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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: stevetoney on February 03, 2015, 07:28:00 PM

Title: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: stevetoney on February 03, 2015, 07:28:00 PM
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/audio/news/namm-2015-tascam-introduces-new-dr-680mkii-field-recorder?BI=4906

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1116651-REG/tascam_dr_680mkii_8_track_field_recorder.html

Anybody know what HDDA mic preamps are?  I assume that's what they put into the HS-P82?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on February 03, 2015, 07:43:44 PM
Hot Dang Digital Awesomeness!
or some such mostly meaningless marketing term I'm sure.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on February 03, 2015, 07:50:55 PM
Blurb from the B&H page-

For audio quality, the recorder features High Definition Discrete Architecture (HDDA) microphone preamplifiers, each with a differential amplification circuit that has been optimized for sound while providing an optional +48V phantom power for use with condenser microphones.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: flintstone on February 03, 2015, 09:45:21 PM
Tascam's page. http://tascam.com/product/dr-680mkii/
MSRP $599
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Kpmandolin on February 03, 2015, 11:27:49 PM
It says the DR70 has the HDDA preamps as well, in the overview on the B & H site.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on February 04, 2015, 11:06:56 AM
The Tascam rep has posted a couple of things about the 680mkii.  One said:  "The main audio improvement in the DR-680mkII comes from the upgraded op-amp, including better EIN (lower noise)." 

Another quote from the 680 thread:  "Somebody asked about op-amps on the mkII.
The mkII uses a better sounding op-amp compared to the mkI.   (BA2115 instead of BA4580)
Only the DR-70D has the NE5532 op-amp.

I thought I mentioned this before, but the Headphone knob is improved on the mkII as well - better taper and finer control."
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Ultfris101 on February 04, 2015, 02:20:08 PM


Anybody know what HDDA mic preamps are?  I assume that's what they put into the HS-P82?

The HS-P82 apparently has what Tascam is calling Ultra-HDDA which are the NE5532 op amps. Interesting that the DR-70d has the same preamps as the HS-P82. No wonder people like that new little recorder.

They don't say this on the HS-P82 product page but on the USB2x2 page they mention it has the same op amps as the HS-P82 and then say it has NE5532.

  http://www.tascam.eu/en/us-2x2.html
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: efksound on February 05, 2015, 02:20:16 PM
I wonder if the firmware of the MKII can be installed on the original MKI, since it looks like the hardware (except the op amps) is the same -
that way we could have some of the long asked features (file counter reset) on the DR680, but Tascam decided that it was better to release a new machine instead of releasing new firmware with these features
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on February 05, 2015, 05:37:58 PM
That is an interesting question.  Unless Tascam releases it as firmware update to the 680, I wouldn't want to be the first to take a chance on it since the mkii can use the larger capacity cards which the 680 can't.   
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: tomuo on February 06, 2015, 05:06:49 PM
All of the DR series firmware updates are product-locked, and generally locked against downgrades.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Life In Rewind on February 06, 2015, 07:40:49 PM
All of the DR series firmware updates are product-locked, and generally locked against downgrades.

No offense - but is it just a matter of jailbreaking?

Somebody with a dev kit for this Blackfin stuff must know...
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on February 06, 2015, 08:04:48 PM
Tomuo

Can the 680 be linked with the 680mkii or can you only link two of the same model?  I would think existing 680 owners would be excited if the mkii could be linked with the 680.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: tomuo on February 09, 2015, 01:49:04 PM
All of the DR series firmware updates are product-locked, and generally locked against downgrades.

No offense - but is it just a matter of jailbreaking?

Somebody with a dev kit for this Blackfin stuff must know...
"Jailbreaking" only makes sense for a product series that has features that can be enabled/disabled programatically.  The mkII changes are are inter-mingled with each other, so end up being dependent on the hardware.   To make the software feature list othogonal would be more work.
We have had an Anti reverse-engineering policy for ever.  The reason is more pragmatic than philosophical.

Tom.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: tomuo on February 09, 2015, 01:50:40 PM
Tomuo

Can the 680 be linked with the 680mkii or can you only link two of the same model?  I would think existing 680 owners would be excited if the mkii could be linked with the 680.

I don't see a restriction against this in the hardware of software, should work fine.

Tom.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Ultfris101 on February 09, 2015, 03:06:46 PM
Tom,

Thanks for dropping by and answering questions.

I'm quite likely to get one of the mkIIs
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on February 09, 2015, 03:08:32 PM
Much appreciated here, too.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: drewloo on February 20, 2015, 11:03:12 AM
I didn't pre-order one but did ask for availability notification from B&H.  Was a bit disappointed that it wasn't available at 12am this morning but that could also be because they sold out of their 1st allotment already I guess.

edit, now says:   Expected availability: March 20 2015
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: glennjr on March 11, 2015, 05:56:48 AM
Any real world experience with the mkii yet? I've got a couple screwed up channels on my 680 and might try upgrading.

I've got the Busman 680; real curious how they compare. Would be nice if mkii is quieter.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on March 24, 2015, 01:03:30 PM
For those of you who pre-ordered from B&H, I just got off the phone with customer service and their expected availability date slipped from 3/20 to 4/15 due to shipping delays from Tascam. >:( >:( >:( Glad I picked up a 70d as well, which should be here in time tape a couple Keller shows next week.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 404 Not Found on March 24, 2015, 03:20:50 PM
For what it may be worth? There is a giveaway contest sponsored by TASCAM on musicpage.com's site for the DR680 MKII: 

https://www.musicpage.com/musicop/fe1255063fe924a58bbe (https://www.musicpage.com/musicop/fe1255063fe924a58bbe)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: rockymtnryan on March 30, 2015, 12:03:21 AM
The Tascam rep has posted a couple of things about the 680mkii.  One said:  "The main audio improvement in the DR-680mkII comes from the upgraded op-amp, including better EIN (lower noise)." 

Another quote from the 680 thread:  "Somebody asked about op-amps on the mkII.
The mkII uses a better sounding op-amp compared to the mkI.   (BA2115 instead of BA4580)
Only the DR-70D has the NE5532 op-amp.

I thought I mentioned this before, but the Headphone knob is improved on the mkII as well - better taper and finer control."

Has anyone compared the BA2115 to the NE5532? Not sure if the BA2115 is stock in any other Tascam deck.  If so I'd like to hear samples. Is the consensus that the NE5532 is a higher quality op amp for field recording? If so, I'm really surprised they didn't use that op amp in the MKII since it costs $300 more than the DR-70D.

Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: drewloo on April 14, 2015, 07:03:20 AM
Full Compass showing the MKii in stock.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: leehookem on April 14, 2015, 11:58:58 AM
Get it Drew!!!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: AB52 on April 15, 2015, 12:07:02 AM
How difficult and costly is it to swap out the op amp?

The Tascam rep has posted a couple of things about the 680mkii.  One said:  "The main audio improvement in the DR-680mkII comes from the upgraded op-amp, including better EIN (lower noise)." 

Another quote from the 680 thread:  "Somebody asked about op-amps on the mkII.
The mkII uses a better sounding op-amp compared to the mkI.   (BA2115 instead of BA4580)
Only the DR-70D has the NE5532 op-amp.

I thought I mentioned this before, but the Headphone knob is improved on the mkII as well - better taper and finer control."

Has anyone compared the BA2115 to the NE5532? Not sure if the BA2115 is stock in any other Tascam deck.  If so I'd like to hear samples. Is the consensus that the NE5532 is a higher quality op amp for field recording? If so, I'm really surprised they didn't use that op amp in the MKII since it costs $300 more than the DR-70D.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: florian.ardelean on April 15, 2015, 02:01:09 AM
How difficult and costly is it to swap out the op amp?

If they used the 2-channel version (the BA2115 comes in a 3 and even 4-channel flavour as well), then it wouldn't be very complicated. However, there are many other factors to be taken into consideration apart from the op-amp, and they're actually using the "improved op-amp" line mainly as marketing hype - it's the new deal, it sounds good and sells.

However, the performance of the recorder is only partly based on the op-amp, just like the performance of a microphone - recorder is only partly based on the recorder.

The DR680 already had stellar EIN, close to the Sound Devices 7xx series, so if the DR680MKII is even a bit better, why bother modding it?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 15, 2015, 10:20:13 AM
As I understand it, part of the alleged problem with the original 680 was that the capacitors were too small when it came to providing phantom power, and Tascam fixed this in the mkii along with providing improved op-amps.  It remains to be seen whether changing the mkii op amps would make a substantial difference. 

With the Zoom F8 on the horizon offering 8 individually adjustable channels, nice metering,  and possibly, timecode, in a SD style case for $1,000, it might be smart to pause and let things settle down before committing $600 to the mkii and then spending another $350 on modding the mkii for what might or might not be that much improvement. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 15, 2015, 11:25:10 AM
I'd be far more interested in replacing my mk1 680 if Tascam would have included a few of the features available on the DR-70D, rather than simply fixing the problems with the mk1 version without really adding other significant improvements.

I'd buy one if it had these things:
individual channel output level
individual channel EQ
individual channel polarity

Possible those things may be addressable via firmware update, but I doubt it.

As it is, it seems like asking mk1 owners to pay for a new machine in order to fix problems which were Tascam's responsibility.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: florian.ardelean on April 15, 2015, 11:27:13 AM
I really don't see the need to swap the op-amps. There are not even any real world tests yet online! The 680 is a proven model, and the MKii upgrade (mode of an update) fixed the few problems the first version did have.

I wouldn't jump to the F8 just yet, even if it is launched this year. Zoom doesn't have a good reputation for sound quality (all their products are noisy and induce non-linear distortion). As for reliability, Zoom has learned a lot lately, yes, the H6 and H5 are the first of their recorders which can be trusted to an extent. But I wouldn't rely on a new model for serious work, at least not until it has been field-proven. I'd wait a year or so after it comes up for all the firmware quirks to be resolved.

However the F8 prototype looks like a sound mixer's nightmare for ENG work - extremely non-user-friendly. Why would we need such a large color screen? To cramp up "rec" and "stop" buttons to the side of the case, where they can be accidentally pressed if doing an over-the-soulder recording? The case should be bigger for 8 channels...
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 15, 2015, 11:36:06 AM
What I would really like is a 6 channel DR2d!
But I know it ain't never gonna happen.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: danny3 on April 15, 2015, 06:16:42 PM
What I would really like is a 6 channel DR2d!/

Or at least bring us a DR-2d mkii !
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 16, 2015, 11:49:04 AM
Just got shipping confirmation from B&H. Should arrive tomorrow and just in time for the weekend. Can't wait! ;D

Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 16, 2015, 05:35:17 PM
Of course, you're going to have to do a head on preamp comparison with your 70d. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 16, 2015, 06:46:11 PM
Of course, you're going to have to do a head on preamp comparison with your 70d.

No problem, I'm running a matrix for a local band tomorrow night with AT4050's onstage (split omni). I'll run the 70D for the first set and 680 for the second. Any other requests?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 16, 2015, 07:41:46 PM
Fantastic. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Ultfris101 on April 17, 2015, 02:22:04 PM
oh yeah
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: drewloo on April 17, 2015, 03:24:49 PM
A bit of bad news as far as external power goes--the MKii uses a smaller size external adapter.  The one for the MKi doesn't fit.

OD 4.75mm x ID 1.7mm (adapt-a-plug size C) seems to fit the best. 

OD 4.0mm x ID 1.7mm (adapt-a-plug size B) also worked but was not as snug as the C.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 17, 2015, 03:26:38 PM
WTF?

Why change it to something smaller, the old one worries me enough about being robust enough not to break.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: drewloo on April 17, 2015, 03:41:29 PM
Yeah, someone once yanked on my friend's 680 while it was plugged in and now the jack is messed up to where he can't jiggle the cable the littlest bit or it looses power so he has to tape the cable in position.  I learned this the hard way when I went to get patch out of it and it shut off as I was trying to plug in some rca cables.  Luckily it was a local band but I felt bad for doing it. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 17, 2015, 04:27:34 PM
I guess Tascam's supplier changed the connector when they upgraded the power unit--change in connector is unexpected.

I wanted to verify whether the mkii can be cascaded with an original 680 and emailed Tascam several weeks ago, but haven't received a reply.   So I'll just keep my $.   
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: florian.ardelean on April 18, 2015, 01:33:30 AM

I wanted to verify whether the mkii can be cascaded with an original 680 and emailed Tascam several weeks ago, but haven't received a reply.   So I'll just keep my $.

Tom Duffy from TASCAM confirmed this a while ago. It works, no problems.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: bdasilva on April 18, 2015, 03:53:51 AM
can you cascade two units..one master to two slaves? Pulled the trigger from amazon... it'll be here tomorrow...

Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 19, 2015, 01:20:30 AM
Of course, you're going to have to do a head on preamp comparison with your 70d.

Here are 3 samples from last night. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0)

Mics were mounted on a railing/splash gaurd about 30" above the stage lip and split 7'-8' apart.

The only change I made is raise the levels a few dB in post.

I have a hard time differentiating between the 2 recorders, which speaks well for the 70D. Let me know what you think.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: yousef on April 19, 2015, 11:12:15 AM
£140/195E at Thomman:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/tascam_dr_60d_mkii.htm

Considering that this is exactly what I paid for a secondhand mki a couple of months ago, I'm a little bit gutted...

Absolutely love mine though - I've already saved countless hours that would have otherwise been spent on time-stretching etc.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: H₂O on April 19, 2015, 02:35:27 PM
https://m.thomann.de/gb/tascam_dr_680_mkii.htm?ref=msg_a_0

689€ or 497£ for the 680mk ii

The 60d is what you linked too
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: yousef on April 19, 2015, 02:37:10 PM
The 60d is what you linked too

Sorry - wrong thread  :-[
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 19, 2015, 09:58:32 PM
Of course, you're going to have to do a head on preamp comparison with your 70d.

Here are 3 samples from last night. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0)

Mics were mounted on a railing/splash gaurd about 30" above the stage lip and split 7'-8' apart.

The only change I made is raise the levels a few dB in post.

I have a hard time differentiating between the 2 recorders, which speaks well for the 70D. Let me know what you think.

I prefer B.  Cymbals and other instruments seem more defined. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 20, 2015, 02:15:06 AM
Of course, you're going to have to do a head on preamp comparison with your 70d.

Here are 3 samples from last night. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0)

Mics were mounted on a railing/splash gaurd about 30" above the stage lip and split 7'-8' apart.

The only change I made is raise the levels a few dB in post.

I have a hard time differentiating between the 2 recorders, which speaks well for the 70D. Let me know what you think.

I prefer B.  Cymbals and other instruments seem more defined.

Good ear, A was the 70D and B & C were the 680mkII. I prefer the 680 pre's as well but the 70D's aren't far behind, especially at half the cost.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 20, 2015, 02:53:06 AM
Here's a look under the hood of the mkII.

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/1569BDDC-46F1-4298-AD4F-604DECAA35F1.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/1569BDDC-46F1-4298-AD4F-604DECAA35F1.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/996A4CBB-8F32-47DA-A09F-97B5D9192D97.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/996A4CBB-8F32-47DA-A09F-97B5D9192D97.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/E7D58FFB-185B-4954-85AF-56D0364CE7F3.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/E7D58FFB-185B-4954-85AF-56D0364CE7F3.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/BE33E69B-F6E4-466F-9C33-A62A64089BFD.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/BE33E69B-F6E4-466F-9C33-A62A64089BFD.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/8E02ED09-EEE1-48DC-BA03-D6B53DF853AA.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/8E02ED09-EEE1-48DC-BA03-D6B53DF853AA.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/2F93A051-48E6-44F4-9447-E1EE8001686B.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/2F93A051-48E6-44F4-9447-E1EE8001686B.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/1B5619C2-40EA-47E0-B72E-A479A6563D9C.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/1B5619C2-40EA-47E0-B72E-A479A6563D9C.jpg.html)

(http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k287/05wrxsti1/Taping%20Rig/42B6CDF3-8779-4898-ADD9-AECBB719A87D.jpg) (http://s91.photobucket.com/user/05wrxsti1/media/Taping%20Rig/42B6CDF3-8779-4898-ADD9-AECBB719A87D.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: AB52 on April 21, 2015, 11:49:07 PM
Impressive.  It is amazing what can be done for the price now.  I would sure love to know how it sounds.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 22, 2015, 12:57:53 AM
Impressive.  It is amazing what can be done for the price now.  I would sure love to know how it sounds.

You can listen to a couple samples here.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0

B and C were recorded with the 680, A was recorded with the 70D. Mics were on stage so vocals aren't that great.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 22, 2015, 11:20:37 AM
Of course, you're going to have to do a head on preamp comparison with your 70d.

Here are 3 samples from last night. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9oym08ytp67wf7v/AABn0JR0ZsjM7hUVLVn1V9SVa?dl=0)

Mics were mounted on a railing/splash gaurd about 30" above the stage lip and split 7'-8' apart.

The only change I made is raise the levels a few dB in post.

I have a hard time differentiating between the 2 recorders, which speaks well for the 70D. Let me know what you think.

Whoever it was that was screaming that long scream like a girl comes through pretty well, too. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on April 22, 2015, 12:14:49 PM
Sorry, I was pretty excited to run the new deck.  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on April 22, 2015, 12:26:36 PM
That's understandable and entirely appropriate, then.   
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: bdasilva on April 22, 2015, 09:03:55 PM
Got the 128gb card... 40.   works like a champ  ..  My decks have always lived in the CS-680 cases...  The new deck will live in one of those... one of the other will in a generic SKB case.. but having it out you see how small and cool this deck really is.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: n3mmr on May 19, 2015, 08:40:17 AM
I'm a total newbie with Tascam digital gear, so sorry if my question is really stupid, but:

Can you cascade a 680mkII and a different tascam deck?

Like run a 680 mkII in control of a 70d?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: danny3 on May 19, 2015, 06:33:33 PM

Can you cascade a 680mkII and a different tascam deck?

Like run a 680 mkII in control of a 70d?

The cascade function works through the digital out of the master deck into the digital in of the slave, so no go with a 70D.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: bdasilva on May 24, 2015, 09:46:35 AM
The jog wheel.... on the mk 1 the longer/faster it you turned it the faster it went... Not so on my mkii.. kinda sucks going thru a show.. am i missing a menu?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Scooter123 on June 01, 2015, 02:14:27 AM
Any report on battery life?  The old 680 had, at best about 2 1/2 hour battery life, although I once got 2 hours 50 minutes. 

What is the experience?   
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on July 24, 2015, 04:26:01 PM
I just picked up a DR-680 MKII to add to my existing DR-680. I'll use the MKII for most things, and use them both if I need more than 8 channels. A few notes/questions:

1) I got mine from Full Compass, and while the price on their site is $599, I asked if they could offer me a better deal, and they sold it to me for $535. I'm a semi-regular customer there, so I don't know if that comes into play at all (probably not), but definitely ask if you're thinking about getting one there (or anything else for that matter).

2) The menus seem much nicer and intuitive than the original 680. I finally upgraded to the 1.30 firmware because I knew there were some improvements, and I was a bit sad that despite a few new features, but basic layout didn't change (the original 680 still has an inferior menu layout even with the 1.30 firmware).

3) I'm planning on recording a show tomorrow with more than 8 tracks, so I wanted to see how the cascade function worked. I *thought* it has been mentioned that when using cascade, the master and slave units don't stay in perfect digital sync, but I recorded for close to 7 minutes, and there was no drift. A null test between the files recorded on the 2 recorders resulted in perfect silence. The only issue was that the slave unit (680) was 1,841 samples ahead of the master (680MKII), so I had to line them up in post. I haven't (yet) experimented to see if that offset varies, or exactly what happens when switching which unit is the master and which is the slave. I'd be interested in hearing what other peoples' experiences are, however.

4) On one hand it's nice that there's not a separate line cord that can become unplugged from the power brick, but I do wish the cord to the brick was longer.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on July 27, 2015, 09:27:30 AM
I've not sync'd two of them, but that behavior is what I'd expect.  Clock on the slave machine should lock to the master over S/PDIF, although transport sync (start/stop times) may be off slightly.  If you haven't done so, you might try tuning off "pre-record" on both machines to see if/how that effects transport sync.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on July 27, 2015, 09:34:07 AM
I've not sync'd two of them, but that behavior is what I'd expect.  Clock on the slave machine should lock to the master over S/PDIF, although transport sync (start/stop times) may be off slightly.  If you haven't done so, you might try tuning off "pre-record" on both machines to see if/how that effects transport sync.

FYI, I did notice that the offset was different (233 samples I think) on another take. So apparently that varies somewhat. But still definitely in sync.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on July 27, 2015, 11:10:56 AM
Since you have both the original and the MKii, a short recording comparison would be nice to hear or at least your impression of how much improvement there is in the mkii.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on July 27, 2015, 11:12:10 AM
Since you have both the original and the MKii, a short recording comparison would be nice to hear or at least your impression of how much improvement there is in the mkii.

I plan on doing that when I get some time. That said, the way things are going lately, I can't promise how soon that will be :)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on July 27, 2015, 11:14:49 AM
Maybe the mkii will come down in price by then.   :)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: glennjr on September 26, 2015, 02:31:06 AM
Any comparisons out there between original and mkii in regards to preamp noise levels at higher gain?

Phantom power on two of my channels are dead and the lcd screen doesn't work recently.  Trying to decide if I should repair it or spend the cash for the mkii.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on October 31, 2015, 03:20:05 PM
I'm in. 

Ebay with Porta Brace bag, $457.

My MK1 is still working fine, except it didn't recognize the presence of internal batteries the last couple times I used it.  No problem using external power.  Haven't really looked into that issue. 

Bid on this MKII on a whim when it came up and figured if I could get it for less than  $500, cool. 
So, cool, sure-enough.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on December 02, 2015, 01:36:51 PM
TASCAM FIRMWARE ISSUE: Has anyone else noticed this?

I have used this deck extensively since swapping my original DR680. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this, as I am sure it is a firmware issue and is not unique to my deck. I have written Tascam Customer Service 6 times now but have yet to hear back. (I did get an automated response one time saying they would contact me after reviewing my letter, but that was it). I pretty much cut and paste the same letter with small modifications each time in the hopes that one day, I'll get a response. I get around the issue by leaving a note stuck to my recorder so I do not forget the issue which would be easy to do. Here are parts of the letter explaining the issue. I don't know if the issue existed on my DR680, because I never went digi with it. I do like the menu layout on the DR680MKII better than the original, but wonder if the issue existed (Ironically, the menu layout for this using this feature set are amongst the biggest differences between the original and MKII) then or not, and hope they'll deal with it, but have my doubts...

There seems to be an issue that should be fixable with a firmware update. I have written before but not heard back. In the "FUNCTION" menu if you are recording "Digital" (SPDIF) to the mix track (which I call tracks 7 and 8 for ease of reference) you need to set the DIN/MIX settings to "DIN MON" (from the default of "MIX MON") but the deck will not hold the setting of "DIN MON". As soon as you power off and then power it back on for the next use, it reverts back to "MIX MON". There is no way to hold the setting "DIN MON", making it very easy to forget to change it back. You may not notice too, because the MIX channels when set to "MIX MON" the default (which I call 7 and 8 for ease of reference) will be moving if any of channels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 are in use.

Long story short: If there can be a fix (firmware upgrade) so that in the "FUNCTION" menu whatever setting is chosen in the "DIN/MIX" menu would stay chosen like all the other settings, this would be really good. I hope this is clear, Please respond back this time.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 02, 2015, 02:31:59 PM
^ Interesting.  I've not recorded anything with my MK2 yet.  I have only been using it for playback thus far, and immediately noticed the menu and menu interface changes.

I have not checked the manual text sections dealing with this, but took a quick look at the recording block diagram for the original and MK2 versions and they are different.  The differences to correspond with DIN recording and monitoring, but I don't have time presently to dig too deeply..

These block diagrams are available in the back of the user manual for each machine.   Here's are screen shots of them, a bit cropped to be legible on screen, but the relevant bits are all there-
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 02, 2015, 02:36:47 PM
Am I missing something?

"In the "FUNCTION" menu if you are recording "Digital" (SPDIF) to the mix track (which I call tracks 7 and 8 for ease of reference) you need to set the DIN/MIX settings to "DIN MON" (from the default of "MIX MON") but the deck will not hold the setting of "DIN MON"."

I don't have my machine in front of me at the moment, but if I'm understanding you correctly, you don't *need* to set to DIN MON when recording digital input to the stereo track. That setting only affects monitoring, not recording.

Or am I misunderstanding something?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: phil_er_up on December 02, 2015, 02:55:14 PM
TASCAM FIRMWARE ISSUE: Has anyone else noticed this?

I have used this deck extensively since swapping my original DR680. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this, as I am sure it is a firmware issue and is not unique to my deck. I have written Tascam Customer Service 6 times now but have yet to hear back. (I did get an automated response one time saying they would contact me after reviewing my letter, but that was it). I pretty much cut and paste the same letter with small modifications each time in the hopes that one day, I'll get a response. I get around the issue by leaving a note stuck to my recorder so I do not forget the issue which would be easy to do. Here are parts of the letter explaining the issue. I don't know if the issue existed on my DR680, because I never went digi with it. I do like the menu layout on the DR680MKII better than the original, but wonder if the issue existed (Ironically, the menu layout for this using this feature set are amongst the biggest differences between the original and MKII) then or not, and hope they'll deal with it, but have my doubts...

There seems to be an issue that should be fixable with a firmware update. I have written before but not heard back. In the "FUNCTION" menu if you are recording "Digital" (SPDIF) to the mix track (which I call tracks 7 and 8 for ease of reference) you need to set the DIN/MIX settings to "DIN MON" (from the default of "MIX MON") but the deck will not hold the setting of "DIN MON". As soon as you power off and then power it back on for the next use, it reverts back to "MIX MON". There is no way to hold the setting "DIN MON", making it very easy to forget to change it back. You may not notice too, because the MIX channels when set to "MIX MON" the default (which I call 7 and 8 for ease of reference) will be moving if any of channels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 are in use.

Long story short: If there can be a fix (firmware upgrade) so that in the "FUNCTION" menu whatever setting is chosen in the "DIN/MIX" menu would stay chosen like all the other settings, this would be really good. I hope this is clear, Please respond back this time.


Have DR680 MKI and this happens to me all the time. I know what you are saying dallman. I never updated my firmware and have to set it each time. Got into the habit of checking each time because you are right the default setting looks like it is ok due to it is the mix of channel 1-6. So this has bitten me more then once. Never knew there was a fix for this...

==============================================================

Gutbucket have you noticed any improvement in the pres from mk1 to mk2? Or anyone else?
 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 02, 2015, 03:16:12 PM
Luckpac is correct, at least for the original 680.. not sure about the MK2 yet.

The last few posts were uploaded before I could post the following, which is basically confirmation of that:

To back up a bit..  at least with the original DR-680, you needn't be in DIN MON mode to record a digital input to the stereo channel.  You only need to be in DIN MON to monitor the digital input on the stereo channel meter and route it to the digital and/or analog outputs.  You do need to have ST REC set to DIN instead of MIX to record the digital input to the Stereo channel (7/8).
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 02, 2015, 03:18:37 PM
Luckpac is correct, at least for the original 680.. not sure about the MK2 yet.

The last few posts were uploaded before I could post the following, which is basically confirmation of that:

To back up a bit..  at least with the original DR-680, you needn't be in DIN MON mode to record a digital input to the stereo channel.  You only need to be in DIN MON to monitor the digital input on the stereo channel meter and route it to the digital and/or analog outputs.  You do need to have ST REC set to DIN instead of MIX to record the digital input to the Stereo channel (7/8).

If the diagram you posted is accurate, the same is true of the MKII. The monitor setting only affects the monitor, not what gets recorded.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 02, 2015, 03:34:10 PM
My original 680 reverts to MIX MON on power-off just like phil_er_up notes.  It will retain the ST REC DIN setting through a power cycle however, so it will always record the DIN input if one is present, the recorder is able to lock to it, and the stereo channel is record armed.  Set that way, the recorder will display DIN UNLOCK when entering rec/pause if there is no digital input present, but goes ahead and records the analog inputs without pause, using it's internal timeclock.  If a digital input shows up at any time while recording, the screen will display DIN LOCK and the recorder switches to using the external DIN as its timeclock.

Gutbucket have you noticed any improvement in the pres from mk1 to mk2? Or anyone else?

Haven't recorded anything with it yet.  I was content with the original preamps.  My main concern with the original was the well reported occasional over-heating related glitches. 

They added the ability to reload and properly rebuild multichannel takes allowing playback on the machine to the original with the latest firmware update, which was a previous concern of mine, so I didn't actually need to buy a MK2 to do that.  And neither the original or MK2 have added the other playback features I was hoping for- control over output levels by channel in direct out mode, EQ, polarity invert, and delay.

The menu change is nice and makes accessing and changing settings faster.  One press access to all menus, and the screen scrolls consecutively through all sub-menus, with no need to go back out the main menu to enter another.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on December 02, 2015, 07:38:24 PM
This doesn't have anything to do with the MIX MON issue, but I want to warn other owners of an issue I've had with my MKii.

For the most part the unit's been rock solid for the few months I've had it. It's easy to use and pre-amps sound great to my ears. However, 2 times the unit has completely locked up in the middle of the show and the only way to get it recording again was to shut down, unplug power, remove batteries and SD card, then do a hard reset by holding the power button down. After that the unit will boot back up and start running again. I looked into this here, and on GS, and the only thing I could come up with is that deleting or altering the .wav files on the SD card, on a mac or pc, then using the same card without reformatting it first could be the culprit. It's almost like the MKii gets confused when it tries to write over sectors on an SD that have been deleted using another devices.

The cards I use are 128GB PNY Elite Performance, I've run a full scans on each using 3rd party software and results come back error-free each time. I've probably recorded 150-200 hours on each card, running between 4-8 channels @ 24/48, but the only times I've run into an issue is when I've deleted files on my mac then used the same card without reformatting.

Forgive me if this is a known issue but just wanted to put it out there. If there's an ultra critical show you're recording (e.g. all of them) make sure you run a fresh format on the the SD card, preferably on the MKii, if you alter the files in any way on a mac, pc or other device.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: phil_er_up on December 03, 2015, 08:02:54 AM
This doesn't have anything to do with the MIX MON issue, but I want to warn other owners of an issue I've had with my MKii.

For the most part the unit's been rock solid for the few months I've had it. It's easy to use and pre-amps sound great to my ears. However, 2 times the unit has completely locked up in the middle of the show and the only way to get it recording again was to shut down, unplug power, remove batteries and SD card, then do a hard reset by holding the power button down. After that the unit will boot back up and start running again. I looked into this here, and on GS, and the only thing I could come up with is that deleting or altering the .wav files on the SD card, on a mac or pc, then using the same card without reformatting it first could be the culprit. It's almost like the MKii gets confused when it tries to write over sectors on an SD that have been deleted using another devices.

The cards I use are 128GB PNY Elite Performance, I've run a full scans on each using 3rd party software and results come back error-free each time. I've probably recorded 150-200 hours on each card, running between 4-8 channels @ 24/48, but the only times I've run into an issue is when I've deleted files on my mac then used the same card without reformatting.

Forgive me if this is a known issue but just wanted to put it out there. If there's an ultra critical show you're recording (e.g. all of them) make sure you run a fresh format on the the SD card, preferably on the MKii, if you alter the files in any way on a mac, pc or other device.

Thanks Gutbucket for your review.

=============================================================================================

Did know it did not affect the recording and it was only for the monitor, though you can not reset it once you start recording. So that is why I always check it. I like to know what the recordings levels are.

=============================================================================================
To rally_ak,

This has happened to me a few times on the MK1. If I remember correctly it was from turning off the V3 and other preamps before I turned off the 680. The 680 would get confused (lockup) and the only way to correct the problem was taking the power cord out of the 680.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 03, 2015, 10:38:49 AM
Some users reformat their card prior each recording session, but I don't feel that's necessary, and doing that would make for a card management hassle for me.  If I'm not reformating the card prior to use, and plan on continuing to record to the card, I do not delete any files from it.  I create new directories (folders) on the card, rename them, and move and rename the WAV files, but I always try not to delete anything.  I copy the files off the card to a HDD once I get home, but leave them on the card both for playback and as a safety copy until I can make a backup copy of the HDD files.  Once a card is filled up, without sufficient space for more additional recording, I reformat it and begin filling it again with new recordings.

The only times I've had problems with SD cards in any of my recorders in the past (can't remember it happening with the DR-680, but I'd already implemented this "never delete before formating" policy long before I started using that recorder) is when I'd deleted files from the card and kept using the it without reformatting.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 03, 2015, 01:09:12 PM
Did know it did not affect the recording and it was only for the monitor, though you can not reset it once you start recording. So that is why I always check it. I like to know what the recordings levels are.

What do you mean "you can not reset it once you start recording"? I'd have to double check on my MKII, but the original 680 definitely allows you to switch back and forth between MIX MON and DIN MON while recording.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 03, 2015, 01:31:52 PM
^Correct for MIX MON / DIN MON.  However, you cannot switch ST REC MIX / ST REC DIN without stopping the recording and restarting.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 03, 2015, 01:33:23 PM
^Correct for MIX MON / DIN MON.  However, you cannot switch ST REC MIX / ST REC DIN without stopping the recording and restarting.

Right, but unless I'm misunderstanding, phil_er_up was specifically talking about monitoring.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on December 03, 2015, 01:36:49 PM
To rally_ak,

This has happened to me a few times on the MK1. If I remember correctly it was from turning off the V3 and other preamps before I turned off the 680. The 680 would get confused (lockup) and the only way to correct the problem was taking the power cord out of the 680.

Good to know, my lock ups weren't attributed to shutting off other preamps/MKii losing digi signal though. Both times it happened, I was running SBD and mics direct to mic/line channels 1-6.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on December 03, 2015, 01:51:49 PM
Some users reformat their card prior each recording session, but I don't feel that's necessary, and doing that would make for a card management hassle for me.  If I'm not reformating the card prior to use, and plan on continuing to record to the card, I do not delete any files from it.  I create new directories (folders) on the card, rename them, and move and rename the WAV files, but I always try not to delete anything.  I copy the files off the card to a HDD once I get home, but leave them on the card both for playback and as a safety copy until I can make a backup copy of the HDD files.  Once a card is filled up, without sufficient space for more additional recording, I reformat it and begin filling it again with new recordings.

The only times I've had problems with SD cards in any of my recorders in the past (can't remember it happening with the DR-680, but I'd already implemented this "never delete before formating" policy long before I started using that recorder) is when I'd deleted files from the card and kept using the it without reformatting.

Yeah, I don't think a reformat each time is necessary either. I've filled my SD up to the 128GB mark on a couple occasions with out a glitch... well, except for running out of space. :facepalm: I agree that leaving the files on the card is the best practice whenever possible. It's saved me a couple times when I've accidentally deleted files off the laptop that weren't backed up to my NAS yet. Just need to make sure you have 10-15GB of space on the card before starting anything multi-track.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on December 03, 2015, 02:12:25 PM
I'll go slow here, because I may be asking a question at the same time I am explaining how I have my settings for going digi to the Mix Track. The differences in recording Digi to tracks 5 and 6 versus the mix track have taken me a while to figure out. In my experience, if the "DIN/MIX" setting on the FUNCTION menu is not on "DIN/MON", and if I am trying to record Digi to that "mix track" (which again I find easier to refer to as 7 and 8 ) I do not end up with anything on my card. I know it implies that it is only for monitoring, but in my experience I will not end up with anything on 7 and 8 if I go digi in and this is accidentally set to "MIX/MON". The other step in this process is to make sure that under MENU, the "ST REC" option is set to "DIN". So to repeat, if I have the "ST REC" set to "DIN" and do not have the "DIN/MIX" set to "DIN/MON", nothing records on the track. Now I don't know if this makes a difference, and I am not sure if I have tried this both ways, but under the MENU setting of "TRACK", I have my analog inputs turned on whatever they may be (usually 1,2,3,4) but I have the "ST" setting turned off if recording analog only or digi to 5 and 6. (edit to add: ) except when I am going Digi in to 7 and 8 and in that case I believe under "TRACK" the "ST" needs to be on too. I have it as part of my 3 step process which is "ST REC" set to "DIN", "TRACK" is set to "ST", and "MIX/MON" set to "DIN/MON".

Am I clear here? Those of you who have this deck probably understand there are a few steps to doing this correctly, and it might not be the most intuitive part of the deck or manual. Do others have any direct experience doing this differently than me recording on that mix track 7 and 8, Digi in?

Lastly off topic, I have never had a single glitch in recording and have used this deck a great deal. I have 2 sony 64gb cards and 2 sony 128gb cards that I got really cheap from B and H. I do not reformat each show, because they are huge cards, but I reformat only in the machine and usually around when they are half to 3/4 full. I never delete on any machine I own, I only reformat, and have never had a single issue on any deck. I often use off brands too. (I do not own a DR70d though which is an entirely different issue related just to that decks design apparently). I do own way too many decks though, it's one of those things I cannot resist.  ;D 8)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 03, 2015, 03:15:37 PM
To keep the terms straight and less confusing, let's refer to the 'extra channels' on the 680 as either the Stereo Channel (which is what Tascam calls it) or channels 7&8, rather than the Mix Track.  That naming reduces potential confusion since either the digital input or a mix of the analog channels may be recorded to the stereo channel.

The menu TRACK setting controls which channels are armed by default when entering record or rec/pause mode.  Doesn't matter how that is set, but if not armed by default, you'll need to remember to press the button under each channel you want recorded to arm them while in rec/pause, before beginning to record.  Likewise you'll need to disarm any channels you don't want recorded, if your default setting has them pre-armed when entering rec/pause.  That includes arming or disarming the stereo channel. My apologies if that is obvious and you are already doing this, just trying to state clearly what this step entails.

So the stereo channel needs to be armed (one way or the other) to have it recorded.  If you need to set DIN MON as well as ST REC DIN to get the digital input recorded to the stereo channel when using the MK2, that's a change from the way the MK1 works.  I'll test that on my recorder when I get a chance.  Possibly tonight.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on December 03, 2015, 03:47:27 PM
To keep the terms straight and less confusing, let's refer to the 'extra channels' on the 680 as either the Stereo Channel (which is what Tascam calls it) or channels 7&8, rather than the Mix Track.  That naming reduces potential confusion since either the digital input or a mix of the analog channels may be recorded to the stereo channel.

The menu TRACK setting controls which channels are armed by default when entering record or rec/pause mode.  Doesn't matter how that is set, but if not armed by default, you'll need to remember to press the button under each channel you want recorded to arm them while in rec/pause, before beginning to record.  Likewise you'll need to disarm any channels you don't want recorded, if your default setting has them pre-armed when entering rec/pause.  That includes arming or disarming the stereo channel. My apologies if that is obvious and you are already doing this, just trying to state clearly what this step entails.

So the stereo channel needs to be armed (one way or the other) to have it recorded.  If you need to set DIN MON as well as ST REC DIN to get the digital input recorded to the stereo channel when using the MK2, that's a change from the way the MK1 works.  I'll test that on my recorder when I get a chance.  Possibly tonight.

Thanks for simplifying, and I always appreciate your input! I sometimes confuse myself with the terms, so I like your breakdown.

I do arm the channels, but still need to set the DIN/MON each time otherwise everything looks fine like it is recording, but there is no digi track on the SD card when I go to transfer. I will be curious to see what your results are. It would not shock me if there was more than one way to successfully do this. While it has now been a few weeks since I recorded openly, in October, I recorded a slew of shows with my SD USB Pre going to 7 and 8. The only way that worked (For me anyway) was:
1. Track ST armed (with my SD USB Pre plugged into the digi in RCA jack)
2. ST REC set to DIN
3. DIN/MIX set to DIN/MON

Again thanks!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: phil_er_up on December 03, 2015, 04:48:19 PM
^Correct for MIX MON / DIN MON.  However, you cannot switch ST REC MIX / ST REC DIN without stopping the recording and restarting.

Right, but unless I'm misunderstanding, phil_er_up was specifically talking about monitoring.

Lukpac is correct. Just tried it on the DR-680 recorder and you can set the  MIX MON / DIN MON while recording. Sorry for any confusion.  :facepalm:

===========================================================================

Have 2 Dr680 MK1 and only formatted the SD card when I put it in. Ran 100's of shows on each one. Always pulled and deleted files from PC to DR680. Never had a SD card problem until the DR70 unit. Realize many on here say the correct way to do this is format the card each time though never had a problem.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: voltronic on December 04, 2015, 08:13:08 PM
Apologies if this is already known since I'm never on this thread, but I wanted to give a heads up that Tascam USA (http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/873/dr-680mk2_tested%20media%20list.pdf) and Tascam EU (http://www.tascam.eu/en/dr-680mkii_cards.html) have different media lists for the 680.  Specifically, the EU list has 5 SanDisk cards that do not appear on the USA list, although 4 out of those 5 are designated as follows:
Quote
*After repeated use, the write performance of this card deteriorates. It is suggested that periodically audio files get transferred to a computer and the unit's ERASE FORMAT function is used prior to further recording use.

Here's my post in the 70D thread where I found similar designations for the 22-WL and 44-WL after Life in Rewind made a point about the statement on the 70D media list:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175623.msg2168959#msg2168959 (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175623.msg2168959#msg2168959)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Rally_AK on December 04, 2015, 08:46:35 PM
Thanks voltronic, that's the first time I've seen that. I just ran a full scan, using a program called F3 http://oss.digirati.com.br/f3/ (http://oss.digirati.com.br/f3/), on my 128GB PNY Elite card after about 4 months of heavy use and it came back with zero errors or corrupted sectors. My cards seem to be in good shape, but as mentioned earlier don't delete files from the card using your computer then use the card again without re-formatting 1st, not in the MKii at least.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on December 05, 2015, 05:42:06 PM
Apologies if this is already known since I'm never on this thread, but I wanted to give a heads up that Tascam USA (http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/873/dr-680mk2_tested%20media%20list.pdf) and Tascam EU (http://www.tascam.eu/en/dr-680mkii_cards.html) have different media lists for the 680.  Specifically, the EU list has 5 SanDisk cards that do not appear on the USA list, although 4 out of those 5 are designated as follows:
Quote
*After repeated use, the write performance of this card deteriorates. It is suggested that periodically audio files get transferred to a computer and the unit's ERASE FORMAT function is used prior to further recording use.

Here's my post in the 70D thread where I found similar designations for the 22-WL and 44-WL after Life in Rewind made a point about the statement on the 70D media list:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175623.msg2168959#msg2168959 (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175623.msg2168959#msg2168959)
I don't know if there is a different approved card  list for the original DR680 to which you refer or to the DR680MKII which is the model referred to on this thread. The 2 decks are different with some different buttons and menu processes, which is why there are 2 seperate threads. I throw that out there for clarity, because those that have either deck want information specific to their model and although reading this it sounds a bit like I am whining, but that is not my intent because I know you are just being helpful! ;D That said, I have used lots of cards on both models, the DR 680 and the DR680MKII and never had any errors or hiccups. I have used models like Emtec and Wintec, repeatedly without issue. I really think the issues on the DR 70d are unique to that model and/or some major change in the firmware was made over the decks up until that point and the change has some kind of fatal flaw. This deck is pretty card friendly, I have not heard of any issues.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: voltronic on December 05, 2015, 06:39:35 PM
Apologies if this is already known since I'm never on this thread, but I wanted to give a heads up that Tascam USA (http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/873/dr-680mk2_tested%20media%20list.pdf) and Tascam EU (http://www.tascam.eu/en/dr-680mkii_cards.html) have different media lists for the 680.  Specifically, the EU list has 5 SanDisk cards that do not appear on the USA list, although 4 out of those 5 are designated as follows:
Quote
*After repeated use, the write performance of this card deteriorates. It is suggested that periodically audio files get transferred to a computer and the unit's ERASE FORMAT function is used prior to further recording use.

Here's my post in the 70D thread where I found similar designations for the 22-WL and 44-WL after Life in Rewind made a point about the statement on the 70D media list:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175623.msg2168959#msg2168959 (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=175623.msg2168959#msg2168959)
I don't know if there is a different approved card  list for the original DR680 to which you refer or to the DR680MKII which is the model referred to on this thread. The 2 decks are different with some different buttons and menu processes, which is why there are 2 seperate threads. I throw that out there for clarity, because those that have either deck want information specific to their model and although reading this it sounds a bit like I am whining, but that is not my intent because I know you are just being helpful! ;D That said, I have used lots of cards on both models, the DR 680 and the DR680MKII and never had any errors or hiccups. I have used models like Emtec and Wintec, repeatedly without issue. I really think the issues on the DR 70d are unique to that model and/or some major change in the firmware was made over the decks up until that point and the change has some kind of fatal flaw. This deck is pretty card friendly, I have not heard of any issues.

Typo on my part - I am referring to the MKII.  If you follow my links in the above post, you'll see they are both for the 680MKII.  For the record, I wasn't suggesting that the 680 or 680 MKII are having card issues (I have no experience with either), but found it interesting that Tascam has two different card lists for the 680 MKII and wanted to give people here the heads up on it.

FWIW, according to this thread (https://www.gearslutz.com/board/remote-possibilities-acoustic-music-location-recording/558184-dr680-write-timeout-error-massage.html) the original 680 may have occasionally had "write timeout" errors with certain cards on the approved list for that unit.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 06, 2015, 01:32:31 PM
Are the "approved media" lists really anything more than "these are the cards that happened to be available when we tested, and they seem to work"?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: n3mmr on December 08, 2015, 07:58:16 AM
I bought a dr680mkII the other day and analog recording seems straight forward.

Digital recording of audio from the coax in, not so very straight forward.

I set up the ST REC option to be DIN, and connected to my old Sony DAT. DIN Unlock came up. I hooked up an old spdif/aes digital signal monitor and spdif data editor in series to see what was up.

The only way to get rid of the DIN Unlock message was to modify the bit stream to say Proffessional. Huh? What? Why?

Can somebody explain how to get this unit to accept consumer SPDIF DIN?

Note, there's no copy prohibit set in the spdif stream.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 08, 2015, 08:55:29 AM
You can set the digital I/O format to SPDIF or AES somewhere in the menu.  Perhaps you had it set to AES?  If so try switching it to SPDIF.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: n3mmr on December 08, 2015, 10:27:52 AM
Re the suggestion of setting the format of DIN to aes or spdif: you can set the DOUT format, not the DIN. And I did have that set to spdif. Tried aes as well, but made no difference.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 08, 2015, 05:56:19 PM
I've not been home since last week (sick, staying in the nurse's bed  ;)) but when I do get back there in a few days I can run a few digital sources into the MK2 which have worked in the past into the MK1 for me without problems.  Namely a Grace V3, and and R-44.  I can also try a few other digital sources I don't think I ever ran into the MK1- a SBM and a Panasonic CD/DVD player.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: n3mmr on December 09, 2015, 04:53:31 AM
It was actually my mistake, sorry!

The dr680 resets the digital format when power cycled, so it was set to aes, even when I thought it was set to spdif.

It even turns out the dr680 disregards the copy protection bits, so I can now make it record CD and DAT streams.

I think it would be a very good idea to enable the user to store a default  state, i e a state that the unit reverts to on power cycling.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: n3mmr on December 10, 2015, 05:12:31 PM
I'm not at all sure I have any idea what I'm doing with my dr680mkII!

Right now it seems to keep.every setting across power cyclws, except the mix Mon setting in Function.

I have some misgivings about the importance of take file properties, but otherwise the unit seems straightforward.

I still think "profiles" is a good idea: a complete machine setup that is saved and can be called up to set the machine up for a particular style of job in one go.

I think a profile should include all settable options including mix pan, level and rec trim and everything under Function.

Also I think if one tells the unit to play a file thru dout and/or line out, the unit should disregard everything else, and simply play that file at the rate/depth it was recorded as, ignoring the DIN signal and all REC settings.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 10, 2016, 11:23:25 AM
Anyone have any issues running the MKii off 9V DVD batteries?
I've always run the MK1 that way, would like to do the same for the MKii.

I'm finally going to run my MKii for a festival next week and am making up an external battery power cable for it (wish it used the same power connector) and just want to check the experience of others beforehand. 

Planning on running the full 8 channels, P48 across all 8. Grace V3 > SPDIF into the stereo channel.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on March 10, 2016, 11:24:43 AM
I've only ever used AC, sorry.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on March 10, 2016, 02:41:56 PM
Anyone have any issues running the MKii off 9V DVD batteries?
I've always run the MK1 that way, would like to do the same for the MKii.

I'm finally going to run my MKii for a festival next week and am making up an external battery power cable for it (wish it used the same power connector) and just want to check the experience of others beforehand. 

Planning on running the full 8 channels, P48 across all 8. Grace V3 > SPDIF into the stereo channel.
I always go 12V, not 9V. I have never had a problem with the MKI and now MKII, and I use it almost weekly. I have seen the argument for 9V, but it seems any time there has been an issue, it involves 9V. I think it's ok if you do not use internal batteries, which I keep in the deck for backup just in case. I think most issues center around the 9V battery falling below the internals and causing some kind of issue. (Power struggle ;-) ) So for me, it is just not worth playing around with.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 10, 2016, 03:22:03 PM
I'm only looking for confirmation that a 9V supply has worked for other MKII users. 

Thanks for the input but I'd rather not re-hash the MKI issues and speculate on the causes again right now.  For the record, I'v had no problems using 9 DVD batteries + internal batteries in the MKI since it's release.  Switch over was always seamless. Although 12V is specified and optimal, I'm setup with multiple 9V DVD batteries to power the recorder and V3, which I can recharge from a deepcycle 12V boat battery back at camp with no electrical hookup, making this the far more practical option for me next week.  I'm only looking to swap out the MKI out for the MKII, everything else remaining the same.  I could simply use the MKI, but would rather use the MKII.

FWIW the MKII powered up fine on a 9V DVD battery last night when I tested it, but I did not run a rigorous test. 

I'm simply looking for anecdotal confirmation that 9V has been working for other members here recording with the MKII.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: IronFilm on April 18, 2016, 02:11:35 AM
What are the notable differences between the mk1 and mk2?

It seems like better pre amps is the only big one? So wouldn't a DR680 mk1 with the busman mod be basically 95% as good as a DR680 mk2?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 18, 2016, 08:53:31 AM
I find the primary difference in use is that the menu system is easier to navigate quickly on the mk2.  You can scroll through the entire menu without back and forth button presses.  Perhaps the preamps are better, but I never had any problem with the mk1 preamps, and only brought along an outboard preamp to get 8 channels.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 18, 2016, 09:09:15 AM
Anyone have any issues running the MKii off 9V DVD batteries?
I've always run the MK1 that way, would like to do the same for the MKii.

I'm finally going to run my MKii for a festival next week and am making up an external battery power cable for it (wish it used the same power connector) and just want to check the experience of others beforehand. 

Planning on running the full 8 channels, P48 across all 8. Grace V3 > SPDIF into the stereo channel.

This is confirmation that 9V DVD batteries have worked fine for me powering the Mk2.

I did have a problem which I believe was caused by the mk2 overheating when used along with a Grace V3 in the same bag (hot).  No problems running the recorder alone (not over hot).

I ran the mk2 and V3 (8 channels) for Springfest last month.  Mk2 powered by a 12V SLA (with p48 on all 6 analog channels), V3 powered by 9V DVD.  It was warm out, and rather tight in the bag. By the end of Saturday, the V3 and recorder were quite hot.  At one point the phantom power on all analog channels of the mk2 cut out simultaneously and completely but the recorder kept running, digital input from the V3 recorded correctly.  I shut down and re-started the machine and the same problem manifested again after a few minutes. The following day I ran without the V3 (6 analog channels only) and the problem did not reoccur.

Last weekend at the Wanee festival I ran the mk2 only (6 analog p48) powered with 9V DVD batteries.  No problems the entire fest.  The Mk2 seems to draw less current than the mk1.  My very old DVD batteries (7-8 yrs old, which have never been refreshed with new cells), lasted 7-8 hrs each.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: jbell on April 18, 2016, 11:23:02 AM
The sucks that the new version suffers from the over heating issue too!! 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 18, 2016, 11:56:12 AM
Yeah,  I assume it's overheating causing this.  There is a different manifestation of the problem between the two recorder versions in my case, but the over-hot situation is the same.

Mk1 would produce a sort of rhythmic brief mute and level-pumping, which moved across all channels in a sort of wave like way, perhaps due to the phantom power cycling after the deck became overheated.  With the mk2 all analog input levels suddenly dropped fully zero and remained muted.  Due to the digital input still working, I assume that this was also a phantom power issue.  I was not recording to any of the analog inputs without phantom, so not sure if those would have remained recording or not.

I propped open the Tascam form-fitting case to allow some additional cooling air ventilation this last weekend, and had a single-use instant cold-pack on hand in the bag just in case, but the mk2 didn't get very warm at all this time without the V3 also running in there right next to it.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 20, 2016, 07:11:35 PM
Ok, here's a question. I'm using my MKII this weekend to record something where DIN is going to the stereo track and I'm giving everything the once over. It's recording fine (and in fact cascading fine to my 680; going to need 12 tracks total), but I can't figure out how to monitor that. From the manual:

When the Home Screen is open, press the FUNCTION button to open the Functions Screen.
...
DIN/MIX monitor settings
When the ST REC item on the REC page of the MENU screen is set to DIN, the signal to be monitored can be selected. Press the VALUE/MARK knob to select DIN MON or MIX MON.
The default value is MIX MON.
MIX MON : Set to monitor the stereo mix
DIN MON : Set to monitor the digital input

That's all fine, and corresponds to my experience with the 680. *However*, pressing the FUNCTION button while in record does nothing. So I only seem to be able to switch monitoring when stopped. Is anyone else able to switch monitoring while recording?

I wouldn't even care so much if the meters for the stereo track simply showed what was being recorded, rather than what was being monitored. That is, if you're recording DIN on the stereo track, but monitoring 1-6, the meters for the stereo track are for the 1-6 mix, not DIN.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 20, 2016, 07:31:55 PM
^
That's correct, and the same as the mk1.  You need to select which source you want to monitor on the stereo channel meters prior to recording.  You cannot change that selection while recording.

When powered up the machine will automatically default to MIX MON, so if you want to monitor the DIN input levels on the stereo channel meters, you need to remember to go into the menu and change that setting to DIN MON before recording each time you power-up.  But as long as you've set DIN to route to the stereo channel, DIN will be recorded either way.  That setting is retained when you power down and back up again.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 20, 2016, 07:32:53 PM
^
That's correct, and the same as the mk1.  You need to select which source you want to monitor on the stereo channel meters prior to recording.  You cannot change that selection while recording.

When powered up the machine will automatically default to MIX MON, so if you want to monitor the DIN input levels on the stereo channel meters, you need to remember to go into the menu and change that setting to DIN MON before recording each time you power-up.  But as long as you've set DIN to route to the stereo channel, DIN will be recorded either way.  That setting is retained when you power down and back up again.

Nope. You can change the monitoring while recording with the 680.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 20, 2016, 09:15:32 PM
Really?
Huh, I don't remember that, but I didn't do it that often and when I did I probably set it prior to hitting rec/pause.

In that case, can you work the cascade the other way? Then you should be able to change the DIN monitoring on the fly on the mk1.

You mention recording 12 channels total.  Do you want to do this simply to confirm digital connectivity via the stereo channel meters? or are you planning on keeping the stereo mix file from the first machine which is going to be recorded on the second machine over the SPDIF connection and want to make sure it doesn't clip?

You needn't record the stereo channel on either machine unless you want to do so for some reason.  As long as the clock of the second machine digitally locks with the first, the 6 channels recorded on each will be clock-synced with each other.  If the master/slave cascade of transport functions works as well that's gravy.  I ran the mk1 and an R44 together that way a few times for 10 channels.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 20, 2016, 09:38:29 PM
Really?
Huh, I don't remember that, but I didn't do it that often and when I did I probably set it prior to hitting rec/pause.

In that case, can you work the cascade the other way? Then you should be able to change the DIN monitoring on the fly on the mk1.

You mention recording 12 channels total.  Do you want to do this simply to confirm digital connectivity via the stereo channel meters? or are you planning on keeping the stereo mix file from the first machine which is going to be recorded on the second machine over the SPDIF connection and want to make sure it doesn't clip?

You needn't record the stereo channel on either machine unless you want to do so for some reason.  As long as the clock of the second machine digitally locks with the first, the 6 channels recorded on each will be clock-synced with each other.  If the master/slave cascade of transport functions works as well that's gravy.  I ran the mk1 and an R44 together that way a few times for 10 channels.

Definitely switchable on the fly on the 680. I double checked after I posted. That whole menu is accessible, and isn't on the MKII. Also, FYI, it works with the latest firmware, and I know it worked with whatever firmware I was running in September of 2013, as I recorded a show with all 8 tracks then and I'm certain I was switching back and forth.

Let me explain the setup, so you can make some sense of it:

2 room mics -> preamp -> ADC -> 680MKII (DIN/stereo track)

6 instrument mics -> 680MKII (tracks 1-6)

mix of tracks 1-6 on 680MKII -> 680 (DIN/5&6)

4 line level feeds from mixer (vocals and DI) -> 680 (tracks 1-4)

That's the setup for 2 reasons:

1) In theory, the preamps are better in the 680MKII, so I'd rather have the mic sources get recorded by that and have the line level sources get recorded by the 680.
2) While I won't use it for mixing (other than to line the tracks up), it's nice to have the monitor mix from the 680MKII feed tracks 5&6 on the 680 so I can monitor *everything* (other than the room mics) at once on the 680. I could record DIN on the 680 to that stereo track, thus removing the need for the ADC and recording on the stereo track of the 680MKII, but then I could only listen to half the tracks at once.

I'll probably just do some checks on the levels of the room mics into the ADC beforehand, so I don't have to rely on the meter on the 680MKII, but it's still kind of annoying.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 21, 2016, 12:11:40 PM
Got it.  Sounds like a good plan. 

In that case I'd probably just set the first recorder to DIN MON to monitor the room mics, and turn the stereo mix level down just a bit to make sure their is sufficient headroom for the 6 channel sum without monitoring it on the first recorder.  You'll be able to monitor the mix on the ch 5/6 meters of the second recorder.  And if that live mix clips, no major loss since you aren't using that in the final mix anyway.

Best of luck with it.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 21, 2016, 12:19:50 PM
Got it.  Sounds like a good plan. 

In that case I'd probably just set the first recorder to DIN MON to monitor the room mics, and turn the stereo mix level down just a bit to make sure their is sufficient headroom for the 6 channel sum without monitoring it on the first recorder.  You'll be able to monitor the mix on the ch 5/6 meters of the second recorder.  And if that live mix clips, no major loss since you aren't using that in the final mix anyway.

Best of luck with it.

Alas, that won't work either :)

What gets sent via DIN OUT is whatever DIN MON is set to. So if I monitored the room mics, those would get sent to 5&6 on the second recorder, not the live mix of the other tracks. That would actually be easier for lining the tracks up in post, but would be less useful for live monitoring.

Last night I did some experiments with my preamp (actually a Mackie mixer), ADC, and 680MKII. I think I have a good handle on how the indicators and meters on the Mackie correspond to what the 680MKII is receiving, so I'll probably just rely on those for setting levels.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 21, 2016, 01:04:16 PM
Good point, I didn't think that part through.

In the back of my mind I keep thinking back to a month ago when I was recording 8 channels on the mk2, including two dig-in from a V3, and was sending a 6 channel mix out to another taper via the RCA outs.  In that case I needed to confirm the MIX MON setting to route the 6 channel mix to him, otherwise he'd only get the other two channels from the V3, which were backward facing ambience mics and certainly not what he'd want absent the other channels.  Monitoring wasn't a problem for me since I could monitor those DIG IN channels on the V3's meters.

After restarting the machine and quickly hitting record for the next act, I had a brief moment of concern that I might be sending him the V3 channels, then remembered that the recorder defaulted to MIX MON so he was good.  But either way, I still had the V3 output recorded to the stereo channel.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: cranberrie star on July 31, 2016, 02:44:39 PM
Im in a need for a mkII service manual. I saw a part of it  for mkI
here http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=147559.msg1891549#msg1891549
and here http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=147560.msg1891551#msg1891551
but pages 20-28 are missing. Can someone please send me a whole one you have, mkI or mkII? It seems i cannot send PMs because im a new member  :(
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on August 01, 2016, 12:05:37 PM
Im in a need for a mkII service manual. I saw a part of it  for mkI
here http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=147559.msg1891549#msg1891549
and here http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=147560.msg1891551#msg1891551
but pages 20-28 are missing. Can someone please send me a whole one you have, mkI or mkII? It seems i cannot send PMs because im a new member  :(
If you have trouble with this link, it is from the Tascam website
http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/873/e_dr-680mk2_om_va.pdf (http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/873/e_dr-680mk2_om_va.pdf)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: cranberrie star on August 01, 2016, 02:01:53 PM
That is just user manual on their website, and i need full repair/service manual with schematics and part numbers. Do you have that one maybe?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: F.O.Bean on August 02, 2016, 05:07:48 AM
That is just user manual on their website, and i need full repair/service manual with schematics and part numbers. Do you have that one maybe?

I'm not sure that Tascam gives that info publicly?!?!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on August 02, 2016, 03:35:42 PM
That is just user manual on their website, and i need full repair/service manual with schematics and part numbers. Do you have that one maybe?

I'm not sure that Tascam gives that info publicly?!?!

I have not found anything out on the web...
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: jefflester on November 30, 2016, 12:41:07 PM
I recently picked up a mkII and have not gone through all 7 threads of mkI. A couple quick questions:

(1) Suggested simple 2-channel preamp with SPDIF out use on the DIG IN channels?
(2) Suggested external battery?
(3) I'm under the impression this deck is not as sensitive to particular SD cards like the DR-70 is, but any problems or suggested cards?

Thanks for any help.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on November 30, 2016, 02:02:31 PM
(3) I'm under the impression this deck is not as sensitive to particular SD cards like the DR-70 is, but any problems or suggested cards?

Purely anecdotal, but I got these about a year ago and haven't had any problems:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0143RT8OY/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've also used 2 or 3 different 16GB cards without issue as well. I've never had a problem with any cards in my 680 or 680MKII.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GDfan on December 02, 2016, 07:47:31 PM
I recently picked up a mkII and have not gone through all 7 threads of mkI. A couple quick questions:

(1) Suggested simple 2-channel preamp with SPDIF out use on the DIG IN channels?
(2) Suggested external battery?
(3) I'm under the impression this deck is not as sensitive to particular SD cards like the DR-70 is, but any problems or suggested cards?

Thanks for any help.

1. I use a Sound Devices USBPre2 in front of mine and love the sound.
2. I use an Anker 14400 Mah that has 12v out and powers it for 8+ hours.
3. I use a couple 32 GB Sandisks sdhc class 4, without any issues.

hope this helps


Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on December 03, 2016, 05:19:36 PM
I recently picked up a mkII and have not gone through all 7 threads of mkI. A couple quick questions:

(1) Suggested simple 2-channel preamp with SPDIF out use on the DIG IN channels?
(2) Suggested external battery?
(3) I'm under the impression this deck is not as sensitive to particular SD cards like the DR-70 is, but any problems or suggested cards?

Thanks for any help.

1. I use a Sound Devices USBPre2 in front of mine and love the sound.
2. I use an Anker 14400 Mah that has 12v out and powers it for 8+ hours.
3. I use a couple 32 GB Sandisks sdhc class 4, without any issues.

hope this helps

Similarly
1. I use a Sound Devices USBPre2 in front of mine and love the sound.
2. I use Tekkeon MP3450 or Tekkeon 3450 knockoffs and well as the older Power Runner Batteries that has 12v out and powers it for about 8 hours maybe more. I always run at 12v not 9v.
3. I use a couple of Sony 128 and 64 GB sdxc class 10 cards, without any issues. I have also run 32gb class 10 SDHC Wintec, Fuji and Micro Center cards with never an issue. And I have run 8 mics with these cards too which would be maximum demand. That is why I run class 10 cards.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: jefflester on December 12, 2016, 07:43:01 PM
Thanks for the USBPre2 recommendations, though I was thinking of something more along the lines of $200 or less, rather than a unit that costs more than the deck itself. But there aren't really that many boxes that do this function are there, 2-channel portable preamp with SPDIF out.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 13, 2016, 09:34:35 AM
When I need 8 channels I use a V3 for digital in which doesn't meet your cost criteria, but I've been meaning to try an old SBM-1 I picked up from another member here.  I haven't done that yet (no time for such a project currently), and can't remember hearing of others here using the SBM-1 into a 680, but if it works it is an option.

If pursuing that route, keep in mind that the SBM-1 output is 16bits. Assuming they play nicely together, one should be able to simply set the 680 to record at either of the SBM-1's output settings of 16/44.1 or 16/48 16 bits.  However AFAIK, the 680 should lock to the SBM's 44.1 or 48kHz clock rate regardless of it's word length, even if the 680 is set to record 24bit files, which is how I planned to run it.  I use 6 channels of mics in my standard setup, and the idea is to keep the SBM-1 in the bag for SBD or other extra channels, without having to change the 680 from my normal recording rate of 24/48, and without the size, weight and cost penalties of bringing along the V3 for such "just in case" scenarios.  In that case, the resulting stereo channel file from the digital input would be a 24bit file but would only contain 16 bits of information, with the bottom 8 bits consisting of zeros.

Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: pohaku on December 13, 2016, 11:08:38 AM
Maybe a used Apogee Mini-me with an AES to Spdif cable would be more in the ballpark price wise.  See the yard sale.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 13, 2016, 11:41:05 AM
Maybe a used Apogee Mini-me with an AES to Spdif cable would be more in the ballpark price wise.  See the yard sale.

Looks like it has S/PDIF out anyway, so there shouldn't be a need for a special cable.

Not entirely helpful either, but I use an ART DI/O, usually with my Mackie mixer as a preamp.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: pohaku on December 13, 2016, 01:40:30 PM
The spdif out on the Mini-me can be flakey.  The AES out is more reliable.  So a AES to Spdif cable is a better and more reliable arrangement.  See the thread for the unit currently for sale in the yard sale.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: drewloo on December 13, 2016, 03:23:10 PM
Thanks for the USBPre2 recommendations, though I was thinking of something more along the lines of $200 or less, rather than a unit that costs more than the deck itself. But there aren't really that many boxes that do this function are there, 2-channel portable preamp with SPDIF out.

would a UA-5 work?  or a denecke ad-20 aka zifiro inbox work?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on March 20, 2017, 08:58:32 PM
Has anyone run into something like this? Twice now I've had a situation where I've recorded something with an AT2050 and the resulting waveform has clipped, albeit asymmetrically: positive peaks are clipped while negative peaks aren't. These were the two shows:

Show 1
1 - electric guitar amp (Shure 545S)
2 - violin amp (AT2050)
3 - acoustic guitar (DI, line-in from my mixer)
4 - cello (DI, line-in from my mixer)
5 - room (AT853)
6 - room (AT853)

Show 2
1 - electric guitar amp (Shure 545S)
2 - bass (DI, line-in from my mixer)
3 - drum overhead (AT2050)
4 - drum overhead (AT2050)
5 - snare (Shure SM57)
6 - kick (EV 660)

Show 1 had 3 inputs providing phantom power (the AT2050 and the two AT853s), while show 2 had 2 inputs providing phantom power (the two AT2050s). Fortunately with the drums, the clipping is only on some loud snare hits, and isn't really noticeable, but with the violin, it's all over the place and the sound is quite distorted.

I just did a couple quick experiments recording a CD played very loudly and the mics close to my speakers:

Test 1
1 - AT2050, 680 set to high gain
2 - AT2050, 680 set to low gain

Test 2 (all high gain)
1 - AT2050
2 - AT2050
3 - AT853
4 - AT853

I wasn't able to reproduce the problem. No noticeable clipping, and symmetrical waveforms.

Thoughts? Both the shows and the tests were recorded using the supplied AC adapter. At this point it's a bit frustrating that I'm unable to reproduce the issue.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 23, 2017, 03:00:34 PM
Dunno.  Do you have an alternate phantom supply you can try with the AT2050 a few times to see if the problem reoccurs?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 23, 2017, 03:05:26 PM
What's the generally preferred external battery option for the 680 these days?

My stash of old 9V "DVD" LiIOn batteries are growing unreliable and I think it's time to move to something else.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on March 23, 2017, 03:10:50 PM
Dunno.  Do you have an alternate phantom supply you can try with the AT2050 a few times to see if the problem reoccurs?

Not that I can use with the 680. I can run it into a computer interface, or through a mixer though. But since I can't even reproduce the issue...

I was going to say I thought perhaps it could be some issue unique to channels 3&4, but looking again, I see the violin on for the first show was recorded on channel 2.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: kingdong on March 23, 2017, 04:46:25 PM
What's the generally preferred external battery option for the 680 these days?

My stash of old 9V "DVD" LiIOn batteries are growing unreliable and I think it's time to move to something else.

I have a MK i which I have been powering with a talentcell with good results.
https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Rechargeable-12000mAh-Multi-led-indicator/dp/B00ME3ZH7C

I sometimes run a Y cord from the talentcell and power both the DR-680 and a MiniMe with it at the same time.  No problems to date.  Runtime has not been an issue.  Over 3 hours powering both and phantom power on 6 mics (4 on the 680 and 2 on the MiniMe)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 23, 2017, 05:13:40 PM
What's the generally preferred external battery option for the 680 these days?

My stash of old 9V "DVD" LiIOn batteries are growing unreliable and I think it's time to move to something else.

I have a MK i which I have been powering with a talentcell with good results.
https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Rechargeable-12000mAh-Multi-led-indicator/dp/B00ME3ZH7C

I sometimes run a Y cord from the talentcell and power both the DR-680 and a MiniMe with it at the same time.  No problems to date.  Runtime has not been an issue.  Over 3 hours powering both and phantom power on 6 mics (4 on the 680 and 2 on the MiniMe)

Thanks I'll look into that one.  Ideally looking for something that will power it for a full festival day (say 12hrs) running 6ch of phantom to power Naiant PFAs. 

Open to other suggestions which have been proven to work for other members here, thanks all.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: kingdong on March 23, 2017, 08:43:14 PM
What's the generally preferred external battery option for the 680 these days?

My stash of old 9V "DVD" LiIOn batteries are growing unreliable and I think it's time to move to something else.

I have a MK i which I have been powering with a talentcell with good results.
https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Rechargeable-12000mAh-Multi-led-indicator/dp/B00ME3ZH7C

I sometimes run a Y cord from the talentcell and power both the DR-680 and a MiniMe with it at the same time.  No problems to date.  Runtime has not been an issue.  Over 3 hours powering both and phantom power on 6 mics (4 on the 680 and 2 on the MiniMe)

Thanks I'll look into that one.  Ideally looking for something that will power it for a full festival day (say 12hrs) running 6ch of phantom to power Naiant PFAs. 

Open to other suggestions which have been proven to work for other members here, thanks all.

I should have been more clear in my post.  I think it was still showing 2 LEDs after the 3 hours; I have not run it down completely to test runtime as I rarely need more than 3 hours.  FWIW, I think the MiniMe is listed as a 5.5 W draw and the DR-680 MK i a 9W draw.

The talentcell will also allow recharging while in operation via a Y cable so I would expect that you could use a Y cable to seamlessly switch from one unit to another without powering down your rig.

There is also a larger capacity Talentcell with USB, 9V and 12V outputs.
https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Rechargeable-11000mAh-20000mAh-Portable/dp/B01337QXMA
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on March 24, 2017, 01:40:58 PM
What's the generally preferred external battery option for the 680 these days?

My stash of old 9V "DVD" LiIOn batteries are growing unreliable and I think it's time to move to something else.

I still use 2 old powerrunners that keep on ticking, and a mountain of various Tekkeon and Tekkeon knockoffs. For a while they were available on eBay at great prices, but I think that ship has sailed. I like the knockoffs better than the actual Tekkeons. Personally always go with 12 volts and in addition (try to remember to) keep fresh batteries in the deck just in case...

I think there are some good options in Amazon, but generally not inexpensive. Others can comment with their own personal experience, because these are the only 2 battery types I have ever used on anything requiring more than 5V.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 24, 2017, 05:06:53 PM
Thanks guys.  Definitely going with 12V rather than 9, and always use internal AA's as a safety backup.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 05, 2017, 12:33:38 PM
We just got our DR680mkII (already have a mk1), loaded firmware 1.02, and now the backlight goes out even on AC. Oddly, I found only one circumstance when it does not - when running on batteries, then plugging in the AC plug, and before hitting any button. After hitting any button, the recorder now backlight timeouts. Anyone else? Or have I missed something new?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 05, 2017, 02:00:47 PM
We just got our DR680mkII (already have a mk1), loaded firmware 1.02, and now the backlight goes out even on AC. Oddly, I found only one circumstance when it does not - when running on batteries, then plugging in the AC plug, and before hitting any button. After hitting any button, the recorder now backlight timeouts. Anyone else? Or have I missed something new?

Weird. And you're certain you're on AC? The battery level icon changes to an AC icon? If so, I'd contact Tascam. The backlight always stays on when plugged in for me, and I'm looking at the manual now and don't see any settings for when on AC.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Chuck on June 05, 2017, 03:18:28 PM
Thanks guys.  Definitely going with 12V rather than 9, and always use internal AA's as a safety backup.

I'm in the same boat GB. I just bought one of these yesterday: https://www.amazon.com/Talentcell-Rechargeable-6000mAh-Battery-Portable/dp/B00MF70BPU/ref=lp_8899093011_1_7?srs=8899093011&ie=UTF8&qid=1496690209&sr=8-7
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 06, 2017, 10:07:16 AM
Thanks guys.  Definitely going with 12V rather than 9, and always use internal AA's as a safety backup.

I'm in the same boat GB. I just bought one of these yesterday: https://www.amazon.com/Talentcell-Rechargeable-6000mAh-Battery-Portable/dp/B00MF70BPU/ref=lp_8899093011_1_7?srs=8899093011&ie=UTF8&qid=1496690209&sr=8-7

I expect that will work well for you, Chuck.  I picked up the slightly larger capacity version of the same (https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Rechargeable-11000mAh-14500mAh-26400mAh/dp/B016BJCRUO/ref=pd_sim_421_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B016BJCRUO&pd_rd_r=339XM945V5TVC7G549K6&pd_rd_w=cKqeP&pd_rd_wg=khccJ&psc=1&refRID=339XM945V5TVC7G549K6) back in March and it's working nicely.  Had no problems recording 6 phantom powered channels all day (~12 hrs +) at a fest.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Chuck on June 06, 2017, 10:11:36 AM
 :coolguy:
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 06, 2017, 11:13:20 AM

Weird. And you're certain you're on AC? The battery level icon changes to an AC icon? If so, I'd contact Tascam. The backlight always stays on when plugged in for me, and I'm looking at the manual now and don't see any settings for when on AC.

Quite sure; the icon changes, but after pressing any button, the light times out as selected in the menu. Even with no batts. I tried reloading the firmware and doing the reset to factory in the menu, no change. It didn't behave like this on the original firmware 1.0 something. I'm skeptical Tascam will bother to answer; it must be my fault....
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on June 06, 2017, 12:25:55 PM

Weird. And you're certain you're on AC? The battery level icon changes to an AC icon? If so, I'd contact Tascam. The backlight always stays on when plugged in for me, and I'm looking at the manual now and don't see any settings for when on AC.

Quite sure; the icon changes, but after pressing any button, the light times out as selected in the menu. Even with no batts. I tried reloading the firmware and doing the reset to factory in the menu, no change. It didn't behave like this on the original firmware 1.0 something. I'm skeptical Tascam will bother to answer; it must be my fault....

I may be dead wrong about this, as I do not have my deck here at work, and maybe you already know this and it is what you have set, but I remember on some Tascams, you had to put the backlight setting to "OFF" which would imply no backlighting, but on some decks (not all of course that would be too simple) actually means the auto off function is disabled, therefore the backlight is always on.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 06, 2017, 01:09:36 PM
Yes, I tried backlight set to OFF, and yes, it's then always on! But I want the old behavior: times out on batts, and always on on AC. I never run a battery pack into the AC plug, that may concern some users.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 06, 2017, 01:41:11 PM
I'm skeptical Tascam will bother to answer; it must be my fault....

I contacted them a while back with some operating questions/issues with mine. Didn't get resolved via e-mail, but they did say to call. I haven't done so yet, but it may be worth a shot:

"Please give us a call at 323-727-7617 option #3 when you are in front of the unit. The issue you described would be best addressed over the phone.

Our hours: 8 a.m to 5 p.m Monday-Friday (pacific time) Lunch hour 12-1 pm"
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on June 07, 2017, 01:22:38 PM
Yes, I tried backlight set to OFF, and yes, it's then always on! But I want the old behavior: times out on batts, and always on on AC. I never run a battery pack into the AC plug, that may concern some users.

The DR680 MKII does not have that feature. I know I really liked that feature on my HD-p2 because at a festival or in the event of a bad external battery upon switching to internals I was alerted by the screen going dark that I was on internals. There were specific menu settings for battery separate from AC, so it was easy to have it set up as you mention. I had the MKI for a while and I never saw that feature being available, but you have the MKI and if you say it is, then I guess it is, but I do not see anything that separates the AC setting from battery setting. I have never seen it as available on the MKII, and I always thought that was pretty much the same as on the MKI, which I had for about a year or 2, it is one of many features that the HD-p2 has that most later models do not. For me it is not much of an issue, because I do use an external battery, and I think I had a Tekkeon go bad on me, but at some point I noticed the icon had switched from AC to batteries, so I swapped it out. I realize that does not help you. I do not think there is anything wrong with the deck, it is just that the feature does not exist.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 07, 2017, 01:59:54 PM
Yes, I tried backlight set to OFF, and yes, it's then always on! But I want the old behavior: times out on batts, and always on on AC. I never run a battery pack into the AC plug, that may concern some users.

The DR680 MKII does not have that feature. I know I really liked that feature on my HD-p2 because at a festival or in the event of a bad external battery upon switching to internals I was alerted by the screen going dark that I was on internals. There were specific menu settings for battery separate from AC, so it was easy to have it set up as you mention. I had the MKI for a while and I never saw that feature being available, but you have the MKI and if you say it is, then I guess it is, but I do not see anything that separates the AC setting from battery setting. I have never seen it as available on the MKII, and I always thought that was pretty much the same as on the MKI, which I had for about a year or 2, it is one of many features that the HD-p2 has that most later models do not. For me it is not much of an issue, because I do use an external battery, and I think I had a Tekkeon go bad on me, but at some point I noticed the icon had switched from AC to batteries, so I swapped it out. I realize that does not help you. I do not think there is anything wrong with the deck, it is just that the feature does not exist.

I'm not sure what you mean. With the MKII, the backlight is always on when the unit is plugged in. From the manual:

"Use the BACKLIGHT item to set the amount of time since being last used until the backlight automatically turns OFF when operating on batteries."

http://tascam.com/content/downloads/products/873/e_dr-680mk2_om_va.pdf

That's been my experience.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 07, 2017, 02:36:48 PM
dallman, my DR680 MK1 and MK2 are both setup to operate as you describe the HDP2.

That is this- Back light remains on as long as power is supplied to the external jack.  Once power is no longer supplied to the external jack the machine reverts to the internal batteries and switches to whichever backlight setting one has previously specified in the menu (on/off/or a few various time-out choices).  I have mine set to a minimal amount of backlight-on time when on internal batteries to preserve the limited power when running on AA's.  I suspect that's how most other tapers would want it set.

So- as long as one sets it up to do so beforehand, when the backlight goes out while recording its a clear indication the external battery is either spent or has become disconnected.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on June 07, 2017, 02:54:36 PM
dallman, my DR680 MK1 and MK2 are both setup to operate as you describe the HDP2.

That is this- Back light remains on as long as power is supplied to the external jack.  Once power is no longer supplied to the external jack the machine reverts to the internal batteries and switches to whichever backlight setting one has previously specified in the menu (on/off/or a few various time-out choices).  I have mine set to a minimal amount of backlight-on time when on internal batteries to preserve the limited power when running on AA's.  I suspect that's how most other tapers would want it set.

So- as long as one sets it up to do so beforehand, when the backlight goes out while recording its a clear indication the external battery is either spent or has become disconnected.
I probably just never encountered the situation with either 680, so sorry for the confusion. That is nice to know, but it does not help solve the problem for GLouie who it seems has a glitch n his system.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 07, 2017, 04:03:33 PM
it does not help solve the problem for GLouie who it seems has a glitch n his system.

True.  Unfortunately I can't offer much help with that one.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 08, 2017, 12:43:53 AM
I haven't had time to do more experiments. They don't have any firmware on their site other than 1.02. I think it came installed with 1.00 or 1.01, where the backlight worked as I expected, but had the write timeout error as expected.

I suspect they will make me send it in, which is a PITA. I wonder if there is a master reset inside? I should look at the mark 1 schematics...
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 14, 2017, 12:27:14 PM
Unbelievable! I phoned Teac/Tascam USA support. To their credit, they answered pretty promptly, but told me the firmware has changed the backlight operation. They told me I have to reset the backlight menu whenever I change from AC to batteries! Incredible! I told the CSR this was terrible. The backlight serves as a warning if AC power fails. It's been that way for the entire history of the DR680mk1. I asked where to complain (he said send it to the usual customer contact portal).

Are those of you without this problem running the 1.02 firmware?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 14, 2017, 12:41:27 PM
Unbelievable! I phoned Teac/Tascam USA support. To their credit, they answered pretty promptly, but told me the firmware has changed the backlight operation. They told me I have to reset the backlight menu whenever I change from AC to batteries! Incredible! I told the CSR this was terrible. The backlight serves as a warning if AC power fails. It's been that way for the entire history of the DR680mk1. I asked where to complain (he said send it to the usual customer contact portal).

Are those of you without this problem running the 1.02 firmware?

I thought I was using 1.02, but I will try to remember to verify.

One issue I do have with the MKII is (at least with the firmware I'm using) it isn't possible to switch between MIX MON and DIN MON while recording. With the original version, if you were recording via DIN on the stereo track, you could switch monitoring between that and the mix of 1-6 on the fly while recording. With the MKII it's only possible to switch when not recording, which is not very useful. I contacted Tascam about this, and they wanted me to call them. I still haven't gotten back to them.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 14, 2017, 10:45:11 PM
In my note to Tascam, I did acknowledge that some users plug battery packs into the external power jack, and may prefer this new behavior. I suggested they need a new setting to make this behavior optional.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 14, 2017, 10:54:22 PM
Sorry, I was mistaken. I just checked and I'm still running 1.0.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 15, 2017, 06:33:29 PM
Aha. There's a serious bug in 1.0, where if you reformat the SD card using the Erase-Format option instead of Quick Erase, recording stops after a few seconds with a "write timeout" error. That's why I upgraded.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 15, 2017, 06:59:57 PM
Aha. There's a serious bug in 1.0, where if you reformat the SD card using the Erase-Format option instead of Quick Erase, recording stops after a few seconds with a "write timeout" error. That's why I upgraded.

I guess it's a good thing I always do Quick Erase!

I guess there wasn't a 1.01?

Also, do you have the same issue with monitor switching? That you can't switch between MIX MON and DIN MON during recording? I need to call them when I get a chance.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 16, 2017, 02:53:14 AM
I haven't checked the monitor switching behavior. I never switch that during recording myself. I'll try to remember to check when I get back to the office next week.

Since we just got the mkII, I don't know the history of firmware, other than my machine came with 1.0 and their website only has 1.02. Their release notes makes no mention of 1.01 other than a fake screenshot. 1.02 is dated Jan 27, 2016.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 22, 2017, 06:59:14 PM
Also, do you have the same issue with monitor switching? That you can't switch between MIX MON and DIN MON during recording? I need to call them when I get a chance.

I just got off the phone with Tascam. They indicated the behavior was as expected, and suggested if I wanted changes to e-mail them and they would send them to the development team. This is what I wrote:

DR-680MKII:
Allow the switching between MIX MON and DIN MON while recording. The DR-680 allows this, but the DR-680MKII only allows switching while not recording; the Function button is disabled during recording, preventing accessing the setting.

DR-680 & DR-680MKII:
Change the functionality of the stereo meter (designated by L and R) so that it always displays the level being recorded to the stereo track. Currently, with both models, if you are recording DIN to the stereo track, but are monitoring the mix of inputs 1-6, there is no way to view the level of what is being recorded to the stereo track. The stereo meter corresponds to what is being monitored, not (necessarily) what is being recorded to the stereo track.

Also, for those that have 2 units, this tip may help you, depending on what other gear you (don't) have. I sometimes find myself wanting to record 8 tracks, which I can do with an external DAC, but my unit (ART DI/O) doesn't have mic preamps, so I have to use something like my Mackie to go into it. I realized that I could just use my original 680 as a preamp and DAC. Plug the mics into channels 1 and 2, set the mix level of both to 100, pan them L and R, and just leave that unit in pause record, feeding the 680MKII.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 22, 2017, 07:53:40 PM
DR-680MKII:
Allow the switching between MIX MON and DIN MON while recording. The DR-680 allows this, but the DR-680MKII only allows switching while not recording; the Function button is disabled during recording, preventing accessing the setting.

Not sure, but this may not be possible due to changes in the routing structure between MKI and MKII.  I'd have to take a hard look at the signal diagrams in the service manuals.  They are posted here at TS somewhere.  Hopefully you'll hear back from Tascam.  I don't have time to look at the moment..
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 22, 2017, 07:56:31 PM
I just received an email reply from Tascam re: my comments about the backlight. Their reply:

"The backlight issue will be addressed in the next firmware update.
There is no firm ETA at this moment.

Thank you for your interest in TASCAM products."
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Chuck on June 22, 2017, 08:35:50 PM
I'm still using firmware v 1.20 with my original DR-680. Is it worth updating to 1.31?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 22, 2017, 08:43:24 PM
I'm still using firmware v 1.20 with my original DR-680. Is it worth updating to 1.31?

This is what is mentioned for 1.30:

• A file number initialization function (Take  No. Init) has been added that allows the take numbering to be reset.
• An erase format function has been added.
• A speaker switch function has been added.
• Playback of multitrack recordings is now supported.
• During AES/EBU input, when the Cbit sampling frequency information was "Not Indicate" the unit would become unlocked and unable to receive. This has been fixed. However, proper operation cannot be guaranteed when the input signal sampling frequency differs from the setting of this unit.
• The remaining recording time display has been changed from the time for each file to the time for the entire media.
• Operation stability has been improved.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Chuck on June 22, 2017, 08:54:00 PM
Cool. I'll give it a shot. Thanks lukpac.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Chuck on June 22, 2017, 08:56:25 PM
The update to 1.20 was great. I use the gang volume setting often.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 22, 2017, 09:00:38 PM
I just checked, and I have 1.30 on my 680. 1.31 must have not been available yet. I don't use that machine as much since I got the 680MKII (I've only used it when I need more than 8 tracks), but I haven't had any problems.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: rumbleseat on June 23, 2017, 10:03:09 AM
Back to the backlight behavior...  This discussion has been confusing since two different behaviors have been described for the DR-680 MKII.
GLouie said that the backlight in his unit shuts off at the menu-designated time whether running on AC or batteries, but lukpac and Gutbucket have posts that seem to say that the backlight stays on with AC but times-out on batteries.

(Apologies if I misrepresented your positions - as I said, this is confusing!)

I have two of these units.  Both are running the most recent firmware, 1.02 build 0043.
Both exhibit exactly the behavior that GLouie described - that is, the backlight menu determines the behavior and there is no difference whether the unit is on batteries or AC.

Are we all talking about mkii units with firmware 1.02 0043?

I agree that a new feature that allows independent backlight options for AC and battery would be useful for some.  Personally, I run the TalentCell battery pack at festivals and do not want the backlight on all the time, so the current setup is OK with me...
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 23, 2017, 10:10:04 AM
Back to the backlight behavior...  This discussion has been confusing since two different behaviors have been described for the DR-680 MKII.
GLouie said that the backlight in his unit shuts off at the menu-designated time whether running on AC or batteries, but lukpac and Gutbucket have posts that seem to say that the backlight stays on with AC but times-out on batteries.

(Apologies if I misrepresented your positions - as I said, this is confusing!)

I have two of these units.  Both are running the most recent firmware, 1.02 build 0043.
Both exhibit exactly the behavior that GLouie described - that is, the backlight menu determines the behavior and there is no difference whether the unit is on batteries or AC.

Are we all talking about mkii units with firmware 1.02 0043?

I agree that a new feature that allows independent backlight options for AC and battery would be useful for some.  Personally, I run the TalentCell battery pack at festivals and do not want the backlight on all the time, so the current setup is OK with me...

Correct about my unit, but as noted, I'm still running the original firmware. The behavior was apparently changed in 1.02. Odd that it's not mentioned in the release notes, and that there's no mention of 1.01.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on June 24, 2017, 10:09:12 PM
Yes, Lukpac is running the old firmware, which he didn't realize at first. Thus, he has the old behavior. With Rumbleseat's report, my guess is that Gutbucket is also on old firmware.

This looks like a Tascam "mistake", hence no mention in the release notes.

I once caught Sound Devices turning off dither on 16 bit recordings after a 722 firmware change, and they changed it back quickly with another firmware change. It pays to be vigilant and speak up to the manufacturers.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: rumbleseat on June 24, 2017, 10:29:39 PM
Thanks for clearing this up!

Hopefully Tascam will please both sides with separate options for AC and batteries.  I agree that having the backlight stay on while running with "AC" is a great option.

Thanks again!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: heathen on August 11, 2017, 01:43:16 PM
Quick question as I'm about to join team 680mkII.  Do I need to order any extra cables to connect this battery to the 680mkII? https://www.amazon.com/TalentCell-Rechargeable-11000mAh-14500mAh-26400mAh/dp/B016BJCRUO/ref=pd_sim_421_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B016BJCRUO&pd_rd_r=339XM945V5TVC7G549K6&pd_rd_w=cKqeP&pd_rd_wg=khccJ&psc=1&refRID=339XM945V5TVC7G549K6

I'd prefer to order everything at once, if I do need to order a separate cable.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: drewloo on August 11, 2017, 02:14:20 PM
Per this  (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=150794.0) chart the dr-680mkii needs:

Tascam DR-680mkII / 12v / Size C, OD 4.75mm x ID 1.7mm Center Pin (+) Ring (-)

The cables listed w/ the battery are all 5.5mm x 2.1mm  so you'll need to get a cable that's 5.5mm x 2.1mm on one end and 4.75mm x 1.7mm on the other.  Amazon sells adapters (https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-4-75x1-7mm-Connector-Female-Adapter/dp/B00MJSTD54/ref=pd_sim_23_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00MJSTD54&pd_rd_r=V7A8AHD6NVDZD31P7KX9&pd_rd_w=6jsL6&pd_rd_wg=FfZof&psc=1&refRID=V7A8AHD6NVDZD31P7KX9) if you want to use that route but personally I avoid adapters.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on August 11, 2017, 03:03:53 PM
Per this  (http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=150794.0) chart the dr-680mkii needs:

Tascam DR-680mkII / 12v / Size C, OD 4.75mm x ID 1.7mm Center Pin (+) Ring (-)

The cables listed w/ the battery are all 5.5mm x 2.1mm  so you'll need to get a cable that's 5.5mm x 2.1mm on one end and 4.75mm x 1.7mm on the other.  Amazon sells adapters (https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-4-75x1-7mm-Connector-Female-Adapter/dp/B00MJSTD54/ref=pd_sim_23_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00MJSTD54&pd_rd_r=V7A8AHD6NVDZD31P7KX9&pd_rd_w=6jsL6&pd_rd_wg=FfZof&psc=1&refRID=V7A8AHD6NVDZD31P7KX9) if you want to use that route but personally I avoid adapters.
This with some electrical tape could help if you go that route...

https://www.amazon.com/PHC-RC-x1740C1-Barrel-Converter-2-1mm/dp/B009AZ84YA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1502477963&sr=1-3-fkmr0&keywords=4.75mm+x+1.7mm+barrel+connector (https://www.amazon.com/PHC-RC-x1740C1-Barrel-Converter-2-1mm/dp/B009AZ84YA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1502477963&sr=1-3-fkmr0&keywords=4.75mm+x+1.7mm+barrel+connector)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: taper420 on December 14, 2017, 11:14:10 AM
TL;DR: How easy and quick is it to change file names and reinitialize takes on the 680?

Long version:
I'm thinking about picking up one of these. My taping rig has been the HD-P2 for at least 10 years now but I actually use it more for work these days, which is running sound for various film/video productions. I've always liked the timecode/video sync features, but with Plural Eyes software now, not many productions mess with timecode anymore. I would still use the P2 if recording a concert with video (due to drift issues on such a long continuous take), but that's not an issue on most of the stuff for which I get hired (takes are usually no longer than a few minutes).

So, right now I use 2 different setups when working on a film... when we're on a set I use a laptop/interface setup and Boom Recorder software which allows for quick and easy naming of files/metadata with scene, shot, take info, etc. When we're in the field I use the P2, and while there's no metadata, what I do is create a new project from template for each shot (labeled with the scene/shot number) and then the unit automatically increments the take, starting with 00 with each new project/shot.

So my question about the 680 is how easy is it to do file naming for each new shot (as compared to my workflow on the P2), and how does that relate to take incrementation? I browsed through the user manual and it seems like it might be a bit convoluted (user presets, reinitializing takes)? There usually isn't that much time between finding out what the shot number is and the start of a take... the last thing I want is the crew waiting on me while I'm setting filenames. But asset management is very important when you're dealing with the number of files that your average day's production generates. A 680 could easily replace the P2 as a field recorder as well as my laptop setup for use on sets, albeit at the expense of quick and robust file naming/metadata. As long as it's not too cumbersome to get the pertinent info stored quickly, it seems like the way to go.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on December 15, 2017, 08:36:35 AM
Someone else will have to answer your file question, but if there was a touchscreen enabled recorde that allowed you to type in file names, that would be helpful.  Or if you could connect to the recorder and enter file names via your phone. 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: H₂O on December 15, 2017, 11:27:31 AM
Someone else will have to answer your file question, but if there was a touchscreen enabled recorde that allowed you to type in file names, that would be helpful.  Or if you could connect to the recorder and enter file names via your phone.

Tascam hs-p82 is touchscreen and allows you to type in filenames, etc using a popup "keyboard" like interface

I am sure there are many other newish recorders that support this - SX-R4+, probably MixPre-3/6/10, SD 633, 644, Roland R-88, Zoom F4/F8, etc
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: taper420 on December 15, 2017, 05:55:21 PM

Tascam hs-p82 is touchscreen and allows you to type in filenames, etc using a popup "keyboard" like interface

I am sure there are many other newish recorders that support this - SX-R4+, probably MixPre-3/6/10, SD 633, 644, Roland R-88, Zoom F4/F8, etc

Yeah, I drooled over the p82 for a bit, but certainly out of my price range and too heavy for field work in a shoulder bag. So if we eliminate decks that don't have digi in and are not in the same price range as the 680 mkii, what's left?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 2manyrocks on December 16, 2017, 08:00:59 AM
Curtis judd says you can input file names on the mix pre 6 via Bluetooth or by connecting a usb keyboard.  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=piomdez4iSM

How important is digital input to you? 
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: taper420 on December 16, 2017, 07:58:17 PM
How important is digital input to you?
Very. I use a V3 for my primary shotguns and the extra channels would be for lavs and supporting cards. Also, for concerts or anything with more than a few minutes per take I would use the P2 to sync to the video camera to avoid drift and then slave the 680 to the P2. I could even feed a timecode into one of the 680's inputs and apply it using davinci to sync with the p2. But that wouldn't really matter if i had drift.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: taper420 on January 09, 2018, 05:38:17 PM
So, I found a good deal and couldn't pass it up... my unit arrived today. Came with the Tascam case, and it wasn't listed, but it came with a 32gb card and a set of eneloops, making it an even better deal. File naming is not as cumbersome as I feared, I'll be able to work with it just fine; no more difficult than the P2.

Question: when I have DIN set (to either 5&6 or ST) but I don't have those channels set to record, will it external clock to the SPDIF? I would imagine so since I get a DIN unlock warning with those setting (if I'm not feeding the DIN).
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on January 09, 2018, 06:06:54 PM
Cool.  Hope it works well for you.  I dig this machine.

Question: when I have DIN set (to either 5&6 or ST) but I don't have those channels set to record, will it external clock to the SPDIF? I would imagine so since I get a DIN unlock warning with those setting (if I'm not feeding the DIN).

Yes.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: taper420 on January 11, 2018, 02:48:59 PM
So, question and battery report...

After reading the manual, this thread, and playing around, it seems that you can monitor the 6 analog inputs, or the DIN (if on ST channel), but not both at the same time, and you can't switch between them while recording (as extensively talked about in this thread). Is this correct? No way to monitor all 8 channels at once? In the somewhat rare situation where I will be using 7 or 8 channels I suppose I could use my MOTU Ultralite or Traveler for monitoring them by running out of the 6 RCAs and the SPDIF (with the monitor set to DIN) and using the MOTU as a mixer.

I am quite surprised by the battery life I am getting on my old DVD batteries. I know running at 9v is not ideal, but that's why I'm testing now before I'm in the field. Most of my batteries were purchased in March 2009, and I have one older one that I got used with my HD-P2 (2006-2008ish)... with 3 mics on phantom, screen always on, and headphones plugged in and volume at 3 o'clock,  I'm getting 10 hours with the 9 year old batteries and 7.5+ hours with the older one. In each test I've run, the 680 has switched seamlessly to the internal batts once the 9v dies... a huge improvement from the P2 which always chose the power source with the higher voltage (meaning you couldn't use internal batts if running an external 9v). Seems these things still have some kick left in them. Back in 2009 when I first got the DVD batts I was getting 12 hours powering the P2 and 6 hours powering a V3, so 10 hours for the 680 is pretty awesome for nearly 10 year old batteries.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on January 11, 2018, 06:11:10 PM
No way to either headphone-monitor all 8 channels nor play all 8 simultaneously afterwards.   I had originally hoped I could play the 6 channels via the RCA outs and the stereo track via the SPDIF out simultaneously but no.  Other than having no playback/monitoring EQ capability, that's my biggest gripe with this machine, but really I'm just happy to have the ability to record 8 time-locked channels simultaneously with it at all.  In reality it's a 6 channel recorder with the option of 2 more via SPDIF (or a stereo mix of the six) and not an 8-track machine.

I ran both the MKI and the MKII on old 9V DVD batts for years with mostly no problems.  Just be cautious in warm weather with lots of phantom channels running and keep the machine well cooled.  I've now moved on to a Talentcell 12V which can literally run it for days.  Highly recommended when the DVD batteries eventually go iffy.  For me their meters went bad before the batteries totally died, so I could never be sure how much juice was actually left.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: zorba on March 17, 2018, 06:31:14 PM
Hello, how does it work the SPDIF in? Does it record the audio data in a file as they are or is there some conversion that change them?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 19, 2018, 08:58:43 AM
Records the SPDIF input to a WAV file. Can be routed to either channels 5&6 or to the stereo file.  If routed to the stereo file you keep all 6 analog input channels available as isolated tracks, effectively making it an 8-channel recorder.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: zorba on March 26, 2018, 02:27:05 AM
I'm working with Taskam dr680MKII. I get best results if I set mic gain on high and "rec trim" <= 0.
For higher values of "rec trim" I get a lot of noise.
Good results also if I use an external preamp and I enter with a line signal.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: zorba on July 03, 2018, 04:27:18 PM
I made this test with my DR680MKII without mics, I set:
- Mic gain: high
- rec trim: 31 (max value)

There's a lot of noise but it's relatively normal with this values, but when I attach the phantom power I can listen some electric discharges (is it the right term?)
Is it normal or not? Sometimes, when I keep my ears close to the tascam I can hear the same "electric discharges".
In attach there's a short clip, with only noise.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: IronFilm on July 03, 2018, 11:43:14 PM
Saw a DR680mk2 sell for just US$200 on eBay yesterday, surprised it went for so low! Was kinda tempted to buy one myself again at such a cheap price. As I really enjoyed my time with owning a DR680, but I guess the competition is just too fierce now from the very good F8/F4/MixPre3. Nobody wants to spend three or four hundred on a DR680 when the rather good F4 is only a little teeny bit more.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: flask on January 21, 2019, 02:25:39 PM
What SD cards are you all using? I've tried SDSDXPA-128G-G46 and SDSDXVF-128G-ANCIN but both return invalid card error.

Alec
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on January 21, 2019, 02:31:11 PM
SDHC 32GB typically.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: rumbleseat on January 21, 2019, 03:33:33 PM
I use a similar SanDisk 128GB card, SDSDXXG-128G-ANCIN in my MkII machines.  If you have a MKII machine, it's surprising that your SanDisk cards aren't working.
If you have an original DR680 (not MKII), that machine is limited to 32GB SDHC cards.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: flask on January 21, 2019, 03:41:07 PM
I use a similar SanDisk 128GB card, SDSDXXG-128G-ANCIN in my MkII machines.  If you have a MKII machine, it's surprising that your SanDisk cards aren't working.
If you have an original DR680 (not MKII), that machine is limited to 32GB SDHC cards.

I'll give that one a try. In the mean time I went out and got a 32G card (SDSDXXG-032G-ANCIN) and it is working fine.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: jefflester on January 21, 2019, 06:29:55 PM
I've been using
SanDisk 32GB Ultra Class 10 SDHC UHS-I Memory Card Up to 80MB, Grey/Black (SDSDUNC-032G-GN6IN)
without issue.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on January 27, 2019, 10:10:18 PM
I'm working with Taskam dr680MKII. I get best results if I set mic gain on high and "rec trim" <= 0.
For higher values of "rec trim" I get a lot of noise.
Good results also if I use an external preamp and I enter with a line signal.

The gain and trim depend on the type of mics used and the level of the source. For higher level signals, the gain should be set to low; for lower level signals, it should be set to high.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on January 28, 2019, 09:41:33 AM
^ Yes, it is true that lowest noise is achieved by running high mic gain + lower trim levels.

But if you are in a situation were you need low mic gain to accommodate a hot input then signal levels are probably high enough that the noise will not be audible.

I made this test with my DR680MKII without mics, I set:
- Mic gain: high
- rec trim: 31 (max value)

There's a lot of noise but it's relatively normal with this values, but when I attach the phantom power I can listen some electric discharges (is it the right term?)
Is it normal or not? Sometimes, when I keep my ears close to the tascam I can hear the same "electric discharges".
In attach there's a short clip, with only noise.

Granted this sounds terrible, but it is not a proper test without a termination across the input to load it properly.  You need to use a resistance across the input for a proper self-noise test.  For an simple real-world check I'd just use the microphones I typically uses, buried under cushions in a quiet room, realizing in that case what you may be hearing is the microphone's self noise as dominant.  You might also try runing the test using different power sources.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: flask on February 18, 2019, 12:18:35 PM
^ Yes, it is true that lowest noise is achieved by running high mic gain + lower trim levels.

But if you are in a situation were you need low mic gain to accommodate a hot input then signal levels are probably high enough that the noise will not be audible.

Out of curiosity, Is this written somewhere or is it what people are finding from personal experience? Do you think a loudish rock band in a smallish club would require a high or low mic gain?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on February 18, 2019, 12:41:06 PM
It's generally the case for all gear that lowest noise is achieved when most of the gain is provided at the earliest part of the chain.

With a loudish rock band in a smallish club you shouldn't have any issues with gear noise-floor.  The ambient noise of the venue will be much higher. I'd run low mic gain and adjust trim as needed.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on February 22, 2019, 11:37:17 AM
I just picked one of these up.  Its my first recorder with more than two channels.
I researched a lot of hours and read many threads on TS before making the plunge.
I came down to (1) being unwilling to spend the money on a SDMixPre6 as I am just getting into taping and (2) choosing between the 680mkII, 701d and F4.
This device won because of cost, ease of use, user reports and wanting to get the most out of a recorder for the money.

I have read this thread through a couple of times.  Thanks to all contributors and I am sure I will have contributions of my own in the future.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lmgbtapes on February 24, 2019, 12:51:13 PM
I just picked one of these up.  Its my first recorder with more than two channels.
I researched a lot of hours and read many threads on TS before making the plunge.
I came down to (1) being unwilling to spend the money on a SDMixPre6 as I am just getting into taping and (2) choosing between the 680mkII, 701d and F4.
This device won because of cost, ease of use, user reports and wanting to get the most out of a recorder for the money.

I have read this thread through a couple of times.  Thanks to all contributors and I am sure I will have contributions of my own in the future.

I was in a similar position a few months ago- still loving my 680mkii.

May I direct you to this post, as far as powering it:

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=176030.msg2177643#msg2177643

The following three items will allow you to get many hours of rechargeable power (I ran it powering 4 mics for 4 hours w/ the cheaper 100MW model and it was still showing 4/4 LEDs!)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01337QXMA/
+ https://www.amazon.com/Valley-2-1mm-5-5mm-Power-Adapter/dp/B00DX6ZUBM
+ https://www.walmart.com/ip/4-75mm-x-1-7mm-Male-to-5-5mm-x-2-1mm-Female-DC-Power-Adapter-Jack-2-Pcs/750868383?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=571&adid=22222222227084328166&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=196389279344&wl4=pla-314461726449&wl5=9030089&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=111838760&wl11=online&wl12=750868383&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=CjwKCAiAnsnjBRB6EiwATkM1XpoVJ7_MzA0d-N0IKq7ROTqZ6m19BTePLzoIsKHNKLB5KHIuEqPTjxoC4fcQAvD_BwE

last one because one of the links from the other post is broken - that one from walmart's on clearance for cheap and works perfect.

would recommend this sooner than later- I burned through a good $30 of batteries unnecessarily.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lmgbtapes on February 24, 2019, 01:01:16 PM
while I am here, I am wondering if anyone can confirm something--

would this allow me to properly record a stereo signal from some church audio mics into my dr680mkii?

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/YMP434--hosa-ym-p434-stereo-breakout-3.5mm-trsf-to-dual-1-4-inch-ts-6-inch?mrkgcl=28&mrkgadid=3274408774&rkg_id=0&product_id=YMP434&campaigntype=shopping&campaign=aaShopping%20-%20Core%20-%20Accessories&adgroup=Accessories%20-%20Cables&placement=google&adpos=1o10&creative=249895767051&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiAnsnjBRB6EiwATkM1Xva6qj1DXPu5UAyKkyEdOp9lpYVnUV-nUXLsWrw4Lp2JyFdQCU0GpxoC-ekQAvD_BwE


I have both a 3.5 to TRS adapter & a 3.5 to XLR but they both force the feed to be mono when I use them with my CA14 + dr680mkii. I'm hoping this will properly split the signal. If not- does anyone know what my best course of action would be? I know it's kinda funny runnin' CAs into a deck like this but I have them and I'd like the option to be able to use them for comparisons!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: flask on February 24, 2019, 01:25:37 PM
That should work. I can run my SP-CMC-8 into a battery box then into that exact same splitter you have linked into inputs 5 and 6. No phantom power of course.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on February 26, 2019, 12:37:56 PM
Thanks, love2tape.
Its handy to have all of that in one post.
Previously, I had tracked that down through reading the whole thread so...

+T
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 02, 2019, 01:46:44 PM
I think this was briefly discussed either in this thread or another, although I'm not seeing the discussion at the moment. I currently have both a 680 and a 680MKII, and I often run the 680 as a slave of the 680MKII, to get (depending on the setup) 10, 12, or 14 (with external ADC) total channels. Most of the time that's fine for what I need, but sometimes more channels would be helpful. I'm currently debating getting another 680MKII, which would feed into my existing 680MKII and up the channel count to a max of 20. That is:

From: ADC (sometimes) -> 680MKII -> 680
To: ADC (sometimes) -> 680MKII -> 680MKII -> 680

I know I'd have to manually start and stop the first 680MKII, as the cascade function only works on a master/slave pair, but otherwise it should work. My question is: has anyone tried doing so? Are there any issues with the clock staying locked through all of those devices?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 02, 2019, 03:14:58 PM
I don't know (and only have one 680MK2 on hand now so I'm unable to test), but it's worth trying a parallel slave arrangement using a 'Y' in the digital cable, as well as the series arrangement.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 02, 2019, 03:27:36 PM
I don't know (and only have one 680MK2 on hand now so I'm unable to test), but it's worth trying a parallel slave arrangement using a 'Y' in the digital cable, as well as the series arrangement.

I hadn't thought of that, and I suppose I could test that with what I have now.

It's definitely a shame that the 680 (both of them) doesn't allow you to create a monitor mix from all 8 tracks. I wouldn't *think* there would be any limitation in the hardware preventing it. When recording 14 tracks you're stuck monitoring two sets of 6 tracks and unable to monitor the remaining 2.

Something like the Model 24 is tempting for much of what I do, although also not a perfect solution.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: danny3 on April 02, 2019, 09:50:06 PM
I recently got an MK2, and have two original 680s, so I will try both tests (series and parallel) when I have the time and report back. It might be awhile before I can actually get that accomplished....
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dogmusic on April 26, 2019, 05:33:08 PM
I currently have both a 680 and a 680MKII

I have a 680 and am thinking about buying a 680MK2. Do you notice a big improvement in the mic preamps in the 680MK2?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 26, 2019, 06:24:59 PM
Pre's are improved, if not vastly different.  Menu navigation is improved and represents the biggest advantage to the user IMO - you can scroll through all menus sequentially by simply turning the encoder knob, without having to go into and out of each individually.  External power connector is a different size (smaller diameter).
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dogmusic on April 26, 2019, 11:36:22 PM
Pre's are improved, if not vastly different.  Menu navigation is improved and represents the biggest advantage to the user IMO - you can scroll through all menus sequentially by simply turning the encoder knob, without having to go into and out of each individually.  External power connector is a different size (smaller diameter).

Thanks. I get the sense that the improvement in the preamps is not so great that it should be the deciding factor in purchasing the Mk2. And I tend not to use menus too much once I’ve set things up, so the improved navigation wouldn’t be as important in my situation.

ADDED: What I really like about the Dr680 are the standard, convenient transport controls for what I do, which is to search and review within my recordings for different events and sounds. My hope was that the Mk2 preamps would be so terrific that I could replace my SD MixPre6 whose transport controls are totally inadequate and annoying but which has the excellent preamps.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on April 29, 2019, 10:01:16 AM
I found the MK1 preamps acceptable for most of the multichannel music recording stuff I was using it for.  The MK2 preamps are better, but by how much and if that will enough to satisfy you, I cannot say.  Will also be influenced by what and how you are recording, what microphones, etc.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: thomasdk7 on April 29, 2019, 01:21:26 PM
I have a 680 and am thinking about buying a 680MK2. Do you notice a big improvement in the mic preamps in the 680MK2?
Maybe think fast. I ordered a 680MKII yesterday from B&H and now it is listed as Discontinued on their website.
I didn't know what else to get in that price range that can do 6 channels.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 29, 2019, 01:35:56 PM
Maybe think fast. I ordered a 680MKII yesterday from B&H and now it is listed as Discontinued on their website.
I didn't know what else to get in that price range that can do 6 channels.

I sent an inquiry to Tascam. I'll post here if they respond.

Agreed about the price range. It appears current alternatives are the Zoom F8n at $999 or the Tascam HS-P82 at $1,999, which are quite a bit more money for not that much more functionality.

It looks like Adorama still has them for $399 at the moment:

https://www.adorama.com/tsdr680mk2.html
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dogmusic on April 29, 2019, 02:02:00 PM
I found the MK1 preamps acceptable for most of the multichannel music recording stuff I was using it for.  The MK2 preamps are better, but by how much and if that will enough to satisfy you, I cannot say.  Will also be influenced by what and how you are recording, what microphones, etc.

For outdoor stuff, I use AT4022's, and for piano recordings it's Beyer MC930's and, recently, Senn MKH 8020's.

I wondered how much I would miss of the MP6 preamps if I bought the MK2 for the ease of its operation. There's so much hype around certain brands. But I may not in fact hear a lot of difference between those recorders.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dogmusic on April 29, 2019, 02:02:49 PM
I have a 680 and am thinking about buying a 680MK2. Do you notice a big improvement in the mic preamps in the 680MK2?
Maybe think fast. I ordered a 680MKII yesterday from B&H and now it is listed as Discontinued on their website.
I didn't know what else to get in that price range that can do 6 channels.

Yes, I missed a great deal at Amazon Canada yesterday.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 29, 2019, 04:19:38 PM
I sent an inquiry to Tascam. I'll post here if they respond.

Quote:

"Not sure why that is as the unit is available from a number of dealers...

Adorama:
https://www.adorama.com/tsdr680mk2.html

Full Compass:
https://www.fullcompass.com/prod/280185-tascam-dr-680mkii-8-channel-portable-digital-audio-recorder

Sam Ash:
https://www.samash.com/tascam-dr-680mkii-8-track-field-recorder--tdr680mk2-p"

It may be worth noting that Full Compass currently indicates "Please call for availability."
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 3mdk5 on May 17, 2019, 01:05:09 PM
Question about the Talentcell batteries.  Can the stock cable they come with be used to power the DR-680 (original or MKii)?  Checking the handy "Equipment, External Battery, Voltage..." page here, if I'm reading it right they can be.  Anyone doing this? I have both the "old" 6000mAh version (http://www.talentcell.com/products/12v-battery/12v-battery-6000mah.html) and the multi-output 8300mAh version (http://www.talentcell.com/products/12v-battery/12v-battery-8300mah.html).  I do plan on getting GAKables built to replace my GAK DVD > Tascam cables, but in the meantime... Just want to triple-check so I don't fry the deck.

Thanks,
Matt

Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on May 17, 2019, 04:43:21 PM
Question about the Talentcell batteries.  Can the stock cable they come with be used to power the DR-680 (original or MKii)?  Checking the handy "Equipment, External Battery, Voltage..." page here, if I'm reading it right they can be.  Anyone doing this? I have both the "old" 6000mAh version (http://www.talentcell.com/products/12v-battery/12v-battery-6000mah.html) and the multi-output 8300mAh version (http://www.talentcell.com/products/12v-battery/12v-battery-8300mah.html).  I do plan on getting GAKables built to replace my GAK DVD > Tascam cables, but in the meantime... Just want to triple-check so I don't fry the deck.

Thanks,
Matt
12 Volt Batteries work fine in the deck(s). It is worth noting that the actual power connector for the 2 decks are different sizes, but 12V is what I used when I had the original DR680 and what I use on my current DR680MKII.

Tascam DR-680 / 8-13v / Size M, 5.50mm OD × 2.10mm ID / Center pin (+)  Ring (-)
Tascam DR-680mkII / 12v / Size C, OD 4.75mm x ID 1.7mm Center Pin (+) Ring (-)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: 3mdk5 on May 17, 2019, 04:51:31 PM

12 Volt Batteries work fine in the deck(s). It is worth noting that the actual power connector for the 2 decks are different sizes, but 12V is what I used when I had the original DR680 and what I use on my current DR680MKII.

Tascam DR-680 / 8-13v / Size M, 5.50mm OD × 2.10mm ID / Center pin (+)  Ring (-)
Tascam DR-680mkII / 12v / Size C, OD 4.75mm x ID 1.7mm Center Pin (+) Ring (-)

Right, 12V is the correct voltage.  Now I need to know, does the cable that comes with the Talentcell fit on either of the DR680 models?  I know this might be better served in the battery forum, but I figured this is the forum for the deck, so maybe other Tascam owners have these batteries and can comment on how they connect them.  In the old days, batteries would come with different tips.  I still have bags of tips that came with the Tekkeons.  The Talentcells come with nothing.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on October 31, 2019, 01:46:31 PM
Fully satisfied with this deck.  Ran a few shows so far on it.  More this weekend with WSP.

Issue:
Anyone have any advice for setting the channel gain levels?
I am a little surprised as I process shows from last weekend.  I ran 4 channels: Beyer mc950 (-15 pad) in DINa and Line CM3 in NOS, indoor, really small room.  I thought I was being relatively conservative with levels hitting between 0 and -16db with only a couple peaks on one of the CM3s faced right at the stack.  I was in a weird position, ROC and basically stage lip.  As I process this show right now, I see only a +.3 over on said CM3 channel before edits.  The other 3 channels peak at 0.0.

The confusion comes with seeing a relative average of -3db peak in the files when I swear that I set it to run around -9db or so per channel on the recorder that night.

Do other users of this deck run conservative gain?
I feel like have to set the levels a little bit lower on the deck because they appear hotter in post.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on October 31, 2019, 03:03:52 PM
Anyone have any advice for setting the channel gain levels?
I am a little surprised as I process shows from last weekend.  I ran 4 channels: Beyer mc950 (-15 pad) in DINa and Line CM3 in NOS, indoor, really small room.  I thought I was being relatively conservative with levels hitting between 0 and -16db with only a couple peaks on one of the CM3s faced right at the stack.  I was in a weird position, ROC and basically stage lip.  As I process this show right now, I see only a +.3 over on said CM3 channel before edits.  The other 3 channels peak at 0.0.

The confusion comes with seeing a relative average of -3db peak in the files when I swear that I set it to run around -9db or so per channel on the recorder that night.

Do other users of this deck run conservative gain?
I feel like have to set the levels a little bit lower on the deck because they appear hotter in post.

Nothing like that comes to mind, although I don't think I've ever noticed anything of concern that would cause me to look into it. That is to say, it's possible I simply haven't noticed.

My advice would be to record some sort of constant level sound (pink noise, tones, etc), adjust the input gain so the sound peaks at a few difference reference points, and then compare in post. Start it around 0 dB and go down from there.

I think I've generally recorded with levels hovering around the reference line (is that -16dB?) giving enough headroom for peaks. The only time I can think of where I had any issues was once when I had a mic on a guitar amp, but the guitarist didn't play anything for the first song and I walked away not realizing I had the gain on that channel *way* too high. Fortunately it was so loud that somebody noticed how loud my headphones were during the second song and grabbed me.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on November 04, 2019, 11:44:02 AM
I've generally recorded with levels hovering around the reference line (is that -16dB?) giving enough headroom for peaks.

^ This works for most recording situations.  If on stage and close to a drum kit or some other other highly dynamic source, run a bit lower still to avoid clipping high errant peaks.. say levels hovering around -20dB.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: crackmc on December 08, 2019, 01:11:33 AM
this thing is a POS
i've had mine for i dunno...4 or 5 years ago and it worked fine until about a year ago
froze up about 20 minutes into a 4-track 24/96 recording, gave me a PC Load Letter type message on the screen
next time i used it i was unable to remove my XLRs from it - like they're still stuck in there

i love my DR-40
and most (not all) of the other Tascam products i've had in the past have been great
but i think i'm done with Tascam

i used to LOL @ Zoom's product line, but they're dominating the field recorder game right now IMO
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: TheBishop on December 26, 2019, 10:54:47 AM
Santa brought me one of these for Christmas.  This is my first multi track recorder and I will be breaking it in tonight with a Toubab Krewe show. I'm coming from an HD-P2.

I haven't even really got a chance to play with it yet, but while reading the manual I got confused a bit by the DUAL REC function.

If I wanted to use that function would it be correct that I would need to have my mics plugged in to the 1 & 3 inputs rather than 1(L) & 2(R)?  And this would be the same if I wanted to run up to three mics (1/3/5)? Since it would record those tracks in mono witht he DUAL REC function I would then pan left, right, center, what have you, in post?

And as long as I had it set to record stereo vs mono, if I did record with just two mics in the 1 & 2 inputs it would record a stereo track with 1 being left and 2 being right, right?

Because I've been working with just two input recorders for 20 years or so, I've only got three complete mics so I was thinking about running a pair of Sennheiser Me40s (super cardioid) or ME80s (shotgun) with a single ME20 (omni) in the center.

If I don't like how those sound in that configuration I can just leave the ME20 out of the mix in post.

Edit: Well, the question is moot for tonight.  I don't have an XLR > TRS cable. Guess I'll just use two mics and get a feel for running the deck live.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 26, 2019, 12:44:32 PM
You are correct.  I'm well versed with this recorder but have never used the DUAL REC feature.

DUAL REC mode notes from the manual:
Stereo file and single 6ch file modes cannot be selected (Must write mono WAV files)
MS mode will be canceled
Gang settings will be canceled


^Not sure if that last note means channel ganging is not possible at all when in Dual Rec mode, or if switching the mode ON simply cancels whatever channel ganging is currently set.  For me loss of channel ganging is unacceptable because I value that feature more highly than dual rec protection - it retains the relative gain difference between all ganged channels and provides the ability to adjust input gain across them simultaneously with a single knob adjustment.  That not only makes input gain adjustment quick and easy while recording multiple channels, but makes transparent correction of any gain changes considerably easier in post because they will occur in synchrony across all channels with identical changes in value. I prefer that even when recording just two channels although it becomes increasingly valuable as I add additional recorded channels.

In comparison to other 6+ channel recorders this machine is quite easy and straightforward to operate, and its menu system is improved and faster to navigate than the MK1.  The main thing that is different than how other recorders operate and which I'd suggest familiarizing yourself is how to rapidly gang and ungang channel combinations using the channel buttons under the display.  That way you can deftly ungang a group to make an input gain adjustments on an individual channel as necessary, bringing it in line with the other channels in the group, and re-gang again to be ready to adjust the entire group together as a whole if necessary.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 26, 2019, 12:48:57 PM
Edit: Well, the question is moot for tonight.  I don't have an XLR > TRS cable. Guess I'll just use two mics and get a feel for running the deck live.

If you want to run DUAL REC you'll need TRS into ch5/6 for the 3rd channel.
Without DUAL REC engaged you can use standard XLR cables to record up to four channels into chs1-4.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: TheBishop on December 26, 2019, 01:33:26 PM
Thanks!  I've been playing with it a little bit to try to get more familiar with it before I head out tonight. I agree with you that the gang function is more important that the DUAL REC function.  The level readout on this unit is quite a bit smaller and less well defined (there isn't much space between -16 and 0) than other units that I'm used to.  I'll just run conservatively to make sure I don't clip.

And thinking about it again, I may still run with the middle omni channel on input 3 with DUAL REC disabled just to see how it sounds.

It's funny, I feel like the leap I took going from cassette to DAT had a smaller learning curve than going from 2 inputs to 6.

I'll be recording another band tomorrow night, so at least I'll get some practice in with it.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 26, 2019, 02:04:09 PM
The level readout on this unit is quite a bit smaller and less well defined (there isn't much space between -16 and 0) than other units that I'm used to.  I'll just run conservatively to make sure I don't clip.

True.  Given the metering, it generally works well for me to aim to peak around the little line (-16dbFS) without limiters engaged.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on December 27, 2019, 10:44:56 AM
Thanks!  I've been playing with it a little bit to try to get more familiar with it before I head out tonight. I agree with you that the gang function is more important that the DUAL REC function.  The level readout on this unit is quite a bit smaller and less well defined (there isn't much space between -16 and 0) than other units that I'm used to.  I'll just run conservatively to make sure I don't clip.

Exactly.
My only complaint on this machine is that spacing of the dB readout.
Other than that, its very clean and very user friendly.  The learning curve is short.  Sure I made some light errors when it was new to me, but nothing affecting a recording I could not change in post.
I like your Santa!  Great stuff; enjoy!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: TheBishop on December 27, 2019, 03:28:00 PM
Well I made it through my first show, and it looks like I did alright with the metering.

I was playing around with it a bit... I used high gain for the first set and low gain for the second set.  I can't hear any appreciable difference and I didn't have to turn my trim up too much for the second set, so I'll just go with low gain from now on.

All in all it was a successful night, and I'll be running it again tonight.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 27, 2019, 03:49:35 PM
Congrats!

As long as you are able to dial in appropriate levels with the input-gain switch in either position, which way it is set won't matter much in typical taper situations. 

Exceptions:
Very high SPL material which would cause the input-stage to overload if set to high-gain. 
Extremely quiet recording situations where the noise-floor of the recorder may become audible if the input-stage gain were set to low-gain.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on December 27, 2019, 04:55:31 PM
Congrats!

As long as you are able to dial in appropriate levels with the input-gain switch in either position, which way it is set won't matter much in typical taper situations. 

Exceptions:
Very high SPL material which would cause the input-stage to overload if set to high-gain. 
Extremely quiet recording situations where the noise-floor of the recorder may become audible if the input-stage gain were set to low-gain.

I *think* the MKII has better preamps (although I still haven’t done a direct comparison), but I did run into an issue with my original 680. Acoustic guitar and vocal (unamplified) into a 57 and 58 respectively, with the gain switches set to Low. The amount of hiss on the recording was pretty annoying. Since then I’ve leaned towards using High gain unless something is really loud and/or I’m using a condenser that puts out a high level.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on December 27, 2019, 05:41:43 PM
Since then I’ve leaned towards using High gain unless something is really loud and/or I’m using a condenser that puts out a high level.

^ This is the technically correct answer.  To achieve lowest noise one wants most of the gain applied at the earliest analog stage rather than added via subsequent stages.  In addition to amplifying the signal, each subsequent amplification stage also amplifies the noise of all gain-stages preceding it.

Since most tapers are using condenser mics and recording in high noise-floor environments, the noise-floor of the recorder's input stage is usually be buried too deeply to matter.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on February 22, 2020, 06:22:40 AM
How do you get the output of the Stereo Mix track?
While the manual tells you how to set it up, it tells you nothing about the result.  I have these settings, but would have no clue how to get the files.
I would assume obtaining a Stereo Mix from my 680mkii would involve hooking up a bit-box (like a DR2d or M10) to the RCA outs on the side?

Page 31 is a strange page of the manual.  The Dual Recording explanation is also I little unusual.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on February 22, 2020, 03:41:27 PM
How do you get the output of the Stereo Mix track?
While the manual tells you how to set it up, it tells you nothing about the result.  I have these settings, but would have no clue how to get the files.
I would assume obtaining a Stereo Mix from my 680mkii would involve hooking up a bit-box (like a DR2d or M10) to the RCA outs on the side?

Page 31 is a strange page of the manual.  The Dual Recording explanation is also I little unusual.

What do you mean by "get the output"? Files? Analog out? Digital out?

Normally one would just make sure you were recording the stereo track in addition to the individual tracks.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on February 23, 2020, 07:38:31 AM
Yes, the files.  While I know I can get the stereo mix that I adjusted with the mix/mix pan functions using the RCAs on the side of the unit (patching), but I have never seen stereo mix files recorded on the card.  I have used dual record before, but haven't in a long time.  I figured there would be a 5/6 or MIX track when I go to process the recording.  My card will have my 4 recorded channels and thats it.  No stereo mix.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on February 23, 2020, 09:33:40 AM
Yes, the files.  While I know I can get the stereo mix that I adjusted with the mix/mix pan functions using the RCAs on the side of the unit (patching), but I have never seen stereo mix files recorded on the card.  I have used dual record before, but haven't in a long time.  I figured there would be a 5/6 or MIX track when I go to process the recording.  My card will have my 4 recorded channels and thats it.  No stereo mix.

You just have to arm that track like you arm the others. MIX/LOCK button on the right. You’ll see the dot below the L/R meter show up or go away as you press it.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on February 23, 2020, 12:43:42 PM
Yes, the files.  While I know I can get the stereo mix that I adjusted with the mix/mix pan functions using the RCAs on the side of the unit (patching), but I have never seen stereo mix files recorded on the card.  I have used dual record before, but haven't in a long time.  I figured there would be a 5/6 or MIX track when I go to process the recording.  My card will have my 4 recorded channels and thats it.  No stereo mix.

You just have to arm that track like you arm the others. MIX/LOCK button on the right. You’ll see the dot below the L/R meter show up or go away as you press it.

Thank you.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on February 24, 2020, 09:43:23 AM
Look for the dot as Twenty8 mentions to confirm that the stereo track is being recorded.  It will consist either of the monitor mix of chs 1-6 (duplicating the headphone output, and RCA outs when they are set to L/R) or of the digital input to be recorded separately from chs 1-6, depending on how you set it up.  When activated, the stereo file is recorded simultaneously and in sync with the other channels.  Its start and stop times will be identical to the other channels

Regardless of how you have the recorder set to write chs 1-6 files (mono, stereo, or polyfile) the stereo track file is always a 2 channel stereo file and will have "ST" in the file name.  If you want to play back that file on the recorder, you need to push the MULTI/STEREO button on the top face, which switches the machine between multichannel and stereo mode.  You cannot playback both the multichannel and stereo file simultaneously on the machine.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: taper420 on March 11, 2020, 11:47:44 PM
Got this cool little gadget from China today. It's a USB step-up converter with switchable 9V or 12V output and it runs the 680(mkii). I also did some testing on a V3 and posted results here: https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=193811.0
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on March 14, 2020, 01:57:00 PM
Would be nice if they updated this device to allow for continuous illumination of the screen.
Sorta annoying to have to hit the a button when recording to check my levels in the dark.
Running this thing once a week - it's a workhorse.  Having to hit the menu button over and over - gets redundant.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on March 15, 2020, 01:41:45 PM
Would be nice if they updated this device to allow for continuous illumination of the screen.
Sorta annoying to have to hit the a button when recording to check my levels in the dark.
Running this thing once a week - it's a workhorse.  Having to hit the menu button over and over - gets redundant.

I'm confused. Mine stays on all the time, even under battery power, which I complained about to Tascam. I set the backlight menu item to "off".

On the mark 1, the light would go off after the time indicated when on batteries and stay on when running from the external power jack. I guess they figured users running batteries into the external power jack did not want this behavior on the mk2.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: dallman on March 15, 2020, 01:58:35 PM
Would be nice if they updated this device to allow for continuous illumination of the screen.
Sorta annoying to have to hit the a button when recording to check my levels in the dark.
Running this thing once a week - it's a workhorse.  Having to hit the menu button over and over - gets redundant.
Set it to "OFF" and it stays on all the time.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on March 15, 2020, 06:20:40 PM
Would be nice if they updated this device to allow for continuous illumination of the screen.
Sorta annoying to have to hit the a button when recording to check my levels in the dark.
Running this thing once a week - it's a workhorse.  Having to hit the menu button over and over - gets redundant.
Set it to "OFF" and it stays on all the time.

My thoughts of "how did I not know this?" are mixed with wondering why it would not just label that as "ON" .. ...
Yeah, wtf.
Why would that not be Backlight : On ?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on March 16, 2020, 06:50:19 PM
^ Off turns the display time-out function off.

Stated that way it makes more sense, no? 
.. or should that be- makes more sense, yes ? ;)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Twenty8 on March 16, 2020, 10:15:44 PM
Yes, it makes more sense explained that way.
But, I mean... even the manual is worded strangely -
Quote from: Page 49 of the Manual
Use the BACKLIGHT item to set the amount of time since being last used until the backlight automatically turns OFF when operating on batteries.

Options: OFF, 5 sec (default value), 10 sec, 15 sec, 30 sec
A footnote mentioning that selecting "off" keeps the backlight illuminated might be appropriate.
I don't know.
Seemed odd.  I tend to fiddle enough to figure things out, but selecting off seemed the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish.
Thanks again, guys.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: IronFilm on June 23, 2020, 08:32:30 AM
I have a 680 and am thinking about buying a 680MK2. Do you notice a big improvement in the mic preamps in the 680MK2?

The Zoom F Series (and also the MixPre series, which Sound Devices had to respond with rather than just standing still) is such a big leap forward, I'd say just ignore Tascam for now (or at least until Tascam decides to wake up from their slumber and make their own response to the Zoom F8).

Not unless you get some insanely insanely great deal on a DR680
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 23, 2020, 08:39:27 AM
The Zoom F Series (and also the MixPre series, which Sound Devices had to respond with rather than just standing still) is such a big leap forward, I'd say just ignore Tascam for now (or at least until Tascam decides to wake up from their slumber and make their own response to the Zoom F8).

Not unless you get some insanely insanely great deal on a DR680

The F8 may or may not be better, but it's also twice as much money. So it's not exactly a fair/direct comparison.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: IronFilm on June 23, 2020, 08:54:48 AM
The Zoom F Series (and also the MixPre series, which Sound Devices had to respond with rather than just standing still) is such a big leap forward, I'd say just ignore Tascam for now (or at least until Tascam decides to wake up from their slumber and make their own response to the Zoom F8).

Not unless you get some insanely insanely great deal on a DR680

The F8 may or may not be better, but it's also twice as much money. So it's not exactly a fair/direct comparison.

It is not "may or may not be better", the Zoom F8 is better.

And look around at second prices of a Zoom F8/F4/F6 or MixPre3, you can find them for comparable (or only a couple of hundred more) than what a Tascam DR680mk2 goes for.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 23, 2020, 09:27:41 AM
It is not "may or may not be better", the Zoom F8 is better.

And look around at second prices of a Zoom F8/F4/F6 or MixPre3, you can find them for comparable (or only a couple of hundred more) than what a Tascam DR680mk2 goes for.

The F8N is selling for $999. The DR-680MKII is selling for $499. That's not a small difference. The MixPre3 with 8 mic inputs is $1,450, and even larger difference. The F6 is closer in price, but for my use the Tascam is preferable.

Not everyone has the same price point, and not everyone is looking for exactly the same features.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: IronFilm on June 23, 2020, 10:41:32 AM
It is not "may or may not be better", the Zoom F8 is better.

And look around at second prices of a Zoom F8/F4/F6 or MixPre3, you can find them for comparable (or only a couple of hundred more) than what a Tascam DR680mk2 goes for.

The F8N is selling for $999. The DR-680MKII is selling for $499. That's not a small difference. The MixPre3 with 8 mic inputs is $1,450, and even larger difference. The F6 is closer in price, but for my use the Tascam is preferable.

Not everyone has the same price point, and not everyone is looking for exactly the same features.

The original F8 can be found secondhand for much cheaper than the new F8n.
Ditto the F4.

The MixPre3 Gen2 is US$680, and the mk1 is of course even cheaper on eBay. (mine was well under half that)

Like I said, on basically ever measure I can think of the F8 is superior over the DR680
(and I say this as someone who has both the Tascam DR680, and other Tascam recorders too, and the Zoom F series, and Sound Devices too)
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 23, 2020, 10:47:07 AM
I moved from DR-680 to DR-680mkII to F8 (with some trial use of R-88 prior to the F8).

I'm very happy with the preamps in the F8, which are better, probably most apparent when needing lots of gain for dynamic mics or recording in especially quiet conditions.   However if I didn't need 8 channels all the time I would have been happy sticking with the 680mkII for concert recording.  It's a great recorder and one of the best values around.

For concert recording using condenser mics I was fully satisfied with the Tascam preamps. I occasionally used a V3 in front, most often whenever I needed 2 additional channels.  Yes for some things I'd run the V3 on a main pair simply because its a better preamp, but mostly just because I could, rather than because I felt I needed to.

I do like the improvements of the 680MkII over the MKI. Supposedly the preamps were improved but it's the menu navigation improvements primarily, and a total lack of any problems in hot outdoor conditions that drive that preference.  Second hand 680 MKIIs can be had quite inexpensively, and represent a value that is very hard to beat.

I've fully shifted to using the F8 and now keep the 680MKII as a second recorder. Upon shifting to F8 I sold my original MKI to another member here. My primary reasons for moving to the F8 was the need for 8 channels with built-in preamps. Other practical features I like is the particularly compact format of the F8, and having all controls on the front of the unit.  The larger brighter meters are nice, but the 680 meters were always sufficient for my use.  I do prefer the F8 overall and am very satisfied having made the shift, yet there are some minor fidgety details that sort of bug me, a feeling I never had with the simpler 680s.

In these ways I actually prefer the 680MKII over the F8:
Simpler to fully understand and operate
Easier/simpler menu navigation
Better implemented easier to use channel ganging/unganging feature
digital in/out and word clock syncable
6 channel analog outputs

A more similar comparison both in channel count and cost is probably to the 6-channel F6. I've not used one.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 23, 2020, 10:53:06 AM
The original F8 can be found secondhand for much cheaper than the new F8n.
Ditto the F4.

The MixPre3 Gen2 is US$680, and the mk1 is of course even cheaper on eBay. (mine was well under half that)

Like I said, on basically ever measure I can think of the F8 is superior over the DR680
(and I say this as someone who has both the Tascam DR680, and other Tascam recorders too, and the Zoom F series, and Sound Devices too)

Looking on eBay, I'm not seeing the F8 for less than about $750. And of course used 680s are cheaper than new 680s as well.

The F4 doesn't offer the same number of mic inputs as the 680, nor does the low end MixPre3. So those aren't really valid comparisons.

The F8 doesn't have digital I/O for linking/cascading machines, does it? Because that would be a deal breaker for me.

The F8 may be a great machine, and the perfect machine for some people, but it's simply wrong to suggest it's necessarily preferable to the 680, especially when considering the price difference.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 23, 2020, 11:09:42 AM
You can likely find great deals on the 680mkII.  I originally picked up the 680MKII second hand for something like $250 years ago (nice portabrace cover I never used included), simply because it was such a good deal at the time.  It is that kind of price point that makes it very attractive.

I picked up the F8 new for $700 just after the F8N came out.  They can probably be found for less now.

I remember buying an OCM R44 from Oade for a grand a little over a decade ago. Features and channel counts have grown as well as performance specs which no longer requiring preamp mods, but I'm still happy with the performance and simplicity of that elder 4-channel recorder.

I just Google searched "zoom f8 for sale" for grins and see a used F8 for $570 at Reverb and a used F8N for $580 at LensAuthority (whoever that is).

Consider the features you need (channel count, digital in/out) before getting into the details of things like preamp quality.  Do you really need linking/cascading of recorders if you have 8 channels?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 23, 2020, 11:11:21 AM
Consider the features you need (channel count, digital in/out) before getting into the details of things like preamp quality.  Do you really need linking/cascading of recorders if you have 8 channels?

As I've recorded 12 to 14 channels (14 with an external ADC) for some shows, yes.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 23, 2020, 11:29:13 AM
F8 and F8N feature timecode but no word-clock.  I don't believe they can be clock-linked/cascaded.  Maybe share transport controls using timecode or the remote app which is IOS only (I've not used either of those features).

Its most important to consider the features critical for the way you want to work. I used to clock-link 680 + R44, or both 680s together to get 10 to 12 clock sync'd channels, but decided I don't really need to do that anymore. Other than recording SBD to a separate 2ch recorder for syncing later, I've not used more than 8ch myself since going to the F8. 

Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on June 23, 2020, 11:37:33 AM
Its most important to consider the features critical for the way you want to work.

That's the key point.

If I was definitely limited to 8 channels, the F8 would probably be a great choice, especially since it has 8 mic inputs as opposed to the 680's 6. It looks like a very impressive machine.

But...I'm not always limited to 8 channels. Even if I was most of the time, there are still times when I'm not, in which case the F8 would be, if not useless, far from ideal.

That's the name of the game when it comes to these digital recorders. While different machines can be superficially very similar, there can be make or break features on some for some people.
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: Gutbucket on June 23, 2020, 12:03:04 PM
Bingo!
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: GLouie on April 05, 2021, 03:22:08 PM
Just curious, when did Tascam discontinue the DR680mkII?
Title: Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
Post by: lukpac on April 05, 2021, 03:35:41 PM
Just curious, when did Tascam discontinue the DR680mkII?

Not sure, but this time two years ago several retailers were showing it as discontinued or unavailable. TEAC claimed at the time they didn't know why retailers were showing that.

Looks like it was marked as discontinued on their site sometime between August 2020:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200805050928if_/https://tascam.com/us/product/dr-680mkii/top

And October 2020:

https://web.archive.org/web/20201024121205/https://tascam.com/us/product/dr-680mkii/top

Possibly still available outside of the Americas? Still on their European site:

https://www.tascam.eu/en/dr-680mkii.html

And seemingly still available at Thomann:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/tascam_dr_680_mkii.htm

And while the HS-P82 still shows up on Tascam's site:

https://tascam.com/us/product/hs-p82/top

B&H claims it's discontinued:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/657379-REG/Tascam_HS_P82_HS_P82_8_Channel_Field_Audio.html