MD-350

Technical Documentation
PRODUCT OVERVIEW TASCAM's MD-350 is a cost effective MiniDisc recorder that takes advantage of all the flexibility offered by the MiniDisc format. Track naming, rearranging the table of contents, double length in mono mode, and a full complement of audio I/O make this a natural for a
live sound cue machine. The included wireless remote and PC keyboard port make remote control a breeze.

MSRP $599.00

2-U Rack-mountable Balanced XLR and Unbalanced RCA Analog I/O SPDIF Optical Digital I/O Additional Front Panel SPDIF Optical Input Headphone Output with Level Control ATRAC v3 includes LP2 and LP4 recording modes Large Display for Showing Track Names Complete TOC Editing for Changing Track Order Auto Cue and Auto Ready Functions for Live Sound Cues PS/2 Keyboard Input for Track Naming & Remote Control RC-32 Wireless Remote Control Included with Numeric
CONSULTANTS AND SYSTEM DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
The TASCAM MD-350 is a 2U rack-mountable MiniDisc player/recorder which utilizes ATRAC v3 compression system. LP2 and LP4 extended recording and playback modes are supported for extended capacity with standard MiniDisc media. The MiniDisc offers Auto Ready, a function which pauses at each track, and editing of the table of contents data for rearranging, deleting, combining, or splitting tracks. The MD-350 provides Auto Cue and Auto Ready functions for live sound cues and a Headphone Output w/level control. Analog I/O via Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connectors with front panel input level control. Digital I/O via rear panel Optical S/PDIF with an additional Optical S/PDIF front panel input. The MiniDisc player/recorder includes an RC-32 remote control and a DIN 6-pin keyboard input is located on the front panel to accept a PS/2 compatible keyboard. The keyboard controls include transport control, editing functions, and track naming.
TASCAM 7733 Telegraph Road Montebello, CA 90640 (323) 726-0303 http://www.tascamcontractor.com
All features and specifications are subject to change without notice. Contact your local TASCAM representative for the latest information.

TASCAM MD-350

PANELS

SPECIFICATIONS

Format: MiniDisc digital audio system Recording system: Magnetic field modulation overwrite system Recording/playback time: SP, 80 minutes max. LP2, 160 minutes max. LP4, 320 minutes max. Mono: 160 minutes max. Sampling frequency: 44.1 kHz Compression system: ATRAC (Adaptive TRansform Acoustic Coding) Dynamic range: More than 94 dB (playback, 1 kHz, A filter) Total harmonic distortion: Less than 0.013% Number of channels: 2 (stereo),1 (mono) 20 Hz 20 kHz 0.5 dB (playback) Frequency response: Signal-to-noise ratio: More than 94 dB (playback, A filter) Analog input/output connectors: Input: Balanced: XLR, +4 dBu (ref.),10k ohms Unbalanced: RCA, 10 dBV (ref.),` 50k ohms Output: Balanced: XLR, +4 dBu (ref.),150 ohms Unbalanced: RCA, 10 dBV (ref.), 600 ohms Power supply: U.S.A./Canada 120 V AC, 60 Hz Europe/General 230 V AC, 50 Hz Australia 240 V AC, 50 Hz Headphones output: Max. 25 mW + 25 mW, 32 ohms Digital input/output connectors: Input 1, 2: TOS (EIAJ RC-5720), IEC60958 Type II (S/PDIF) Output TOS (EIAJ RC-5720), IEC60958 Type II (S/PDIF) Remote connector: KEYBOARD connector: Mini DIN 6pin Power consumption: 13 W Dimensions (W x H x D): 482.6 x 94 x 313 (mm) Weight: 5.5 kg
TASCAM 7733 Telegraph Road
Montebello, CA 90640 (323) 726-0303 http://www.tascamcontractor.com

TASCAM MD-CD1

review

Tascam MD-350

Already regarded as something of a mature technology, MD remains a relative unknown to a lot of end users. With this in mind, Tascam remains a core supporter of the entry-level MD machine. ZENON SCHOEPE
probably missing the point. Give it some good steady level, speech or mixed material and the results are perfectly acceptable. This is a very satisfying machine to operate. The transport is actually quite fast at responding to track selection and play commands certainly faster than many CD players that Ive known and it achieves this without buffers of RAM. Again it offers a wide variety of operational methods: front panel with menu access; the remote; and the computer keyboard. When combined they give enormous possibilities. I prefer the computer keyboard with an extension lead as this gives by far the most comprehensive means of control, including editing, which if were honest about it, really isnt that elegant on MD. I think Ive stated my position on the merits of keyboard naming already. You get SP, Mono, LP2 and LP4 recording modes and the dubious inclusion of a timer. Getting around the machine is straightforward and predictable. Performance is solid. Tascam has not attempted to hide the MD-301 mkII origins and thats not a bad thing. If anything, it proves the validity and relevance of the original package. The MD-350 remains a good entry-level MD machine in a market that really doesnt have that many choices at this level. What can I tell you, I like it. With a keyboard, of course. s
PINIONS REMAIN DIVIDED on precisely how pro the much maligned MiniDisc is for real life applications. If you can bring yourself to come to terms with the fact that its recording format is a tad on the lossy side for all-out audiophile scrutinising, and concentrate on its value and convenience, then, presented with a decent example of the species, it would be a hard man that could not be won over by the appeal. The MD-350 is the latest representative at the budget end of Tascams MD range. Those who are acquainted with previous incarnations of Tascams machines will experience a little deja vu. Visually and operationally the MD-350 is a dead-ringer for the MD301 mkII that it replaces, which itself bore enormous similarity to the MD-501 that it undercut in price. This then seems to be the latest in line of MD machines that have effectively built on the foundations of their predecessors and added a feature here and there. Most signicantly, and good news for us all, the other constant is that the price has decreased with every generation, so whos complaining? The MD-501 was a good machine but then so was the MD-301 mkII, and the MD-350 is a little better than it. The key unique inclusion in the MD-350 is that of varispeed in play mode. Activated from a front panel switch, and set within the machines menu to +/-12% in ne intervals, it adds a useful bell to the MD-350s belt. Much of the rest of the machine is extremely similar, if not identical, to the MD-301 mkII. Build quality is excellent and the box is refreshingly hefty for a technology that so often gravitates towards the imsy and lightweight as it matures and ages. Disc handling is impeccable, with a positive grasp of the disc on loading and a controlled expulsion on ejects. An input selector chooses between the balanced XLR and phono analogue, and rear and front panel optical connectors. Outputs are on balanced XLRs, phono and optical. Analogue record level is controlled on a single pot, without the balance control that the MD-501 had, and transport and function keys are located in a cluster to the right of the rather nice main display which, aside from the bargraph metering, also houses mode and status indicators. Front panel controls cover Stop, Play and Ready (pause) on large keys with Record and Search represented by smaller buttons. Pressing the Record button with no disc in the drive activates a monitor through mode. The Display button activates different
timing display modes (elapsed, total, remaining) while a Play Mode switch activates different play modes (shufe, programmed and repeat between dened points). Track selection is performed on a dial which increments-decrements with turns to the left-right respectively. A push of the same dial equates to Enter when adding tracks to programmed playbacks, for example. Two buttons accompany this dial marked Edit-No and Yes and concern themselves with access and adjustment of menu parameters. Its here that you delve in to MDs editing functions, name discs and tracks, set start points and select such things as auto track numbering. Fortunately you can also use a nely sculpted infrared remote control and dedicated buttons are provided on this for the likes of Insert, Delete, Clear, Title Edit, Character Select and Auto Space. Together, the front panel and remote interact really well to share duties although it has to be said that the remote offers the most control. Better still is the ability to plug a PC computer keyboard on PS/2 in to the front panel. Doing this takes the tedium out of editing and naming discs and you even get an overlay for the keyboard that reminds you of what functions are attributed to which keys. Those poor unfortunates who have grown accustomed to, and skilled at, naming tracks on a more rudimentary machine, or who have wallowed in the pleasures of CD-Text on most CD-R machines that can do it, will not believe what the MD-350 can do for you. Get this, you can type titles in using the keyboard. And you will, because its easy and its genuinely useful. MD text, like CD-Text after it, proved to be relatively slow burn function of the format. I wouldnt buy an MD machine that didnt have keyboard text entry. Keyboard Shift keys correspond to front panel controls together with an assortment of the remotes dedicated buttons, while shifting the Function keys accesses the editing functions directly. Character entry is assisted by the usual cursor movement and backspace, delete, and insert functions. Less fuss is now made about the precise version of the ATRAC algorithm used in MD machines. So little fuss, in fact, that Tascam doesnt actually state which version the MD-350 uses. However, the MD-301 used v4.5 so I have a suspicion that it has been retained for this newer machine. Yes, you can hear things going on in reverb tails but if thats bothering you then youre

resolution

PROS CONS EXTRAS
Good solid performance; keyboard text entry a delight; varispeed; the denitive entry level MD machine Youll have to spend more if you want more features; a timer? Similarities of the MD-350 to the MD301 mkII have been explained but you need to move up to the MD-801 if youre really serious about MD on a Tascam.
This machine boasts 200ms full stroke search time and track start in 100ms. Theres an auto locate to specic points and a jog dial and shuttle wheel for manual frame by frame searching and positioning. Pitch control is +/-9.9% and a programmable End-of-Message function gives up to 99 seconds warning of track ending. Things get truly pro with a remote parallel port, RS232C port plus a PS/2 keyboard connection. Options include RAM buffer for instant start, a full-function remote, and a Flash start controller.

Contact

TASCAM: Tel: +4388888 Website: www.tascam.com

July/August 2002