T2488 User Manual
MixerMuse
Manual Revis= ion 2.1
Important
notice
This product is designed =
to
help you record and reproduce sound works to which you own the copyright, or
where you have obtained permission from the copyright holder or the rightful
licensor. Unless you own the copyright, or have obtained the appropriate
permission from the copyright holder or the rightful licensor, your
unauthorized recording, reproduction or distribution thereof may result in
severe criminal penalties under copyright laws and international copyright
treaties. If you are uncertain about your rights, contact your legal adviso=
r.
Under no circumstances will MixerMuse be responsible for the consequences of
any illegal copying performed using T2488 software.
Copyright
Windows, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Framework are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Macintosh, MacOS, and MacOS X are trademarks of Ap=
ple Computer.
Tascam 2488/MKII is a trademark of TEAC
All other trademarks are the
property of their respective holders.
= ã Mixer Muse
Phone 720-363-9702
Table = of Contents
Chapter
1 - Introduction to T2488 – Automated mixing for the Tascam 2488/MKII
Chapter
2 – Recording and Mixing Tutorials.
Advanced Considerations when Mixing an Actual Sessi=
on
View – Stereo Dynamic Effects.
View – Single Effects Song Map.
View – Multi Effects Song Map.
View – Stereo Dynamics Effects Song Map
Tools – Synchronization – Slave MIDI Beat Clock
Synchronization
Tools – Synchronization – Slave MIDI Time Clock
Synchronization
Tools – Synchronization – Master MIDI Time Clock
Synchronization
Tools – MIDI Machine Control – Slave MMC
Tools – MIDI Machine Control – Master MMC
Tools – Read Backup/Restore File.
Tools – Write to Existing Backup/Restore File
Tools – Create Backup/Restore File.
Window – Normalize Mic Effects.
Window – Minimize Mic Effects.
Restoring
the Original Relative Group Levels.
Tabs
1 – 3 Record, Loop and Play
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Chapter 1 |
Think of= T2488 as turning your Tascam 2488/MKII from a typewriter into a word processor
his manual c= ontains information on using T2488 as a tool for controlling the Tascam 2488/MKII a= nd automating the mixing process for songs. This chapter contains basic information on system requirements and an overview of the software. More det= ailed information is contained in subsequent chapters. The menu items are detailed in Chapter = 3. Other chapters include a tutorial, menu= item definitions, and a detailed reference section.
Recommended m= inimum system:
n Windows XP or Windows 2000 Professional,
n At least a Celeron 400 Mhz processor (faster= is better),
n At least 50MB free space on the hard drive,<= /p>
n
A MIDI out device or
n Tascam original 2488 with version 1.02 firmware
n Tascam MKII with version 1.00 firmware
n Screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768 – lower resolutio= ns will work but more scrolling will be necessary
These are rec= ommended minimums based on extensive testing – the software may work on older proces= sors or other versions of Windows
To install T2488, g=
o to
the download item on
Whether you run the= setup program from the net or save it and run “Setup.exe”, you will be guided thr= ough the installation process by the installation wizard. Leave the defaults as is if you are uns= ure about the choices. At the end of = the install you can launch T2488. If y= ou have Vista you will see a message stating that “An unidentified program wan= ts access to your computer”. Click on “Allow” to allow T2488 to run. Vis= ta will ask you this every time you run T2488. It is a built in security feature of Vista.
To start the = T2488 software, click Start, All Programs, and T2488 (or the desktop icon or quick launch icon if you selected those in the setup). The first user prompt is the license screen. You will be asked to enter= your key. If you would like to use the = free evaluation version, click “OK” and you will go into T2488. Both the “Licensed To” field and the “License Key” field should be e= mpty to enable the free evaluation mode. The free evaluation mode will not allow you to save or load files but everything else is functional. Once you purch= ase the software and enter your software activation key, this screen will no longer appear. If you have purchased T248= 8 and received your key, you should enter your name or company exactly as it appears on the email you received with your software activation key (case sensitive). You can paste or type your name and sof= tware activation key into the correct fields. <= /span>
After this, t= he software will ask you to select a MIDI output device and then a MIDI input device. You must hav= e some type of MIDI output device to run this program. If you are just evaluating the software and haven’t yet purchased a = Tascam 2488/MKII you can use the MIDI Mapper that comes with Windows XP (and earli= er) operating systems without any external MIDI ports. You do not need MIDI In unless you are using special modes like slave synchronization, MMC slave, etc. O= nce you have selected a MIDI port for the input and output you will not need to enter them again when you start the program. If you want to change them click on the MIDI input or output port na= me displayed in the main screen. The= main screen will then appear: with the main page, 2488, displayed.
T2488 require= s an external MIDI port to communicate with the Tascam 2488/MKII. If you do not have one in your PC, you = can purchase USB MIDI ports (Tascam or M-Audio have them) relatively inexpensiv= ely and they work great for lap tops as well. A simple MIDI configuration for T2488 is to attach MIDI out on your = PC to MIDI in on the Tascam 2488/MKII and the MIDI in on your PC to MIDI out on the Tascam 2488/MKII. Please note = that by default, MIDI thru is not enabled in T2488. You should leave it disabled for this configuration. It is also possible to use other configurations that use multiple MIDI ports and combinations of external hardware and/or MIDI software products but that takes a little familiarity = with MIDI (not too difficult to learn).
*** ABSOLUTE = MUST ***
-------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------------
Original Tascam 2488
For T2488 to = control the original Tascam 2488, you must set this on the original Tascam 2488:
If you want t= o record MIDI data using MIDI In on T2488, you need to enable the output port on the Tasc= am 2488 (MENU – SYNC/MIDI-MIDI PLAYER-MODE set to Pattern –And- MENU – SYNC/MIDI-MIDI PLAYER-MIDI OUT set to On).
-------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------------
Tascam MKII
For T2488 to = control the MKII, you must set this on the MKII:
-------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------------
After the Tas= cam 2488/MKII has been setup correctly and the MIDI cables are connected, you c= an move the faders in T2488 and the MIDI LED on your Tascam 2488/MKII will lig= ht up every time data is sent to the Tascam 2488/MKII. The LED is near the back of the Tascam 2488/MKII, just to the right of the display. If you do not see the LED light up, check your selected MIDI ports in T2488 to make sure you selected the correct port. This LED is very handy as it gives a qu= ick visual cue about the status of your MIDI connection.
The main scre=
en has the
high level menu items, the clock display, and the MIDI devices selected.
The initial screen for T2488 will have a gray background when T2488 is
configured for the original 2488 and a blue background when T2488 is config=
ured
for a MKII (just like the actual units).
Diagrams in this manual may use either configuration with any
differences discussed as applicable.
1 3 5 6 7 4 9 10 111 2 8 14 13 12 15 16 17 19 18 20 22 21 27 23 24 25 26
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Figure 1 Main T2488 screen with the high level menus = and the “graphic” 2488.
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Chapter 2 |
Part 1 is a simple mix. Part 2 is a walkthrough of a recording = session using T2488. Part 3 covers mixing = an existing song.
The hardware = setup for this tutorial is given in section: Setting Up = the Hardware. Make sure the Tascam 2488/MKII is setup as discussed in: A Couple = Things to Remember.
T2488 is a to= ol that allows many ways to use your Tascam 2488/MKII. It makes your process for making music more efficient, easier to cha= nge and it transforms the Tascam 2488/MKII into another kind of instrument. Instead of living with a bunch of audio= sub mixes that you forgot exactly how or why you made them, you now have self-documenting and easily modifiable ways to interact with your Tascam 2488/MKII. Additionally, when you = get into the world of dynamics – changing mixing, effects, pans, etc. through t= ime – you will find that your final product will be greatly enhanced.
Since there a= re many ways to use this tool with the Tascam 2488/MKII, writing this manual to mak= e it simple and yet open up the product has been a challenge. At MixerMuse we know a recording engine= er can be a full time job – in addition to being a musician and whatever else you = may be doing. We all enjoy creating and producing music and we go into it knowing that it is a learning process but= we want you to spend as little time as possible with the learning curve and as much time as possible doing what we all really want – to make great music!<= /p>
To start this= tutorial let’s discuss the general approach employed in this manual for using T2488. There are two major process= es in recording a song: recording your raw tracks and mixing these tracks into yo= ur final product. There are also two = major functions that your Tascam 2488/MKII uses to get these jobs done – routing = and effects assignments. Routing is the internal wiring of your Tascam 2488/MKII. Every time you assign input “a” to channel strip 5 you are internally re-wiring the machine. You could d= o this all with cables but that means you would spend more time behind the machine than in front of it! T2488 helps y= ou get back in front of the machine with internal routing. In addition, the T2488 has many, many e= ffects that process the raw music tracks you made. These effects can be assigned in multiple ways. Again, T2488 makes it much easier to ma= ke effects assignments and keep you from spending your life patching effects i= nto your machine.
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Session – The proce= ss of creating an automated mix made up of a “Song” and a “Setup”. Song – This is the actual automation data made up of the fader or control recorded, the level that was recorded and the time it was recorded. This is the only data stored in a song file. Setup – This is everything else that pertains to the session. It includes data about group assignments, location assignments, routing, effects assignments, effects presets, fader labels, etc. The setup file can be used separatel= y from the actual song data to create quick start templates for new sessions. Location- This is a marker (as Tascam calls it) that can be given a text name such as Verse 1, Chorus, Bridge, Solo, etc. These location markers can be used in many ways including editing and scene changes. Scene – The Tascam 2488/MKII uses this term to designate stored information about the intern= al state of the Tascam 2488/MKII including input channel routing, effects channel assignments and fader and control levels. In T2488 a scene is a location marker= that sends a scene change to the Tascam 2488/MKII to tell it to recall a speci= fic scene that it has stored. When t= he scene is recalled all the input channel routing, effects channel assignme= nts and fader and control levels are restored to the saved values. Routing – This is w=
hat
Tascam means by connecting the input channels “a” through “h” to the chan=
nel
strips 1 through 24. You can thi=
nk of
this as “patching” the input channel to the channel strip with a cable. Effects Assignments= – This is what Tascam means by assigning an effect to an input channel or channel strip. The Multi-Effect = or the MIC Effects are the only effects that can be assigned to a channel. The Single Effect is permanently “ass= igned” to the “Loop”. The “Loop” is alw= ays connected to all the input channels and channel strips and any audio from these sources can be routed to the Single Effect by simply bringing the individual loop level up and the master loop level – the input and output= of the “Loop”. The Stereo/Dynamic E= ffect is permanently assigned to the stereo fader. |
One key conce= pt is that T2488 does not know anything about audio data. T2488 only plays and records automation control data that gets sent = out the MIDI port to the Tascam 2488/MKII. The Tascam 2488/MKII can not send any MIDI data out its MIDI port to= let the outside world know the internal state of its faders or controls. Because of this, T2488 real time contro= l of the Tascam 2488/MKII is strictly one sided from T2488 to the Tascam 2488/MK= II.
Routing and e= ffects assignments are major components of what the Tascam 2488/MKII calls a “scene”. In this tutorial we will = break up recording and mixing into two parts – the recording/routing part and the mixing/effects assignments part. T= 2488 can modify your standard Tascam backup/restore files to allow you to have pre-wired and pre-assigned libraries of sessions so you do not have to re-invent the wheel with every session. Using this technique, you can accumulate multiple recording “scenes”= and multiple mixing “scenes” all in the same file stored inside your Tascam 2488/MKII. Using T2488, you can easily automate these re-wiring tasks and re-assignment tasks. You can also self-document and automate every control move you made to create your song = so the process of re-doing can be made much easier.
In this tutor= ial, we go through one recording session and one mixing session which result in two different scenes stored in the same Tascam Backup/Restore file. However, you can add as many scenes (recordings and mixes) as you like. You may want multiple routing templates for recording and multiple effects assignments templates for mixing. = You may want to mix right out to your master or you may want to bounce multiple mixes to stereo tracks before you get to your master. All of this can be done easily and with automation using T2488.
Along the way= , you will discover that your Tascam 2488/MKII has become a different machine than what you thought it was – dynamic effects, pans, etc. will change the kinds of sounds you thought your machine could make…so, let’s get started.
Figure 2 T2488 screen showing presets
This is a short session that should only take a few
minutes. Please make sure you have=
set
up the hardware and software as described in the previous chapter. We will assume you have set up the Tasc=
am as
described in the previous chapter and that you can see the LED flashing when
you move the T2488 faders. Now, le=
t’s
take a look at the internal state of the faders inside the Tascam 2488/MKII=
. Since you have previously set the fader=
s to
jump or catch you can see what they are doing by pressing the Shift-Null ke=
ys
on the Tascam. If you move T2488 f=
ader 1
up and down you will see the icon on the Null screen for fader 1 moving with
your T2488 movements. This means y=
ou are
controlling the internal volume level of fader 1 just as you do when you mo=
ve
the fader on the Tascam. Since the
Tascam does not have motorized faders you will not see the physical fader m=
ove
on the Tascam but you can see the virtual fader move on the Null screen.
We will do more complicated operations in the next tutorial but for this one let’s just have you record and quick mix and watch the results on the Null display of the Tascam. To start, you can put faders 1 through 3 anywhere you prefer – just = make sure they are not at –infinity (or silence).
Make sure your song counter is set to time “0”. You can press the Location 1 icon windo= w at the top on the main toolbar to put the song time at “0” (assuming you have = not already programmed it for a different location).
If you apply a sound source to the input channels on= the Tascam and manually route them to faders 1 through 3 as you would normally without T2488 you can hear the changes in the mix that you are going to rec= ord. Bring up the master stereo fader as wel= l as the 3 faders so you can hear the audio. With a sound source you can hear the changes to volume while you move the faders on T2488 and using the Null screen on the Tascam you can see the virtual faders moving. Once you ge= t the faders where you want to start your recording, press the Snapshot button on= the main toolbar, far right icon at the top. This will record all values for your controls at the current song ti= me or in our case, time “0” – the song start. Once these initial values are recorded they will be restored every t= ime you rewind to location “0” (unless you have recorded over them with other values).
Now we can record a short session. Press the channel arm buttons on T2488 = below faders 1 through 3 to arm the channels. The buttons will turn yellow to indicate record is pending. To fully enable record, you need to pre= ss the Record Enable (14) button on the main toolstrip, transport section at the top (or the moveable transport). When you press Record Enable you will s= ee the record buttons on the channels you armed turn red. This always indicates that you are read= y to record. Now you can press the Play= (14) button on the T2488 transport and you w= ill see the song counter on T2488 start to count up. T2488 is recording your fader movements= while the Tascam is recording audio. Mov= e the faders 1 through 3 and listen to the audio and watch the Null screen on the Tascam to see faders 1 through 3 change. Make sure the master, stereo fader is up so you can hear the audio change.
Once you have made a short recording press the Stop = and then the Rewind buttons. The trans= port will stop at time “0”. When you pr= ess play again the channel arm buttons will stay yellow meaning you are playing= not recording. You will see and hear t= he changes you made in the recording session. That is it! Congratulations= , you just made your first automated mix. In the next two tutorials we will take on some more advanced topics that you w= ill need to know.
This session could take several hours depending on h= ow familiar you are with the Tascam 2488/MKII.
For the purpo= se of the tutorial, we will record using T2488 but remember in actual use we can interactively use the Tascam 2488/MKII and T2488. However, if you do this, keep in mind t= hat the Tascam 2488/MKII can not give T2488 feedback information about what controls you have manually changed on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
To start a so= ng, we need to get the initial tracks recorded on the Tascam 2488/MKII. We can use a little compression while recording especially for high dynamic ranges like vocals or drums. At this point we simply want to get a g= ood signal level without clipping our input tracks. To start, let’s set up T2488 channel labels so we know what is going= on as far as our instrumentation.
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The input attenuator controls in the upper, left corner of T2488 are only used in Sub Mix or Bounce Modes. The physical trims= on the Tascam can not be controlled remotely. If you want to set trims coming into the input channels you must u= se the physical knobs on the Tascam to control these levels. These are set and leave controls so t= hey do not need to be automated anyway. You can make notes about their settings in the session notes text box above t= he master send and loop controls. S= ee Main T2488 Page for more details on the Sub Mix/Bou= nce section of T2488. |
Figure 3 T2488 Main Screen
When T2488 is=
started,
a new session is initiated. The ma=
in T2488
display page is shown when the program comes up. The controls are arranged similarly to =
the Tascam
2488/MKII. The 8 input attenuators=
and
associated controls are in the upper left corner with the two master sends =
and
master loop just to the right of them.
The 8 input attenuators are used solely in Sub Mix or Bounce mode. <=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The 12 mono channel faders and associated
controls are below them. There is a
movable split screen in the middle with the Tone Generator (for the original
2488) and Main Stereo faders with associated controls in the upper right and
the 6 stereo channel faders and associated controls situated below them.
You may place= text notes below the controls that describe the assignment for that channel if desired= . While the visible portion of these text= notes are not very large, they can hold thousands of characters and can be cut and pasted from text editors. They are= also saved in your setup files. Also, i= f you right-click on the text boxes you can get a menu of editing commands for the textbox. Hint: If the Insert key is pressed you can easily use the right-click menu to cut the whole selection = and paste it into another control.
If you double= -click on the text box the contents of the text box will be displayed on a larger, re-sizeable document. You can edit= , cut, copy and paste in the larger document and when you are done, closing the la= rger document will write the changes back into the text box below the control.
There is also= a session text box above the master send controls that will allow you to write notes about the session into it.
Label the cha= nnels as follows by entering the text in the box under the control:
Channel 1 – V= ocal
Channel 2 – R= yth. Guitar
Channel 3 – L= ead Guitar
Channel 4 – B= ass Guitar
Channel 5 – S= nare Drum
Channel 6 – O= H Drum
Channel 7 – B= ass Drum
Channel 8 – K= eys
You may want = to abbreviate the letters and arrange them for the visible part of the text windows. While the tutorial illust= rates these techniques while recording musicians, you can also use an audio signal from a stereo or something else to actually work through the tutorial.
Figure 4 T2488 screen with Location/Scene screen for establishing times for locations and scene changes
While we are = using 8 channels for this tutorial we will only work through a couple scenarios to illustrate the techniques that can be utilized.
Let’s set up = our routing channels and assign effects for the input channels. =
Select View o=
n the main
toolbar then, Location/Scene Menu from the View
item. On this menu, you can set up=
times
for locations and scene changes.
Location markers do not have to have a scene change associated with =
it
but for this scenario we will assign a scene change to a location marker.
For this fict= ional session we can assume we are initially going to record vocal, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, and drums in isolation booths (big studio!). Let’s go ahead and type = in “Record all 8 inputs” over Location 1.
Let’s assign = our initial input routing setups as follows:
Type “a” into= the channel strip “1” textbox for Location 1 for vocals.
Type “b” into= the channel strip “2” textbox for Location 1 for rhythm guitar.
Type “c” into= the channel strip “3” textbox for Location 1 for lead guitar.
Type “d” into= the channel strip “4” textbox for Location 1 for bass guitar.
Type “e” into= the channel strip “5” textbox for Location 1 for snare drum mic.
Type “f” into= the channel strip “6” textbox for Location 1 for overhead drum mic.
Type “g” into= the channel strip “7” textbox for Location 1 for bass drum mic.
Type “h” into= the channel strip “8” textbox for Location 1 for keyboards.
When recordin=
g, it is
best to un-assign channels that are not used.
So make sure all assignable channels are “
Scroll down t= o the green “Click For Effects Assignments” button at the bottom and click on it. This will bring up the page for effects assignments.
Figure 5 Mic Effects Assignments
For Location = 1 let’s assign Mic Effects on channel stri= ps “1”, “5”, “6” and “7” to get just enough compression to keep our vocal and drums= from clipping our inputs. Click on those checkboxes. The screen should now = look like Figure 5.
Let’s close t= he effects assignment page.
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There is an additio= nal feature, enabled by default, which is activated when the “Route” checkbox= is changed from un-checked to checked. It will allow you to write the last values, prior to the current scene being routed, to be written to the initial values of the current scene being routed. This allows you to conti= nue with a control level into the next scene that was not recorded in that scene. Before these values are w= ritten you will be prompted to see if you want to over-write any values that alr= eady exist at the initial scene time. Note that at time “0” for any Location/Scene the initial defaults are the prev= ious values so nothing will be written to the initial scene values in this cas= e. This feature can be disabled in the O= ptions page Tab 4. You should also see the section Cons= iderations when Mixing an Actual Session with regard to this feature. |
The only othe= r thing you should do before a Tascam Backup/Restore Save is to enable the routing by clicking on the R= oute checkbox for the locations you want to route (Loc= ations 1 on the Location/Scene Menu for our example). When you do this you will be asked if you want to save the previous scenes last values to the initial settings of this scene. For now let’s ignore this and press “No= ” so we will not write any values to the initial settings of Location 1.
As a note, wh= en playing T2488, scenes that are routed (the “Route” checkbox is checked) will automatically be sent to the Tascam 2488 when the song counter hits the time you have set. Clicking the Route checkbox will activate the scene changes for T2488 so they will occur during your session on T2488. Also, you c= an have multiple Location/Scenes with the same time but you can not “Route” mo= re than one Location/Scene with the same time.
All the setti= ngs on the Location/Scene Menu and the Effects Routing page are saved with your T2488 Setup file but you also need to save these set= tings to a Tascam backup/restore file to use them on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
You can use t= he blank file on MixerMuse’s web site or use an existing Tascam backup file. If you use your own Tascam backup/resto= re file, note that T2488 will only write as many scenes as are already in the Tascam backup/rest= ore file. For example, if you only hav= e four scenes on your existing Tascam file you will only have four scenes written = for this session (even if you have more setup in T2488). The MixerMuse web site file has 20 blank scenes pre-loaded for you. Please = note that this backup/restore file was created with all control settings at defa= ult values (i.e.., all faders down to –infinity). This can have an impact when you want to change scenes on the fly us= ing T2488. See the section Considerations when Mixing an Actual Session with regard to this discussion.
You will see =
a red “Save”
button on the main Location/Scene Menu.
Click the Save button to save it to a Tascam Backup/Restore file.
Copy the Tasc= am file you made to the Tascam 2488/MKII and restore it (delete any existing songs inside the Tascam with= the same name before restoring). If yo= u are unsure of how to copy and restore a file to the Tascam, consult the Tascam 2488/MKII User Manual (Page 37 in the original 2488 manual and Page 84 in t= he MKII manual). After you restore th= e file on the Tascam 2488/MKII, you can check the effects assignments on the displ= ay if you like by recalling the scenes (Page 30 in the User Manual).
Since we have= saved our effects assignments to the Tascam 2488/MKII and the “route” checkbox for Location 1 is enabled, we simply need to press the Stop button on T2488 at = time “0” – the song start, to call them up. All of your input channel routing and effects assignments are now lo= aded on the Tascam 2488/MKII. The scene change command will also be sent when you use Location markers, the Cue or Stop. If you have enabled the “Rou= te” checkbox on the Location/Scene menu and restored the modified Tascam Backup/Restore file, every time you change locations in T2488 the correct s= cene will automatically be recalled.
The Tascam 24= 88/MKII is now ready for record automation.
For a recordi= ng session, just make sure you are getting the highest possible signal level without clipping. To do this you do not ha= ve to record using T2488 – merely set the input trims, pans, and compressor setti= ngs to get the best possible raw sound recorded. We will do the fancy effects stuff later.
Now let’s mak= e sure that the Tascam 2488/MKII and T2488 are locked to the same clock. This will ensure that, for example, 10 seconds into our recording on the Tascam is also 10 seconds in the T2488 session. To do this we need to set= up the Tascam 2488/MKII as the clock master and T2488 as the slave to Tascam 2488/MKII’s master clock.
We are going = to use the MTC Slave Synchronization mode to lock T2488 to the Tascam 2488/MK= II. You will need to turn on Internal on th= e Tascam 2488/MKII’s sync setup (MENU – SYNC/MIDI – SYNC – Source to Internal). You also need to turn on the MTC genera= tor on the Tascam 2488/MKII (MENU – SYNC/MIDI – SYNC – Generator to MTC).
On T2488s mai= n toolbar, select Tools – Synchronization - Slave MIDI Time Clock Synchronization or j= ust click on the “Sync” (20) button. Clicking on the “Sync” button toggles b= etween turning all sync modes off and turning on slave MTC. Now, T2488 is locked to the Tascam 2488/MKII. This means the times yo= u set on the Locations/Scene Menu will corres= pond to the times on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
Let’s also us= e MIDI Machine Control to control transport functions between T2488 and the Tascam 2488/MKII. On T2488’s Tool selecto= r you will see MIDI Machine Control – click on Master MMC in this selector or click on the “MMC” (21) button. Clicking on the MMC button toggles between turning MMC off and turni= ng Master MMC on.
On the Tascam= 2488/MKII, enable Slave MMC (MENU – SYNC/MIDI – REMOTE – MMC Mode to Slave). Now, T2488 controls all the transport functions on the Tascam (play, start, rewind, etc.).
At this point= we should set our input trim levels on the Tascam while the musicians are warming up.=
Figure 6 T2488 screen with the effects screens displa= yed
Now let’s add= compression to 4 input channels (“1”, “5”, “6” and “7”). We may also want to refine our input trim levels once the effects are present.
Click on the = “EFF” label on all 4 channels that are routed (“1”, “5”, “6” and “7”). When the Mic Effects first come up the = User Preset pages will come up with them. You can minimize the main T2488 page. =
The Mic Effec= t panel initially comes up with only the individual channel sends displayed. The top three sets of buttons are for t= he two sends and loop position. The posit= ions, left to right, are Pre-fader, Off, and Post-fader. The record button for the position butt= ons is beneath them. For each Effect page that comes up, use= the pulldown menu next to the “Effect” label (defaults to “None”) and select “M= ic Effects”. This will bring up the M= ic Effects.
The display w= ill now show the active Mic Effect. The de= fault Mic Effect is factory preset “0”. Factory “0” is the default for all the effects. For the Mic Effect this is the compressor. The original 2488 has = three Mic Effects: Compressor, Deesser and Exciter. MKII has an additional Noise Suppressor. These devices will appear when the appropriate factory or user prese= t is selected. The record button on each panel is on the left of the panel. Above the panels are two checkboxes that display “Toggle All Rec” and “Rec Follow= s”.
Figure 7 T2488 Effect screen
The buttons t= o the right of this show the type of effect preset (factory or user). The textbox next to them shows the pres= et number. These values can be change= d to change factory or user and the preset number. For the Mic Effects, the effect you are currently using will get shown. If you change the effect ty= pe from Compressor to De-esser you will see the compressor disappear and the De-esser will get displayed. This = always makes it very clear what effect you are currently using. The “Send” button will send the preset out to the Tascam 2488/MKI= I. This includes the program change message (i.e., user preset/factory preset and initial values). This is a manual send. If the preset has already been recorded= in the song data it will get sent out normally. Also, if effect recording has been enabled and the transport is star= ted all the effect preset data and control changes will be sent out and recorde= d to the song data without having to worry about the “Send” button.
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“Toggle All Rec” will toggle all record buttons (Compressor, Deesser and Exciter) on a particul= ar effect (Mic Effect in this case). “Record Follow” will turn off the unused record buttons when a preset change occurs in your so= ng and turn on the active record buttons. This can be useful to see what types of effects are recording at t= he moment. However, keep in mind th= at any previous data for the types of effects not being used (in our case deesse= r, exciter and noise suppressor for MKII) are erased if we record compressor automat= ion data (for only the times recorded of course). Only the recorded data for the type of effect being used (i.e., compression for our case) is recorded as song data. |
When the cont= rols are moved you will start to see values show up on the record buttons so you can= see all current control values.
We can use fa= ctory presets or create our own. Let’s create our own by clicking on “User”. You should now see a pres= ets page for the Mic Presets. If you do not see the Mic Presets page then right click on the send button on the main Effect page. <= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> You should also know that you can save control settings (not effect types) for the factory presets but those setti= ngs will only be restored while you are in the session. User presets will allow you to save your presets to the setup file so you can restore them later. There are also tools for managing user = preset libraries in T2488. Starting with version 1.0.2.0 of T2488 you can now create your user presets in T2488 with= out worrying about having the preset duplicated in the user presets of the Tasc= am.
The compresso=
r will be
selected by default for user preset “
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The edit pages for effect panels can be displayed by right-clicking on the panel. The channel sends, the Mic Effect, the Single Effect, the Multi-Effect or the Stereo/Dynamic panels can all be right-clicked to bring up the edit pages. For the effects, you can only edit an active panel. In our case the compressor has been selected so right-clicking on that panel will bring up the edit page for = the compressor. The other panels are= not active and can not be edited. Currently, we do not have any song data to display on the edit pag= es since we have not recorded any automation data. |
Now, let’s na= me the user preset. Let’s assume we are e= diting the snare drum effect on channel 5. We want a hard driving sound so let’s name our sound on the preset menu “Hard = Snare 1” by typing over “Setting 0”. No= w, we can change the levels on the compressor to get the right sound. We can leave the threshold at – 40. Set the ratio to 70, attack to 16 and p= ost gain to 50. When you made these ch= anges you should have seen the “Save Settings” button turn red. A red save settings button indicates the current settings have not been saved as a User Preset. Factory Presets can not be saved. Once the User Preset has been saved the button will turn green. When you c= lick “Save Settings” your presets will be saved to the session along with the new title for the preset. If you click= on the Send button on the Mic Effect page T2488 will send your preset to the T= ascam 2488/MKII. Click the red “Save Set= tings” button to save your preset name and levels.
You can send = data to the Tascam 2488/MKII any time when the transport is stopped but when the transport is playing you must be recording to send data to the Tascam 2488/= MKII. This is due to the fact that the non-recording channels are playing – like any recorder functions.
Figure 8 T2488 Effects
To force an e= ffect to write a preset to the song data precisely when the transport starts:
When the reco= rd starts, the preset will be written (in this case at time “0”). You can use this technique to write an = effect preset change to the song data at the exact place where you want the preset change to occur.
Once all the = presets have been sent you are ready to record on the Tascam 2488/MKII. Enable the “REC” buttons on the Tascam 2488/MKII for all the channels we are going to record on. With Master MIDI Machine Control enable= d, T2488 will control the transport for the Tascam 2488/MKII.
At this point= you can use all the faders on T2488 (main channel faders 1 through 8 on T2488, and = the main stereo fader on T2488) to get the record levels right. You can also adjust physical input tri= ms “a” through “h” on the Tascam if necessary. <= /span> Remember the input trim is the one you w= ant to maximize, without clipping your input signal, so keep an eye on the Tascam 2488/MKII’s level meters.
To start reco= rd, press play on T2488. Since record has be= en fully engaged, T2488 and the Tascam 2488/MKII will start recording. While the Tascam 2488/MKII is recording audio, T2488 will be controlling the Tascam 2488/MKII and recording all automation data for the channels that have been enabled.
You can make = any adjustments on T2488 while the transport is moving as long as the control is recording. You can start and stop = record any time you like with the control record button or stop all recording on t= he T2488 by toggling the Record Enable on T2488 – the transport will keep movi= ng on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
Note that whi= le rewinding and fast forwarding the counters may not sync well but when you press stop,= play (or record) they will sync right up.
If you like, = you can also add EQ by clicking the “EQ” label on the channel strips but use it sparingly at this stage as well as the compression on the channel strips “1” through “8”.
Figure 9 T2488 EQ panels
The EQ panels= are arranged with the record button for the panel at the top. The On/Off and Pad/Gain slider is next.= The set of three knobs and sliders are = the low, middle and high gain and frequency bands. The “Q’ slider is next and the Phase button is at the bottom. For stereo channels there are two Phase= buttons at the bottom.
Right-clickin= g on a particular panel will bring up the edit page for that EQ device. Since there is no recorded song data ye= t you will not see any data graphed. See= Data Editing for more information on editing so= ng data.
EQ can also be grouped. See Groups for more information.
Since our mus= icians miraculously got it right the first time, we can repeat our earlier steps to put vocals and lead guitar on. All= you need to do is set up any effects or EQ like you want and record the automat= ion data.
You can save = your recording session in the song directory using the “Save All” icon on the main toolbar= . This will save the song file and the se= tup file.
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You can mute (or solo) automation that you don’t (or do) want to hear. Clicking on the “MUTE” button will mu= te the automation data for the enti= re channel. This includes channel sends/loop, EQ and Mic Effects for the channel. It also includes the Stereo/Dynamic E= ffect when the mute on the main Stereo fader is on. There is a button on the “Tools” selector that will let you change this to a “Solo” function. This = will not affect Single or Multi Effects. It will not stop the automation screen updates on the T2488 screen but it wi= ll stop automation to the Tascam or stop recoding in T2488. |
Additionally,= you can save the setup file in a template library directory. You can also save the Tascam Backup/Res= tore file on your PC in these directories as well. The whole idea is to get a system you like down so when it comes time for recording musicians aren’t sitting around staring at you will you tweak knobs and connect cables.
Backup your T= ascam recording!
This session could take several hours depending on h= ow familiar you are with the Tascam 2488/MKII.
Ok, the recor= ding is done and the musicians are out having fun. Let’s start a new session on T2488 (you could use the session from P= art 2 which would save some time but for this tutorial we will start with a new session). When T2488 is started, a= new session is initiated. Alternativel= y, you can select New from the icon on the main toolbar. As already discussed in part 1, you can= place text notes below the control that describes the assignment. While the visible portion of these text= notes are not very large, they can hold 255 characters and can be cut and pasted = from text editors. They are also saved = in your setup files. Also, if you rig= ht click on the text boxes you can get a menu of editing commands for the text= box. Hint: If the Insert key is pressed= you can easily use the right-click menu to cut the whole selection and paste it into another control.
Label the cha= nnels as we did in Part 1 as follows:
Channel 1 – V= ocal
Channel 2 – R= hythm Guitar
Channel 3 – L= ead Guitar
Channel 4 – B= ass Guitar
Channel 5 – S= nare Drum Mic
Channel 6 – O= verhead Drum Mic
Channel 7 – B= ass Drum Mic
Channel 8 – K= eyboards
Figure 10 T2488 screen with Location/Scene screen for establishing times for locations and scene changes
Let’s set up = our routing channels and assign effects. Select View on the main t= oolbar then, Location/Scene Menu from the View item. On this menu, you can set up= times for locations and scene changes. A= scene change will enable specific channel routing and effects assignments on the = Tascam 2488/MKII. The names of the locati= ons will follow through to the Tascam 2488/MKII and become the scene names you = see on the Tascam 2488/MKII display. W= hile the names can be longer in T2488 only the first 12 characters are displayed= on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
To start with=
, let’s
make sure our routing is correct. =
When
mixing, it is best to un-assign channels that are not used so make sure all
assignable channels are “
Name Location= 2 as follows:
We will leave= Location 1 alone that we used in part 1.
Set up the ti= me as shown above. We are going to mix a= ll 8 channels. The effects assignments = will be loaded at time “0” (song start) for each mix.
The format fo= r the time is “Hours:Minute:Seconds:Frames” so 00:01:30:00 is the same as 00:00:90:00.= T2488 will automatically make these conversions for you in this field. Also, be aware that frames can not be higher than 30 if the default of 30 frames = per second is used. This means 90 fram= es would convert to 3 seconds.
The route che= ckbox on this page does two different things:
We have check= ed both the previous recording route box and the current mix route box. If Location 1 route was unchecked and Location 2 was checked, Location 2 would get written in the backup file at Location 1 and over-write the recording set up. The routed locations are packed in starting from the lowest numbered scenes. You can not route two scen= es with the same time (or within 1 frame of another scene). You can have multiple locations with th= e same time but the “Route” checkbox can not be checked for two scenes with the sa= me time.
Scroll down t= o the green “Click For Effects Assignments” button at the bottom and click on it. This will bring up the page for effects assignments.
Figure 11 T2488 screen with the Effect Routing screen displayed
For Location = 1 let’s keep the assignments we previously made in part 1. However, Let’s un-check the “Route” checkbox since we can’t have two scenes with the same time.
For Location = 2 let’s type “3” into the Multi Effect textbox to turn on the Multi Effect for the = lead guitar. The Insert/Overwrite key c= an be useful for this type of editing. W= e can make the actual Multi Effect preset selection later. Remember when the Multi Effect is used = you can only use 4 Mic Effects. Also, a st= ereo channel uses 2 Mic Effects. If you= try to use too many Mic Effects T2488 will let you know.
Let’s close t= he effects assignment page.
The last thin= g you should do before a save is to enable the routing by clicking on the “= Route” checkbox for the locations you want to save to the Tascam Backup/Restore file (Locations 2 on the Location/Scene Menu for our example).
You will see =
a red Save
button on the main Location/Scene Menu.
Click the Save button to save it to a Tascam Backup/Restore file.
All the setti= ngs on the Location/Scene Menu and the Effects Routing page are saved with your T2488 Setup file but you also need to save these set= tings to a Tascam backup/restore file to use them on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
You can use t= he blank file on MixerMuse’s web site or use and existing Tascam backup file. If you use your own Tascam backup/resto= re file, remember T2488 will only write as many scenes as are in the Tascam backup/restore file= . For example, if you only have four scen= es on your existing Tascam file you will only have four scenes written for this session (even if you have more setup in the T2488). The MixerMuse web site file has 20 blank scenes pre-loaded for you.
Copy this Tas= cam file to the Tascam 2488/MKII and restore it (delete any existing songs inside the Tascam with= the same name before restoring). If you don’t know how to do this consult the Tascam 2488/MKII user manual. When you restore the file on the Tascam 2488/MKII you can check the effects assignments on the display if you like = by recalling the scenes.
Figure 12 T2488 Routing
For the mix w= e should make certain that the “Route” checkbox on the Locations/Scene Menu is check= ed for Location 2 so our effects assignments will get sent to the Tascam.
Since we have= saved our effects assignments to the Tascam 2488/MKII and the “Route” button for Loca= tion 2 is enabled, we simply need to press the Stop button on T2488 at time “0” – the song start, to send the effects assignment to the Tascam. All of your effects assignments are now loaded on the Tascam 2488/MKII. As= a note, when you are playing T2488, scene’s that are routed and/or assigned effects (the “Route” checkbox is checked) will automatically be sent to the= Tascam 2488/MKII when the song counter hits the time you have set. The scene change command will also be s= ent when you use Location markers, the Cue or Stop.
The Tascam 24= 88/MKII is now ready for automation.
Close the Location/Scene Menu.
At this point= there are two tasks that we should do: 1) Set the relative group levels for the drums= 2) Set up our drum group.
Determine the=
relative
drum levels you want by playing the Tascam tracks we previously recorded.
When you have=
found the
relative drum levels that you want, assign the drums to a group so we can
control them together. To assign t=
he
drums to a group, click on the group button on the main toolbar. It will turn red. Click on the number “
It is importa= nt to note that any time you move the transport, the control settings will play the va= lues set by the song at whatever time you are set to (unless you are recording t= hat control of course). Since we have = not recorded anything the default values are set. For the faders this is -∞ (quiet). However you can always restore your relative group levels by right-clicking on a record button. For more information see Restoring the Ori= ginal Relative Group Levels.
Now let’s add= reverb to our overhead drum to enhance its sound. We will also set our Multi Effect for the lead guitar. In addition, we may want to refine our = main fader levels once the effects are present.
Figure 13 T2488 screen with the effects screens displ= ayed
Let’s also ad=
d reverb
to the Overhead Drums. We can do t=
his
with the Single Effect. You can se=
lect
it from the View item on the main toolbar.
When the Single Effect comes up you will see the “Toggle All Rec” and
“Rec Follows” checkboxes with the factory/user buttons and the preset number
textbox. You will also see the eff=
ect
panels that are supported by the Single Effect.
Click the user button and name your user preset “Overhead Drums Reve=
rb 1”. You can adjust the reverb setting howev=
er you
like. Make sure you click the “Save
Settings” button to save the user preset in your current session. Note you will still need to save the se=
tup
file when you are done to retain the presets you created in this session.
We can displa= y the Multi Effect from the View item on the main toolbar. Let’s make a user preset named “Hot Lead 1”. You can choose the type of Mul= ti Effect on the preset page. Set the effect panels and controls however you like. The Multi Effects have multiple panels as you can observe. This works just like the Tascam 2488/MK= II.
If you are ha= ving problems getting the drop down box on a preset menu to drop down simply clo= se the preset window (x in upper right corner of window) and re-open it by right-clicking on the main effect “Send” button. This will bring up the preset window ag= ain and the drop down box will work correctly.
To record eff= ects it is probably better to check the “Toggle All Rec” (toggles all record buttons f= or the individual effects) and “Rec Follows” buttons (record will follow the effect changes – see Program Changes for Effects). Click all the “Toggl= e All Rec” and “Rec Follows” buttons. Yo= u can also click on the record buttons for the drum channels, the Mic Effects and= the Single Effect. The buttons will tu= rn yellow. This indicates Record Enab= le has not been enabled yet.
Make sure you= set the pans for the channels you want to record however you like. You can group them and use cross-fading= .
We are going = to use the MTC Slave Synchronization mode to lock T2488 to the Tascam 2488/MK= II. You will need to turn on Internal on th= e Tascam 2488/MKII’s sync setup (MENU – SYNC/MIDI – SYNC – Source to Internal). You also need to turn on the MTC genera= tor on the Tascam 2488/MKII (MENU – SYNC/MIDI – SYNC – Generator to MTC).
On T2488s mai= n toolbar, select Tools – Synchronization - Slave MIDI Time Clock Synchronization or j= ust click on the “Sync” button. Clicki= ng on the “Sync” button toggles between turning all sync modes off and turning on slave MTC. Now, T2488 is locked to= the Tascam 2488/MKII. This means the t= imes you set on the Locations/Scene Menu will corres= pond to the times on the Tascam 2488/MKII.
Let’s also us= e MIDI Machine Control to control transport functions between T2488 and the Tascam 2488/MKII. On the Tascam 2488/MKII, enable Slave MMC (MENU – SYNC/MIDI – REMOTE – MMC Mode to Slave).
On T2488’s To= ol selector you will see MIDI Machine Control – click on Master MMC in this selector or click on the “MMC” button. Clicking on the MMC button toggles between turning MMC off and turning Master MMC on. Now, T2488 controls all the transport functions on the Tascam (play, start, rewind, etc.).
Bring up the = faders on channels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. You can also bring up your main stereo fader.
It is probabl= y a good idea to save your session now by using the “Save All” icon on the main tool= bar.
Figure 14 T2488 Main screen
If you like y= ou can go straight out to your pre-master on the Tascam 2488/MKII or you can do a bou= nce if you want to try several mixes before your pre-master. Don’t forget that if you bounce you can control the eight inputs with the controls in the upper right corner of T24= 88 if you want additional inputs. In = any case, select a record option on the Tascam 2488/MKII. With automation you can avoid a lot of = bouncing and go right to your master stereo mix down – save those stereo channels for more raw instrument tracks. Howeve= r you do it, you can use all the techniques we have been describing for finishing= the project. Stereo mix down is merely= the process of adding the stereo fader into your current automation along with = the Stereo/Dynamic Effects, any additional effects, external MIDI instrumentati= on, additional EQ etc. Here are some i= deas for final mixdown using T2488:
The Stereo/Dy= namic effect is typically used on final mixdown.
Add EQ to you= r final mix.
You can recor= d MIDI data and edit it as well.
Presets can b= e changed on the fly along with all the controls and effects.
You can use a= ny MIDI data you have recorded to control MIDI instruments than can be brought into= your Tascam 2488/MKII vis-à-vis the input channels at final mix down (se