Topic: TASCAM DR-680 portable 8-track - announced at NAMM

[bgreen]

According to the manual two DR-680's can be linked together.

thats for sure, Not sure if they start and stop together or if they are just clocked together as asked above though.

I'm also wondering if I can use an external clock to link all three instead of using one DR-680 as the master and one as the slave.

[Ozpeter]

The catch when linking them is that it's via the digital i/o - so you don't get a 16 track system from two.

[yltfan]

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but can anyone tell me about the right cable for using a 9v dvd battery with the 680? (Or point me to the right thread?) I assume the reversed-polarity one I have for my R-44 is wrong, but what about some of the standard plugs that came with the battery? Or do I need to get some Rat Shack adapta-plugs?

[MattH]

Here is a good example of how good the stock pre's can sound:

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=535515

I'm glad I don't need the V2 anymore....

[dennisrtyler]

Here is a good example of how good the stock pre's can sound:

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=535515

I'm glad I don't need the V2 anymore....

great job!

[TNJazz]

Agreed on the MP2 -- though I might only say somewhat bloated and a bit loose, but that's what I felt when I owned mine as well.  I don't know what transformers the PSP2 has, but it sounds leagues better IME.

I got with Chuck and we did a Gefell m210 > PSP2 > 680 recording.  It sounds very good to me -- nice pairing.

My 680 has finally shipped, and should be here next Wednesday.

I'm pretty sure the PSP2 uses a Jensen transformer.

Interesting.  Have you ever seen any documentation to back that up by any chance?  I know the Mix2000 used Sowter transformers.

[dgale]

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but can anyone tell me about the right cable for using a 9v dvd battery with the 680? (Or point me to the right thread?) I assume the reversed-polarity one I have for my R-44 is wrong, but what about some of the standard plugs that came with the battery? Or do I need to get some Rat Shack adapta-plugs?

I'm wondering the same thing - any help would be appreciated.

[Kevin Straker]

Agreed on the MP2 -- though I might only say somewhat bloated and a bit loose, but that's what I felt when I owned mine as well.  I don't know what transformers the PSP2 has, but it sounds leagues better IME.

I got with Chuck and we did a Gefell m210 > PSP2 > 680 recording.  It sounds very good to me -- nice pairing.

My 680 has finally shipped, and should be here next Wednesday.

I'm pretty sure the PSP2 uses a Jensen transformer.

Interesting.  Have you ever seen any documentation to back that up by any chance?  I know the Mix2000 used Sowter transformers.

Nope, I could be wrong. I'm not familiar with Sowter. If they are the same as the ones in the PSP2, they sound damn good.

[leehookem]

Here is a good example of how good the stock pre's can sound:

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=535515

I'm glad I don't need the V2 anymore....

Sounds fantastic Matt.  Who wants to buy my 671?

[Todd R]

My 680 arrived yesterday!!

Seems like a nice recorder, looking forward to using it.  Got a chance to play around a bit with it last night, read through the manual, and make a couple test recordings.

A couple of questions that may have already been covered:

Can you adjust it so the backlight stays on when it is run off the internal batteries?  Probably not too big of a deal since I will normally be running it with an external battery, and if my external dies and I switch over, the backlight going off would give me a good heads up of the switch.

Also, is there a way of disabling the speaker in the menu?  I was doing test recordings with some Naiant MSH-1O omnis connected directly to the 680.  I pulled out some headphones and listened to the recordings, then pulled out the headphones.  I forgot to turn down the "headphone" volume and started recording again.  Whoa -- horrible piercing feedback!! The speaker defaults to playing back during recording if the headphones aren't connected.  I certainly don't want feedback, and I don't even want extraneous noise coming from the speaker during my recording.  Obviously I can keep the "headphone" volume turned down, but shit happens and I really don't like that that speaker will be playing back during recording if I forget to keep that volume turned down.

Keeping a 1/4" > 1/8" headphone adapter plugged into the headphone output disables the speaker, so I may just keep that plugged in at all times.  If there isn't a way of disabling speaker playback during recording, getting that added somehow in a future firmware update sure would be nice.

BTW, what firmware are people running?

[Chuck]

I haven't found a way to keep the back light on when running on internal batteries. I'd actually like to have the ability to turn it off when running on external power.
I leave a 1/4" to 1/8" stereo converter in the headphone jack to avoid having sound come out of the speaker while recording.
Firmware v1.10

[Walstib62]

Here is a good example of how good the stock pre's can sound:

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=535515

I'm glad I don't need the V2 anymore....

Sounds Fantastic!

[fobstl]

Can you adjust it so the backlight stays on when it is run off the internal batteries?  Probably not too big of a deal since I will normally be running it with an external battery, and if my external dies and I switch over, the backlight going off would give me a good heads up of the switch.

In the "Backlight" setting in the menu you have the options of "OFF", "5sec", "10sec" etc. Select "OFF" and the backlight will stay on while running internal batteries. This was one of my initial frustrations and I figured it out by trial and error. Selecting "OFF" seemed like it would have turned the backlight off all together but it actually keeps it on all the time.

[bgreen]

Heres a little clip from last weekends natural breakdown set, this is just a reaaly quick raw mix of 4 stage mics and the soundboard all straight through the 680, no pres.

I really love this piece of equipment.

https://www.yousendit.com/download/YWhNck96Q0NEbUx2Wmc9PQ

[kpmontano]

I was wondering if anyone has found an altertive way to reset the take number other than doing a factory reset. I've been using the user word thing for naming files, but I'm on take 139 even after switching cards or changing the selected name. :S