Fostex X-28H - Page 6

The Proper Tape
The X-28H is designed to be used with High Bias 70
jisec EQ tape. Cr02 and Type II designations are
common, but always look for the 70|isec EQ identifica¬
tion. Maxell UD-XL II and TDK SA are recommended,
as are other tapes of comparable quality. Metal tape
should not be used. Never use 120-minute cassettes;
the backing is too thin and will quickly stretch and may
break. Because of their strength, tapes of 60/90 min¬
utes are recommended for withstanding the physical
strains of recording.
The Right Connections
Please exercise caution when connecting other equip¬
ment to the X-28H. Never connect the output of an
amplifier to an X-28H input, for example, because you
could seriously damage the recorder. Less severe
problems caused by impedance mismatching can re¬
sult in a loss of volume and/or frequency response. In
general, microphones are low level signals and should
be used on inputs 1 through 4. Rhythm machines,
synthesizers and other electronic instruments are “line”
level devices and can be used on all of the X-28H
inputs. Electric guitars are so often customized elec¬
tronically and used with such a wide variety of effects
boxes, that it’s impossible to state even a general rule.
The best advice is: always turn the controls on all
equipment down to the minimum, then gradually in¬
crease the level controls to determine whether you’ve
made the right connections. The Specifications section
lists the input and output Impedances of the unit. Never
plug anything rated in watts (W) directly to an X-
28H input.
Always use the best quality cable that you can afford.
This is one simple way to dramatically improve your
sound, both live and recorded. Inexpensive cables
often have poor shielding, unusual impedance and
poor signal-to-noise characteristics.