1 An introduction to the Porta02  

1   An introduction to the Porta02

The TASCAM Porta02 MiniStudio

recording  before you start using the

allows you to produce recordings which

Porta02. Spending a little time reading

are not possible with an ordinary stereo

now will save you a lot of time in the

cassette recorder.

future. You can read the rest of the man 

ual at any time.

We suggest that you read at least this sec 

tion 1 and also 3,  Making your first

1.1

Multitrack recording   a brief introduction

This section gives you a brief introduc 

to read through this section so that you

tion to some of the terms and techniques

understand the rest of the manual, which

used in recording. If you are unfamiliar

uses the terms explained here.

with these terms, you may find it useful

1.1.1 Multitrack recorders

When you listen to a commercial record 

The Porta02 allows you to record up to 4

ing (CD, cassette, etc.), it is quite proba 

tracks on inexpensive Type II (chrome)

ble that the different parts of the piece

cassettes using the same principle as

will have been recorded at different

larger studios taking inputs into a

times. 

mixer's channels, feeding them into a

recorder which can record tracks inde 

This is done by  multitracking  taking

pendently of each other, and building up

the different sounds, feeding them

the song by recording new tracks while

through a mixer's inputs ( channels ) and

listening to what has been recorded

recording them on a special tape recorder

before ( monitoring ).

which splits the tape into  stripes , each

stripe being used for a different part of

The advantage of working with multi 

the music. 

track recording is that the whole group of

musicians does not have to repeat the

These stripes are called  tracks , and the

whole piece if one person makes a mis 

parts recorded on them may also be

take. 

called  tracks . Since there are many

tracks on a tape, the term  multitrack  is

The illustration below shows you how

used to describe these tapes and record 

tracks are arranged on an ordinary stereo

ers. 

cassette tape, as well as on the Porta02

4