Yamaha MT8XII - Manual (Page 9)

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Welcome to the MT8XII
MT8XII—Owner’s Manual
Buying Cassette Tapes for the MT8XII
It’s important that you buy the correct type of cassette tape for use with your MT8XII. You
should buy high-quality Type II (High Bias, 70
µ
s EQ) chrome cassettes of 90 minutes or less,
such as TDK SA or Maxell UD-II or UD-XLIIS. Do not use metal tapes or 120 minute tapes. At
normal speed, a 60-minute cassette provides about 15 minutes of recording time. That’s because
the tape runs at twice the speed of a normal cassette recorder and you can use only one side of
the tape. The following table shows the available recording times with three standard tapes sizes.
MT8XII Recording Format
Although the MT8XII uses the same type of cassettes as those used with normal cassette record-
ers, MT8XII tapes are not compatible with normal cassette players. A normal cassette recorder
uses only two tracks (i.e., left and right stereo channels) and both tracks are recorded simulta-
neously. The MT8XII, on the other hand, can record eight tracks on a standard audio cassette.
Even more importantly, you can record and playback these tracks individually. You can record
up to four tracks simultaneously, or one at a time (a technique called overdub recording).
Another major difference is that the MT8XII uses only one side of the cassette. There is no B
side. If you turn over an MT8XII cassette you’ll hear the tracks play backwards. This is because
the MT8XII uses the full width of the tape to record eight tracks. The tape speed is also different.
Normal cassette recorders run at 4.8 cm/second. Whereas the MT8XII runs at 9.5 cm/second,
providing greater sonic performance.
About dbx Noise Reduction
The MT8XII uses the dbx noise reduction system to reduce tape hiss and keep your recordings
clean and crisp. For the best performance, it’s recommended that you use the dbx noise reduc-
tion for all your recordings. You should always use the dbx noise reduction system to play back
tapes that were recorded with the dbx system on.
MT8XII Maintenance
The MT8XII requires regular maintenance to remain in top working condition. This consists
of cleaning and demagnetizing the record–play head and other metal parts that are in contact
with the cassette tape. See
Maintaining the MT8XII on page 49 for more information.
Cassette Tape
MT8XII Recording Time
(approximate)
C90 22.5 minutes
C60 15 minutes
C46 11.5 minutes