Tascam Mx-2424 Technical Documentation Manual

							Technical Documentation
MX-2424
The MX-2424 is an incredibly rev olutionary product bringing together 24 tr acks of 24 bitaudio, a 12 tr ack 96kHz recording mode, full synchronization capabilities, complete editing, a graphical user interface, and adv anced SCSI recording and back-up capabilities.  Add to thatthe OpenTL playlist which offers direct readand write compatibilit y with other DAWs and digital sequencers, a host of affordable archiv eoptions, plus the rock solid reliability of TASCAMproducts and y ouve got a beastie of a multitr ack.  Best of all, this recorder is pricedwithin reach of the a ver age musician.
                                       7733 T elegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 1 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
• 24 T rack, 24 Bit Hard Disk R ecorder
• 12 T rack Mode Allows 24 Bit / 96kHz High R esolution
• Unlimited Virtual T racks
•  100 P oint Auto-Locator Built -In
•  TL -Bus Pro vides Sample Accur ate Lock of 32 MX-2424
  Machines For Up To 768 Sample Accur ate Tracks
•  Uses Macintosh ™ and Windows ™ Formatted Driv es
• Uses Sound Designer II and .W AV F ormat A udio Files
• Built -In 9 Gigab yte Drive for Appro ximately 45 Minutes
  of Solid Record Time
• Front P anel Driv e Bay Accepts Additional SCSI Driv es,
  Remo vable Driv e Carriers, or DVD-RAM for Back -up
• R ear P anel SCSI Wide P ort Allows Connection of More
  Target Media or DVD-RAM/T ape Back-Up Drives
• Punch- In Port Accepts Alesis LRC for T ransport Control
...and MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
•  100MBit Ethernet P ort For Interconnection with
  Computers for ViewNet GUI and Firm ware Updates
• Standard AES/EBU and SPDIF P orts With
  Sample Rate Conversion
• SMPTE Time Code Gener ating and Chasing With
  In/Out/Thru Ports
• MIDI In/Out/Thru for MMC, MT C, MIDI Clock
• W ord S ync In/Out/Thru
• Video S ync In/Thru
• Optional Analog I/O Offers 24 Channels of 
  High Qualit y 24 Bit / 96kHz A/D and D/A
• Optional AES/EBU Card Offers 24 Channels of I/O ,
  and is Compatible With Bit-Split or F ast 96kHz
• Optional TDIF and Lightpipe Multitr ack Digital I/O
• Optional RC -2424 Remote Control
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Personal and Project Studios
Studios for hire are alw ays underof the art sound qualit y on a shoe string budget.  The MX-2424 brings aboard 24 tr acks of 24 bit recording, plus a 12 track, 96kHz mode for the v ery best audio around.  Fortime code applications, the MX -2424s time code chasing will keep accur ate lock with an y source.  For flying audio tracks from v erse to verse or compiling multiple tak es into a single track, the on-board editing and unlimited virtual tracks will offer the ultimate flexibilit y.  If y ou cant afford the remote, thats OK.  Y ou can access all of the recorders functions from the front panel.  If y ou still want to ha ve a remote, y ou can use MMC from y our sequencer or mixer, or plug in an Alesis LRC into the footswitch port for tr ansport control.  When moving projects between studios, total compatibility afforded b y the OpenTL pla ylist with popular DAWs and digital sequencers mak e swapping projects to different platforms effortless. Plus, y ou can make affordable, robust back -ups with DVD-RAM and tape driv es.
Post Production
In many professional studios, the MX -word clock ports are needed for adv anced synchronization as well as digital studio integration.  For users who need multiple machines, synchronizing multiple MX -2424s together can be done with a simple TL-Bus cable.  Plus, the same GUI (ViewNet) application can be used to address up to 65,000 individual MX-2424 machines on a single network.  ViewNet can also handle machine set -up through user friendly screens.  These machine set-up screens can also capture profiles, sodifferent studio set -ups can be stored for later use.  Ev en better, these profiles can be broadcast to multiple machines simultaneously , saving a lot of repetitiv e motion. 
If you need 9-pin control, or w ant tolock between the MX-2424 and DTRS machines and/or ADA Ts, T A SCAMs TL -SYNC will handle that and more.  TL -SYNC alsohas an ethernet port on the back for profiles and set -ups on a computer.
APPLICATIONS 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 2 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
Hard disk recording technology is something that tak es aserious investment in time and engineering.  Plus, it tak esreal world testing to make sure the system is reliable andready for the mass market.
The MX-2424 isdubbers that ha ve been in service since 1998.  While y ou may not be familiar with these machines, y ou are familiar with what they have done and who is using them.  The MMR line has been installed in numerous film and television production houses, including Skyw alker Sound, Disney , Universal Studios, and other busy studios around the world.
When getting a recorder that has benefited from roughly a decade of in vestment in technology and man y years of pro ven reliabilit y in demanding studio en vironments.
PROVEN TECHNOLOGY
TASCAMs MX-2424 (top) and MMR-8 (bottom)
Shuttle/Scrub Wheel100 Point Auto LocatorEdit Function KeysMachine Status LED Matrix
MX-2424 OPERATIONS
The MX -2424 is v ery easy to oper ate.  The front panel andremote allow you to run the MX -2424 just like a reel to reelmachine during tr acking, yet still offers the editing featurestypically associated with adv anced hard disk recorders.  A great deal of effort has gone into making this interface accessible to the analog veteran, y et flexible enough for the editing power user .
Standard tape functions solid transport buttons allow the user to w atch the talent, and not have to focus on locating the buttons.  A dedicatedmatrix for input select and tr ack arming keys, as well as Select All and All Safe functions mak e quick work of track status for o verdub sessions.  The 100 point autolocator mak es project na vigation a breez e.  Plus, the Shuttle/Scrub wheel allows scrubbing of the audio just lik e scrubbing a reel of tape for easy location of really tight edit points.
A machine set-up of recording and time code status.  Dedicated lights willshow sample r ate, time code fr ame rate, bit depth of recorded tr acks, the format of the hard driv e (Mac or PC), plus separate time code status for W ord Clock, time code in, and TL-BUS Status.  This efficient, y et complete matrix allows you to know exactly what the MX -2424 is configured for without looking at any menus. This is a tremendous time saver when setting up or troubleshooting.
Editing is feel free to experiment with different v ersions withoutfear of losing your original version.
Any edit y ou need to mak e is point, and which tr ack(s) you want the edit to affect.  So, if y ou w ant to cut a v ocal part out, place the in and out points around the part y ou want to remo ve, select that tr ack for editing, then press clear .  Thats it.
Any editing time line of the project (ripple editing), or they can k eep the time spacing the same (static editing).  For example,when cutting a part from a vocal track as mentioned in the 
previous example, we w ant all the audio around that region to remain exactly where it w as.  However, if we were alteringa drum loop , we may want all the audio after the edit point to meet up with the audio before the edit to a void dead space.
A simple exampleClear remo ves the audio between the in and out pointsand replaces it with blank space, so the time line of the other ev ents is not affected.  Howev er, Delete will remo ve an y audio between the in and out points, and mo ve all the audio after the edited region right up to the in point.
Additionally , you can reaudio to perform back -time editing.  When an edit isbeing made, the in and out point surround the audioyou w ant to change.  Y ou can also create a mark er within or outside of the audio region for the MX -2424 to line up the audio in the new point.  
For instance, if y ou arthe crash is the ev ent you want to line up .  So, place the in and out around the entire effect, then set a mark er over the cr ash itself .  Then, pla y the audio back and stop where you w ant the cr ash to be, and S ync Paste the part in.  The MX -2424 will automatically calculate the in and outpoints for y ou.  These t ypes of advanced editing featureswork extremely well for both music and video applications.
CLEARDISCARDSPLITCOPYCUTLOCALCUTPASTESYNCPASTEINSTSYNCINSERTOPENIN         NOWUNDOREDO
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SHTL
JOGSCRUB
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NEW
UNLOADVIEW
PROJ
SCRUB
3029.972524DROP24-BITTAPEMODEMACAUT O INPUTPCSAMPLE LOCKCHASE LOCKMX SLA VETC CHASEMX MASTER
SMARTCARD
+/-0123
789456CAPTCLEARCANCEL
STOREYES
RCLNO
SHIFT
OUTINFROMLOCA TETOLOOPONLINETC READEROFFSETNEXTPREVLENGTHLAST
REHREC
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POWERMX-2424 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 3 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
Every studio is configured differently .  Some people needanalog I/O for interfacing with analog consoles or directrecording from mic preamps.  Others need digital I/O forinterfacing with digital consoles or tr ansfers from MDMs (Modular Digital Multitracks) and DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations).  Whatev er your need, the MX -2424 can be configured to serv e you.
On the back slots.  The top slot accepts the analog I/O card, and thebottom slot can accept an y of the digital I/O cards.  Digital cards are available in TDIF , Lightpipe, and AES/EBU formats.  Note that analog and digital options can be installed and oper ated simultaneously.
Standard on every MX-2424 is anSPDIF I/O .  For con venience, these ha ve sample r ate conversion built -in, so you can freely import an y digital two track information directly into y our project.
For the digital card, and two tr ack I/Os can all be used 
The AN-2424 analog I/O option offers 24 channels of balanced I/O on DB25 connectors.  All A/D and D/A converters are 24 bit, 96kHz.  
Months of dDifferent capacitors were experimented with, high v oltagepower rails were installed, and lots of listening tests guided dev elopment of this I/O .  It wasnt left to a theoretical oscilloscope experiment, this is first r ate gearthat will appeal to even the most die-hard analog aficionado.
The AE-2424features making the card not just an I/O , but also an 
simultaneously.  For instance, y ou can feed 8 channels of drum mics from a digital console into tr acks 1-8, run a keyboard into the AES/EBU port to tr acks 9-10, and lay down a vocal track fed from a mic preamp into the analog port of tr ack 11, etc..  This kind of flexibilit y lets you focus on fulfilling the needs of y our production, not figuring outthe technical aspects of how to get there.
I/O CONFIGURATIONS
Digital I/O Option SlotAnalog I/O Option Slot
Standard SPDIF and AES/EBU P orts w/ Sample Rate Conversion
I/O CARDS
AN-2424: 24 Channel Balanced Analog I/O
ANALOG OUTPUT1 - 8
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRU
THRU
INOUTIN
IN
OUTIN
9 - 1617 - 24
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24ANALOG INPUT
TIME CODE
FOOT SWITCH
REMOTE
TL-BUSWORD CLOCK
MIDIS/PDIFAES/EBU
WIDE SCSINETVIDEO SYNC
MX-2424  ANALOG MODULE1 - 89 - 1617 - 24TDIF
MX-2424  TDIF MODULE
ANALOG OUTPUT1 - 89 - 1617 - 24
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24ANALOG INPUT
MX-2424 ANALOG MODULE
TD-2424: 24 Channel TDIF I/O
LP-2424: 24 Channel Lightpipe I/O
AE-2424: 24 Channel AES/EBU I/O
1 - 8INOUTINOUTINOUT9 - 1617 - 24
MX-2424 LIGHTPIPE MODULE
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24AES/EBU
MX-2424 AES/EBU MODULE
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24TDIF
MX-2424  TDIF MODULE
invaluable session-sa ving tool.  On board, y ou will find sample rate conversion on all 24 channels.  Also , the AES/EBU card is capable of both popular forms of 96kHz communication.  It can use bit split high resolution (2 wire), or 96kHz fast (1 wire).
Of course, also the TD-2424, a 24 channel TDIF interface, as well as the LP-2424, the 24 channel Lightpipe interface.  These cards are fully compatible with other TDIF and Lightpipe devices.  These cards enable cost effective connections to digital consoles, or ev en simple digital transfers to other digital multitr acks.
This photo is for the analog buffs.  The large 
capacitors you see lined up just behind the 
front panel were the subject of months of 
listening tests.  W e double stacked the cards
for maximum flexibilit y and better heat
characteristics.  Then, we added in some 
high v oltage power r ails, and what we came
up with was a set of A/D and D/A that will stand up 
to most an y dedicated outboard con verter units.  Dont forget that 
these are all 24 bit, 96kHz A/D and D/A all the w ay through.  W e know 
you are serious about y our sound, so we didnt try to jam all the analog components 
on a little computer card. After all, if y oure spending good money on mic preamps or a good 
analog console, you dont want to  sell y ourself short at the doorstep of y our recorder. 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 4 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
HARD DRIVES & BACK-UP OPTIONS
A whole bunch of ones and z eros, thats what digital recording boils down to.  All of those ones and z eros need to be stored somewhere.  The MX -2424 was designed from day one to offer inexpensiv e storage solutions, while still offering top performance and flexibilit y. 
The MX -2424SCSI driv e.  This internal driv e is totally dedicated to audio; there is no firm ware or oper ating system stored on this drive.  If you want to replace it with a larger one, y ou can do so easily.
Additional devicesbay of the MX -2424, or they can be connected to the rear panel SCSI port.  (A list of appro ved driv es is available on the T ASCAM web site.)
If y ou are in a in and out quickly , or if you will w ant to tak e the drive out of the MX-2424 and mount it on a computer frequently , the Kingston Rhino Jr carrier might be the way to go .  The Rhino Jr offers a protectiv e carrier that can slide into a receiv er to swap driv es around.  The Rhino Jr system also uses a quiet push-pull fan system to k eep the drives cool in demanding situations.
These sleds make swapping driv es v ery simple, and they offer some protection to the driv e while being carried around.  The front panel has LED indicators for driv e activity and SCSI ID number , plus a lock to prevent accidental removal.
Also , since the MX -2424 Windows formatted driv es, you can mo ve the driv e from the MX-2424 to the computer platform of y our choice, and you can use any back-up media y ou choose.  F or many home users, the best option ma y be to take the internal driv e out of the MX-2424, install it in a Rhino Jr carrier , and move it 
between the MX -2424 and the computer .  (Remember , the MX-2424 does not need the internal hard driv e for the operating system or firm ware.)
and perform to the specifications of the added driv e.  (Using non-LVD SCSI driv es negates the added flexibilit y of the LVD standard, but this backw ards compatibility really helps those who already made an in vestment in a collection of driv es.)  
For those whalso identif y and use SCSI narrow driv es with the appropriate terminations.  For detailed information on SCSI terminations, go to the MX-2424 users group on the T ASCAM web site:
http://www .tascam.com/m
If you are simply directly supports DVD-RAM and Data T ape systems.  These systems offer very inexpensive media, and increased product longevit y.  In fact, DVD-RAM disks are rated with a shelf life of at least 30 y ears.
The MX-2424 utiliz es LVD Ultr a 2 SCSI protocol.  L VD stands for Low Voltage Differential.  L VD enhances yourSCSI performance b y using common mode noise rejection; thats the same principle that balanced audio lines to offer improved performance and much longercable runs.  This hot -rodded SCSI bus can deliv er data bursts of up to 80 MB/sec, accepts up to 15 devices on the bus, and allows bus lengths of up to 40.  If y our hard drive is noisy , run a long SCSI cable down the hall.  It wont affect the MX -2424s performance at all!
If you ha ve existing equipped, the SCSI bus will accept y our older drives
Kingston Rhino Jr R emovable Driv e Carriers allow users to sw ap drives quickly and safely .  Systems lik e these ha ve been inuse in busy gr aphic houses,data centers, and professional studios for some time.  (Internal kit shown.)
Rhino Jr Sled Front P anel
DVD-RAM offers an inexpensiv e, durable back -up solution.  Sev eral major studios are using DVD-RAM as the back -up media of choice.
LVD SCSI
Either additional target drives or back up media can be installed in thefront panel drive bay, or attached to the back panel SCSI wide port.
CLEARDISCARDSPLITCOPYCUTLOCALCUTPASTESYNCP ASTEINSTSYNCINSERTOPENIN         NOWUNDOREDO
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SHTLJOGSCRUB
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ERRORST ATUSBUSYDISKMIDI
44100SAMPLE RA TETIME CODERECORD MODESYNC48000PULL DOWNNON STD2 XTRIMSETUPTEMPONEW
UNLOADVIEWPROJ
SCRUB
3029.972524DROP24-BITTAPEMODEMACAUT O INPUTPCSAMPLE LOCKCHASE LOCKMX SLA VETC CHASEMX MASTER
SMARTCARD
+/-0123
789456CAPTCLEARCANCEL
STOREYES
RCLNO
SHIFT
OUTINFROMLOCA TETOLOOPONLINETC READEROFFSETNEXTPREVLENGTHLAST
REHREC
123456789101112141516171819202122232413
242322212019181716151413121110987654321
MOUNTUNMOUNTEDITALLINPUTALL
ALLSAFEAUT OINPUTALLRECSEL
POWERMX-2424 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 5 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
SYNCHRONIZATION
The MX -2424 has a powerful arr ay of synchronizationfeatures built in to handle most an y situation.  In manystudio applications, the recorders synchronization capabilities will not only empower the MX -2424 to chase timecode from other sources, but it can also correct problems from other devices in the studio .
If you need to lock up mMX-2424 recorders, the easiest and most accur ate way to do that is through TL -Bus line.  With TL-Bus, you can achiev e sample accur ate lock of up to 32 MX-2424 machines, offering 768 tr acks of sample accurate recording, editing, and pla yback.  The TL-Bus will also keep all the machines lock ed when scrubbing audio, so when the scrub and shuttle tr ansport activates, all 32 machines will march together lik e soldiers.
For times when y ou integrate with other recorders and pla yers, SMPTE chasing and gener ating are standard on the MX-2424.  This is an area where the MX -2424 really shines.  
Most DAWs and digitalchase time code.  But unless additional hardw are is purchased, all these stations are doing is timing the start of the audio.  From that point on, there is no clocking of the audio track to the time code.  It is v ery similar to pressing a trigger on a sampler .  This can cause serious drift on longer regions over time if y ou are locking to unstable sources.
The MX-2424 can actually deriv eincoming time code and reclock the audio .  This way, nomatter how long the audio regions get, the MX -2424 willkeep y our audio lock ed in time with video machines, two inch analog machines, or whatev er youv e got.
The time code outbroadcast time code if the MX -2424 is the master.  It canalso be used to gener ate an offset from incoming timecode, or to re-shape deterior ated time code from old tapes.  These additional features can k eep a session ontrack that would ha ve otherwise come to a screeching halt.
The time code thThis passes the incoming time code to another device without an y delay.  This is handy if y ou dont have a time code distributor or are simply adding one more device in the studio tempor arily.  
If you try to go recorders, the time code must pass through the time code engine.  There, the engine processes the incoming time code, and regener ates the code for the output.  This process of regener ating the time code induces what iscalled propagation dela y.  Each machine that is added to the line adds a little more dela y which can create a noticeable problem with very few patches.  The time codethru port avoids this problem b y hard wiring the thru tothe in, thereby avoiding the time code engine itself .
MIDI ports a
(MIDI Machine Control), MTC (MIDI Time Code) and MIDI Clock applications.  This is handy for users who want to use the MX -2424 with MIDI sequencers.  You do not ha ve to use a tr ack for striping time code, and you dont ha ve to buy an extr a box to gener ate the code.  Its all built in.
As an added bonus,Code.  Most professionals know that SMPTE is much more accurate than MT C and therefore would nev er suggest chasing MTC.  At the same time, most professionals willremember sessions where they had to jerry -rig something.  (This is especially true at the project studio lev el.)  Think of this as insurance that you wont get stuck is a session where MTC is the only choice.  The MX -2424 is the yes-you-can bo x.
Word Clock inavailable to help integr ate the MX-2424 into larger digital environments.  As with the time code ports, dedicated in, out and thru ports are a vailable for professional flexibilit y.
Video S ync is a vailablein post production for television and film for locking to blackburst.  Dedicatedin and thru ports are a vailable for capturing and passing the signal down the line.
MIDI ports allow the MX -2424 to respond to MMC(MIDI Machine Control), gener ate MIDI Clock, as well as generate and lock to MT C (MIDI Time Code.)
Video Sync is standard for video applications that require sync toblackburst.
Time Code IN, OUT and THRU ports can be used to gener ate and chase SMPTE time code, as well as regenerate degraded code and create offsets.  Unlik e many budget hard disk recording systems, the audiois constantly reclock ed in reference to the time code, allowing the mostaccurate time code chase possible. Also , the THRU port is available for passing time code from the in port without an y propagation delay.
W ord Clock IN, OUT and THRU are all on board to enable integr ationinto larger digital audio environments.
TL-Bus allows sample accur ate lock of up to 32 MX-2424s.  Sampleaccurate lock applies not only for gener al play, but also when engaging the machines in shuttle and scrub for editing or scanning.
ANALOG OUTPUT1 - 8
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRU
THRU
INOUTIN
IN
OUTIN
9 - 1617 - 24
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24ANALOG INPUT
TIME CODE
FOOT SWITCH
REMOTE
TL-BUSWORD CLOCK
MIDIS/PDIFAES/EBU
WIDE SCSINETVIDEO SYNC
MX-2424  ANALOG MODULE1 - 89 - 1617 - 24TDIF
MX-2424  TDIF MODULE
OUTTHRUINMIDI
OUTTHRUINTIME CODE
OUTTHRUINWORD CLOCK
THRUINVIDEO SYNC
TL-BUS 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 6 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
GRAPHIC USER INTERFACE (ViewNet)
the MX -2424.  This mak esmoving from ViewNet to the MX-2424 and back an easy step .  
Alsofor different projects, allowing you to load in the profile for a project, and broadcast it to all the machines at the same time.  You truly only ha ve to set up the machine once.
Virtual tr ack management could notbe easier than this.  Browse y ourMX-2424 driv es just like a hard driv e.The once youve found the tr ack youwant to load into the machine, simply select the tr ack you want toload it in at the bottom, and y ouredone!
System set -upViewNet.  The screens are arr angedin the same logical groupings as in 
ViewNet is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that shipswith the MX-2424.  ViewNet is written in Ja va, so it will run on a Macintosh or Windows machine.  The connection between the computer and the MX -2424 is a100MBit ethernet connection, so standard ethernet hubsand cables can be used to make the links.
ViewNet is a wonderful tool othe audio on your MX-2424.  ViewNet can be used to streamline editing functions, allowing on-screenmanipulation of audio blocks.  ViewNet also offersadvanced machine set -up capabilities, as well assimplified virtual tr ack management.
In multiple machine set -upscan individually address all the machines in the network.
Up to 65,000 machines can exist on the same network.  For busy studios, this centr alized control of the entirenetwork mak es system administr ation easy.  You canset-up machines from across the building, and do it allwith user defined profiles.
Standard 100MBit Ethernet port is built in to the MX -2424
Time Code Registers show Current Pla yhead Position,Punch/Edit In and Out P oints, and Capture Registers
Dedicated Edit Function ButtonsEdit Macro Functions store up to 99steps for quick recall of repetitiv e edits.
Track Statusindicates if tr acks are armed for record orediting, or if the tr ackis monitoringinput.
This icontakes y ou to the virtual track menu,allowing y outo browse virtual tracksjust like anormal harddrive.  (Afterall, it  is anormal harddriv e.)
Network Menu shows all MX -2424recorders connected on the networkwith their current status.  You can select which MX-2424 to view fromthis list.  (Up to 65,000 can be onthe network at an y time.)  
Track Edit Screen shows all regionsin the session on the giv en machine.The Track Edit Screen will displa ythe region names, fades, and ev enbreak point automation.
Global View shows the entire project.  This function makes navigating the project easy ...simply click and drag across thearea you want to see in the Track Edit Screen, and it will appear z oomed to fit y our selection in the top screen.
Machine Status information is displa yed at the bottom of the screen.  This is helpful if the MX -2424 is not in a convenient line of sight.Transport Controls offer total control o ver the MX -2424.  There is even a slider to control the shuttle wheel for use in scrubbing audio .
ANALOG OUTPUT1 - 8
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRU
THRU
INOUTIN
IN
OUTIN
9 - 1617 - 24
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24ANALOG INPUT
TIME CODE
FOOT SWITCH
REMOTE
TL-BUSWORD CLOCK
MIDIS/PDIFAES/EBU
WIDE SCSINETVIDEO SYNC
MX-2424 ANALOG MODULE1 - 89 - 1617 - 24TDIF
MX-2424  TDIF MODULE 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 7 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021800.pdf
INDUSTRY STANDARD PLAYLIST - OpenTL
OpenTL stands for Open T rack List.  T ASCAM has madethe pla ylist format written b y the MX-2424 available toall the manufacturers of DA Ws, digital sequencers, andother dedicated hard disk recorders.  What this does isallows end users to freely create projects on a system that implements OpenTL, and mo ve it to another station that supports OpenTL.  Heres how it works:
Ev ery time y ou recordeach track of each tak e is stored in a sound file, t ypicallya .WAV or Sound Designer II format.  Since the audio isstored in r andom locations on the hard driv e, the systemmust have a w ay to k eep tr ack of where the individualfiles go .  This information is t ypically stored in a separ ate file called a Play List, Track List, or an EDL (Edit Decision List).  
While all the workstationsformats, just about ev ery workstation uses proprietary play lists.  In order to mo ve files between hard disk recorders, each audio file must be individually put into place.  This is an incredibly tedious process.
OpenTL changes all of that.hardw are that support OpenTL, y ou can have simpleplug- and-pla y compatibilit y between the MX -2424 and all the digital sequencers and digital audio workstationssupporting the standard.  
OpenTL actually goesbut also supports automation mo ves on tr acks, fadesand crossfades, tr ack names, and region names.  
We already ha ve asupport the OpenTL standard, and we are adding ev en more.  For a complete up-to-date listing of companies supporting the OpenTL, format, check out the MX -2424 users group in the TASCAM web site at:
http://www .tascam.com/
Currently,include Digital Sequencing companies lik e Steinberg,as well as DAW companies lik e WaveFr ame and S ADiE.
Playlist Explanation
5 sec10 sec
1Drums (L)
2Drums (R)
3Bass Guitar
7Lead Vocal tak e 5
4Synth SlidesSynth Slides tak e 2
5Crunch Guitars (L)
6Crunch Guitars (R)
8Back-up V ocal 1Oohs & Aahs
0 sec
Each tr ack of each project can be made up of sev eral separ ate audio files.  The playlist keeps tr ack of all the files, and where they are to pla y in the song.  Below we have a v ery basic example of how a pla ylist represents the location of the audio regions in a project.
Each block in the above grid represents a section of audio in the project.  F orthis file, a bare bones project would show the start of each file, tr ack number,and location of the file to be pla yed.
OpenTL pla y lists offer much more detailed information.  OpenTL includescapabilities for sections of regions within the master audio file, tr ack names, region names, level automation and fades.  This extended capabilit y greatly enhances smooth interaction between the MX-2424 and any other devices supporting the OpenTL standard.
Track
1238456748
File Name & Disk P ath
new_song/tracking/Drums (L).W AVnew_song/tr acking/Drums (R).W AVnew_song/tr acking/Bass_Guitar .WAVnew_song/o verdubs/Oohs_&_Aahs.W AVnew_song/midi_parts/S ynth_Slides.WAVnew_song/tr acking/Crunch_Guitars_(L).W AVnew_song/tr acking/Crunch_Guitars_(R).W AVnew_song/o verdubs/Lead_V ocal_take_5.WAVnew_song/midi_parts/S ynth_Slides_take_2.WAVnew_song/o verdubs/Back -up_Vocal_1.W AV
Start
00:00:00:0000000:00:00:0000000:00:00:0000000:00:00:3874200:00:01:0047300:00:03:2754300:00:03:2754300:00:04:1973500:00:07:0648500:00:07:07832
OMF stands for the Open Media F ormat.  It was designedby A vid and Digidesign to allow file interchange betweentheir v arious workstations.  T ASCAM will pro vide an application to con vert OpenTL format pla y lists into OMF format so users can tak e advantage of direct file interchange between the MX -2424 and the popularworkstations developed by Avid and Digidesign.
This application will 
and will be posted in the MX -2424 Users area of the web site.  Currently, both Macintosh and Windows platform versions are planned.
One item to note about OMF ... there are many versionsof it.  A vid and Digidesign occasionally change their OMFimplementation to handle new proprietary information.  Since the OMF standard changes frequently , we are not planning to incorporate the OMF interpreters inside theMX-2424.  
The details of OpenTLavailable with the introduction of the tr anslating 
application.  Introduction dates will be announced on the TASCAM web site in the MX -2424 Users Groupshortly.
OMF SUPPORT 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 8 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021100.pdf
REMOTE CONTROL
While the front panel of the MX -2424 provides access toall of the functions inside the unit, y ou may still w antcontrol of the MX -2424 from across the room.  The MX-2424 can be controlled remotely in sev eral w ays.
only ha ve to learn one interface.  Howev er, the RC -2424 does have some additional features worth mentioning.
Dedicated Editing Keypad  actually spent quite a bit of time on man y different DAWsexperimenting with tr acking and editing functions.  Editingon many systems pro ved cumbersome from a hardw arepoint of view, which prompted the concept for this k eypad.  Large buttons for setting up and auditioning edits were added, and they were arranged in a logical fashion.  Theresult is a layout that will allow y ou to burn right throughedits whether its cleaning up dialog tr acks, or flying a vocalpart to another chorus.
Multiple Machine Controladdress up to six MX -2424s.  Single button switching offersinstant access to each individual machine for quick na vigation.  Select and Record Status LEDs for each of the six machines 
offer constant status information of the entire rig.
Macro Functionsmemories.  Each one of these macros can store customsequences of up to 99 k eystrokes, allowing y ou to perform routine functions with the push of a button.
Total Control of the TL-SYNCnext generation synchroniz er.  The RC -2424 is the primary remote control for the TL -SYNC as well, offering complete control of detailed synchroniz er functions.  See the TL-SYNC liter ature for more information about this.
FIRMWARE UPDATES
As with most other hard disk recorders, the MX -2424 willhave firm ware updates o ver time.  T ASCAM has made itincredibly easy to update y our MX-2424.  The firm warewill be a vailable for download from the T ASCAM web site.Once y ouve downloaded the file, tr ansfer it from yourcomputer into the MX -2424 through the Ethernet port.
If yointo the MX -2424, then y ou can obtain a Smart Card fromTA SCAM which will ha ve the new firm ware updates. Simply slide into the Smart Card slot on the front panel.  Its as easy as that.  The first Smart Card ships with theMX -2424, so y oull always ha ve a back -up as well.
The home and project studio will really appreciate the ability to plug an Alesis LRC into the footswitch port of the MX -2424 for basic tr ansport control.  F or those using digital mixers or sequencers, MMC (MIDI Machine Control) will be a wonderful w ay to control the MX -2424 without buying any additional hardw are.  Of course, ViewNet has total control over an MX -2424 as well.  If y ou cant decide which way to control y our recorder, plug em all in!
We alsoMX -2424 called the RC -2424.  The layout of this remoteis almost identical to the front panel of the MX -2424 itself, and includes the 100 point auto locator , shuttle/scrub controls, all project management controls, and the LED matrix offering detailed readouts of the machines information.  Since it is so similar to the front panel, y ou
TASCAMs RC-2424 Remote
Foot S witch port can accept T ASCAMs RC -30P punch-in pedal for hands free punch-in recording, or an Alesis LRC for tr ansport control.
Smart Card Slot in front panel can be used for firm wareupdates.  Also , software updates can be downloaded fromthe TASCAM web site, and loaded in directly through the Ethernet port on the back panel.
The Ethernet port connects toViewNet, the gr aphic user interface which can control theMX-2424 through a network.
The dedicated remote port can accept TA SCAMs RC -2424 remote, whichduplicates all the front panel control.
MIDI ports allow standard MMC(MIDI Machine Control) from digital consoles and sequencers.
ANALOG OUTPUT1 - 8
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRU
THRU
INOUTIN
IN
OUTIN
9 - 1617 - 24
1 - 89 - 1617 - 24ANALOG INPUT
TIME CODE
FOOT SWITCH
REMOTE
TL-BUSWORD CLOCK
MIDIS/PDIFAES/EBU
WIDE SCSINETVIDEO SYNC
MX-2424 ANALOG MODULE1 - 89 - 1617 - 24TDIF
MX-2424  TDIF MODULE
CLEARDISCARDSPLITCOPYCUTLOCALCUTPASTESYNCPASTEINSTSYNCINSERTOPENIN         NOWUNDOREDO
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC••
SHTLJOGSCRUB
CAPTEVENTNUDGE
ERRORST ATUSBUSYDISKMIDI
44100SAMPLE RA TETIME CODERECORD MODESYNC48000PULL DOWNNON STD2 XTRIMSETUPTEMPONEW
UNLOADVIEWPROJ
SCRUB
3029.972524DROP24-BITTAPEMODEMACAUT O INPUTPCSAMPLE LOCKCHASE LOCKMX SLA VETC CHASEMX MASTER
SMARTCARD
+/-0123
789456CAPTCLEARCANCEL
STOREYES
RCLNO
SHIFT
OUTINFROMLOCA TETOLOOPONLINETC READEROFFSETNEXTPREVLENGTHLAST
REHREC
123456789101112141516171819202122232413
242322212019181716151413121110987654321
MOUNTUNMOUNTEDITALLINPUTALL
ALLSAFEAUT OINPUTALLRECSEL
POWERMX-2424
CLEARDISCARDCOPYSPLITCUTLOCALCUTMACRO
THRUINOUT
SELECT/RECORD ST ATUSPASTESYNCPASTEINSTSYNCINSERTOPENIN         NOWUNDOREDO
+/-0123
789456CAPTCLEARCANCEL
ST OREYES
RCLNO
SHIFT
OFFSETLASTNEXTLOCA TEPREVLOOPONLINETC READER
STATUSERRORBUSYMIDI
ROLLBACKSYNCPREFLENGTHLASTALL
REHRECCAPTINOUTFROMTO
MOUNTUNMOUNT
R C-2424
SHTLJOGSCRUB
CAPTEVENTNUDGETRIMSETUPTEMPONEW
UNLOADVIEWPROJ
SCRUB
EDITALLINPUTALL
87654321
MASTTSYNC654321FEDCBA
ALLSAFEAUT OINPUTALLRECSEL
242322212019181716151413121110987654321ALL  MXSYSTEM LOCKCHASETSYNC
1INPUTRECOVLDSEL
2INPUTRECOVLDSEL
3INPUTRECOVLDSEL
4INPUTRECOVLDSEL
5INPUTRECOVLDSEL
6INPUTRECOVLDSEL
7INPUTRECOVLDSEL
8INPUTRECOVLDSEL
9INPUTRECOVLDSEL
10INPUTRECOVLDSEL
11INPUTRECOVLDSEL
12INPUTRECOVLDSEL
13INPUTRECOVLDSEL
14INPUTRECOVLDSEL
15INPUTRECOVLDSEL
16INPUTRECOVLDSEL
17INPUTRECOVLDSEL
18INPUTRECOVLDSEL
19INPUTRECOVLDSEL
20INPUTRECOVLDSEL
21INPUTRECOVLDSEL
22INPUTRECOVLDSEL
23INPUTRECOVLDSEL
24INPUTRECOVLDSEL
44100SAMPLE RA TETIME CODERECORD MODESYNC48000PULL DOWNNON STD2 X3029.972524DROP24-BITTAPEMODEMACAUT O INPUTPCSAMPLE LOCKCHASE LOCKMX SLA VEb CHASEMX MASTER 
						

							MX-2424 Technical Documentation
                                       7733 Telegraph R oad    •   Montebello , CA 90640    •   (323) 726-0303    •   http://www .tascam.comAll features and specifications are subject to change without notice.  C\
ontact y our local TASCAM representativ e for the latest information.Page 9 of 9MX -2424_TECHDOC_021100.pdf
FRONT AND BACK PANELS
SPECIFICATIONS
CLEARDISCARDSPLITCOPYCUT
LOCALCUTPASTE
SYNCPASTEINST
SYNCINSERTOPEN
IN         NOWUNDOREDO
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
INP0249••16-18-2025354550SIGSELREC
••
SHTL
JOGSCRUB
CAPTEVENTNUDGE
ERRORST ATUS
BUSYDISKMIDI
44100SAMPLE RA TETIME CODERECORD MODESYNC
48000
PULL DOWNNON STD
2 X
TRIMSETUP
TEMPO
NEW
UNLOADVIEW
PROJ
SCRUB
3029.97
2524
DROP
24-BITTAPEMODE
MACAUT O INPUT
PC
SAMPLE LOCKCHASE LOCK
MX SLA VETC CHASE
MX MASTER
SMARTCARD
+/-0123
789
456CAPT
CLEARCANCEL
STOREYES
RCLNO
SHIFT
OUTINFROMLOCA TETOLOOPONLINE
TC READEROFFSETNEXTPREVLENGTHLAST
REHREC
123456789101112141516171819202122232413
242322212019181716151413121110987654321
MOUNTUNMOUNTEDITALL
INPUTALL
ALLSAFE
AUT OINPUT
ALLRECSEL
POWERMX-2424
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRUIN
OUTTHRU
THRU
INOUTIN
IN
OUTINTIME CODE
FOOT SWITCH
REMOTE
TL-BUSWORD CLOCK
MIDIS/PDIF
AES/EBU
WIDE SCSINETVIDEO SYNC
FRONT P ANEL DRIVE BA YAccepts DVD-RAM, Fix ed Drives,or Remo vable Driv e Carriers
ANALOG I/O OPTION SL OTAccepts AN-2424.  (24 channel, 24 bit/96kHz analog I/O card)
DIGIT AL I/O OPTION SL OTAccepts TD-2424, LP-2424, or AE-2424(TDIF CARD)(LIGHTPIPE CARD)(AES/EBU CARD)
Ph ysical T racks:Virtual T racks:Supported Sample R ates:
Supported Bit Depths:
Internal Drive:Record Time:
Hard Driv e Formats:
Audio File F ormats:Playlist F ormat:SCSI Bus Protocol:SCSI Bus Speed:Max Devices Supported:
Max SCSI Bus Length:
24@48kHz, 12@96kHz999 Freely Assignable44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz,plus pull up & pull down r ates16 bit, 24 bit (projects can supportmultiple bit depths)9.1GB Quantum Atlas VApproximately 45 minutes24 tk x 24 bit x 48kHz = 200MB/minWindows ™ Format: F at32Macintosh ™ Formats: HFS , HFS+Broadcast Wave, Sound Designer IIOpenTLLVD Ultr a 2 SCSI80MB/sec maximum burst15 if all devices are L VD7 if any device is non-L VD25 meters (82),  ≤2 L VD IDs12 meters (39 3),  ≤15 L VD IDs
Standard Digital I/O:
Optional I/O Slots:TL-Bus Control:Time Code P orts:MIDI Ports:Functions:
Word Clock P orts:Video Sync Ports:Footswitch P ort:
Remote P ort:EtherNet:
More specificationTrack 96kHz mode and MIDI Clock will be implemented in software v2, whic\
h should be available approximately 120 days after the first shipment date\
 of the MX-2424.  (The upgrade will be a free download from the TASCAM Web site\
.)
AES/EBU & SPDIF I/O w/ Sample R ate Conversion(1) Analog I/O Slot, (1) Digital I/O SlotSample Accur ate Lock of 32 Machines1/4 TRS for IN / OUT / THRU5 pin DIN for IN / OUT / THRUGenerate SMPTE, MT C, MIDI ClockChase SMPTE, MT CRegener ate SMPTE, MT CIN / OUT / THRU , Self Terminating BNC 75 OhmIN / THRU , Self Terminating BNC 75 OhmAccepts RC -30P punch-in pedal orAlesis LRC remoteAccepts RC-2424 Remote100MBit - RJ45 Connection