Tascam CD-A580 User Manual

CASSETTE TO MP3
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125 S. Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126
(630) 279-8696 ● elmhurstpubliclibrary.org
The Tascam CD-A580
The Tascam CD-A580 is a device that will convert cassee tapes
to MP3 formats stored onto a ash drive. It will also digize CD’s
to MP3, and will allow users to create cassee tapes. The Tascam
does not “burn” CD’s.
Getting Started
 Bring a ash drive large enough to store music from your cassee
 Music les are roughly 10MB per minute—one hour cassee tape will need about 600MB of free
space
 Call Elmhurst Public Library to reserve Creave Studio B for an adequate amount of me
 The machine converts in real-me, so 1 hour of music will take 1 hour to convert
How to Transfer Songs from a Cassette to a USB Drive
 Load the cassee into the Tascam and place the USB drive into the port on the machine
 Press the SOURCE buon repeatedly to select Tape
 It will scroll between CD, TAPE, or LINE
3. Press the RECORD USB buon to prepare the USB for recording
 The red indicator above the RECORD USB buon and the REC icon on the display will blink
 Preparaon for USB recording takes a few seconds. USB ash drives with larger capacies might take
more me. When “Record Prepare” is shown during preparaon, pressing buons will have no eect
5. Before recording, adjust the recording level. Failure to do so could cause the recorded sound to be
distorted or noisy
 Play the source (cassee tape) to be recorded
 Plug headphones into the jack to listen to the tape. (Headphone volume can be adjusted with the
knob just to the right of the headphone jack.)
 Use the REC LEVEL knob to adjust the recording level so that the loudest sound never lights the
“OVER” indicator on the peak level meter shown on the display
6. Prepare the tape by cueing it to the place where you want to start the recording
7. Press the RECORD USB buon again. The red indicator above the RECORD USB buon and the REC icon
on the display will remain solid, and the tape will automacally play and begin recording to the USB.
 If you want each song to be a separate le, you will need to divide the les manually. This processed is
described on page 30 of the user manual.
8. Press the USB Stop or Cassee Stop to nalize and end the recording. Display will say RECORD ENDING.
For addional informaon, see page 28 of the user manual: tascam.com/content/downloads/products/922/
cd-a580_om_e_vb.pdf

Tascam CD-A580 Specifications

General

CD changer	No
Device type	CD recorder
Form factor	Rackmounted
Cassette deck	Yes
Product color	Black
Playback modes	Fast backward, Fast forward, Next, Previous, Stop
Number of decks	1 deck(s)
Channels quantity	2 channels
Cassette playback modes	Forward, Pause, Rewind
Cassette deck technology	Logic
Frequency range	20 - 20000 Hz
Audio formats supported	MP3
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)	87 dB
Operating temperature (T-T)	5 - 35 °C
Power consumption (typical)	13 W
Headphone outputs	1
Headphone connectivity	3.5 mm
Display type	-

Weight and Dimensions

Depth	290 mm
Width	483 mm
Height	138.5 mm
Weight	6000 g

Summary

Tascam CD-A580 Device Overview

Device Description and Capabilities

Introduces the Tascam CD-A580 for converting cassette tapes and CDs to MP3 formats onto a flash drive.

Getting Started with Tascam CD-A580

Flash Drive and Storage Requirements

Details the need for a large flash drive, estimating 10MB per minute of audio for storage.

Studio Booking and Conversion Time

Advises booking Creative Studio B and notes that conversion is in real-time, taking one hour per hour of audio.

Transferring Cassette to USB Guide

Initial Setup and Recording Preparation

Steps to load cassette/USB, select source, and prepare the USB for recording, noting indicator lights.

Adjusting Recording Level for Quality

Guidance on setting the recording level using REC LEVEL knob to prevent distorted or noisy sound.

Starting and Ending the Transfer

Instructions on cueing the tape, starting recording, and stopping to finalize the transfer process.