4 – Control Surface Modes and Operation
TASCAM FW-1884 Owner’s Manual 29
4.3.2 Monitoring Setups
When the FW-1884 is in MON MIX mode, the F7,
F8 and F9 keys determine what source you are hearing
on Analog Outputs 1/L and 2/R. This is useful for iso-
lating the audio coming from your DAW or from
external inputs. When the MON MIX key is pressed,
the F7, F8 or F9 key will light to show the currently
selected input source:
•F7 – COMPUTER – only the audio from the host
computer is monitored. This can be useful if you’re
doing a mixdown of your DAW tracks and want to
mute the monitor mixer without losing its settings.
•F8 – INPUTS – only the audio from the FW-1884’s
18 audio inputs is monitored. This can be useful for
setting up live inputs or tracking into your DAW.
•F9 – BOTH – audio from the host DAW and the
FW-1884’s inputs are monitored.
The default setting is BOTH.
To set a channel’s monitor level to zero (unity gain):
Hold SHIFT and press the channel SEL key.
To set the Master monitor level (Master Fader) to zero
(unity gain): Press the MAST 0dB/F10 key.
To set all monitor mix levels to zero (unity gain):
Press and hold the SHIFT and CTL keys and then
press MAST 0dB/F10.
4.3.3 Setting Input Levels
As previously stated, the MON MIX mode can be very
useful for recording live tracks into a DAW application.
Here’s a typical scenario for recording and overdubbing
using MON MIX mode:
•Connect your analog and/or digital source(s) to
the FW-1884’s inputs.
•In COMPUTER control mode, arm your DAW
tracks for recording and meter the input level to
those tracks using the DAW’s level meters.
•Select MON MIX to access the monitor mixer
control surface mode.
•Press the F8 key to monitor the inputs without
hearing your existing DAW tracks.
•Solo an input channel by pressing that channel’s
SOLO key.
•Press the PFL key to monitor the channel in Pre-
Fader Listen mode.
•Adjust the channel’s trim pot (if it is an analog
input) or the digital source (if it is a digital
input) until the input meter in your DAW shows
a level that is hot, but not clipping.
•Repeat this procedure for all active input chan-
nels.
Once you’re done setting up levels, you can return to
COMPUTER control mode and begin recording.
4.3.4 SOLO modes
In MON MIX mode, the FW-1884 offers two distinct
modes for soloing inputs – PFL (Pre-Fader Listen) and
SIP (Solo In Place). Each has its particular uses, as
described below. Pressing the PFL key toggles between
Solo-in-Place and Pre-Fader-Listen modes.
In MON MIX mode, soloing any channel will cause
the CLR SOLO key to flash.