SQ-80 — Musician's Manual
TAPE STORAGE
The following types of information can be saved to audio Tape (cassette or reel-to-reel) and later loaded
back into the
SQ-80's Memory from Tape:
• The forty Internal Programs,
• The entire Sequencer memory, or
• A single Sequence.
"Decent" Tape Deck
Because of the sheer amount of information involved, the
SQ-80 sends Data to Tape at a rate that is a
good bit faster than most synthesizers. For this reason it is recommended that you use a "decent" Tape
deck to Save and Load your
SQ-80 Program and Sequence Data. This doesn't mean you need an
audiophile unit — any home stereo-type cassette or reel-to-reel deck should do fine. Decks specifically
designed for use with computers should work as well.
What is definitely NOT
recommended is
a very cheap portable-type recorder.
Such recorders cannot be relied upon to
handle the
SQ-80's high speed data trans-
fer.
The higher grade of tape you use, the more reliable the results you will get. Definitely do not use three-
for-a-dollar generic cassettes. A good quality Normal Bias cassette should do the job; a Chrome Bias
cassette is better; a Metal Bias cassette is best. Tapes which are specifically made for computer data
storage will work. These are available at any Computer store.
It is generally recommended that you not use any Noise Reduction when Saving or Loading Programs,
as Noise Reduction circuits tend to "round off' the square pulses that the
SQ-80 uses to store information.
The Tape circuitry is very level-sensitive — it is important to record the data at the right level on the tape
in the first place. and to find the right playback level when re-loading the data back into the
SQ-80. Small
differences in record level can make a big difference when saving Data to Tape. You may need to
experiment a bit to see what works best with your equipment. It may take a little patience, but once you
find the proper record and playback levels, these Tape procedures will perform reliably.
Tape Connections
To Save Data to Tape, connect the
Tape Out Jack on the Rear Panel of the SQ-80 to the Input of your
tape recorder. For Loading Data, or Verifying Data that has been Saved, connect the proper
Output o
the tape recorder to the
Tape In jack of the SQ-80.
When Saving Data to Tape, it's not a bad idea to use a "Y" adapter at the tape recorder end of the cable.
and to feed the signal to both channels of the deck. That way you can record duplicate copies of the
information (on the left and right channels of the Tape), in case a dropout or other problem causes an error
on one of the channels. Also, when you later Load the Data into the
SQ-80, this method allows you to
monitor one channel while sending the other to the
SQ-80.
Note: The first time you save Data to Tape, it is a good idea to go through the procedure once without
starting the Tape Deck, just to get your Record levels properly adjusted. Also, recording some sort o
spoken "Slate" on the tape, immediately before each batch of Programs you save, will help you keep
Track of which Bank is where on the Tape.
Section 6 — Data Storage 181
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