Silent Way's Guides, Tips and Tricks

The Mac tips and shortcuts pages are essential for all Macintosh users. Check out the free Newsletter and dozens of tips...

Getting better audio quality out of (and into) your computer is pretty easy. A few minutes and/or a few bucks will improve your audio quality immensely! This page has the scoop on quick and easy ways to completely overhaul the sound of your music. Check out the long list of 180+ USB/FireWire interfaces and 20 USB/FireWire PCI cards.

Convenient session track sheets, ready to be filled in. With easily selected pull-down menus with all the key info: instrument, mic preamp, format type, bit rate, sample rate, date, etc. There's even an "Analog" option. Now with bult-in Digital Audio Hard Drive Storage Calculator. (Microsoft Excel required.)

A list of many mixing boards' individual channel direct outputs, inserts, connectors etc. Indispensable for live recording. Know ahead of time!

MP3 streaming beats all the net radio formats. Most PCs and Macs already have an MP3 stream player, but there are better free players.

These recording equipment tips, tricks, hidden functions, hacks, alerts and modifications can make a big difference in sound quality and functionality. Most equipment has unpublished modes, unusually wired jacks, hidden menus or other "little eccentricities."

• The Definitive Tascam DA-88 Users Guide:
• Equipment Overview
  • DTRS Compatibles: Tascam DA-98, DA-38, Sony PCM-800, the new DA-78HR and DA-98HR
  • DTRS accessories by Tascam; Third Party accessories and 24-bit recording; Cables
• The Day Before
  • Hi-8 tape formulation; Cleaning the heads; Formatting tapes
• Session Setup: DA-88 Connections
  • Setting up a multiple DA-88 system; Analog audio in/out; AC power
• DA-88 Hidden Functions
• DA-88 Error Messages
• SY-88 Hidden Timecode Sub-menu
• Special Report: The Tascam DA-78HR
  • How to avoid errors with the right tape
  • Software updates
  • Timecode track does not stay in record
  • Replacing the battery and "premature battery death" syndrome
  • Balanced input can't take "impedance balanced" signal
  • Wordclock termination
  • Mixer output unity gain level
  • How to reprogram the startup message
• Tascam DA-38
  • Dithering setting not saved on power down/up, defaults to "off"
    
• Alesis ADAT, ADAT XT, LX-20, XT20, BRC
  • Reinitialize deck
  • Check head hours
  • Check software version
  • Error rate display
  • Cleaning the heads
  • hidden "shipping mode"
  • XT20 optical output defaulted to 16 bits ("dithered") until version 2.01
  • BRC tips
• Alesis M20 ADAT
  • Check head hours, power-on hours
• Mackie CR-1604 mixer (original version, not the 1604-VLZ or 1604VLZ-pro)
  • The main outputs are wired "Ring Hot"; wiring details on the insert jacks; pre/post modifications
• Panasonic DA7 digital mixer (aka Ramsa DA7)
  • Reboot system/reset system/recalibrate faders commands
  • Suggestions for the next software revision
  • Controlling outboard effects units with the MIDI fader layer

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  DAT Recorders:
• Panasonic SV-3700 and SV-3800 DAT
  • The hidden menu
  • The error rate
  • How to change the digital input from AES-EBU to S/PDIF
  • How to change the analog output level
• Tascam DA-45HR 24 bit DAT
  • Software update to fix time readout
  • Hidden menu with software version, etc.
• Tascam DA-30, DA-30mkii and DA-20 DAT
  • Defeat SCMS copy-protection modification, update firmware
• Tascam DA-30 mkII DAT
  • Firmware upgrade adds function allowing start IDs to be read from the S/PIDF input
• Tascam DA-P1 portable DAT
  • Defeat power auto-off function, battery charging
• Sony DTC-700 DAT
  • Head hour counter; hidden button inside hand-held remote control

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  Other Gear:
• AKG C 3000 Mic
  • The original and the many variants by the same name
• TC Electronic M3000, M2000 reverbs, Fireworx effects, Finalizer, M•One reverb
  • M3000 preset session log
  • Software Version, Self-test mode, reset
• Eventide H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer
  • Pitch correction tips
  • Hidden functions
• Antares ATR-1 Autotune vocal processor (rackmount)
  • Reset to factory settings function
• Digitech TSR-24S reverb/effects
  • expansion, software updates, reinitialize to factory presets
• Opcode Studio 3 MIDI interface
  • Printer port does not pass System Exclusive messages
• Nokia 2160 cellphone
  • Reprogram the default display message
  • lock the keypad

Silent Way Recording conforms to the Audio Engineering Society standard of a "pin 2 hot" XLR connector. There was a time when the standard was not agreed upon. But now no studios should still be "pin 3 hot.". If you've got the choice, go "pin 2 hot." If you've already got a studio wired as "pin 3 hot," you need to evaluate whether it is worth it to change to today's standard, as all new and recent gear is "pin 2 hot."

If you don't know, "pin 2 hot" means that pin #2 of the three-pin XLR analog audio connector carries the "positive," or "hot" signal, and pin #3 carries the "negative," or "cold" signal. Pin #1 is always the "ground". Believe it or not, there was no universally agreed-upon standard for cable and equipment connectors until 1992 (AES-14-1992). Microphones had previously been standardized as pin-2 hot in 1975 by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in Publication 268, Part 12.