Section XIII, Continued
Section XIII, page 2
I/O - This is a real cool way of saying “input and output.” Also, it is the last two letters of “Old MacDonald
had a farm, E-I-E-I/O”. No one knows what the E-I-E part stands for, or why there are 5 spaces and only
3 of the 5 vowels on that song.
insert - An insert is also known as a “send and return”. Both names aptly describe what it does.
Basically, an insert point allows you to put another device into the signal flow. This way, if you have a
compressor, noise gate, fancy EQ, etc. you can
insert
it into the signal path. This is usually
accomplished through a TRS plug (Tip-Ring-Sleeve), that utilizes the two channel signals as one path
going in, one going out (instead of left side and right side). The signal then comes to the insert point, goes
out to the connected processor, and then returns to continue down the signal path just like normal.
jitter - Jitter is caused by multiple digital devices interconnected that can’t synchronize themselves, and
samples are cut out or missing which causes audible pops or other anomalies. To prevent this, the
devices will use “word clock” to keep them all together.
MDM - Acronym for Modular Digital Multitrack. Typically the units will each handle up to 8 tracks, and
have the capability of slaving multiple units together for larger recording systems. The two major formats
for this type of machine are the Hi8 format from TASCAM, or the SVHS format from Alesis. (i.e.
TASCAM DA-38, DA-88 or DA-98, or Alesis ADAT)
MIDI - Acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI sends
performance data
that allows one
synthesizer to control another. No audio is actually passed through MIDI. What MIDI sends and
receives is instructions like “middle C was just played” or “the sustain pedal was pushed down”. In the
case of the TM-D1000, messages would be transmitted that “fader 14 was moved up” or “aux 1 on
channel 12 was turned down.” This way, whatever you do, a sequencer can remember all of your
instructions in a mix, and play them back over and over again for you. Plus, you can edit your moves in
the sequencer. It is important to remember that MIDI is a digital communication system, but is not used
to transmit digital audio.
MMC - Acronym for MIDI Machine Control. MMC is a standard that gives transport control of MMC
compliant recorders/players through standard MIDI cables. (Transport control includes things like play,
stop, fast forward, rewind, record, pause, locate, and track record enabling.)
Lightpipe - The digital communication format standard developed by Alesis. It puts eight channels of
digital audio through an optical cable Don’t get an optical SPDIF signal confused with the ADAT
lightpipe... they’re not compatible. When hooking up devices with Lightpipe ports, you will need to use a
TASCAM IF-TAD conversion box to convert the Lightpipe format to TDIF format.
Sweepable - A sweepable EQ simply means the center frequency can be moved. Sweepable EQs
can be either boost/cut or shelf EQs. This is very handy because the EQ may be focused on a
specific part of the audio where it may bring out more character of the signal. For instance, a High
Sweep/Shelf EQ may be focused just above the primary bands of a singer’s voice, giving them more
of a breathy quality. A low sweepable boost/cut may be used to add more of a pillow sound to a
kick drum, a little higher will make it punchy, and around 1kHz you might find more kick drum
beater. On a sweepable EQ, the Gain will adjust the amount of boost/cut, and the Frequency will
select the center frequency of the band.
Parametric - A parametric EQ is a sweepable EQ that also gives you the ability to adjust the
bandwidth. In other words, you can determine how wide an area around the center frequency you
are affecting. (1/10th octave, 1/3 octave, 3 octaves, etc.) So, if you want to add a wide, smooth
sounding rise in response, you can. If you want to slice out a specific part, you can do that too.
This is particularly helpful to remove a 60Hz buzz, a ringing feedback frequency in a live show, or to
add a little more edge to the crack of a snare drum. The controls for a parametric EQ are Gain for
adjusting the amount of boost or cut, Frequency for selecting the location of boost or cut, and “Q” for
adjusting the width of boost or cut.
Notch - A notch filter is a term used for a narrow band of EQ, typically used to “notch out” a
frequency. As mentioned in the parametric EQ listing, it is typically used for removal of trouble
frequencies.
TASCAM TM-D1000 Tutorial
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