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TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 19
2 – Getting started
This section explains some of the principles of using
your 788. It is not a “tutorial”—there are so many
different ways in which the 788 can be used that it
would probably not be useful for us to give you step-
by-step instructions here covering every possibility.
Instead, we have provided you with general instruc-
tions that will work in most cases.
Precautions, etc.
Treat the 788 with the same care and respect that you
would treat a notebook or laptop computer, and it
will last for a long time, and act as a useful creative
tool to help you in your music-making.
However, there are a few precautions you should take
with the 788:
•
always operate the 788 on a firm level surface. Do
not locate it where it can be knocked or shaken—
hard disks are more sensitive than tapes.
•
always take note of any special instructions regard-
ing the care and maintenance of removable media,
if you are using such media with the 788.
•
never eat or drink over the 788. Spilled liquid or
food crumbs will not improve its performance!
Also, smoke particles are the enemy of studio
equipment. If possible, we suggest that you make
your 788 work area a no-smoking area.
•
always allow the 788 to adjust to room temperature
if you are bringing it from a cold to a warm place.
This may take between 1 and 2 hours.
•
never connect or disconnect audio equipment with
the monitoring levels turned up. This can cause
damage to speakers (and ears!). Always turn down
levels before making or breaking such connections.
•
always shut down the 788 before turning it off (see
the following section).
•
never move the 788 while it is powered on. Take
special care never to move it while recording or
playback is taking place, in order to avoid any pos-
sible damage to the disk. Shut down and power off
the unit before moving it.
•
never make external SCSI connections with the
power to the 788 or the external SCSI device turned
on. Making SCSI connections with the power
turned on can cause damage to the units, including
the 788, which is expensive to repair! Shut down
the unit and turn it off before making or breaking
these connections.
Shutting down the 788
It may seem strange that the first thing we explain is
how to turn off the 788. This is important, though,
and you should get into the habit of always turning
off the 788 in this way, as this will avoid any possible
loss of data.
1 Stop playback or recording (you cannot shut
down the 788 while playback or recording is
taking place).
2 Turn down the level of the monitoring ampli-
fier (to avoid speaker “thumps”).
3 Press the
EJECT/SHUT key.
4 The indicator lights, and a message appears on
screen asking if you are sure. Press
ENTER/
YES
to shut down the 788.
5 As the 788 “tidies up” before closing down,
appropriate messages appear on screen. At the
end of the shutdown process, the message:
is shown and the indicator flashes. Turn off the
788 with the power switch on the rear panel.
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