SOLVED: How to display all assignments?

[thornev]

I have the DP-24SD. I know the ASSIGN screen is "supposed" to display all the assignments, but I don't think it's working the way I expect. I have the demo song loaded. When I play it, sound is coming from all 12 mono tracks and all 6 stereo tracks. But the on the ASSIGN screen it shows that only tracks 1 to 8 are assigned the 8 input channels, A-H. On tracks 9-24 there is nothing in the boxes below those track labels.

Also, in MIXER view when I SELECT each track, they are all panned center. But when I put headphones on, there clearly are signals in the stereo field that are not centered. Or maybe it's that stereo effects are added? I think it's the piano tracks that seem to have stereo effects. Not only that, but the piano and organ only appear on the stereo tracks, not on any mono tracks. That means those instruments were assigned to stereo tracks but again, on the ASSIGN screen, only tracks 1-8 display assignments.

I know this must be user error. I would appreciate some help. Thanks, Thorne

 

[Felonious Punk]

Hey Thorne. Just because there is content on a track doesn't mean it necessarily came directly from an input to that track. It could have been bounced to a different track after recording. You can record a entire song or album through one input if you desire. I hope that helps as I am not really sure if that is your question.


I can't comment on the demo song panning as I am not in front of my unit right now.

FP

 

[thornev]

Thanks, FP. I think you may be right about why I don't see any input sources. The only reason I'm thinking it's something else is that some of the instruments on the stereo tracks are not on any of the mono tracks. If an instrument were recorded directly to a stereo track, wouldn't the ASSIGN screen indicate from which input source the instrument originated? I mean I know there are no stereo inputs - to record an instrument in stereo it would require, as I understand it, 2 mono tracks that would then be bounced, as you suggest, to a stereo track. Oh ! ...

So the input sources could be used for multiple instrument recordings and one would never know from the screens which instruments were recorded using which input sources. I think I get it now.

In other words, maybe the piano was recorded using, say, inputs A and B and later bounced to stereo track 13/14. And then inputs A and B could subsequently have been used by other instruments. Hence the assignments of the piano recording are overwritten in a sense. Yeah, with bounce capability, all auditing of recorded instruments is lost unless one documents.

 

[Felonious Punk]

Only until you change it or load a new song. I don't think it will save that info about assignments. As always...I could be wrong but someone here will know for certain. I will be able to check it out in a few and get back to you.

Update: It does save the assignments from song to song.

FP

 

[thornev]

I think you're right, FP. All the ASSIGN screen really indicates is that at one time during recording of a song, which input sources were used. The input sources could have been used once or multiple times. There's no way to know without a history or audit log.

 

[-mjk-]

With the press of a button you can un-assign everything, and the tracks will still be what they are, as they are recorded. The Assign screen shows how things are assigned but that has nothing to do with the recorded audio on the tracks. You could make all 8 inputs assigned anywhere, then import audio files to many tracks. The assignments would remain.

 

[Phil Tipping]

FP's right (post #2, first paragraph), the assignments are purely to map the input sources to the tracks (or direct to the stereo bus), so they do not reflect the contents of pre-recorded tracks. Think of the assign screen as a patchbay on the 8 inputs for routing them to tracks for recording, or direct to the stereo bus for mixdown (or as a live mixer). Once the recording has been done, you can alter the assigns any way you want, but the recorded tracks remain with their recorded content.
You can bounce tracks later and mix them however you want onto other tracks, mono or stereo, so they are even more decoupled from the original assignments.
Update: we all posted at the same time

 

[Felonious Punk]

I was wrong. It does save the assignments from song to song. I don't know why Tascam chose to set them that way for the demo. I suppose it could get pretty confusing during the learning stage it they didn't. It is already confusing enough

I removed the paragraph that exposed me as the newbie that I am.

FP

 

[Phil Tipping]

There's no way to know without a history or audit log.

That's right, you need to develop a workflow (aka tracksheet) of keeping accurate notes as to what is recorded where.

 

[-mjk-]

And a Reset template.

 

[David Porter]

Gosh - I wish I could magically get people to slow down, force yourself to take the time... and slowly, carefully watch Phil's tutorials. I know I beat this drum a lot - but ALL one needs to know to have a solid starting grasp of these wonderful recorders is there. The other resources (Phil's manual and the sticky threads in this forum) are just as powerful - but the videos are pleasant to watch, thorough, make for a solid starting point, and are reviewable at the push of a button.

Ok.... there.... I said it again.

 

[thornev]

Already spent hours and hours watching, David. Sometimes hours and hours of words don't register until one sits down with the hardware and digs in.

 

[David Porter]

I hear you. In the big picture there's a lot to take on. Here's a couple of links to Phil addressing the track assignments specifically:

Go to the 13:30 mark in this video where he's talking about input assignments being made to the stereo bus:

And check out all of the very beginning of this video where he gets in to input-to-track assignments:

 

[thornev]

I've been watching all Phil's videos in order. I'm on 8A right now. I've taken 8 pages of notes while watching. Learning for me is best when it's hands on. I'm getting ready to start my 1st session with the DP-24SD, recording my wife's and my covering "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys." I bought the unit only for recording Then my plan is to move the tracks to SONAR (now Bandlab) for mixing and mastering. I know this unit can do those tasks and I may try it, but I've been using SONAR for decades. Guess where my comfort level is best.

 

[JSchmo_Bass]

Great song!