Hold down the "Shift" key and press F1. This will create a new song template called a "Project," onto which you'll record. Press the F2 button to select the sample rate you want to use. The default setting is 44.1k which is the standard for CDs and works well for most recording situations. Press F5, then the "Enter/Yes" button to confirm that you want to create a new project.
Connect a microphone to the XLR input jack on the recorder. If you're recording an electric instrument, such as a guitar, connect an instrument cable to the 1/4-inch input jack. Press the "IN 1-12" button and raise the Channel 1 fader to 0dB. You can now adjust the input level of your instrument or voice by pressing "F1" and adjusting the input sensitivity control knob as you sing or play. As you adjust the level, check the input meter display and make sure that the loudest peaks are in the -4 to -12 range. If the peaks go over 0dB, lower the input level to avoid clipping the signal. Clipping cuts off everything above this threshold and results in a harsh digital distortion that should be avoided.
Arm Track 1 to record by pressing the "Track Status 1" button. When the button flashes red, press the "Record" button. This also will flash red, signifying that the recorder is in record-ready mode. When you're ready to perform, press the "Play" button. The flashing red lights will turn solid red, indicating that recording has begun.
Press the "Stop" button when you've finished your performance. To listen to a playback of the recorded rack, first press the "Zero" button to return to the beginning of the track. Then press the "Play" button and adjust the Track1 fader level until the volume is at a comfortable listening level. If you're not satisfied with the result, simply repeat the procedure. When you do this, the new performance will simply overwrite the previous one.
Arm Track 2 to record, just as you did with the first track, and record your next performance. Continue this overdubbing process to build your song piece by piece. The VS-2400 has 24 tracks, which allows you to add guitars, keyboards, percussion, lead and harmony vocals and still have tracks to spare.
Mix your recorded tracks into one stereo file. This mixing is done in the "Mastering Room" of the recorder and will create a file that can be burned to a CD. Press the "CD-RW Mastering" button, then F1, setting Mastering Room to "On" and the status to "Record." Press the "Record" button, then "Play," just as you did when recording. Adjust the volume level faders of each track to achieve a cohesive mix of instruments and voices. When the song is over, press the "Stop" button, change the status to "Play" and listen to your mix.
Burn a CD of your mix. As with the mixdown function, this is done in the Mastering Room of the VS-2400 by pressing the "CD-RW Mastering" button. Press the "F2 button," insert a blank CD, press "Enter" and set the desired CD speed. The slowest speed is x4, which will take longer to burn than x8 or x16, but slower speeds tend to produce less errors. Press "F5," which will display the prompt: "CD Track No. OK?" Press "Yes" three times to begin the burning of your CD. At the end of the process, your completed CD will be ejected automatically.