User manual TASCAM X-9

[. . . ] 9101441900 Professional Digital DJ Mixer OWNER'S MANUAL Ü ÿ Y This appliance has a serial number located on the bottom. Please record the model number and serial number and retain them for your records. Model number Serial number CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK). 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 that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. [. . . ] If the effects unit is only capable of accepting a mono input, read the documentation supplied with the effects unit, and make the appropriate connection to the L effect SEND jack of the X-9. If the effects unit is only capable of producing a mono output, read the documentation supplied with the effects unit, and make the appropriate connection to the L RETURN jack of the X-9. NOTE The return from the external input cannot be output from the digital output. For a strange effect, you can send and return the left channel of a program through one effects unit, and the right channel of the same program through another effects unit with different settings. TASCAM X-9 Owner's Manual 13 4 ­ Learning more The X-9 has four sets of inputs, as well as the two built-in samplers and the microphone input, all of which can be mixed and used as sound sources. There are a number of different signals that can be fed into the X-9: up to four turntables, and four other analog devices, and two digital devices, not to mention the two internal samplers and the microphone. In order to understand the X-9, it is necessary to get a basic idea of where the signals go. About programs These inputs are assigned to four mixer channels (modules), known as programs, and numbered from 1 through 4, The levels of the programs are controlled using program faders. In addition, each program is equipped with 3-band sweppable sweepable EQ, with variable Q, and a trim control. The left-right balance of each program is adjusted using the menu system with 19b1, 20b2, 21b3 and 22b4 (see "Menu reference" on page 17). Assigning sources to programs Use the switches on the top panel to change between the LINE and PHONO inputs. The keys for programs 1 and 2 allow the digital inputs to be selected as an alternative to the PHONO/ LINE pair. When the indicators for these keys are lit (the digital is selected), the PHONO/LINE switch has no effect. The keys for programs 3 and 4 allow input 2 to be selected for program 3 and/or input 1 to be selected for program 4. The meaning of inputs 1 and 2 is decided by the PHONO/LINE switches for 1 and 2 and by the digital selection keys. In addition, there is a key beside each of these switches, allowing you to choose different sources for the programs: Trim When the inputs have been assigned, adjust the level fed to the equalizer, and then the fader, using the program's TRIM control. Note that turning this control too far clockwise with a powerful input signal may result in a distorted signal. Cross-fading When the two program sources have been assigned as shown above ("About programs" on page 14), they can be transferred to the outputs through the crossfader and then through the master fader. 14 TASCAM X-9 Owner's Manual 4 Learning more The two signals that are controlled by the cross-fader are known as A and B. You can set these to be any of the following using the ASSIGN A and ASSIGN B controls below and to the right and left of the program faders: Programs 1 through 4, a sampler (SAMP 1 for A, and SAMP 2 for B) or THRU. In other words, if either Note that this is SAMP1 for the ASSIGN A control the ASSIGN A or the ASSIGN B control is set to THRU, no signal is assigned to go through the crossfader on that side, and moving the cross-fader to the side with the THRU setting has no effect on that side. When THRU is selected, use the appropriate program fader(s) and the master fader. Move the fader from the left (fully A signal only) to the right (fully B signal only) to perform the crossfade between the two signals. Signal flow The signal flow is therefore: Incoming signals are assigned to programs Programs (and samplers) are assigned to the cross-fader A and B signals Programs (and samplers not assigned to the cross-fader) go straight to the master, together with the mic The cross-fader determines the A and B levels sent to the master The master outputs (what your audience hears) TASCAM X-9 Owner's Manual 15 4 Learning more Playing a song When you have made connections as described in "Connections" on page 10, you can start playing a song. With the program fader at its lowest level (0) and the master fader also at 0, load a CD in the player, or put a record on the turntable connected in the earlier step ("Record turntables" on page 10 and "CD decks, etc. " on page 10). Cue up the CD or record using the cue functions as described below (use headphones to monitor the CUE output while the CUE indicator for the program with the record is lit). Adjusting the output volume Set the amplifier volume to less than full setting. Bring the MASTER fader up to about the 7 mark, and slowly bring adjust the program fader until the overall level is what you want. Use the program meter to view the level of the program signal, and the stereo MASTER meters to check the overall level of the signal fed from the X-9 outputs. If the top segment of a meter (14 dB) is lit for most of the time, the sound coming out of the X-9 will be distorted. You should therefore try to keep the level so that the red segments of the meters are not lit all the time. You can set the time that the meters take to fall back, as well as the time that they hold peak values, using the 12Mr and 13Mp menus (see "Meter release time" on page 19 and "Meter peak hold time" on page 19). TIP We suggest this way of working to avoid possible overloading of the internal amplifiers, and distortion caused by such overloading. Cue (previewing sounds) The X-9's cue system allows you to preview a program through headphones before playing it back through the main amplifier system. [. . . ] "Back off" using the TRIM control if this occurs. EQ Q setting The `Q' of EQ is how much of the signal is affected by the equalization. The higher the Q value, the sharper the EQ curve (and the smaller part of the signal affected by the EQ). High Q value (b setting) There are three Q values, which may be set for each band using the menu system (see "Program EQ Q values" on page 19 (11_E)for details). (Low Q value A setting) The three settings are A (low Q), Nor (normal setting) and b (high Q). Cutting the EQ bands If you want to make an instant cut of 40 dB in one of the bands, use one of the sets of LO CUT, MID CUT and HI CUT controls to cut the appropriate band (when the switch is down, the band is cut). NOTE These controls do not affect the input programs directly--they affect the signal assigned to the A and B cross-fade signals. These controls do not affect the sampler outputs. Viewing EQ settings Because its EQ circuits are digital, the X-9 allows you to see the exact figures associated with an EQ setting (for instance, 12 dB of cut at 400 Hz, etc. ). The EQ settings can be viewed for any of the four programs (but not for the microphone, whose EQ settings cannot be memorized and recalled). 28 TASCAM X-9 Owner's Manual 9 EQ The left display and controls can be used for programs 1 and 3, and the right for programs 2 and 4. [. . . ]