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2 – Getting started–DISK menu
TASCAM 788 Digital PortaStudio 31
DISK menu
These functions all deal with the use of disks (inter-
nal and external) with the 788. Note that a CD-R or
CD-RW drive is not counted as a disk in this case
(even though it is connected via SCSI in the same
way), but it has its own menu, as described in a sepa-
rate section of this manual (“Mastering and backup
(CD-R)” on page 72.
Formatting a disk
Before you start working with a new disk on the 788
for the first time, you must prepare the disk for use.
This is called initializing or “formatting” the disk
(the same as on a computer), and it will provide a
“clean slate” to start recording. You usually only
need to do this once, when you first use a disk.
NOTE
You do
not
need to do this with the internal disk supplied
with the 788. This disk has already been formatted.
Formatting will erase any data already on the disk. The
operation cannot be undone. Only format a disk if you are
really sure that you have no information on it that you want
to keep.
The format used on the 788 is not compatible with the for-
mat used by personal computers. You cannot read a com-
puter-formatted disk on the 788, or the other way round.
To format a disk connected to the 788:
1 Press the
MENU key.
2 Turn the
DATA dial until the DISK option is
highlighted, and press
ENTER.
3 Turn the
DATA dial until the FORMAT option
is highlighted, and press
ENTER.
The 788 scans through all the SCSI disks con-
nected to the 788, and displays a list.
4 If you have more than one disk connected to
the 788, use the
DATA dial to scroll through the
list and press
ENTER when the disk you want
to format is highlighted.
5 Set up the parameters for formatting the disk.
A disk can be split into a number of different
partitions. The maximum partition size is
4096 MB (4 gigabytes) and the minimum size is
512 MB. Use the dial to select between
4096,
2048, 1024 and 512 MB.
If the disk size is not an exact multiple of these
values, the unused space at the end will be
turned into the largest possible partition ,
using all the space available.
NOTE
If you choose the smallest partition size (512 MB), you will
not be able to perform the backup operation to CD-R (see
“Backup using CD-R” on page 79).
TIP
As a very rough guide, remember that a 16-bit stereo (i.e.
2-track) 74-minute CD is equivalent to 650 MB. As
explained elsewhere, it is difficult to say exactly how much
space a song will use on disk—this depends on factors
such as the number of virtual tracks, etc.
6 Using YES with the Quick Format
option will work in most cases. There may be a
few occasions (a very heavily damaged disk, for
example), when you set this option to
NO.
7 Ask yourself once again whether you really
want to format this disk. Remember that the
operation will lose all data on the disk.
8 Press
ENTER.
9 The 788 asks you once more if you are sure.
Pressing
YES formats the disk, NO leaves it
untouched.