Topic: TASCAM DR-680 portable 8-track Part 2

[tcf]

The mico is awesome.  I like it much better than my old v3.
Tom

[Todd R]

The mico is awesome.  I like it much better than my old v3.
Tom

Could you give us more detail?  I'd love to hear more about how you're using it and what you think of it.

What else is in your rig?  How do you power it?  The manual says 10-16V DC (10-14?), so a 12v battery should work, but I'm wondering whether a 9.6v RC-battery pack type battery would work.  Ideas on current draw, or on how large your battery is and how long it lasts would be great to know too.

How would you characterize the sound? Something more transparent like a V3 or more colored?

Then again -- I probably don't want to know.   I've been thinking about a mico for awhile now, I probably don't need any aiding my gear sluttiness.

[audBall]

...not to derail a 680 thread, but...

I'm not sure if Dirk is still affiliated with Audient, but there's some a discussion about it in his retail thread:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=128455

and here:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=112363

[Big Perm]

I know this is a stupid question, but i am trying to run digi in (channels 7&8  i believe) and analog in 1&2.  What are my settings supposed to be...to i select analog or digital etc....
thanks
a

[groovon]

A menu setting allocates channels 7 & 8 either as extra individual mono tracks, or for the stereo mix of tracks 1 thru 6, as I recall.

(edit) oops - I was looking at the manual just now and it seems I was wrong. 7 & 8 are a stereo pair (only?), and can be set for either a/ a stereo mix of channels 1 thru 6, or b/ as two additional tracks (digital input, stereo pair).
Interestingly, channels 5 & 6 can be set to use either their 1/4" jacks or the digital inputs, instead of 7 & 8 using the digital ins (DR-680 manual, pp 27-28). So you can have 4 analog in, 2 digital in, and the stereo mix on 7 & 8.
Must read more manual... 

Dave

[jbell]

I have been interested in this pre also!  I like that is has an optical so I could use this with my D50.  Does anyone know if the Audient has the same issue the UA-5 and V3's has sending a 24bit signal to the sony D50?  The price is right also. 

If people are looking for new preamps with A/D for the digi-in channels, I've heard good things about the Audient Mico ($660 street):

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/372095.html

[groovon]

I have been interested in this pre also!  I like that is has an optical so I could use this with my D50.  Does anyone know if the Audient has the same issue the UA-5 and V3's has sending a 24bit signal to the sony D50?  The price is right also. 

If people are looking for new preamps with A/D for the digi-in channels, I've heard good things about the Audient Mico ($660 street):

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/372095.html

You can get an even better deal from: dirk@bigpurpledog.com

[headroom]

Get my DR 680 in switzerland  jesterday ans scrachting my head...
How could someone build a Stereo machine with only Volumecontrol for Mono Channels?
Am I stupid ? They are Stereolinked together but no Stereovolume possible - huh?

[Chuck]

Get my DR 680 in switzerland  jesterday ans scrachting my head...
How could someone build a Stereo machine with only Volumecontrol for Mono Channels?
Am I stupid ? They are Stereolinked together but no Stereovolume possible - huh?

At first I thought the gain controls were going to be a problem, but I have gotten used to them.
Another option is to run a pre-amp with controls you like in front of the DR-680.

[headroom]

Get my DR 680 in switzerland  jesterday ans scrachting my head...
How could someone build a Stereo machine with only Volumecontrol for Mono Channels?
Am I stupid ? They are Stereolinked together but no Stereovolume possible - huh?

At first I thought the gain controls were going to be a problem, but I have gotten used to them.
Another option is to run a pre-amp with controls you like in front of the DR-680.

But i want to get rid if more stuff in frontoff...  So the marketing guys killed this option - shame on Tascam

[yltfan]

Get my DR 680 in switzerland  jesterday ans scrachting my head...
How could someone build a Stereo machine with only Volumecontrol for Mono Channels?
Am I stupid ? They are Stereolinked together but no Stereovolume possible - huh?

At first I thought the gain controls were going to be a problem, but I have gotten used to them.
Another option is to run a pre-amp with controls you like in front of the DR-680.

Yeah--it only takes a half second longer than on the R-44. I'm used to it.
But if anyone has Tascam's ear, the ability to link two channels' gain control would be nice in the next firmware update.
What other recorders do this? The only one I've seen it on is a rockboxed iriver.

[headroom]

.. was used to work with the Apogee Mini MP wich had a Gain for this....

[Chuck]

Get my DR 680 in switzerland  jesterday ans scrachting my head...
How could someone build a Stereo machine with only Volumecontrol for Mono Channels?
Am I stupid ? They are Stereolinked together but no Stereovolume possible - huh?

At first I thought the gain controls were going to be a problem, but I have gotten used to them.
Another option is to run a pre-amp with controls you like in front of the DR-680.

Yeah--it only takes a half second longer than on the R-44. I'm used to it.
But if anyone has Tascam's ear, the ability to link two channels' gain control would be nice in the next firmware update.
What other recorders do this? The only one I've seen it on is a rockboxed iriver.

I mentioned this issue to Mr. Chang when I got my DR-680. It didn't sound like he was behind the idea of changing that in the firmware. My biggest gripe is still the "clip" indicator that tells you you are 3 dB from clipping.

The mono gain controls are not bad at all once you start using them.

[headroom]

I mentioned this issue to Mr. Chang when I got my DR-680. It didn't sound like he was behind the idea of changing that in the firmware. My biggest gripe is still the "clip" indicator that tells you you are 3 dB from clipping.

The mono gain controls are not bad at all once you start using them.
[/quote]

.. but this a good thing -3 db before clipping we win some safe headroom

[Chuck]

.. but this a good thing -3 db before clipping we win some safe headroom

You say potatoe and I say potato...
I had a V3 for a bunch of years and liked the real "clip" indicators on it. A firmware update in the future could possibly allow the DR-680 to be user selectable either way?