Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product ALESIS M20 Alesis
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A LESIS M20 P ROFESSIONAL 20- BIT D IGITAL R ECORDER O WNER ’ S M ANUAL F IRST E DITION V ERSION 1.06 A PPLIES TO O PERATING S OFTWARE V ERSION 1.11 I NCLUDES SOFTWARE V ERSION 2.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 i T ABLE OF C ONTENTS Important Safety Instructions and Compliance Notices ...................................... vii Safety symbols used in this product .............................................................
Table of Contents ii A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 3.3 Editing Conventions ...................................................................................................................... 4 Tape Formatting .................................
Table of Contents A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 iii 8.8a Setting Auto Record Punch Points ................................................................................ 8 8.8b Enable Auto Record ................................................
Table of Contents iv A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 13.8 Rewind/Fast Forward TC Output (Page 8) ............................................................................... 3 13.9 Unthread Timeout (Page 9) .....................................
Table of Contents A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 v 16.3a SMPTE Chase Offset .................................................................................................... 5 16.3b Internal Generator ABS Offset ...............................
Table of Contents vi A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 MIDI Thru ............................................................................................................................................. 6 New Utility page order .................
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 vii I MPORTANT S AFETY I NSTRUCTIONS AND C OMPLIANCE N OTICES S AFETY SYMBOLS USED IN THIS PRODUCT This symbol alerts the user that there are important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying this unit.
Safety Notices viii A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong.
Safety Notices A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 ix I NSTRUCTIONS DE S ÉCURITÉ I MPORTANTES S YMBOLES UTILISÉS DANS CE PRODUIT Ce symbole alèrte l’utilisateur qu’il existe des instructions de fonctionnement et de maintena nce dans la documentation jointe avec ce produit.
Safety Notices x A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 16. Ce produit, utilisè avec un amplificateur et un casque ou des enceintes, est capable de produite des niveaux sonores pouvant engendrer une perte permanente de l’ou ï e. Ne l’utilisez pas pendant longtemps à un niveau sonore èlevè ou à un niveau non confortable.
Safety Notices A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 xi I NFORMATION TO THE U SER FOR C LASS A D IGITAL D EVICE (FCC P ART 15, C LASS A) This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.
Safety Notices xii A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 CE D ECLARATION OF C ONFORMITY Manufacturer’s Name: Alesis Corporation Manufacturer’s Address: 1633 26th Street Santa Monica, CA 90404 USA de.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 1- 1 CHAPTER 1 O VERVIEW , S ETUP , AND B ASICS The Alesis M20 is an 8-track digital tape recorder that records on S-VHS videotape cassettes.
Overview, Setup and Basics, Chapter 1 1- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 1.2 U NPACKING AND I NSPECTION Please retain the M20’s shipping carton, which is designed to protect the unit during shipping, in the unlikely event that you need to return the M20 for servicing.
Chapter 1, Overview, Setup and Basics A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 1- 3 Alesis cannot be responsible for problems caused by using the M20 or any associated equipment with improper AC wiring.
Overview, Setup and Basics, Chapter 1 1- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 1.6 B ASIC A UDIO H OOKUP When connecting audio cables and/or turning power on and off, turn off all devices in your system and turn down your monitor system’s volume controls.
Chapter 1, Overview, Setup and Basics A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 1- 5 1.11 O PERATING E NVIRONMENT Mount the M20 in an equipment rack (requires 4 rack spaces) or place it on a table or shelf. Alesis advises against tilting the recorder; keep it horizontal.
Overview, Setup and Basics, Chapter 1 1- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 Figure 1 (M20 Front Panel).
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 2- 1 CHAPTER 2 C ONTROL AND C ONNECTOR B ASICS 2.1 A BOUT THE F RONT P ANEL Referring to Fig. 1, the front panel includes: • S-VHS cassette door and Eject button • Main vacuum fluorescent display (toward the center) with two sets of 10-character 7- segment readouts.
Control and Connector Basics, Chapter 2 2- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 Figure 2 (M20 Rear Panel with optional EC-1 AES/EBU Card).
Chapter 2, Control and Connector Basics A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 2- 3 2.2 A BOUT THE R EAR P ANEL Referring to Fig. 2, the rear panel includes: 2.
Control and Connector Basics, Chapter 2 2- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 2.2 G V IDEO I N AND T HRU The BNC connector video input (with 75 ohm termination switch) accepts composite video as well as black burst video inputs. 2.2 H ADAT S YNC I N AND O UT These 9-pin D connectors synchronize multiple ADATs together to single-sample accuracy.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 3- 1 CHAPTER 3 E DITING M20 O PERATING P ARAMETERS 3.1 T HE K EYPAD The keypad block contains switches for editing the various parameters that control the M20’s features. 3.1 A 0 THROUGH 9 BUTTONS Use the 10 numeric keys to enter number parameter values and letters for names.
Editing M20 Parameters, Chapter 3 3- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 3.1 F E NTER /N AME This key has two main uses: • Speed up numeric entry by eliminating the need for “leading zeroes.” For example, the varispeed setting is a 3-digit value.
Chapter 3, Editing M20 Parameters A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 3- 3 3.1 G S ELECTING P AGES Most buttons have at least one associated display page, which contains one or more parameters.
Editing M20 Parameters, Chapter 3 3- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 3.2 T HE E DIT B UTTON The Edit button toggles the M20 in and out of Edit Mode.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 4- 1 CHAPTER 4 T APE F ORMATTING Formatting is essential to the ADAT system. It creates a sample-accurate time reference (i.e., it’s accurate to 1/48,000th of a second when recording at 48 kHz) on each tape, in addition to block ID codes, linear control track, and other essential markers.
Formatting Tape, Chapter 4 4- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 4.1 S AMPLE R ATE S ELECTION Choose between 44.1 kHz (CD/consumer standard) or 48 kHz (DAT/professional standard). Here are some general hints: • If mixing the tape through a digital mixer for a CD master, use 44.
Chapter 4, Formatting Tape A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 4- 3 4.1 A P ULL - UP AND P ULL - DOWN S AMPLE R ATE S ELECTION The Sample Rate button is also used to select the respective 0.1% pull-up and pull-down rates. A pull-up is available with a 30 fps SMPTE rate only.
Formatting Tape, Chapter 4 4- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 4.3 F ORMAT A N EW T APE Use only S-VHS blank tapes formulated specifically for Super VHS video or digital audio applications.
Chapter 4, Formatting Tape A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 4- 5 4.5 E XTEND A P ARTIALLY -F ORMATTED T APE • The procedure is similar to standard formatting, except: • Make sure the tape is located at least 20 seconds before the end of a previously-formatted section before attempting to extend the format.
Formatting Tape, Chapter 4 4- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 4.9 L OCK O UT F ORMATTING (S AFE M ODE ) You may lock out the format option to prevent accidental formatting. This remains in effect, even if you insert different tapes, until the setting is changed.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 5- 1 CHAPTER 5 T RACK R ECORD E NABLING AND M ONITORING 5.1 T RACK B ASICS The M20 can record a total of 10 tracks: • 8 digital audio tracks. These record standard audio signals, either from the analog inputs, optional AES/EBU card, or ADAT Optical Interface.
Track Record Enabling and Monitoring, Chapter 5 5- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 5.2 T RACK I NPUT E NABLES An input-enabled track monitors the associated input signal. There is one Input Enable button (with associated indicator light) for each track (10 total).
Chapter 5, Track Record Enabling and Monitoring A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 5- 3 5.5 S AFETY M ODE (A LL S AFE ) To prevent any accidental recording, pressing All Safe places all tracks (channels 1-8 plus Aux and TC) into a safe (non-record ready) mode.
Track Record Enabling and Monitoring, Chapter 5 5- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 6- 1 CHAPTER 6 D IGITAL /A NALOG I NPUT S ELECTION AND R OUTING 6.1 D IGITAL S OURCE When using digital inputs, this function selects one of two or three digital input options. The I/O card option will appear in the display only if an I/O card (such as the Alesis AES/EBU card) is installed in the machine.
Input Selection and Routing, Chapter 6 6- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 If no digital signal input is detected, the D indicators for the channel(s) without a digital signal source will flash until signal is detected. 6.3 T RACK O UTPUT S ELECTION It is not necessary to select an output destination.
Chapter 6, Input Selection and Routing A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 6- 3 6.4 A A NALOG I NPUT R OUTING The three analog routing modes accommodate 2, 4, or 8 bus mixing consoles. With two buses, connect them to inputs 1 and 2. With four buses, connect them to inputs 1 through 4.
Input Selection and Routing, Chapter 6 6- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 6.4 B D IGITAL I NPUT R OUTING The Digital Source setting (section 6.1) influences the digital input routing process. This feature makes it possible to record incoming digital data on any track desired, without manually repatching.
Chapter 6, Input Selection and Routing A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 6- 5 6.4 C R ECORD -E NABLING THE D ESTINATION T RACKS In Digital Routing mode, inputs need not be routed only to same-numbered tracks. Any selected digital source inputs can be re-routed to any record-enabled destination tape tracks, in ascending order.
Input Selection and Routing, Chapter 6 6- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 6.5 A UX R OUTING ( INPUT AND OUTPUT ) The analog Aux track of the M20 is a unique feature that has special application in Search mode, because it allows you to hear audio at extremely slow speeds for cueing.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 7- 1 CHAPTER 7 M ETERING With digital recording, it is very important not to exceed the available headroom (and with 20 bits to play with, you have so much dynamic range that there’s no need to push it). The M20 provides three different metering modes to make it easier to avoid overloads.
Metering, Chapter 7 7- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 7.2 M ETER S ETUP The VU meter scaling, headroom, decay time, and peak hold time are all adjustable using the Display menus. The Display button is in the lower left group of buttons beneath the meter display.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8- 1 CHAPTER 8 T RANSPORT C ONTROLS AND B ASIC R ECORDING The transport buttons include Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop, Play, Record, and Eject. The transport movement may also be controlled by the jog/shuttle wheel, or various built-in automatic features.
Transport Controls and Basic Recording, Chapter 8 8- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8.3 P LAY How Play affects tape motion depends on the tape’s status.
Chapter 8, Transport Controls and Basic Recording A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8- 3 8.4 B S HUTTLE M ODE Shuttle advances or rewinds the tape at a rate proportional to the degree of wheel rotation. The greater the degree of rotation from the center detent, the faster the rate.
Transport Controls and Basic Recording, Chapter 8 8- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8.4 D S EARCH M ASTER This function (available only in the ID 1 master M20 in a system) accommodates situations where you want to use jog on a machine that is not the master (e.
Chapter 8, Transport Controls and Basic Recording A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8- 5 8.5 O THER T RANSPORT B UTTONS You press… If tape is stopped If tape is moving You see… Eject Tape ejects.
Transport Controls and Basic Recording, Chapter 8 8- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8.6 R ECORD This button’s operation depends on whether One-Button Record (section 13.
Chapter 8, Transport Controls and Basic Recording A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8- 7 8.6 C R ECORD W RITE -P ROTECTION S-VHS cassettes have a write-protect tab on the side of the tape opposite the “door” that, when removed to create a small “window,” prevents recording.
Transport Controls and Basic Recording, Chapter 8 8- 8 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8.8 A UTO R ECORD In Auto Record mode, you can program punch in and out points. Pressing Play and Record prior to the punch-in point causes the M20 to automatically punch in and out at the programmed points.
Chapter 8, Transport Controls and Basic Recording A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 8- 9 8.8 B E NABLE A UTO R ECORD To enable and disable Auto Punch, make sure the machine is not in Edit mode (if necessary, press the Edit button so that it turns off).
Transport Controls and Basic Recording, Chapter 8 8- 10 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9- 1 CHAPTER 9 A UTOLOCATION The M20 can autolocate to specific points on the tape. Its built-in memory contains 100 different location points, complete with 8-character names. Locate points are used not only for convenience, but in several other functions of the M20 such as Auto Record and Tape Offset.
Autolocation, Chapter 9 9- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 To select and edit location points: Operation You press… You see… Copy Tape Location to memory Copy Tape Location button Tape counter time (display left side) is copied to the Locate Point indicator on the display’s right side (Reference Counter).
Chapter 9, Autolocation A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9- 3 9.2 D EFERRED P LAY AND R ECORD To automatically enter Play mode after locating, press Play before a locate completes. To cancel while tape is moving, press Stop, Rewind, FF, or Search. To automatically enter Record mode after locating, press Play and Record before a locate completes.
Autolocation, Chapter 9 9- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9.4 A S ETTING L OOP S TART AND E ND P OINTS To edit the start and end locate points, follow the steps below.
Chapter 9, Autolocation A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9- 5 9.6 S ET P OST -R OLL For rehearsal or recording in Auto Record mode, setting a post-roll time causes the tape to go beyond the punch-out point by the specified post-roll time prior to stopping (0 to 25 seconds; default is 5 seconds).
Autolocation, Chapter 9 9- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9.7 F OOTSWITCH -C ONTROLLED L OCATION If the transport is playing, pressing the Locate/Play footswitch locates the transport to the Auto Return locate point, then stop or enter play, depending on the setting of the Auto Play switch (section 9.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 10- 1 CHAPTER 10 V ARISPEED Varispeed changes the sampling rate to change the audio’s pitch. This feature only applies when the Clock Source is set to INT (Internal). Pitch mode is automatically set to Fixed whenever the M20 is being controlled by an external unit (for example, when SMPTE Chase is on).
Varispeed, Chapter 10 10- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11- 1 CHAPTER 11 SMPTE, S YNC , AND O FFSET F UNCTIONS The buttons described in sections 11.1 through 11.5 are located under the main (right) display.
SMPTE, Sync, and Offset, Chapter 11 11- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11.2 SMPTE R ATE SMPTE Rate cycles through six different SMPTE frame rates and types; this affects both SMPTE time code input and M20 SMPTE time code output. It is not possible to receive and transmit different frame rates simultaneously.
Chapter 11, SMPTE, Sync and Offset A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11- 3 For example, Int Gen always generates time code when the Internal Generator TC Start Ref parameter is set to User Set, Free Run, and the TC Input button is lit.
SMPTE, Sync, and Offset, Chapter 11 11- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11.5 R EFERENCE C OUNTER This button cycles through the reference counter display options (this display is above the Reference Counter button).
Chapter 11, SMPTE, Sync and Offset A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11- 5 11.6 B S ET SMPTE C HASE M ODE (P AGE 2) There are two chase modes: Frame-Lock (default) and Lock/Release (i.e., Lock and Release to clock). Chase must be enabled. The Down Arrow button or keypad button 0 selects Frame-Lock.
SMPTE, Sync, and Offset, Chapter 11 11- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11.7 I NTERNAL G ENERATOR This button turns the internal time code generator on and off (Time Code Source must be set to Internal; see section 11.3). Setting the Time Code Source to External automatically turns off the Internal Gen function.
Chapter 11, SMPTE, Sync and Offset A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11- 7 11.7 B T IME C ODE S TART R EFERENCE (P AGE 2) This page sets the internal generator’s starting reference. Use the Up/Down buttons to select one of three options, or use the keypad numbers given below.
SMPTE, Sync, and Offset, Chapter 11 11- 8 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11.7 D U SER B ITS (P AGE 4, OR P AGE 3 IF THE P AGE 2 VALUE IS TC T RACK ) This page allows entering 8 hex characters (0 - F) into the user bits of the SMPTE time code. These bits are used to identify reels, projects etc.
Chapter 11, SMPTE, Sync and Offset A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11- 9 Operation You press… You see… Select Time Code field to edit Left/Right Arrow buttons to scroll to desired field Select.
SMPTE, Sync, and Offset, Chapter 11 11- 10 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11.9 T RACK D ELAY Track Delay allows offsetting individual tracks in time. Example: Delaying a snare part slightly compared to other drums can give a more “laid back” feel.
Chapter 11, SMPTE, Sync and Offset A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 11- 11 To change delay for several tracks at once: Operation You press… You see… Select tracks to edit Press track Input Enable button for one track to be delayed and while holding it, press Input Enable buttons for other tracks to be delayed.
SMPTE, Sync, and Offset, Chapter 11 11- 12 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 12- 1 CHAPTER 12 MIDI F UNCTIONS There are seven pages of MIDI functions. Pressing the MIDI button cycles through the pages in order. 12.1 MIDI D EVICE (P AGE 1) Selects the M20’s device ID (1—127 or All) so that MIDI Machine Control systems with multiple M20s can address them separately.
MIDI Functions, Chapter 12 12- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 12.5 R ECEIVE S YSEX D UMP ? (P AGE 5) Receives setup information (as MIDI system exclusive data) via the MIDI In port.
Chapter 12, MIDI Functions A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 12- 3 Before loading new software into your M20, always save a “backup” of the existing software in the M20 to your computer sequencer or data storage device. This will safeguard against any mishaps that could occur during the software loading process (i.
MIDI Functions, Chapter 12 12- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 13- 1 CHAPTER 13 U TILITY M ENU There are 22 pages of Utility functions. Pressing the Utility button cycles through the pages in order. Shortcut: To jump directly to a particular page, hold Utility down and enter the page number form the keypad, using leading zeroes to access pages 01-09.
Utility Menu, Chapter 13 13- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 When enabled (Online = LED lit), the machine responds to commands from the selected Online Source. Local control may be allowed or ignored, as set on Utility Page 3 (section 13.3). When disabled (Offline = LED off), the machine ignores commands from the selected Online Source.
Chapter 13, Utility Menu A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 13- 3 13.6 C ROSSFADE T IME (P AGE 6) Sets the crossfade time when the M20 transitions from Play to Record, or Record to Play. With a 48 kHz sample rate, the crossfade values range from 5.4 ms - 1.
Utility Menu, Chapter 13 13- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 13.10 S EARCH E NABLE (P AGE 10) Determines how to enable Search mode, where the Jog/Shuttle wheel is active. Procedure: Use the Up/Down buttons to choose between the following: Normal (default).
Chapter 13, Utility Menu A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 13- 5 13.16 L OAD D ATA FROM T APE ? (P AGE 16) Loads the Table of Contents data from tape into the M20. Procedure: Press Yes to load data (the No key has no effect). The tape rewinds immediately to the lead and data sections while the display shows Preparing to Load.
Utility Menu, Chapter 13 13- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 13.20 E RROR R ATE (P AGE 20) During playback or record, this screen shows the number of sync block errors per 14 drum revolutions (280 ms), from 0000 to 6720 (maximum number of errors possible).
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 14- 1 CHAPTER 14 T HE LRC R EMOTE C ONTROL The M20 hand-held LRC remote provides the following functions: • Transport functions: Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop, Play and Record.
LRC Remote Control, Chapter 14 14- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 15- 1 CHAPTER 15 T UTORIALS AND A PPLICATIONS This chapter gives guidance for entire procedures, assuming a basic familiarity with how the controls and menus work from previous chapters.
Tutorials and Applications, Chapter 15 15- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 active, so machine 2 decides it’s the master (ID 1) and machine 3 the only slave (ID 2).
Chapter 15, Tutorials and Applications A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 15- 3 F ORMATTING M ULTIPLE T APES Formatting works similarly to formatting on a single ADAT, however there are some considerations unique to formatting multiple tapes. For more information on formatting, see Chapter 4.
Tutorials and Applications, Chapter 15 15- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 M ASTER F ORMAT D ISABLED If the master’s Format indicator is off, you initiate record anywhere in the tape, and the .
Chapter 15, Tutorials and Applications A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 15- 5 TUTORIAL 2: M AKING D IGITAL B ACKUPS You can create safety copies of M20 tapes by copying all eight tracks to another M20 (or ADAT-compatible machine) via the digital bus.
Tutorials and Applications, Chapter 15 15- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 D EALING WITH D AMAGED T APE If a tape is in very bad condition, it may be difficult to copy it from the master to a slave. If there are so many errors that the M20 momentarily loses sync during playback, all slaves will be taken out of record automatically.
Chapter 15, Tutorials and Applications A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 15- 7 TUTORIAL 3: R ECORDING D IGITAL A UDIO FROM O THER S OURCES Recording digital audio onto the M20 from a source other th.
Tutorials and Applications, Chapter 15 15- 8 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 TUTORIAL 4: C OMBINING M20 S AND ADAT S M20 T RANSPORT S PEED The M20’s transport speed is much faster in engaged mode than the original ADAT. Because of this and other unique features, make the M20 the master (ID 1) and any ADAT(s) should be the slave(s).
Chapter 15, Tutorials and Applications A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 15- 9 P OLARITY D IFFERENCES The original ADAT inverted the polarity of the signal being recorded on tape, then flipped polarity again before going to the output jacks.
Tutorials and Applications, Chapter 15 15- 10 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 TUTORIAL 5: S ETTING UP I NPUTS The M20 offers unparalleled flexibility in terms of setting up inputs for recording: signals can come from analog sources, digital sources (ADAT optical or from optional AES/EBU cards), or a combination of the two.
Chapter 15, Tutorials and Applications A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 15- 11 TUTORIAL 6: U PDATING M20 S OFTWARE The M20 accepts software updates via MIDI. This allows Alesis to offer improvements and changes to the operating system without requiring the unit to be professionally serviced.
Tutorials and Applications, Chapter 15 15- 12 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 TUTORIAL 7: U SING THE M20 WITH U NBALANCED I NPUTS AND O UTPUTS It is possible to use unbalanced signals with the M20.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 16- 1 C HAPTER 16 M20 SMPTE S YNCHRONIZATION O VERVIEW This chapter is an overview of the M20’s SMPTE time code features, in addition to the basics covered in Chapter 11. Before you design a synchronization system, and particularly if you have not used time code before, please read this chapter carefully.
SMPTE Synchronization Overview, Chapter 16 16- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 The CD player’s digital clock is uncontrolled. The M20 normally would automatically synchronize to an incoming digital signal, but in this case it’s following the video which is traveling at its own speed.
Chapter 16, SMPTE Synchronization Overview A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 16- 3 16.3 R EFERENCE C OUNTERS VS . C LOCK S OURCES A wristwatch indicates the passage of time in two ways. One is the face of the watch, which gives the information of hours, minutes, and seconds.
SMPTE Synchronization Overview, Chapter 16 16- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 Another illustration of the need for reference clock comes from the video world. In order to make clean edits between several video recorders, all video sources must display their pictures at the same rate with the frame edges occurring at exactly the same time.
Chapter 16, SMPTE Synchronization Overview A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 16- 5 16.3 O FFSETS IN THE M20 An offset is an intentional difference in location between decks. In the simplest situations, offsets are not required: when it’s 2 o’clock on the master, it’s 2 o’clock on all the slaves.
SMPTE Synchronization Overview, Chapter 16 16- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 16.3 B I NTERNAL G ENERATOR ABS O FFSET This is set in INT GEN EDIT mode, pages 2 and 3 (see section 11.
Chapter 16, SMPTE Synchronization Overview A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 16- 7 16.4 SMPTE T IME C ODE R ATES AND T YPES SMPTE time code is the universal standard for transmitting location reference in audio and video systems.
SMPTE Synchronization Overview, Chapter 16 16- 8 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 But since the speed difference between 29.97 and 30 fps is small (only .1%), the M20 cannot detect that fine difference in frequency and will default to the last selected non-drop fps rate (which may not correlate to the incoming time code).
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 17- 1 C HAPTER 17 T IME C ODE T UTORIAL 17.1 G ENERATING T IME C ODE ONTO A VCR The first step in time code operations is to record time code onto a master and make sure the slaves can read it. If you’re starting from scratch (i.
Time Code Tutorial, Chapter 17 17- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 9 Pr ess INT GEN or TC INPUT to stop the time code generator. The variations of INT GEN should be easy to explore from this point on.
Chapter 17, Time Code Tutorial A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 17- 3 17.3 R ECORDING A T IME C ODE T RACK The most stable and trouble-free method of synchronization for any SMPTE time code system is to pre-stripe all tapes with generator-locked time code first, then perform any transfers, recordings, and edits.
Time Code Tutorial, Chapter 17 17- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 6 Set the SMPTE Rate and type (24, 25, 29.97, or 30 fps, drop or non-drop). 7 Press the REFERENCE COUNTER button until TAPE TC is shown in the right numeric display. This isn’t a required step, but it’s good practice.
Chapter 18, Maintenance and Troubleshooting A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 18- 5 C HAPTER 18 M AINTENANCE AND T ROUBLESHOOTING Under no circumstances should you remove the top or bottom cover of the M20 unless you are a qualified and careful technician.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Chapter 18 18- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 18.1 A H EAD C LEANING C ASSETTES ( OPTIONAL ) For preventative maintenance, you may use a DRY VHS head cleaning cassette if you wish, but Alesis does not see these as a substitute for thorough manual cleaning.
Chapter 18, Maintenance and Troubleshooting A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 18- 7 We do not recommend cleaning the heads with cotton or foam swabs, or chamois.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Chapter 18 18- 8 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 18.3 T APE M AINTENANCE : S AFE T APE 18.3 A T APE W EAR Head maintenance of the ADAT should be based on the ERROR Indicator (or Error Count Display) or if the unit begins to behave erratically.
Chapter 18, Maintenance and Troubleshooting A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 18- 9 Practice “safe tape” at all times because you can never retrieve lost data. If you are archiving your tapes, make sure they are stored in environmentally stable conditions, i.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting, Chapter 18 18- 10 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 18.4 D O BTAINING R EPAIR S ERVICE Before contacting Alesis, check over all your connections, and make sure you’ve read the manual. Customers in the USA: If the problem persists, call Alesis USA at 1-800-5ALESIS and request the Product Support department.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 A1- 1 A PPENDIX 1 M20 H IDDEN F UNCTIONS P OWER -O N B UTTON C OMBINATIONS Holding the following button combinations when the M20 is powered-on will allow access to the following special functions: • Play and Record Performs a user reset which initializes all parameters to their default values.
Appendix 1, M20 Hidden Functions A1- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
M20 Software Version 2.00 M20 A DDENDUM 2.0 MA- 3 A DVANCED F UNCTIONS Although not technically hidden functions, the following are additional advanced features that are not obvious: • Holding Stop for at least 3 seconds will force the tape to unthread.
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A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 A2- 1 A PPENDIX 2 U SING T HE M20 D ATA S ECTION O F T APE G ENERAL DATA SECTION CONVENTION ON THE M20 The M20 saves setup data to an ADAT tape’s data section using the Alesis BRC Table of Contents (TOC) as a template.
Appendix 2, Using The M20 Data Section Of Tape A2- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 . Song 05/Loc 01 ⇔ Loc 81 Song 05/Loc 02 ⇔ Loc 82 Song 05/Loc 03 ⇔ Loc 83 .
Appendix 2, Using The M20 Data Section Of Tape A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 A2- 3 Auto-Punch/In ⇔ Auto Record/In Pt Auto-Punch/Ot ⇔ Auto Record/Out Pt Loop Enable ⇔ Auto Return Enable Loo.
Appendix 2, Using The M20 Data Section Of Tape A2- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 A3- 1 A PPENDIX 3 M20 T RANSPORT & S YSTEM E RROR M ESSAGES PLAY STATE ERRORS: "QuarterToPlay ERROR" If current speed is assumed to be 1/4x when actua.
Appendix 3, M20 Transport & System Error Messages A3- 2 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 WIND STATE ERRORS: "FORWARD TIMEOUT ERROR 1" Slowdown time from capstan disengaged fast wind t.
Appendix 3, M20 Transport & System Error Messages A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 A3- 3 CAPSTAN STATE TRANSITION ERRORS: "CAPSTAN CONSTANTS ERROR" Default case when loading capstan c.
Appendix 3, M20 Transport & System Error Messages A3- 4 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 DECK STATE TRANSITION ERRORS: "DECK INIT ERROR" Error in deck mode switch when initializing de.
Appendix 3, M20 Transport & System Error Messages A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 A3- 5 OTHER ERRORS MESSAGES: "SUPPLY CAN'T USE TIMER 2" Takes longer than 3 seconds for supply .
Appendix 3, M20 Transport & System Error Messages A3- 6 A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06.
M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 MA- 1 M20 M AJOR F EATURE U PDATE : V ERSION 2 Version 2.00 Features RS-422 (S ONY 9- PIN ) SLAVE OPERATION The Online Source page in the Utility menu now has the “RS-422” parameter added to its choice of online control source settings.
M20 Software Version 2 M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 MA- 2 ID 1 OFFLINE WITH THE CADI REMOTE When the CADI remote is connected to multiple M20 recorders, the ID 1 master can now be taken offline. ID 1 maintains clock and serial control over all slaves (excluding 32-bit ABS time code).
M20 Software Version 2 M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 MA- 3 • Using Tape Offset mode. 1. Tape Offset is enabled, ID 2’s tape offset value is non-zero and user tries to take ID 1 offline: ID 1 offline is not allowed and “ID 2 Tape Offset Not Zero” is temporarily displayed.
M20 Software Version 2 MA- 4 M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 Note the following exceptions when using tapes previously formatted with v1.xx software: • When a version 1.xx formatted tape has tc recorded to it using version 1.xx software, time code discontinuities and non-contiguities in fast wind will not be recognized.
M20 Software Version 2 M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 MA- 5 D IGITAL S CRUB : “D IG S CAN : O N /O FF , NN d B” A Digital Scan page has been added to the Utility pages. This allows the user to have control over digital audio output when in jog/shuttle mode. The output may be attenuated in 6 dB increments (0 dB to –42 dB).
M20 Software Version 2 MA- 6 M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 MIDI T HRU “Soft” MIDI Thru (automatically echoing non-F0 commands) is now defeated in order to accommodate a MIDI closed loop more effectively. N EW U TILITY PAGE ORDER The Utility menu page order in version 2.
M20 Software Version 2 M20 A DDENDUM 2.1 MA- 7 D ECK S TANDBY M ODE A deck standby mode has been added as a user-optional transport load condition. Place the M20 in Deck Standby by pressing the Peak Mode and Stop buttons simultaneously.
An important point after buying a device Alesis ALESIS M20 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Alesis ALESIS M20 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Alesis ALESIS M20 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Alesis ALESIS M20 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Alesis ALESIS M20 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Alesis ALESIS M20, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Alesis ALESIS M20.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Alesis ALESIS M20. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Alesis ALESIS M20 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
