Topic: Daisy chaining DR-680MkI and MkII

[connloyalist]

I am going around in circles in my head. Here's the thing: I bought a DR-680 (Mk I) about 2.5 years ago if memory serves. Have been using it quite a bit and other than for a few ergonomic issues (I would have preferred real buttons for volume adjustment) I have been pretty happy with it.

However. Technology advances and preamps get better. The 680 has six preamps. Usually I need 4 or occasionally 8+. I have been looking at a Zoom F8, but where I live it is a bit more money than I am willing to spend at the moment (1099 euros).

So my thinking goes something like this if a Zoom F8 isn't in the cards: DR-701D gives 4 channels and can apparently be daisy chained. But two 701D's (599 euros each) is more expensive than one F8. And the 680MkII is "only" 100 euros more than the 701D and apparently you can daisy chain a DR-680MkI with a MkII (which would give me 12 channels).

Anybody have experience with this? I have occasionally tried to hook an RME-UCX up to the digital in of my MkI and can only describe the experience as "difficult".

Regards, Christine

[Gutbucket]

I own both a MK1 and a MK2 DR-680, but have not tried to chain them.  If I get a chance I'll give it a go and report back, but it may take a few weeks.  You might check the DR-680 threads (there is both a MK1 thread and a MK2 thread here at TS), I think others have tried this and reported back, but I can't recall what the outcome was.

I've not had problems getting either of these to play nicely over a SPDIF connection with other gear.  That includes passing digital signal to and from an OCM Edirol R44, digital in from a V3, and digital out to a home theater receiver.

Typically when I needed more than 8 recording channels (8 is achievable with 680+V3), I'd run a SPDIF cable from the R44 to the DR-680.  680's clock would lock to the SPDIF signal from the R44.  Transport controls needed to be operated independently, and the files aligned later, but everything would be in clock sync.  I could record 10 channels that way- 4 on the R44, 6 on the 680, plus an optional copy of two channels (or a basic mix of the 4) from the R44 on the stereo channel of the 680 as long as I had sufficient card space available, which made file alignment easy.

[2manyrocks]

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=171565.msg2126278#msg2126278

I asked this question in the DR680mkii thread, and tomuo, the Tascam engineer, replied "should work fine."

[connloyalist]

I own both a MK1 and a MK2 DR-680, but have not tried to chain them.  If I get a chance I'll give it a go and report back, but it may take a few weeks.  You might check the DR-680 threads (there is both a MK1 thread and a MK2 thread here at TS), I think others have tried this and reported back, but I can't recall what the outcome was.

I've not had problems getting either of these to play nicely over a SPDIF connection with other gear.  That includes passing digital signal to and from an OCM Edirol R44, digital in from a V3, and digital out to a home theater receiver.

Typically when I needed more than 8 recording channels (8 is achievable with 680+V3), I'd run a SPDIF cable from the R44 to the DR-680.  680's clock would lock to the SPDIF signal from the R44.  Transport controls needed to be operated independently, and the files aligned later, but everything would be in clock sync.  I could record 10 channels that way- 4 on the R44, 6 on the 680, plus an optional copy of two channels (or a basic mix of the 4) from the R44 on the stereo channel of the 680 as long as I had sufficient card space available, which made file alignment easy.

I would appreciate it if you could test daisy chaining the MkI and MkII. No rush.

Regards, Christine

[danny3]

" apparently you can daisy chain a DR-680MkI with a MkII (which would give me 12 channels).

I'd be surprised if there was any issue synching an MkI with an MkII, and I am also interested in knowing. I have 2 original models, so I'm no help.
But I thought I'd add that you should be able to record 14 channels in total, 8 on master deck with digi in on the ST (7/8) channels, and six on the slave deck.