Tascam Ministudio Porta02 Owners Manual

							È
9101411800OWNER’S MANUAL 
						

							2
Important Safety Instructions .............3
1. An introduction to the Porta02 .......4
1.1 Multitrack recording Ð 
a brief introduction ..................4
1.2 Some safety notes and 
precautions ..............................5
1.3 What you need to make 
recordings ................................8
1.4 Connecting the Porta02 ..........8
2. Parts of the Porta02 ........................9
3. Making your first recording...........13
3.1 Setting up ..............................13
3.2 Getting ready .........................13
3.3 Setting the level .....................14
3.4 Recording the first track .......15
3.5 Recording the next track ......16
3.6 Recording the stereo 
backing ..................................17
3.7 Mixdown ................................18
4. Hints and advanced tips ...............20
4.1 Recording techniques ...........20
4.2 Mixdown ................................21
5. Troubleshooting.............................22
6. Specifications ................................23
Table of Contents
This appliance has a serial number
located on the rear panel. Please record
the model number and serial number
and retain them for your records.
Model number
Serial numberWARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR
SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the liter-
ature accompanying the appliance. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert 
the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure 
that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
†
Ø
Ù 
						

							3
Important Safety Instructions
CAUTION:
·Read all of these Instructions.
·Save these Instructions for later use.
·Follow all Warnings and Instructions marked on the
audio equipment.
1) Read Instructions— All the safety and operating
instructions should be read before the product is operated.
2) Retain Instructions — The safety and operating instruc-
tions should be retained for future reference.
3) Heed Warnings— All warnings on the product and in the
operating instructions should be adhered to.
4) Follow Instructions — All operating and use instruc-
tions should be followed.
5) Cleaning— Unplug this product from the wall outlet
before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners.
Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
6) Attachments— Do not use attachments not recommend-
ed by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards.
7) Water and Moisture— Do not use this product near
water _
for example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink,
or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming pool;
and the like.
8) Accessories— Do not place this product on an unstable
cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, caus-
ing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the
product. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table
recommended by the manufacturer, or sold with the product.
Any mounting of the product should follow the manufacturer’s
instructions, and should use a mounting accessory recommend-
ed by the manufacturer.
9)A product and cart combination should be moved with care.
Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause
the product and cart combination to overturn.15) Lightning — For added protection for this product during
a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for
long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and discon-
nect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent damage to
the product due to lightning and power-line surges.
16) Power Lines — An outside antenna system should not be
located in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other electric
light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines
or circuits. When installing an outside antenna system, extreme
care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or
circuits as contact with them might be fatal.
17) Overloading — Do not overload wall outlets, extension
cords, or integral convenience receptacles as this can result in
risk of fire or electric shock.
18) Object and Liquid Entry — Never push objects of any
kind into this product through openings as they may touch dan-
gerous voltage points or short-out parts that could result in a
fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the prod-
uct.
19) Servicing— Do not attempt to service this product your-
self as opening or removing covers may expose you to danger-
ous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified
service personnel.
20) Damage Requiring Service— Unplug this product
from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service per-
sonnel under the following conditions:
a)when the power-supply cord or plug is damaged.
b)if liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the
product.
c)if the product has been exposed to rain or water.
d)
if the product does not operate normally by following the
operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that are cov-
ered by the operating instructions as an improper adjustment of
other controls may result in damage and will often require
extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product
to its normal operation.
e)if the product has been dropped or damaged in any way.
f )when the product exhibits a distinct change in performance
_ 
this indicates a need for service.
21) Replacement Parts — When replacement  parts are
required, be sure the service technician has used replacement
parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same character-
istics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result
in fire, electric shock, or other hazards.
22) Safety Check— Upon completion of any service or
repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform
safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operat-
ing condition.
23) Wall or Ceiling Mounting — The product should be
mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the man-
ufacturer.
24) Heat— The product should be situated away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other prod-
ucts (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
Note to CATV system installer:This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installer’s
attention to Section 820-40 of the NEC which provides guide-
lines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the
cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the
building, as close to the point of cable entry as practical.
10) Ventilation— Slots and openings in the cabinet are pro-
vided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the
product  and to protect it from overheating, and these openings
must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be
blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other sim-
ilar surface. This product should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation
is provided or the manufacturer’s instructions have been
adhered to.
11) Power Sources— This product should be operated only
from the type of power source indicated on the marking label.
If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home,
consult your product dealer or local power company. For prod-
ucts intended to operate from battery power, or other sources,
refer to the operating instructions.
12) Grounding or Polarization 
— This product may be
equipped with a polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug
having one blade wider than the other). This plug will fit into
the power outlet only one way. This is a safety feature. If you
are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing
the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electri-
cian to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety
purpose of the polarized plug.
13) Power-Cord Protection— Power-supply cords should
be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched
by items placed upon or against them, paying particular atten-
tion to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point
where they exit from the product.
14) Outdoor Antenna Grounding 
— If an outside antenna
or cable system is connected to the product, be  sure the anten-
na or cable system is grounded so as to provide some protection
against voltage surges and built-up static charges. Article 810 of
the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70, provides infor-
mation with regard to proper grounding of the mast and sup-
porting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna
discharge unit, size of grounding conductors, location of anten-
na-discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and
requirements for the grounding electrode.
ANTENNA
LEAD IN
WIRE
ANTENNA
DISCHARGE UNIT
(NEC SECTION 810-20)
GROUNDING CONDUCTORS
(NEC SECTION 810-21)
GROUND CLAMPS
POWER SERVICE GROUNDING
ELECTRODE SYSTEM
(NEC ART 250. PART H)
NEC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODEELECTRIC
SERVICE
EQUIPMENT
Example of Antenna Grounding as per
National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70
GROUND
CLAMP 
						

							 
1 An introduction to the Porta02   
4 
1 – An introduction to the Porta02 
The TASCAM Porta02 MiniStudio
allows you to produce recordings which
are not possible with an ordinary stereo
cassette recorder.
We suggest that you read at least this sec-
tion 1 and also 3, “Making your firstrecording” before you start using the
Porta02. Spending a little time reading
now will save you a lot of time in the
future. You can read the rest of the man-
ual at any time. 
1.1 Multitrack recording – a brief introduction 
This section gives you a brief introduc-
tion to some of the terms and techniques
used in recording. If you are unfamiliar
with these terms, you may find it usefulto read through this section so that you
understand the rest of the manual, which
uses the terms explained here. 
1.1.1 Multitrack recorders 
When you listen to a commercial record-
ing (CD, cassette, etc.), it is quite proba-
ble that the different parts of the piece
will have been recorded at different
times. 
This is done by “multitracking”–taking
the different sounds, feeding them
through a mixer’s inputs (“channels”) and
recording them on a special tape recorder
which splits the tape into “stripes”, each
stripe being used for a different part of
the music. 
These stripes are called “tracks”, and the
parts recorded on them may also be
called “tracks”. Since there are many
tracks on a tape, the term “multitrack” is
used to describe these tapes and record-
ers. The Porta02 allows you to record up to 4
tracks on inexpensive Type II (chrome)
cassettes using the same principle as
larger studios–taking inputs into a
mixer’s channels, feeding them into a
recorder which can record tracks inde-
pendently of each other, and building up
the song by recording new tracks while
listening to what has been recorded
before (“monitoring”).
The advantage of working with multi-
track recording is that the whole group of
musicians does not have to repeat the
whole piece if one person makes a mis-
take. 
The illustration below shows you how
tracks are arranged on an ordinary stereo
cassette tape, as well as on the Porta02 
						

							 
1 An introduction to the Porta02 
5 
and on A/V cue-equipped cassette record-
ers.
Notice that the stereo cassette arrange-
ment allows you to use both sides of the
cassette, by playing the tape in the other
direction. The Porta02, however, uses the
whole width of the tape. Notice also thatone pair of L and R tracks on the stereo
cassette take up the same positions as
tracks 1 and 2 on the Porta02. This can be
important for your recording projects, as
we will see later on. 
1.1.2 Mixing down 
Another advantage of multitrack record-
ing is that when you come to make the
final version (on CD, cassette, etc.), you
can adjust the level (volume) of each
track, so that the piece sounds the way
you want. 
As well as adjusting the track levels, you
can also adjust the position of each track
with regard to the left and right speakers.
This is called “panning”, and the controls
used to do this are called “panpots”. Byusing the panpots, you can make the
tracks appear to come from the left or the
right speakers or anywhere in the middle.
The technique of converting a multitrack
recording to a stereo recording is called
“mixing down” to a “stereo master” or
“mastering” recorder. The Porta02
includes a mixdown section which allows
you to mix to a stereo cassette or MD
recorder. 
1.2 Some safety notes and precautions 
• Always use the PS-P2 power adaptor 
supplied with the Porta02. If you use 
any other adaptor, there is a risk of 
damage, or even fire. Make sure that 
the input voltage marked on the PS-P2 
adaptor matches the power supply you 
are using. If you are in any doubt, con-
sult your TASCAM dealer.
• Turn off your Porta02 and remove the 
cassette when you are not using the 
Porta02. If you will not be using it for 
an extended period of time, unplug the 
PS-P2 adaptor.• When connecting or disconnecting the 
Porta02 to or from any other equip-
ment, make sure the power to the 
Porta02 and all other equipment is 
turned off. This will avoid possible 
damage to equipment.
• Do not keep your Porta02 in a very 
hot place. Remember that in sunny 
weather, the inside of a parked car 
heats up very quickly. Avoid leaving 
your Porta02 in such a place.
• Do not spill liquid onto your Porta02. 
Avoid eating, drinking and smoking 
near it (smoke particles are bad for 
L R1 24L R
R
3CUE
R L
IEC (Philips) ste-
reo cassetteTASCAM 4Tr 4Ch
(Porta02 format)TASCAM 4Tr 3Ch 
(A/V cue format) 
						

							 
1 An introduction to the Porta02   
6 
audio equipment). If any liquid or any 
objects such as paperclips, guitar 
picks, etc. fall inside the Porta02, do 
not try to operate it. Return it to a 
TASCAM service center for repair.
• If the case of the Porta02 becaomes 
dirty, clean it only with a damp (not 
wet) cloth, moistened with a little detergent. Do not use solvents or thin-
ners, etc. to clean the Porta02, as these 
will damage the surface.
• There are no parts inside the Porta02 
that you can repair by yourself. Do not 
open the Porta02 case or try to make 
any repairs. Return it to a TASCAM 
service center for repair. 
1.2.1 Tape cassettes 
Since the Porta02 uses the whole width of
a cassette tape, you can only play and use
one side of a cassette. You should try to
use either side A or side B for all cas-
settes, to avoid confusion when changing
tapes.
Only use Type II (chrome or CrO 
2
 
) cas-
settes with the Porta02. Find a reliable
brand and stick with it. The time you
spend creating your multitrack master is
worth much more than the small differ-
ence in price between cheap and high-
quality cassettes. High quality cassettes
will cause you fewer problems in the long
run.To avoid having to wind and rewind a lot
of tape, use the shortest possible cassettes
for your projects. Remember that because
you are only using one side of the cas-
sette, the marked length of the tape will
be halved (that is, a C60 tape will run for
30 minutes, a C40 for 20 minutes, etc.).
Always store cassettes in a safe place
(away from the magnetic fields produced
by speakers, television sets, computer
monitors, etc.).  
1.2.2 Record-protecting cassettes 
The record-protect tab on a cassette stops
you recording on that side when it is
removed. The Porta02 also recognizes
this protection, and will not allow you to
record on the side of a cassette where this
tab has been removed.However, we suggest that you remove  
both  
 tabs when you want to protect a
Porta02 cassette. This will stop you put-
ting in the cassette the wrong way round
and recording over old material
accidentally. 
1.2.3 Playing back stereo cassettes 
As mentioned earlier, the Porta02 can
play back cassettes recorded on a stereo
cassette recorder, using tracks 1 and 2.
Also, if tracks 1 and 2 have been recorded
on the Porta02, these cassettes can be
played back on a stereo cassette recorder.
However, if tracks 3 and 4 are used for
recording on the Porta02, these  
cannot  
be played back on a stereo cassette
recorder.
Also, note that if a cassette has been
recorded with noise reduction, such as
Dolby, etc., it will sound strange when
played back on the Porta02. Any tapes
(tracks 1 and 2) recorded on the Porta02
should be played back without noise
reduction on a stereo recorder. 
NOTE 
Never use C120 cassettes with the Porta02. The 
tape in these cassettes is thin, and may stretch 
and break. 
						

							 
1 An introduction to the Porta02 
7 
1.2.4 Cleaning the heads 
You should clean the tape heads of the
Porta02 regularly to keep it working
properly. Dirt and tape oxide buildup on
the heads will force the tape away from
the tape head gaps that record and play-
back. Head cleaner will remove the dirt
and restore the sound quality.
In addition to affecting performance by
coating the heads, and keeping the tape
away from the recording and playback
gaps, dirt and oxide in the tape path will
also act in the same way as very fine
sandpaper, which will wear down internal
parts of the Porta02, and affect the
recording in this way as well. 
All of these problems can be avoided if
you buy a head cleaning kit such as the
TEAC TZ-261 and keep it with your
Porta02 for regular use. The kit consists
of head cleaner, cleaner for the rubber
parts of the Porta02, and cotton-tipped
swabs. The cost of such a kit is less than
the cost of a couple of high-quality cas-
settes and will pay for itself in better per-formance and longer life from your
Porta02. 
Clean the heads and metal parts of the
tape path before every session with the
Porta02 and also after every session.  
1) Open the tape cassette cover.
2) Carefully clean the heads and 
metal parts as shown in the 
illustration using a swab dipped in 
the head cleaning fluid.
3) Dry off the heads with a dry swab. 
1.2.5 Cleaning the pinch roller 
You should also clean the rubber pinch
roller at regular intervals (at least once
each day that you use the Porta02). 
1) Open the tape cassette cover.
2) Press the  
PLAY
 
 key. 
The pinch roller will engage with the 
capstan shaft and start turning. 
3) Press a swab dipped in the rubber 
cleaning fluid against the right side 
of the pinch roller. 
If you press the right side of the roller, 
the swab will not get caught between the 
roller and capstan. 
4) Dry the capstan with a dry swab 
and make sure that there is no 
material on the pinch roller or 
capstan before you insert a 
cassette. 
WARNING 
Only use head and rubber cleaning fluid and 
cleaning swabs designed for use with tape 
recorders. The use of any other cleaning materi-
als may cause damage to the Porta02.
Heads and tape
guides
Capstan
Pinch wheel 
						

							 
2 Parts of the Porta02 
8 
1.3 What you need to make recordings 
Apart from the Porta02 itself, you will
need:
• Some kind of stereo mastering 
recorder to produce the stereo record-
ings. This can be a cassette recorder 
such as the TASCAM 102Mk II or an 
MD recorder such as the TASCAM 
MD301. A recorder which does not 
have recording level controls is not 
suitable for use as a master recorder.
• You will also need RCA (pin or 
phono) cables to connect the Porta02 
to other equipment.• Some monitoring equipment (some 
kind of amplifier and speaker system). 
• Headphones, if you intend doing any 
work with microphones. These will 
avoid acoustic feedback (“howl-
round”) when recording. Additionally, 
headphones are sometimes useful 
when panning tracks on mixdown, as 
you can hear the precise position of 
each track. 
• Of course, you will also need some 
kind of sound source to record (instru-
ment or microphone, etc.). 
1.4 Connecting the Porta02 
1) Make sure all the equipment is 
turned off.
2) Connect the  
LINE OUT
 
 terminals of 
the Porta02 to the amplifier, using 
a pair of terminals on the amplifier 
such as  
AU X
 
 or  
VIDEO
 
.
3) Connect your mastering recorder 
to a set of four  
TAPE
 
 terminals on 
the amplifier (two for  
REC
 
 and two 
for  
PLAY
 
).  
You may be using an integrated system in
which the mastering recorder and ampli-
fier are built into one enclosure. In this
case, you do not need to follow step 3.You can listen to the Porta02 by selecting
the amplifier’s input source to be from the
terminals to which you connected the
Porta02 ( 
AU X
 
 or  
VIDEO
 
, etc.).
When you have mixed down and you
want to listen to the mixed tape, you
should select the mastering recorder as
the amplifier’s input source. 
2 – Parts of the Porta02 
This section gives an explanation of the
different parts of the Porta02, and whatthey do. 
NOTE 
Do not use any terminals marked  
PHONO
 
 or 
intended for record decks. These are connected 
to a special circuit inside the amplifier which 
makes them unsuitable for anything except 
record decks.
Left
speakerRight
speaker
Amplifier
Mastering recorder
PLAY OUTtoTAPE INTAPE OUT
to
REC IN
Porta02
To AUX IN
LINE OUT 
						

							 
 Parts of the Porta02   
9 
Parts of the Porta02 
						

							 
 Parts of the Porta02   
10 
[1] POWER IN and switch 
Use this jack to connect the PS-P2 AC
adaptor which comes with your Porta02.
When connecting the power, make sure
the power switch is off (slide it to the
right, as you look from the back).
Slide the switch to the left (looking from
the back) to turn on the power to the
Porta02. 
[2] MIC/LINE 2 
Use this 1/4” phone jack to connect the
second channel audio source (instrument
or microphone) to the Porta02. 
[3] MIC/LINE 1 (MONO) 
Use this 1/4” phone jack to connect the
first channel audio source (instrument or
microphone) to the Porta02.
If you connect an audio source to this
jack, but do not connect a source to the 
MIC/LINE 2
 
 jack, the source at this  
MIC/
LINE 1
 
 jack acts as a mono source, that is,
it will be split between the first and sec-
ond channels as if you had plugged the
same source into both jacks. 
[4] PHONES jack 
This 1/4” jack allows you to connect a
pair of stereo headphones to the Porta02. 
[5] LINE OUT 
Use these RCA (pin or phono) jacks to
connect your Porta02 to the amplifier or
mastering recorder. 
[6] PHONES LEVEL 
This control adjusts the volume in head-
phones connected to the  
PHONES
 
 jack.
Turn clockwise to increase the volume.
There will be no output from the 
PHONES
 
 jack when the control is fully
counter-clockwise. It has no effect on the
level from the  
LINE OUT
 
 connectors. 
[7] MONO switch 
When this switch is pressed down (in), it
changes the stereo signal from the 
PHONES
 
 jack into a mono signal (the
same signal will be output from both the
left and right channels). Press it again to
return it to the “out” stereo position. It
does not affect the signal from the  
LINE
OUT
 
 connectors. 
[8] TRIM (1 and 2) 
Different pieces of equipment output sig-
nals at different levels. The  
TRIM
 
 controls
allow you to match the Porta02 to these
levels. A piece of equipment such as a
CD player or cassette deck will output
signals at a high ( 
LINE
 
) level, so the trim
control should be turned fully counter-
clockwise when such a device is being
recorded. A microphone on the other
hand, produces a lower signal level, and
so the  
TRIM
 
 control should be turned fully 
WARNING 
DO NOT use any adaptor with the Porta02 
except the PS-P2 adaptor which comes with the 
Porta02. 
WARNING 
The Porta02 is designed to record signals from 
microphones, CD players, tape decks and musi-
cal instruments. It is not designed to record sig-
nals which come from the speaker outputs of 
any amplifier or equipment. If you try to plug 
such signals into the Porta02, you will almost 
certainly damage both the Porta02 and the other 
equipment. 
WARNING 
Do not use headphones equipped with a mono 
jack. This will cause damage to the Porta02’s 
headphone amplifiers.