Tascam 424MKIII Optional Accessories Care and Maintenance, Cleaning, Degaussing Demagnetizing

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Optional Accessories

Care and Maintenance

RC-30P Remote Footswitch

MIDI-Tape Synchronizer

Head Demagnetizer

HC-1 Head Cleaner & RC-1 Rubber Cleaner

 

(U.S.only)

TZ-261 Cleaning Kit (Except U.S.)

Even though the heads used in your 424 MKIII 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 it's 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 won't 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 compartment door. Tape should not be loaded.

2.Hold STOP and REHEARSAL and press POWER to activate a Cleaning mode. "Cleaning" will show on the display.

CLEANING MODE : While in this mode, PLAY, F.FWD, REW, and STOP are effective, letting you get access to the head block, and rotate the capstan shaft and the pinch roller at high speed in either direction, or at normal play speed, making it easy to clean them as you perform the following steps.

3.Press PLAY (needless to hold it this time), so the head blocks move out.

·If you leave the unit in Cleaning mode for 3 minutes after you have pressed PLAY, it will automatically go to STOP, the head block moving back.

4.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.

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Contents 424@$ Table Of Contents Safety Instructions Introduction Portastudio 424 Mkiii isAbout the weld line Recording System Three Steps to MultitrackSignal Flow in the 424 Mkiii Mixer Understanding the MixerTape Cue Monitor System Multitrack Cassette Recorder RehearsalTrack Format and Tape Recommendations Tape Speed and Track FormatTape Type Accidental Erase/Record Protection Tape LengthPortastudio 424 Mkiii Brief Guide Portastudio 424 Mkiii Brief Guide Recorder Controls Rear Panel ConnectionsStep-By-Step-Operations Guide Page Page Tape CUE Page How to record many sources onto a single track How to record a mix onto two tracks simultaneously Recording on more than two tracks simultaneously Direct Page Using channels 5 and 6 with alternative inputs at mixdown Review Record levelUsing Memory Location Points Loading Memo pointsMemo Locating the tape To zero To Memo Auto play Operating procedure To interrupt Repeat sequence Repeat PlayPUNCH-IN or Insert Recording Preliminary Selecting in and out pointsPage Actual Auto Punch In/Out Auto Review Manual Punch-in Punching-in/out with RecordUsing the remote footswitch RC-30P Ping-pong procedure Bouncing Tracks Ping-PongPage Using Effects With the Portastudio 424 Mkiii Setting the output level of effect devicesSetting the mix/balance control on effect devices How to Connect Your Effects Devices Problem Possible Cause Syncing MIDI-Tape−Using the Tascam MTS-30Troubleshooting Problem SolutionInput select switches Channels Features and ControlsPower switch on the rear panel Turns Channels 5Stereo Input Section Mkiii Recorder Transport Controls Play keyDisplays Page Cleaning the Heads and Tape Guides Optional Accessories Care and MaintenanceCleaning Degaussing DemagnetizingHow the dbx Works Cleaning the Pinch RollerCleaning the Capstan Shaft Degaussing the Tape PathSpecifications Effect 2 SEND/TAPE CUE OUT HighNormal USA/CANADA EuropeAustralia Block Diagram Level Diagram 424@$
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