2 - Parts of the tape deck
14
TASCAM DA-40
NOTE
If the DATA dial is turned by mistake, either
leave the tape deck alone for five seconds to
cancel the operation, or press the STOP key.
2.4 Command keys
These command keys have two modes: the primary
mode, labeled in white above the key, is the most
common use for the key. The secondary, or shifted,
mode is labeled in blue above the key, and is only
operative when the
SHIFT
indicator
[31]
is lit (see 4,
"SHIFT functions" for details of these secondary
modes).
[20] COUNTER MODE
Use this key to cycle through the different tape
counter modes available:
•
ABS
time— the absolute time as recorded on the
subcode of the tape. This is expressed in hours,
minutes and seconds. If the tape is at an unrecorded
location, the tape counter will show all dashes.
•
PGM
time— the elapsed time since the last
START ID which has been read from tape (the
beginning of the program). If, when the display is
in this mode, the tape is located to a point outside a
START ID and playback restarts, the tape deck will
be unable to determine the time since the start of
the program and the display will show all dashes
instead of a time value.
•
REMAIN
time— the time remaining on the cur-
rently-loaded cassette; to minute accuracy. Cas-
settes from different manufacturers may vary
slightly in length, resulting in different values
being shown for tapes which are nominally the
same length.
NOTE
In LP mode, the counter shows one second of
tape time for every second of real time in the
ABS, PGM and REMAIN counter modes. For
example, after one hour’s playback or record-
ing in LP mode, the counter will only show 30
minutes. Bear this in mind when you are using
the LP mode.
• Tape Counter mode— no indication is given on the
display of the mode, and a 4-digit number is used
to show the tape position. This value is relative to a
user-definable reference “zero” point (see
MARGIN RESET [22]
).
[21] CHAR
If characters have been recorded on the tape as a tape
or program title, pressing this key will allow the tape
deck to display these characters, scrolling across the
display, as the START ID containing the title is
played back. They will be replaced by successive title
contents as they are read from tape. If characters are
read from a START ID, the
CHAR
indicator will
light in the display to indicate this. If no characters
have been recorded on the tape, pressing this key will
have no effect.
[22] MARGIN RESET
Pressing this key resets the margin (available head-
room) to its lowest level of 40dB. Note that in some
display modes, there is no visible effect when this
key is pressed.
The margin is measured in 1 dB increments between
40 dB and 20 dB and in 0.1 dB increments between
19.9 dB and 0 dB.
If the time display is in the 4-digit tape counter
mode, pressing this key will reset the tape counter.
[23] DISPLAY
Regardless of the current counter mode set by
[20]
,
this key is used to display other information. The
options available, which are accessed by repeated
presses of this key, are:
• Program number and Margin mode— where the
current program number and margin in decibels are
displayed:
• Frames mode— where frames are displayed as
well as hours, minutes, and seconds. The frames
used are “digital audio” frames, i.e. there are 100
frames in every three seconds; 33 in the first sec-
ond, 33 in the next, and 34 in the third. The pattern
then repeats itself.
PNO
MARG
ABS
0 0
H
2 6
M
3 5
S
0
9
6. 3
dB
PNO
MARG
PGM
0 3
M
1 7
S
0
9
6. 3
dB
PNO
MARG
REMAIN
0 0 0 3
M
0
9
6. 3
dB
PNO
MARG
0 1
2 6
0
8
6 . 3
dB
PNO
MARG
ABS
0 0
H
2 3
M
0 8
S
0
7
6
.
3
dB
ABS
0 0
H
2 3
M
0 8
S
_
3
2
F
P
0
9
