Tascam DA-88 - Front Panel Controls

Skim through this section of the manual to get a bird’s-eye-
view of the DA-88, that way you will be able to locate
information whenever you need. It is not necessary to
memorize all what is here nor to try to build up details into
a systematic whole to get started.
O 5 Functions available only when the optional SY-88
Sync Board is installed are not explained here.
Information on them is provided in the SY-88's manual.
FRONT-PANEL
1. POWER switch
Controls the power to the DA-88. See also page 4, ’’Backup
Feature.”
2. Tape loading window
NOTE
Don’t use any Hi8 tape which was once used for video
recording. No audio recording can correctly be made on
such tapes.
3. CASSETTE IN LED
Lights when a cassette is inside the deck.
4. EJECT key
When pressed, the cassette is ejected.
EJECT can operate during stop only.
5. Fs (sampling frequency) switch
Toggles two sampling frequencies (or rates) for your choice.
When formatting a tape you have to select 48 kHz or 44.1
kHz depending on the applications. During play the deck
will automatically switch to the rate at which the recording
was made, and either of the two LEDs will light
accordingly.
NOTE
If you attempt to record additional material to augment
the original one, and the incoming sampling rate is not
the same as that is previously recorded on the tape,
one of the Fs indicators will flash, warning you that
recording cannot correctly be done.
6. F O R M A T key
To format a tape is to record it with subcode data, of which
ABS (absolute) time is one. This ABS data express the
elapsed time from the beginning of the tape, not from any
optionally selectable intermediate point : hence the name
’’absolute.”
Formatting a tape erases whatever is previously recorded on
it. To prevent formatting from starting accidentally, the
FORMAT key is not actually activated unless you press it
twice.
IMPORTANT
Audio can be recorded while formatting. But it's wise of
you to format the tape from the beginning all the way to
the end before recording audio. This insures against
noise and discontinuity of absolute time data. If you
want to record audio and format a tape at one time,
don’t stop recording by stopping the tape with STOP or
PLAY. Press REC FUNCTION instead, which allows the
tape to be continuously formatted up to the end.
7. V ARI SPEED switch
When pressed, ’’PITCH’’ will show in the display and you
can use the ▼ and A keys to change the play (or the record)
speed up to +/-6.0 % in 0.1 % steps.
CAUTION
The pitch change affects the record speed also. Check
to see that the VARI SPEED LED is turned off unless
you are using the function intentionally.
8. DIGITAL IN switch
Selects either the analog or the digital input. Pressing this
switch to turn on its LED activates the DIGITAL I/O port.
Turning off the LED selects the analog inputs (RCA jacks
or multipin connector) as the source of the deck.
9. REMOTE switch
When this switch is pressed, and the associated LED lights,
the DA-88 is submitted to the optional RC-848 remote
control unit, and all controls are locked out except
DISPLAY (item 10), ▼ and A (item 11), and STOP.
10. DISPLAY switch
Each time you press this switch, the following will show
in the digital display window in sequence, as confirmed by
the corresponding LEDs being lit next to the display :
(1) ABS (absolute) time (elapsed time from the beginning
of the tape up to the current position)
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