Help on Tascam DP-03 porta studio

[Billy T]

Hello, I am wanting to learn how to send a single track from my Tascam dp-03 unit to my computer. I have acquire to the appropriate USB cord for this. Have read through manual and made one backup to my computer system. Yes I see the 3 folders Backup, Utility and Wave. I see a single file has been sent but when I left click to listen to it a message appears indicating my audio player does not recognize this file extension. Must this be converted to a wav file prior to sending backup? Well if so I can not find instructions in the owners manual. I understand back up and restore for this system but should I have exported or imported instead. what am i not understanding here? All I want to do is be able to work on a song with tracks and be able to send to other musicians to hear a project underway. Any help is greatly appreciated. I am operating Windows 10 with its standard audio playback should I upgrade to another

 

[mdr1]

Hi, I have DP-008EX, not DP-03, but I believe they behave the same way with regards to exchanging files with a computer.

What exactly do you mean when you write that you "made one backup"? You want to make a track export, see page 68, section "Exporting tracks" in DP-03's manual. Perhaps you made a song backup instead?

 

[Billy T]

Thanks for response, Yes I did create a backup and in reading the manual again and seeing your response I realize that it is the export tracks instructions that need to be paid attention too. My first thought was that since the tracks/song was not finished I could just backup and open or send to another listener. A backup is just that and the track/song can be restored back to the DP-03 system. (noticing that a wav file is not created through backup process but done so via export method). Just starting my day and will perform export procedure a little bit later today and speak of results when done. I appreciate the assistance thus far and may have more for other procedures, good to have a forum like this since I can stumble along the way. Thank you and stay tuned!

 

[Billy T]

To Karma: Well I reread my owners manual for DP-03 and understood the need for converting the Files stored initially in the MTR partition of this system and necessary to convert to WAV file in the FAT partition. Instructions are not available in the manual for doing this but was able to find a set of instructions online where it indicates to simply push menu button and turn the data wheel until I find WAV! To no avail the WAV the command simply does not exist in this area. I have searched all possibilities through the menu and I cannot find the section that would have this command. Need help on this issue what am I not seeing or doing correctly to simply convert a single track to WAV and then export to my computer. Thanks again for any assistance of this topic. Cannot move forward until the task is completed

 

[Mark Richards]

@Billy T
You may have notice that the moderators moved your thread to the proper forum. When you post in the correct forum, you're much more likely to get multiple owners responding to your questions.

...how to send a single track from my Tascam dp-03 unit to my computer...be able to work on a song with tracks and be able to send to other musicians to hear a project underway...[now] I realize that it is the export tracks instructions that need to be paid attention too

I don't own one of these small portastudios, so I'm afraid I can't speak to your issue specifically from personal use.

As a general statement, portastudios use the Export function to convert a track to a .wav file. Once created, that .wav file can be copied to and played on a computer; imported to another portastidio; or imported to a D.A.W. You should be able to export all the tracks, just one, or just a few of your choice.

As @mdr1 indicted above, your owner manual has clear and specific instruction steps on how to perform the Export function. The instructions should also indicate the folder on your DP-03 SD card in which the Export function creates and saves the .wav file.

Your owner manual should also have specific instructions for connecting your DP-03 to a computer via USB. Typically, once a portastudio is connected to a computer via USB, the computer sees the portatudio folders in the computer's file manager program, and you then simply copy the exported .wav file(s) to the computer from the SD card folder in which the Export function created and saved the .wav file(s).

 

[Billy T]

To Mark Richards, Thanks for your response and have read your insightful comments especially the last paragraph. But the dilemma still exists on how to convert the MTR files stored on the Portastudio DP-03 to wav files . Supposedly there is a MTR folderAnd FAT folder on the SD Card when using the system. In reading the manual there is note that says "Confirm that you have copied all the files that you want to transfer to a computer to the FAT partition before connecting the and the computer by USB" , well realizing that, how do I find that command on the DP-03. I have searched every where on this little unit and this function does not appear. Thanks for you assistance Mark and if there is any else familiar with my dilemma please chime in to help. It must be right under my nose. thanks again

 

[Phil Tipping]

Maybe different wording may help?

A computer is only able to 'see' the FAT part of the sd-card. The other MTR parts are 'private' so conventional computer operating systems like MS Windows and Mac OS cannot even 'see' them, let alone copy files to/from them.

The DP-03 only records & plays back audio using the MTR parts. This means you have to run a utility on the DP-03 (called Export) to convert files on the MTR part into standard wave files in the FAT part. That FAT part is only there for the benefit of transferring files to & from a computer. It is of no use to any songs on the sd-card.

I cannot find the exact phrase you mentioned in the manual, but the intention is that you should do the conversions (i.e. run Export) on all tracks which you want to transfer *before* connecting to the computer via USB.

If you connect to a computer before doing the exports, the computer will not be able to see any files as they have not been created yet... and all the while the USB link is connected, you cannot run any commands on the DP-03 so will be unable to run the Export utility. So it's important you do the operations in the right order.

Update: The Export utility is described in the manual under
Section: Exchanging Data with a Computer, Sub-section: Exporting tracks
Here are the first few steps:

1 When the recorder is stopped, press the MENU button to open the MENU screen.

2 Turn the DATA wheel to select IMPORT/EXPORT, and press the F4 button to open the IMPORT/EXPORT menu.

3 Turn the DATA wheel to select the EXPORT item, and press the F4 button.

I won't list the remaining steps here, but just follow them and the tracks will end up as wave files in the FAT part of the sd-card
... all assuming of course that you have a FAT partition on the card, and that it is big enough.
See section: SD Card Management

Hope that helps.

 

[Billy T]

Hello Again to Phillip and Mark on this thread involving the DP-03 issue of converting to a WAV file. Firstly I was thinking that I could work in sending multiple songs(got ahead of myself in this way of thinking), and secondly I didn't check the box labeled TRK 1 noticing that this not the name I gave the song. I was specifically looking for "song name first". So I checked the box TRK! ane I was able to export two named songs and send over to my computer and look in the WAV folder. Yes there was success but these two songs come in as lone files both called TRK1. In Portastudio with SD card being read they both have names. Any thoughts what is occurring in this instance? Much thanks two both of you techies who have assisted me in performing this task. I am not the most computer savvy individual but I'll sure give things a try. Much more to learn on the Portastudio but I do have plans and goals to meet for myself let alone improving on my instrument the guitar. Thanks again and let me know what might be happening since my two songs are both called TRK1 in the WAV folder.
Billy T

 

[Billy T]

Hey guys I found the command to name the song! Under my nose again, Talk care and talk soon
Billy T