» D00871101A X-48 48 Track Digital Audio Workstation OWNER'S MANUAL
IMPORTANT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1 Read these instructions. • Do not expose this apparatus to drips or splashes. 2 Keep these instructions. • Do not place any objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus. 3 Heed all warnings. • Do not install this apparatus in a confined space such as a book case or similar unit. 4 Follow all instructions. • The apparatus should be located close enough to the AC outlet so that you can easily grasp the power cord plug at any time.
Safety Information Rack-mounting the Unit This product has been designed and manufactured according to FDA regulations "title 21, CFR, chapter 1, subchapter J, based on the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of 1968", and is classified as a class 1 laser product. There is no hazardous invisible laser radiation during operation because invisible laser radiation emitted inside of this product is completely confined in the protective housings. The label required in this regulation is shown at 1.
Table of Contents Setup ................................................................................................. 9 Introduction ...................................................................................... 9 Introduction.......................................................................................................... 9 Unpacking ............................................................................................................ 9 Read & Surf ...............................
Table of Contents Make a Default Project ......................................................................................... 30 Install VST Plug-Ins ............................................................................................. 30 Recorder .......................................................................................... 31 Working With Projects .................................................................... 31 Creating a New Project ......................................
Table of Contents Timecode Offset .................................................................................................. 51 Chase Lock Deviation ........................................................................................... 51 Timecode Output Muting....................................................................................... 52 Advanced Recorder Operations ....................................................... 52 Audio File Naming........................................
Table of Contents Specifications .................................................................................. 63 Audio I/O ........................................................................................ 63 Miscellaneous I/O connections ....................................................... 63 Physical characteristics ...................................................................
Setup Setup Introduction Introduction Thank you for purchasing the TASCAM X-48 Digital Audio Workstation. You will find it a powerful addition to your audio recording workflow. With normal use and attention to the available documentation, the X-48 will provide many years of service. Enjoy! Unpacking The X-48 has been packed to ensure its safety during shipment. Inspect the unit for damage immediately upon unpacking and contact the shipper or retailer if damage is discovered or items appear to be missing.
Setup This icon indicates instructions related to using the keyboard, mouse & monitor interface. This icon indicates instructions related to using the front panel of the X-48. Required Equipment While the X-48 is a comprehensive piece of professional audio gear, there are other things you may need to take full advantage of its capabilities: • • • • • A console with a minimum of 8 outputs (at least 24 is recommended) and enough inputs to handle your expected track count.
Setup Guided Tour Here is an overview of the front panel. Refer to this diagram if the manual refers to a control you can't locate: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Track meter – displays signal level from -60dBfs to -1dBfs and overload. Track record arming button – puts that track into record ready unless "All Safe" is turned on. Record Ready status is reported by a flashing red light directly above that track's record arming button.
Setup 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. TDIF Inputs and Outputs – Each of these jacks transmits 8 channels of TDIF-format digital audio input and output at up to 96kHz/24-bit. NOTE: to get all 8 channels of audio input and output at 96kHz, the equipment connected to the X-48 must have the latest TDIF capabilities, such as TASCAM’s DM-3200 and DM-4800 digital mixers. Option card slot 1 – This card slots adds an additional I/O format for channels 1-24.
Setup 17. Cooling fan – make sure that this fan is not blocked off in a rack to prevent overheating the system. I/O Card Installation I/O cards of different types may be installed in the X-48 simultaneously. For example, an X-48 may have one analog card and one digital card installed, with independent I/O routing. Each X-48 option card provides 24 channels of input and output. • • • You will need a medium size Philips screwdriver. Power off and unplug the X-48 to avoid shock hazard.
Setup 6. 7. 8. 9. Secure the digital card’s connector plate to the rear panel of the X-48 using the screws you removed in Step 2. Secure rear of the digital card to the metal plate below it using a white plastic spacer and screw originally provided with your X-48. Connect the other end of the flat gray cable to the black connector on the card. Replace the top panel. Making Connections You may not use all the connections provided on the rear of the X-48, but they are there if you need them.
Setup ADAT When installed into an X-48 Slot, an ADAT digital I/O card will provide 24 channels of I/O at normal sample rates (44.1k, 48k). Digital Audio Clock Any time multiple digital audio devices are connected together, or multiple digital audio connections are used simultaneously on a single device, all the digital audio clock rates of the connected devices must be locked together. If this is not done, or if it is done incorrectly, clicks, distortion, or muted audio may result.
Setup Note: Use only DB25 cables specified by the manufacturer as "Analog" cables. Many cables look the same on the outside. The analog DB-25 pinout is pictured below: Synchronization and Control This section will deal with the physical connections needed in various synchronized applications. For details about the appropriate software settings, please refer to Section 'Synchronization'(page 45). MIDI There are two MIDI connectors on the rear of the X-48.
Setup requires a specifically constructed cable. If in doubt, pre-made RS-422 cables are readily available. 1 : GND 2 : TX3 : RX+ 4 : GND 5 : NC 6 : GNC 7 : TX+ 8 : TX9 : FGND Video Reference (Tri Level Sync) IN – When the X-48 is used in a film/video post production environment, it may be necessary to resolve a consistent sample range with the time code edge. A video reference (blackburst) signal applied to this connector makes this possible.
Setup For more details about software configurations to use the X-48 within a networked environment, please refer to Section 'Networking'(page 26). External Drives External hard drives may be connected to the FireWire or USB 2.0 ports on the rear of the X-48 to be used as record destination or copy destination drives. When recording to any external drive, it is strongly recommended to run the Drive Benchmarking utility to ensure the drive is fast enough for the desired number of record tracks.
Setup MX-View Pre-installed on the X-48 is MX-View Version 1.40, for control of any existing MX-2424 machines you may have. For MX-View operational instructions, please refer to the MXView Manual. TASCAM Mixer Companion Pre-installed on the X-48 is TASCAM Mixer Companion Version 1.30. This allows the X48 to act as the host computer for TMC when connected via USB to a TASCAM DM-3200 or DM-4800 digital mixer.
Configuration Configuration Configuration This section helps you with the software settings you'll need to make in order for the X-48 to work smoothly in your application. Display Settings Mouse/Keyboard Operation Your monitor should be capable displaying a resolution of at least 1024x768 pixels at a refresh rate of at least 60 Hz. The maximum resolution of the X-48's display output is 2048x1536 pixels.
Configuration • • • • INP 24-48: Goes directly to input routing menus for inputs 25 through 48. In most cases, these will be left at their default settings since much output routing can be done from a recording console. The choices presented in this menu allows the use of consoles with less than 48 outputs. SYNC: Goes directly to the list of synchronization settings & functions such as time code frame rate, digital audio clock settings and time code chase options.
Configuration Digital Audio Clock When digitally connected, two or more pieces of audio equipment must be running at exactly the same digital audio clock rate and have their sample exactly lined up. If this is not done, audio artifacts like clicking and popping or completely muted audio will result. The X-48 provides the ability to operate in many digital audio clock scenarios. Each available setting is shown below along with an example of why it may be used.
Configuration digitally connected to the S/PDIF output of a piece of equipment when transferring stereo audio into the X-48. TDIF Port 1 – When selected, the X-48’s digital audio clock will be locked to the digital audio signal present at the first TDIF port (1-8). This would typically be used when the X48 is digitally connected via TDIF to one other piece of equipment such a mixer or another recorder.
Configuration Front Panel Operation To configure the I/O cards from the front panel: • • • • Press the INP 1-24 or INP 25-48 key Use the Up/Down buttons to select a bank of 8 inputs and outputs, i.e. "IO Card Select 1-8" and press CHNG. Select either TDIF 1-8 or Slot1 (1-8) and press ENTER.
Configuration Front Panel Operation • • • Press the SYS button Press the Up/Down buttons to select Midi Device ID and press CHNG Select an ID from the list and press ENTER Sony 9-Pin This section explains how to control the X-48 using Sony 9-pin, also called P2 or RS-422. To access these settings: Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • • Click the Windows menu and select Settings Click the Prefs tab There are three settings under the Sony 9-pin heading: Track Arm, Punch Delay and Chase Control, explained below.
Configuration • • Press the Up/Down buttons to select Resolve to Video In and press CHNG Use the Up/Down buttons to select On and press ENTER The Video Clock input supports Tri-Level Sync for High Definition Video. If the blackburst input is Tri-Level, the X-48 automatically enables this feature. See Chapter 3, Recording for more on sample clock and video sync. Pull Up/Pull Down Sample Rates The X-48 supports pull-up and pull-down sample rates for use in film and video postproduction.
Configuration • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Set "IP address" to 192.168.1.2. (Note: This is different from the X-48's IP address.) If this IP address is already in use on your network, pick a different number for the last digit. Set "Subnet mask" to be 255.255.255.0. Leave the "Default gateway" blank. "Use the following DNS server addresses:" should be already selected. "Preferred DNS server" and "Alternate DNS server" should be blank. Press OK. Close the "Local Area Connection Properties" window.
Configuration • • • • You should be prompted to enter a user name and password. The user name is "administrator" and the password is "admin". The Finder will ask you which drive you want to mount. There is only one choice, "X48 Data Drive". Click OK. Double-click on "X48 Data Drive" to see its contents. Look in the "XProjects" directory for projects. If you're having trouble getting things to work, you should be able to "ping" the X-48 from the PC.
Configuration • • • • • • The X-48 warns you that it will shut down after running this application. Click Yes (or No) to save your project first. The next prompt warns you that you can do some serious damage by misusing the Disk Management tool, such as modifying the C: drive. Click OK when you're ready to begin. The Disk Management tool opens. Disk0 should be the startup disk, partitioned into the C: drive (your operating system and program files), and the D: drive (the Data partition you can write to).
Configuration Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • • • Open the Windows menu and select Settings Click the System tab Click the System Settings Store button. Type a name for the settings and click OK. To restore the system settings you've saved, click the Recall button and find your backup. Front Panel Operation • • • • • Press the SYS button Press the Up/Down buttons until you select Settings and press CHNG. Select Store... using the Up/Down buttons and pres CHNG.
Recorder Recorder Working With Projects Creating a New Project Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • • Click on the File menu and select New Project... or press Control-N on the keyboard. The display will ask you if you wish to save changes to the current the current project. Click on Yes or No. The display prompts you for the following information: Name: Type a name for the project using the keyboard Drive: Select which drive to record to Mode: Either Non-Destructive or Destructive.
Recorder you may not be able to tell which was the final approved recording unless you had exported an AAF file as well. Using Destructive recording is just like using a multitrack tape, and is often referred to as "tape mode." If you look at the hard drive after recording this way, you will see one long WAVE file for every track that you recorded to. Film re-recording mixers use destructive recording to record their final mixes.
Recorder Front Panel Operation • On the front panel of the X-48, press the PROJ button, press the Up/Down arrows to select Save and press CHNG. Saving Your Work How often do you need to save? The X-48 writes data to the drive during recording. You should periodically save during recording, and whenever you change something in the mixer. You may also want to switch on Auto Save, described below.
Recorder • Select a project to import using the window interface. You can navigate up to select another drive. Click Open or Cancel to select a project. Exporting a Project The X-48 can export the recording project as either an AAF file (Advanced Authoring Format) or an Open TL file. AAF files are supported by most digital audio workstations, including Pro Tools, Logic and Nuendo. You may need additional software to import an AAF file, such as DigiTranslator for Pro Tools.
Recorder Backing Up a Project to CD/DVD There are three destinations for backing up a project: to the built-in DVD drive, to a network, or to another hard drive. To back up to another hard drive, see the "Copying a Project" instructions above. To copy a project to a connected network, see page 26 in the chapter on Networking. This section explains how to back up to the built-in DVD recorder.
Recorder Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • • Click on the Windows menu and select Settings or press Alt-F8 on the keyboard. The Settings window will open. Click on the tab at the bottom of this window titled Prefs. At the top of the screen is a checkbox labeled Load Last Project on startup. Check this box. Front Panel Operation • • On the front panel of the X-48, press the PREF button, press the Up/Down arrows to select Load Last Project and press CHNG. Use the up/down buttons to select On and press ENTER.
Recorder Front Panel Operation • • On the front panel of the X-48, press the PREF button, press the Up/Down arrows to select One Button Record and press CHANGE. Use the up/down buttons to select On and press Enter. TC Chase The TC Chase feature allows your X-48 to chase incoming timecode. Front Panel Operation • On the front panel of the X-48, press the TC CHASE button. The X-48 will chase the timecode you've selected in the Sync Control Mode menu.
Recorder Front Panel Operation • On the front panel of the X-48, press the PREF button. Use the Up/Down buttons to select Use Pre/Post-Roll and press CHNG. Use the up/down buttons to select On and press Enter. Pre-roll and Post-roll times can also be changed in the Preferences menu. • • Varispeed Varispeed playback changes the playback speed of the recorder, re-sampling at the output to maintain the selected sample rate.
Recorder Front Panel Operation • • To enable Auto Input, press the AUTO INPUT button on the front panel. For All Input mode, hold the SHIFT button while pressing AUTO INPUT. Putting Individual Tracks into Input You can put tracks into input mode on a channel-by-channel basis. • • From the Mouse/Keyboard interface, click the I button next to any track number. From the front panel, hold the SHIFT button and press any track arming button.
Recorder Undo/Redo Unlike tape machines, you can undo a recording pass and then put it back with redo. Undo/redo is only available from the mouse/keyboard interface. Mouse/Keyboard Operation (only) • Click the Edit menu and choose Undo or press Control-Z on the keyboard. Metering Several metering parameters are available: • • • Peak Hold displays the highest signal level achieved, either for a few seconds or until cleared. Meters can be Pre-fader or Post-fader (not applicable in Mixer Bypass mode).
Recorder • • • Select Meter Mode and press the CHNG button to switch between Pre-Fader (the default) and Post-Fader. Select Meter Range and press the CHNG button to switch between -oo to 0dB (minus infinity to 0dB, the default) -24dB to 0dB or -12dB to 0dB. These fine dB scales can be useful when sending test tones to the recorder, such as for aligning the analog I/O card or a Dolby encoder. Select Peak Hold to switch this function on or off.
Recorder Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • • Click on the Windows menu and choose Settings. Select the Transport tab. The submenu titled Loop Mode has the three choices explained above. Front Panel Operation • • Press the PREF button. Press the up/down buttons until you select Loop Mode and press CHNG. Select one of the three choices explained above and press Enter. Auto Punch The Auto Punch function automatically drops into and out of record when switched on.
Recorder Loop Recording You can also record while in loop mode. When you record in loop mode (and nondestructive recording is selected), a new audio file is written each time the recorder makes a pass. You might use this feature when trying multiple successive takes of a guitar solo, for example. To use the loop recording feature, turn on both Loop Playback and Auto Punch and press Play. (See previous sections.
Recorder • • Click the Options menu and select Timebar Format Choose either SMPTE or Samples Clip Properties To specify information about a clip, open the Clip Properties window: • • • • Use the Smart tool to select a clip Under the Windows menu, select Clip Properties... or press Control-2 from the keyboard. You can change the name of the file, specify an exact start and end point, or move the clip to the timecode embedded in its Broadcast WAVE file or playhead position.
Recorder • The Input Routing pulldown menu selects which bank of 8 inputs will feed the selected tracks. For example, setting the Input Routing for tracks 25-32 to Input Grp1 1-8 will route inputs 1-8 to tracks 25-32. Routing by individual channels (this supercedes the groups of 8 above): • Click a track in the Tracks tab (F1) • Click the DSP button in the middle of the display (or press F6) • Click the Input pulldown menu and select an input from 1-48.
Recorder 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The X-48 either sees a transport command from the RS-422 signal or sees SMPTE timecode and goes into play. The X-48 looks at either the SMPTE input or the RS-422 to figure out where in the timeline to begin playback. If enabled, the X-48 looks to the video clock input for a more exact timestamp for the incoming SMPTE. Once the X-48 is locked to the right SMPTE frame, it starts playing at the rate dictated by its sample clock source.
Recorder Front Panel Operation • • Press the SYNC button. Press the up/down buttons to select Sample Rate and press CHNG. Select a sample rate from the list using the up/down buttons and press Enter. Clock Source One of the most important settings on the X-48 is the sample clock source, which governs playback speed and keeps audio pops from happening. There are five choices: • • • • • Internal is the default.
Recorder • • Click the Windows menu and select the Settings window. Click on the Sync tab and click the BNC In or BNC Out submenu. Choose a setting from the list. Front Panel Operation • • Press the SYNC button. Press the up/down buttons to select BNC Clock In or BNC Clock Out and press CHNG. Use the up/down buttons to select a setting and press Enter. BNC Word Clock Output Polarity This setting allows the Word Clock signal output phase to be reversed.
Recorder • • • • • • • • 30-frame non-drop is occasionally used in music studios to sync console automation to a tape machine (2" reel-to-reel tape may be striped with this format) 30-frame drop is rarely used 29.97 non-drop is the standard for non-broadcast post-production in the U.S. 29.97 drop is the standard for broadcast television post production in the U.S. 25-frame is the standard in Europe 24-frame non-drop is sometimes used for HDTV production or film location recording 24.
Recorder • Click on the Sync tab and click the Control Mode submenu. Choose the desired control mode from the list. Front Panel Operation • • Press the SYNC button. Press the up/down buttons to select Control Mode and press CHNG. Select a control mode from the list using the up/down buttons and press Enter. Chase Freewheel Chase Freewheel dictates how far out of sync the SMPTE timecode can drift before the X48 drops out of play or record. The choices are 0, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100 frames.
Recorder Front Panel Operation • • Press the SYNC button. Press the up/down buttons to select Chase Relock and press CHNG. Choose a setting from the list using the up/down buttons and press Enter. Chase Relock Threshold This parameter governs how far out of sync the X-48 can drift before the Chase Relock feature forces it back in sync. (Or not, see previous section.) The range is 1/3 frame, 1 frame, 2 frames, 5 frames or 10 frames.
Recorder Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • Click the Windows menu and select the Settings window. Select the Sync tab. Look at the Lock Deviation display at the bottom of the screen. Front Panel Operation • • Press the SYNC button. Press the up/down buttons to select Chase Lock Deviation and press CHNG. Watch the lock deviation. When you're finished, press the Exit or Home button.
Recorder Mouse/Keyboard Operation (only) • • Click the Windows menu and select the Prefs window. Select the Audio File Naming submenu and choose your preferred naming convention. Track Key Punch The X-48 can be set to enter record mode without any tracks armed. Recording will then begin on any channel whose track-arming button is pressed. To enable this function: Mouse/Keyboard Operation • • Click the Windows menu and select the Settings window. Select the Transport tab.
Editing Editing Edit Tools I-Beam Tool The I-beam tool is used to select a portion of a recorded clip or clips. When the I-beam tool is dragged through the middle of a clip, only that section will be edited. For example, if you wanted to erase a cough in the middle of a recorded voiceover, the I-beam would allow you to select just that cough and then hit delete on the keyboard. Double-clicking on a clip with the I-beam tool selects the entire clip.
Editing Smart Tool Press F11 to select the Smart tool, or click the button pictured above in the top-left corner. Like the Object tool, this tool does different things depending where your mouse is: • • • • • When it's not hovering over a clip, or if it's over the bottom half of a clip, it acts like the I-Beam tool. Like the I-Beam tool, you can select a portion of a waveform. However, unlike the I-Beam tool, you can only select audio on a single track.
Editing To see exactly what has been selected, click the button. The screen will show information about your selection start and end points as well as the length of the selection. For an exact time selection, such as 00:02:00:00, you can click in these fields and type in a new in point, out point or selection length.
Editing Repeat Paste Repeat Paste (Control-Alt-V) pastes the audio in the clipboard multiple times. You might use this feature to create a loop that plays through a song or to fill a section of film dialog with room tone for ADR. When you select the repeat paste command, the system will prompt you to ask how many times it should repeat the audio. Crop Crop (Control-U) cuts the head and tail of a clip outside of the selected range.
Editing Audio Processing Pitch/Time Stretch Selecting this item from the Process menu opens the Time Compression/Pitch Shift window. There are two options in this window. Time Compression allows you to specify a new length for the clip using the mouse and keyboard. The start time for the clip remains the same while the end point changes to reflect the new length. The clip's fade in or out remains nondestructive.
Mixer Mixer Mixer Interface Mixer Introduction The X-48 includes a software digital mixer/router with the following features: • • • • • • • • 48 playback channels, each with 4-band parametric EQ and compression Level, pan, solo and mute controls Input and output source selection per track/channel 6 aux sends, pre or post-fader 6 stereo aux returns, useful for using a common VST effect on multiple channels (i.e.
Mixer • amount of time until gain reduction is fully-functional, and Soft applies a soft knee for extreme ratio settings. On turns the effect on and off and Gain is a postcompressor makeup stage. The Equalizer section houses a four-band full-parametric EQ section. The On button at the top-right corner of this panel switches the EQ on, and the On button above each band switches that band on. (Note that you need to press two On buttons to hear EQ, the master ON button and one band’s ON button.
Mixer Third-Party Plug Ins The X-48 officially supports Waves plug-ins and Antares Auto-Tune plug-in. Other plug-ins have not been tested and may result in undesired operation, requiring the X-48 be reloaded from the factory restore CD. To install plug-ins, do one of the following: • • Insert the installer CD in the X-48. If there's an autorun.exe file on the CD, just follow the prompts as you would on a computer.
Mixer • Select the Groups tab at the bottom of the screen. Click on the output field at the bottom of the group channel. Select Stereo Outs and choose a pair of outputs for your Group. Monitoring While Recording Another useful feature of the mixing engine is to monitor tracks while recording. During a live event, the X-48 can serve as a 48-track recorder as well as your monitor mixer.
Specifications Specifications Audio I/O TDIF S/PDIF IN/OUT 6 x 25-pin (female) D-sub connectors Conform to TDIF-1 standard 2 x RCA pin jacks(input/output impedance 75ohm) IEC60958 data format Miscellaneous I/O connections WORD SYNC IN WORD SYNC OUT/THRU VIDEO IN/THRU MIDI IN/OUT TIME CODE IN/OUT FOOT SWITCH REMOTE(for Sony 9-pin) USB 10/100/1000 10/100 VGA MOUSE KEYBOARD FireWire 1/2 BNC connector Switchable 75ohm termination TTL level 2 x BNC connector TTL level 2 x BNC connector Tri-level signal suppor
Specifications - System restore CD - Documentation CD, - Two white plastic spacers & screws for installation of digital cards(IF-AE24/IF-AD24) 64
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» X-48 TEAC CORPORATION Phone: +81-422-52-5082 3-7-3, Nakacho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8550, Japan www.tascam.com TEAC AMERICA, INC. Phone: +1-323-726-0303 7733 Telegraph Road, Montebello, California 90640 www.tascam.com TEAC CANADA LTD. Phone: +1905-890-8008 Facsimile: +1905-890-9888 5939 Wallace Street, Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1Z8, Canada www.tascam.com TEAC MEXICO, S.A. De C.V Phone: +52-555-581-5500 Campesinos No. 184, Colonia Granjes Esmeralda, Delegacion Iztapalapa CP 09810, Mexico DF www.
