32
TIPS & TRICKS OVERVIEW
This section was assembled by the crew of Engineers and Product Specialists that worked on the 788. During the course of
You should really be familiar with the 788 before going through this section. These are not primary recording techniques, but rather ways to really stretch the capabilities of the 788.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Guitar Processing - "0 Hz Flanging"
The
Try recalling the patch "Boxed Start" to see this an example of this sound. You can experiment with the settings there. You can switch the effect on and off to give you a better idea of the sound compared to the original.
Guitar Processing - "Pitch Shift as Chorus"
Another neat effect in the guitar processing is the pitch shifter. While most people think of the pitch shifter for creating intervals between the original tone and a synthesized tone (such as creating a perfect fifth), it can also be used to create a different type of chorus sound.
Chorus effects are typically created by taking the original sound, and combining it with the original tone that wavers in pitch ever so slightly. This generally thickens up the sound. The pitch control can be used to create a similar effect, by combining the original with a copy that is just slightly out of pitch.
Try recalling "Shimmer Verb" or "Double Play" to see this in action. All you need to do is adjust the FINE control out to about 10, and you'll be in business. Typically, moving up works a little better than moving down in pitch.
Signal Routing - "Getting Effect Send External"
While the AUX SEND has dedicated plugs on the
back of the unit, the EFFECT SEND does not. If you
Section VIII
Tips & Tricks
are using the EFFECT 1 as an insert processor, the first aux send doesn't feed anything. You may want to bring the send out of the 788 so you can process it with an external effect processor.
You can set the MONITOR OUTPUT to monitor the EFFECT SEND. So, connect your effect processor to the MONITOR OUTPUT, and listen to your mix from the STEREO OUTPUT. If you've got a mixdown deck attached there, listen from the output of the mixdown deck. While this means you won't be able to use the MONITOR LEVEL control on the surface of the 788, it does offer a way to solve the problem in a pinch.
Teaching Tool - "SSA: Slow Speed Audition"
This is actually a standard feature on the unit, but people often overlook little things like this. The SSA feature can play back a stereo pair of tracks at slower speeds without changing the pitch. The variable speeds are 85%, 65%, or 50% of the original tempo.
The main function of SSA was to enable you to play a track of a song you wanted to learn, then use SSA to slow it down so you can learn it better. For years, musicians used the tape speed control on our cassette based Portastudios for this very function. However, the 788 can process this so that the pitch is not changed.
The sound quality of this process will not be as clear as the original, but it should give you plenty of clarity so that you can make out the part.
Sound Creation - "Speed Games"
In the days before digital audio workstations and digital synthesizers, the most convincing sound effects were made by recording sounds, then applying filters and listening to the sound forwards and backwards at different speeds.
Try recording different sounds in the 788, then scrubbing them at slow speeds. Heck, try it with the Slow Speed Audition too, perhaps it can add a mechanical quality to it. Or, slow the pitch way down then add the SSA feature to it after that! If you find something you really like, record it on an external recorder. Then, record it back on the 788 at normal speed so you have that wild sound you can use in your project!
Whether you're making your own video, making wild sounds for your drum loops or simply trying to create a unique sound effect, these effects can be the highlight of your project!
Tips & Tricks | TASCAM 788 Operational Tutorial • 8/2000 Edition |