Yamaha MD4 Owner's Manual

MULTITRACK MD RECORDERMIC/LINE INPUTAUX RETURNSTEREO SUB IN STEREO OUT MONITOR OUT TRACK DIRECT OUTAUX SEND1234L R L R L RL R1 2 3 4GAINLINE MIC1 23 4

2 Welcome to MD4 MD4—Owner’s Manual Buying Discs for MD4 It’s important that you buy the correct type of disc for use with your MD4. For 4-track reco

Touring MD4 3 MD4—Owner’s Manual 2 Touring MD4 This chapter takes you on a tour of MD4, identifying the various parts to help you become famil-iar w

4 Touring MD4 MD4—Owner’s Manual Input Channels 1 GAIN control This rotary control adjusts the sensitivity of the MIC/LINE input so that both micro-

Master Section 5 MD4—Owner’s Manual Master Section 1 AUX RETURN GROUP ASSIGN switches These switches are used to assign (i.e., send) the Aux Return

6 Touring MD4MD4—Owner’s ManualDisplayNote: For explanation purposes, the illustration above shows most of the available indicators. During normal op

Display 7MD4—Owner’s Manual6 Time Counter modeThese indicators show the Time Counter mode.ELAPSE—This mode shows the time position within a song.REMAI

8 Touring MD4MD4—Owner’s ManualDisc Transport Section1 AUTO PUNCH I/O buttonThis button is used to turn on the Auto Punch In/Out function.2 UTILITY bu

Disc Transport Section 9MD4—Owner’s Manual9 CLEAR buttonThis button is used to cancel functions and delete characters in disc and song titles.0 REC SE

10 Touring MD4MD4—Owner’s ManualTopside Connectors1 STEREO SUB INThese phono jacks are used to connect another mixer to MD4 to increase the number of

Front Connectors 11MD4—Owner’s ManualFront Connectors1 PHONESA pair of stereo headphones can be connected here for monitoring. The headphone signal is

Laser Diode Properties* Material : GaAlAs* Wavelength : 780–790 nm* Emission Duration : Continuous* Laser Output Power : Less than 44.6 µWLaser output

12 The First SessionMD4—Owner’s Manual3 The First SessionThis chapter explains how to record and mix your first MD4 session. If this is your first time

Connecting the Power Cord 13MD4—Owner’s ManualConnecting the Power Cord1. Connect the supplied power cord to the AC IN socket on the rear of MD4.2. Pl

14 The First SessionMD4—Owner’s ManualThe following table show the relationship between the PAN control and Group/Tracks.6. Press the MONITOR SELECT [

Overdubbing 15MD4—Owner’s Manual2. Press the MONITOR SELECT [1–3] switch.3. Press the [CUE] MONITOR SELECT switch.4. Set CUE LEVEL 1 midway.5. Press t

16 The First SessionMD4—Owner’s Manualand what you are recording now.15. Press the [STOP] button to stop recording (or Rehearsal).16. Press the LAST R

An Overview of Multitrack Recording 17MD4—Owner’s ManualAn Overview of Multitrack RecordingThis section describes the fundamental principles of multit

18 The First SessionMD4—Owner’s ManualAbout MonitoringMD4 features a flexible monitoring system, allowing you to monitor signals at various points. You

Recording & Mixing Techniques 19MD4—Owner’s Manual4 Recording & Mixing TechniquesThis chapter explains MD4 recording and mixing techniques.Rec

20 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s Manual1. To set the Recording mode, press the [UTILITY] button and use the [√] and [®] SELECT buttons

Manual Punch In/Out 21MD4—Owner’s ManualManual Punch In/OutPunch in/out techniques allows you to rerecord specific sections of a track. This can be use

• Explanation of Graphical SymbolsThe exclamation point within an equilateral tri-angle is intended to alert the user to the presence ofimportant ope

22 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualUsing the REC SELECT buttons1. Locate to a position before the point at which you want to punch

Manual Punch In/Out 23MD4—Owner’s ManualUsing a Footswitch1. Connect an optional footswitch to the PUNCH I/O jack.2. Locate to a position before the p

24 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualAuto Punch In/OutThe Auto Punch In/Out function automates the punch in/out procedure, allowing y

Auto Punch In/Out 25MD4—Owner’s ManualRehearsing Auto Punch1. Press the [REC SELECT] button of the track that you want to record.A circle flashes aroun

26 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualPerforming Auto Punch for Real1. Press the [REC SELECT] button of the track that you want to rec

Auto Punch In/Out 27MD4—Owner’s ManualAuto Punch with a FootswitchAn optional footswitch can be used to start the Auto Punch In/Out sequence.1. Press

28 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualSetting the Pre-Roll & Post-Roll TimesPre-Roll and Post-Roll are used in conjunction with th

Ping-Pong Recording 29MD4—Owner’s ManualPing-Pong RecordingThe ping-pong recording technique (also known as bounce down) is used to free up tracks for

30 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualPreparing for Ping-Pong1. Press the [ ] SONG SEARCH button to locate the beginning of the song.2

Ping-Pong with Overdub 31MD4—Owner’s ManualChecking the Ping-Pong Operation15. Press the [ ] SONG SEARCH button to locate the beginning of the song.16

iii MD4—Owner’s Manual Important Read the Following Before Operating MD4 Warnings • Do not locate MD4 in a place subject to excessive heat or in dire

32 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualPitchThe Pitch function allows you to adjust the pitch for playback and recording. The pitch can

Using a Footswitch 33MD4—Owner’s ManualUsing a FootswitchAn optional footswitch can be used to control MD4. Apart from a few small differences, foot-s

34 Recording & Mixing TechniquesMD4—Owner’s ManualApplying EffectsThe AUX SEND and AUX RETURN allow you to connect an external effects processor a

Applying Effects 35MD4—Owner’s Manual2. Set the effects processor as required.3. To mix the processed signal back into the stereo mix, turn up the AUX

36 Quick Search FunctionsMD4—Owner’s Manual5 Quick Search FunctionsThis chapter explains the quick search functions.Searching for SongsThe [ ] and [ ]

Inserting Markers 37MD4—Owner’s ManualInserting MarkersYou can insert up to eight markers in a song during recording or playback. Markers are a con-ve

38 Quick Search FunctionsMD4—Owner’s ManualAdjusting MarkersOnce inserted, markers can be finely adjusted in one frame steps. The LAST REC IN and OUT p

Erasing Markers 39MD4—Owner’s ManualErasing Markers1. Press the [ADJUST] button.The display shows ADJST: MARK 12. Use the [√] and [®] SELECT buttons t

40 Repeat, Cue List & Program PlayMD4—Owner’s Manual6 Repeat, Cue List & Program PlayThis chapter explains the Repeat, Cue List, and Program P

A–B Repeat 41MD4—Owner’s ManualA–B RepeatA–B Repeat playback allows you to play a specific section of a song repeatedly. Playback repeats between the s

iv MD4—Owner’s Manual Interference MD4 uses high-frequency digital circuits that may cause interference on radios and televisions placed close to it.

42 Repeat, Cue List & Program PlayMD4—Owner’s ManualCue List Playback & CopyThe Cue List function allows you to compile a cue list (i.e., a se

Program Playback 43MD4—Owner’s ManualProgram PlaybackThe Program Play function allows you to compile a program of songs for custom playback. The Progr

44 Editing Songs & TracksMD4—Owner’s Manual7 Editing Songs & TracksThis chapter explains the edit functions that can be used with songs and tr

Dividing a Song 45MD4—Owner’s ManualDividing a SongThe Song Divide function allows you to divide songs into several independent songs. Songs can also

46 Editing Songs & TracksMD4—Owner’s ManualCombining SongsThe Song Combine function allows you to combine adjacent songs that were divided using t

Track-to-Track Copy 47MD4—Owner’s ManualTrack-to-Track CopyThe Off Line Punch function allows you to perform track-to-track copies. The section of the

48 Editing Songs & TracksMD4—Owner’s ManualErasing TracksThe Track Erase function allows you to erase individual tracks. 1. Press the [UTILITY] bu

MD4 & MIDI 49MD4—Owner’s Manual8 MD4 & MIDIMIDI sequencers and MIDI controlled musical instruments have become essential tools for modern reco

50 MD4 & MIDIMD4—Owner’s ManualSetting Up a Synchronized MIDI SystemThe following illustration shows how MD4 can be integrated into a MIDI-based r

Using MTC 51MD4—Owner’s ManualUsing MTCSetting MD4 for MTC Operation1. Press the [UTILITY] button and use the [√] and [®] SELECT buttons to select the

v MD4—Owner’s Manual Contents 1. Welcome to MD4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 MD4 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

52 MD4 & MIDIMD4—Owner’s ManualUsing MIDI ClockSetting the MIDI SequencerThe MIDI sequencer must be set to receive and synchronize to an external

Using MIDI Clock 53MD4—Owner’s Manualnined in step 8.To go to the tempo section of the Tempo Map, press the [CLEAR] button, press the [®] SELECT butto

54 MD4 & MIDIMD4—Owner’s ManualInserting Steps in a Tempo MapThe Tempo Map is sorted automatically when you press the [ENTER] button. So you can i

Using MIDI Clock 55MD4—Owner’s ManualSaving a Tempo Map1. Press the [UTILITY] button and use the [√] and [®] SELECT buttons to select the MIDI Sync fu

56 MD4 & MIDIMD4—Owner’s ManualTempo Map ChartMeterTempoStepMeasureTime SignatureStep Measure -Beat TempoA001 /A001–1B/BC/CD/DE/EF/FG/GH/HI/IJ/JK/

MD4 Applications 57MD4—Owner’s Manual9 MD4 ApplicationsThis chapter shows how MD4 can be used for various applications.One-Take RecordingThe One-Take

58 MD4 ApplicationsMD4—Owner’s ManualMIDI Home StudioIn the following MIDI home studio system example, all instruments are recorded to MD4. Recording

Using MD4 with a Sub-Mixer 59MD4—Owner’s ManualUsing MD4 with a Sub-MixerThe MD4’s four-channel mixer is flexible enough to handle most applications. I

60 MD4 ApplicationsMD4—Owner’s ManualRecording a Stereo SourceFor stereo recording, MD4 can be set to the Stereo recording mode. This provides a total

Beyond the Basics 61MD4—Owner’s Manual10 Beyond the BasicsThis chapter provides some advanced tips and techniques for MD4 recording. AUX RETURNYou don

vi MD4—Owner’s Manual Preparing for Ping-Pong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Rehearsing the Ping-Pong .

62 Beyond the BasicsMD4—Owner’s ManualPitchAdjusting the pitch is a common multitrack technique. It’s useful when recording instruments that are sligh

Mixdown 63MD4—Owner’s ManualMixdownThis section provides tips and techniques for achieving the perfect MD4 mix.• Balance levels—you should already hav

64 Q&A SectionMD4—Owner’s Manual11 Q&A SectionThis section is intended to answer your questions about MD4 and MD DATA discs.What’s the differe

Q&A Section 65MD4—Owner’s ManualIs MD4 sensitive to knocks and vibration?Within reason, no. MD4 features a three-second sound buffer for uninterru

66 TroubleshootingMD4—Owner’s ManualTroubleshootingIf you’re having difficulty operating MD4 or it doesn’t seem to work as expected, look up the sympto

Appendix 67MD4—Owner’s ManualAppendixMD4 Transport Modes● On z FlashingREMAIN (available recording time) does not increase when a song is erased!REMA

68 AppendixMD4—Owner’s ManualDisplay MessagesMessage MeaningAAAADDDDJJJJSSSSTTTT AAAAbbbboooorrrrttttThe [STOP] button was pressed, so the Adjust f

Signal Flow Chart 69MD4—Owner’s ManualSignal Flow ChartTRACK DIRECT OUT1 2 3 4GROUPSTEREOCUEMONITOR LEVELMIN MAX1 2 1 23 4 3 4LEVEL010LEVEL010GROUP AS

70 AppendixMD4—Owner’s ManualSpecificationsRecorderMixer0 dB is referenced to 0.775 V r.m.s.GeneralDigital/AudioSampling Frequency: 44.1 kHz Compressio

Block Diagram 71MD4—Owner’s ManualBlock DiagramDimensions• Specifications subject to change without notice.LMIC/LINE234Track-4Track-3Track-2HAGAINMIC/L

vii MD4—Owner’s Manual Deleting Steps in a Tempo Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Saving a Tempo Map . . . . . . .

72 GlossaryMD4—Owner’s ManualGlossaryATRAC—An acronym for Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding. This is the compression tech-nique used to fit the same a

73MD4—Owner’s ManualLow-Level Signal—A signal in the range from –100 dB to –20 dB. Microphone and electric guitar signals are in this range. MD4 MIC/L

74 GlossaryMD4—Owner’s ManualPing-Pong—A recording technique used to transfer (i.e., mix and rerecord) one or more tracks to other tracks to free up t

Index 75MD4—Owner’s ManualIndexAA.PNCH Abort, message 68A–B repeat 41AC IN connector 11ADJST Abort, message 68ADJUST button 8Adjusting markers 38Advan

76 IndexMD4—Owner’s Manualinput channel 4master section 5FF CUE button 9First session 12First track recording 13FIX 6Flow chart 69Footswitchauto punch

Index 77MD4—Owner’s ManualMONITORLEVEL control 5OUT connectors 10SELECT switches 5Monitoringabout 18beyond the basics 62overview 17MTCcabling notes 51

78 IndexMD4—Owner’s ManualREVIEW button 9Review mode 67SSave Err, message 68Save Warn !, message 68SaveProhibit, message 68Searchingby time 36for blan

YAMAHA [Multitrack Recorder] Date: 10 July 1996Model: MD4MIDI Implementation ChartVersion: 2.0Function... Transmitted Recognized Remarks Basic Channel

VU39780 R2 1 IP YAMAHA CORPORATIONP.O.Box 1, Hamamatsu, Japan96 09 5000 CP Printed in JapanGAINSource: Source: Source: Source: Source: Source:1234LIN

Welcome to MD4 1 MD4—Owner’s Manual 1 Welcome to MD4 Thank you for choosing the Yamaha MD4 Multitrack MD Recorder. MD4 is the world’s first multitrac