Topic: Tascam DR60D or Tascam DR70D

[Carlos E. Martinez]

I have to pick a 4ch recorder that a friend will buy for me at B&H. If I was buying it myself, I would get one, return it and get the other and do all the tests, but that's not an option.

So I have to rely on you, guys, to tell what's your experience with both of them if possible. Particularly if you used it for DSLR/Video recordings.

My main concern are the mic preamps noise and quality. Mics I would be using with be condensers (Sennheiser and AKG), lapels and radio mics. All film quality types.

The mic preamps in the DR70D mic preamps seem to be HDDA types, but that seems to be just a new name for something they already used: discrete transistors before the IC chip.

They also have an "ultra-HDD"version. But it all cooks down to one thing: preamp noise at high gain and audio quality. 

The main external difference I can see between the 60 and 70 is that the latter has four XLR inputs, which allows using 4 separate XLR mics, or three mics and a time-code.

Now a very important thing. The DR60D had what seemed to be a ground-related hum when screwed to some cameras or when using the same battery to power both. Does this problem exist on the DR70 too?

[mfrench]

These recordings are not entirely within your suggested parameters; But, they are all acoustic, without PA noise added. They are done with the DR70D in stock form. Maybe this might help you.
https://archive.org/details/PowaySymphonyOrchestra

[goodcooker]

I have not used the DR70d and I would suggest you read the threads related to it in the Recording Gear board. Some people have had lots of problems with it, some people have had zero problems.

I have a DR60d. I like it. It's easy to use, has 4 input channels (2 xlr/trs and a 1/8th" stereo mini jack), an adjustable camera output and easy to use menus. I've used the XLR inputs with phantom powered mics directly into it and I think the preamps sound just fine. I record mostly amplified concert music but I have used it in a quieter setting (a poetry reading) and the preamps provided plenty of gain and were free of noise.

Never had any problems with hum or ground loop noise but I power my camera with an internal battery not the same battery I use for my recorder. I have used it with my Nikon DSLR screwed onto the top bracket and no noise there either.

[mfrench]

Firmware updates, and finally an accepted SD card user guide have pretty much eliminated the issues that people were having.
I've used mine now without any issues. I've done dozens of cassette transfers and recent live recordings with it, without single issue. 
In all of it, I did have a bad USB cable which I detected;  but this was not related to the recorder (if slightly jostled, USB battery power was cut off). The replacement USB cable has completely cleared this up.

[Limit35]

I find the DR60's preamp for the channel 3/4 input can be on the noisy side if I am recording a low volume performance, mainly noticeable in quieter portions. The preamp noise seems to be exaggerated more when monitoring through the phone output compared to the monitor out. XLR input is really clean though.

In all of it, I did have a bad USB cable which I detected;  but this was not related to the recorder (if slightly jostled, USB battery power was cut off). The replacement USB cable has completely cleared this up.

Was the USB cable the Tascam supplied one? My Tascam cable just failed on me this weekend connected to an external battery pack.

[mfrench]

It was a freebie cable that came with the USB power pack battery. I had ordered a different one, and it was lost in shipping. So, I used the cheapie, and found it to be bad.

[goodcooker]

The DR60D had what seemed to be a ground-related hum when screwed to some cameras or when using the same battery to power both.

You mention Canon cameras in the 70D thread. I have run the camera output of the 60D to my Canon video camera and my Nikon DSLR and not had any problems. No one else here has had any problems with the 60D after sorting out the gain structure.

Can you give a link to where people are saying they were having problems with hum and/or noise?

[Carlos E. Martinez]

Oh, it was not this forum, and it's been some time since that.

But one place where this problem was reported is Trew Audio, which is a serious dealer. The hum did happen in both circumstances I described.

In any case,w hat I care is if there's a similar problem on the DR70.

[2manyrocks]

Trew Audio later posted the problem was solved in 2013.  http://www.trewaudio.com/uncategorized/tascam-dr-60d-problem-solved/

The  60d has an adjustable pot for gain out to the camera where the 70d is menu controlled.  If you don't need 4 xlr inputs or the smaller case, the 60d works.  I have both and haven't experienced hum with either.

[Carlos E. Martinez]

In any case, I was asking these questions just to see if anything is better or worst on the 70, that it was on the 60. The 60 was discontinued.

About the hum problem being solved, it was not. Read the comments until the end of the page.

[willndmb]

That 60d hum you mention was fixed way before the 70 was released, if it's the same issue I think you are talking about.
If not then I don't know what you are talking about.

The plus to 60 is the multi outs all active at once. For many people it's not a concern but you you want to do video and stuff it comes into play vs the 70 where you have to select one out
The plus to the 70 is the four xlr
60 was discountinued but not the 60 mkii