Akai DPS 24 Operator's Manual download pdf (Page 3)

Down to Basics

• *Open New Project and name it (if you wish)

• *Connect Instrument or Mic Cable to Appropriate Input

• *Select Mic/Line for input

• *Adjust trim

• *Select Input source for mixer channel (inputs 1-12, digital in etc.)

• *Raise Master fader

• *Select Fader Bank>Inputs 1-12, raise channel fader

The first thing you need to do in preparation for recording on the DPS24 is to open up a new “project”.

A project is simply a system convention within the DPS24 used to denote a song. When starting a

new project, you are creating a place for your song to reside on the hard drive. Just press the

“project” button on the front panel. This will call-up a screen with some information relating to

creating a project. You’ll see that you can name the project (using the cursor OR a connected

keyboard). If you don’t name the project, the DPS24 will automatically call it “New Song”. If you

continue to open new projects without naming them, the DPS24 will simply add a numerical suffix

(New Song 1, New Song 2 etc.). At any time after the fact, you can go back and rename a project or

give it a name if you haven’t already done so. The next step is to just press “OK” and you’ll then be

taken to a new screen that gives you pretty much all you need to start recording into your “New

Song”. When recording, you need to keep in mind a “signal chain”. This is basically a fancy name for

the trip your sounds take from when they leave the instrument and enter the DPS24, to when they

come out the other end as a finished recording.

The first step in the signal chain is, of course the instrument or microphone. If the source is a line-

level instrument such as a keyboard, run a (high quality) instrument cable from your instrument to

any of the ¼” inputs on the rear panel of the DPS24 (but let‘s use input #1). You’ll notice that there

are two rows of (analog) inputs available to you for a total of 24. The top row are combination ¼” or

XLR inputs. These can accept either standard ¼” plugs (“guitar type”) or three pin mic cables and

they are BOTH balanced so if you have the ability on your instrument source to run TRS balanced

lines instead of TS lines, you should use them since the balanced lines may afford you a “cleaner

signal (especially if long cable runs are used). On the second row are ¼” TRS jacks that will accept

either balanced or unbalanced ¼” instrument cables. The top row are listed as “Bank A” on the front

panel, and the bottom row are listed as “Bank B” and you can switch between them and have up to

24 sources plugged into the DPS24 simultaneously, using any 12 and switching appropriately from

the front panel without re-patching.

There are other ways to input source material into the machine as well so you can have loads of stuff

going in at the same time from both digital AND analog sources but we won’t be covering that here. If

your source is a microphone, plug into any of the XLR jacks (turning on “phantom power for a

condenser mic if necessary)…again, for this example though…let‘s use #1. Also, select either the mic

or line position of the input attenuation switch. OK, now your signal can get from its source and into

the DPS24, but it’s still only just stepped through the front door and is waiting to be asked in for

dinner. However, at this point your original signal has been converted into digital data (up to and

including 24 bit / 96 kHz) by the A/Ds (analog to digital converters) at the inputs of the machine. From

this point on, all the processes that occur will be in the “digital domain” and (assuming reasonably

good recording techniques) will not suffer from the degradation associated with handling analog

audio and sending through various circuits.

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Akai DPS 24 Operator's Manual Page 3

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