Fostex 280 User manual

Owner’s Manual
FOStGX

CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
A The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol.
/f\ within an equilateral triangle, is intended to
alert the user to the presence of uninsulated
/ M \ "dangerous voltage" within the product's en-
/ V \ closure that may be of sufficient magnitude to
constitute a risk of electric shock to persons
"WARNING"
" TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOIS¬
TURE. 1 1
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read Instructions — All the safety and operating instruc¬
tions should be read before the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions - The safety and operating instructions
should be retained for future reference.
3. Heed Warnings — All warnings on the appliance and i n the
operating instructions should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions - All operating and use instructions
should be followed.
5. Water and Moisture — The appliance should not be used
near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kit¬
chen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basernent, or near a swim¬
ming pool, and the like.
6. Carts and Stands — The appliance should be used only
with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manu¬
facturer.
An appliance and cart combination should be moved
with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven
surfaces may cause the appliance and cart combination
to overturn.
7. Wall or Ceiling Mounting —The appliance should be mount¬
ed to a wall or ceiling only as recommended by the manu¬
facturer.
8. Ventilation — The appliance should be situated so that its
location or position does not interfere with its proper venti¬
lation. For example, the appliance should not be situated
on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block the
ventilation openings; or, placed in a buill-in installation,
such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede the flow of
air through the ventilation openings.
The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and mainte¬
nance (servicing) instructions in the literature
accompanying the appliance.
9. H e at - The appliance should be situated away from heal
sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
appliances (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
10. Power Sources — The appliance should be con nected to a
power supply only of the type described in the operating
instructions or as marked on the appliance.
11. Grounding or Polarization - The precautions that should
be taken so that the grounding or polarization means of
an appliance is not defeated.
12. Power Cord Protection - Pdwer supply cords should be
routed so that they are not likely to be walked on or
pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying
particular attention to cords at plugs, convenience recep¬
tacles, and the point where they exit from the appliance.
13. Cleaning - The appliance should be cleaned only as
recommended by the manufacturer.
14. Nonuse Periods - The power cord of the appliance should
be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long
period of time.
15 Object and Liquid Entry — Care should be taken so that
objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enc¬
losure through openings.
16 Damage Requiring Service — The appliance should be
serviced by qualified service personnel when:
A. The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged;
Or
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the
appliance; or
C. The appliance has been exposed to rain; or
D. The appliance does not appear to operate normally or
exhibits a marked’ change in performance; or
E. The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure
damaged.
17 Servicing — The user should not attempt to service the
appliance beyond that described in the operating instruc¬
tions All other servicing should be referred to qualified
service personnel.
1989 Sep

TABLE OF CONTENTS
mGE
SECTION 1 Introduction 2
SECTION 2 Before Operating The Model 280 3
SECTION 3 The Controls And Connections: 5
Where They Are And How They Work
SECTION 4 Automatic Operational Features 8
SECTION 5 Basic Operating Procedures 13
PAGE
SECTION 6
Advanced Operating Procedures
17
SECTION 7
General Procedures
21
SECTION 8
Routine Maintenance
24
SECTION 9
Specification
25
SECTION 10 Trouble-Shooting Guide
25
SECTION 11
Block Diagram
26
SECTION 1 . INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing the Fostex Model 280 Multitracker.
With proper use and maintenance it should give you years
of satisfactory performance.
Model 280 consists of an 8-input mixer (4 mic/line and 4 line)
combined with a high quality, high speed 4-track cassette
recorder with built-in Dolby C noise reduction.
You can perform all of the standard multitrack recording tech¬
niques, such as overdubbing, punch-in/out recordings and
ping-pong recordings. In addition, multiple effects process¬
ing is available with two AUX sends and stereo receive cir¬
cuits. Sophisticated transport operation in the form of a
2-point memory system with automatic locate and automatic
punch-in/out is at your fingertips.
Finally, the optional MTC-1 lets you control the Model 280
with MIDI sequencers, thus allowing you to run multiple musi¬
cal instruments and signal sources simultaneously.
Please take the time to read this manual so that you are
thoroughly acquainted with the proper operational and main¬
tenance procedures.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
•The AC adaptor supplied is interconnected between the
house AC outlet and the AC Adaptor Jack of this unit. This
adaptor can be used on both 50 and 60 Hertz without
any change Absolutely do not use an AC adaptor of an¬
other manufacturer. If this adaptor is to be used in an area
of different voltage, consult your nearest Fostex dealer or
the main office Service Department.
•When disconnecting the AC adaptor from the AC outlet,
always grasp the AC plug itself to pull out. It can break
the internal wire if the cord is pulled directly.
•Do not plug in or out the AC adaptor with wet hands You
could receive an electric shock.
•It is dangerous to continue using a cord with worn insula¬
tion. Stop using it if the cord is damaged.
•Do not open the case and touch anything inside There is
danger of receiving an electric shock if you do. It could
also harm the unit.
•Be careful not to allow any water, liquids or metal objects
such as a hair pin to get inside It could result in electric
shock.
If water, etc. should accidentally get inside immediately
pull out the AC adaptor from the outlet and contact your
nearest Fostex dealer or service station.
•Be sure to switch on this unit first before switching on
power to the other equipment to avoid damaging them.
Also, when the input and output plugs are to be plugged
in or out of this recorder, be sure the input volume control
of that channel or buss, is set to "0".

SECTION 2. BEFORE OPERATING THE MODEL 280
There are a few important considerations which you should
be aware of before you attempt to operate the Model 280:
1. R ecording Format.
Standard cassette recorders record up to two tracks at a
time; two in one direction (Side A) and two in the opposite
direction (Side B). As shown in the diagram below, the multi¬
track format allows recording of up to four tracks in the same
direction. After completing a multitrack tape on your 280,
remove both cassette tabs to prevent accidental erasure or
re-recordings.
2. Tape Speed.
Standard cassette recorders record and play back at 1-7/8
ips (inches per second). The model 280 records and plays
back at 3-3/4 ips—twice the speed for better fidelity. Thus a
C-90 will yield 22.5 minutes of recording time; a C-60, 15
minutes, and a C-30, 7.5 minutes.
3. Type of Tape.
Use High Bias (CrOi Type II) tapes ONLY. We recommend
Maxell UD-XL2 or TDK SA or the equivalent—always look for
the 70 psec EQ designation.
NEVER USE: (1) C-120 type tapes of any kind because the
tape is too thin to withstand the rigors of multitrack recording;
(2) metal tape
4. Impedance.
All electronic devices have a characteristic called impedance
which refers to resistance in the circuit(s). The unit of meas¬
urement is stated in Ohms (G). In general, input impedance
should be about ten times higher than output impedance.
When connecting other equipment to the 280, check to see
that there is an impedance match (specifically with micro¬
phones); if a mis-match occurs, anything from sound deterio¬
ration to serious damage could result.
NOTE: You’ll find that most “outboard" gear available today
and most musical instruments can be connected to your 280
readily and without worry.
The main exception is electric guitars, just because there is
such a wide variety of design, plus the tendency to cus¬
tomize stock designs for a "hotter sound.” Thus in some
cases, a-"direct box" will be necessary. Never plug anything
rated in watts (W) directly to a 280 input.
5. The difference between track and channel.
“Track" refers to a physical space on the cassette tape (1 ~4);
“channel” refers to a signal pathway through the mixer (1 —8),
as shown in the diagram below.
The difference between track and channel.
Tracks 1 ~4
Channels 1 ~8
I