Tascam Digital Portastudio 788 Owners Manual

							TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 81
9 – Effects
The 788 includes two high-end digital internal effects 
units, which can be used in a variety of ways to 
enhance your recording project. Since all effect pro-
cessing is carried out in the digital domain, there is 
no loss of quality caused by conversion to and from 
the digital domain.
The two effects units (
EFFECT 1 and EFFECT 2) can 
be set up in a number of different ways, according to 
the current recording task:
EFFECT 1 This effects unit can be used as a multi-
effect processor, incorporating five effects in one 
chain and inserted into the signal path of input sig-
nals. This is particularly useful when recording 
source material such as electric instruments. 
Alternatively, it can be placed into the mixer’s effects 
loop, as a single stereo effect processor (for example 
in the mixdown stage of a project).
EFFECT 2 This effects unit can inserted in input 
channels as up to eight dynamics processors, or be 
placed at the stereo output as a stereo dynamics pro-
cessor.
Finally, like 
EFFECT 1, you can choose to use it as a 
single stereo effect processor, placed in the aux loop.
The reason for the different modes is that you will 
probably require different types of effect at different 
times. 
For instance, if you are recording many channels 
simultaneously using microphones, you may want 
to use compressors on many channels at once.
When you come to overdub an electric guitar solo, 
you may want to use the multi-effects unit to give 
the guitar sound some life, without having to go 
through the trouble of micing up an amplifier.
At mixdown, it’s quite likely that you’ll want to 
add a selective amount of the same effect to a num-
ber of tracks at the same time.
Again, at mixdown you may want to engage a com-
pressor on the final output. Digital distortion is a 
particularly unpleasant sound, and putting a com-
pressor in front of the outputs is one way to avoid it 
(another way is simply to keep the levels at a rea-
sonable volume, of course!).
Setting up EFFECT 1
Using EFFECT 1 as a multi-effect processor
1Assign a source to the mixer channel which 
will be using 
EFFECT 1 as a multi-effect pro-
cessor, as described in “Assigning sources to 
mixer channels.” on page 36.
2Press and hold down the 
EFFECT 1 key. The 
indicator flashes, as does the indicator of the 
current assignment.
3While holding down the 
EFFECT 1 key, press 
the 
SELECT key of the channel(s) to use the 
effector. The indicator(s) of the channel(s) 
flash along with the 
EFFECT 1 indicator.
4Press the 
SELECT key of the channel again to 
change between pre-EQ and post-EQ insert 
(i.e. the effect settings are made on the 
unequalized or the equalized channel signal). The 
POST indicator flashes when post-EQ is 
selected, and is not lit when pre-EQ is selected.
After this operation when the keys are 
released, the input indicator, together with the 
SELECT indicator(s) of the channel(s), the 
EFFECT indicator and (optionally) the POST 
indicator will all be lit.
5Choose a multi-effect processor type. See 
“Selecting the type of effect” on page 84.
NOTEa ssignment
If you have previously made a stereo link between two 
input channels, or if you are using 
EFFECT 1 with chan-
nels 7 and 8, only the odd-numbered channel of the pair 
will be routed through the processor (except in the case of 
the double exciter, where each channel will be routed 
through the processor). The output from the multi-effect 
processor is always stereo. 
						

							9 – Effects–Setting up EFFECT 2
82 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio
Using EFFECT 1 as a single stereo effect processor in the effect loop
1Press and hold down the SEND key. If EFFECT 
1
 or EFFECT 2 has already been assigned to the 
send loop, the appropriate indicator(s) will 
flash.
2Press the 
EFFECT 1 key. The indicator flashes 
when the effects unit is assigned to the loop.
3Select the mode for the effects unit. See “Single 
stereo effect processor settings” on page 85.
NOTE
You can reverse this order of making the settings (press 
and hold the 
SEND key, and then press the EFFECT 1 
key).
You can remove the effects unit from the effects loop by 
repeating the process so that the indicator does not flash 
when the 
SEND key is pressed.
The effect send may be set to either pre- or post-fader on a 
channel-by-channel basis, as explained in “Changing 
between pre-fader and post-fader settings” on page 84.
Setting up EFFECT 2
The second effects processor is slightly different 
from the first in its options and the settings you can 
make, as explained here:
Using EFFECT 2 as a multi-channel dynamics processor
In this mode, the effects processor acts as a compres-
sor, placed as an insert, before the equalization sec-
tion, but after the digital pad and gain (see “Channel 
digital pad and gain” on page 44). Up to eight input 
channels may use the dynamics processor at a time.
1Press and hold down the 
EFFECT 2 key. The 
indicator flashes, together with the indicators 
of any currently assigned channels.
2While holding down the 
EFFECT 2 key, press 
the 
SELECT key of any channels where you 
want to use the channel dynamics. As you press 
these keys, the channel 
SELECT indicators 
flash to show which channels are using the 
dynamics processor.Pressing a channel’s 
SELECT key which is 
already flashing when the 
EFFECT 2 key is 
held down will stop that channel using the 
dynamics processor.
For details of using the multi-channel dynamics pro-
cessor, see “Dynamics processor” on page 90.
NOTE
If you have previously made a stereo link between two 
input channels, or if you are using 
EFFECT 1 with chan-
nels 7 and 8, pressing one 
SELECT key of the pair will 
assign the effects unit to both channels.
You can also reverse the order of the key presses here 
(press and hold down a 
SELECT key, and then press the 
EFFECT 2 key).
Using EFFECT 2 as a stereo dynamics processor
In this mode, the effects processor acts as a compres-
sor on the stereo output, and may act on the signal 
sent to the 
STEREO fader (pre-fader), or on the final 
level (post-fader).
1Press and hold down the 
EFFECT 2 key. The 
indicator flashes, together with the indicators 
of any current assignments.
2While holding down the 
EFFECT 2 key, press 
the 
STEREO key (in the top row of keys, imme-
diately below the analog input gain controls). 
The 
EFFECT 2 and STEREO indicators flash.3To change the setting between pre-fader and 
post-fader, press the 
STEREO key again while 
holding down the 
EFFECT 2 key. When the set-
ting is post-fader, the 
POST indicator flashes 
together with the other two indicators.
Repeated presses of the 
STEREO key while the 
EFFECT 2 key is held down cycle the dynamics 
processor assignment between pre-fader, post-
fader and off.
For details of using the stereo dynamics processor, 
see “Dynamics processor” on page 90. 
						

							9 – Effects–Send levels, etc.
 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 83
Using EFFECT 2 as a single stereo effect processor in the AUX effect loop
This allows the effect processor to be used in the sec-
ond effects loop (
AUX). If it is used in this way, this 
allows the 
AUX INPUT connectors to be used for 
(say) the stereo signal from an analog sub-mixer at 
mixdown time.
1Press and hold down the 
EFFECT 2 key. The 
indicator flashes, along with the indicators of 
any current assignments.
2While holding down the 
EFFECT 2 key, press 
the 
SEND key.
NOTE
You can reverse this order (press and hold the SEND key, 
and then press the 
EFFECT 2 key).
You can remove the effects unit from the effects loop by 
repeating the process so that the indicator does not flash 
when the 
SEND key is pressed.
The effect send may be set to either pre- or post-fader on a 
channel-by-channel basis, as explained in “Pre- and post-
fader sends explained” on page 84.
While the effects unit is selected as the effects unit in the 
Aux loop, the 
AUX INP UTs and AUX  O UT P UTs are still 
active. The level of the mixed signal from the 
AUX 
OUTPUT
s is controlled with the channel and master Aux 
sends (see “Send levels, etc.” on page 83).
Send levels, etc.
The two effects loops (Effect and Aux) are both ste-
reo sends.
The levels from each channel to these sends, and the 
pan between the two inputs of these stereo sends, can 
be set, as well as the master send level.
In addition, these two sends can be individually 
selected as off, or as pre- or post-fader on a per-chan-
nel basis (see “Pre- and post-fader sends explained” 
on page 84 below).
Stereo linked channels and channels 7 and 8 cannot 
have levels set independently for each channel. One 
control affects the send levels for both channels. In 
addition, the send pan controls change to a stereo pan 
control for both channels.
1Press the 
SEND key. The display screen shows 
the channel send screen.2Press the 
SELECT key of the mixer channel 
whose send levels are to be adjusted.
3Use the cursor keys to move the cursor to the 
value you want to change, and use the 
DATA 
dial to change the values of the channel send 
levels (
LVL), the pan position of the channel 
in the send (
PAN), and the master send levels 
(
MSTR).
4As also explained below (“Changing between 
pre-fader and post-fader settings” on page 84), 
the
TIP
Level settings are from 0 through 127, and pan settings 
are from 
L63 (full left) through C (center) to R63 (full 
right).
NOTE
When two channels are linked, the send levels are identi-
cal, taken from the odd-numbered channel’s values before 
linking, as is the pre/post/off setting. The pan controls 
change to a centered mono pan.
When two channels are unlinked, the stereo pan control 
changes back to mono pan controls, which are panned 
hard left (odd-numbered channels) and hard right (even-
numbered channels). The send levels and pre/post/off set-
tings are taken from the pair, and remain unchanged. 
3, 4 2
1 
						

							9 – Effects–Selecting the type of effect
84 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio
Pre- and post-fader sends explained
Pre-fader means that the level sent to the effects loop 
is independent of the fader setting, as the signal is 
taken before it reaches the fader.Po s t - f a d e r means that because the level to the send 
control is controlled by the fader, the total effect send 
is increased and reduced with the fader.
Changing between pre-fader and post-fader settings
This applies to the Effect and Aux loops only.
1Press the 
SEND key and then press the 
SELECT key of the channel where you want to 
make the setting.2Move the cursor to the box at the left of the 
send screen and use the dial to change between 
PRE, POST and OFF (a small on-screen 
diagram also indicates the change). In the 
example here, the first send is pre-fader, the 
next is post-fader, and the last is off.
Selecting the type of effect
When using the inserted multi-effect processor 
(
EFFECT 1 only) or the single stereo effect processor 
(
EFFECT 1 or EFFECT 2), you can select the effect 
type that you want from a list of preset settings or 
from your own library of settings that you have 
stored previously.
To select from the preset list:
1Assign the effects unit to be a multi-effect pro-
cessor (“Using EFFECT 1 as a multi-effect 
processor” on page 81) or as a single stereo effect processor (“Using EFFECT 1 as a single 
stereo effect processor in the effect loop” on 
page 82 or “Using EFFECT 2 as a single stereo 
effect processor in the AUX effect loop” on 
page 83).
2Press the appropriate 
EFFECT key so that the 
top left of the screen shows 
EFFECT (the 
effect settings editor screen).
3Press either the 
YES or NO key to bring up the 
EFFECT LIBRARY screen.
4Use the Ó and Á keys to make the 
PRESET 
tab “active”.
5Use the dial to select the preset as listed below.
6Press 
YES to confirm the selection (NO exits 
without selecting).
Pre-fader send - the send 
level is unaffected by the 
position of the fader
Post-fader send - the position of the 
fader affects the level of the send 
signal
Pre-fader Post-fader Off
2
3, 6
5
4 
						

							9 – Effects–Selecting the type of effect
 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 85
Multi-effect processor preset settings
The preset effect settings available for the multi-
effect processor (
EFFECT 1 only) are:
There are also some preset effects which you can use 
as starting points for your own experiments. The 
descriptions of these effects are provided separately.
Single stereo effect processor settings
When either EFFECT 1 or EFFECT 2 is selected as a 
single stereo effect processor, the preset options 
available are:
There are also preset effects that you can use “as-is” 
as starting points for experiments. The descriptions 
of these presets are provided separately.
Dynamics processor
Whether the dynamics processor is used as a channel 
dynamics processor, or whether it is assigned to the stereo output, there is only one type of setting that 
can be used: 
Dynamics (a compressor).
DisplayEffects available
DIST_FLG_REVCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Flanger, Reverb
DIST_FLG_DLYCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Flanger, Delay
DIST_EXC_REVCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Exciter, Reverb
DIST_EXC_DLYCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Exciter, Delay
DIST_PIT_REVCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Pitch Shifter, Reverb
DIST_PIT_DLYCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Pitch Shifter, Delay
DIST_CHO_REVCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Chorus, Reverb
DIST_CHO_DLYCompressor, Distortion, Noise 
gate, Chorus, Delay
P.EQ_FLG_REVCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Flanger, Reverb
P.EQ_FLG_DLYCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Flanger, Delay
P.EQ_EXC_REVCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Exciter, Reverb
P.EQ_EXC_DLYCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Exciter, Delay
P.EQ_PIT_REVCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Pitch Shifter, 
Reverb
P.EQ_PIT_DLYCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Pitch Shifter, Delay
P.EQ_CHO_REVCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Chorus, Reverb
P.EQ_CHO_DLYCompressor, Noise gate, 
Parametric EQ, Chorus, Delay
DESS_CHO_REVCompressor, Noise gate, De-esser, 
Chorus, Reverb
DESS_CHO_DLYCompressor, Noise gate, De-esser, 
Chorus, Delay
STEREO EXCTwo x Compressor, Noise gate, 
Exciter
DisplayEffects available
DisplayEffect setting
REVERBReverberation, with different reverberation 
types available
DELAYProgrammable delay, with different delay 
algorithms available
CHORUSHigh-quality stereo chorus effect
PITCH 
SHIFTERPitch shifter with delay
FLANGERHigh-quality stereo flanger
PHASERHigh-quality stereo phasing effect
REVERB + 
GATEGated reverb effect
DisplayEffect setting 
						

							9 – Effects–Making settings
86 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio
Making settings
Whatever type of effect has been selected for use by 
the 
EFFECT 1 or EFFECT 2 processor, the principles 
of editing are the same (the exact parameters which 
can be edited are different, of course). The details of 
these parameters are described in “Parameter details” 
on page 87.
1If the 
EFFECT screen is not shown (the 
example here shows a multi-effect processor), 
press the appropriate 
EFFECT key to bring up this screen (remember that 
EFFECT 2 cannot 
be used as a multi-effect processor, so this 
screen can never appear if you press 
EFFECT 
2
).
2With the multi-effect processor setting, use the 
Ó and Ákeys to change between tabs (this 
allows the different parts of the multi-effect 
processor to be edited).
3Use the § and ¶ keys to move the cursor to 
the parameter to be changed.
4Use the dial to change the values of the selected 
parameter. The changes are instantly audible.
Using the user libraries
When you have made the effect settings that you 
want, they can be stored in a library for further use.
Up to 128 settings can be stored for the single stereo 
effect processors, 128 for the multi-effect processors, 
and 128 shared between the channel and stereo 
dynamics processors.NOTE
It is not possible to use the library space for one type of 
effect to store another type of effect.
The single stereo effect library spaces may be used by 
both 
EFFECT 1 and EFFECT 2, when they are used as 
single stereo effect processors.
Storing an effect in the library
1From the effect parameter edit screen, press 
the 
YES or NO key.
2Use the Ákey to make the 
SAVE tab active.
3Use the dial to scroll down to the user library 
memory where you will store the settings.4At this point you can use the 
SHIFT + MENU 
(
TITLE) key to give the library setting a title 
that you can remember in the future. See 
“Entering and editing titles” on page 26 for 
details.
5Press 
ENTER to store the settings. The display 
returns to the parameter editing screen.
TIP
These settings are automatically stored on the internal disk 
when you power off the 788 (see “Shutting down the 788” 
on page 19).
Recalling a user setting from the library
1From the effect parameter edit screen, press 
the 
YES or NO key.2Use the Ó and Á keys to make the 
USER 
tab active.
3Use the dial to scroll down to the user library 
memory from where you will load the settings.
4Press 
ENTER to load the settings. The display 
returns to the parameter editing screen. 
						

							9 – Effects–Parameter details
 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 87
Parameter details
The following describe the ways in which the effec-
tor parameters can be edited, and a brief description 
of their effects.
Multi-effect processor settings
There are a number of different separate effects 
within each multi-effect processor setting (see 
“Using EFFECT 1 as a multi-effect processor” on 
page 81 for details of the multi-effect processor set-tings) which have parameters that may be edited 
independently. 
Note that all of these also have a 
SWITCH field 
that turns the individual effect in the multi-effect pro-
cessor 
ON or OFF.
Compressor The compressor in the 788’s multi-
effect processor settings limits the volume of the sig-nal passed through to the other units in the chain. It 
has the following settings:
Distortion The distortion effect in the multi-effect 
processor provides a natural-sounding way of adding 
“life” to otherwise dry guitar sounds, etc.The distortion in the 788’s multi-effect processor has 
three parameters:
Noise gate A noise gate acts as a way of keeping 
unwanted noise from passing (it “shuts the gate” 
when a signal is below a certain threshold level, and 
opens it when the signal rises above the level). You 
can use this with noisy effects pedals, etc. to avoid recording the unwanted noise of the units when the 
instrument is silent.
There are three parameters
 on the 788’s multi-effect 
noise gate:
Flanger Flanging is a distinctive “swirling” sound. 
The flanger on the multi-effect processor in the 788 
has three parameters:
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
COMPRESS 0 100Amount by which input signal is compressed
ATTACK 0 100Time for compression to take effect
POST GAIN 0dB 30dBMakes up lost volume if compression takes away some of the level
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
PRE GAIN 40dB 60dBThe amount by which the signal is amplified (and thereby distorted)
DRIVE 0 100The “color” of the distorted sound
OUT LEVEL 0dB 12dBThe amount by which the output signal is boosted
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
THRESHOLD -76dB -16dBThe threshold below which signals will be gated (relative to the nominal signal level)
RELEASE 0 100The time it takes for the gate to close after the input signal drops below the threshold
SUPPRESS -∞dB 0dBThe amount by which the gate is closed (0dB does not close it at all, minimum value 
closes it completely).
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
RATE 0.0Hz 10.0HzThe speed of the effect
DEPTH 0 100The depth of the flanging effect
FEEDBACK 0 100The amount by which the signal is fed back within the effect, adding to the character of the 
sound 
						

							9 – Effects–Parameter details
88 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio
Exciter An exciter is an effect which (usually) sub-
tly emphasizes a range of frequencies, making them 
“sparkle” and stand out in the mix.The multi-effect exciter in the 788 has two parame-
ters that can be set:
Pitch shifter A pitch shifter allows the pitch of a 
signal to move up or down to harmonize with the original signal. The multi-effect pitch shifter in the 
788 has three parameters:
Chorus A chorus effect adds a slight doubling 
effect to the signal and “thickens” it. The multi-effect 
chorus effect in the 788 has three parameters:
Reverberation (reverb). This is the “spacey” 
effect you get in tunnels, caves, large halls, etc. It 
adds a feeling of spaciousness and depth when added to a signal. The reverb on the 788’s multi-effect pro-
cessor has three parameters:
Delay Sometimes referred to as “echo”, this pro-
vides one or a series of copies of the sound at regular intervals. There are three parameters that you can set 
on the 788’s multi-effect delay processor:
Parametric EQ This works to cut or boost a nar-
row part of the signal independently of the channel’s 
EQ settings, and can be used for special effects, etc. 
Remember that this multi-effect may be added pre- or post-EQ, and therefore this may be used to equal-
ize an already-equalized signal! The 788’s multi-
effect EQ has three parameters:
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
FREQUENCY 1.0kHz 10.0kHzThe minimum frequency which is affected by the exciter
DEPTH 0 100The amount by which the exciter affect the signal
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
PITCH -12 +12The amount by which the pitch is shifted expressed in semitones (coarse tuning)
FINE -50 +50The fine tuning amount, added to the coarse tuning, by which the pitch is shifted 
expressed in cents (100 cents = 1 semitone)
BALANCE 0 100The balance between the original dry signal and the shifted (0=dry, 100=all shifted)
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
RATE 0.1Hz 10.0HzThe speed of the chorus effect
DEPTH 0 100The depth (thickness) of the chorus effect
MIX LEVEL 0 100The amount by which the chorus level is applied and passed down the chain
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
PRE DELAY 0ms 150msThe time between the original signal and the start of the reverb
HI DAMP 0 10The amount by which the high frequencies are removed from the reverb (0 is similar to a 
bare cave, 10 is similar to a heavily-furnished room)
MIX LEVEL 0 100The amount of reverb relative to the original signal
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
FB DELAY 0ms 1000msThe time between repeats of the sound
FEEDBACK 0 100The level of the repeated sounds (in practical terms, this controls the number of audible 
repeats—note that a high value here may result in runaway feedback, which is 
unpleasant)
MIX LEVEL 0 100The amount of delay relative to the original signal
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
FREQUENCY 63Hz 16kHzThe frequency band affected by this effect
GAIN -12dB +12dBThe amount that the selected frequency band is cut or boosted
OUT LEVEL -12dB +12dBThe amount by which the overall signal is cut or boosted. 
						

							9 – Effects–Parameter details
 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 89
De-esser A de-esser removes the sharp “ess” 
sounds from vocals and so on (hence its name). Some 
vocal styles and some vocalists seem to need this 
treatment, and others don’t seem to require it. A lot also depends on your microphones, and their place-
ment. You don’t have to use a de-esser with vocals 
only, but that’s usually where it does most good. 
There are two parameters in the 788 de-esser:
Single stereo effect settings
The single stereo effects typically have more parame-
ters than their multi-effect “cousins”, but essentially 
perform similar processing tasks on the signals. Note that there is no on/off switch in these screens, 
but that the final effect return level is always set 
using an 
OUT LEVEL parameter at the bottom 
of the setting screen for each effect. This takes a 
value from 
0 (no output) to 127 (full output).
REVERB This reverb processor allows you to set a 
simulated reverb type as well as other parameters 
affecting the spacious reverberant sound.
DELAY The “echo” settings here allow flexibility in 
the type of delay as well as other parameters affect-
ing the delay sound:
CHORUS A “doubling” effect, which thickens the 
sound, giving additional character to it. Delay incor-porated in this effect also helps to provide a fuller 
sound.
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
FREQUENCY 1.0kHz 10.0kHzChoose the minimum frequency at which the “ess” sounds are heard to cut them out of 
the recording.
DEPTH 0 60The depth of the de-esser’s effect 
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
ROOM TYPE Hall StudioChoose between Hall, Room, Live, and Studio to set up a reverberation pattern that 
mimics these different scenarios
PRE DELAY 0ms 250msThe time between the original signal and the start of the reverb
REV TIME0.1s 10.0sThe time that the reverb sound takes to die away
DIFFUSION 0 100The “liveliness” of the reverb sound, affecting the character of the “room” that you have set 
up. 
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
TYPE Stereo MultiChoose the delay type from: Stereo (a stereo delay pattern), PinPon (a “ping-pong” delay 
between the two stereo channels, or Multi (a multi-tap delay algorithm)
PRE DELAY 0ms 1000msThe time between the original signal and the start of the repeated delays
FB DELAY0ms 1000msThe time between repeated echoes 
FEEDBACK 0 100The level of the repeated sounds (in practical terms, this controls the number of audible 
repeats—note that a high value here may result in runaway feedback, which is 
unpleasant)
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
RATE 0.1Hz 10.0HzThe speed of the chorus effect
DEPTH 0 100The depth (thickness) of the chorus effect
FB DELAY 0ms 100msThe time between the original and the delayed signal
FEEDBACK 0 100The level of the repeated sounds (in practical terms, this controls the number of audible 
repeats—note that a high value here may result in runaway feedback, which is 
unpleasant) 
						

							9 – Effects–Parameter details
90 TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio
PITCH SHIFTER A pitch shifter, allowing har-
monization of the effected sound with the original 
(the pitch shifted sounds may sound a little strange in 
character—this is not a substitute for real harmony singing, but can be a very effective special effect). A 
delay setting provides additional ‘harmonies” shift-
ing the pitch by the specified amount on each repeat.
FLANGER A swirling sound, adding depth to the 
original sound. At high settings, this can produce a jet-like “swooshing” sound. The built-in delay adds 
more life to this effect.
PHASER A more gentle effect than the flanger, 
which is similar, but a slightly more subtle effect (it’s difficult to describe these things in words, sometimes 
you just have to try them!). 
REVERB + GATE The signal goes through a 
reverberator, and the reverb signal is then passed 
through a gate, which opens when it is above a given level (threshold) and closes again after a set time. Try 
this with a snare drum sound.
Dynamics processor
When EFFECT 2 is used as a compressor for chan-
nels and the stereo output, the following settings may 
be made:
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
PITCH -12 +12The amount by which the pitch is shifted expressed in semitones (coarse tuning)
FINE -50 +50The fine tuning amount, added to the coarse tuning, by which the pitch is shifted 
expressed in cents (100 cents = 1 semitone)
FB DELAY 0ms 500msThe time between repeats
FEEDBACK 0 100The level of the repeated sounds (in practical terms, this controls the number of audible 
repeats—note that a high value here may result in runaway feedback, which is 
unpleasant)
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
RATE 0.1Hz 10.0HzThe speed of the flanging effect
DEPTH 0 100The strength of the effect
FB DELAY 0ms 1000msThe time between repeats
FEEDBACK 0 100The level of the repeated sounds (in practical terms, this controls the number of audible 
repeats—note that a high value here may result in runaway feedback, which is 
unpleasant)
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
RATE 0.1Hz 10.0HzThe speed of the phasing effect
DEPTH 0 100The strength of the effect
RESONANCE 0 100The way in which the filter works inside the effect. High values produce a “wah” effect
STEP 4 164, 8, 12 or 16 — affecting the quality and character of the phase effect.
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
TYPE Normal ReverseThe reverb can be reversed (i.e. it starts quietly, and gets louder)
THRESHOLD -46dB -16dBThe level at which the gate opens to let the sound through
GATE TIME 0ms 3000msThe time that the gate stays open before the threshold setting starts to take effect
DENSITY 0 100The “thickness” of the reverb—low settings provide a sparse sound, and higher values 
make a complex, thicker sound.
ParameterMin.Max.Explanation
THRESHOLD -46dB -16dBThe level at which the compressor starts to have an effect
ATTACK 0.1ms 10msThe speed with which the signal is compressed
RATIO 1.0:1∞:1Expressed as a ratio. 1.0:1, 1.1:1, 1.3:1, 1.6:1, 2.0:1, 2.7:1, 4.0:1, 8.0:1, ∞:1 — 1.0:1 
means no compression, and ∞:1 means full compression.
POST GAIN 0dB 30dBMakes up any volume lost as the result of the compression settings.