DP 02 Info
I purchased a Tascam DP 02 Digital portastudio about 1 week ago. I explained to the guy in the music store that I wished to copy CD music tracks and add a voice over, for use at a community radio station (Intros promos etc) I have read through the Manual thoroughly but can't make much sense of it. Can you recommend any book etc that will give me background on how to use this equipment. I presume that I can use the onboard CD player as the source and then using a microphone add the voice over or is this not possible. Maybe I have to connect an external Cd as an input. I realise this is probably very simple stuff for you but I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide.
Audio Players & Recorders - Tascam - 2488 Portastudio Multitrack Recorder System
Answers & Comments
Hi,
Can't help you with any books for the DP 02, but I can try to assist you in doing what you'd like to do.
The way I would attempt to do this, and there may be other ways but this is really the cleanest in my opinion, (assuming you have access to a computer) is to first rip the CD onto your computer into a series of wav files. Then you'll want to work with one song/CD track at a time. Then you'll need to use a WAV editor (Audacity is a good free one) to convert the wav file from STEREO into MONO wav file. You can then (using the USB import function on the DP-02) import the mono WAV file into the DP-02's fat partition. From there you can load it into the DP-02 by choosing which track to load it into. You'd then be able to play this track while recording your voice overdubs onto another track.
You'd then mix your song and you could burn onto a cd right from the DP-02 (or do as I do and export the mix as two mono wav files back onto your PC and, then convert them back to stereo and when you have all the songs you want for the CD burn a new CD from your PC).
You may have to consult the manual for how to use the USB import/export as well as how to record and mixdown, but I've tried to outline the basic process to do what you want which wouldn't be discussed int he manual.
Hope this helps.
bd
You should be able to use a dynamic mic with a 1/4 jack without any problem. Nothing really to offer except to double check that your input level knob is turned up, that the input your mic is into (A or B) is assigned to a track, and that the track's fader is up and the record button is armed for that track.
Another thing to look into is whether or not you mic needs phantom power. An unbalanced mic that doesn't need phantom power can be affected by phantom power on its input so if this is the case for your mic you'll want to make sure your phantom power is off.
If your mic requires it, then perhaps it is off and pressing the phantom power button in to turn it on is all that is required.
Cheers.
bd
Unless there's a problem with your mic it should work the way you're doing it. Are you getting levels registering for the track assigned to record the mic? If so the only other things I can think of off hand is to make sure that your master fader is up when you are listening back as well as the fader on the recorded track and also make sure that the mic/guitar selector switch on the front is set to mic (if you are using the right 1/4" input).
If you aren't seeing levels you may have a mic that needs more gain than typical which might require a mic preamp (check the rated output for your mic in minivolts.
I have heard of someone else recently who was experiencing the same problem and using an AKG dynamic mic. I don't know what resolved it in the end, but they had gone through all the stuff I've mentioned here and nothing worked which leads me to thinki that perhaps a different mic is part of the answer. Do you have access to another to test with?