Yamaha MT4X User manual

YAMAHA
MultitrackCassetteRecorder
User'sGuide

Precautions
1
Precautions
1Avoidexcessiveheat,humidity,dust,andvibration.
KeeptheMT4Xawayfromlocationswhereitislikelytobe
exposedtohightemperatures orhumidity,suchasdirect
sunlight,nearradiators,stoves,etc.Alsoavoidlocationswhich
aresubjecttoexcessivedustaccumulationorvibrationwhich
couldcausemechanicaldamage.
2Avoidphysicalshocks
Strongphysicalshockscancausedamage. Handletheunitwith
care.
3Cleanwithasoftdrycloth
Neverusesolventssuchasbenzineorthinnertocleanthe
MT4X.Wipeitcleanwithasoftdrycloth.
4Donotopenthecaseorattemptrepairsormodification
yourself
TheMT4Xcontainsnouser-serviceableparts.Forotherthan
routinecleaning,referallmaintenancetoqualifiedYAMAHA
servicepersonnel.Openingthecaseand/or tamperingwith the
internalcircuitrywillvoidthewarranty.
5Makesurepowerisoffbeforemakingorremoving
connections
AlwaysturnthepowerOFFpriortoconnectingor
disconnectingcables.ThiswillpreventdamagetotheMT4Xas
wellasother connectedequipment.
6Handlecablescarefully
Alwaysplugandunplugcables—includingtheAC cord—by
grippingthe connector,notthecord.
7Alwaysusethecorrectpowersupply
TheMT4Xissoldconfiguredtotheappropriatepower
specificationsfor thelocalarea.Thepowersupplyvoltageand
powerconsumptionarelistedonthebottompanel.Ifyoumove
toanareawithadifferentACmainsvoltage,besuretocheck
withyournearestYAMAHAdealerbeforeusingtheunit.
8Keep theheadsandtapepathclean
Toensureconsistenthighperformanceandsoundqualityfrom
theMT4X,itisimportanttocleantheheadsandtapepath
regularly—ideallybeforeeachrecordingsession.Usea
cleaningkitspecificallydesignedtousewith cassettetape
equipment.
9Useonlyhigh-qualitychromecassettetape
TheMT4XisdesignedtobeusedwithChrometape(CrO2tape
—Bias:HIGHorTYPEIIposition;EQ:70µs).Itwillnotwork
properlywithFerrichrometapeformulations.Youmay
experiencehighfrequency distortionifyou usesuchtapes.
Theuseoftapeslongerthan90minutes(C-120and longer)is
notrecommended.Thesetapesaremuchthinnerandtherefore
pronetopoorperformanceorfailure.
TDKSA46- 90and MaxellXLII46- 90arerecommended.
10Handlethecassettetapesproperly
Youshouldfastforwardandrewindnewtapesbeforeyou
recordonthem.Thiswillpreventanypossiblebindingthat
couldbecausedbythetapebeingtightlywoundatthefactory.
Itisbestnottousethefirstand last20secondsofa tape.The
splicebetweenthe leader and the tape cancausedistortion.
Whenloadingacassette,checkthatthetape isnotloose,then
loadthetape firmlyintothecassettecompartment.Ifthetapeis
notloadedproperly,theunitmayjamorotherwisemalfunction.
11Usethedbx™ switchcorrectly
Toobtainthebestpossiblesoundquality,youshouldalwaysuse
thedbx™noisereductionsystemtoplaybacktapesthatwere
recordedwiththedbx™ systemon.Ifthetapewasrecorded
withoutdbx™,turnthenoisereductionsystemoff.
Thedbx™noisereductionsystemwasmanufacturedbasedona
patentlicencefromTHATCorporation.dbxisatrademarkof
CarillionElectronicsCorporation.
Contents
User'sGuide
1
2
2
3
5
6
7
8
10
10
11
12
13
14
15
15
16
19
Precautions
Introduction
Features
StructureoftheMT4X
1ControlsandConnections
ChannelModules
MasterModule
Recorder Controls
TransportControls
Multi-functionDisplay
FrontPanelConnections
RearPanelConnections
PowerConnections
2Example System
3RecordingFunctions
Monitoring
Initialrecording
Overdubbing
21
29
32
34
35
36
39
41
41
42
42
44
44
45
46
48
49
49
51
Punch-in/outrecording
Ping-pongrecording
Mixdown
4Synchronization
FSK recording
Synchronizedplayback
Synchronizedmixdown
5Memory Functions
MemoFunction
RepeatFunction
RecordingLevelsFunction
Appendix
Troubleshooting
Maintenance
Specifications
BlockDiagram
Dimensions
TrackingSheet
Glossary

Introduction2
Introduction
YourMT4XMultitrackCassetterecorderisapowerfulrecordingtoolthatwillallowyou
tocaptureyourmusicataveryhighlevelofsoundquality.Itisanadvancedtechnology,
easy-to-usefour-trackcassettetaperecorderwithacomprehensivefour-channelmixer.
InordertomakeuseofthemanyfeaturesoftheMT4Xandtoobtainthebestperformance,
pleasereadthismanualthoroughly—andkeepitinasafeplaceforfuturereference.
Features
General
TheMT4Xconsistsofafour-channelmixersectionandafour-trackcassettetaperecorder
sectioninsideacompactenclosure.Independentrecordingandplaybackispossiblefor
eachtrack.Thisallowsyoutocreatehigh-qualitymulti-trackrecordings.
Mixer
•Themixersectionisequippedwithindependentstereobusesfor greaterflexibility.
•Continuouslyvariablegaincontrolsareprovidedforeachinputchannel.Thesecanbe
usedwithanyinputsource,frommicrophonestoelectronicinstruments.
•Eachchannelhasathreebandequalizer(HIGH,MID,andLOW)givingyouflexible
tone-shapingcapabilities.
•DualAUXSENDandAUX RETURN (stereo)connectorsallowyoutoaddeffects from
externalsignalprocessors.YoucanassigntheAUXRETURNsignaltoeachchannelas
required.
Recorder
•Thedbx™noisereductionsystemprovidessubstantialnoisereductionandawide
dynamicrange.
•Anautomaticpunch-in/outrecordingfunctionandarehearsalfunctionmake
recordingeasierandmoreaccurate.Locatefunctions,suchasmemoryand
return-to-zeroareprovidedfor additionalconvenience.
•Alarge,multi-functionaldisplayshowstherecordingandplaybacklevels,alongwith
atapecounterandotherindicators,givingyouimmediateandhelpfulinformation
about thestatusoftheMT4X.
•Thepitchcontrolallowsyoutovarythetape speedwithinarangeofapproximately
±10%.Thiscanbeusefulwhenyouhavetocompensateforpitchvariationsduringan
overdub.
•Thetapetransportisafull-logicmechanism,makingrecordingandplaybackoperation
smoothandsimple.
•Thetransportofferstwo speeds:9.5cm/secand4.8cm/sec.
User'sGuide

3Introduction
Structure of the MT4X
User'sGuide

Introduction4
Structure of the MT4X
TheMT4Xcanbedividedintothreebasicsections-themixer,therecorder,andthebus
lineswhichconnectthem:
Mixer
Themixerhasfour input channels.Itadjuststheinput signalsateachrespectivechannel
andsendsthem tothebus lines.
Thesignalsinputtoeachchannelofthemixercanbe switchedtoeitherinputsignals
(MIC/LINE)orplaybacksignals(TAPE).WhenTAPEisselected,theplaybacksignalfrom
eachtrackisinputtothecorrespondingchannel.Thetoneofthesignalisadjusted
throughtheequalizerandthevolumeatthechannelfaders. Itisthensenttothebuslines
usingtheASSIGNkeysandPANcontrol.
BusLines
There are four main bus lines (group buses) which receive the input signals from each
respectivechannelofthemixer.Ifsignalsfromtwo ormoreinputchannelsaresenttoa
bus line,thesesignalsareoverlaidormixed.
ThereisalsoaSTEREObus(L,R),anAUXbus(1,2),andaCUEbus.
Recorder
Thesignalsfromthebuslinesarerecordedbythecassetterecorder.Italsosendsthesignal
totheTAPEOUTconnectorsandbacktothemixer(includingtheCUEbus).
Alsorefertothe"BlockDiagram"onpage48.
User'sGuide

5ControlsandConnections
1ControlsandConnections
PowerConnections
RearPanelConnections
ChannelModulesMasterModuleRecorderControls
TransportControls
Front Panel
Connections
User'sGuide

ControlsandConnections6
User'sGuide
PAN control
Thisrotarycontrolsetsthestereopanpositionofthechannelsignal.Itisalsoused
toselecttheindividualtrackgroupsfor recording.
UsethePANcontroltoselecttheindividualtrackgroups.
selectsthefirsttrackgroup-groups1 and2.
selectsthesecondtrackgroup- groups3 and4.
l-ASSIGN-2
3-ASSIGN-4
ASSIGNkeys
Thesekeysareusedtoselectthegroupbus.
AUXcontrols
Thisrotarycontrolisusedtosendthechannelsignalafterthefader
to the
auxiliarysendbuses.Rotatedfullycounter-clockwisesendsthesignaltotheAUX1
bus,fullyclockwisetotheAUX 2bus.Inthecentre-detent"0"position,no signalis
senttoeitherbus.
Equalizercontrols
Theserotary controlsareusedtoadjustthehigh,middle
andlowbandfrequencylevels.Tohelpyouselectthe
"flat"settingeasily,eachcontrolhasacentre-detentatthe
"0"position.
HIGH±12dB at12kHz-shelving
MID±12dB at1kHz-peaking
LOW±12dB at80Hz-shelving
GAINcontrol
Thisrotarycontroladjuststhelevelofthesignalfroma
microphoneorinstrumentpluggedintotheMIC/LINE
INPUTconnector
Channel Modules

7ControlsandConnections
User'sGuide
ODD/L:Rotatedfullycounter-clockwisesendsthesignaltotheodd(1or3)
numberedtrackoftheselectedtrackgroup(ASSIGNkeys
channeloftheSTEREObus.
andtotheleft
trackoftheselectedtrackgroup(ASSIGNkeys)andtotherightchannelofthe
STEREObus.
Inputselect(TAPE- MIC/LINE)key
Thiskeyselectstheinputsourceforthe channel.Pressedin
trackcorrespondingtothechannelmodule(forexample,thechannel1 keyselects
Channelfader
Thislinearcontrolisusedtosetthechannellevel.Foroptimalperformance and
signalbalance,thefader shouldbepositionedbetween7 and8.
AUX RETURN- ASSIGNkeys
ThesekeysassignthesignalfromtheAUX
RETURN connectors
bus.
to theselectedgroup
AuxiliaryreturnLEVELcontrols
Theserotarycontrolsadjustthelevelofthe
auxiliaryreturn signal.
MONITORSELECTkeys
Thesekeysareusedtoselectthegroupbuses,
thestereobus,and thecuebus signals.The
signalsareroutedtotheMONITOROUT
connectorsontherearpaneland thestereo
connectoronthefrontofthe
PHONES
MT4X.
GROUP:Thesekeysselectgroups1and3and
groups2 and4respectively.Ifyouselectboth
keys,groups1 and3willbesenttotheleft
channelandgroups2 and4willbe senttothe
rightchannel.
STEREO:Thiskeyselectsthestereobussignal.
CUE:Thiskeyselectsthecuebussignals.These
aretheplaybacksignalsdirectfromthecassette
tracks.Whenyouarerecording,therecord
signalismonitored.
CUELEVELcontrols
Theserotarycontrolsadjustthelevelofthe
signalfromeachtrackbeforeitissenttothecue
bus.
itselectsthetape
track1). Intheoutposition,thesourceistheMIC/LINEINPUTconnector
EVEN/R:Rotatedfullyclockwisesendsthesignaltotheeven(2or4)numbered

ControlsandConnections8
User'sGuide
Note:Thetapespeedcannotbechangedwhilethetapetransportisinmotion.Pressthe
STOPkey
then press the tape speed select key.
Thetape speed(4.8/9.5)selectkeyisusedtoswitchthetape speedbetween9.5cm/
secand4.8cm/sec.9.5cm/sec willbe selectedautomaticallywhen thepoweris
turned on.
Cassette
tapecom-
partment
Multi-
function
display
This FLD
(Fluorescent
Light
Display)
showsthe
operating
modesand
signallevelsof
theMT4X.See
"Multi-
function
Display"on
page 11.
TAPESPEED
CONTROL
Thesecontrols
consistofa
rotary PITCH
controlanda
tapespeed
(4.8/9.5)select
key.
ThePITCH
controlcan
adjustthetape
speedby
approximately
±10%.
Recorder Controls
Masterfader
Thislinearcontrolisusedtosetthelevelofthemasterstereobus.Foroptimal
performanceandsignalbalance,thefadershouldbepositionedbetween7and8.
MONITOR/PHONESlevelcontrol
ThisrotarycontroladjuststhevolumelevelofthestereoPHONES
connector
andtheMONITOROUT connectors.

9ControlsandConnections
User'sGuide
RECSELECTkeys
Thesekeysareusedtoarmthetracksforrecording.WhenyoupressaRECSELECT
key/therecordselectindicatorforthecorrespondingtrackflashesonthe
multi-functiondisplay
REPEAT key
Thiskeyisusedtostartandcanceltherepeatfunction.Whentherepeatfunctionis
active,theMT4Xwillrepeatedlyplaybackaselectionbetweentwomemorypoints
.See"RepeatFunction"onpage42.
setwith theMEMO keys
Whentheautomaticpunch-in/outfunctionisactive,theREPEATkeycausesthe
MT4Xtoimmediatelystarttherehearsalmode.See"Usingtheautomaticpunch-in/
outfunction"onpage21.
Note:The repeat intervalmust be more than three counts on the tape counter
RETURNTOZERO key
Thiskeyrewindsthetapetothepointwherethetapecounter
Thetapecounterflasheswhilethetaperewinds.reads"0000".
dbxkey
Thiskeyisusedtoturnthedbxnoisereductionsystemonandoff.Bydefault,the
dbx™ systemisturned onwhen theMT4Xisfirst poweredon.
Thedbx™ systemhas no effect ontrack 4 when theSYNCkey
recording"onpage35.ison.See
"FSK
SYNCkey
Thiskeydefeatsthedbx™ noisereductionsystemontrack4.Thisallowsyouto
recordFSKsignalsontothetrack.See"FSKrecording"onpage35.
CLEARkey
Thiskeyclearsthestoredmemorypoints.Whenautomaticpunch-in/outisactive
(theAUTO PUNCHindicator
(butdoesnotclearthememorypoints).
isilluminated),thiskeyclearsthecurrentsetting
AUTOPUNCHI/Okey
Thiskeyisusedtostartandcanceltheautomaticpunch-in/outfunction.See
"Usingtheautomaticpunch-in/outfunction"onpage21.
CHECKkey
Thiskeyisusedtoverifythememorypoints.Pressandholdthiskeyandthepress
oneoftheMEMO keys
ThecorrespondingMEMOindicator
willflash
andthestoredvaluewillbeshownonthetapecounter
MEMO(1,2)keys
Thesekeysstorethecurrenttapecounter
pressoneofthesekeys,thecorrespondingMEMOindicator
pointstored.
valueasmemorypoints.Whenyou
willlightandthe
YoucanclearthememorypointsbypressingtheCLEARkey
cassettetape,orturningoffthepower.removingthe

ControlsandConnections 10
User'sGuide
LOCATE (1, 2) keys
Thesekeyslocatetothestoredmemorypoints.Whenyoupressoneofthesekeys,
theMT4Xwillfastforwardorrewindtothecorrespondingmemorypoint.
Note: The locateintervalmustbemore thanthree countsonthetape counter
COUNTERRESETkey
Thiskeyresetsthetapecounter
to"0000".
Transport Controls
REHE key and indicator
Thiskeyisusedtoperforma
recordingrehearsal.Whilethe
LEDindicatoroverthekeyis
illuminated,youcansimulatea
recordingsession.Thisallows
youtocheckrecordinglevelsor
practicepunch-in/outwithout
actuallyrecording.
REC/PAUSEkeyandindicator
Thiskeyisusedtorecord.Beforeyoucanactuallyrecord,youmustarmthetracks
withtheRECSELECTkeys
mode.OnceyoupressthePLAYkey
Pressthekeyagaintopausetherecording.
PressthiskeytoplacetheMT4Xinrecordstandby
recordingwillbegin.
PLAY key and indicator
REW key
Thiskeyisusedtorewindthecassettetape.
FFkey
Thiskeyisusedtofastforwardthecassettetape.
STOPkey

11 ControlsandConnections
Multi-function Display
ThissectiondetailstheindicatorsoftheFLD(FluorescentLightDisplay)
multi-functiondisplay
TAPE indicator
Thisindicatorilluminateswhen a cassettetape isinsertedinthecassettetape
compartment.Ifyoupressanyofthetransportkeysbeforeyouhaveinserteda
tape,theindicatorwillflash.
Tape counter
Thisindicatordisplaystape position.
Levelmeters
Theseindicatorsdisplaythesignallevelwithinarangeof-20dB to+9dB.The
individualtracksandthestereobus aredisplayed.
•Whendbx™ isoff,thenormalsignallimitisapproximately0 dB.
•Whendbx™ ison,thenormalsignallimitisapproximately+6dB.
Note: Themeters canbeswitchedtopeakhold. To switchpeakholdon or off, press the
COUNTERRESET key
while holding down the STOP key
Tapespeed indicator
Theseindicatorsshowthecurrenttape speedselection,either9.5cm/secor4.8cm/
sec.WhentheMT4Xisfirstpoweredon,itdefaultsto9.5cm/sec.
dbxindicator
Thisindicatorilluminateswhenthedbx™ noisereductionsystemisturned on.
SYNC indicator
ThisindicatorilluminateswhenSYNCkeyhasbeenswitchedon.
AUTO PUNCH indicators
Theseindicatorsshowthestatusoftheautomaticpunch-in/outfunction.See
"Usingtheautomaticpunch-in/outfunction"onpage21.
MEMO indicators
Theseindicatorsilluminatewhentheirrespectivememorypointshavebeenset.
User'sGuide

ControlsandConnections12
User'sGuide
REPEAT indicator
Thisindicatorilluminateswhiletherepeatfunctionisactive.
REC SELECT - TRACK indicators
Theseindicatorsflashwhenyouarm thecorrespondingtradebypressingoneofthe
RECSELECTkeys
whenyoupresstheREC/PAUSEkey
Thearmedindicatorsswitchfrom flashing toilluminated
Front Panel Connections
PHONES connector
This1/4"phoneconnectorisusedfor a pairof
stereoheadphones(8
to 40
PUNCH I/O footswitch connector
Thisconnectorisusedtoplug inan optional
footswitch(FC5)forpunch-in/outrecording.See
"Usingtheoptionalfootswitch"onpage28.
Rear Panel Connections
MONITOROUTconnections
•Outputimpedance:1
•Nominaloutputlevel:-10dB (at10
TheseRCA/Phono connectorsareusedtoplug ina monitoramplifierorpowered
loudspeakers.ThesamesignalwhichisoutputfromthePHONESconnector
alsooutputfrom theseconnectors.
load)
is
STEREO OUT connections
Outputimpedance:1
Nominaloutputlevel:-10dB (at10load)
TheseRCA/Phono connectorsareusedtooutputthefinal stereomixdowntothe
masterrecorder—typically,a stereotape deck
MIC/LINE INPUT connections
Inputimpedance:10
Nominalinputlevel:-10dBto-50dB
These1/4"phoneconnectorsareusedtoinput microphones,electronic
instruments,andline-levelsources.

13 ControlsandConnections
User'sGuide
AUXRETURN(1, 2)connections
Inputimpedance:10
Nominalinputlevel:-10dB(AUXRETURN-LEVELcontrolnominal)
These1/4"phoneconnectorsareusedtoinputthesignalsfromexternaleffects
devicesandothersignalprocessors.Ifthe externaldeviceismonaural,plug itinto
oneoftheL/MONOconnectors.
AUX SEND(1, 2)connections
Outputimpedance:1
Nominaloutputlevel:-10dB(at10load)
These1/4"phoneconnectorsareusedtooutputsignalstoexternaleffects devices
andothersignalprocessors.
TAPEOUT(1 to4/SYNC)connections
Outputimpedance:1
Nominaloutputlevel:-10dB (at10load)
TheseRCA/Phono connectorsareusedtooutputtheindividualtracksdirectly
fromtherecordersectionoftheMT4X.
Power Connections
AC INinlet
Connectthesuppliedpowercordhere.
POWERswitch
Thisswitchturnsthepoweronandoff.
Note:Always make sure the Masterfader
PHONES level control is set to "MIN" when turning the MT4Xon or off.
issetto "0" andtheMONITOR/
CAUTION(FORCANADIANMODEL)
TOPREVENT ELECTRICSHOCK/MATCHWIDEBLADEOFPLUG TOWIDE
SLOT,FULLYINSERT.

ExampleSystem14
2ExampleSystem
User'sGuide

15 RecordingFunctions
3RecordingFunctions
User'sGuide
Thebasicfunctionsofmultitrackrecordingareasfollows:
Monitoring
Initial recording
Overdub recording
Punch-in/out recording
Ping-pong recording
Mixdown
Monitoringtherecordingorplaybackto listenfor
mistakesorunwanted distortion.
Recordingthefirstinstrumentorpart.
Recordingadditionalinstrumentsorparts while
monitoringthepreviouslyrecordedtracks.
Correctmistakesoraddshortsegmentstoan existing
track.
Bounceseveralexistingtracksontoanothertrack.
Mixthe resultsofyourmultitrackrecordingontoastereo
mastertape.
Monitoring
TheMT4Xoffersyouagreatdealofflexibilityinmonitoringthestatusofyourrecordings.
Youcanmonitortheindividualchannelgroups,thestereobus,thecuebus,orany
combination.
YoucontrolmonitoringwiththeMONITORSELECTkeys
GROUP
STEREO
CUE
TheGROUPkeysallowyoutomonitorthegroupbussignals.
Ifyouonlypressonekey,youwillhearmonauraloutput.If
youpressbothkeys,youwillheargroups1 and3 intheleft
channeland groups2 and4 intherightchannel.
Thesignalsonthegroupbusesgodirectlytotherecorder.
TheSTEREOkeyallowsyoutomonitorthestereobussignal.
Youcanmonitorthesignalsfromthefourinputchannelsas
wellastheAUXRETURNsignal.
Someofthesesignalsmaynothavebeenassignedtothe
groupbus,allowingyou tolistentosignalsthat willnotbe
recorded.
TheCUEkeyallowsyoutomonitortheplaybacksignals
directlyfromthecassettetracks.Youcansetthevolumefor
eachtrackwiththeCUELEVELcontrols.Thecuebusis
monaural.
Whenyou arerecording,therecordsignalismonitored.
Ofthesethreemonitorsources,youwillprobablyfindthecuebus isthemostuseful.This
busallowsyoutomonitorthepreviouslyrecordedtracksaswellasnewmaterial
independentlyofthemixersection.Itissometimesvery importanttobeabletolisten
directlytothetracks,forexample,tocomparedifferentmixersettingstotheoriginal
signal.
YouadjusttheoverallmonitoringlevelwiththeMONITOR/PHONEScontrol.

RecordingFunctions 16
Initial recording
Thefirststepinmultitrackrecordingistorecordtheinitialtracks.Usuallytheseareyour
rhythmtracks:bassguitar,rhythmguitar,anddrums.
Note:Beforeyou recordanything,you must connect the MT4Xto bothan input source and a
monitoring system. See "Example System" onpage 14.
Track to berecorded
Preparationsforrecording
1)Inserta cassettetapeintothecassettetapecompartment
2)Connecttheinputsourceto thecorrespondingMIC/LINE INPUTconnectorfor
eachchannel.
3)Settheinputselectkey
4)RotatetheGAIN control
totheMIC/LINEposition.
toadjusttheinitialleveloftheinputsignal.
Ifyouhavepluggeda microphoneintothecorrespondingconnector,rotatethe
controlfullyclockwisetotheMICsetting.
Ifyouhavepluggeda synthesizerintotheconnector,orarerunningabassguitaror
guitarthroughasignalprocessor(lineleveloutput),rotatethecontrolfullycounter-
clockwisetotheLINEsetting.
Note:This level setting is temporary —just to get a rough signal level based on the type
of inputyou have connected. Be aware thatyou could easily be sending a signal that is
overloading thegain amplifier and causing distortion. To set thefinal level, see steps10
and 11.
User'sGuide

17 RecordingFunctions
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
->
->
->
->
Track1
Track2
Track 3
Track4
5)UsingtheASSIGNkeys
wanttheinput signaltogoto.
andthePANcontrolselectthegroupbusyou
Pressthe
ASSIGNkey:
Pressthe
ASSIGNkey:
Pressthe
ASSIGNkey:
Pressthe
ASSIGNkey:
androtate the
PAN control:
androtatethe
PAN control:
androtatethe
PAN control:
androtatethe
PAN control:
Theinputsignalissentto thefirst
(odd)group.
Theinputsignalissenttothesecond
(even)group.
Theinputsignalissenttothethird
(odd)group.
Theinputsignalissenttothefourth
(even)group.
User'sGuide
IfthePANcontrolissettoapositionpartwaybetweenL/ODDandR/EVEN,the
inputsignalwillbesenttoboth theoddandevengroupbuses.
IfyoupressbothASSIGNkeys,theinputsignalwillbesenttoatleasttwo group
buses.
6)PresstheRECSELECTkeysforthetracksyouwanttorecord.
ThecorrespondingREC SELECT- TRACK indicator
PresstheRECSELECTkeyagaintocanceltheselection.
7)PresstheMONITORSELECT-CUEkey
fortheselectedtracks.SetthemonitorvolumewiththeMONITOR/PHONESlevel
control
RECSELECT
AdjusttheCUELEVEL controls
onthedisplaywillflash.
Tip:You can ignore step 7 and use any monitor mode or combination thatyou are
comfortablewith. See "Monitoring" onpage 15.
8)PresstheCOUNTERRESETkey
tosetthetapecounter
to "0000".
Settherecordinglevels
Inordertoobtainthebestpossiblesoundquality,itisveryimportanttosetoptimal
recordinglevels.Ifyousetthelevelstoolow,youwillbe abletonoticetapenoise.Ifyou
setthelevelstoohigh,thetapewillbe saturatedanddistortionwillresult.Therefore,you
shouldsettherecordinglevelstothehighestlevelbefore distortionsetsin.

RecordingFunctions18
TheMT4Xisequippedwithsensitivepeak-holdlevelmeters
leveloftheindividualtracksandthestereobus.Usethelevelmetersinconjunctionwith
themonitoringmodes(see"Monitoring"onpage15)tosetyourrecordinglevels.
Note:The meters display arange of-20 dB to +9dB. Ifthe meters exceed the normal limit
momentarily,thisisusuallyperfectly acceptable. Cassettetapeisreasonablyforgivingof
transients-andhumanhearing has difficulty detecting theminor distortionthatresults. Where
youstartgetting audibleproblems iswhen themetersareconstantly abovethenormallimit.You
mustlower thelevels in order to maintain decentsoundquality.
9)PresstheREC/PAUSE key
TheindicatorabovethekeylightsandanyflashingRECSELECT-TRACK
indicatorswillbe illuminated.
10) Set the channel fader
11)AdjusttheGAINcontrolwhilewatchingthelevelmeters.
tothenominallevelbetween"7"and "8".
Whendbx™isoff,adjustthegaincontrolsothatthe+3dBsegmentoccasionally
illuminates.
Whendbx™ison,adjustthegaincontrolsothatthe+9dBsegmentoccasionally
illuminates.
Note:TheMT4X canrecall anddisplay themaximumrecordinglevelsobtained during
asession. See "RecordingLevelsFunction"onpage42.
Recordthetrack
12)PressthePLAYkey
TheindicatorabovethekeylightsandtheMT4Xstartsthetape.Startplaying.
Tip:Ifyour song starts with drums, bassguitar, andguitars allonthefirst bar,you will
need to record a count-in.
13)Whenthetrackiscomplete,presstheRETURNTOZERO key
rewindthetape.tostopand
Tip:Youmay want touse the STOP key
See "Memory Functions" onpage 41. tostop thetapeandmarkamemorypoint.
TheindicatorsabovetheREC/PAUSE andPLAYkeysswitchoff andthe
REC SELECT-TRACKindicatorsresumeflashing.
Checkthecompletedrecording
Oncethetapehasrewoundbackto"0000"onthetapecounter,youshouldcheckthe
recording.
14)PressthePLAYkeytoplaybackthetape.
15)Iftherecordingneedstobe redone,repeattheprevioussteps.
Iftheproblemwiththerecordingwasamusicalerror,presstheREC/PAUSE
keyandrepeatsteps12to14.
Iftheproblemwasduetoincorrectrecordinglevelsorotherengineering
problems,adjusttheparametersby repeatingsteps4to14.
16)Whenyouarefinishedwithaninstrument,youshouldsetthechannelfaderto"0".
Youmayevenwanttodisconnecttheinputsource.
User'sGuide
Youcanmonitorthe

19RecordingFunctions
Overdubbing
Overdubrecordingisthebasisofallmulti-trackrecording.Itenablesyou torecord
additionalinstrumentsorparts track-by-trackwhilelisteningtothepreviouslyrecorded
tracks.
Track tobe overdubbed
Drum track
Preparationsforrecording
1)Connecttheinputsourcefor eachchanneltothecorresponding
MIC/LINE INPUTconnector.
Note:Connecting aninstrumentwithahighoutputimpedancesuchasan electric
guitar or bassguitar to the MT4Xmayincreasenoise and distortion. Ifthishappens,
connect a directbox or effectunitbetween the instrument and the MT4Xto reduce the
impedance.
2) SettheinputselectkeytotheMIC/LINEposition.
3)RotatetheGAINcontroltoadjust theleveloftheinputsignal.
4)UsingtheASSIGNkeysand thePANcontrolselectthegroupbusyouwantthe
inputsignaltogoto.
5)PresstheRECSELECTkeysforthetracksyouwanttorecord.
ThecorrespondingRECSELECT-TRACKindicatoronthedisplaywillflash.
6)PresstheMONITORSELECT-CUEkey.
7)PressthePLAYkeytoplaybackthetape.Asthetapeplays,adjusttheCUELEVEL
controlsfor theselectedtracks.SetthemonitorvolumewiththeMONITOR/
PHONESlevelcontrol.
8)PresstheRETURNTOZEROkeytorewindthetapebackto"0000"onthetape
counter.
Settherecordinglevels
9)PresstheREHEkey
User'sGuide