The equipment draws nominal non-operating power from the AC outlet with its POWER switch in the off position.
2 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
CAUTION: Read all of these Instructions. Save these Instructions for later use. Follow all Warnings and Instructions marked on the audio equipment. 1) Read Instructions All the safety and operating instructions should be read before the product is operated. 2) Retain Instructions The safety and operating instructions should be retained for future reference. 3) Heed Warnings All warnings on the product and in the operating instructions should be adhered to. 4) Follow Instructions All operating and use instructions should be followed. 5) Cleaning Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. 6) Attachments Do not use attachments not recommended by the product manufacturer as they may cause hazards. 7) Water and Moisture Do not use this product near water for example, near a bath tub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, or laundry tub; in a wet basement; or near a swimming pool; and the like. 8) Accessories Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The product may fall, causing serious injury to a child or adult, and serious damage to the product. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table recommended by the manufacturer, or sold with the product. Any mounting of the product should follow the manufacturers instructions, and should use a mounting accessory recommended by the manufacturer. 9) A product and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the product and cart combination to overturn. "Note to CATV system installer: This reminder is provided to call the CATV system installers attention to Section 820-40 of the NEC which provides guidelines for proper grounding and, in particular, specifies that the cable ground shall be connected to the grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable entry as practical.
Example of Antenna Grounding as per National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70

ANTENNA LEAD IN WIRE GROUND CLAMP
ANTENNA DISCHARGE UNIT (NEC SECTION 810-20) ELECTRIC SERVICE EQUIPMENT

GROUNDING CONDUCTORS

(NEC SECTION 810-21) GROUND CLAMPS POWER SERVICE GROUNDING ELECTRODE SYSTEM (NEC ART 250. PART H) NEC - NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE
10) Ventilation Slots and openings in the cabinet are provided for ventilation and to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, and these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should not be placed in a built-in installation such as a bookcase or rack unless proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturers instructions have been adhered to. 11) Power Sources This product should be operated only from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power supply to your home, consult your product dealer or local power company. For products intended to operate from battery power, or other sources, refer to the operating instructions. 12) Grounding or Polarization This product may be equipped with a polarized alternating-current line plug (a plug having one blade wider than the other). This plug will fit into the power outlet only one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully into the outlet, try reversing the plug. If the plug should still fail to fit, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug. 13) Power-Cord Protection Power-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the product. 14) Outdoor Antenna Grounding If an outside antenna or cable system is connected to the product, be sure the antenna or cable system is grounded so as to provide some protection against voltage surges and built-up static charges. Article 810 of the National Electrical Code, ANSI/NFPA 70, provides information with regard to proper grounding of the mast and supporting structure, grounding of the lead-in wire to an antenna discharge unit, size of grounding conductors, location of antenna-discharge unit, connection to grounding electrodes, and requirements for the grounding electrode.
15) Lightning For added protection for this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and disconnect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning and power-line surges. 16) Power Lines An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of overhead power lines or other electric light or power circuits, or where it can fall into such power lines or circuits. When installing an outside antenna system, extreme care should be taken to keep from touching such power lines or circuits as contact with them might be fatal. 17) Overloading Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords, or integral convenience receptacles as this can result in risk of fire or electric shock. 18) Object and Liquid Entry Never push objects of any kind into this product through openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short-out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product. 19) Servicing Do not attempt to service this product yourself as opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. 20) Damage Requiring Service Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: a) when the power-supply cord or plug is damaged. b) if liquid has been spilled, or objects have fallen into the product. c) if the product has been exposed to rain or water. d) if the product does not operate normally by following the operating instructions. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions as an improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to its normal operation. e) if the product has been dropped or damaged in any way. f ) when the product exhibits a distinct change in performance this indicates a need for service. 21) Replacement Parts When replacement parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock, or other hazards. 22) Safety Check Upon completion of any service or repairs to this product, ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition. 23) Wall or Ceiling Mounting The product should be mounted to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manufacturer. 24) Heat The product should be situated away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other products (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

VGA Monitor Placement

While you do not have to use a VGA display with the SX-1 (it is possible to perform most operations on the SX-1 via its onboard LCD screen), the full power of the unit is only truly realized by adding an external display. We recommend a 15-inch or larger screen (the VGA output resolution of the SX-1 is preset to 1024 by 768 pixels). As well, though there appears to be space on top of the SX-1 for setting a VGA display, we do not recommend this. Placing a VGA display (especially a large screen unit) on the top panel can cause ventilation and magnetic problems and may damage the SX-1's finish. However, a lightweight, flat-screen display can sit comfortably atop the SX-1.

Mouse and Keyboard

There are dedicated knobs and keys surrounding the LCD screen for navigating windows and pages (LCD Screen Navigation on page 10). These controls make it possible to get around the LCD screen without a mouse and PS/2 keyboard. However, the provided mouse and keyboard are required for navigating an external VGA display (the mouse and keyboard ports are found on the unit's rearImportant Rear Connections on page 17. When using an external display, make sure to have enough space near by your SX-1 to set the keyboard and mouse.

Plugging Into Power

The process of recording, storing, and reading back digital audio data from a hard drive is a complex task that is very sensitive to changes in your AC lines current. These line irregularities can interrupt data transmission and cause file write errors - which can lead to audio signal degradation and dropouts. To avoid such pitfalls, we suggest keeping your SX-1 plugged into a power regulator. Power regulators work to keep the incoming AC power at a constant 120 VAC (or whatever you use for your local voltage), and this will help keep your machine healthy and running smoothly. You may also consider the use of a surge protector and/or a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). Make sure that all such items have power and voltage ratings compatible with the SX-1. autosaves regularly, a loss of power while saving could possibly result in data loss. However, with your SX-1 plugged into a UPS, you can avoid this hazard. A good UPS will provide enough power to run your SX-1 for several minutes, without power from a utility company. This extra power gives you time to complete your current action and perform a proper shutdown, ensuring that data is not lost.

Safe startup On rare occasions, the SX-1 may not be able to load the last project you worked on when it starts up (disk problems, etc.). If this happens to you:
1 Turn on the SX-1 as usual, but before the screen shows the ghost TASCAM and SX-1 logos, press and hold the PANIC key for a few seconds. The SX-1 now boots, but does not automatically load the last project.
Don't Interrupt! Consider buying an Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) for your SX-1. This is not a prerequisite, but it can be a real life saveror should we say, data saver. Even though your SX-1
3 You can now restore the offending project from a backup, or take whatever steps are necessary to restore the integrity of your data. to your audio signal and can lead to serious equipment damage (especially in the event of an electrical storm). If your residence does not have grounded outlets, contact a professional electrician about installing an earthed ground.
Shutting down your SX-1 Proper shutdown
and regular backup of your SX-1 is extremely important. Failure to shutdown your SX-1 correctly before powering off can increase the possibility of corrupted data in your saved files. Without regular backup, the possibility that an unforeseen problem could wipe out some, or all, of your data increases drastically. When it comes to your hard work, don't take any chances; always perform a proper shutdown and backup of your projects after each session. See Shutdown Procedure on page 24.
Avoiding Ground Loops A ground loop occurs when a piece of equipment sees more than one path to ground. Ground loops cause hums, buzzes, and sometimes even radio signals in your audio.
Needless to say, hearing the local weather station in the background of your recordings is not desirable. Ground loops can often be avoided by running all of your equipment from a single wall outlet. Plug your power regulator into one outlet and then plug all of your equipment into that one power regulator. Most power regulators have several outlets, and these outlets can be multiplied using standard power strips to create plenty of free sockets. Setting your equipment up in this fashion will direct every ground circuit to one ground terminal and prevent a ground loop.
Being Grounded Never plug your SX-1 into an
ungrounded outlet. Nor should you plug a power regulator or a UPS into an ungrounded outlet. Neither the power regulator nor a UPS can automatically turn an ungrounded outlet into a grounded one. Ungrounded power can introduce hums and buzzes

C DIGITAL I/O (SPDIF) 1 and 2 These jacks
send and receive digital audio in S/PDIF format. They can be directly monitored in the monitoring sections by selecting either D-IN 1 or D-IN 2.
5 VIDEO IN/THRU & Sony 9-pin These
jacks are involved with synchronization. Connect a Video sync signal (also called house sync or blackburst) to the VIDEO IN. VIDEO THRU will pass that same signal directly out, unaffected by any of the SX-1s electronics.
D Expansion slots The SX-1 can have its
available I/O expanded by the addition of 8-channel expansion cards in these slots. These cards are the same as those used in the TASCAM DM-24 console.

Loading the Demo Song

The SX-1 ships with two demonstration songs: an audio and a MIDI demonstration. If your monitors are connected properly, you can load the song as described here, press PLAY and you hear the song. Note that when you load either of the demo songs, the actual demo song does not load. What happens is that the SX-1 automatically makes a copy of the song and loads that copy instead (meaning that there is always a clean demonstration song available). If you want to keep the copy after you have worked on it, unless you save it with another name (which does not include Demo as part of the name!), it will be overwritten next time you load the demo song.
For the following examples, if you are using an external VGA, make sure the MAIN DISPLAY key above the LCD ACCESS section is set to <EXTERNAL> (this LED is lit).
Loading the Audio Demo Song
1 From the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section on the SX-1's front panel, press PROJECT. The Project page will appear. 2 In the MANAGE project tab, on the currently displayed screen, select the project titled SX-1 Audio Demo.
18 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
3 Press the LOAD button in that same window and the SX-1 will load the currently selected project, and then display the song's Track window.
Press PLAY to hear the song.
If you don't hear anything, make sure that the source feeding your monitors is the stereo output. Look at the CONTROL ROOM section and verify that the source selected is stereo, as indicated by the illuminated <STEREO> LED.

Connecting MIDI

The back of the SX-1 has six MIDI connections:two MIDI INs and four MIDI OUTs. The jack labeled MIDI IN accepts MIDI controller data, while the MTC IN jack accepts incoming MTC (MIDI Time Code) for synchronization. The four MIDI outputs can be configured independently and can send both performance and synchronization data. Connect your controllers MIDI output to the SX-1s jack labeled MIDI IN, and connect the SX-1s MIDI OUTs to the inputs of your MIDI sound modules, MIDI-controlled effects, or devices requiring MTC for sync.

In the above example, the MIDI OUT of the controller goes to the SX-1s MIDI IN. The SX-1s MIDI OUTs go to the MIDI INs of your sound modules, MIDI-controlled effects and devices that chase MTC.
You can connect multiple devices to the same jack on the SX-1 by using the MIDI THRU ports on your external MIDI devices.
20 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
Loading the MIDI Song Demo
In the same way that the SX-1 makes a copy of the audio demonstration piece, the MIDI demonstration is also copied automatically and the copy is then loaded (preserving the demonstration song). If you change the demonstration, and want to keep it, you must save the project under a different name otherwise it will be overwritten next time you load the demonstration piece. 1 From the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section on the SX-1's front panel, press PROJECT. The Project page will appear (Loading the Audio Demo Song on page 18). In the Manage Projects tab, on the currently displayed screen, select the project titled, SX-1 MIDI Demo. 3 Press the LOAD button in that same window and the SX-1 will load the currently selected project, and then display the song's Track window. If your MIDI sound modules are already set to receive General MIDI performance data, then just press PLAY to hear the MIDI song. If not, read the directions below on how to change a MIDI track's channel to match your sound module's MIDI channel.
To hear sound from your MIDI modules, dont forget to connect their audio outputs to the line inputs of the SX-1 (Basic Wiring Diagram on page 16).
MIDI Instrument Track Assignment
The MIDI channel assignments for the individual tracks of the SX-1 MIDI Demo song follow General MIDI (GM) guidelines (for example, the piano is on MIDI channel 1, the drums are on channel 10 and the rest of the instruments are on the other 14 channels). However, if your sound module does not have a GM preset, then you may need to change a track's MIDI channel assignment to match specific patches on your sound module. To change a track's MIDI channel, follow the steps below.
To learn how to change the sounds your module assigns to incoming MIDI channels, you should consult the module's owner's manual.

1 From the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section on the SX-1's front panel, press TRACK. The Track screen will appear.
2 Find the MIDI track whose output channel you want to change.
Go to the MIDI Port select screen (the text in this window should read something like, A: MOut M1). Choose the Port (SX-1 MIDI output Port A, B, C, or D) where your sound module is connected. Next, go to the MIDI channel select menu and choose the channel that corresponds to the MIDI channel your sound module is set
to receive. In the VGA window, this is done through a second pull-down menu which extends from the Port's pull down menu.
And in the LCD window, this is done through a separate menu at the bottom of the screen (see the LCD display illustration above). 5 If you have followed these steps correctly, your sound module should be receiving the track's newly assigned MIDI channel.
22 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide

Back Up and Shutdown

Proper shutdown and regular backup of your SX-1 is extremely important. Failure to shut down your SX-1 correctly before powering off can increase the possibility of corrupted data in your saved files. Without regular backup, the possibility that an unforeseen problem could wipe out some, or all, of your data increases drastically. When it comes to your hard work, don't take any chances; always perform a proper shut down and backup of your projects after each session.

Backing Up

There are many different ways of backing up, using different types of media (for more on this subject, see the Owner's Manual ). However, one of the simplest and most convenient ways to back up is to use the SX-1's onboard CD-R burner. Follow the steps below to find out just how easy it is.

HOT TIP!

We recommend using TEAC brand CD recordable media for all your CD-R needs.

From the VGA screen

1 From the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section on the SX-1's front panel, press PROJECT, and then select the Backup Projects tab. The following page will appear.

Press the icon to the right of the Backup Volume display to eject the CD-RW drive drawer. Insert a blank CD-R or CD-RW and press the drawers close button. From the list on the left side of the screen, select a project. The name of the project should appear in the Name text box between the two lists.
Press the BACKUP-> button. The SX-1 will begin preparing the data for backup, and then burn the disc when it is ready. Wait until the SX-1 has finished burning the disc, at which time it will be ejected. That's it! You have successfully created a backup of your current project.
TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide 23
Check the Verify checkbox to ensure that the data backed up is the same as is stored on the SX-1s hard disk. Since the verify operation performs a bit-by-bit
comparison after the backup has been made, any backup with the verify checkbox set will take twice as long as a backup without the verify operation.

From the LCD screen

1 Press the SHIFT key on the numeric keypad, and then press the PROJECT/BACKUP key in the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section. The following screen appears: 2 Select a project from the list at the bottom left of the screen using the soft knob labeled SELECT PROJECT. Use the EJECT MEDIA soft key to open the CDRW drive drawer, and insert media into the drive. Close the drive. Press the BACKUP soft key. The SX-1 will prepare all the data to be backed up, and burn the CD, after which the disc will be ejected. Youre finished. You have successfully backed up a project.

Shutdown Procedure

Proper shutdown of the SX-1 means more than just switching off the unit's power. Follow the steps below to perform the shutdown procedure that will insure your projects are correctly saved. 1 Press and hold the SHUTDOWN key (located on the SX-1's front panel, just above the LCD Access section) for 3 seconds. The SX-1 will begin its shutdown procedure. Both displays (LCD and VGA) will show text about the shutdown in progress. 3 When it is safe to turn off the SX-1, the message, It is now safe to turn the SX-1 off will appear on both the LCD and VGA screens. Do not turn the unit off until it tells you that it is safe to do so.
The shutdown procedure can also be accessed via the VGA display. The Shut Down command is found under the SX-1 main menu bar.
24 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
The SX-1's surface is conveniently organized into several different sections. Each section has a number of controls dedicated to a specific set of related tasks. The following pages contain descriptions of these sections in order to help you navigate the SX-1's many powerful features. After reading these descriptions, you should have a good idea of where to look for a particular function. For easy reference, here is a diagram of the SX-1's control sections:

B A C D

The face of the SX-1 is separated into a number of different control sections. Most sections have a clear label printed directly on the SX-1 itself, while those that do not are assigned an appropriate title. Audio Monitoring

Here you will find the 16 channel strips and all their associated controls (faders, pan pots, mute/solo switches, record enable keys, etc.) and the master fader. The Mixer Channels section is covered in detail in the Owner's Manual.
7 MIXER CHANNELS This section is not actually labeled Mixer Channels on the SX-1. However, that title best describes this area of the SX-1's face.
8 AUTOMATION This section contains the keys for utilizing automation. Here you can enable a variety of automation modes (such as write, touch and trim). For definitions of the automation modes, see the Owner's Manual.
Settings Management 9 LIBRARY When you create a new setting (an
effect or EQ, for example), it is possible to save this setting as a patch for recall at a later time. The keys for saving the settings for a variety of different func-
tions (including all the control elements of the channel strips) reside in the LIBRARY section. For more information about the power of the Library feature, see the Owner's Manual.
26 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
MIDI A MIDI REC MODE This section accesses the
SX-1's Step mode and MIDI Merge function. Just beneath the MIDI REC MODE section is a PANIC button for resetting stuck MIDI devices. See the Owner's Manual for more information about MIDI Recording.
The PANIC key is a latching-type key. Press once to enable panic mode (the indicator pulses) and again to disable panic mode.
Editing B EDITING For all your audio waveform and
MIDI note editing needs, there is the EDITING section. Here you will find basic cut, copy, and paste commands, as well as many other advanced editing
commands (such as, ripple, crop, and split). To learn more about the SX-1's extensive audio waveform and MIDI editing capabilities, see the Owner's Manual.
Transport and Data Entry C TRANSPORT Though this area is not actually
labeled Transport on the SX-1, that title best describes this section of the SX-1's face. Here you will find a set of standard transport keys (play, stop, record, fast forward, rewind, end jump, and beginning jump). Just above the transport keys are controls for capturing and recalling locate points. The SX-1 has many advanced transport functions (including looping, user definable post/pre roll times, and auto punch). As well, the Jog/Shuttle wheel is handy for jogging, scrubbing, and shuttling. To learn
more about these advanced features, see the Owner's Manual.
D DATA ENTRY The numeric keypad is labeled
DATA ENTRY. Keys on the numeric keypad are used
for entering numbers (and letters) directly into onscreen fields, enabling shifted functions and special key commands (see Multi-Function Keys on page 9), up/down and left/right cursor navigation, and entering MIDI step record note values (see the Owner's Manual for more on the DATA ENTRY section).

Getting Around

Many of today's most popular audio production workstations share similar command sequences. For example, the keystrokes to record a track or copy an audio waveform can be very similar on many computer-based recording systems. The SX-1 follows these same command sequence traditions. If you are familiar with how to operate digital audio sequencers and multi-track recorders, getting around on the SX-1 should feel familiar.
If you are unfamiliar with operating this type of recording gear, read the examples on the following pages to learn some of the basic recording moves for the SX-1.
Because we must choose a common starting point from which to explain a procedure, all the following examples assume that the SX-1's factory default settings have not been touched. If you have not changed any of the SX-1's default settings, you should be able to follow right along with all the examples, step by step.
When using the PS/2 keyboard, the Alt key is used together with other number or letter keys as a shortcut key (as opposed to other systems, which may use the Control or Command keys for this purpose).
A Quick Explanation of a Few Important Terms
The SX-1 uses a number of terms that apply to different groups of data, making it extremely important that you have a working knowledge of these in order to manage your work effectively. Once you get the terminology down, the rest should be much easier to understand. location within the same project, you will have to do that operation manually. The thing to remember about Takes is that they are basically self-contained EDLs (Edit Decision Lists or lists of which parts of the events play back at which time), and not the raw data itself. Another way to visualize the paradigm would be to think of a Take as an ice-cube tray in your freezer, and the raw audio files (or Clips) as the ice-cubes themselves.
Slot A Slot is a container that Takes can be loaded
into (or created on). When a project is first created, the Track screen on either the VGA or LCD will show empty Slots, meaning that no audio or MIDI Takes have yet been created. Slots can be created from scratch, removed, and deleted, and the order may be changed by moving the selected Slot up or down in the list. The important thing to remember is that Slots can be moved or modified with or without loaded Takes, and that anything done to a Slot is done to a Take loaded upon it (meaning that if you delete a Slot, its Take is automatically unloaded).
Clip A Clip is a raw audio file, created by recording on the hard disk, using the Render command, or importing from an external volume. A Clip is named by the Take it is recorded on, or by using the Render command.

The first field displays the input to the Take we are recording on, and the second displays
30 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
You are doing this so that you can monitor the signal off the HDRs output. Leaving Channel 1 feeding the L/R bus, at the same time that it is feeding the input to a Take that is record-enabled, will result in phasing of the signal. Phasing is a time-delay related anomaly that results when a signal from a source arrives at the listening position from two different distances (causing some frequencies to cancel each other out). It is a nasty, unpleasant-sounding thing in most cases
Record-enable your Take; either by pressing the button to the left of the icon, or by pressing the REC arm key for channel 17 on the surface.
10 Bring up fader 17 (which is HDR 1 return) to unity (0). 11 Adjust the level using the analog input GAIN knob on the top panel of the SX-1. 12 Press PLAY and RECORD, and make some recordable sounds with your sound source. 13 After a few seconds, press STOP and you should see the waveform appear on Audio Test.
Navigate back to the Track screen.
1 On the TRACKS page, press the Take/Slot soft key, and select New Audio Take from the menu that appears. Bring up fader 1 (analog input 1) to unity (0). Press the BUSS ASSIGN button (bottom right) and then the ST button from the menu that appears. This removes Channel 1s output from the L/R bus.
You are doing this so that you can monitor the signal off the HDRs output. Leaving Channel 1 feeding the L/R bus, at the same time that it is feeding the input to a Take that is record-enabled, will result in phasing of the signala messy, undesirable business.
Press the EDIT NAME key (bottom right), and using the same principles you learned in naming a project, name this Take Audio Test. If you want to change (or simply verify) the input or the output of the Take, you can use the Select Source and Select Dest soft knobs to see what is currently selected for each, and to change the setting if you wish. Press the 116 key on the FADER BANKS section of the slanted front panel, and then press and hold the SELECT key for channel 1 on the surface. The LCD view should then automatically change to the CHANNEL page (you have just selected channel 1 for viewing).
Press the TRACK screen key again, and record arm your audio Take; either by selecting the Take on the Track screen (highlighting it) and then pressing the RECORD button (top right of the screen), or by selecting the 1732 fader bank and pressing the REC arm key for channel 17 on the surface. Bring up fader 17 (which is HDR 1 return) to unity (0). Adjust the level using the analog input GAIN knob on the top panel of the SX-1.

Make 5 different mixes for different players quickly
Use the previous example as Step One. On the Routing screen, route the outputs of Aux sends 5 and 6 to the Stereo Out jacks on the top panel. Use Aux sends 1-6 (in pairs) to make three mixes for your players. Connect the AUX SEND 1-4 and STEREO OUT jacks to an external headphone amplifier. This means that you now have 5 mixes running at the same time: The Stereo Mix (you are listening to in the Control Room), the Cue Mix (one set of headphones), Aux 1-2, Aux 3-4, and Aux 5-6. This scenario should cover most live tracking situations for medium-sized ensembles.
This means that you now have all of the Auxs being sent externally: Aux Sends 1-4 are being sent out their default jacks on the top panel, while Aux Sends 5 and 6 are being sent from the Stereo outs (XLR).
Quickly move all of your faders (on the current layer) back to unity.
Holding down the CANCEL key in the numeric keypad, touch a fader. You will notice that it moves back to unity. You can hold down CANCEL and run your hand along all the faders to quickly bring them up to unity.
Quickly make a Fader Group
Holding the SHIFT key on the numeric keypad, press any three channel SEL keys on the surface. You have just made a fader group. The channel whose SEL key you touched first has become the group master, while the next two channels became the slaves. To dissolve the group, simply repeat the above steps.
Quickly Solo-Safe a channel (or channels)
The ability to solo-safe a channel or bus is extremely handy when mixing. Essentially, this enables you to remove a channel from the operation of the solo bus (it does not exempt the channel from mutes, however). This means a channel that is in solo-safe will always be heard unless it is muted. To solo-safe a channel, first press the SOLO key on the master channel on the surface (which puts the surface into solo ready mode). With the master solo light lit, hold down SHIFT and press a channels SOLO key. That channel is now in solo-safe.
TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide 35
This can easily be verified by looking at the VGAs Mixer screenthe solo buttons of channels in solo safe are no longer green in color, as the rest are.
Quickly link a pair of channels on the console
Simply press the SEL keys for both channels at the same time. Remember, these must be coincident channels (1 and 2, 3 and 4, etc). If you only want to link certain things, right-click on the LINK button on the Mixer or Channel screens, or go to the LCD Links page.

Any external recorder can be used in this manner, providing you have the correct complement of I/O for the recorder. In this case, you are using the SX-1 as a monitoring console, and only using the preamps to go straight to tape.
36 TASCAM SX-1 Quick Start Guide
Quickly select every MIDI note on a MIDI Take
To do this, just Alt-click on any note with the mouse. All of the notes in the entire Take will be selected.
Quickly name a number of similar types of things
The SX-1 was designed to adhere to a number of traditional computer-style commands. One such command is the use of the Tab key (on the PS/2 keyboard). You can use this key to jump quickly between text fields of a similar type, like the names of mixer channels or Takes. Try this: on the VGAs Mixer screen, click in the name field for the first channel on the left. Type in a name, and then press the Tab key. You will notice that the cursor jumps to the next channels name field, making it very easy to name all of the channels on a bank quickly.

TEAC CORPORATION

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Phone: 5-851-5500 Campesinos No. 184, Colonia Granjes Esmeralda, Delegaacion Iztapalapa CP 09810, Mexico DF 5 Marlin House, Croxley Business Park, Watford, Hertfordshire. WD1 8TE, U.K. Bahnstrasse 12, 65205 Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany 17 Rue Alexis-de-Tocqueville, CE Antony Cedex, France Oeverkruid 15, NL-4941 VV Raamsdonksveer, Netherlands Oeverkruid 15, NL-4941 VV Raamsdonksveer, Netherlands 280 William Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia Via C. Cant 11, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo, Milano, Italy

TEAC UK LIMITED

Phone: 01923-819699

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Phone: 0611-71580

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Phone: 01.42.37.01.02

TEAC BELGIUM NV/SA

Phone: 0031-162-510210

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Phone: 0162-510210
TEAC AUSTRALIA PTY.,LTD. A.B.N. 408 462
Phone: (03) 9672-2400 Facsimile: (03)9672-2249

Important notes, that are in addition to general instructions and definitions, are set apart from the manuals normal text titled TIP (see the example here). These important tips call your attention to special situations and offer helpful operating suggestions.
While reading the SX-1 Owners Manual, keep your eyes peeled for special operating tips and helpful suggestions like this.
Part IManuals & Conventions Chapter 2 Operating Conventions

Front Panel

Multi-Function Keys
Some keys have multiple functions. A keys primary function is accessed by simply pressing the key. Secondary functions are accessed by entering Shift mode. Press the SHIFT key on the Numeric Keypad, and then press the multi-function key to reach its secondary function. Think of the SHIFT key just like the shift key of a standard PS/2 keyboardit serves a similar purpose.

Data Entry

Only the Keypad is actually labeled DATA ENTRY. The Keypad is used for entering numbers and letters directly into a text field, and enabling the Shift function (as described above), up/down and left/right cursor navigation, and entering MIDI step record note values.

Keypad

The Keypad has four distinct uses, which change according to the LCDs current display screen and selected text or number field. These are: cursor control (navigation), numeric, note value, and alphabet character entry. Four ancillary keys support these uses: NUM LOCK, SHIFT, CANCEL, and ENTER. right arrows) let you move the cursor between text fields, scroll through menus, and select objects.
Note Value Entry In the MIDI Step Record
mode, in both the LCD and VGA Step Record screens, the keys with notation marks let you quickly assign note values to your stepped MIDI notes.
Numeric Entry When the cursor is in a value field (in the LCD screen only), the Keypad enters numbers. Navigation Function For the LCD screen, the Keypads navigation keys (the up/down and left/
Character Entry On the LCD screen, when the
cursor is in a text field, the Keypad enters letters (like a push-button telephone, where subsequent key presses cycle through the letters listed on the keys). After entering a letter, the cursor will, after a small delay, autoadvance to the next space.
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Ancillary Keys

NUM LOCK Use the NUM LOCK key to fix the Keypads operation to only enter numbers. SHIFT For front panel keys that have a Shift function, press the SHIFT key to enable this function. The Shift key is also a part of a number of special multiple-key commands (see PS/2 Keyboard & Mouse Shortcuts on page 195).

Compressor & Expander The following
parameters apply to both the Compressor and the Expander. The only difference is that compression limits levels above the threshold setting while expansion lowers levels below the threshold setting.
Gain dB Use this fader to adjust the selected channels gain (20 dB) post dynamics processing. Ratio This fader adjusts the compression ratio (from 1:1 to infinite). For example, with a setting of 4:1, for every 4 dB of input gain above the threshold, 1 dB of gain is output. Threshold dB Use this fader to set the threshold at which the dynamics processing is active. Attack ms This fader sets the attack time (0 to 125 ms) for the dynamics processor. Higher values produce slower attack times, thus allowing more of the transient through. Release ms This fader sets the release time (1 to 5000 ms) for the dynamics processor.
Hyst dB Short for Hysteresis, this parameter provides a way of fine-tuning the clamping action of the gate. The higher the value, the less gate chatter, which often happens with gates as the input signal remains very close to the gate threshold. COMP Use this key to select the type of dynamics processing you want on the selected channel: compressor, expander, or gate. The keys label changes according to the selection. Use your mouse to click on the key and bring up the dynamics menu. MAKEUP Use this key to compensate for level lost during compression. SELF This key selects a trigger source for the selected channels dynamics processor (the audio signal that dictates how the dynamics will behave). The selections are: Self, Side, or Both. Self This setting uses the selected channels audio to trigger the dynamics processor. It is the default setting. Side This setting uses an adjacent channels (the channel that would be part of a linked pairsee Links on page 69) audio to trigger the dynamics processor. This is commonly referred to as a sidechain. It is important to note that while the dynamics processors input is being controlled by the other channel in this case, the selected channels audio is the one affected by the processing. Both This setting uses the audio from both channels to trigger the dynamics processor. The effect is like having a linked pair strapped to one compressor setting, with the exception that the audio from the channel providing the Side input is not affected. LIBRARY Use this key to display the Dynamics Library. For example, If the LIBRARY window currently shows the EQ Library, pressing this key will override that display and recall the Dynamics Library instead.

If you navigate to the Insert Preset tab on the VGA ROUTING screen, youll see this:
The three fields for each insert show Insert Send, Insert Name, and Insert Receive. The Insert Send field determines where the Insert gets its input from, as the Insert Receive determines where it sends its output. These fields DO NOT determine which channel the insert is applied to (that happens on the Mixer or Channel pages), they only set the I/O for the Insert itself. Here are two examples that will help to explain the behavior of the Inserts:
Aux 1 jack) to the input of the compressor. Output from the compressor would be returned to Analog Input 1, and thus back to Mixer channel 1 via the Insert Receive.
Internal Effects Insert With the TASCAM
Delay plug-in loaded into Quadrant 1, choose Effects Input 1-1 as the Insert Send. Choose Effects Output 1-1 as the Insert Receive. The Insert Send field will now display TASCAM Delay Left, and the Insert Receive field will display TASCAM Delay Left as well. This means that if Insert 1 was inserted on Mixer channel 1, the following would happen: signal from Channel 1 would be sent out to the TASCAM Delay input. Signal would pass through the delay and be sent to the output of the Delay, and then it would be returned to Mixer Channel 1 via Insert 1s return.
External Effects Insert With an external compressor handy, plug a cable from the Aux 1 output on the top of the SX1 to the input of your compressor, and plug the output of the compressor to Input 1 on the SX1s top panel. In the Insert Send field, select Analog Aux Out 1, and in the Insert Receive field select Analog Input 1. If this Insert were inserted on Mixer Channel 1, the result would be the following: signal from channel 1 would be sent out the Insert (via the
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Actually routing the insert to a mixer channel
Once you have created an insert on the insert routing page, youll want to actually insert it on a mixer channel to hear it. While you can do this in a few different places on the VGA, the manner of selection is the same for all of them. Go back to the Mixer page (MIXER key in the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section of the surface, or press Alt+2 on the PS/2 keyboard), and look at the top of a channel strip for the Insert button:

Buss Assign Keys These are the buss assign keys
from the CONTROL module of the Channel screen. They
Buss Masters Master levels for the busses are
reached through the Fader Banks. To see the busses on the VGA, make sure the Mixer screen is selected (press MIXER in the MAIN DISPLAY MODE). From the FADER BANK section, press BANK MODE so that the <PRESET> LED is on. Then press BUSS/ AUX to reach this screen.
Keep in mind that its not necessary to have a Fader screen up just to move a buss level. If the buss fader bank has been recalled to the surface, you can just move the faders directly on the mixer while leaving a different screen on the display.

LCD Buss: Controls

From this screen you can assign the mixer channels and effects returns to any of the eight stereo busses, along with the Cue and L/R busses. To reach the BUSS ASSIGN screens on the LCD, press the BUSS ASSIGN key in the LCD ACCESS section.
64 TASCAM SX-1 Reference Manual
CH 1-16 and CH 17-32 The bussing pages are
set up in two groups of 16 channels each. These keys select the channels you want to view.
CUE This key assigns the selected mixer channel to the Cue output. ST This key assigns the selected mixer channel to the Master L/R output.
MACRO These macro commands
allow busses on all the channels to be turned on or off at the press of a single soft key.
1-8/ALL OFF Turns any of the eight stereo busses that are on, off (does not include the Cue buss). ST/ALL OFF Unassigns all of the mixer channels from going to the stereo Master L/R buss. ST/ALL ON Assigns all of the mixer channels to the Master L/R buss.
RET 1-8 This screen shows the return assignments, as well as the assignment of the busses to the stereo buss.
Buss Assign Press the Buss Assign soft key to open the buss select menu for the selected mixer channel. (Select the mixer channel by pressing SEL on the channel in question, or by using the Left/ Right arrow keys of the Keypad).
1-2 to 7-8 These keys assign the selected mixer channel to their respective busses.

Aux Sends & Returns

The mixer features six Aux Sends and eight Returns. The Aux Send controls are available from the surface, the VGA, and the LCD screens. Aux sends can be routed internally, or externally to the four Aux Send jacks on the top panel (and, for that matter, any other external jack using the SX-1s flexible routing). The Returns can accept input from nearly any source, internal or external. Routing for the Returns is configured in the Mixer Routing tab of the VGA Routing screen.

any controls currently Writing or Trimming to exit Write/Trim and transition back to the setting they held prior to the Write or Trim operation. The amount of time taken for this transition is determined by the setting of the Write Revert Time and Trim Revert Time parameters.
SHIFT+REVERT/ AUTO FADE automatically fades the Master Fader out over a specified time (this time is also set from the Global tab). Auto Fade operations must be performed in either Write or Trim mode. Auto Fade operations may be rehearsed using the Rehearse mode.
REHEARSE/ALL SAFE The REHEARSE/ ALL
SAFE key enables the write automation Rehearse
mode. Press SHIFT+REHEARSE/ ALL SAFE to prevent automation from being written at all. This All Safe mode places all controls on the mixer into Safe. The result is that no automation can be written and moving a control will not affect the audio going through that control.
WRITE/INIT EDIT Use the WRITE/ INIT EDIT key
to enable Global Write mode. The Write mode must be enabled (as indicated by the WRITE/ INIT EDIT keys associated LED) in order for touch automation to function. Press SHIFT+WRITE/ INIT EDIT to enter the Init Edit mode.

VGA Automation Screen

From the MAIN DISPLAY MODE section, press the AUTOMATION key to reach the Automation screens (if the MAIN DISPLAY is set to EXTERNALotherwise, use the Alt+5 combination on the PS/2 keyboard). These screens provide control of all the SX1s automation parameters.
Working with data in the AUTOMATION screen is very similar to working with audio or MIDI data in the TRACK screen. Most of the same editing and selection commands and tools apply to these regions as with audio and MIDI data.
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Automation Track Area

This area works in much the same way the Tracks channels work on the TRACK screen. Regions of automation data can be selected and edited just as they can in the MIDI Piano Roll and Audio Waveform tabs (for more on editing tools and commands, seeMIDI Editing on page 155).
plug-ins at the same time. All the automation tracks will update to show the selected control type.

Channel This field shows the name of the mixer
channel or effect plug-in displayed in the automation track window. You can click on the arrow to select a channel to view.
View by Channel Click on the arrow to select a
channel to view. This allows you to view all the controls for the selected mixer channel. All the automation tracks will update to show the selected channel.
Name This field shows the name of the control displayed in the automation track window. You can click on the arrow to select a control to view.
View by Control Click on the arrow to select a
control to view. This allows you to view the same control for several different mixer channels or effects
Status/Mode Click on the arrow to select the controls automation State. The available choices are Auto, Static, Trim, Write, Safe, and Off.

Auto Track

This tab works in much the same way the Waveform tab works in the TRACK screen. Here you can view a single controls automation data and select and edit that data just as if it were a MIDI controller or a waveform. From the MAIN DISPLAY MODE section, press AUTOMATION, then the Auto Track tab. Also see Chapter 19 for tool editing.
Control Click on the arrow to select a control to
view. This field shows the name of the control displayed in the tabs track window.
Edit Operations Click on the arrow to select the
type of edit operation you want to perform on the selected data. As with the MIDI Piano Roll and the Audio Waveform tabs, the choices in the Edit Operations menu vary, depending on the editing tool currently selected:
Channel Click on the arrow to select a channel to
view. This field shows the name of the mixer channel or effect plug-in displayed in the tabs track window.
Edit Operations (Region/Event select) When nothing is selected
Add Library Entry Recall This operation brings up the parameters you edit in order to recall a library entry as an automation event. You can define:
Apply To: Use this to choose whether to move only the beginning of an event or region, only the end, or both the beginning and the end. Move events: Choose to move the event or region earlier or later in time.

Automating Groups

There are several considerations and possibilities when using the SX-1 automation with grouped controls: Creating a group with controls that dont have dynamic automation. Creating a group with controls that have existing dynamic automation. Automating the Group Master. Automating group slaves. Removing slaves from an automated group. Automation data is only written by the Group Master. Any group slave that is removed from a group no longer follows any mix moves written by the Group Master. However, it continues to read its own mix moves. Any group slave may be individually automated just like any other control.
Grouping Automated Controls If a group is
created where any single control contains dynamic data, all like controls within that group will switch to dynamic, requiring further moves on those controls to be dynamically written (or modified using Init Edit) instead of being statically adjusted.
Grouping Non-Automated Controls Create
the group normally using the Groups module on the screen. The group master or slaves within the group may then be automated. A Group Master may be automated just like any other control.
When automating group slaves while the group master is moving, an incorrect revert destination on the slave control is possible. To avoid this, write dynamic moves on slaves between occurrences of dynamic moves on the slaves master.
Part V Effects Chapter 14 Working with Effects
The Philosophy how it works
The SX-1 has four slots in which to load effects, named quadrants. Each quadrant is capable of loading any of the effects that come with the SX-1. The list of included effects includes delays, choruses, compressors, distortion, microphone and speaker simulation and reverb. In most cases the SX-1 has the ability to run four discreet versions of any of these plugins, reverb being the most obvious exception (you can run two TC Reverbs at once, along with two other plugins of your choice). Each effect comes with presets that allow you to use them more easily, and these presets can be recalled at any time. Double-clicking on a preset in the list will load that effects parent into the current quadrant, which means that double-clicking on the Metallic Tone preset will automatically load the Flanger plugin. All of the parameters for the effects are available for automation, both in real time as well as being drawn onscreen.

VGA Effects Screens

From the MAIN DISPLAY MODES section, press EFFECTS. This takes you to the main VGA effects control screen. From here you can assign effects to one of the four effect busses, save and recall effects

settings with your last saved settings.
Input This controls the input level going to the

effect plugin.

BYPASS Press this key to bypass the effect. In the
case of an insert, the source signal will pass through the plugin without being effected (remaining completely dry).
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Examples

Since many of the SX-1s effects are recording studio standards (such as, chorus, distortion, delay, etc.), not all of the plugins are explained here. If you are unfamiliar with such standard types of effects, you should refer to an introductory handbook on engineering. What are explained on the following pages are the SX-1s plugins.

Antares Mic Modeler

Antares Audio Technologies has created precise digital models of a wide variety of microphones using their patented Spectral Shaping Tool technology. TASCAM has licensed their popular Mic Modeler plugin, which is based on this technology, for the SX-1. With this plugin assigned to one of the SX-1s four effect quadrants (and properly routed), you can simply tell Mic Modeler what microphone you are actually recording with and what microphone you would like it to sound like. You can easily turn an inexpensive dynamic mic into an expensive sounding condenser, or vice versa. Not only do the modeling choices reproduce all of the subtle sonic characteristics that make each microphone unique, but they also give you control of each mics specific options and recording characteristics: low cut filter, wind screen, and placement. Each option produces the same sonic effect that it would have with the actual modeled mic. And for that final touch of perfection, you can even add some tasty tube saturation.
Signal Flow Mic Modeler is divided into a number of discreet functional blocks as follows (in the order of signal flow):
Input For setting the input level of the audio to be

processed.

Source Mic For indicating the mic (and the state of its various parameters) that was actually used to record the audio. Modeled Mic For selecting the mic (and the state
of its various parameters) whose sound you would like to model.
Tube Saturation For adding a model of analog
tube saturation distortion.
Input Section The Input Gain slider is used to set
the level of the incoming audio. The exact amount of gain or attenuation is displayed numerically above the slider. In most instances, the input gain should be set at the highest level that does not cause the 0 dB LED of the graphic level meter to light.
With Mic Modeler, you can record each track through a model of the specific mic that will best produce the ideal sound youre looking for. You can also use it during mixdown to change the perceived mic sound on an already recorded track.

Step Record

Enter a note from your connected MIDI controller. If the Auto Advance box is checked, the sequencer will record your note and automatically advance to the next beat. If the Auto Advance box is not checked, press Step to move to the next beat. If you would like to insert a rest or just skip ahead a few beats, press the Whole Note Forward, Quarter Note Forward, or STEP keys the appropriate number of times. Repeat from Step 2 until your passage is complete. Press the DONE button in either the VGA or LCD screens. You will automatically be taken out of the Step Record mode.
From the Piano Roll tab on the VGA, or the MIDI TRACK screens Step Record operations screen on the LCD (or the duration keys on the keypad), choose a Step Length for your first stepped note. At this point, also enter any other attributes you would like your first note to have (such as velocity or offset).
To add stepped notes to a track that already has data, use the Merge function. Before beginning the Step Record operation, simply press MERGE from the MIDI REC MODE section. This puts the sequencer into Record Merge instead of Record Overwrite Mode. Then perform Step Record as usual, and your newly stepped notes will be added.to the tracks existing MIDI data.

TIME/TEMPO Management

The SX-1 sequencer has screens for setting your projects meter, tempo, and click track. These settings are saved with your project.

VGA Control

Most of your projects click track settings are made in the Time/Tempo tab (described here). In order to record the initial tracks for a project, you often need some sort of click track to follow along with the projects selected tempo. The SX-1 can generate its own MIDI click track for just this purpose. The MIDI click tracks operation is determined by the settings in the Time/Tempo tab. This tab is part of the VGA Track screen.
Metronome Enable Check this box to enable

the metronome/click.

Octave Choose an octave for the non-accented

clicks note.

Accent Choose the output port and channel that the
accented click (a bars first downbeat) is sent to.
Note Select the MIDI note for the accented click. Octave Choose an octave for the accented clicks note.
Velocity Choose a velocity value for the nonaccented clicks note. Length Select a duration (given in note values) for
the non-accented clicks note.
Accent First Note When enabled, the metronome
will play a bars first note (or click) with the Accent metronome settings. All of the bars following metronome notes are played with the Non Accent settings. When disabled, the Accent settings do not apply and only the Non-Accent settings are used for the metronome notes.

Add Lyric Allows you to add lyrics to the projects

Conductor Track.

Time This field allows the start time of the lyric to be entered. Lyric Add your lyrics in this field. After adding lyrics and pressing the DONE key, the lyrics will appear in the Event List after their respective time stamps.
Add Time Signature This operation lets you change the time signature at different points within your project, by inserting a new time signature on the Conductor Track.
Time Use this field to set the point where the meter change will occur. Numerator This field sets the number of beats in the bar. Denominator This field designates what type of note receives a full beat. Click Interval This field sets the metronomes Click
value (1/8 (quaver), 1/4 (crochet), or dotted 1/4 note (dotted crochet)) for the selection.
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LCD Event List

This LCD screen reflects the Event List parameters found on the Event List tab of the VGA Track screen. Most of the parameters found on this screen are identical to the parameters found in the VGA Piano Roll tab and are explained on the previous pages. Only those parameters that are unique to this LCD screen are explained here.
JUMP Use this menu to quickly navigate through the Event List window directly from the LCD screen.
FIRST EVENT Takes you to the very first event of the selected track. LAST EVENT Takes you to the very last event of the selected track. PLAY HEAD Takes you to the event at the playheads current position. FIRST SEL This button moves the Event List view to the first selected event. This is helpful when a number of events are selected, and they are not all visible at once onscreen. LAST SEL This button moves the Event List view to the last selected event in the list. PREV SEL This button moves the Event List view to the previously selected event. This is helpful when using HyperSelect to select events that might not be adjacent to one another (for example, the previous event selected might be two minutes earlier). NEXT SEL This button moves the Event List view to the next selected event in the list.
To reach this screen, from the LCD ACCESS section, press EVENT LIST. The fields in the main window are as follows: note start time, MIDI note, note on velocity, note off velocity, and note duration. The area below the main window changes according to the edit operation selected.
OPTION Press this key to open the
Option dialog. These controls define how the Event List operates.
SMPTE FORM Determines how time will be displayed in the Event List window: SMPTE, hours:minutes:seconds, bars:beats:ticks, feet:frames, or samples. MULTI SEL or SINGL SEL Allows you to choose between selecting multiple events or single events only. With Multiple events, once an event is selected, it remains highlighted until you deselect it. For Single Events, only one event at a time can be selected. AUTO SCRL Determines whether the Event List will follow the playhead or not.

If you never connect a SCSI drive to the SX-1 and then take that data to a desktop computer, this information is largely irrelevant (because all of these operations are transparent when working on the unit itself). However, it is always a good idea to know how something in your system works (and what to expect), should you attempt to do something you have never done before.
It is worth mentioning that the SX-1 and the units it derives from (the MX-2424 and the MM series of TASCAM recorders) are some of the only machines available with the ability to mount common drive formats. These units are some of the only machines available that write time-stamped SDII and Broadcast Wave audio files natively, meaning that there is no need for conversion when taking your data to another system. This flexibility is one of the core design concepts behind the SX-1.
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What is happening when the SX-1 is recording
The SX-1 has a very fast hard disk engine, which is nearly as capable of punching in and out of record as fast and as many times in thirty seconds as you are. This performance is a result of the manner in which the SX-1s hard disk recorder deals with audio data. Recording passes are written to disk in real time, after passing through RAM buffers. The speed of the disk engine itself is achieved by a combination of buffer maintenance and hardware throughput. When you are finished recording a pass, the audio just recorded is placed for playback upon the Take in the position it was recorded. If data already existed on the Take in that position (which was seemingly overwritten), pressing Undo will restore that data. If at least a slice of the previous audio still exists on a Take, you can right-click on a waveform and uncover the rest of the file if you wish. Basically, a Take is a list of which audio files were played and when, which is also a simplified description of an EDL or Edit Decision List. The SX-1 (and MX-series machines) uses the last audio placed on the Take as current, which means that if you were to close the project or shut the machine down, when you reloaded the project the audio last loaded on the Take would be what you would see. Once you shut down the SX-1 or close a session, you lose the ability to Undo back to a previous state.
Remember however, you can always import the Clips back into a Take from the Clip Browser.
The main concept to understand is, if you wish to keep all of your record passes as separate Takes (as opposed to Clips you can always import back into the project), youll need to create a new Take before each record pass. After you are finished recording, you can always load the different Takes and comp them together using Mixdown Mode.
The way the SX-1 handles data
The disk engine (the disk engine inside the SX-1, and the MX and MM series machines) handles data a bit differently from the way that desktop computers do, in order to take full advantage of the speed of the system. As a result, there are a few conventions of desktop systems that do not apply to the SX-1. When you make a Copy of a project, the destination volume determines the behavior of the copy somewhat. If you Copy a project from the internal drive to itself: All of the Track, Project and Data files are copied to their new location. The Audio Files are not copied. The reason for this is that the Timeline engine can freely exchange audio files between projects, and it can only likes to deal with one copy of the same audio file at a time. If you Copy a project from the internal drive to an external volume, either FAT32 or HFS: All of the Track, Project, and Data files are copied to their new location. If the destination volume is FAT 32, the audio files are copied to their new location with no change. If the destination volume is HFS or HFS+, the audio files are copied to their new location, and are converted to SDII in the process. The reason for this behavior stems from the fact the SX-1 (and MX-2424) always writes SDII files to Mac volumes. FAT 32 and BFS volumes must always use Broadcast Wave files. When a Copy is done from one volume type to another, the audio files are automatically converted along the way.

SELECT YEAR and SELECT SECOND Turn
this soft knob to adjust the year or second, depending on the field that is selected.

About your SX-1

There are no editable parameters on this screenit simply provides information about some of the SX-1 hardware components.
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The SX-1 Menu

Many preferences can also be reached from the SX-1 menu that is found on the VGAs Main Menu Bar.
Toggle User Names Use this command to toggle
between the default/factory name for a routing location and the user name.
Toggle Cue Use this command (shown as Cue

Enabled or Cue Disabled)

as a shortcut for pressing the CUE key on the Virtual Channel Strip. It simply toggles the Cue bank on and off.
Clear Peaks Clears the current meter peak hold. Show Error Log The SX-1 keeps a log of all
events it classifies as errors (for example, losing clock sync). This command shows the error log readout. This error log is also available by pressing the surface EDIT key, and then pressing the Error Log soft key.
About the SX-1 Provides information about
the SX-1s current operating system version and its hardware and software developers.
Shut Down This command duplicates the
SHUTDOWN keys function. The only difference is that you dont have to hold the physical key down for 3 seconds, as shutdown begins immediately upon releasing the mouse.

System Settings

System Settings are global operating parameters, such as sample rate, bit depth, and digital clock settings.

System Settings Screens

There are System Settings controls available from both VGA and LCD screens.
VGA Global Tab System Settings
Here, you can set several system parameters that affect the global operation of the SX-1. Press TRACK in the MAIN DISPLAY MODE section, and then click on the Global tab to reach this window.
Surround Mode Select the type of output configuration for the mixing console: Stereo, Quad, LCRS, and 5.1 Surround. Surround is discussed in Surround on page 41.
HDR Depth The SX-1 has the ability to play back multiple bit depths in the same project. This parameter determines at what depth audio will be recorded. The choices are 16 or 24-bit.

active sensing (MIDI) 139 after-fader solo 23 ALL SAFE (automation) 25, 87 ALL SAFE (record) 45 Alt key 15 analog input routing 63 Antares microphone modeler 113116 Antares speaker modeler 117 assignment to busses 52 audio clips rendering 123 audio editing 127 audio performance 205 audio regions 122 editing 122 tool selection 122 viewing waveforms 122, 124 audio specifications 203 audition function 132 auto fade (automation) 87, 93 auto punch 37, 39 auto revert (automation) 9699, 101, 103104 auto state (automation) 80 automatic play mode 31 automation all safe 87 and groups 105 auto fade 87, 93 auto revert 9699, 101, 103104 auto state 80 control sense timeout 100, 102 display 8890 display filters 92 edit operations 9091 event editor 91 events 91 front panel controls 86 global settings 93 global write 81 history 91 init edit 82, 87 initial event ramp time 82 initial status 82 keep mix 84 library recall in 104105 mix management 84 modes and states 80 off setting 81 rehearse 83 rendering library recalls 92 revert 87 revert time 95, 100, 103 safe mode 81 static state 80 status 46 status indicators 25
backing up 179180 backup 173 backup files 178 BANK MODE key 73 bbt (bars, beats, ticks) 39 bit depth 185 blackburst 193 block diagram 199200 boom (surround) 42 buss assignments 47, 52, 57, 63, 65 assignments (surround) 42 faders 73 masters 64 overview 7778 routing 29 bussing 57 bypass 58
CANCEL Key 197 CANCEL key 13 CAPTURE key 38 capturing locate points 38 cascade connector 194 CD burning 173174 CD-RW operations 174 channels aux sends 48 channel strips 45 copying settings (trim & delay) 52 delay 52 dynamics processors 49 EQ 49 grouping 48, 71 insert 48, 52 linking 48, 51, 69 overview 77, 79 phase polarity 52 REC key 45 selection 45 trim 52

TASCAM SX-1 Index

Index D - F
character entry 12 chase mode 33 clean up of hard disks 178 clear(audio editing) 129 clips audio editing 125 clock (MIDI) 138 comping tracks 170 compressor 49, 51 settings 50 conductor track 18 control room 21 control sense oime out (automation) 100 control sense timeout (automation) 102 copy (audio editing) 128 copying projects 167 creating locate points 38 crescendo (MIDI) 164 crossfading 186 cue mix 21 cueing 46, 48 linking 70 cueing mode (jump) 31 cut (audio editing) 128 audio 127 audio clear 129 audio copy 128 audio cut 128 audio paste 129 audio redo 130 audio ripple 130 audio split 129 audio Takes 124 audio trim 129 audio undo 130 clips 125 DC offset 123 fades 123 HyperSelect 123, 130, 160 in and out points 18 locate points 38 MIDI 140145, 156164 MIDI merge 130 MIDI pencil 156 MIDI tools 155 normalize 123 open area 131 rendering audio clips 123 reverse 123 editing effects 112 editing tools 122 editing tools (automation) 90 effects 106 controls 108109 de-essor 117 dither 118 exciter 118 inserts 60 libraries 109 microphone modeler 113116 parameters 112 plugins 108, 112 quadrants 107 routing 58, 107, 111 slots 107 speaker modeler 117 TC reverb 119121 ENTER key 13 EQ 49 linking 70 Escape key (PS/2) 18 event editor (automation) 91 event list (MIDI) 165 events (automation) 91 exciter 118 expander 49, 51 external devices 24