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Author Topic: Tascam DR-680 MKii  (Read 92944 times)

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Offline lukpac

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #105 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.

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #106 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.
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Offline lukpac

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #107 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.

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #108 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.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline lukpac

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #109 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.

Offline Gutbucket

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #110 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.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline lukpac

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #111 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.

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #112 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.
musical volition > vibrations > voltages > numeric values > voltages > vibrations> virtual teleportation time-machine experience
Better recording made easy - >>Improved PAS table<< | Made excellent- >>click here to download the Oddball Microphone Technique illustrated PDF booklet<< (note: This is a 1st draft, now several years old and in need of revision!  Stay tuned)

Offline cranberrie star

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #113 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  :(

Offline dallman

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #114 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
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Offline cranberrie star

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #115 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?

Offline F.O.Bean

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #116 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?!?!
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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #117 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...
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Offline jefflester

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #118 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.
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Offline lukpac

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Re: Tascam DR-680 MKii
« Reply #119 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.

 

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