ALESIS BRC Reference Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.0 ABOUT THE BRC..............................................................................................1 1.1 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS MANUAL...................................................................................................................4 1.2 OVERVIEW OF MAIN FUNCTIONS...........................................................4 1.2A Transport................................................................................................
.1 FORMATTING TAPES.....................................................................................21 3.1A Additional Formatting Considerations...........................................................................................................23 3.2 TRACK/RECORD MONITOR CONTROLS.................................................24 3.2A Track Bank Select...................................................................................24 3.2B Record Enables.........................................
.6A Setting a Song.........................................................................................58 4.6B Naming a Song.......................................................................................60 4.6C Locate Song..............................................................................................60 4.6D Copy Song................................................................................................61 4.6E Delete Song...................................................
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 ABOUT THE BRC Congratulations! You’ve just purchased an incredible tool that will assist in streamlining your recording projects. The BRC master remote control is the key element that makes the most of the ADAT digital recording system.
• Modular recording. This is the feature that makes ADAT and the ADAT/BRC system perhaps the most flexible multitrack recorder ever designed. Because ADAT’s S-VHS tape format is so inexpensive, you can easily afford to record alternate versions of vocals, solos, background accompaniments; whatever your creative urge requires.
• Digital interface and sample rate converter option. If you need to integrate your ADAT recordings to digital recording equipment from other manufacturers, an optional accessory box, the Alesis AI-1, can isolate the digital audio signal of two tracks at a time from any single eight-track ADAT in the system, and assign the pair to the industry standard AES/EBU and S/PDIF interfaces.
1.1 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual has been divided into two separate books, of which this is the first. This book is designed as a reference to assist the recording professional in learning the basic operation of the BRC. All functions are explained in a clear manner, using step-by-step instructions and illustrations for setting up and performing various operations. However, it is assumed that you already have some understanding of multitrack recording in general.
The BRC can control as many as 16 ADATs for up to 128 tracks. The track select section of the BRC provides access to 32 tracks at any time. Four buttons let you switch between TRACK 1–32, TRACK 33–64, TRACK 65–96 and TRACK 97–128. The button that has its LED lit will indicate which group of tracks is currently selected, as will the LEDs centered in the track select area, above. If you find yourself using the TRACK 97–128 button often, consider yourself a lucky person.
For more information on Auto-Punch and related controls, see section 4.3. 1.2E Rehearsing This works just like a real recording, but instead lets you “audition” exactly how a punch is going to work. By pressing the REHEARSE button, you can test out and change the settings of the various recording functions to get the results you want without being destructive in the process. When the punch-in point is reached, the record-enabled tracks will monitor their inputs, but no recording will occur.
TAPES Analog audio recorders typically move tape past the heads at anywhere from 1-7/8 to 30 inches per second. Higher speeds result in a higher bandwidth, or ability to record high-frequency signals. ADAT’s digital audio signals require much higher bandwidth than analog audio. In addition to moving the tape faster to handle the increased bandwidth, ADAT’s VHS mechanism rotates the head itself at a very high speed and uses diagonal tape tracks.
displaying and editing things like locate points, pre/post-roll times, etc. 1.4B Display Type It is important that you can reference tape positions in a way that you are comfortable with. That’s why we’ve designed the BRC to provide you with three different types of position indicators, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. Both the tape location counter and the lower display can reference the tape position in time to either N o r m a l ADAT timecode, SMPTE timecode, or Bars.
the ABSOLUTE and RELATIVE LEDs will both be off. This is because when the Display Type is set to SMPTE, the counter is referenced to the SMPTE Start Offset (see section 5.0B) you have chosen to represent the start position of the current song (see section 4.6A). When the Display Type is set to BARS, the counter is referenced to bar 1, which is the start position of the current song. Therefore, these two Display Types are always in a “Relative” mode.
• To exit from edit mode, press the EDIT button again (the EDIT LED will turn off) and the LCD will return to its state prior to entering edit mode. Pressing a toggle function button now will toggle that function on or off. Note: While in EDIT mode, only the currently selected function’s LED will be lit (along with the EDIT LED). The current on/off status of all of the other functions is retained, but is not visible on the LEDs until EDIT mode is exited. 1.
immediately change case. 1.4I NAME Button This button is used to edit the names of Songs and Cues. When you locate a Cue or Song, the name field in the display is not accessible using the cursor buttons. To edit a name, you must press the NAME button to select the name field. Pressing the NAME button will always position the cursor at the first character of the name.
current tape location is copied into the currently display locate point (Locate 01–20) or Song Start (01–20). In Manual mode, when the COPY TAPE LOCATION button is pressed, the current tape location is copied to the manual locate point (Locate 00), and the display automatically goes to the Locate 00 page. This is useful when you want to be absolutely sure you don’t accidentally write over a Locate that you wanted to keep. For more information on locating and storing locate points, see section 4.1.
CHAPTER 2: HOOKUP 2.0 POWER The BRC works with any AC voltage from 90 to 250 volts, 50 to 60 Hz. This eliminates the need for transformers or voltage switches. The BRC comes with a line cord for the destination to which the BRC is shipped. The BRC’s IEC-spec AC cord (do not substitute any other AC cord) is designed to feed an outlet that includes three pins, with the third, round pin connected to ground.
the ADATs in the middle of the chain, all ADATs following it will no longer sync to the BRC, as the sync information will not pass through a unit that is turned off. Figure 1 2.1B ADAT ID (identification) Numbers After you have connected multiple ADATs and turned the machines on (they can be turned on in any order), you may now turn on the BRC, which will in turn assign ID numbers for each slave ADAT in the system. This is done automatically.
Each slave ADAT’s front panel will indicate the status of the record/input enables and transport controls, and the track LED bar graphs to reflect the corresponding track input/tape levels. The numeric display on each slave ADAT unit will always show the NORMAL time (absolute or relative) location of each tape, regardless of the Display Type on the BRC (Normal, SMPTE or Bars; see section 1.4B). 2.
to the second ADAT’s optical in jack. Its optical out jack then connects to the third ADAT’s optical in jack, and so on; 4. Finally, connect one end of a fiber optic cable to the last ADAT’s optical out jack, and the other end to the first ADAT’s optical in jack. This last step creates a loop, and thus makes the digital bus accessible to all ADATs that are connected to it. Note: Always connect the optical cables in the same order as the sync cables, so that the digital routing will work correctly. 2.
5. When recording audio from AES/EBU or S/PDIF source, the ADAT(s) must be synchronized to the incoming digital signal. This means you will not only need to connect the AI-1 to the digital bus (as described above), but you must also connect the AI1’s 48 KHz output to the BRC’s 48 KHz input, using a standard shielded BNC cable. For more information about sample rate conversion and interfacing the AI-1 with other digital audio equipment, please refer to the AI-1’s owners manual. 2.
The MIDI input and output connectors are 5-pin DIN jacks. MIDI input is provided for receiving various MIDI messages. MIDI output is provided for generating MTC, MIDI Clock, and system exclusive messages. For more information about MIDI, see section 5.3. 2.5 48 KHZ CLOCK IN/OUT The 48 KHz output signal is a 75Ω TTL level square wave output. The input can accept a TTL or CMOS level square wave input. Both input and output are provided via BNC-type connectors.
wish to rack-mount the unit using the rack ears included on the BRC. The figure below indicates the rack ears' locations and the screws that mount the end blocks. The front and back end blocks each use three 1" hexagonal screws, while the side end blocks use two 1-1/4" hexagonal screws each. If you should ever wish to remount the end blocks, it is important to note each screw’s original location when they are removed since the screw lengths vary between the side end blocks and the front and back end blocks.
CHAPTER 3: GETTING READY RECORD TO 3.0 POWERING-UP After all connections are made, turn on the power of each ADAT in the system, and then turn on the BRC. Its main power switch is located on the far left side of the back panel, when you are facing the front panel. When power is first turned on, the BRC checks to see how many slave ADAT units are connected to it. If at least one ADAT is connected, the BRC automatically becomes the master and assigns an ID number to each of the connected ADAT slaves.
• If the first ADAT doesn’t have a tape in its drive, the Tape Location counter on the BRC will display "-- -- -- -- --" (the slave ADATs will display "-- --"). • The BRC will query each unit that contains an inserted tape as to its format status. • If the first ADAT’s tape is formatted, the BRC will display the current real-time location of the first slave unit and locate all slaves to this same location. • If the first ADAT’s tape is unformatted, the BRC will display "noFO".
Format Tape A ll If you wish to format all tapes, jump ahead to step 6a. If you wish to perform a selective format, continue to step 3. 3. Press the Right Cursor button; The display will now look like this: Format Tape xx Disable …where XX is a tape machine number 1–16. 4. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to choose any of the ADATs in your system; 5.
When performing a format extend, the ADAT begins "timestamping" from the last valid time-stamp read from the formatted tape. This allows a partially formatted tape to have its format extended by entering format mode before the end of the previously formatted section. When formatting, all previous information on the tape portion being formatted will be lost. 7. Press the STOP button to disengage formatting; Note: The only way to stop formatting is to press STOP (i.e.
formatted part to the previously formatted part, there will be timing discontinuities and the audio will do unpleasant things. Also, during that transition the tape will be non-functional and you will not be able to record anything over it. When in doubt, either re-format the tape all the way to the end, or back up a bit and perform a format extend (see previous section) when you need to re-format over the transition zone. • It’s a good idea to format a tape from start to finish, but this isn’t necessary.
3.2B Record Enables To record enable a track, press the track’s associated record enable button. The track’s RECORD LED will flash to indicate the track is record-ready. If the transport is put into record mode (see section 3.3C), recording will begin, as indicated by the track’s RECORD LED being steadily lit. To turn off record enable, press the track’s associated record enable button again. Its RECORD LED will turn off.
previous state, and the record ready buttons will be functional again. 3.2F All Clear This switch is used to place all available tracks into a safe (non-record ready) mode with a single button press. It differs from the ALL SAFE button, in that it just clears all record ready tracks and does not disable track record ready buttons; nor does it return to the previous state when pressed again. 3.2G Groups 1 Through 4 The SET GROUP switch is used to assign a group of record enabled tracks to a single button.
The transport controls resemble those of a conventional tape recorder, although there are several extra features. The main transport functions have been designed to be easily and quickly recognizable by both sight and feel. 3.3A Play Press the PLAY button to play tape(s) (PLAY BUTTON is lit). The PLAY button by itself has no effect while playing or formatting.
LED will flash to indicate the tape is disengaged. • Disengage/engage the tape. While the Stop button is lit, press STOP again to disengage the tape (STOP button flashes). While the STOP button is flashing, press STOP again to engage the tape (STOP button is lit). Entering Play or Record will also engage the tape. The only difference between a tape being engaged and disengaged is that entering play will take longer when disengaged due to the time necessary to wrap the tape around the head.
speed, and you can hear chunks of attenuated audio so you know where you are in the tape. The PLAY button will be lit, and the REWIND button will flash. This function is latching, which means that the system will remain in Review mode until a different transport button is pressed. 3.3E Fast Forward/Cue Press the FAST FORWARD button to fast forward the tape, as confirmed by the FAST FORWARD button lighting up.
The display shows the current crossfade time as follows: Crossfade Time 10.67 ms There are four possible crossfade times: 10.67 ms, 21.33 ms, 32 ms and 42.67 ms. These time values assume a playback rate of 48KHz, and are therefore not exact if the pitch is changed, or an external clock source is used. 2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to cycle through the different crossfade times. The change takes place immediately. 3.5 REHEARSE This button is used to enable and disable Rehearse mode.
no track delays are in effect. To display/edit the currently stored track delay times: 1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in edit mode); 2. Press the TRACK DELAY button. All the record and input track LEDs will turn off and no longer reflect the current record/monitor status; 3. Select a track by pressing its track button. Its red LED will light to indicate it is the currently selected track and the display will show its current delay time.
8. Another track may be selected by pressing the corresponding track button and the above process repeated; 9. To clear all delays, press the ALL CLEAR button while in this page, or the following page; 10. To exit the delay time mode, exit the Edit mode by pressing the EDIT button (the EDIT LED will turn off) or press another toggle function button. The RECORD-ENABLE buttons and LEDs will return to normal functions.
CHAPTER 4: PITCH, AUTO-LOCATION AND PUNCHING CONTROLS 4.0 PITCH CONTROLS The BRC provides controls over pitch by adjusting the speed the tape is traveling. The Pitch controls include: PITCH MODE, PITCH UP, and PITCH DOWN buttons; the PITCH LED display; and the VARIABLE and FIXED LEDs. Pitch changes affect all slave machines. The PITCH display shows the current pitch variance in cents. The pitch range is -300 through +100 cents. The PITCH MODE button toggles between the VARIABLE and FIXED LEDs.
4.1 AUTOLOCATION CONTROLS Autolocation is a powerful function of the BRC. It works by specifying up to 20 different locate points, which are referenced to the time code embedded in the tape’s format. Each locate point can be given a name of your choosing for easy reference, and you can select from a list of preset names (“Intro”, “Verse A1”, etc.). You can tell the BRC to go to any one of these 20 locate points at any time.
beginning of each tape. 4.1B Locate 0 Press this button to have all slave ADATs rewind or fast forward to the 0 point location. Remember, this can be anywhere on the tape since pressing the RESET 0 button resets the tape counter to 00:00 (see section 4.1A). The REW or FFW LED will flash depending on the direction of the search. • If the LOCATE 0 button is pressed while in record mode, recording will be stopped (punched out) before performing the locate. 4.
stored into locate point number 20. 2. If you want to edit the location address, press the Right Cursor button to move the cursor to the bottom of the display and use the Numeric Keypad to enter in the desired offset. The cursor will automatically advance through each pair of digits.
2. As you listen to the audio playing back, determine which sections of the song you want to create locate points for; 3. Rewind the tape again and engage Play mode; 4. As the tape plays through the song again, press the SET LOCATE button just as the tape reaches the first position you wish to set as a locate point; 5. While the tape keeps playing, continue to press the SET LOCATE button for every position you wish to set as a locate point.
change a characters case (lowercase or UPPERCASE); 5. Press the NAME button again when finished. Note: If the UP/DOWN buttons are pressed while the NAME button is held down, you can scroll through a default set of 16 pre-stored, generic names (such as “Verse A1”, “Chorus 2”, “Bridge”, etc.). You can edit these names, so that they represent the names you wish to use, such as “TurnArnd”, etc. These names are saved whenever you save a setup to tape (see section 5.
point’s address. The address is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds:frames). If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes:seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01–01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). 2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select a locate number (01-20), or either of the Auto-punch in/out locations (21 & 22).
The display will show the following: L 00 " MANUAL " hh:mm:ss:ff This is the manual locate display. The address (hh:mm:ss:ff) is displayed according to the type of Display Type you have selected. If in NORMAL mode, the display will read 00:00:00 (minutes:seconds: frames) and the frames will default to 30 frames per second. If in SMPTE mode, the display will read 00:00:00:00 (hours:minutes: seconds:frames); if in BARS mode, the display will read 01–01/00 (bars:beats:sub-beats). 3.
depending on the setting of the AUTO-PLAY button. • If the BRC is in the process of locating, pressing the Locate/Play footswitch will stop the transport. The Locate/Play footswitch jack can also be used for connecting an LRC Remote Control. The Locate/Play footswitch and the LRC cannot be used at the same time, since they occupy the same jack, unless you connect them with a Y-cord. However, you can interchange them if you observe certain precautions (see section 4.1H). 4.
4. Turn on the BRC. 4.1I Auto-Play Press the AUTO PLAY button to enable Auto Play (its LED will be lit). This causes the BRC to automatically enter Play mode whenever any locate function is complete, although this can be overridden by the transport controls. This button can be pressed at any time. Note: A ‘one time’ auto play function can be initiated by pressing PLAY once after initiating a locate search and before the locate point is reached.
• If LOOP is turned off after the BRC has reached the Loop End point and has begun rewinding to the Loop Start point, the transport will continue rewinding, without stopping at the Loop Start point. 4.2A Setting Loop Points To set the Loop Start and End points: 1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in Edit mode); 2.
6. Press the LOOP button to toggle between Loop Start and End point displays. 7. If the desired loop point does not correspond to a stored locate point, the locate point’s tape address may be edited. Use the Cursor buttons to place the cursor under the desired field and use the Numeric Keypad, UP/DOWN buttons, or the COPY TAPE LOCATION button to enter the new values. Note: To use the COPY TAPE LOCATION button, it must be set to Normal mode in the MIDI/UTIL section (see section 5.3F).
To perform an Auto-Punch: 1. Set the Punch-In and Punch-Out points (see section 4.3A); 2. Press the AUTO-PUNCH button to enable Auto-Punch; 3. Press PLAY and RECORD while the tape position is before the Punch-In point. • If AUTO-PUNCH is turned on and you press PLAY and RECORD while the tape position is past the Punch-In point but before the Punch-Out point, recording will begin immediately. • If LOOP and AUTO-PLAY are turned on, then Auto-Punch will occur upon each loop.
1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in Edit mode); 2. Press the AUTO-PUNCH button; The display will show the Auto-Punch In point: In XX "LocNamxx" aa:bb:cc:dd …where XX is one of the stored locate numbers (01–20; 21 is autopunch in, 22 is auto-punch out), LocNamxx is the locate point’s name, and aa:bb:cc:dd is its address. The locate number and address can be edited, but not the locate point’s name.
6. Pressing the AUTO-PUNCH button repeatedly will cause the display to toggle between the Punch-In and Punch-Out point displays, and a third display called Auto-Group record (see section 4.3B); 7. If the desired punch point does not correspond to a stored locate point, the locate point’s tape address may be edited. Use the Cursor buttons to place the cursor under the desired field and use the Numeric Keypad, UP/DOWN buttons, or the COPY TAPE LOCATION button to enter the new values.
1. Access the third page of the AUTO-PUNCH function by pressing the AUTO-PUNCH button three times; The display will read: Auto-group rec channels by xx …where XX is the number of tracks you wish to record onto at the same time. 2. Put any and all tracks to be recorded on into record-ready by using the TRACK SELECT buttons; 3. Edit the Record Group size in the display, using the UP/DOWN buttons. This may be set to 1–8 or ALL (to record simultaneously on all tracks that are in record-ready); 4.
• Tracks 5 and 6 record LEDs will be solid, while the LEDs of other record-enabled tracks will be flashing. 4th loop pass: • Auto-punch in and out occurs on track 7 and 8; • Tracks 7 and 8 record LEDs will be solid, while the LEDs of other record-enabled tracks will be flashing. 5th loop pass: • No punch in occurs on any tracks; • The LEDs of all record-enabled tracks will be flashing.
The rear panel Punch In/Out jack accepts any momentary, single pole/single throw footswitch. During power-up, the BRC checks the footswitch to determine whether it is normally open or normally closed type, and calibrates itself accordingly. If you use a footswitch and its operation seems “reversed,” make sure it is firmly plugged into the jack, then turn off the BRC, wait a few seconds, and turn the BRC on again. It will calibrate itself to work with the footswitch.
a point beyond the locate point by the amount you specified, before rewinding. Both the Pre-Roll and Post-Roll times are set in the identical manner. To display and/or edit the Pre-Roll or Post-Roll Time: 1. Press the EDIT button (the EDIT button LED will go on to indicate you are in Edit mode); 2. Press either the PRE-ROLL or POST-ROLL button; The display will show the Pre-Roll Time: Pre-Roll Time xx.x seconds …or the Post-Roll Time: Post-Roll Time xx.x seconds …where XX.X is a value between 0.0 and 20.
engaged until play mode is entered or a locate point is recalled. Likewise, when the TAPE OFFSET button is turned off, the ADATs that had been offset do not locate back to the current BRC position until play mode is entered or a locate point is recalled. 4.5A Offsetting ADATs Offset amounts are always displayed in reference to the BRC’s tape location, which is based on the timecode on tape #1. However, you may choose which mode the offsets shall be displayed and edited in.
4. When the desired Offset Mode is selected, press the TAPE OFFSET button again; The second page will now be displayed, which will depend on the type of Offset mode you selected. • If the Offset mode = COUNTER OFFSET, then the following will be displayed: Offset Tape XX + aa:bb:cc …where XX is the tape number (range 01 through 16) and aa:bb:cc is the offset in minutes, seconds, and frames when the Display Type is set to Normal. The offset amount defaults to 00:00:00 upon power-on for all tapes.
…where sf:ss is the offset in sub-frames and sample steps. Sub-frames are 1/100th of a frame, ranging from 0–99. Sample steps are divisions of sub-frames. When the Display Type is NORMAL, their range is 0– 15. When the Display Type is SMPTE, their range depends on the SMPTE format being used, as indicated by the five SMPTE LEDs to the right of the LCD display: from 0–19 for 24 fps (frames per second), and 0–15 for 29.97 fps and 30 fps.
the timecode on tape #1. For example: With the tape position at 05:45:00 and tape #1 offset by 00:30:00, when you turn on Tape Offset the tape position on the BRC will instantly change to 05:15:00. This is because the tape #1 is 30 seconds ahead of where it should be. Once you engage play or locate to a position, the tape position on the BRC will be consistent with the other slave ADATs, and the first ADAT will be offset by 30 seconds. 4.
• If there is only one ADAT connected, Continuous mode will not be selectable from the previous page (Offset mode). • If there are two ADATs connected, then X will be 2, and YY will not be displayed. This indicates that only the second unit will be offset. • If there are three ADATs connected, then X will be 3, and YY will not be displayed. This indicates that only the third unit will be offset. • If there are 16 ADATs connected, X and YY will be 9-16, respectively, since ADATs 1–8 will be recording first.
beginning of each tape, this will cause the second set of ADATs to be at 00:00 by the time the first set of ADATs reach 30:00. The second set of ADATs will begin recording at 00:00, and the first set of ADATs will continue recording until they run out of tape, at which point they will stop; 6. Press EJECT on the BRC. Since EJECT does not function on ADATs that are in record, only the first four ADATs will eject, while the second four remain in RECORD; 7. Insert four new tapes into the first set of ADATs.
the same song on one set of tapes, you could set up the parameters for the first recording (song start, SMPTE start offset, locate points, etc.) and then simply copy the information to as many song locations as you need, using the COPY SONG button (see section 4.6D).
Note: Although the BARS Display Type is available for viewing (see section 1.4C), this cannot be edited in the Set Song display. This is because the song’s starting position is referenced only to the Normal tape position, and is always bar 1. When the Display type is set to SMPTE, the song start will default to 00:00:00:00. However, you can change the SMPTE offset associated with the song start position.
1. If the LCD display is not currently displaying the Set Song page, press the SET SONG button; 2. Press the NAME button to move the cursor to the first character in the song’s name; 3. Use the Cursor buttons to position the cursor beneath the character you wish to edit; 4. Use the Numeric Keypad or the UP/DOWN buttons to change the name as desired (see sections 1.4F and 1.4G); 5. Press the NAME button again when finished. 4.
2. Press the LOCATE SONG button again to rewind or fast forward to the currently displayed song start address. The REW or FFW LED will flash depending on the direction of the search. Note: If the LOCATE SONG function is initiated while in record, recording will be stopped (punched out) before performing the locate. 4.6D Copy Song So let’s say you’re working on a session doing multiple takes of the same song.
• When a song is copied, you are taken to the new song location that you copied to. So, if you selected song 1 and copied it to song 2, you would now be in song 2. The destination song's new locate points are equal to the original song's locate points, but offset by the difference in song start points (the offset is equal to the new song’s start point minus the original song’s start point).
Like all other locate changes, the song setup information is not actually deleted from the tape until you save the setup to tape, assuming you have already saved the setup at some point before deleting the song (see section 5.2). If you accidentally deleted a song, you could retrieve it by loading the setup data back from tape. Of course, deleting a song will never erase audio on tape. 4.7 DIGITAL BUSSING The DIGITAL I/O button is used to enable/disable digital audio routing.
5. Press the DIGITAL I/O button to enable the digital bus (the DIGITAL I/O button LED will go on to indicate it is enabled). 4.7B Bouncing tracks The BRC makes it possible to copy tracks between ADATs without leaving the digital domain. The BRC assumes you have connected the digital bus correctly between all ADATs in the system (see section 2.2A).
• To select a single source track, press the desired TRACK SELECT button. The track will now be enabled and its green Input LED will be lit. Pressing the same button again will disable that track and turn off the LED. You may now select a different track. • If multiple track sources are desired, they must come from the same tape machine. This is because when one track is chosen, the entire machine becomes the transmitter, while all other connected ADATs become receivers.
tracks. • A digital source track cannot be selected as a digital destination track (i.e. digital source tracks will not be allowed to be record enabled when DIGITAL I/O is enabled). • When copying digital tracks, any track delays and machine offsets will be in effect. 4.
4. Press the DIGITAL I/O button again while the digital input display reads “AES/EBU” or “S/PDIF”; The display will show the following: Select tracks to output to AI-1 All the record and input track LEDs no longer reflect the record/monitor status. The TRACK INPUT LEDs will now reflect the current source tracks to be output to the AI-1. 5. Use the TRACK SELECT buttons to select the source tracks; • To select a single source track, press the desired RECORD-ENABLE button.
input. 6. Press the DIGITAL I/O button again; The display will show the following: AI-1 Clock: 48K 7. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select the AI-1’s clock source (48K or 44.1K). This determines the output sample rate of the AI-1. Important: When recording audio from AES/EBU or S/PDIF, the ADAT(s) derive their clock source from the incoming digital audio via the optical digital bus, and are therefore perfectly in sync with the incoming source.
CHAPTER 5: SYNCHRONIZATION, BACKUP AND MISC CONTROLS 5.0 SMPTE 5.0A SMPTE Formats The SMPTE button may be pressed repeatedly to cycle through the various types of SMPTE that can be generated and/or synchronized to, and used for locating when SMPTE Display Type is selected. The choices are: 24 fps (frames per second), 25 fps, 29.97 fps, 29.97 fps Drop Frame, 30 fps, and 30 fps Drop Frame. The LED(s) associated with the currently selected SMPTE format will be lit solid.
SMPTE Offset hh:mm:ss:ff …where hh:mm:ss:ff is the offset amount (range: 00:00:00:00 through 23:59:59:29). The default is 00:00:00:00. Depending upon the current SMPTE format (see section 5.0A), the frame count will vary (0 through 23 at 24 fps, 0 through 24 at 25 fps, 0 through 29 at 30 fps and 29.97 fps). If the SMPTE format is changed, the offset value will be converted to reflect an equivalent value in the new format. 2. Use the Numeric Keypad to enter in the desired offset.
format, to ensure an accurate sample-lock. The BRC can detect whether or not Drop-Frame is being used. If you select a different SMPTE format on the BRC than what it is receiving, the result will be a transposition of the sample rate. Hence, when this problem is corrected there will be a slight change in pitch, either up or down depending on which direction the error was made.
6. Press the EDIT button to exit edit mode; 7. Press the EXT SYNC button to enable external synchronization. Note: The EXT SYNC button cannot be turned on until you have selected a synchronization source.
due to new SMPTE being stripped over a previously existing SMPTE stripe on the same tape. In this situation, you wouldn’t want the BRC to suddenly locate to the new time position, but you would want it to continue synchronizing to the SMPTE clock which remains constant.
The GEN SYNC button is used to enable/disable the output of sync information. Sync information may be sent as SMPTE, MTC (MIDI Time-Code) or MIDI-Clock (see section 5.1). Pressing the GEN SYNC button will enable the output of sync information and its LED will light. Whenever the tape is in motion and GEN SYNC is enabled (LED lit), the sync information will be sent to the SMPTE OUT or MIDI OUT ports, depending on the type of sync you have selected. To edit the type of sync to output: 1.
Note: The GEN SYNC button cannot be turned on until you have selected a synchronization type to output. If the GEN SYNC button is pressed when both the SMPTE and MIDI options are set to Off, the following display will briefly appear: Must select output type 5.1 TEMPO MAP The TEMPO MAP button is used to setup the initial time signature and tempo for the currently selected song. You can also create changes in tempo and/or time signature at any bar number in the song.
To create a tempo map: 1. Press the TEMPO MAP button; The display will show: Bar XXXX bb/nn xxx.x bpm …where XXXX (range: 0001 through 9999) is the bar at which the following time signature and tempo should start, bb/nn is the time signature (bb is the number of beats per measure ranging from 1 to 64, and nn is the type of note that equals a beat with valid values of 2, 4, 8 and 16), and xxx.x is the tempo (range: 40.0 through 240.0 beats per minute). 2.
advance much faster due to the changes in tempo and time signature. Then, at about 00:35:00, the bars advance much slower. Figure 4 5.1B Displaying A Tempo Map To display existing tempo/time signature changes in the tempo map: 1. Press the TEMPO MAP button, to enter the Tempo Map display; 2. With the cursor positioned under the bar number, use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll through the bars at which tempo and/or time signature changes occur. 5.
5.1D Erasing A Tempo Map To erase a tempo map: 1. Press the TEMPO MAP button twice to access a second page. Repeatedly pressing the TEMPO MAP button toggles between the two pages; The display will look like this: Erase tempo map? (Press PLAY) 2. Press PLAY to erase the tempo map. The tempo map will revert to the default map, which uses a time signature of 4/4 (04/04) and a 120 bpm tempo at bar 1, beat 1 (01–01/00). 5.
the original settings that had been previously made as well as the new changes. The BRC’s setup information may also be transmitted as MIDI system-exclusive data into some sort of MIDI data storage device, such as the Alesis DataDisk, or any MIDI sequencer. This is actually much faster than using the SAVE SETUP TO TAPE function, since it does not require the tapes to be rewound and the transmission speed is a lot faster.
display to look like this: Tape save Aborted 5.2B Load Setup From Tape The LOAD SETUP FROM TAPE button is used to load the TOC (table of contents) from tape into the BRC's internal memory. Information is loaded from the first ADAT in the system only. When the LOAD SETUP FROM TAPE button is pressed, the display will read: Load from tape? (Press PLAY) Pressing PLAY will initiate the operation.
5.3 MIDI/UTIL BUTTON The MIDI/UTIL button gives you access to basic MIDI and utility functions. Each time this button is pressed, the display will cycle through the 7 pages and their respective functions, described below. 5.3A MIDI Echo MIDI Echo is a function whereby any information that is received at the MIDI In port will be echoed to the MIDI Out port. This allows the merging of information coming into the BRC with the BRC’s own MIDI output.
in the same song number location that the data originated from. For example, if you send song #3 out as a system-exclusive dump, when you receive it back into the BRC it will be placed into song location 3. To initiate a system-exclusive data dump: 1. Press the MIDI/UTIL button twice (if one of the MIDI/UTIL pages was already being displayed, press the MIDI/UTIL button repeatedly until the Dump Sysex function is reached); The display should look like this: 2: Dump A llData? (PLAY) 2.
5.3C Tape Status This page indicates the current tape status of any of the connected ADATs.
3: Tape xx Stat No tape present …or 3: Tape xx Stat Not responding …where XX is a tape machine number from 01 to 16. 2. Use the Numeric Keypad or the UP/DOWN buttons to select a tape machine number 01 through 16. Note: You will only be able to select tape numbers corresponding to the number of ADATs you have connected to the BRC. The bottom line of the display will either indicate format status, write-protect status, or tape presence status. Tape status will be shown for connected ADATs only. 5.
This function allows you to either enable or disable the track group buttons from being able to store and recall groups of record-enabled tracks. This is useful when you don’t want to worry about accidentally pressing one of the group buttons and losing the current recordenabled tracks. By disabling the groups, you can forget about it.
2. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to select either Manual or Normal mode. 5.3G Software Version If you cycle through all seven of the MIDI/UTIL button’s pages, you’ll come to the Software Version page. This will display the current software version the BRC is running under. The display will look like this: 7: Software Rev X.XX …where X.XX is the software version number currently installed in your BRC.
CHAPTER 6: APPENDICES 6.
External Sync: SMPTE (all formats), Video (composite or black-burst), and 48 KHz word clock General Front Panel Controls and Indicators: Rear Panel Controls and Connectors: Power Requirements: Illuminating transport controls for Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Rewind, and Record. Numeric keypad (0-9, Up and Down). Record Enable push buttons and LED indicators for tracks 1–32. Push buttons for track banks 1–32, 33– 64, 65–96, and 97–128.
Dimensions (H x W x D): Weight: Shipping Weight: Accessories Included: Optional Accessories: 10-5/8" x 17" x 4" (261.5 mm x 432 mm x 101 mm) 12 lbs (5.44 kg) 18 lbs (8.
6.1 APPENDIX 2: MAINTENANCE/SERVICE INFORMATION 6.1A Cleaning Disconnect the AC cord, then use a damp cloth to clean the BRC’s metal and plastic surfaces. 6.1B Maintenance Here are some tips for preventive maintenance. • Periodically check the AC cord for signs of fraying or damage. • Unplug the BRC when not in use for extended periods of time. • Place a dust cover over the BRC when not in use. 6.1C Servicing If problems occur, refer to the trouble-shooting guide in appendix 3.
6.2 APPENDIX 3: TROUBLE-SHOOTING Symptom Solution The LCD does not light when the POWER switch is turned on. Make sure the power cable is plugged in properly; also check that the LCD contrast adjustment is correctly set. The record-enabled tracks’ VUs do not indicate any input. Check cables. Has the DIGITAL I/O button been turned on? When the BRC is turned on, it does not display the correct number of connected ADATs. Check your connections. Swap cables, then turn the BRC on again.
