8 − Mastering and CD recorder

Checking the master

To check the recorded master track, use the master check mode.

After finishing the pre-mastering, press the MASTER key to enter master check mode and open the MASTER CHECK screen. The MASTER CHECK screen shows the song title and the total time.

The transport controls work in the following way:

•PLAY plays back from the current position to the end of the master track.

•REW and F FWD keys rewind and fast-forward as normal, but the speed does not appear on the screen.

•Press the STOP key to stop playback

•Recording is disabled.

•All location functions are disabled.

•Jog, varispeed, SSA, repeat, etc. are disabled.

T I P

While playing back the master track, it is output from the STEREO (and DIGITAL OUTPUT) jacks as well as from the MONITOR and PHONES jacks. Therefore, during pre-mastering or master checking, you can record the stereo mix signal to an external recording device (cassette, digital recorder, MD, etc.).

All monitoring is now from the STEREO selection only. The master track playback sound is not affected by fader movements or other mixer operations, including new assignments.

No faders or other mixer controls (including assignment) have any effect. The only possible control of the monitor volume is through the MONITOR LEVEL controls.

Exiting master check mode

Press the MASTER key to exit master checking and return to the home screen.

Trimming the master

After creating a master track (or sometimes before), if the recording started too early or ended too late, you can trim the unwanted time.

You cannot trim the master track itself during playback, but since the master track and its source tracks (1–24) use the same timings, by trimming the source tracks, the master track is also trimmed.

Follow these procedures to trim the tracks.

1Confirm that the 2488MKII is in a “normal” mode (not master check or pre-mastering mode).

2Move the playback position to the point that you want to trim (either the start or the end of the master track).

3Set the IN and OUT points at the beginning (IN) and end (OUT) of the audio that you want to trim. If you want to trim the start of the master track, set the IN point at 00:00:00:00, and the OUT point where you want to start the master track. If you want to trim the end of the master track, set the IN point where you want to end the master track and the OUT point at (or after) the pre-mastering OUT point.

4Use the Track Edit CUT function to cut all tracks between the IN and the OUT point. Be sure to select “ALL” as the Src.Trk value (see “CUT” on page 62).

5Play back the master track, as described above. The start and end should now be as you want them.

Copying the master track

You can use the CLONE TRACK editing function to copy the master track to another track (see “CLONE TRACK” on page 63).

70 TASCAM 2488MKII