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MULTITRACK MD RECORDER
Owner’s Manual
L R L R L R 1 2 3 4
STEREO SUB IN STEREO OUT MONITOR OUT TRACK DIRECT OUT
12 3 4 L R
AUX RETURN AUX SEND MULTITRACK MD RECORDER
MIC/LINE INPUT
1 2 34 MASTER
GAIN GAIN GAIN GAIN
AUX STEREO
RETURN SUB IN
1 2 1 2
LINE MIC LINE MIC LINE MIC LINE MIC
HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH GROUP ASSIGN GROUP ASSIGN
3 4 3 4
LEVEL LEVEL
–12 +12 –12 +12 –12 +12 –12 +12
MID MID MID MID
–12 +12 –12 +12 –12 +12 –12 +12 010 010
LOW LOW LOW LOW
MONITOR CUE LEVEL
SELECT 1
–12 +12 –12 +12 –12
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Laser Diode Properties FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A.) * Material : GaAlAs 1. IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THIS UNIT! * Wavelength : 780–790 nm This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this * Emission Duration : Continuous manual, meets FCC requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by * Laser Output Power : Less than 44.6 µ W Yamaha may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use the product. (Note) Laser output is measured at a 2. IMPORTANT: When c
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• Explanation of Graphical Symbols The exclamation point within an equilateral tri- CAUTION angle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK DO NOT OPEN instructions in the literature accompanying the product. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user COVER (OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICEABLE to the p
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iii Important Read the Following Before Operating MD4 Warnings • Do not locate MD4 in a place subject to excessive heat or in direct sunlight. This could be a fire hazard. • Do not place MD4 in a place subject to excessive humidity or dust. This could be a fire and electrical shock hazard. • Connect the supplied AC power cord only to an AC outlet of the type stated in this Owner’s Manual or as marked on the main unit. Failure to do so is a fire and electrical shock hazard. • Do not pl
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iv Interference MD4 uses high-frequency digital circuits that may cause interference on radios and televisions placed close to it. If interference does occur, relocate the affected equipment. Copyright © 1996 Yamaha Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of the MD4 software or this Owner’s Manual may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written authorization of Yamaha Corporation. Trademarks MD DATA and MiniDisc are trademarks of Sony Corp
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v Contents 1. Welcome to MD4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 MD4 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Buying Discs for MD4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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vi Preparing for Ping-Pong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Rehearsing the Ping-Pong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Performing the Ping-Pong for Real . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Checking the Ping-Pong Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Ping-Pong with Overdub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 P
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vii Deleting Steps in a Tempo Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Saving a Tempo Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Loading a Tempo Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Tempo Map Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 9. MD4 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 One-Take Recording .
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Welcome to MD4 1 1 Welcome to MD4 Thank you for choosing the Yamaha MD4 Multitrack MD Recorder. MD4 is the world’s first multitrack recorder to use the MiniDisc format, with its superior sound quality and quick search capabilities. To take best advantage of your MD4, read this Owner’s Manual thoroughly. MD4 Features Mixer The mixer section is a four-input channel, four-group analog mixer. • Input channels feature continuously variable GAIN controls, which can handle both micro
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2 Welcome to MD4 Buying Discs for MD4 It’s important that you buy the correct type of disc for use with your MD4. For 4-track recording and playback, you must use MD DATA discs. Normal MiniDiscs can only be used for 2-track recording and playback. MD DATA discs are used as a storage media for computers. MD4 uses the MD DATA audio for- mat. MiniDiscs are also referred to as MD discs, although they are used only for music. Type Logo Description MD DATA discs are for c
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Touring MD4 3 2 Touring MD4 This chapter takes you on a tour of MD4, identifying the various parts to help you become famil- iar with your new recorder. Topside View L R L R L R 1 2 3 4 STEREO SUB IN STEREO OUT MONITOR OUT TRACK DIRECT OUT 12 3 4 L R MIC/LINE INPUT AUX RETURN AUX SEND MULTITRACK MD RECORDER 1 2 34 MASTER GAIN GAIN GAIN GAIN AUX STEREO RETURN SUB IN 1 2 1 2 LINE MIC LINE MIC LINE MIC LINE MIC HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH GROUP ASSIGN GROUP ASSIGN 3 4 3 4 –12 +12 –12 +12 –12 +12 –
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4 Touring MD4 Input Channels 1 GAIN control This rotary control adjusts the sensitivity of the MIC/LINE input so that both micro- phone and line-level signals can be handled with ease. 2 EQ controls 1 These rotary controls are used to boost and cut the high, middle, and low frequency GAIN bands independently. A flat setting (i.e., no boost or cut) can be set quickly using the 1 control’s center detent. 15 LINE MIC HIGH 10 –12 +12 5 HIGH ±12 dB at 12 kHz—shelving type M
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Master Section 5 Master Section 1 AUX RETURN GROUP ASSIGN switches These switches are used to assign (i.e., send) the Aux Return signals to the recorder’s tracks. The left-channel signal is sent to odd buses 1 and MASTER 3. While the right-channel signal is sent to even buses 2 and 4. The Aux Return signals are typically the processed signals returned from a ste- AUX STEREO RETURN SUB IN reo effects processor. Note that the Aux Return signals are always sent
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6 Touring MD4 Display 45 6 7 8 9 0 MASTER CLIP +12 3 –3 +9 MTC MD4 Song –6 +6 –9 +3 PITCH FIX VARI MIN. SEC. FRAMES –12 0 2 ELAPSE TOC EDIT –15 –3 REMAIN –18 –6 REHE REC TOTAL –27 –10 1 –39 –20 MARKERS REPEAT MEMO A AUTO PUNCH MEMO B dB 1 2 3 4 dB S 1 23 45 67 8 E PRE IN OUT POST L R 1 ALL A B C D Note: For explanation purposes, the illustration above shows most of the available indicators. During normal operation, however, you will not see so many indicators on the display at the same.
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Display 7 6 Time Counter mode These indicators show the Time Counter mode. ELAPSE—This mode shows the time position within a song. REMAIN—This mode shows the time remaining for a song or when you are recording a new song, it shows the available time remaining for the song. TOTAL—This mode shows the time position within the entire disc. 7 Title and function display Disc titles, song titles, functions, messages, and other information appear here. 8 Time counter The time counter shows the disc tim
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8 Touring MD4 Disc Transport Section H 67 89 0 TIME 12 3 4 4 5 DISPLAY REPEAT MEMO A/B REC SELECT A PITCH CLEAR MARK SEARCH MARK 4 B ADJUST SELECT LAST REC SEARCH 3 UTILITY – DATA + C IN OUT 2 ENTER AUTO SONG 1 D PUNCH I/O SEARCH REHE REC PLAY PAUSE REVIEW FF CUE STOP TOC WRITE PHONES PUNCH I/O G F E 1 AUTO PUNCH I/O button This button is used to turn on the Auto Punch In/Out function. 2 UTILITY button This button is used to access the following functions: Rec Mode, Text, PrePost Roll, OffLine
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Disc Transport Section 9 9 CLEAR button This button is used to cancel functions and delete characters in disc and song titles. 0 REC SELECT buttons These buttons are used to select tracks for recording. A MARK SEARCH buttons These buttons are used to locate song markers. B MARK button This button is used to enter markers during recording or playback. C LAST REC SEARCH IN/OUT buttons These buttons are used to locate the LAST REC IN and OUT points. D SONG SEARCH buttons These buttons are used to s
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10 Touring MD4 Topside Connectors 1 2 3 4 L R L R L R 1 2 3 4 STEREO SUB IN STEREO OUT MONITOR OUT TRACK DIRECT OUT 12 3 4 L R AUX RETURN AUX SEND MIC/LINE INPUT 5 6 7 1 STEREO SUB IN These phono jacks are used to connect another mixer to MD4 to increase the number of available input channels. The stereo output signals from the other mixer can be mixed into the MD4 ste- reo mix or recorded to MD4 tracks. Connect them to the other mixer’s stereo outputs. 2 STEREO OUT These phono jacks are used t
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Front Connectors 11 Front Connectors 1 2 1 PHONES A pair of stereo headphones can be connected here for monitoring. The headphone signal is the same as the MONITOR OUT signal. 2 PUNCH I/O An optional footswitch, such as the Yamaha FC5, can be connected here for foot-controlled play- back, rehearsal, recording, or punch in/out. Rear AC IN POWER MIDI OUT ON/OFF 1 2 3 CAUTION TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT. 1 AC IN Connect the supplied power cord h
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12 The First Session 3 The First Session This chapter explains how to record and mix your first MD4 session. If this is your first time with a multitrack recorder, we recommend that you start with this chapter and follow all the procedures closely. When you’ve completed this chapter, have a look at subsequent chapters, which explain more advanced MD4 functions and require a basic knowledge of MD4 and mul- titrack recording techniques. Quick-Start System The following illustration shows the basi
