User manual TASCAM TM-D4000 AUTOMATION

[. . . ] TASCAM TEAC Professional Division TM-D4000 Dynamic Mix Automation OPERATIONS MANUAL Table of Contents Introduction 1. 1 About This Manual 1. 2 Copyright 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 7 8 10 11 11 12 Setup 2. 1 Windows Skills Required 2. 2 System Requirements 2. 3 Upgrading The TM-D4000 Firmware 2. 4 Computer Hardware Installation 2. 5 Computer Software Installation 2. 6 TM-D4000 Connection and Configuration Software Overview 3. 1 Launching the Software 3. 2 Timecode Window 3. 3 Control Bar 3. 4 Toolbar/Disk Operations 3. 5 Menu Items 3. 6 Mixer View 3. 7 EQ View 3. 8 Aux Views 3. 9 Automation Modes Table of Contents Building An Automated Mix 4. 1 Getting Started 4. 2 Adjusting Static Settings 4. 3 Creating Dynamic Mix Moves 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 18 19 19 20 20 21 Real Time Mix Editing 5. 1 Manual Write 5. 2 Auto Write 5. 3 Auto Manual Updating Mix Moves 6. 1 Adjusting POD Settings 6. 2 Adding Switch Events 6. 3 Making Relative Offsets to Fader Moves 6. 4 Auto Takeover TM-D4000 Automation - Introduction The TM-D4000 Automation Software for PC (referred to in this manual as "the automation software", or simply "the software") is a sophisticated and powerful software package designed to automate the TASCAM TM-D4000 digital mixing console with a personal computer. This software provides time code synchronized write and read of many TM-D4000 features, including fader levels, panning, cuts, EQ and Aux. Automated mixing is a powerful tool for creativity and is well suited for repetition of tedious mechanical tasks so that listening can be more productive. A Mixer View shows the positions of the faders, knobs and switches, where you can see the mix as it happens as well as see the position of all the faders at a glance without switching fader layers on the mixer itself. [. . . ] Manual Mode: Channels in Manual Mode will not read or write automation data. While adjustments made to a channel in Manual Mode will change the setting for that channel, as soon as the channel is put into Read Mode any changes made during Manual mode will be lost as they will be overridden by the automation software. 13 Building An Automated Mix 4. 1 Getting Started This section introduces important concepts and techniques relating to writing and editing fader moves, cuts, and other automated mix events in real time (while program material is playing and time code is being received). Please read this section carefully as there are details to building an automated mix that, if skipped, will cause mix moves to be lost or limit the power of dynamic mix automation. NOTE: We will be dealing with two types of automation data: 1) Static data (settings that will not change during the length of the mix) and 2) Dynamic data (settings that will be changed by the mix moves written into the automation software during the mix). You should become familiar with the Automation Items window available under the Edit Menu of the automation software. It is in this window that it is possible to write enable some parameters (like faders or EQ) while leaving other parameters untouched. Think of this as arming one track of a multitrack recorder for an overdub while leaving others in playback. Turn off time code reception in the Time Code Window by clicking on the T. C. Set all mixer channels to Manual Mode and set up the basic mix as much as possible without automation. Turn on time code reception in the Time Code Window and select Write Mode for all channels by pressing WRITE then ALL on the Automation section of the TM-D4000. Be sure that all parameters are write-enabled in the Automation Items window of the automation software. Under the Edit Menu of the automation software, select Clear Initial Status and confirm your action by clicking OK in the alert window that is displayed. Also under the Edit Menu, select Capture Initial Status and confirm your action by clicking OK in the alert window that is displayed. Play the time code from the beginning of your recording 5 to 10 seconds before the start of audio until the readout in the time code window turns black. This sets the initial static position of all settings on the mixer within the automation software. Stop the recording and select manual mode for all channels. 14 Building An Automated Mix 4. 2 Adjusting Static Settings 1. Make the adjustments to the desired channels with those channels set to manual mode. When you like the new settings, stop the recording, set the desired channels to write mode and select Capture Initial Status from the automation software Edit Menu. (NOTE: Only parameters that have been write-enabled in the Automation Items window will be saved. ) 2. The channels with new static settings can now be returned to manual mode for the possibility of further adjustments, or they can be placed into read mode to ensure that the new settings won't get accidentally changed. (NOTE: You will always be able to make adjustments to a channel that is in manual mode, but those adjustments will not be saved until the above step is carried out. ) 4. 3 Creating Dynamic Mix Moves 1. Put desired channels into write mode, make the dynamic mix moves, then put the newly automated channels into read mode to play back the dynamic mix automation. [. . . ] You may wish to uncheck the WRITE ENABLE boxes for the other parameters to avoid writing an unwanted mix move or switch event. Select Update Mode for the channel(s) you wish to make relative offsets to by pressing UPDATE in the AUTOMATION Section of the TM-D4000, then selecting the desired channels using their SEL key. Update Mode for a channel can also be selected while the recording is playing. Original write End of write 20 Updating Mix Moves 3. Play the recording a comfortable amount of time before the place you wish to begin offsetting fader moves. [. . . ]