Record Status turns off on all channels

[Abba Lustgarten]

I have just gotten a TASCAM Model 12 and I think it will really be great for my needs.
My main purpose is to use it as a live mixer during band performances and also record all tracks at the same time for review and remix later.

I thought that it would be useful to create a series of songs before a performance, with recognizable names. The songs are empty but they have names and settings.
Just before performing a song, I use the MENU/SONG/LOAD function to find the song, select and load it.
Then press the main "record" button, and off we go.

The problem I am having is that as soon as I load a song, the "REC" setting is turned off on all tracks. So I have to re-select the tracks that I want to record (which is not normally all of them, but mostly stays the same between songs. This means going across the board and pressing the "REC" on each track to light it up.

It seems that creating a new song also turns off "REC" on all tracks.

*** Is there a way to make the "REC" status of the channels stay the same when going from one song to another? ***
Or is there a different workflow that might make more sense?

I am guessing that turning off all channels is meant as a safety, to avoid accidentally overwriting tracks when it is not intended. So force the user to deliberately select the tracks to write. But it seems like a nuisance to me.

 

[Phil Tipping]

Welcome to the forum. I don't have a Model 12 but dis-arming (un-arming?) REC status on all tracks sounds a sensible option to me.
Imagine you've carried out the recordings and then load up a song later on to process it... if you hadn't explicitly dis-armed the tracks at the time, they would still be armed, so that's an accident waiting to happen.
Re. workflow, I think yours is a good idea to prepare separate songs ahead of time. So often, we get asked how to split up a long session into individual songs when the user had just left the machine recording for hours on end. It's not easy to do, at least not on the DP series, so imo it's better to plan ahead, and just put up with the 'hassle' of arming tracks each time.

 

[Max Relic]

Hi @Abba Lustgarten, your workflow looks pretty logical and practical, considering how many little details may need to be adjusted in a song before eventually press REC.
As @Phil Tipping pointed out, having the REC buttons deactivated when a song is loaded is a safety measure for peace of mind.
It's easy to write down a reminder on paper (or on the phone FWIW) of which tracks must be rec armed for each song, and pressing the REC buttons shouldn't be considered a time consuming task on the Model 12.

 

[shredd]

Agreed. Loading a song that has already-recorded tracks in place with [REC] armed absolutely ensures disaster. And not even a sound backup strategy will save you every time!!!

Not that my opinion means flock-all, but seems to me: having to arm the appropriate/desired tracks for every song is a VERY minimal nuisance compared to what goes on in a typical band practice or gig!!!