Alesis ALESIS M20 manual

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 2.10 A DDENDUM  1999 A LESIS C ORPORATION[...]

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 ................................................................................................ vii Please follow these precautions when using this product: ..[...]

Table of Contents ii A LESIS M20 R EFERENCE M ANUAL 1.06 3.3 Editing Conventions ...................................................................................................................... 4 Tape Formatting ............................................................................................... 1 4.1 Sample Rate Selection ........[...]

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 ....................................................................................................... 9 8.8c Set Auto Punch Points “On the Fly?[...]

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) ......................................................................................................... 3 13.10 Search Enable (Page 10[...]

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 ..................................................................................... 6 16.3c Tape 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. This symbol warns the user of uninsulated voltage within the unit that can cause [...]

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. The wide blade or the third prong is provided for your safety. When the provided plug do[...]

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. Ce symbole avertit l’utilisateur de la prèsence d’une tension n[...]

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. Si vous remarquez une[...]

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. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interf[...]

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 declares, that the product: Product Name: M20 Product Type: Modular Digital Multitrack Recorder conforms to the following Standards: Application of Coun[...]

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. It is compatible with the ADAT format used with several other digital recorders (Alesis ADAT, ADAT XT, LX20, and XT20; Studer V-Eight; Fostex RD-8 and CX-8; and Panasonic M[...]

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. Some carriers have restrictions on shipping electronic equipment without [...]

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. 1.4 L INE C ONDITIONERS AND P ROTECTORS Although the M20 tolerates typical voltage variations, the AC line voltage may contain spikes or transients that[...]

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. The M20 provides 10 pairs of XLR connectors (8 pairs for audio in/out, 1 pair for the auxili[...]

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. Also remember that heat shortens the life of electronic equipment. Please observe th[...]

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. The left readout shows the current tape loc[...]

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: 2.2 A P UNCH F OOTSWITCH This allows foot-controlled punch in and out. Use a momentary footswitch, either normally- open or normally-closed (the M20 senses the type on power-up and calibrates its[...]

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. When editing a parameter value, pre[...]

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. Instead of having to key in something like 0 - 0 - 9, you can simply key in 9, then press Enter[...]

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. If there are multiple pages, the main display’s left side shows the current page number; repeatedly pressing the associated button cycles through the page[...]

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. Enabling Edit mode (button lit) allows editing parameter values for the functions grouped with the Edit button: Track Delay, Tape Offset, SMPTE Chase, Internal Gen, Format, Pre-Roll, Post-Roll, A[...]

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. This provides tight sy[...]

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 44.1 kHz to avoid sample rate conversion. • If mixing the tape throu[...]

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. A pull-down is available with a 29.97 fps SMPTE rate only. Use pull-up or [...]

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. Never use standard VHS tapes. “Exercise” the tape: Before formatting, fast forward the tape to the end and rewind it to even out the tape pack and swee[...]

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. • Regardless of the current sampl[...]

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. To lock out formatting: Operation You press… You see… Select safe function Ed[...]

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. • 1 analog Aux track. This track records audio inf[...]

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). The Input Enable button toggles between monitoring the input signal or monitori[...]

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. This is particularly useful when mixing. Operation You press… You see… Place all tra[...]

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. Setting[...]

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. Audio data always appears simultaneously a[...]

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. With 8 buses, direct outs or a patch bay, run each bus out to it[...]

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. If digital source = ADAT Optical: Any [...]

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. Example : if ADAT op[...]

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. The Aux Routing feature allows you to automatically mix other[...]

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. 7.1 M ETER M ODE S ELE[...]

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. Scaling determines whether the meter range is -72 dB to 0 (Normal; this is the d[...]

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. 8.1 A BOUT THE T APE C OUNTER The tape counter, located on th[...]

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. If the tape is… Pressing Play causes… You see… Stopped Playback Play button lights steadily Playing No change (playback continues) Play button lights steadily Formatting No change (f[...]

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. Action… Result… You see… Turn wheel clockwise Tape moves fo[...]

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.g., to find a particular point on the tape of a slave ADAT only). In this case, yo[...]

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 Tape stops prior to ejection Tape exits cassette well, eject button lights Eject on Master deck (ID 1) Master and slave tapes eject Tape stops prior [...]

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 13.4) is enabled or disabled. You press… If tape is stopped If tape is moving You see… Record, and while holding, press Play Recording begins Recording begins Record butto[...]

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. The M20 senses the write- protect tab status. If the tape is writ[...]

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. You first must set auto-punch points, then enable t[...]

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). Operation You press… You see… Enable Auto Record Auto Record button Auto Record button ligh[...]

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. These poi[...]

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). Store Locate Point Set Locate b[...]

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. Operation You press… You see… Show start locate point Edit button followed by the Auto Return button Display shows Start Point location Choose start locate point Up/Down b[...]

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). Setting post-roll = 0 causes the tape to locate to[...]

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 9.3). Pressing the Locate/Play footswitch w[...]

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). The vari[...]

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. The buttons described in sections 11.6 through 11.9 are part of the Edit button group toward the M20’s lower left under the meter display and track arming button[...]

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. • 24 film • 25 European (PAL)[...]

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. Setting this parameter to ABS Time generates time code only if there is a valid, ADAT-formatted tape in the tran[...]

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). The selected display option (just below the display digits) shows one of the following times: • SMPTE In Incoming time code ?[...]

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. With Frame-Lock mode, the M20 will relocate to i[...]

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. If you press Int Gen when TC S[...]

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. • With ABS Time (keypad 0), the internal generator’s start addres[...]

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. and may be displayed by an appropriate SMPTE time[...]

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 Selected field flashes Change sign (+ to add offset, - to subtract) Up/Down buttons Flashing sign changes from (+) to (-) Change numeric field value Enter t[...]

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. Maximum delay time is 170.0 ms at 48 kHz and 185.0 ms at 44.1 kHz, adjustable in 0.1 ms steps[...]

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. The All Input button selects al[...]

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. Selecting All means [...]

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. This could come from another M20 or a data storage device. Action to perform… Display shows… With Page 5 selected, press Yes Rdy to Recv Sysex Dump Initiate [...]

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.e. corrupted MIDI file, equi[...]

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. 13.1 D IGITAL O UT (P AG[...]

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. Note:[...]

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 - 1.365 seconds. At 44.1 kHz, the crossfade values range from 5.8 ms - 1.486 seconds. Default is[...]

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). Moving the Jog/Shuttle wheel or pressing the Search button (it lights solid) automatica[...]

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. The display then sho[...]

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). In any mode other than Play or Record, the display reads ----. Sync block errors are no[...]

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. • Autolocation functions: Locate 1, Locate 2, Locate 3, Locate 4, Set Locate and Auto Loop • Track functions: Auto Record and Rehearse[...]

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. TUTORIAL 1: M ULTIPLE M20 O PERATION O VERVIEW Because the M20 is ADAT-compatible, it can work together with up to 16 other ADA[...]

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). If you then turn on machine 1, the machines will renumber themselves so that machine 1 becomes the master (ID 1), and machines 2 and 3 become the slaves (ID 2 and 3, respectively[...]

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. M ASTER F ORMAT E NABLED , C OMPLETE F ORMAT If the mas[...]

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 slave’s Format indicator is off: • If the slave tape is unformatted, the slave plays, but the Time counter reads “noFo” (no format) while flas[...]

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. Alesis recommends creating a backup whenever you have irreplaceable material on tape. Synchroniz[...]

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. In this ca[...]

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 than an ADAT-compatible device requires a digital audio interface, like the Otari UFC-24 or Kurzweil DMTi, or inserting an Alesis EC-1 AES/EBU interface[...]

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). When locat[...]

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. As a result, the output was the same polarity as the input, so no phase problems were possible when using [...]

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. As a result, it is im[...]

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. The fastest way to update the software is to go to the[...]

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, however you will need adapters like the following: Note that it is probable that unbalanced lines will not have enough level to drive the M20 to ful[...]

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. It is[...]

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. Since a slave can’t follow two masters, the slight ti[...]

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. The other is the “ticking” of the watch several times per second. Co[...]

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. If[...]

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. But more often, tapes were recorded at diff[...]

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 11.7c). This is used when you want to issue time code from the M20 based on the ABS time plus an offset, usually to record on the TC track of the M20 and/or an exte[...]

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 is primarily a location reference, though it may also be used as a reference clock if necessary, because its sig[...]

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). If your project is supp[...]

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.e., no one is providing you with a video tape already striped with time code), and [...]

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. Using different options in steps 2, 3, and 4 above, you could generate time code that’s in lock-step with the ABS time of the M20, that start[...]

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. If all time codes equal the same [...]

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. 8 Press PLAY and RECORD. At this point, the M20 is reco[...]

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. It is possible to damage your heads and other sensitive parts of your ADAT whenever the cov[...]

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. Dry cleaning tapes are simply VHS video tapes purpose[...]

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. The safest and most effective cleaning is performed using a hydroentangled polyester wipe ( Techclean® Wiper #2350, available from Tech Spray) soaked in pure 99% anhydrous (water free) [...]

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. However, these same symptoms may appear in an M20 with clean heads if[...]

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.e. a cool dry place. If you do archive your tapes, you need to check them once a year[...]

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. Pleas[...]

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. The display will[...]

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. • Double-clicking the Fast Forward or Rewind button (pressing the button twice within 500 mi[...]

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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. In other words, the M20 will only save and recall a TOC for those locate points and parameter[...]

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 . . . Song 05/Loc 17 ⇔ Loc 97 Song 05/Loc 18 ⇔ (Not Recalled) Song 05/Loc 19 ⇔ (Not Recalled) Song 05/Loc 20 ⇔ (Not Recalled) Song 05/Loc 21 ⇔ (Not Recalled) Song 05/Loc 2[...]

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 Loop/St ⇔ Auto Return/Strt Pt Loop/En ⇔ Auto Return/End Pt Auto Input Enable ⇔ Auto Input Enable Auto Play Enable ⇔ Auto Play Enable Pitch Contro[...]

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 actually not "Track Skip timeout error" Track skipping not completed within 6 seconds "ERROR: StopPoint default" Default case when calc[...]

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 to capstan engaged wind exceeds 3 sec "REWIND TIMEOUT ERROR 1" Slowdown time from capstan disengaged fast wind to capstan engaged wind exceed[...]

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 constants "CAP PWM TO SERVO SWITCH" When capstan is not off when switching to servo control "NO CAPSTAN FGs ERROR 1" No capstan tac[...]

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 deck mode "DECK MODE ERROR" Error in deck mode switch during deck monitoring "DECK MODE TIMEOUT ERROR" Deck does not reach destinati[...]

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 tach to use timer resource "TAKEUP CAN'T USE TIMER 2" Takes longer than 3 seconds for takeup tach to use timer resource "LT CAN&ap[...]

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. Two new utility pages have also been added to facilitate RS-422 slave track arming operatio[...]

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). Using a CADI, when ID 1 is offline, its transport remains idle while the CAD[...]

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. 2. ID 1 is offline, ID 2’s tape offset value is non-zero and the user tries to e[...]

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. In this case, the M20 will extrapolate t[...]

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). Note the following when using Aux[...]

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 2.00 has changed as follows: Utility Pages 1 Dig Out 14 Mute Until Lock 2 Online Source 15[...]

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. In this mode, the cassette remains loaded in the transport and the tape is completely withdrawn into the cassette[...]