answer:
http://www.tascam.com/products/dp-02cf;9,16,3581,19.html ^^ Here’s the link to the online manual. 1. After turning on the system, set up your Compact Flash (CF) card for recording by formatting (erasing) it. This step is described on p. 38 The next steps deal with taking your source signals (mic(s), guitar or other line level signals), setting their “volume” level using input gain controls, and routing them through the system to the record tracks. Once you can master this concept of getting the signal through the “path,” things should progress fairly easily from there. Not having seen or worked with this unit, my knowledge of your recorder’s exact functions are limited, but in a broad general sense, here’s some pointers you can hopefully use for setting up the system for recording: 2. Set up your recording signal path, which is diagrammed on p. 12; by plugging in your incoming (input) devices (either a mic, two mics, one mic and one line (guitar), or two lines (2 x mono or 1 x stereo) into the rear panel inputs 1 & 2. If you’re using a condenser microphone on either of the channels, you’ll need to depress the “phantom” button on the top surface of the recorder. 3. Next, get familiar with the interface; in a nutshell, your signals go from the physical input jack on the back, to the top of the work surface (where the “Input A” and “Input B” are labeled); next the signal goes through the black “Level” pots (knobs), allowing you to set the level of the incoming (input) signal; from there, you route the signal down to a record “track” using the Assign (A/B) button-hold down that button while choosing one of the eight “REC” buttons located on each row. Pressing these together sets that signal to record on that record track. The signal then goes on to the “virtual tape” which is, the computer’s hard disk (in this case the CF Card) and is now ready to store (record) that signal into that “slot” (you have 8 slots to choose from, but can only record to two of them at a time). 4. Next, before you begin recording, set the record (input) level of the incoming signals, by adjusting the Level knobs (pots) until you begin to see a signal in the meters (the virtual peak meters in the orange LCD). An “average” signal level should range between -20 to -10 dB, which on those meters is about half way up; if the signals average there, it’s okay if they go above or below, but make sure they don’t stay pegged at maximum, or are so low that they barely “tickle” the meter at the bottom. Once you have set a good signal level, there is nothing else to do on the input for setting levels; everything else on that track is for output (mixing your signals after the recording has been made). Proceed to next step. 5. To begin recording, go to the main transport, and press the Record button down, while holding down, press the Play button; this engages the system’s “transport” (back in the tape days, the transport was the physical tape deck’s motors and gears that moved the tape through the tape heads). The transport’s display counter should start to count up. You should now be able to begin your recording. It’s a good idea if the recorder doesn’t have a built in metronome to record a count off so that the next set of tracks you record all start in sync with your first tracks. 6. Once you’re done recording, press stop on the transport; if you “rewind” back tot the start of the song, you should be able to just press play and hear your song back without pressing anything else. To hear and adjust the levels of the playback (output fader) use the slider at the bottom of the track to bring the signal up. Once you have several tracks recorded you can blend between them (mix) and add effects and EQ to taste. This may or may not get you all the way through the process but it gives you an idea of where to go if you’ve never recorded before. Your recorder also has some pretty spiffy features, such as the ability to edit tracks and copy/paste portions of a recording. Once you get familiar with the basic process, you really should read the manual cover-to-cover. I think Tascam may also have a support forum for you to access info, tips and troubleshooting that other users of that model have posted (always a helpful resource). Good luck, feel free to PM me if you run into a snag (although I’ve never seen this unit before tonight, I may be able to point you in the right direction). ~sndfreQ