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Author Topic: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder  (Read 111184 times)

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Offline Carlos E. Martinez

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #45 on: April 11, 2013, 08:24:22 AM »
I have opened another thread about using this Tascam and other 4-channel recorders on double-system recording setups. 

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=161774.0

The idea is to use a timecode generator, like the Horita PG-2100 ($ 260), to inject a TC signal on one 1/8" input, low enough so as not to bleed into the other tracks. Also on the DSLR camera audio input.

Then to use that signal to sync video and audio on an NLE such as Avid, where you can use it.

This is an old idea, that I did try in DAT and MD recorders, and it does work. The problem is on the NLE end.

In any case, what I didn't like so much about this Tascam is that the mic amp circuits are not as good as they might be, as those chips do not qualify that well.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #46 on: April 11, 2013, 07:22:23 PM »
Quote
the mic amp circuits are not as good as they might be, as those chips do not qualify that well.
Tascam reps here and elsewhere seem to suggest they are better than in their other small recorders (define "better"!) so presumably they should be no disaster - and bear in mind the price. 

Tascam reps are also mentioning on youtube videos that the clock is higher grade than normal to avoid drift when manually syncing to video.

Mine arrives on Monday, just as some renovations are starting on my house, so I may not be able to report much about it for a few days.  Unfortunately I have no way to test the timecode idea (not having a tc generator).
« Last Edit: April 11, 2013, 07:24:24 PM by Ozpeter »

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #47 on: April 15, 2013, 05:58:30 AM »
Well, it's arrived and as I expected, I haven't got a chance to do much with it right away, but here's some immediate impressions before I even get to turn it on! -

It's a robust-looking piece of kit, and it's correspondingly heavier than I expected.  Mounted beneath my Panasonic GH1 on a bracket that also takes a Rode Stereo Video Mic, it's crying out for a tripod rather than being inviting to use hand-held.  This isn't really a criticism, I'm just trying to make it clear that it's not any kind of toy, and its size and weight point to it being designed for serious videographers rather than casual use.

I've also tried it with the Rode mic fixed above the recorder, omitting the camera, to make a hand-held one piece recording device - like the usual "shavers" but with my own choice of mic, not the often-dubious built in ones.  That's not too bad for combined weight, but the display angle is not ideal unless the outfit is held rather higher than you would hold a device of the normal form factor.

For a table-top device it should work pretty well,  except again the display is vertical and on a table you'd want a bit of an angle towards you.  However in that scenario it would be easy to mount it to a low mini-tripod and angle it on the tripod's adjustable head.

All in all it's a nicely designed piece of kit, which looks like it should have been bigger (maybe like an FR2??) but has been shrunk down for video applications. The handles either side not only provide a strap attachment point, but also enable you to put it face down without any of the controls touching the surface it's placed on.

Ah yes - another slight irritation - the screw thread under the device is recessed too far.  The bracket I want to mount it on has a screw too short to mate to the device's thread.

So, that's my first thoughts - maybe tomorrow I'll have five spare minutes to actually turn it on!

Offline Govt Mule

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #48 on: April 15, 2013, 03:30:42 PM »
Interesting device.  Am I just missing it or does this recorder NOT have a way to power it externally?

Four AA batteries(Alkaline or NI-MH),
USB bus power,
Dedicated AC adapter(TASCAM PS-P515U, sold separately),
Dedicated external battery pack(TASCAM BP-6AA, sold separately)


I just left B&H the external power is only $29.98. And take s a few AAs. They were in stock, but I had mine shipped home to avoid tax and not to have to deal with it in an already crowed bag.  The staff there said raved about the box even knowing I was prepared to spend more.  Can't wait to run it soon.   FYI it was $350 out the door.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2013, 01:31:27 AM by Govt Mule »
Water tastes funny when you're far from your home, But it's only the thirsty that hunger to roam.- John Prine

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #49 on: April 15, 2013, 08:23:12 PM »
Another minor negative, still prior to turning on (!) - to drop a track mark when recording, you press the data dial in.  This (unlike any other button on the front) makes a pronounced click sound (acoustically, not electrically) which in some situations would be a nuisance.  For instance, when sitting within earshot of an audience at a classical concert and dropping marks between movements of a work etc.  If they'd used the silently operating "play" button for marking instead, the problem would have been avoided.

Offline fguidry

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #50 on: April 16, 2013, 06:53:21 PM »
Stepped preamp gain control?

Fran

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #51 on: April 16, 2013, 07:50:30 PM »
Knobs freely rotate.  Still not switched on!!  Trying to restore tech systems after major household works.

Offline kenyee

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #52 on: April 16, 2013, 09:02:44 PM »
Still not switched on!!

LOL...tape yourself fixing stuff so we can get an idea of the mics :-)

Offline fguidry

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #53 on: April 18, 2013, 05:58:53 PM »
Knobs freely rotate.  Still not switched on!!  Trying to restore tech systems after major household works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Kl-7vmShkgs

02:10 or so he demos the stepped nature of the input level control.

Fran

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #54 on: April 18, 2013, 07:58:33 PM »
At last, I've turned it on!

I made a quick recording in the garden with a Rode SVM mounted on top of the recorder.  At the end I faded it off, and no clicks were audible.  Yes, it's stepped, I can hear that listening to a steady sound (tumble drier and washing machine going!) but it's not a big deal in real use.  The steps appear finer than with the R44's steps.  I'll try and post the samples later.  I also recorded indoors - the dogs eating their breakfast, would you believe...

Noise level on 3&4 seems fine, subjectively, in these initial tests.  Of course the SVM mic is not the world's quietest.  I'll try a night-time test with a Sennheiser MKH MS rig as soon as I can.

Display is a bit small but that's a consequence of including the range of physical controls on the front of a compact body.

Offline kenyee

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DSLRFilmNoob recordings
« Reply #55 on: April 21, 2013, 05:38:44 PM »
FYI, DSLRFilmNoob did some audio samples.  Sounds ok to me on headphones and you do hear the slight clicking when bumping volume via the knobs:
http://www.dslrfilmnoob.com/2013/04/21/tascam-dr-60d-audio-testing/


Offline swaneon

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #56 on: April 21, 2013, 06:54:53 PM »
I'm thinking about getting this, the dr40 or a juicedlink
I'm leaning heavily toward this because it should have better preamps than the dr40, and can record straight into camera like juicedlink +get audio backup correct?


and do you guys think i should sell my marantz 661 to get another one?
I have an SD Mix Pre D so no need for marantz preamps

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #57 on: April 21, 2013, 07:34:33 PM »
The key thing about the Tascam device is that you are not dependent on the often not-too-good audio input of your camera.  The JL device is fine if your camera doesn't mess up the recording from the JL's output.  For instance, my camera has no input control apart from auto level, which is far from ideal. 

I am still having difficulty finding the time to do much testing of the DR-60D but here, for what they are worth, are a couple of ambient samples.  Both are recorded via the 3.5 input jack (ch 3 and 4) from a Rode Stereo Video Mic attached to the top of the recorder, hence a little handling noise.  The gain of the Tascam was set to high, and the input knob full up.  Both files have been normalised and converted to mp3, otherwise unprocessed.  Note that plugin power was off, this being a self powered mic.

First sample - http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/9/22/1451533/Tascam%20garden.mp3

Recorded in a suburban, not very quiet, garden.  The mic was protected from the light wind by a "dead kitten".  As the file is normalised you shouldn't listen to it at levels greater than you would play a music track, for an authentic experience.  After about 3 minutes I faded it off using the Tascam's fader - listen for any clicks.  During the fade one of our dogs barks, giving a full scale peak, but bear in mind this was after the level had been faded somewhat, so the bark is actually quieter than it really was in proportion to the background ambience of the earlier part.

Second sample - http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/9/22/1451533/Tascam%20dogs%20dinner.mp3

When I went back indoors the dogs were eating their dinner (two of them) and this was recorded at the same levels etc as the previous sample, but it was normalised separately - correct replay level will be a little lower than the previous sample.  For an authentic level replay, it should sound no louder than you would expect two not-big dogs to sound when chomping on their dinner!  It was faded in on the Tascam faders.  Note that they don't fade to nothing so it starts audible, not silent.  They are for level setting rather than fading in and out - the assumption is that the recording will be post-processed to achieve total fades if required.  It's easier to hear any mic and preamp noise on this.  I would expect the mic to be more noisy than the preamp.

I don't know how much you can really judge by these recordings but for me they show that the noise levels of the Tascam are not bad.  Whether they are actually good will be seen when I have the chance to do  a clock-tick test using a really good mic, in comparison with the the same test on an R44 (should show whether the Tascam preamps are significantly better or worse than the R44).
« Last Edit: April 21, 2013, 07:38:05 PM by Ozpeter »

Offline kenyee

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #58 on: April 21, 2013, 09:27:29 PM »
listen for any clicks
...
It's easier to hear any mic and preamp noise on this.  I would expect the mic to be more noisy than the preamp.

FWIW, I didn't hear clicks in the first sample or any noise.  The airplane and duck were fairly clear :-)

Definitely noise on the 2nd sample though...guess the mic is noisy.
The DR60D's preamps seem good from the first sample if you really had the input knob cranked all the way up.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam DR-60D - 4 Channel recorder
« Reply #59 on: April 21, 2013, 11:23:18 PM »
The Rode is specced at Equivalent Noise Level (A-weighted)   20dB-A, which is around the point where a mic starts to be classified as not very quiet - though in practical use (apart from nature recording) it's no disaster.

 

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