Tascam Digital Audio Production Environment SX-1 Reference Manual

							Part VI–Audio tracks
 TASCAM SX-1 Reference Manual 131
rules (for example, you could select all audio events 
after bar 108).
BEGIN/EDIT BEGIN Press the BEGIN/ EDIT 
BEGIN
 key to define the In marker for an edit region. 
Press 
SHIFT+BEGIN/ EDIT BEGIN to adjust the edit 
Begin point.
TIP
Remember, In and Out edit points must be defined 
before you can edit a region. Use the 
CAPTURE key 
(explained in “Creating Locate Points” on page 38) to 
capture edit points on the fly.
END/EDIT END Press the END/ EDIT END key to 
define the Out marker for an edit region. Press 
SHIFT+ BEGIN/ EDIT END to adjust the edit end 
point.
SYNC PT/EDIT SYNC Press the SYNC PT/ EDIT 
SYNC
 key to mark a location for that event that all 
edits will align to. Press 
SHIFT+SYNC PT/ EDIT 
SYNC
 to edit the position of the sync point.
VGA Edit Menu
An expanded edit 
command menu is 
available from the 
VGA’s Main Menu 
Bar. Along with all 
the previously 
explained editing 
operations, there 
are several unique 
editing commands 
found only on this 
menu.
The commands 
that are unique to 
this menu are 
explained here.Cut (Ripple Left) Functions like Cut+Reverse 
Ripple.
Cut (Ripple Right) Functions like Cut+Ripple.
Paste (Insert) Functions like Paste+Ripple.
Paste (Overwrite) Pastes from the clipboard and 
overwrites the area beneath the newly pasted region.
Paste (Merge) This is for MIDI editing only. Use 
Merge to combine the contents of the clipboard with 
pre-existing data on a track.
Open Area This operation creates a gap that is equal 
to the duration of the selected region, by moving all 
of the track’s material past the region’s In point later 
in time (see the illustration below).
Select All Selects all tracks.
Select All Audio Selects all audio tracks.
Select All MIDI Selects all MIDI tracks.
Select All Automation Selects all automation 
tracks.
Unselect All Deselects all selected tracks, regions, 
and events.
Toggle Grid Turns the “snap-to-grid” function on 
and off (works exactly the same as the Grid Select 
key described on “Grid Select” on page 18).
TIP
For quick PS/2 keyboard access to these editing func-
tions, note the keyboard commands listed on the far 
right of the pull-down menu.
Audio Before Open Area
Audio After Open Area
Selected Region
InOut
Opened Area
In (of Selected Region) 
						

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Auditioning Edits
In order to facilitate an easy and quick way to hear 
your selected regions and edits, the SX-1 includes a 
dedicated Audition section on its front panel.
AUDITION Section
These keys determine how a region or edited area is 
played back for review. They all function in a similar 
manner. Press one of the keys and then press the edit 
location point (for example, the 
BEGIN/ EDIT 
BEGIN
 or END/ EDIT END keys in the EDITING sec-tion) you want to audition. After pressing an audition 
key, blinking LEDs alert you as to which location 
points can be auditioned (edit, loop, autopunch, and 
locate points).
TO/EDIT PRE Use the TO/ EDIT PRE key to audi-
tion material up to the edit point. Press 
SHIFT+TO/ 
EDIT PRE
 to adjust the Audition pre-roll time (a reg-
ister appears on the LCD, pictured here).
FROM/EDIT POST Use the FROM/ EDIT POST 
key to audition material from the edit point forward. 
Press 
SHIFT+FROM/ EDIT POST to adjust the Audi-tion post-roll time (a register appears on the LCD, 
pictured here).
OVER Use the OVER key to play back from a point 
before the edit to a point after the edit. The post and 
pre-roll times are determined by the 
TO/ EDIT PRE 
and 
FROM/ EDIT POST keys (see above).
REGION Use the REGION key to play back only 
the selected region. 
						

							 TASCAM SX-1 Reference Manual 133
Part VII–MIDI Sequencing
Chapter 18 – Essential Controls
MIDI Sequencer
The SX-1’s MIDI sequencer is a full-fledged 128-
track sequencer with all the editing and recording 
capabilities of a dedicated software program. There are several ways to interact with the MIDI sequencer: 
from the SX-1’s front panel, a connected VGA 
screen, and the onboard LCD screen.
MIDI REC MODE Section
The keys in this section access functions of the MIDI 
sequencer.
MERGE Use the MERGE key to enable the MIDI 
Merge recording function. By default, MIDI record-ing is set to overwrite data. However, with the Merge 
function active (as indicated by the 
 LED), 
newly recorded MIDI data is added to the pre-exist-
ing MIDI data of a track.
STEP Use the STEP key to enter MIDI Step Record 
mode (“Step Record Mode” on page 146). When 
Step Record is active, notes can be entered one at a 
time from a MIDI controller connected to the SX-1’s 
MIDI In jack. The note durations are shown in the 
Piano Roll tab when the Step Record edit operation is 
selected, and note durations can be changed via the 
Keypad.
PA N I C  Use the PA N I C key to reset stuck MIDI 
notes and other such errant MIDI messages. A mirror 
Panic key is also available on the VGA Main Menu 
Bar. This key is a latching key.
VGA Tracks Display of MIDI
Working with MIDI data is similar in some ways to 
working with audio data. Many of the same rules for selecting and editing regions and events (outlined in 
“Editing Audio” on page 127) apply to both.
MIDI Tracks
The image below is an example of MIDI tracks as 
they appear in the 
Tracks screen on the VGA. You can 
treat these tracks in much the same way you treat audio tracks. Events and areas can be selected, cut, 
cleared, moved, and so on.
TIP
To learn how to create and load MIDI tracks, see the 
Quick Start. 
						

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For a more detailed view of a single MIDI track, use 
the 
Piano Roll tab (pictured here) of the Tracks screen.
MIDI data on the Piano Roll shows up as colored 
blocks, indicating their pitch and timing by their position). Notes flash on the keyboard when they are 
played back, showing accurate Note On velocity by 
using a gradually darker color as the velocity 
approaches 127 (full scale MIDI).
LCD Tracks Display of MIDI
MIDI Tracks
The image below is an example of MIDI tracks as 
they appear in the 
TRACKS screen on the LCD.The VGA’s 
Piano Roll tab also has a parallel LCD 
screen (pictured below).
From the 
LCD ACCESS section, press the MIDI 
TRACK
 key to reach this screen. The operations for 
this screen are discussed above. 
						

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VGA MIDI Channel Display
Like the audio tracks, the MIDI tracks also have their 
own Channel control. With a MIDI track selected 
(press the mixer channel’s 
SEL key for a MIDI track), press the 
CHANNEL key in the MAIN 
DISPLAY MODE
 section.
MIDI CONTROLLERS 1-16 The SX-1’s MIDI 
channels pre-assign 16 Continuous Controllers by 
default, and these can be any of the allowable con-
trollers within the MIDI specification – for instance, 14 bit controllers (instead of the standard 7 bit). Use 
these modules to assign the desired controllers, 
which will record/play and pass through (if MIDI 
Thru is enabled). 
						

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LCD MIDI Channel Display
The controller modules are also available via the 
LCD screen. They function identically to the control-
ler parameters in the VGA 
Channel module.With a MIDI channel selected, From the 
MAIN 
DISPLAY MODE
 section, press CHANNEL.
TIP
A MIDI track’s associated controllers can also be seen in 
the 
MIDI Mixer screen of the Fader Banks. The controllers 
can be assigned there, and their values can be manipu-
lated.
Global Controls
The MIDI settings in the Global tab of the VGA Tracks 
screen affect all MIDI operations.
VGA Global Tab
Press TRACK in the MAIN DISPLAY MODE section, 
then click on the 
Global tab to reach this window.
Use Durations For Reverse Play The 
sequencer supports playback of MIDI performances 
in reverse.TIP
Start reverse playback by pressing and holding the 
SHIFT key on thekKeypad while pressing PLAY. Or, by 
holding down the [Alt] key on the PS/2 keyboard and 
clicking on the 
Play key in the VGA’s Main Menu Bar. 
						

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When Use Durations for Reverse Play is on, the sequencer 
will simply swap each MIDI note’s start time with its end time as it plays in reverse (see the illustration 
below).
When 
Use Durations for Reverse Play is turned off, during 
reverse play the start time of each note remains the 
same, and each note plays for a fixed duration (the default duration for this mode is a 1/16th note (semi-
quaver), but this can be changed).
TIP
With sounds that have sharp attacks followed by fast 
decays to silence, it is best to turn 
Use Durations for Reverse 
Play
 off. If you don’t, these types of sounds in reverse 
play can sound odd because note start times will not align. However, with sounds that have a steady sustain 
(such as organ notes), then turn 
Use Durations for Reverse 
Play
 on to get a closer approximation of what the 
sequence would sound like if the notes were played 
backwards.
Play direction
Play direction
Play direction
Play direction 
						

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MIDI Input Settings
MIDI Echo When MIDI Echo is turned on, all 
MIDI data entering the SX-1’s input port is echoed 
out of one or more of the output ports. The MIDI data 
received on the selected input channel (or all chan-
nels, if OMNI is selected as the input source of the 
track slot) is echoed out the port and channel selected 
in the output field track slot. This can be helpful 
when using a master controller with no sounds of its 
own, but can cause problems if the device being used 
as the controller also has internal sounds that are 
being used. If MIDI Echo is disabled, then data echo-
ing does not occur.
TIP
Data is only echoed if a MIDI take has been created and 
exists in a track slot, and has RECORD or MONITOR 
enabled.
MIDI Merge With MIDI Merge turned on, when 
recording over existing data, the old and new perfor-
mances are merged together. When MIDI Merge is 
turned off, recording over existing data erases and 
replaces that data.
MIDI Filters The MIDI Input Filters feature deter-
mines what types of MIDI data are ignored at the 
MIDI Input ports. If an event type is checked in the 
popup menu, then it will be filtered—not recorded or 
echoed to the MIDI output ports (if MIDI Echo is 
enabled).
Transmit MIDI Clock Turn this setting on to 
enable transmitting MIDI Clock (Timing Clock, 
sometimes known as MIDI Beat Clock) whenever 
the SX-1 plays or records. One or more Transmit 
Ports must be enabled for transmission to occur (see 
Transmit Ports below).
TIP
MIDI Clock is useful for synchronizing external MIDI 
devices that contain internal sequencers, as these 
devices rarely chase timecode.
Transmit Ports Click on the arrow to choose 
which output ports transmit MIDI Clock. It is best to 
enable transmission of MIDI clock on just the ports 
where it is needed. MIDI clock can affect the timing 
of other MIDI data sent on the same port, so having a 
port dedicated to MIDI clock transmission is optimal.
Transmit Clocks Per Beat When enabled 
(checked), 24 MIDI clocks are sent per beat. When 
not enabled (unchecked), 24 MIDI clocks are sent 
per quarter note (crochet). The 24 MIDI clocks per 
beat mode is preferred when working with time sig-
natures that are not based on quarter note beats (such 
as 3/8, 6/8, 3/2, etc.).
Transmit First Clock When enabled (checked), 
24 MIDI clocks are transmitted after the MIDI Start 
command. When disabled (unchecked), the Start 
command serves as the first clock and 23 more 
clocks follow. Some older MIDI devices assume the 
Start command is also the first clock of the first beat. 
For these devices, enable 
Transmit First Clock.
Transmit MTC When enabled (checked), MIDI 
Time Code is sent out the list of ports selected in the 
MTC Transmit Ports menu (see below).
MTC Transmit Ports Click on the arrow to deter-
mine the list of output ports sending MTC (MIDI 
Time Code). As with MIDI Clock, it is best to only 
enable MTC transmission on the ports where it is 
actually required. Ideally, a single output port should 
be dedicated to MTC transmission.
NOTE
The mixdown parameters in this tab are covered in 
“The SX-1 and Mixdown Mode” on page 170 and the 
system parameters in “System Settings” on page 182. 
						

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LCD MIDI Settings Screen
This LCD screen mirrors the MIDI controls found on 
the 
Global tab of the VGA Track screen. Many of the 
parameters on this screen are identical to the parame-
ters found in the VGA 
Global tab, and are explained on 
the previous pages. Only those parameters that are 
unique to this LCD screen are explained here.
To reach this screen, press the 
SETTINGS key in the 
MAIN DISPLAY MODE section. Then use the NEXT 
PAGE
 soft key to scroll to the MIDI page.
MTC INPUT PORT This allows the SX-1’s MIDI 
IN
 port to see MIDI Time Code. Use the MIDI IN 
option if you are using a device that is sending both 
MTC and MIDI performance data (notes, etc.) from 
the same port.
ACTIVE SENSE This turns on or off MIDI Active 
Sensing. Turn this parameter on when you are con-
trolling a device that accepts Active Sensing. You 
may want to turn off Active Sensing if: you have an 
older MIDI device that does not accept Active Sense 
messages and “chokes” on them, or if you find the 
constant flashing of the MIDI activity indicator 
annoying (or you only want to see sequencer activ-
ity). This parameter is only accessible from the LCD 
screen.
LED MODE This setting allows you to choose 
whether the 
 activity LED on the SX-1’s 
slanted front panel responds to MIDI In data, MIDI 
Out data, or both.
VGA MIDI Track Tab
The MIDI Track tab contains controls for non-destruc-
tively altering a track’s MIDI performance. From the MAIN DISPLAY MODE section, press the TRACK 
key, then click on the 
MIDI Track tab.
Track Here, you select a MIDI track for processing. 
Each track can have its own unique settings for all of 
the available parameters. 
						

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Quantize Controls The Quantize feature allows 
notes to be precisely aligned on an imaginary quan-
tize “grid” in a variety of ways. The following defini-
tions and accompanying illustrations are examples of how different quantize settings affect the MIDI per-
formance. All the illustrations are based on a single 
measure with a 4/4 meter and the quantize grid set to 
8th notes (quavers) (see the figure below).
Quantize Length This is the most important 
quantize parameter. It determines the size of the 
“grid” to be applied to the MIDI data. The grid’s 
spacing is expressed as a rhythmic value, for exam-
ple, a 1/16th note (semiquaver). In 4/4 time, a quan-
tize length of 1/16th
 note would result in 64 quantize 
divisions per measure (that’s 4 beats x 16 divisions 
per beat).
Attacks When enabled, the start times of notes are 
aligned to the quantize grid.For example, if the 
Quantize length is 8th notes (quavers), then all the 
selected notes’ start times are moved to the nearest 
8th note boundary in the current measure. Notes are 
moved forwards or backwards depending on where 
the nearest 8th note boundary falls. The picture 
below shows before and after quantize with the 
Attacks parameter enabled.
release attack