DP-24/32SD TRS stereo input question

danielb

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DP-32SD
Hi all!

I have a number of keyboards and samplers that I would love to be able to run simultaneously thru my DP-32SD in stereo, but at that point the total number of mono inputs will exceed the 8 of the system.

Not understanding too well the difference between TRS as a balanced line or TRS as stereo line, I bought some Y-splitter cables that will take the respective L or R channel of my instruments and combine them into a single TRS. So they arrived, I hooked them up to the DP-32SD, and then quickly discovered that this sums the two signals into one mono (and my kicks are gone).

At this point I am prepared to just accept that a stereo signal will take up 2 inputs of the unit, except one thing is still confusing me: sometimes my inputs differ (in the mixer screen) in regards to phase and pan/balance. For example, my input A will show Balance instead of Pan and two phase options, yet other inputs will be normal mono (pan option and single phase). And from my fiddling, I can't find a direct relationship between this phenomena and track assignment. If the inputs are all mono individually, why is there this option for balance and stereo phase?

I'm 98% sure I'm overlooking something glaringly obvious, if so please (softly) berate me.
 
At this point I am prepared to just accept that a stereo signal will take up 2 inputs of the unit,

Yes. There are no stereo inputs on that machine.

I can't find a direct relationship between this phenomena and track assignment.

Are you talking about the difference when assigning to mono tracks vs. stereo tracks?

Welcome to the Tascam Forums.
 
I'm not yet in the Portastudio domain, rather I have a Pocketstudio (008EX), but I had in the beginning a similar PAN/BALANCE problem as you have. This was my learning: maybe you can reuse it also for your bigger device.
If you have any questions regarding signal flow and chain (also around MONO/STEREO behaviour in the different modes) my final advice is: Use the "mixer block diagram" and follow exactly the signal chain of your input through the system. Doing this for a few settings I understood that all this devices have just MONO inputs and it is up the user to decide wether
this is 1 mono to mono assignment, more single mono to mono assignments, 2 mono (=stereo) to 2 mono tracks or 2 mono input (=stereo) assigned to a pair of stereo tracks. It boils down that each single track is MONO, until you reach the STEREO bus and feed correctly to L+R channel. My remaining reservations were dissolved with the instructional videos of @Phil Tipping on YT and his separate Step-by-Step Guide for the Tascam Portastudios.
And doing own test recordings and playback.
 
Welcome Daniel. Just to add to what the others have said, are you sure you are selecting the correct input or track when you are viewing the mixer screen? It can only show the settings for one item at a time, and this is shown at the top-right of the screen.
If it says 'Input X', the settings shown are for that input so should indicate mono.
If it says 'Track N' or 'Track N-N', the settings shown are for that track, which will be mono or stereo respectively. A stereo track will show the pan control as a balance control.
 
Welcome to the forum, Daniel.

Since you're a new member, I strongly suggest reading the "New Members" sticky thread for very important/critical information about the DP-24/32/SD units and making use of this forum.

I also recommend reviewing all the indexes to get a sense of the broad volume of information the volunteer experts on this forum have created and gathered together for the community.

While the stickies may not always address unique issues precisely, you'll almost always find guidance there to get you pointed in the right direction. And if you find yourself stuck still, you can make a thread or post, and we'll try to get you unstuck.:)
 
Thanks for your welcomes and detailed responses! And especially thanks to Phil and Mark, the community is very lucky to have your expertise.

I think my confusion stems from misunderstanding what a TRS input entails, now I understand. Even still, I do have what appear to be stereo options in the mixer screen for (some of) my inputs, and these are there every time I load my template project. Now of course I understand the inputs are mono, not trying to contest that fact, so is this a software glitch?

I've got some photos to demonstrate what I mean.

Input A (showing stereo)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O9pK4lQnardbOr7bhu8vefw5Vd7Kp66u/view?usp=sharing
Input E (showing stereo - not assigned to any stereo tracks or bus)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NYfGK4Uau8-7xGRQ61zk_aV6jOCSAoG1/view?usp=sharing
Input D (mono as should be)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ofWskBhUt2OLkLjkVxA550pvCJvba0vS/view?usp=sharing
 
Hi @danielb. I think you're referring to the 2 buttons under Phase. Remember that does not refer to the jack coming into the unit - the phase button refers to how the signal is sent to the track internal to the machine. What I mean is, the presence of 2 buttons does not mean that the input is configured for stereo but rather that as some point it was assigned to a stereo track. If you're asking why there are 2 Phase buttons when the input is unassigned, I've never noticed that before, lol but I think it may just be set how it was last assigned. I think the same applies to the way the pan pot is full Right.

Do you have a full reset template that you use before your Song template to put things back to zero? One caveat of that machine is that everything is carried forward when a new song is created.
 
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Those photos are bizarre. Something is not right here. Not only with the "dual phase" selectors being seen in a couple of the the input mixer screens - but what's with the "233" and "234" numbering?

Weird!

April fools day was 2 weeks ago.:)
 
I'm glad you all find it as weird as I do!

@Phil Tipping , I updated it once I got the unit back in December.

In my template, Inputs 1+2 are configured as a stereo pair, Inputs 3+4 are another stereo pair, and the rest are for mics and a guitar, so have never been put in stereo. Yet it's inputs 1,3, and 5 that show this weirdness. And if I move between songs this goes away, yet when I return to the one template its back.

Anyways, the sound seems unaffected, and I don't to make a mountain out of a molehill, so I'll just assume it's a visual glitch.

Thank you all for your balanced inputs in this confusing phase of my DP-32 journey, you guys are great.
 
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Thanks for the follow-up Daniel. I double-checked on my machine and couldn't replicate the problem (I believe some of the other guys did also).
Could the template/song have been created with an earlier firmware version so has retained the fault in one of the system files within the song itself? Either way I would get rid of it so it doesn't cause problems further down the line.
Shame it wasn't an April Fool - it got us all going ;)
 
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