1 – Starting out with your DP-02/DP-02CF

Thank you for your purchase of TASCAM’s latest 8-track digital portastudio, the DP-02/DP-02CF.

The DP-02 and DP-02CF are designed to provide you with great sound in an easy-to-use compact package, allowing you to concentrate on the music, and not on the recording process.

Getting started

Read this section first. It contains important basic information about using your DP-02/DP-02CF effectively, and will help you create exciting original musical projects. When you have read this chapter (“Starting out with your DP-02/ DP-02CF” on page 7), you will be able to find your way around the DP-02/DP-02CF, and to make and play back recordings.

The DP-02/DP-02CF allows you to record many hours of music, up to two tracks at a time, to a maximum of eight tracks, and then mix them down to a pair of mastered stereo tracks using the built-in mixing facilities.

The stereo mix can then be played back into a suitably- equipped CD recorder, etc., or into a computer’s audio inputs for distribution over the Internet, etc. or transferred using a fast USB 2.0 connection to a personal computer.

In addition, individual tracks can be imported and exported between your DP-02/DP-02CF and a personal computer, and songs can be archived, backed up and restored using a PC.

DP-02 Line-up

There are two models, the DP-02 and DP-02CF. The DP-02/DP-02CF is equipped with phantom-powered XLR input jacks, and the DP-02 additionally is equipped with internal effect processors. The DP-02 contains a large hard disk and also an internal CD-R/RW drive. The DP-02CF uses a Compact Flash Card (not included with the unit) memory recorder (not provided with an internal CD-R/RW drive).

This manual refers to both models as “the unit”, as the majority of the functions are common to both models. Also, their hard disk and CF card are described as “record- ing media.” Any other exceptions are noted.

Chapter 4 of this manual, “DP-02 Appendix” on page 58, deals with the features found on only the DP-02. If you own a DP-02, please read the chapter.

Manual conventions

This first section gives you an idea of the basic operations of the DP-02/DP-02CF and will get you started with recording. Further features are described in “Advanced techniques” on page 29.

When we refer to features of the DP-02/DP-02CF such as keys and connections, we display them like this: MENU.

We refer to features of other equipment like this: AUX IN.

When we show messages, etc., that appear on the screen, we show them like this: SONG LOAD.

T I P : We give hints and tips on using the DP-02/DP-02CF when you see this icon.

NOTE : A note at the side of the main text provides additional explanations for special situations.

CAUTION : A caution shows that you may lose data (your recordings) if you don’t follow the instructions.

WARNING : Warnings should be taken seriously. They describe situations which can cause injury, or damage to the equipment if you do not follow the instructions,

This manual cannot begin to be a full guide to multitrack recording techniques. However, if you visit the TASCAM Web site (www.tascam.com), you can download various documents on recording which may be of interest to you.

Troubleshooting The DP-02/DP-02CF was designed to be easy to use, but sometimes you may need a little help. See the section “Troubleshooting” on page 53 for a list of questions you may have, and answers to help you. There’ s also a list of messages that may pop up, with an explanation of their meaning, and suggestions on what to do (see “Messages” on page 54).

How to do it? At the back of this manual, there is a chapter called “Commonly-used functions” on page

76.Refer to this section when you want to know how to perform a particular operation.

TASCAM DP-02/DP-02CF