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Yamaha MT8X II Owner's Manual
MULTITRACK CASSETTE RECORDER
Owner’s Manual
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Summary of MT8X II
Page 1
Multitrack cassette recorder owner’s manual 4 5 6 7 8 3 2 1 0 st-input 10 st-input 0 10 st-input 0 10 9-10 11-12 13-14 1 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 4 3 4 0 10 0 10 group master group 1 group 2 0 10 group 3 0 10 group 4 tape in mix level 0 10 monitor level min max tape in group to monitor to stereo stereo cue mon...
Page 2
Fcc information (u.S.A.) 1. Important notice: do not modify this unit! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual, meets fcc requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by yamaha may void your authority, granted by the fcc, to use the product. 2. Im...
Page 3: Safety Instructions
• explanation of graphical symbols the exclamation point within an equilateral tri- angle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product. The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equi...
Page 4: Important
Iii mt8xii—owner’s manual important read the following before operating mt8xii warnings • do not locate mt8xii in a place subject to excessive heat or in direct sunlight. This could be a fire hazard. • do not place mt8xii in a place subject to excessive humidity or dust. This could be a fire and ele...
Page 5
Iv mt8xii—owner’s manual interference mt8xii uses high-frequency digital circuits that may cause interference on radios and televi- sions placed close to it. If interference does occur, relocate the affected equipment. Copyright © 1996 yamaha corporation. All rights reserved. No part of the mt8xii s...
Page 6: Table of Contents
V mt8xii—owner’s manual table of contents 1. Welcome to the mt8xii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 mt8xii features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 buying cassette tapes for the mt8xii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...
Page 7
Vi mt8xii—owner’s manual 6. Using effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 applying effects at mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 applying effects when recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 apply...
Page 8: Welcome to The Mt8Xii
Welcome to the mt8xii 1 mt8xii—owner’s manual 1 welcome to the mt8xii thank you for choosing the yamaha mt8xii multitrack cassette recorder. The mt8xii is a high-quality, easy-to-use multitrack cassette recorder that will allow you to capture your music at a very high level of quality. To take best ...
Page 9: Mt8Xii Recording Format
2 welcome to the mt8xii mt8xii—owner’s manual buying cassette tapes for the mt8xii it’s important that you buy the correct type of cassette tape for use with your mt8xii. You should buy high-quality type ii (high bias, 70 µ s eq) chrome cassettes of 90 minutes or less, such as tdk sa or maxell ud-ii...
Page 10: Touring The Mt8Xii
Touring the mt8xii 3 mt8xii—owner’s manual 2 touring the mt8xii this chapter takes you on a tour of the mt8xii, identifying the various parts to help you become familiar with your new recorder. Topside view the individual sections of the mt8xii are explained on the following pages. 4 5 6 7 8 3 2 1 0...
Page 11: Input Channels
4 touring the mt8xii mt8xii—owner’s manual input channels 1 gain control (input channels 1–4) this rotary control adjusts the sensitivity of the mic/line input so that both microphone and line-level signals can be handled with ease. 2 eq controls these rotary controls are used to boost and cut the h...
Page 12: Stereo Inputs
Stereo inputs 5 mt8xii—owner’s manual 6 pan control this rotary control has two functions: for recording it’s used in conjunction with the group assign switches to assign the input channel signal to even and odd numbered groups. For mix- down it’s used to pan (i.E., position) the signal in the stere...
Page 13: Master Section
6 touring the mt8xii mt8xii—owner’s manual master section 1 group master level controls these rotary controls adjust the levels of the group signals that are fed to the tracks. 2 cue mix to stereo switch this switch is used to feed the cue bus signals through to the ste- reo bus. It’s used for multi...
Page 14: Display
Display 7 mt8xii—owner’s manual display 1 tape counter the tape counter indicates the tape position. 2 track level meters these meters show the track signal levels during recording and playback from –20 db to +9 db in eight steps. To turn on and off the peak hold function, hold down the [stop] butto...
Page 15: Transport Section
8 touring the mt8xii mt8xii—owner’s manual transport section 1 clear button this button is used to cancel the memo 1 and memo 2 locate points. When the auto punch in/out function is on, however, it cancels the specified punch in and punch out points. In this case, the memo 1 and memo 2 points are no...
Page 16
Transport section 9 mt8xii—owner’s manual 6 rec select buttons these buttons are used to select tracks for recording. When a track is selected for recording, a flashing circle appears around the corresponding track select indicator on the display. Up to four tracks can be recorded simultaneously. Yo...
Page 17: Rear Panel Connectors
10 touring the mt8xii mt8xii—owner’s manual rear panel connectors 1 stereo input (unbal) 9–14 these 1/4-inch phone jacks are used to connect electronic musical instruments and other line-level sound sources that have stereo outputs. They can also be used to return the processed stereo signals from e...
Page 18
Rear panel connectors 11 mt8xii—owner’s manual 7 line input (unbal) 5–8 these 1/4-inch phone jacks are used to connect electronic musical instruments and other line-level sound sources to the mt8xii. 8 mic/line inputs 3 & 4 these 1/4-inch phone jacks are used to connect microphones, electronic music...
Page 19: Front Connectors
12 touring the mt8xii mt8xii—owner’s manual are output. Up to four group signals can be output simultaneously. A track must be selected for recording using the [rec select] buttons for the group signal to be output. Group signals 1 through 4 can be output to group outs 1 through 4 or group outs 5 th...
Page 20: The First Session
The first session 13 mt8xii—owner’s manual 3 the first session this chapter explains how to record and mix your first mt8xii session. If this is your first time with a multitrack recorder, we recommend that you start with this chapter and follow all the procedures closely. When you’ve completed this...
Page 21: Quick-Start System
14 the first session mt8xii—owner’s manual quick-start system the following illustration shows the basic equipment necessary to start recording with the mt8xii. The microphones, synthesizer, guitar, and drum box are examples of the kind of sound sources that can be connected to the mt8xii. For monit...
Page 22: Recording The First Track
Recording the first track 15 mt8xii—owner’s manual recording the first track 1. Connect a sound source to mic/line input 1. 2. Set the [flip] switch on input channel 1 to the up position. 3. Adjust the gain control so that the signal indicator lights up most of the time, and the peak indicator light...
Page 23: Listening to The First Track
16 the first session mt8xii—owner’s manual the +9 db indicator. When the dbx noise reduction system is not used, adjust the level control so that the loudest signals light the +3 db indicator. It’s important to set the group master level control correctly. Too low a setting may result in a noisy rec...
Page 24
Overdubbing 17 mt8xii—owner’s manual 7. Press a [group assign] switch on the channel being used. 8. Use the pan control to assign the signal to odd or even numbered group. 9. Set the group master level control midway. 10. Press the [rec select] button of the track that you want to record. A circle f...
Page 25: Mixdown
18 the first session mt8xii—owner’s manual mixdown mixdown is the final technique in multitrack recording. Here you mix the sounds from all eight tracks, with eq and effects, into a balanced stereo mix and record it to a stereo master recorder, such as a dat, minidisc, or cassette tape machine. 1. M...
Page 26: Multi-Source Mixing
Multi-source mixing 19 mt8xii—owner’s manual multi-source mixing in addition to the eight tape tracks, you can also connect external sound sources to the mic/line inputs and mix up to eight more sound sources with the tape tracks. Theses extra sound sources are mixed using the cue level and pan cont...
Page 27
20 the first session mt8xii—owner’s manual an overview of multitrack recording this section describes the fundamental principles of multitrack recording. Basic multitracking monitoring—this is the process of listening to a sound as it’s being recorded or listening to recorded sounds as new sounds ar...
Page 28: About Monitoring
About monitoring 21 mt8xii—owner’s manual about monitoring the mt8xii features a flexible monitoring system, allowing you to monitor signals at various points. You can monitor sounds through a pair of stereo headphones connected to the phones jack, or through a monitor amplifier and speakers connect...
Page 29: Punch In/out Recording
22 punch in/out recording mt8xii—owner’s manual 4 punch in/out recording this chapter explains the mt8xii punch in/out recording techniques. Punch in/out punch in/out techniques allows you to rerecord specific sections of a track. This can be used to correct mistakes or record something new into sil...
Page 30: Manual Punch In/out
Manual punch in/out 23 mt8xii—owner’s manual manual punch in/out manual punch in/out can be performed in three different ways: 1) using the [rec/pause] but- ton. 2) using the individual [rec select] buttons. 3) using an optional footswitch. The rehearsal function can be used with all three methods. ...
Page 31: Using The Rec Select Buttons
24 punch in/out recording mt8xii—owner’s manual using the rec select buttons 1. Locate to a position before the point at which you want to punch in. 2. Make sure that all track indicators are off (i.E., no tracks selected). 3. Press the [rec/pause] button. The rec/pause indicator flashes quickly, in...
Page 32: Using A Footswitch
Using a footswitch 25 mt8xii—owner’s manual using a footswitch 1. Connect an optional footswitch to the punch i/o jack. 2. Locate to a position before the point at which you want to punch in. 3. Press the [rec select] button of the track that you want to record. A circle flashes around the correspon...
Page 33: Auto Punch In/out
26 punch in/out recording mt8xii—owner’s manual auto punch in/out the auto punch in/out function automates the punch in/out procedure, allowing you to con- centrate on your playing or singing. You can rehearse the punch in/out repeatedly until you are ready to perform the punch in/out for real. An o...
Page 34: Rehearsing Auto Punch
Rehearsing auto punch 27 mt8xii—owner’s manual rehearsing auto punch once the punch-in and punch-out points have been set, you can rehearse the punch in/out. 1. Press the [rec select] button of the track that you want to record. A circle flashes around the corresponding track indicator. If you’re mo...
Page 35
28 punch in/out recording mt8xii—owner’s manual performing auto punch for real this section continues on from the rehearsing auto punch section. 1. Press the [rec/pause] button. The rec/pause indicator flashes. This is auto punch record standby mode. 2. Press the [play] button (or footswitch) to sta...
Page 36: Ping-Pong Recording
Ping-pong recording 29 mt8xii—owner’s manual 5 ping-pong recording the ping-pong recording technique (also known as bounce down) is used to free up tracks for further recording. This is accomplished by bouncing down (i.E., mixing and recording) one or two existing tracks to an unused track. Those tr...
Page 37: Preparing For Ping-Pong
30 ping-pong recording mt8xii—owner’s manual preparing for ping-pong 1. Press the [rtz] button to rewind to the beginning of the song. 2. Set the [flip] switches on the source track channels to the down position. This sets the tape signal as the source for the channels. 3. Set the faders on the sour...
Page 38: Ping-Pong Notes
Checking the ping-pong operation 31 mt8xii—owner’s manual checking the ping-pong operation 15. Press the [rtz] button to rewind to the beginning of the song. 16. Press the monitor select [group] switch that you pressed previously to monitor the destination track. 17. Press the monitor select [cue] s...
Page 39: Ping-Pong With Overdub
32 ping-pong recording mt8xii—owner’s manual ping-pong with overdub the ping-pong technique can be combined with overdub recording. This allows you to bounce down tracks and record a new sound source simultaneously. In the following illustration, for example, tracks 1, 2, and 3 are bounced to track ...
Page 40: Using Effects
Using effects 33 mt8xii—owner’s manual 6 using effects the aux sends allow you to connect external effects processors and apply effects to mt8xii signals. Effects can be applied when recording tracks, using ping-pong, or during mixdown. Typically, reverb and delay type effects, which are often appli...
Page 41: Applying Effects At Mixdown
34 using effects mt8xii—owner’s manual applying effects at mixdown 1. To send a signal to an effects processor, set the input channel fader to the 7–8 mark and turn up an aux control. The input channel signal is sent to the effects processor and the stereo bus. 2. Set the effects processor as requir...
Page 42
Patching in signal processors 35 mt8xii—owner’s manual patching in signal processors input channels 1 and 2 feature insert i/o jacks. These make is easy to patch external signal processors directly into these two channels. Typically, compressors, limiters, and noise gates are connected to this type ...
Page 43: Tape Speed & Mixing Tips
36 tape speed & mixing tips mt8xii—owner’s manual 7 tape speed & mixing tips using the tape speed function the tape speed function allows you to speed up or slow down the speed of the tape. This has the effect of raising or lowering the pitch of the recorded sounds. 1. To adjust the tape speed, firs...
Page 44: Mixing Tips
Mixing tips 37 mt8xii—owner’s manual mixing tips this section provides tips and techniques for achieving the perfect mt8xii mix. • inputs—for mixdown, the [flip] switches are set to the down position and the eight input channels feed the tape signals to the stereo bus for mixing. Combined with the s...
Page 45: Rtz (Return To Zero)
38 quick locate & repeat playback mt8xii—owner’s manual 8 quick locate & repeat playback this chapter explains the mt8xii quick locate and repeat playback functions. Rtz (return to zero) the return to zero function allows you to rewind or fast forward the tape to the 00:00 position with accuracy. Si...
Page 46: Repeat Playback
Repeat playback 39 mt8xii—owner’s manual repeat playback the repeat playback function allows you to play the section between the memo 1 and memo 2 points repeatedly, as shown below. 1. Enter the memo points as explained on page 38, entering the memo points. 2. Press the [repeat] button. The mt8xii l...
Page 47: The Mt8Xii & Midi
40 the mt8xii & midi mt8xii—owner’s manual 9 the mt8xii & midi midi sequencers and midi controlled musical instruments have become essential tools for modern recording. It’s common these days not to record midi instruments to tape until the final mixdown. This has the benefit of freeing up tracks fo...
Page 48
Connecting the mt8xii to a midi system 41 mt8xii—owner’s manual connecting the mt8xii to a midi system fsk/midi system in this system, an fsk/midi converter, such as the yamaha ymc10, is used to generate the fsk signal that is recorded onto track 8 of the mt8xii. During playback, the fsk signal is c...
Page 49
42 the mt8xii & midi mt8xii—owner’s manual smpte/midi system in this system, a smpte/midi converter is used to generate the smpte timecode that is recorded onto track 8 of the mt8xii. It has a midi merge function that merges the midi clock information derived from the smpte timecode with the midi pe...
Page 50: Striping The Tape
Striping the tape 43 mt8xii—owner’s manual striping the tape 1. Connect the mt8xii to the smpte timecode generator or fsk/midi con- verter as shown in the previous section. 2. If you are using fsk, press the [sync] button once. If you are using smpte timecode, press the [sync] button twice. The sync...
Page 51: Mt8Xii Applications
44 mt8xii applications mt8xii—owner’s manual 10 mt8xii applications this chapter shows how the mt8xii can be used for various applications. One-take recording the one-take recording technique is ideal for live recording or recording bands that like to record with all members playing together. In the...
Page 52: Midi Home Studio
Midi home studio 45 mt8xii—owner’s manual midi home studio in the following midi home studio system example, all instruments are recorded to the mt8xii. Recording the midi instruments could be left until the final mixdown, since the midi sequencer provides repeatable playback and is synchronized to ...
Page 53: Multi-Source Mixing
46 mt8xii applications mt8xii—owner’s manual multi-source mixing this example shows how multiple sound sources can be mixed on the mt8xii. To start, an smpte sync signal is recorded on track 8. This is used to synchronize the midi sequencer that in turn controls the midi instruments, which are perma...
Page 54
Using the tape out/group outs 47 mt8xii—owner’s manual using the tape out/group outs the tape out/group out connectors can be used to send the tape playback signals or group signals to other equipment. The mt8xii has four groups buses. So up to four group sig- nals can be output simultaneously. Duri...
Page 55: Troubleshooting
48 troubleshooting mt8xii—owner’s manual troubleshooting if you’re having difficulty operating mt8xii or it doesn’t seem to work as expected, look up the symptoms in the following table and follow the advice provided. Symptom advice mt8xii cannot be turned on! Make sure the power cord is connected t...
Page 56: Appendix
Appendix 49 mt8xii—owner’s manual appendix maintaining the mt8xii the mt8xii requires regular maintenance to remain in top working condition. You should per- form the following two maintenance procedures before each new recording session or when you notice any of the following symptoms: • increased ...
Page 57
50 appendix mt8xii—owner’s manual demagnetizing the record–play head as the tape passes over the record–play head, it imparts a tiny amount of magnetism to the head. During normal use, this magnetism can build up to the point where audio performance is affected. Therefore, you should demagnetize the...
Page 58: Specifications
Specifications 51 mt8xii—owner’s manual specifications mixer tape transport recorder frequency response line in (gain max.)–stereo out 20 hz–20 khz +1, –4 db line in (gain min.)–stereo out line in (gain min.)–phones noise level (12.7 khz: –6 db/oct. L.P.F.) equivalent input noise –115 db (rs=150 Ω )...
Page 59
52 appendix mt8xii—owner’s manual general input connections output connections 0 db is referenced to 0.775 v r.M.S. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Power requirements local ac current power consumption 46 w dimensions (w x h x d) 530 x 132.6 x 416.4 mm (20.8" x 5.2" x 16.4") wei...
Page 60: Block Diagram
Block diagram 53 mt8xii—owner’s manual block diagram (pb) tape line tape tape mic/ line phantom power signal peak signal peak peak signal group s t a ux cue tape out/ 1,2 input mic/line (bal) 1,2 input mic/line 3,4 input mic/line 5-8 (unbal) input line tape in (unbal) input stereo 9,11,13 10,12,14 c...
Page 61: Dimensions
54 appendix mt8xii—owner’s manual dimensions w:530 d:416.4 h:132.6.
Page 62: Glossary
55 mt8xii—owner’s manual glossary bouncing—see ping-pong. Bus—a common conductor used to collect and distribute audio signals. Mt8xii has four group buses that feed the tracks, a stereo bus consisting of left and right channels, two aux buses for the aux sends, and a stereo cue bus for the cue monit...
Page 63
56 glossary mt8xii—owner’s manual midi—an acronym for musical instrument digital interface. An internationally agreed stan- dard that allows electronic musical instruments and audio equipment to communicate. Mixdown—the process of mixing the individual track signals into a well-balanced stereo mix. ...
Page 64
57 mt8xii—owner’s manual stripping the tape—the process of recording a sync signal onto one track of a tape for synchronized playback with a midi sequencer. You can record a fsk or smpte timecode sync signal onto mt8xii track 8. This should be done before recording anything else. Tracking—the proces...
Page 65: Mt8Xii Tracking Sheet
4 5 6 7 8 3 2 1 0 st-input 10 st-input 0 10 st-input 0 10 9-10 11-12 13-14 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 0 10 0 10 group master group 1 group 2 0 10 group 3 0 10 group 4 tape in mix level 0 10 monitor level min max tape in group to monitor to stereo stereo cue monitor select 1 3 2 4 on off cue mix to ster...