Tascam Portastudio 414mkII Owners Manual

							35
Features and ControlsCare and Maintenance
38. REMOTE PUNCH IN/OUT jack (on the
front panel):For connection to an optional
RC-30P remote footswitch.
39. RECORD FUNCTION switches 1-4:These
switches put the respective tracks into Record
Ready. Recording starts when RECORD is
pressed together with PLAY.
In the center position (SAFE) no recording
takes place.
NOTE
Dont operate the RECORD FUNCTION
switches to punch in and out. Otherwise,
clicks will remain on tape.
The RECORD FUNCTION switches also select
what source will be recorded. For example, the
switch for track 1 selects either the single
source plugged into Channel 1 of the mixer, or
the entire stereo Left mix (which may have as
many as six sources). The other RECORD
FUNCTION switches work in the same way,
selecting either the same-numbered channels or
the stereo mix : Left mix for Tracks 1 & 3,
Right mix for Tracks 2 & 4.
40. Track level meters 1-4:These meters show
the record level coming either from each
channels fader or from the MASTER fader (the
first and the third meters register the level from
the left buss, the second and the fourth meters
register the level from the right buss). If a track
or tracks are in Safe mode the corresponding
meters show the playback level.
41. Track REC indicators:They show the
individual tracks status as selected by the
RECORD FUNCTION switches (#39).
Track REC indicator Track status
Off Safe
Blinking Record Ready
Steady indication Record
Displays
Track ControlsEven though the heads used in your 414 MKII have
high wear resistance and are rigidly constructed,
performance degradation or electro-mechanical
failure can be prevented if maintenance is performed
regularly.
CLEANING
The first things you will need for maintenance are
not expensive. The whole kit with the swabs and
fluids you will need for months will cost less than a
couple of high quality cassettes.
We cannot stress the importance of cleaning too
much. Clean up before each session. Clean up after
every session. Clean up every time you take a break
in the middle of a session.
DEGAUSSING (DEMAGNETIZING)
A little stray magnetism can become quite a big
nuisance in tape recording. It only takes a small
amount (0.2 Gauss) to cause trouble on the record
head. Playing 10 cassettes will put about that much
charge on the heads. A little more than that (0.7
Gauss) will start to erase high frequency signals on
previously recorded tapes. You can see that its worth
taking the trouble to degauss regularly.
A clean and properly demagnetized tape recorder
will maintain its performance without any other
attention for quite a while. It wont ruin previously
recorded material, nor will getting it back to original
specifications be difficult.
Cleaning the Heads and Tape Guides
All heads and metal parts in the tape path must be
cleaned after every 6 hours of operation, or before
starting and after ending a recording session.
1. Open the cassette door.
2. Using a good head cleaning fluid and a cotton
swab, clean the heads and tape guides until the
swab comes off clean, wipe off any excess
cleaning fluid with a dry swab. 
						

							36
Care and MaintenanceHow the dbx Works
Cleaning the Pinch Roller
Clean the pinch roller at least once each day the deck
is used. Use a good rubber cleaner.
1. Clean the pinch roller with a cotton swab
moistened with rubber cleaner, until there is no
visible residue on the pinch roller.
2. Using a clean cotton swab, wipe off all excess
rubber cleaner from the pinch roller. Make certain
that there is no foreign matter remaining on the
pinch roller.
Cleaning the Capstan Shaft
After cleaning the pinch roller, clean the capstan
shaft with a cotton swab moistened with head
cleaning fluid.
Degaussing the Tape Path
Hold the degausser about 1 m (3 feet) away from the
recorder. Turn it on, slowly move into the tape path.
Move the degausser slowly back and forth, touching
lightly all metal parts in the tape path. Slowly move it
away again to at least 1 m (3 feet) from the recorder
before turning it off.
CAUTION
If the surface of the unit gets dirty, wipe the
surface with a soft cloth or use a diluted
neutral cleaning fluid. Clean off thoroughly.
Do not use thinner, benzine, or alcohol, as
they may damage the surface of the unit.
Erase head
Record/Play head Pinch rollerCapstan
The dbx system is a wide-band compression-
expansion system which provides a net noise
reduction (broadband, not just hiss) of a little more
than 30 dB. In addition, the compression during
recording permits a net gain in tape headroom of
about 10 dB.
A compression factor of 2:1 is used before recording;
then, 1:2 expansion on reproduce.  These
compression and expansion factors are linear in
decibels and allow the system to produce tape
recordings with over a 90 dB dynamic range – an
important feature, especially when youre making
live recordings. The dbx system employs RMS level
sensors to eliminate compressor-expander tracking
errors due to phase shifts in the tape recorder, and
provides excellent transient tracking capabilities.
To achieve a large reduction in audible tape hiss,
without danger of overload or high-frequency self-
erasure on the tape, frequency pre-emphasis and de-
emphasis are added to the signal and RMS level
sensors.
SUBSONICS AND INTERFERENCE
The dbx system incorporates an effective bandpass
filter. This filter suppresses undesirable subsonic
frequencies to keep them from introducing errors
into the encode or decode process. However, if
rumble from trains or trucks is picked up by your
microphone and fed to the dbx system, modulation
of the program material during low level passages
may occur. This low-frequency component will not
itself be passed through the recorder and so, will not
be present at reproduce for proper decoding. If this
low-level decoding error is encountered, and
subsonics are suspected, we suggest the addition of a
suitable high-pass filter in the microphone line.
80dB Input
Dynamic range
of
input signalEncoder
Tape deckDecoder
Output
Encode
(Compress)
40dB 40dBRecord PlaybackDecode
(Expand)
80dBSaturation
level
+20dB
+10dB+15dB+25dB
+20dB
0dB
Dynamic range of tape
(65dB)
–60dB
–60dB–30dB
–50dB
–80dB
Noise level
   dbx encoding/decoding level diagram
ÁÁÁ
Á
Á
 
Á ÁÁ 
						

							38
37
SpecificationsMECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Tape:Compact Cassette (C-60 to 90), 
High-Bias (CrO2)
Track Format:4-track/4-channel
Head Configuration:
4-channel record/play (permalloy) x 1
4-channel erase (ferrite) x 1
Motor:DC servo motor x 1
Tape Speed:9.5 cm/sec. (3-3/4 ips) 
Pitch Control:± 10 % (approx.)
Wow and Flutter:0.2% WRMS or less
Fast Winding Time:115 sec. (approx.) with C-60
Dimensions (W x H x D)367 x 100 x 247 mm
(14-7/16 x 3-15/16 x 9-3/4)
Weight:2.1 kg (4-10/16 lbs.)
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Mix
er Section
MIC/LINE INPUT, Ch.1-4: (1/4 phone jack x 4)
Input Impedance:50 kΩ
Nominal Input Level:
–50 dBV (3 mV) (Trim Max.)
–10 dBV (0.3 V) (Trim Min.)
Maximum Input Level:
+5 dBV (1.8 V) (Trim Min.)
BAL MIC INPUT (XLR TYPE x 2)
Input Impedance:5 kΩ
Nominal Input Level:
–60 dBV (1 mV) (Trim Max.)
–20 dBV (0.1 V) (Trim Min.)
Maximum Input Level:
–5 dBV (0.56 V) (Trim Min.)
GUITAR INPUT (1/4 phone jack x 1) 
Input Impedance:1 MΩ
Nominal Input Level:
–50 dBV (3 mV) (Trim Max.)
–10 dBV (0.3 V) (Trim Min.)
Maximum Input Level:
0 dBV (1 V) (Trim Min.)
STEREO INPUT, Ch.5-6/7-8:
(1/4 stereo phone jack x 2)
Input Impedance:10 kΩ
5 kΩ(L / MONO)
Nominal Input Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
Maximum Input Level:+5 dBV (1.8 V)
SUB INPUT (RCA jack x 2):
Input Impedance:10 kΩ
Nominal Input Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
Maximum Input Level:+5 dBV (1.8 V)LINE OUTPUT (RCA jack x 2):
Output Impedance:100 Ω
Nominal Output Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
Maximum Output Level:+5 dBV (1.8 V)
EFFECT 1 SEND (1/4 phone jack x 1):
Output Impedance:100 Ω
Nominal Output Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
Maximum Output Level:+5 dBV (1.8 V)
EFFECT 2 SEND/TAPE CUE OUT
(1/4 phone jack x 1):
Output Impedance:100 Ω
Nominal Output Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
Maximum Output Level:+5 dBV (1.8 V)
SYNC OUT (RCA jack x 1):
Output Impedance:100 Ω
Nominal Output Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
MON OUT (RCA jack x 2):
Output Impedance:1 kΩ
Nominal Output Level:–10 dBV (0.3 V)
Maximum Output Level:+5 dBV (1.8 V)
PHONES (1/4 stereo phone jack x 1):
Nominal Load Impedance:30 Ω
Maximum Output Level:60 mW + 60mW
Equalizer:
HIGH (Shelving):10 kHz, ±10 dB
LOW (Shelving):100 Hz, ±10 dB
Frequency Response:
MIC INPUT to LINE OUTPUT:
20 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB
LINE INPUT to LINE OUTPUT:
20 Hz to 20 kHz ±2 dB
LINE INPUT to MONITOR OUTPUT:
20 Hz to 20 kHz ±2 dB
LINE INPUT to EFFECT OUTPUT:
20 Hz to 20 kHz ±2 dB
LINE INPUT to PHONES:
40 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio:
(20 Hz to 20 kHz, B.P.F. inserted)
1 MIC INPUT to LINE OUTPUT65 dB 
(at a nominal input level of –60 dBV)
4 MIC INPUTS to LINE OUTPUT60 dB
(at a nominal input level of –60 dBV)
1 LINE INPUT to LINE OUTPUT75 dB
(at a nominal input level of –10 dBV)
4 LINE INPUTS to LINE OUTPUT70 dB
(at a nominal input level of –10 dBV)Distortion:
1 MIC INPUT to LINE OUTPUT0.05% 
(at 1 kHz, 15 dB above nominal input level 
with 30 kHz low-pass filter inserted)
1 LINE INPUT to LINE OUTPUT0.03%
(at 1 kHz, nominal input level with 30 kHz   
low-pass filter inserted)
Crosstalk:60 dB (at 1 kHz, nominal input level        
with 1 kHz band pass filter inserted)
Recor
der Section
Record Channel:4-track single direction
Noise Reduction:dbx* Type II
Overall Frequency Response:
40 Hz to 10 kHz, ±3 dB (wihtout dbx)
Overall Signal-to-Noise Ratio:85 dB 
(at 1 kHz, ref. to 3% THD, “A” weighted, 
with dbx)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):2.0% 
(at 1 kHz, nominal input level, with dbx)Channel Separation:40 dB 
(at 1 kHz, nominal input level, with dbx)
Erasure:65 dB or greater (at 1 kHz, B.P.F. inserted)
Other
s
Power Requirements
USA/CANADA:120 V  AC, 60 Hz
U.K./EUROPE:230 V  AC, 50 Hz
AUSTRALIA:240 V  AC, 50 Hz
Power Consumption:11 W, via the supplied 
PS-P414 AC adaptor.
In these specifications, 0 dBV is referenced to 1 Volt.
Actual voltage levels are also given in parentheses
(0.316 V for –10 dBV rounded off to 0.3 V).
*dbx is a registered trademark of dbx Incorporated.
Changes in specifications and features may be
made without notice or obligation.
367mm
100mm
247mm 
						

							39
40
Block Diagram
LINE OUT
(-10dBV) L
R
MONITOR(-10dBV)
(-10dBV) EFFECT 1 SEND
EFFECT 2 SEND
/TAPE CUE OUT
ATTPHONES
(60mW+60mW)
MONITOR OUT
(-10dBV) L/R
EFFECT 1
L
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE
SAFE1
R
2
LTRK1
TRK2EFFECTF 2
/TAPE CUEL
R
LED METER 3
R
4TRK3
TRK4
RECORD FUNCTION
4TRK 4CH R/P AMP   DBX TYPE 2 NRTRK1 TRK2 TRK3 TRK4
TAPE1
TAPE2
TAPE3
TAPE4
DBX UNIT
REC 1
REC 2
REC 3
REC 4
SYNC
DBXDBX
SYNC
ON
OFF
PAN
L
R
EFFECT 1 INPUT
FADER
TRIMINPUT
MIC/LINE
GUITAR IN
TAPE (-50 to -10dBV)MIC/LINE 1
MIC/LINE 2
(-50 to -10dBV)
MIC/LINE 3
(-50 to -10dBV)TO: CH 2
TO: CH 3TO: CH 2
TO: CH 3LOW HIGH
DIRECT 1
DIRECT 2
DIRECT 3 TAPE CUE EFFECT 2EFFECT 2
/TAPE CUE
DIRECT 4
TAPE 1
TAPE 2
TAPE 3
TAPE 4
CH 1 - CH 4
TO: CH 4 TO: CH 4 MIC/LINE 4
(-50 to -10dBV)
INPUT L
(-60 TO -20dBV)
INPUT R
(-60 TO -20dBV)(-10dBV)
(-10dBV) STEREO INPUTS 5-6
STEREO INPUTS 7-8LEVEL 5-6
L
R SUB IN
(-10dBV)
TRIM GUITAR IN 
(-50 to -10dBV)
TRK 1
TRK 2
R/P HEAD
TRK 3
TRK 4
TRK 1
TRK 2
TRK 3
TRK 4
REMOTE PUNCH I/O
(RC-30P used) ERASE HEAD
EQ
MASTER  LRE
F
FE
F
F
2
/
T
A
P
E
C
U
E
LEVEL 7-8 RING TIP y STEREO JACK
MONO JACK : L/MONO
R STEREO JACK
MONO JACK :: L
: R
RING TIP y
: R
: L
SYNC OUT 
						

							41
Level Diagram
1210
93
7
8
4
5 6
TRK 2
TRK 3
TRK 4 TRK 1
REPRO
EQ AMP
REC/REPRO
HEAD
REC
REPRO
REC
EQ AMP
BIAS
ADJ.
ERASE
HEADTRAP
BIAS
AMPREC
MUTEREC
LEVEL
85kHz OSCENC OUTIN
DEC OUT
PLAY
MUTE dbx NR REPRO
LEVEL EQLPF
REC IN
TAPE OUT
REC IN
TAPE OUT
REC IN
TAPE OUT
REC IN
TAPE OUT
5
( dBV )
0 dBV = 1.0 Vrms
+10
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60
–70
–80
–90
(–21) (–18)
(–79)
(315Hz 160nWb/m)
REPRO
HEAD
1
34
2
TAPE OUT
(–10)
(–18)
(–21)
(–28)
(–38)REC HEAD
6
78
9
10
REC IN
+10dB
–10dB
0 dBV = 1.0 Vrms CH1 – CH4
TAPE IN
(dBV)
0
–10
–20
–300
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60
–70 (dBV)(dBV)
0
–10
–20
–30(dBV)
0
–10
–20
–30
(dBV)
0
–10
–20
–30
(–10)MIC/LINE IN
(–10) LINE  (–10)
MIC (–50)
BAL
TRIM
0
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
–60 (dBV)
GUITAR IN
(–10)
TRIM
INPUT
FADER
+10dB
–10dB
EQ
LOW
EQ
HIGH
(–10)
(–10)(–18)
(–18)CH5 – CH8STEREO
INPUTSSUB IN
LEVEL
(–18) (–10)
(–18)
(–26)
MASTER EFFECT 1, 2
TAPE CUE
0
–10
–20
–30
–40 (dBV)
(–10)
(–18)
(–10)
MONITOR
(–10) (–10)
LINE OUTMON OUT
EFFECT 1 SEND
EFFECT 2 SEND / TAPE CUE OUT
SYNC OUT
(–10)
TRIM 
						

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