Tascam 788 User Manual

MIDI Functions

TASCAM 788 Operational Tutorial  •  8/2000 Edition  

The 788 needs to be set to generate MIDI Time Code.  
To make that setting:

1) Press MENU.

2) Select                 with the 
   JOG/DATA dial and press 
   ENTER/YES.

3) Select         with the 
   JOG/DATA dial and press 
   ENTER/YES.

4) Make sure               is set to       (internal clock), 
   and                is set to       (MIDI Time Code).

5) Select your frame rate for the project.  If you don't
   have video in the project, the best bet is        .
   (30 frames per second.. the ND stands for non-drop
   frame rate.)

6) Press ENTER/YES to leave this screen.

The 788 needs to be set to chase MIDI Time Code.  
To make that setting:

1) Press MENU.

2) Select                 with the 
   JOG/DATA dial and press 
   ENTER/YES.

3) Select          with the 
   JOG/DATA dial and press 
   ENTER/YES.

4) Make sure                is set to       (external clock); 
   the                setting should be set to      .

5) Select your frame rate for the project.  If you don't
   have video in the project, the best bet is        .
   (30 frames per second.. the ND stands for non-drop
   frame rate.)

6) If you want to create an MTC offset, go ahead and
   enter the amount at the bottom.

7) Press ENTER/YES to leave this screen.

8) Press PLAY to tell the 788 to follow incoming MTC.
   The PLAY light will flash indicating the 788 is waiting
   for incoming MTC.  When incoming code is received,
   the 788 will chase it, and the PLAY light will go solid
   when it locks in play.  If you want to take the 788
   "offline" so that it won't follow incoming MTC, press
   STOP.  The play light will go out.

MIDI Time Code (MTC) is a synchronization standard 
found on more advanced keyboard workstations and 
software sequencers.  MIDI Time Code works in much the 
same way as SMPTE time code, counting time in a video
based language that looks like this:

   HOURS : MINUTES : SECONDS : FRAMES

While hours, minutes and seconds are familiar, the frame
category may be new to you.  The frame counting refers
to the individual still pictures in a moving picture reel.  
For instance, a standard US film (NTSC format) uses 24 
frames per second.  This means that 24 still images are 
flashed every second to create the moving image you 
perceive on the screen.

This section cannot cover the entire scope of time code
rates, their development and the reasons people use any
particular rate, but there are some guidelines on which 
rate you should probably be using:

30fps - Music project with no video.
29.97dfps - Television work in the US (NTSC format)
25fps - Film or Video in Europe (PAL format)
24fps - Film in the US (NTSC format)

If you're just recording for your own use, just use 30fps.
The other rates are specifically for dealing with projects
for film and video production.  If you're working on a 
project for film or video, ask the project manager what
type of code they want to use.

In the MIDI Time Code sync chain, the 788 should 
probably be the master.  Your sequencers and other 
workstations should chase the 788.  Probably the only 
time you will want the 788 to chase MTC is if you are 
locking multiple 788s (or similar machines) together.

The 788 time readout always starts at a time location of
00:00:00:00.  If the project you are working on starts 
at another time location, you can have the 788 
automatically "offset" the internal time code locations
from the incoming MTC signal.  For example:

If you want the time code of the project to start at one
hour, you can instruct the 788 to use an offset of one 
hour (01:00:00:00).  This way, when the incoming MTC
is registering 01:00:00:00, the 788 will chase a time
location of 00:00:00:00.