Q: How can I change the "TASCAM" greeting when my DA-38 powers up?

A: The DA-38 can be programmed to display a greeting different from the scrolling TASCAM at Power ON.

• Power ON holding FFWD, STOP and PLAY
• Press STOP before the word TASCAM begins scrolling to enter Test Mode (display will show "TEST")
• Press and hold the SHIFT button while pressing the DOWN cursor button. (the letter A will appear in the display)
• Press the UP or DOWN cursor keys to select a character. Press the SHIFT button to store the character.
• Press the UP and DOWN cursor keys simultaneously to enter your greeting into memory
• Power off and then power on.

Q: What's the difference between the DA-38, DA-88, and the DA-98?

A: The DA-88 is the original machine in the DTRS (Digital Tape Recording System) line. It offers an 108 minutes of 8 tracks recorded on a standard Hi8 tape. Just as is, you can connect up to 16 machines for 128 tracks with an inexpensive sync cable and the machines will get up to speed and locked in under 2 seconds. If you need to work with timecode, the optional SY-88 card will allow the DA-88 to generate or lock to SMPTE without loosing track, generate MIDI Time Code, and respond to MIDI Machine Control. The DA-38 was introduced a few years later as a less expensive machine aimed at musicians. It removed the option of the SY-88 card, but benefitted from advanced technology like advanced A/D and D/A converters, even faster transport than the DA-88, internal patchbay and track copying, and a tone generator. The DA-98 is the best of both worlds... it is essentially a DA-88 with the SY-88 card with all the improvements built into the DA-38 plus confidence monitoring and an LCD screen for machine set-ups.

Q: I just recorded some tracks, and I can't hear them playing back. What's going on?

A: The most common reason for this is that people forget to run the signal back into the mixer. When tracking, you may have heard everything because your mixer was monitoring the signal being SENT to the recorder, not the signal RETURNING from the recorder. A good indication that the problem would be in the mixer and not the recorder is if the level indicators on the recorder are showing the audio you just recorded. If that is not happening, then the tape deck may not be automatically selecting whether the input or tape track is being monitored. Check to see if the All Input button is lit up. If so, press it to disengage All Input. The last option is to check if your tape may be write protected. Hi8 tapes are backwards of cassette tapes. There is a tab slider in one of the sides of the tape. If the tab is slid across the opening, then the tape is write protected. If the slider is not accross the opening, then the tape is not write protected.

Q: ERROR MESSAGES - What does "E. CLOC" mean?

A: The digital input is selected as the source of audio, but there is no signal coming in at the digital input. If you are connecting signals through the analog input, then press the button labeled DIGITAL IN on the front panel of the unit to switch input selection to the analog input. If you are trying to connect other gear digitally, ensure that the signal is coming from the source, and that the cable is firmly connected on both ends. Also, check to make sure that the cable is a Genuine TASCAM or Cable-Up! cable... you'll know by the label on the DB25 connector that says PW-88D, PW-88DL, or PW-88DS. TDIF cables are wired significantly differently than standard 25 pin analog breakout connectors.

Q: How do I check the drum time (elapsed hours) on my DTRS machine?

A: To check the hours on the drum of the DA-38 and DA-88, hold STOP and PLAY while powering the unit up. On the DA-98, select MENU GROUP F, hit enter and select DR TOTAL field. On the DA-78HR, hold SHIFT and MENU keys (the display shows MAINTN), then hit the SUB MENU key. The display shows DRUM TM.

Q: How do I check the software version on my DTRS machine?

A: To check the software revision on the DA-38 and DA-88, hold the STOP, PLAY and RECORD buttons while powering up the machine. On the DA-98, select MENU GROUP F, then cursor to SYS VER. On the DA-78HR, press the SHIFT key so that the SHIFT indicator is blinking, then press the MENU key until the display shows MAINTN (maintenance). Press the SUB MENU key until the display shows VERSION.

Q: How do I control the DA-38/DA-88 with MMC (MIDI Machine Control)?

A: The MMC-38 is a box that will convert MIDI Machine Control into the standard TASCAM DTRS Sync line. As an added bonus, the MMC-38 also converts the absolute time (the time shown in the tape counter) into SMPTE or MIDI Time Code, allowing you to generate time code from the DA-38 without loosing a track.

Q: How often should I use the cleaning tape included with the DTRS machine?

A: The cleaning tape included in the box SHOULD NOT be used frequently. Cleaning of the machine should be done by a factory trained technician roughly every 500 hours. Cleaning tapes actually clean the head abrasively, and with repeated use can wear down the head faster. The tape is intended for emergency cleanings (ie mid-session the machine has read errors.) Again, regular maintenence by factory trained technicians should avoid these types of problems.

Q: What's the status of backwards compatability with the new 24 bit DTRS machines?

A: The 24 bit machines can read and write 16 bit DTRS as well as 24 bit DTRS. This means any tapes recorded on 16 bit DTRS machines will work on 24 bit DTRS machines. If you record a session in 16 bit format on a 24 bit machine, that will work on a 16 bit DTRS machine. However, 24 bit DTRS tapes can only be recorded and played on 24 bit DTRS machines.

Q: Can a 24 bit DTRS machine (ie DA-78HR or DA-98HR) work in the same system as a 16 bit DTRS machine (ie DA-38, DA-88 or DA-98)?

A: Yes. You can totally interchange any TASCAM DTRS machine in the system, and they will all lock together. In fact, you could run a DA98HR, DA-78HR, DA-98, DA-88, and a DA-38 all in the same system simultaneously without a hitch. So, if you've got a couple of 16 bit DTRS machines, you can expand your system with 24 bit machines. No problem!