Akai DPS 24 Operator's Manual download pdf (Page 6)

reverse buttons are self-explanatory. Since we are not really moving tape to record, there are some

neat tricks the transport buttons can perform to speed up the process of getting around your song.

Although this in itself would be another large discussion here’s two good ones. If you press the

button labeled “goto” and then press the rewind button, the machine will instantly snap to the

beginning of the song without having to press rewind and wait. If you press the “goto” button and

then press the fast forward button, the machine will instantly snap to the end of the song…pretty neat

huh?

…You may notice

After recording a section, you may notice that the screen becomes highlighted for that section of the

song as it plays back. This is a helpful screen convention that allows you to rewind or fast forward to

the section you last recorded for the purposes of doing multiple takes (“I wish I could get that darn

solo right”) simply by visually locating to that point.

Playback

This is getting so cool you can hardly contain yourself. You’ve actually started a 24 track digital

recording on state-of-the-art equipment THAT YOU OWN. Now, you need to hear back what you’ve

just done. Using the transport controls, relocate back to the beginning of the song (or the beginning

of the part of the song you wish to hear). Next, press the fader bank button that says “tracks 1-12”.

Now, the faders will be assigned the job or working the volume of tracks 1-12. Press play and start

raising track 3 (fader3) and you should hear the playback of what you just recorded. Now there are a

couple of other things we need to go over. By default, all inputs are routed to the L/R master outs

(remember?). The disc tracks are also routed there so we can hear both. This will create an uneven

balance in the volume of the tracks already recorded and those we are laying down. In order to set

up a separate mix so that the previously recorded tracks are blended with what you’re recording in a

pleasing manner, you have to set up a monitor mix which will only serve that purpose and will not be

committed as a final “master” mix. That is also another discussion. For the way things are set up “out

of the box” the DPS24 is ready to record tracks and keep recording them using the above mentioned

procedure and just routing your audio to the desired track.

Effects (FX)…a brief discussion

Remember I said that the DPS24 is self-contained and that it had all the tools you need to make a

professional; recording? Well, we’ll need to add some effects won’t we? The DPS24 has what

amounts to four effects processors at your disposal. These can be used for adding FX to tracks as

you’re recording them, adding to tracks for recording but only listening purposes (you want to sing

while hearing some reverb, but actually add it to the vocal track later during mixdown), or simply add

some FX to tracks for sweetening only at mixdown. The DPS24 doesn’t really have “insert” FX in the

usual sense. There are four CHANNEL FX that can be patched and used for whatever purpose you

may need. If you wish to record with FX, you “send” (from the FX send control for that channel) to the

desired effect. The FX-return (the output of the effect processor) is then routed to the same (or

different) track(s) and mixed along with it as desired…the same as any other channels would be, and

recorded. If you wish to add effects to previously-recorded tracks for mixdown, the process is the

same except the destination will be the entire mix…recorded to the “virtual” on board mixdown deck.

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Akai DPS 24 Operator's Manual Page 6