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The MT8XII & MIDI
MT8XII—Owner’s Manual
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The MT8XII & MIDI
MIDI sequencers and MIDI controlled musical instruments have become essential tools for
modern recording. It’s common these days not to record MIDI instruments to tape until the
final mixdown. This has the benefit of freeing up tracks for acoustic sounds and reduces the need
for recorders with many tracks. The MT8XII is ideal for recording vocal, guitar, and other acous-
tic sounds and can easily be integrated into a MIDI system.
Using the MT8XII in a MIDI System
To use the MT8XII in a synchronized MIDI system, you must record a SYNC signal onto Track 8
of the MT8XII before recording anything else. This is called striping the tape, and it only needs
to be done once. During playback, the SYNC signal is output from the MT8XII and sent to a
MIDI sequencer. The MIDI sequencer reads the SYNC signal and plays back in synchronization
with the MT8XII. When the MT8XII is stopped, the MIDI sequencer stops too. In this way, the
MT8XII works as the master control device in a synchronized MIDI system. You can still use
the transport controls on the MIDI sequencer, but only the MIDI sequencer will respond.
The SYNC signal is recorded and played back on Track 8 of the MT8XII, so you cannot use this
track for recording. You can, however, still use Input Channel 8 as an input channel. Although,
it’s best to keep the [FLIP] switch on channel 8 in the up position and the CUE LEVEL control
turned down. Otherwise, you will be able to hear the SYNC signal.
The MT8XII has dedicated input and output connectors for connecting a SYNC signal. Do not
connect a SYNC signal to channel 8’s line input.
When the SYNC function is on, the dbx noise reduction system is turned off for Track 8. This
ensures that the SYNC signal is processed correctly. For this reason, do not record the SYNC
signal onto a different track.
SYNC Signal Formats
The MT8XII supports two formats of SYNC signal: SMPTE timecode and FSK. The main dif-
ference between these two formats is that SMPTE timecode contains both clock and position
information whereas FSK contains only clock information. This means that with SMPTE time-
code you can start playback on the MT8XII at any point and the MIDI sequencer will playback
in synchronization. With FSK, however, you must always rewind the tape and start playback on
the MT8XII at the beginning of the SYNC signal for the MIDI sequencer to synchronize cor-
rectly. Some newer FSK converters use what’s called “smart FSK”. Like SMPTE timecode, this
contain both clock and position information, allowing playback start from any position within
a song.
In order to stripe the MT8XII tape, you need a device that can generate either SMPTE timecode
or FSK. Some MIDI sequencers have this feature built-in. If your’s doesn’t, you’ll need a
MIDI/SMPTE or MIDI/FSK converter. These devices convert MIDI clock signals into signals
that can be recorded onto tape (i.e., SMPTE timecode and FSK). During playback, the same
device is used to convert the SMPTE timecode or FSK signal back into MIDI clock signals for
the MIDI sequencer to synchronize to. Stand-alone SMPTE timecode generators can generate
SMPTE timecode independently of a MIDI sequencer. The format that you chose will probably
depend on your budget. SMPTE is more expensive than FSK, but the benefits are worth it if you
intend to do a lot of synchronized recording. A converter box with a built-in MIDI merge func-
tion makes setup and operation easier.
Standard audio cables can be used to make SMPTE timecode and FSK connections.
