3 setting the level – Tascam PORTA02 User Manual

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3 Making your first recording

3) Play the tape for about 10 seconds and then stop the tape.

4) Press the counter reset button.

3.3

Setting the level

The aim of this section is to teach you to set the input level so that
the average signals coming from the microphone will light the

meter indicator, and the loudest will light the

indicator.

1) Make sure all

OUTPUT LEVEL

controls are set to

. Put on

the headphones and set the

PHONES LEVEL

to the

position.

If you do not do turn down the speaker volume, you will probably get
feedback (“howlround”) when you start using the microphone.

2) Set both

TRIM

controls to the

LINE

position.

Although you will probably end up with this control at the

MIC

posi-

tion, or close to it, for now, set it to

LINE

3) Take the

INPUT 2

fader to the

mark. Bring the

INPUT 1

fader up to between the

and

marks.

This is called the “nominal” position, and is the position where the
electronics controlled by the fader will not have to amplify the signal
too much (causing noise) or have too much signal going into them
(causing distortion).

4) Switch the microphone on if necessary. Speak into the

microphone at the volume you will be recording.

It is important than when you perform these level checks that you
speak, sing or play at the level at which you will actually be recording.
Most people, when they first start recording, tend to be a little louder
than when they are simply checking the levels.

5) While talking into the microphone, turn the

INPUT 1 TRIM

control clockwise until the left

indicator is lit most of the

time, and the

indicator is lit on the loudest parts.

If the

indicator hardly lights at all, you may be too far from the

microphone, or you are speaking too softly. If the microphone uses
batteries, you may need to replace them.

You can also bring the fader up from the

7-8

position to increase the

level, but you should do this only after the

TRIM

control has been

turned fully clockwise.

6) Adjust the

PHONES LEVEL

until you are comfortable with

what you hear in the headphones.