Kolpak DA-98 manual Recording the first tracks, Preparing to record, Recording while formatting

REC FUNCTION

Section 6 – Basic operations

However, we do not recommend interrupting the formatting process, but suggest that you let the tape run to the end.

If you interrupt the formatting (or the formatting is interrupted by a power cut or events beyond your control), rewind the tape and start the format from the beginning of the tape again.

6.1.2 Recording while formatting

If you have armed any tracks (you have pressed its switch [28] and the indicator is

flashing), any audio signal routed to that track will be recorded while formatting is in progress.

NOTES

•If you have recorded and formatted part of a tape, and you wish to continue formatting and recording on the rest of the tape (“assembly”), you should rewind to a pre-formatted, blank section of the tape and resume for- matting and recording from there.

•Recording and formatting will continue at the sampling frequency used on the first part of the tape.

•Avoid re-starting recording and formatting from an unformatted section of the tape.

6.2 Recording the first tracks

There are a number of different ways of recording the first tracks. However, all follow the same basic principles.

NOTES

•When using a newly-formatted tape, we suggest that you record a blank “leader” about 30 seconds long, starting from the beginning of the tape, to avoid dropout. Leave a similar recorded blank “trailer” at the end of the recording. You can use the Rec Mute function as a con- venient way of recording silence (see 8.12, “REC MUTE (recording silence)”).

•If the tape counter shows a negative value, you cannot record on the tape at that position.

6.3 Preparing to record

1)If you have not already loaded a formatted blank tape, do so now.

2)Make sure that varispeed is turned off (check the VARI SPEED indicator [2] and see 8.5.2, “Resetting the speed to standard” if necessary).

3)If you are recording from a digital source, press the DIGITAL IN switch [15]. The indicator will light.

4)Select the input which will be routed to each track on which you will be recording.

This may involve the use of an external patch bay (analog), but the DA-98 also incorporates a “vir- tual patch bay” which can be used for signal rout- ing; both digital and analog. This is accessed through the Track Copy function (see 8.11.1, “Track Copy (channel-to-track routing)”).

With a digital recorder such as the DA-98, track crosstalk is almost negligible (better than 90dB at 1kHz). For this reason, you do not have to worry so much about the constraints of choosing physical track locations as you do with analog recordings.

If you need to copy a track to another track later in the recording process, remember that track copy- ing in the digital domain will add no noise or dis- tortion. A digital copy is a “clone” of the original, and no loss of quality is incurred.

6.3.1 Write-protecting cassettes

If you attempt to record on a cassette where the write-protect tab has been closed, an error mes- sage will appear on the screen as you press the RECORD key. Recording is, of course, not possi- ble on a write-protected cassette.

Hi8 cassette write tabs work in the opposite man- ner to DAT cassettes, and “closed” means “write- protect”.

If the tape is write-protected, the REC INHI indica- tor to the left of the tape counter will be lit. Eject the tape, open the write-protect tab, replace the cassette, and try again.

NOTE

Sony Hi8 cassettes (and those from some other manu- facturers) have the words “SAVE” (write-protected) and “REC” (write-enabled) molded into the cassette shell by the protection tab.

6.3.2 Recording the basic tracks (i)

1) Arm the tracks on which you wish to record.

Press the REC FUNCTION key of these tracks; the indicator will start flashing.

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