Topic: Tascam HD-P2 Compatable CF Cards

[smokydays]

Just wanted to start a thread to have all the compatable CF cards for the HD-P2 in one spot.  I'm in the market and some real world experience would be great.  It would be nice to have them all in one spot too.  Thanks!   

[OOK]

The following is a list pulled from Tascam:

Lexar-  CF-***40,  CF-***80  Professional

SanDisk-  SDCFB-***,  SDCFH-***,  Ultra 2SDCFK-***,  Extreme III

I/O-  CF40-**,  CF85-**

Buffalo-  RCF-GP***

Hitachi-  3K4-2MicroDrive, 3K4-4MicroDrive

Delkin,  ***eFilm Pro

I believe you can also add transend as well, feel free to help with others....JK

[JasonSobel]

I've had no problems with the PQI 8 gig CF card (100x).  although the HD-P2 speed tests say that it's not good for stereo 24/192, only up to 24/96.  I've been using the card since July '06 at 24/96 with zero problems, so I'd definitely say its an option.

[darby]

Kingston 45X 4 gig is all I have ever used
and have had no problems

but I am only doing 24/48

[KeithE]

Whichever cards you decide on you would do well not to skimp here.  A few extra quid (or bucks) is great peace of mind that your one shot interview or gig is safely in the bag on rock solid media, regardless of the conditions.  We use Sandisk Extreme III 4gig CFs with the Tascam, reformatting the cards after file dumping to the G5.

-keithe
www.studioscotland.co.uk (multimedia)
www.studioscotlandtv.com (web movies)
www.studioscotland.com (production)

[todd e]

i use this too, no problems at all, assuming that i clean it off first.....

"PQI 8 gig CF card (100x)"

[Brian Skalinder]

i use this too, no problems at all, assuming that i clean it off first.....

"PQI 8 gig CF card (100x)"

FWIW, I experienced this set of issues with my PQI 8 GB card.  Granted, only happened one time (my 2nd use of the card) and I didn't ever nail down the root cause, but made me nervous enough I didn't want to use my PQI card any longer.  YMMV.

Edit to add:  I think I probably corrupted the CF card by removing the card before unmounting.

[macdaddy]

how about the 16gig cards..?

which ones do we know work..?

[JasonSobel]

how about the 16gig cards..?

which ones do we know work..?

well, I've been using a SanDisck Extreme III 16 gig card.  there seems to be some issue with the HD-P2 going haywire when the card gets to be half full.  for me, it just freezes completely.  the card isn't corrupted or anything, just the deck completely locks up when it's exactly 8 gigs full and I try to record.  at this point, I'm hoping for Tascam to release a firmware upgrade to be able to record past 8 gigs on the 16 gig cards... see this thread for some more discussion about that:
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,87480.0.html

[JackoRoses]

I'm having some computer issues that are proving elusive to pinpoint so I haven't even had a chance to work on that card any more Jason.
I was hoping to be on that project this week by now but this other quirk is slowing progress.
Did you ever contact Tascam yet? Or did they say they are working on a new firmware for it?
I think it's safe to say you and I stumbled on something though because it seems too much of a coinkydink we both experienced basically the same thing.

[smokydays]

Compatable card:
PQI High Speed 120 4GB

Never had an issue with this one.

[Gordon]

Kingston 45X 4 gig is all I have ever used
and have had no problems

but I am only doing 24/48

has anyone used these doing 24/96??  folks said they work with the 671 so i bought one as I was getting a 671.  now I got the p2 and can't find info on these and 24/96.

[macdaddy]

since the thread got bumped...

jason - any progress yet with the 16gig card..?

[Dutchman1101]

Kingston 45X 4 gig is all I have ever used
and have had no problems

but I am only doing 24/48

has anyone used these doing 24/96??  folks said they work with the 671 so i bought one as I was getting a 671.  now I got the p2 and can't find info on these and 24/96.

It should gordon. You can do a speed test. I'd do some tests first but it should work. I've always used my Kingstons at 24/48.

Hope that helps.

Harrison

[JasonSobel]

Kingston 45X 4 gig is all I have ever used
and have had no problems

but I am only doing 24/48

has anyone used these doing 24/96??  folks said they work with the 671 so i bought one as I was getting a 671.  now I got the p2 and can't find info on these and 24/96.

It should gordon. You can do a speed test. I'd do some tests first but it should work. I've always used my Kingstons at 24/48.

Hope that helps.

Harrison

a friend of mine (who isn't really on ts.com much) uses a Kingston 45X (8 gig card) at 24/96 in his HD-P2 with no problems.

[Gordon]

Kingston 45X 4 gig is all I have ever used
and have had no problems

but I am only doing 24/48

has anyone used these doing 24/96??  folks said they work with the 671 so i bought one as I was getting a 671.  now I got the p2 and can't find info on these and 24/96.

It should gordon. You can do a speed test. I'd do some tests first but it should work. I've always used my Kingstons at 24/48.

Hope that helps.

Harrison

a friend of mine (who isn't really on ts.com much) uses a Kingston 45X (8 gig card) at 24/96 in his HD-P2 with no problems.

did a speed test in the hd-p2 and it says it's good up to 24/192.  just did a cass transfer (coax in from the V3 at 24/96) and it was just fine.

[coloartist]

I have a 12gb Sandisk Extreme III .

The deck reads the card as 12.0gb but it crashes at 8.0gb.

You have to pull the batteries to turn it off. The same as Jasons 16gb card.

Definately an 8gb issue. I hope they fix it.

[Dutchman1101]

I have a 12gb Sandisk Extreme III .

The deck reads the card as 12.0gb but it crashes at 8.0gb.

You have to pull the batteries to turn it off. The same as Jasons 16gb card.

Definately an 8gb issue. I hope they fix it.

Maybe we should start some sort of petetion or maybe we should all send Tascam e-mails so that this gets fixed sooner then later. I don't know if that will help but I guess it couldnt hurt, right?

Harrison

[coloartist]

I did send them an email earlier today. Let's see what they tell me.

Has anybody else talked to Tascam already?

[AlexG]

Lexar Professional 8gb 133x P/N 2592 tests @ 24/192
RiDATA 4gb PRO 150x tests @ 24/192

Been using both with no problem.

[JackoRoses]

I'm still awaiting a response from them myself.
Maybe I will send another one today.

[coloartist]

Here is the email I sent them:

Good afternoon,
    I have a question about my Tascam HD-P2. I have a 12gb Sandisk Extreme III CF card and my deck crashes at 7.99gb. Is there an issue with CF cards above 8.0gb's? Is this going to be fixed with a firmware update?

                         

                                                                       Thanks for your help,
                                                                                                     Bennett Schwartz

Here is Tascams answer, and it is pretty lame:

Bennett,
 
The maximum capacity cards recommended are 8GB.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

                                                                     

[macdaddy]

weak.

thanks for the legwork. +t

i figured this was a firmware fix away - i guess not

[JasonSobel]

that is there standard cop-out reply.
they are only telling you that because they haven't tested it on capacities larger than 8GB.
we need to push them on this.  there is absolutely no reason why the HD-P2 shouldn't be able to handle larger cards, as all cards above 2 GB gets formatted as FAT32 and not FAT16.

"The maximum capacity cards recommended are 8GB."

they can't yet recommend cards over 8GB because they have a bug in their firmware.  they should be able to fix this.

until they actually have a logical explanation about why the HD-P2 can't handle it, I don't think any of us should stop contacting them with the problem.

[macdaddy]

agreed, jason. +t

is there a specific email addy that we should use..?

[coloartist]

I sort of got a little bitter with their answer, so I responded to TASCAM. I hope I didn't sound to angry:

Tascam Customer Service,

        So that is it? You are not going to work on this problem? The HD-P2
obviously reads the card correctly. It tells you that you have a 12gb card in
the unit, from the system menu. It also counts down with the correct time that
you should get out of the card, but crashes with 1:44 left on the counter at
24/96. I am confused why this should be that big of a problem to fix. This
answer , "The maximum capacity cards recommended are 8GB", seems like a real bad
stance to take for Tascam. 8gb cards are small cards these days, and 32gb cards
will be out this year. 

    So, is the answer to my question, "We recognize the problem, and we are not
going to persue a fix to the problem?". I was just wondering, because I can not
reccomend this unit to any of my peers, if you are not going to look into the
issue. I love this recorder and I hope you work on this problem.


                                                              Thanks for your time,

[coloartist]

Ok - Now we got a reply! 

Bennett,
 
Maybe we should have been a bit clearer.
The unit was designed (not a problem) to support a maximum 8GB CF card.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

 

[macdaddy]

+t for the effort. i would love to know the email addy to send a message myself.

i still dont get why they cant fix this with firmware. iirc, there were problems with 8 gig cards originally, so i dont really buy this response from them...

[coloartist]

If it didn't read my card with the correct size, I would believe them, but it says it has a 12gb card in the unit in the system menu. Oh well, maybe by the time I buy a 744t they will have it fixed, but I'm not holding my breath.

I recommend everyone to send emails. Even if you don't have a big card, you will eventually.

Their email address is "CustSer" <CustSer@teac.com>

[JasonSobel]

Ok - Now we got a reply! 

Bennett,
 
Maybe we should have been a bit clearer.
The unit was designed (not a problem) to support a maximum 8GB CF card.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

 

that's what the tech support people told me as well on the phone.  I told them that I was sure that this is a bug and not a design consideration.  it's not like the card size is a limitation, it's just a FAT32 storage volume.  the deck shouldn't care if it's 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 64GB, whatever.

They have never responded to any of my emails, so I've been calling.  Call and ask to speak with Neil Faison.  He's the manager.  No one else will be able to help at all.  Ask Neil to speak with the engineers, or put you in direct touch with the engineers.

[JackoRoses]

I still can't believe Tascam would develop a product that will only support up to a 8gb card.
It just seems ridiculous to me. Doesn't the fostex and Sound devices machines support larger than 8 gb cards?

[coloartist]

I still can't believe Tascam would develop a product that will only support up to a 8gb card.
It just seems ridiculous to me. Doesn't the fostex and Sound devices machines support larger than 8 gb cards?

Yes

[JackoRoses]

I sent an email to Paul Jenkins who is the Sales manager for America. ( I think I tried a few different ones and the last one didn't bounce back yet..)
I don't know if it will do one bit of good but it was the only name I could find for any form of management type personel.
Basically just said what we have been saying here and how I considered supports response to be unacceptable.

[smokydays]

I still can't believe Tascam would develop a product that will only support up to a 8gb card.
It just seems ridiculous to me.

QFT.  Hopefully they will do the right thing and fix their firmware.  I dont see this being a hardware limitation at all.

[OOK]

I still can't believe Tascam would develop a product that will only support up to a 8gb card.
It just seems ridiculous to me.

QFT.  Hopefully they will do the right thing and fix their firmware.  I dont see this being a hardware limitation at all.

Don't count on it...Here is a copy of my email I sent...If everyone sends one maybe they will change their minds....


To whom it may concern

I just want to say I love my HDP2.  It is one of the best recorders I have ever owned.  Its rock solid, thanks for making a great product.  However I have two questions.  Is there anywhere I can purchase the power supply or specially  the wire from the power supply with the tip that plugs into the HDP2?  I want to make a battery supply that will power the HDP2 longer than the AA's will, believe or not 5 hours isn't enough in the field when they is no electricity.  The specific problem I have had is finding the Tip, Is it company specific?

My second question is I am aware that the HDP2 only supports up to 8gig cards.  Are there any plans in the near future for a firmwire that will enable larger gig cf cards ie 12 or 16 or even 32 gig cf cards?

Thanks John C. Kistler......


And their respnse.....



John,
 
We're glad to hear that you are enjoying the HD-P2.
 
The wire/plug is not available as a separate item however the AC adaptor can be purchased from our Parts Department. (Part number - E00980000B)
Send them an email (Parts@teac.com) and they will provide you with a price and availability.
 
There has been no talk of an update that will expand the unit's ability to handle more than an 8GB CF card.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

So send your requests to Tascam..if enough people speak up maybe they will listen...Hey I can dream can't I....OOK

[Brian Skalinder]

Is there anywhere I can purchase the power supply or specially  the wire from the power supply with the tip that plugs into the HDP2?

The wire/plug is not available as a separate item however the AC adaptor can be purchased from our Parts Department. (Part number - E00980000B)

I tried just getting the specs on the plug, and they couldn't / wouldn't give them to me, saying they had the plug specially made and didn't have specs available for it.  How did the manufacturer specially make the DC plug without specs, I asked?  No answer.  I find it hard to believe that Tascam paid a premium for a one-of-a-kind DC plug when a standard size DC plug would get the job done.  One of these days I'll just spend a couple bucks on the right tools to measure the ID/OD myself.

[Dutchman1101]

These people at Tascam are fucking ass clowns! It's a fucking firmware update assholes! 

[Brian Skalinder]

These people at Tascam are fucking ass clowns! It's a fucking firmware update assholes! 

Give 'em some time.  It hasn't been that long since this was identified (well, here at least).  And they probably didn't do anything until a number of people noted the problem and they confirmed.  Sometimes it takes time to apply patches and get them thoroughly tested.  Perhaps they just couldn't get the fix done and tested and into the queue for the latest release.

[OOK]

Is there anywhere I can purchase the power supply or specially  the wire from the power supply with the tip that plugs into the HDP2?

The wire/plug is not available as a separate item however the AC adaptor can be purchased from our Parts Department. (Part number - E00980000B)

I tried just getting the specs on the plug, and they couldn't / wouldn't give them to me, saying they had the plug specially made and didn't have specs available for it.  How did the manufacturer specially make the DC plug without specs, I asked?  No answer.  I find it hard to believe that Tascam paid a premium for a one-of-a-kind DC plug when a standard size DC plug would get the job done.  One of these days I'll just spend a couple bucks on the right tools to measure the ID/OD myself.

I remember talking with a guy from tech support many months ago who told me the tip is spring loaded so there is always contact.  I never confirmed this.  He did state at that time the tip was a "product specific part" meaning it ws made only for tascam.  Thats so anal retentive bastards like myself end up buying a new power supply just to have the right part to make a simple cable that is reliable for a battery sled/ion pack/ SLA....Fight the Power  OOK

[coloartist]

Is there anywhere I can purchase the power supply or specially  the wire from the power supply with the tip that plugs into the HDP2?

The wire/plug is not available as a separate item however the AC adaptor can be purchased from our Parts Department. (Part number - E00980000B)

I tried just getting the specs on the plug, and they couldn't / wouldn't give them to me, saying they had the plug specially made and didn't have specs available for it.  How did the manufacturer specially make the DC plug without specs, I asked?  No answer.  I find it hard to believe that Tascam paid a premium for a one-of-a-kind DC plug when a standard size DC plug would get the job done.  One of these days I'll just spend a couple bucks on the right tools to measure the ID/OD myself.

I'm a little confused. Ed at www.kindkables.com made me a cable for me to plug my tascam into my my 9v Walmart battery. I don't think it is a special plug. I still use rechargable AA's, but I also use the wally battery. It powers off whichever has more power. I don't know how much recording time I get, but it is a long time. Give Ed a call. I do use gaffer tape to make sure the plug can't come loose when I'm drunk at a show though!

[JackoRoses]

Is there anywhere I can purchase the power supply or specially  the wire from the power supply with the tip that plugs into the HDP2?

The wire/plug is not available as a separate item however the AC adaptor can be purchased from our Parts Department. (Part number - E00980000B)

I tried just getting the specs on the plug, and they couldn't / wouldn't give them to me, saying they had the plug specially made and didn't have specs available for it.  How did the manufacturer specially make the DC plug without specs, I asked?  No answer.  I find it hard to believe that Tascam paid a premium for a one-of-a-kind DC plug when a standard size DC plug would get the job done.  One of these days I'll just spend a couple bucks on the right tools to measure the ID/OD myself.

I'm a little confused. Ed at www.kindkables.com made me a cable for me to plug my tascam into my my 9v Walmart battery. I don't think it is a special plug. I still use rechargable AA's, but I also use the wally battery. It powers off whichever has more power. I don't know how much recording time I get, but it is a long time. Give Ed a call. I do use gaffer tape to make sure the plug can't come loose when I'm drunk at a show though!

yea I am confused as well since a radio shack M adapta plug seems to fit perfectly... My only complaint about it, is it hugs the deck so close there really is only way to plug it in to assure it does not come out. Nonetheless I haven't had any issues using my radioshack plug and losing power connectivity.
Just recently I connected both portabrace bags together in case I had to shoulder my gear and the power connection still was solid.

[Brian Skalinder]

I've tried a couple different plugs, and they've all worked - so not surprised to hear others have plugs that work well for them.  But using a known properly spec'd connector would give me peace of mind.

The spring-loaded portion of the DC power connection resides inside the female connector, in the unit.  You can see a small nub inside the outer ring of the female receptor that provides a little pressure against the male plug when inserted.  In other words, the spring-loading component of the mechanism has nothing to do with the male connector plug, which is why I'm frustrated by Tascam's unwillingness to share the spec for the male plug.  I'm not asking them to source one for me, tell me where to find one (since they claim it's only available through them), I simply want to know the specs so I may determine myself if the male plug's available elsewhere.

[smokydays]

Yes i have had no trouble with the male plugs either.  The yellow tip that came with my power runner lion battery fits perfectly, and it's a right angle as well.

[OOK]

I've tried a couple different plugs, and they've all worked - so not surprised to hear others have plugs that work well for them.  But using a known properly spec'd connector would give me peace of mind.

The peace of mind is what I am looking for.  Duck taping and whatever other methods people are using to keep the plug they are using in is the reason why I want the actual plug. Again peace of mind....

[JackoRoses]

I've tried a couple different plugs, and they've all worked - so not surprised to hear others have plugs that work well for them.  But using a known properly spec'd connector would give me peace of mind.

The peace of mind is what I am looking for.  Duck taping and whatever other methods people are using to keep the plug they are using in is the reason why I want the actual plug. Again peace of mind....

Good luck I haven't used any tape yet and in the portabrace bag slung over the shoulder and a Li-ion in the front pocket, I still feel fairly confident in the M plug staying put. Now if you start running or something I'm sure it would come unplugged. In a situation like that I would recommend running double A's.
My personal preference would of been to see a screw on connector much like the V3..
Something else I'm considering for peace of mind is just running Double A rechargeables and still use the external power source so if it does come unplugged; power would be uninterrupted..
Oh well I'm already thinking of selling off mine and finding a box that supports cards larger than 8gbs off the shelf, (702?)

[smokydays]

I know this has probably been posted somewhere before, but have you considered a solution like this?

http://www.shoey.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/tascam-hd-p2-rechargable-battery-system/

[OOK]

I know this has probably been posted somewhere before, but have you considered a solution like this?

http://www.shoey.com/blog/index.php/2006/11/tascam-hd-p2-rechargable-battery-system/

Now thats interesting,  T+
But Like I said earlier I am anal retentive and want the actual tip.  Its all good, but thanks for the info. I might just end up caving in and trying one of the tips that seems to be working for others.  I just want to see how much a power supply is first.  To me it might be worth hacking a new one for a spec'd tip.  OOK

[coloartist]

Alrighty- I bought a new 8gb card. It works fine in my HD-P2. It is a Kingston Elite 45x 8gb card. It was $85.00 from amazon.com. i just tested my microcrapper with the 12gb card. It reads it, and recorded fine until it was full. That is now my backup card. I never have to worry about it running out. I have two 4gb cards and one 8gb card for the HD-P2. I guess the 12gb card will just be used as a backup card, until or if they ever fix it.

Pretty sad my microcrapper can handle the card and my HD-P2 can't.

[JackoRoses]

Pretty sad my microcrapper can handle the card and my HD-P2 can't.

no doubt... there is only what 500$ difference between the two?
Either going to sell my card and buy 2 8 gbs or upgrade to another bitbucket.
Really don't feel like going backwards though and getting rid of the 16gb card.
Things are going to be slowing down for me coming into winter so I'm just going to wait and see for now I guess.

[macdaddy]

this has got to fixable by firmware.

[smokydays]

Just a thought, but I wonder if Doug Oade would have more luck with their customer service than we have had.  I'm sure he would have some clout being an authorized Tascam dealer right? 

[macdaddy]

Just a thought, but I wonder if Doug Oade would have more luck with their customer service than we have had.  I'm sure he would have some clout being an authorized Tascam dealer right? 

i was thinking the exact same thing.

[Dutchman1101]

I sent Doug an e-mail today regarding this problem. I'll let you guys know what he says.

Harrison

[smokydays]

Just wondering if there was any more word on the 8GB issue?

[JasonSobel]

Just wondering if there was any more word on the 8GB issue?

it's not looking good.  I got this response from Tascam last week:

Jason,
 
It has been confirmed with the Engineering Department that the maximum CF card that can be used with the HD-P2 is 8GB. It has also been confirmed that this maximum capacity limit cannot be extended with by a firmware update.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

I've written them a couple times in repsonse to that.  mostly because I think it's a bunch of BS that the issue cannot be resolved with a firmware update.  But I'm losing hope that Tascam actually cares enough about the issue to fix it.  Logically, it makes absolutely no sense why there is a hard limit.  in the HD-P2, all stoarge volumes over 2GB are formatted at FAT32, so why should it make any difference if the storage volume is 4 GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB?   the answer, it shouldn't make any difference, and Tascam is being lazy because they don't care about the issue.

So, while my hope is fading, I'm still emailing them, and I think as many people as possible should be emailing them as well.  the more people who contact them, the more they might get the point that that shouldn't just ignore this issue.

[Dutchman1101]

Just wondering if there was any more word on the 8GB issue?

it's not looking good.  I got this response from Tascam last week:

Jason,
 
It has been confirmed with the Engineering Department that the maximum CF card that can be used with the HD-P2 is 8GB. It has also been confirmed that this maximum capacity limit cannot be extended with by a firmware update.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

I've written them a couple times in repsonse to that.  mostly because I think it's a bunch of BS that the issue cannot be resolved with a firmware update.  But I'm losing hope that Tascam actually cares enough about the issue to fix it.  Logically, it makes absolutely no sense why there is a hard limit.  in the HD-P2, all stoarge volumes over 2GB are formatted at FAT32, so why should it make any difference if the storage volume is 4 GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB?   the answer, it shouldn't make any difference, and Tascam is being lazy because they don't care about the issue.

So, while my hope is fading, I'm still emailing them, and I think as many people as possible should be emailing them as well.  the more people who contact them, the more they might get the point that that shouldn't just ignore this issue.

What is the best e-mail addy to send this issue to?

I'll follow up to see if Mr. Oade has heard anything.

Harrison

[JasonSobel]

What is the best e-mail addy to send this issue to?

I'll follow up to see if Mr. Oade has heard anything.

Harrison

I've just been using "CustSer@teac.com", ever since I realized that Mr. Faison was never going to answer the phone or return my calls (I spoke with Neil Faison just once, and he said that they'd get back to.  after 5 or 6 voicemails spread out over the course of 2 months or so, I gave up trying to get back in touch with him.  He's the tech support manager at Tascam, FWIW).

[JackoRoses]

Just wondering if there was any more word on the 8GB issue?

it's not looking good.  I got this response from Tascam last week:

Jason,
 
It has been confirmed with the Engineering Department that the maximum CF card that can be used with the HD-P2 is 8GB. It has also been confirmed that this maximum capacity limit cannot be extended with by a firmware update.
 
Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products.

I've written them a couple times in repsonse to that.  mostly because I think it's a bunch of BS that the issue cannot be resolved with a firmware update.  But I'm losing hope that Tascam actually cares enough about the issue to fix it.  Logically, it makes absolutely no sense why there is a hard limit.  in the HD-P2, all stoarge volumes over 2GB are formatted at FAT32, so why should it make any difference if the storage volume is 4 GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB?   the answer, it shouldn't make any difference, and Tascam is being lazy because they don't care about the issue.

So, while my hope is fading, I'm still emailing them, and I think as many people as possible should be emailing them as well.  the more people who contact them, the more they might get the point that that shouldn't just ignore this issue.

that's just lovely to hear all of this..

[Dutchman1101]

This is the e-mail I sent to Doug. I used some of your verbiage Jason because your points hit the nail right on the head.

Doug,
 
I was just wondering if you have heard anything from Tascam regarding this problem? I guess they keep giving answers like this to people:

"It has been confirmed with the Engineering Department that the maximum CF card that can be used with the HD-P2 is 8GB. It has also been confirmed that this maximum capacity limit cannot be extended with by a firmware update."
 
Logically, it makes absolutely no sense why there is a hard limit.  In the HD-P2, all storage volumes over 2GB are formatted at FAT32, so why should it make any difference if the storage volume is 4 GB, 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB?   The answer, it shouldn't make any difference, and Tascam is being lazy because they don't care about the issue.

Any help would be much appreciated Doug. I know you’re a super busy guy but if you could help in anyway I know a lot of people would be very happy.
 
Thanks!
 
Harrison

Hopefully he will get some better answers then they have been giving us

[Dutchman1101]

Here is the response I just got from Doug:

Hi !
They tell me it is the amount of memory the P2 has been designed to address. It takes not only software ( in this case firmware) but also a hardware subsystem with the needed address lines to reach over 8 gig. They say the hardware support is not available. This is like FAT 16s file size limitations, a result of inadequate addressing.
I hope this helps...Doug

This whole situation seriously makes me want to go to a 722. How the fuck could they not have thought of this

[JackoRoses]

Here is the response I just got from Doug:

Hi !
They tell me it is the amount of memory the P2 has been designed to address. It takes not only software ( in this case firmware) but also a hardware subsystem with the needed address lines to reach over 8 gig. They say the hardware support is not available. This is like FAT 16s file size limitations, a result of inadequate addressing.
I hope this helps...Doug

This whole situation seriously makes me want to go to a 722. How the fuck could they not have thought of this

at the least a 702 and I'm about to jump boat.
Spent good money on a 16gb sandisk card to not be able to use it past the 8gb mark.
I sure in the hell don't feel like carrying multiple 8gb cards to mix them up in the middle of a show and record over something. Or even try and keep them seperated. Not a big deal but it is after drinking a few it wouldn't be hard.

[JasonSobel]

Here is the response I just got from Doug:

Hi !
They tell me it is the amount of memory the P2 has been designed to address. It takes not only software ( in this case firmware) but also a hardware subsystem with the needed address lines to reach over 8 gig. They say the hardware support is not available. This is like FAT 16s file size limitations, a result of inadequate addressing.
I hope this helps...Doug

This whole situation seriously makes me want to go to a 722. How the fuck could they not have thought of this

at the least a 702 and I'm about to jump boat.
Spent good money on a 16gb sandisk card to not be able to use it past the 8gb mark.
I sure in the hell don't feel like carrying multiple 8gb cards to mix them up in the middle of a show and record over something. Or even try and keep them seperated. Not a big deal but it is after drinking a few it wouldn't be hard.

hmm, Doug's response does not bode well for us.
How could Tascam not have had the foresight to think of this?  I have no idea, but it is a big oversight.
It does make me think again about a different recorder.  the 722 or the 702.  but on the other hand, when I did a comp between the V3 > 722 and the straight V3, I preferred the V3's A/D over the 722.  so the 702 seems like a very expensive bit-bucket to run behind the V3.  for those of you running modded HD-P2's, I think the SD units make more sense.  and then there's the M-Audio MicroTrack II.  I upgraded from the original MT to the HD-P2, and it's been great.  but if the MTII does what it's advertised to do (S/PDIF input and actual, seamless 2GB splits), then it'll do exactly what I need it to do.  and the original MT can handle 16 GB cards, so it's likely that the MTII will also be able to handle the larger cards.  and then my last thought is, on an 8 GB card, thats 4 hours of 24/96, which is plenty of time for just about all the shows I record.  so maybe I'll have to record the opener band and the main act on different cards, instead of just one 16 GB card.  but I rarely go to festivals, so the 8 GB limit is actually a deal killer for me.  It just sucks because I feel like I've wasted money on this 16 GB SanDisk card...

yeah, it's certainly making me think about

[Dutchman1101]

Here is the response I just got from Doug:

Hi !
They tell me it is the amount of memory the P2 has been designed to address. It takes not only software ( in this case firmware) but also a hardware subsystem with the needed address lines to reach over 8 gig. They say the hardware support is not available. This is like FAT 16s file size limitations, a result of inadequate addressing.
I hope this helps...Doug

This whole situation seriously makes me want to go to a 722. How the fuck could they not have thought of this

at the least a 702 and I'm about to jump boat.
Spent good money on a 16gb sandisk card to not be able to use it past the 8gb mark.
I sure in the hell don't feel like carrying multiple 8gb cards to mix them up in the middle of a show and record over something. Or even try and keep them seperated. Not a big deal but it is after drinking a few it wouldn't be hard.

The card thing to me is not the biggest deal. I have 2 8gb cards and really can't see myself having to switch them at a show (you never no though). My thing how could a company like Tascam completely overlook this and then not do anything to fix it. Their customer service sucks and they just expect us to deal with it.

I can see a 722 in my near future if this does not get resolved.

[JackoRoses]

for almost every one act show, a 8gb card is plenty of space.
I do; do the festivals though fairly often in the summertime and 8gbs doesn't quite cut it.
Around 2 a month from June thru september
I generally get 2 acts on each 8gb card at about 1.5 hrs long. Than I need to switch because of not having enough space for the next band. Sometimes I can get 3  it depends ...
Sure I could record at a lower rate. I could also pick and choose which band I want to record as well.
There is also the option of spending at least another 100$ for a PSD to dump the cards onto.
I suppose before I bought another card I would go the PSD route...
What about trying to record at 24/192 though. I don't know many who do but say you want to.
Well that really makes things tight than. I would much rather carry 1 16 gb card than 2 8gb cards.
I currently have 2 8gbs and 1 16gb card that I have only used once now since I have found out about the limitation.
Jason I agree if the MTII addresses all the previous issues and is proven stable in the field I will downgrade as well. I like having the all in one due to the redundancy but it's still just a bit bucket.

[Charlie Miller]

Here is the response I just got from Doug:

Hi !
They tell me it is the amount of memory the P2 has been designed to address. It takes not only software ( in this case firmware) but also a hardware subsystem with the needed address lines to reach over 8 gig. They say the hardware support is not available. This is like FAT 16s file size limitations, a result of inadequate addressing.
I hope this helps...Doug

This whole situation seriously makes me want to go to a 722. How the fuck could they not have thought of this

at the least a 702 and I'm about to jump boat.
Spent good money on a 16gb sandisk card to not be able to use it past the 8gb mark.
I sure in the hell don't feel like carrying multiple 8gb cards to mix them up in the middle of a show and record over something. Or even try and keep them seperated. Not a big deal but it is after drinking a few it wouldn't be hard.

The card thing to me is not the biggest deal. I have 2 8gb cards and really can't see myself having to switch them at a show (you never no though). My thing how could a company like Tascam completely overlook this and then not do anything to fix it. Their customer service sucks and they just expect us to deal with it.

I can see a 722 in my near future if this does not get resolved.

I learned about tascam's crappy customer service when I bought a DA-20. Biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. I ended up getting my money back and was told to keep the deck (after a year of trying to get them to help me). I eventually called and asked to speak with their legal department. That actually worked.....bottom line is I will NEVER buy another piece of tascam gear.....no mater what it is.

[spzkt]

If there are still any HDP2 owners left out there they might be interested in a much more comprehensive listing of tested CF cards here than provide on tascam.com:

http://www.tascam.jp/list.php?mode=100&fno=0&type=HD-P2&scode=0919HDP205

I don't read japanese but the list seems pretty straightforward. It appears the list is spilt into list for firmware versions 1.0.3 or earlier and firmware vers 1.0.4. The most recent firmware revision on the Japanese site is 1.0.4. The link at the top of each section points to the CF manufacturers website so it's pretty easy to work out the brand despite the kanji.

hope this helps
paul

[spzkt]

Just came across this while googling for infos on HDP2's 
Looks like there is a 16Gb CF future after all


Sujet : Tascam HD-P2 and 16GB compact flash cards
De : loco@andrews.lv (andrejs eigus)
Groupes : rec.audio.pro, rec.arts.movies.production.sound
Organisation : Aioe.org NNTP Server
Date : 22. Oct 2007, 19:55:36

just thought this information will be useful to owners of the Tascam HD-P2
recorder:

>Dear Mr. Eigus,

>It is possible to use as well 16GB CF-Cards, but the actual operation
>System gives you access to max. 8 GB of it. So there is actually no
>advantage of using a 16GB Card instead of the 8GB card. But it is planned
>to support the 16GB Cards with the next firmware updates, so there is no
>disadvantage of buying already a 16 GB Card and use actually just 8 GB
>of them.

>Best Regards


>Dirk Born
>Product Manager
>TASCAM Division

[JasonSobel]

that's great news if it pans out...
for many months, I've been arguing with them that I thought a firmware update could resolve the issue, but they have been firm that from a hardware standpoint, the HD-P2 was only designed to handle 8 GB.  I guess enough people were complained about the issue to get Tascam motivated...

[spzkt]

don't know Jason.... the Compact Flash Association specifications have apparently supported 127GB devices from the jump, so I couldn't imagine why tascam/frontier would dumb down the standard CF interface to only support 8GB??

perhaps the difference in response is down to difference between tascam US and tascam EU tech support staff?

[JackoRoses]

Just came across this while googling for infos on HDP2's 
Looks like there is a 16Gb CF future after all


Sujet : Tascam HD-P2 and 16GB compact flash cards
De : loco@andrews.lv (andrejs eigus)
Groupes : rec.audio.pro, rec.arts.movies.production.sound
Organisation : Aioe.org NNTP Server
Date : 22. Oct 2007, 19:55:36

just thought this information will be useful to owners of the Tascam HD-P2
recorder:

>Dear Mr. Eigus,

>It is possible to use as well 16GB CF-Cards, but the actual operation
>System gives you access to max. 8 GB of it. So there is actually no
>advantage of using a 16GB Card instead of the 8GB card. But it is planned
>to support the 16GB Cards with the next firmware updates, so there is no
>disadvantage of buying already a 16 GB Card and use actually just 8 GB
>of them.

>Best Regards


>Dirk Born
>Product Manager
>TASCAM Division

I swear to feffn god I am going to do something rash if tascam rolls out a firmware that makes the 16gb cards work after trading my card off to another member here.

[spzkt]

jackoroses,

looks like you might have made the right move, and that Tascam EU have given the guy a bum steer.

After jasons comments, I thought it might be worth pinging an email of to frontier design group, who I believe designed the HDP2 for ("with") Tascam.  This response back from Brian George which seems to be the definitive answer on the subject:

Frontier Design Group wrote:

Subject: Re: TASCAM HDP2 tech query
Date: 27 October 2007 1:21:19 AM

Hello Paul,

We are aware that there is currently an 8GB CF card limitation due to factors that existed when the unit was originally designed. We have since been asked to investigate expanding that limitation. At this time we can't be certain if, or when that ability will be available, but if it becomes possible then most likely it would be accomplished with a field installable update.

Regards,

Brian

So the 8Gb limitation doesn't appear to be fixable with a firmware update . If the fix does happen it looks like it may require a board replacement, which could be bad news for those with modified units.

cheers
Paul

[Brian Skalinder]

but if it becomes possible then most likely it would be accomplished with a field installable update.

I'm not familiar with electronics hardware manufacturing, but...is not firmware a "field installable update"?  Or does, in this context, "field installable update" mean a hardware change performed by a service center (which doesn't seem very "field" to me)?  Or owners?  Not very "field installable" if it requires sending back to a Tascam service center for a board change.  And I find it highly unlikely they'll trust / allow customers to perform their own internal hardware upgrades.  Seems like a fairly ambiguous response, to me, as to how the patch might be applied.  Confused as to what all this really means...

I think based on what we know right now - the firmware comment, the "field installable upgrade" comment - we can't say one way or the other when / how this will be fixed.  Just not enough solid info.

[Roving Sign]

Could be just plain old stalling...waiting to see just how many folks inquire about this feature/ability? Even if it were possible, they would probably only address it if a significant number of folks requested it...

[spzkt]

but if it becomes possible then most likely it would be accomplished with a field installable update.

I'm not familiar with electronics hardware manufacturing, but...is not firmware a "field installable update"?  Or does, in this context, "field installable update" mean a hardware change performed by a service center (which doesn't seem very "field" to me)?  Or owners? 

I'm just jumping to (incorrect?) conclusions that it will be a hardware fix, and there are a lot of if's preceding a fix.

I've emailed brian to see if he can clarify this and I'll post any answers I get back.

I'm not sure if it's stalling. TASCAM have clearly requested that Frontier look at providing a solution.

[spzkt]

Definitely jump to conclusions:

It would have to be a driver or firmware update. It isn't a hardware limitation but we'll know more soon.

Brian