) When you are happy with the mix rehearsal, rewind to the start of the recording on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO.

6) Start recording on the mastering machine, and start playback on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO.

7) Mix the tracks, fading the backing music on tracks 3 and 4 to taste.

8) At the end, stop both machines. Rewind the mastering recorder.

9) Set the amplifier input source to the mastering recorder, and replay your mix.

10) If you are not happy with the mix, you can do it again, either recording over the old mix, or adding the new mix after the old one.

If you plug the guitar straight into the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO, you will be able to record it, but the sound will probably not be what you are used to. Plugging effects units between the guitar and the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO will help produce a fuller sound.

For the closest live sound, you can adopt one of two approaches:

1. Put a microphone in front of the guitar speaker and record this at MIC level.

2. Connect the output of the pre-amplifier to the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO and record at LINE level.

WARNING: Do not connect the speaker output (or headphone output) of the amplifier to the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO. This will almost certainly damage the unit and may damage the amplifier. Only use outputs which are marked LINE OUT, PRE OUT, DIRECT OUT, and so on.

Although the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO has only 4 tracks, it is possible to produce a mix with more than four sounds by adding one or two more extra inputs to the four recorded tape tracks during mixdown.

1) Record on all four tracks of the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO.

2) Set both REC FUNCTION switches to SAFE.

3) Connect the source for the extra inputs to the MIC/LINE jacks and adjust the TRIM controls to match the level.

4) Play back the tape, and use the OUTPUT LEVEL and PAN controls to adjust the playback of the tape tracks.

5) Use the faders to adjust the levels of the input signals against the tape tracks.

This mix proceeds as the extra inputs are recorded to your mastering recorder along with the four pre-recorded tracks.

Is the PS-P2 adaptor plugged into the power supply?

Is the PS-P2 adaptor plugged into the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO?

Is the switch on the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO set to ON?

Is the tape properly inserted in the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO?

Is the tape at the end of the tape?

If you’ve just put in a tape you recorded in another session, make sure that it’s the right way round.

Make sure the OUTPUT LEVEL controls are set to monitor the tape tracks (not at 0). Set the REC FUNCTION switches to SAFE and look at the meters.

Try monitoring through headphones and adjust the PHONES LEVEL. If you can hear something through the headphones, check the LINE OUT connections.

Make sure the amplifier is set to the correct input source.

Is the source (microphone, guitar, etc.) switched on and volume control turned up? If it uses batteries, does it need new batteries?

Is the TRIM control of the channel set correctly?

Is the tape properly inserted in the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO?

Is the tape record-protected (are the tabs broken off)?

Is the REC FUNCTION set to SAFE? It must be set to a track number to record.

Check the OUTPUT LEVEL control for the track.

Is the TRIM level set correctly? A microphone feeding a channel set to LINE will sound very faint.

If you’re listening through headphones, is the TASCAM PORTA02 MINISTUDIO’s MONO switch pressed?

If you’re listening through speakers, is there a MONO switch on the amplifier which has been pressed?

A large amount of distortion may be caused by recording at too high a level (shown by the meter +6 indicator being lit all or most of the time). Adjust the TRIM level and/or back off on the faders. If the meter +6 indicator is not constantly lit, you may want to reduce the headphone level; you may be driving the headphones too hard.

Either the sound was recorded at too high a level, or the summed level of all four tracks is too high. Try reducing the level of all tracks so that the meter +6 indicator is not constantly lit on playback (set REC FUNCTION to SAFE). If one track only is distorted, it was recorded at too high a level.

The heads are dirty. Clean them by following the procedure in the manual.

The capstan and pinch roller are dirty. Clean the capstan and pinch roller by following the procedure in the manual.

You’re probably listening to tracks 1 and 2 forwards at the same time as 3 and 4 backwards. Turn down the OUTPUT LEVEL controls of tracks 3 and 4.

If the sound is unnaturally “bright”, it’s quite likely that the tape was recorded on the other machine using noise reduction.