Tascam MMR-8 - Manual (Page 31)

MMR-8 TASCAM MMR-8 Owner’s Manual • Chapter 2 • Installation 31
MIDI Connections
The MMR-8 has MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) In, Out, and Thru connectors. These are used
for sending MIDI Time Code and for controlling the transport via MIDI Machine Control.
The MMR MIDI OUT connector carries a MTC signal generated by the MMR-8 whenever the unit is in
Play. To slave MIDI devices that can follow MTC (MIDI Time Code) to the MMR-8, connect the MMR
MIDI OUT connector to MIDI In port of the external device. The MIDI out signal (and the MIDI
Through signal, if it is set as a second MIDI output) will contain any MMR-8 responses to the MMC
input commands in addition to MTC generated by the MMR-8 from the time code reference source.
The MIDI IN port on the MMR can receive MIDI Machine Control messages for operating the MMR’s
basic transport control functions. The MIDI THRU jack on the MMR will pass through any MIDI signals
appearing at the MMR MIDI IN port.
External Controllers & Bus Connections
In most installations the MMR-8 will be rack mounted in a machine room and thus will either be remote
controlled through slaving to another time code-based machine (typically a VTR) or to a biphase machine
(typically a film transport). Any controller that has a Lynx port can also directly control, or be controlled
by, the MMR-8 (the TimeLine Lynx Keyboard Control Unit and the TimeLine Lynx-2 module are two
examples). There is also a fully featured remote, the TASCAM MM-RC, which is specifically designed to
control multiple MMR units.
Lynx Bus / KCU Connection
The TimeLine Lynx Keyboard Control Unit (KCU) can be used with the MMR-8. Multiple units may be
daisy-chained using either of the two LYNX connectors as input. The other LYNX connector could be
tied to another MMR-8, or to a Lynx module for controlling other tape machine transports. The Lynx
KCU can control a total of up to six machines.
MMR Sync Bus Connections
The real power of the MMR system comes into play when multiple MMR-8s are tied together using the
MMR Bus to create larger “virtual” audio playback machines. The MMR bus supports up to 100 MMR-
8s, all tied together to create up to an 800-track playback system that could be controlled by a single
MMR-8, MM-RC Remote, Lynx KCU, or other machine remote controller.
The MMR Bus connects each MMR-8 using a 15-pin connector located on the SYNC card connector on
the MMR back panel. Two DB-15 connectors are provided on the back of each MMR-8 so that multiple
machines can be daisy-chained together. The system is auto terminating. To add MMR-8 units to the
system, connect a cable from the last unit in the chain to the new unit.
The MMR Bus is made active on each machine by choosing the MMR Master or Slave setting in Setup
Menu 110, MMR Bus Request. All of the MMR-8s that are tied together can then be software divided
(Setup Menu 100) into four Sync Groups, each featuring fully independent control within their group. All
of the MMR machines that are connected, Online, and set to the same sync group can then be controlled
together. The MMR Bus thus turns three MMR-8s into a single 24-track machine, six MMR-8s into a
48-track machine, and so on up to 100 MMR-8s functioning as a single 800-track machine. Any MMR-8
tied onto the MMR bus can also be individually taken off-line and controlled locally at any time.
Recorders can be added or dropped from Sync Groups using the Online key on the front panel.