Summary of the content on the page No. 1
D00649020A
POCKETSTUDIO 5
4-Track Recorder/MIDI Arranger/MP3 Encoder
GETTING STARTED
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
Ü INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert
the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure
ÿ
that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
Table of Contents Marks ...............................................................14 1 – Welcome Punch recording ..............................................14 About this manual.......................................3 Editing data.....................................................14 What’s in the box? ......................................3 5 – Your first song using the Powering up the Pocketstudio 5................4 Pocketstudio 5 The AC adaptor........................................
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
1 – Welcome Welcome to the TASCAM Pocketstudio 5. This The Pocketstudio 5 uses the MP3 format to record exciting device allows you to record yourself and and store the finished mix files, allowing you to share friends, and to build up a multitrack recording and your finished files with a whole world of other musi- mix down to a stereo mix, adding effects such as cians using the Internet. reverb and delay, just like a professional recording In addition to being able to record your voice and s
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
1 – Welcome Powering up the Pocketstudio 5 The Pocketstudio 5 has two methods of receiving display lights and a welcome message appears power: from six dry-cell batteries, or from the sup- briefly before the home screen is shown. plied AC adaptor. NOTE The on/off switch is located on the “rear panel”, In this manual, we use the term “top panel” to refer to together with the AC adaptor input, the USB jack and the main colored control surface with the display and the MIDI IN jack. the control
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
2 – About multitrack recording Even if you already know something about multi- This explanation has been written specially with the track recording, you may find it useful to read this Pocketstudio 5 in mind, and some of the ways in section in order to refresh your memory regarding the which you work with a Pocketstudio 5 are slightly basic concepts involved in producing a recording. different to the way in which you would work with a tape recorder, for example. Cards and memory The Pocketst
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
2 – About multitrack recording In a recording studio, the usual mixdown device is an On the Pocketstudio 5, the mix is made to an MP3 analog or digital stereo tape recorder (or sometimes a file inside the Pocketstudio 5 itself. No cables or CD recorder). external equipment are needed, and you can share the resulting mix with friends immediately, as the sound is digitized, ready for storing and transmitting using a personal computer. Effects Either when recording or when mixing down, effect
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
3 – Parts of the Pocketstudio 5 Rear panel 1234 1 MIDI IN jack Use this to connect a MIDI 4 Power switch Turn the Pocketstudio 5 on instrument to control the Pocketstudio 5’s internal (left) and off (right) with this switch. tone generator. NOTE 2 USB port Use a standard USB cable to con- Remember to disconnect any headphones, instruments, nect this port to a suitably-equipped computer. etc. or to turn the volume down, when turning the Pocketstudio 5 on and off. 3 AC adapter jack Use only th
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
3 – Parts of the Pocketstudio 5 B PHONES jack Connect a pair of stereo head- C LINE OUT This is a stereo 3.5 mm jack that is phones (such as the ones integrated with the supplied used to connect to other audio equipment such as a headset) to this jack. An adaptor (not supplied) may tape recorder, MD recorder, etc. It provides output at be required in the case of some headphones. standard –10 dBV levels. Right panel DE F player, etc.) connected to the 1/4” microphone jack D GUITAR/LINE select
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
3 – Parts of the Pocketstudio 5 Top panel G Q H I R J K S L M N O P G Display The display shows you the current L Faders The four track faders (1 through 4) are status of the song, etc. as well as the menu choices to used to adjust the playback volume of the four audio set up and use your Pocketstudio 5. tracks. The TG fader adjusts the overall volume of the built-in MIDI tone generator (that’s what “TG” H MP3 key Use this key when mixing down to a stands for!), and the MASTER fader adjusts
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
3 – Parts of the Pocketstudio 5 input level with the Pocketstudio 5’s own controls N Transport keys These keys act in much the (6 and 8). same way as an ordinary tape recorder’s keys. There is no pause key (none is necessary with a device like Q Menu navigation keys These keys allow the Pocketstudio 5). There is, however, an extra key you to jump to a pre-defined menu (F.), to switch which you will not find on a tape recorder, the MARK between the menu and the “home” screens (MENU) key,
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
3 – Parts of the Pocketstudio 5 The levels of the four audio tracks being played back NOTE are shown on the four track meters before they have Since the EQ and effects can add a significant amount been through the EQ and the faders, as well as for the of volume to the signals, you should not rely on these tone generator (TG). Finally, the L and R master out- meters for the final level being sent to the track. put levels are shown at the right of the screen. The menus To enter the other func
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
3 – Parts of the Pocketstudio 5 The cursor pad The cursor pad is used to navigate around the cursor keys to scroll through to these “invisible” screens—left and right and up and down. options. Sometimes a screen will show an up (l) or a down (;) Note that although it seems as though the center of mark or both (') at the bottom right of the display the cursor pad can be pressed, you are not really which indicates that more options are available pressing the center—the Pocketstudio 5 thinks tha
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
4 – Basic use of the Pocketstudio 5 Playback When you press the PLAY key, playback Fast forward and rewind The fast forward starts from the point shown in the top right of the (FFWD) and rewind (REW) keys take you back- home screen. The PLAY key lights when playback is wards and forwards through the songs in a very simi- taking place. lar way to a tape recorder, but note the following: Pressing and holding one of these keys while play- Stopping Pressing STOP stops playback or back is stopped
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
4 – Basic use of the Pocketstudio 5 Routing an input to a track When you want to route one of the two inputs to a Note that the tracks are initially assigned in pairs, so track, press and hold either the GUITAR IN key or the that if you press one REC READY of an unused pair, MIC IN key. both indicators of that pair start to flash. To record on just one track, press one of the list tracks of a pair. Any track REC READY keys which are assigned to this input flash rapidly while you are holding
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
5 – Your first song using the Pocketstudio 5 This does not pretend to explain every possible func- We’ll assume that you are going to use the built-in tion of the Pocketstudio 5, but it will guide you tone generator to give your song a backing track of at through the first steps in making a recording. least drums and bass and that you will be playing rhythm and lead guitar and singing. Before you start recording Find yourself a quiet area where you won’t be dis- the smaller (3.5 mm) microphon
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
5 – Your first song using the Pocketstudio 5 Setting up the rhythm The first thing to do is to set the tone generator to the Selecting the pattern From the home screen, “pattern” setting. press the MENU key, and enter the PATTERN menu. 1 From the “home” screen, press MENU and Ctgry /Rock1 then enter the SYSTEM menu. Style:60sHrock Record:Tracking Tempo: d=100 TgMode /Pattern Arnge:Preset .; Tempo :------- Time :ABS ; Select a category and style to use as a backing. You can also adjust the st
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
5 – Your first song using the Pocketstudio 5 Adjust the guitar input level 6 so that when NOTE you play the guitar in the way you will be Bringing up track 1 fader here does not affect the level playing when you are recording, the meter of the signal being recorded—it sets the relative level of (INPUT A) is in the top part of the bottom line the sound from track 1 that you hear through the head- phones (or LINE OUT). of the display. Tuning the guitar 1 Tune the guitar. Since you’re playing
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
5 – Your first song using the Pocketstudio 5 you to choose which bank you will select the hear any effect). Also note that you will hear effect from. no effect 6 Set the input and output levels (In Lev 8 The last setting allows you to store your and Out Lev) for the effect (from 0 to parameter settings to a user area which you 127). can then name for easy recall. See the refer- ence manual for details. In Lev:100 OutLev:100 NOTE Switch:on If you push and hold the EFFECTS key for a couple of
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
5 – Your first song using the Pocketstudio 5 3 Press ENTER once again to save the data card, any changes you have made to the tone genera- tor, EQ or effect settings, etc. are not stored to the card before you start recording. along with the audio data. NOTE For this reason, you should use the song save procedure Audio data is saved every time you stop recording. This described here on a regular basis to make sure that is shown by the RECORD key flashing after recording none of your work ge
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
5 – Your first song using the Pocketstudio 5 6 Rewind to the start and record your vocals. to make them perfect! See “Punch record- It’s unlikely that you’ll get them completely ing” on page 14 for details of how to correct right first time, so you will probably want to your mistakes. use the Pocketstudio 5’s auto punch facility Adding the lead guitar When you’ve done recorded the vocals, you can add 3 Add EQ as necessary (see “Adding EQ” on the lead guitar line. page 18). We only have one tr
