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Author Topic: Tascam Portacapture X8  (Read 17944 times)

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Offline justme

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #45 on: January 31, 2022, 11:45:04 PM »
News Shooter have done a lengthy review of the X8.
Although more from a usage point of view then an audiophiles or tapers ones.

https://www.newsshooter.com/2022/01/31/tascam-portacapture-x8-review/

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #46 on: February 02, 2022, 12:30:40 AM »
News Shooter have done a lengthy review of the X8.
Although more from a usage point of view then an audiophiles or tapers ones.

https://www.newsshooter.com/2022/01/31/tascam-portacapture-x8-review/

I like that style of review - just the facts, no waffle. 

For a moment I thought I read in the review that it can be used WITH a USB-C mic, but actually it says that it can be used AS a USB-C mic.  I'll throw in here that I've just received a Shure MV88+ MS stereo USB-C mic, and as I hoped, it does work with the DJI Action 2 video camera.  This confirms that there's not the slightest reason why future audio recorders shouldn't be able to accept such digital mics via a USB-C socket, adding to the possiblities of what can be mixed and matched.  That in turn makes me wonder whether the X8 has any inbuilt MS functionality?  32 bit MS recordings would have the nice feature of allowing you to forget not only level setting but aslo stereo image at the time of recording, but of course it would be ideal to be able to convert the MS to XY for monitoring purposes in the recorder.

Offline carpa

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #47 on: February 02, 2022, 08:49:55 AM »
A bit off-topic, I apologize....@Ozpeter; I also own a Shure mv88 which is a useful tool, but I own the first  version with lightning connector. I think there is no reason why it shouldn't work also with a Mac computer, apart from the fact that I couldn't by any means find an adapter cable. What needed would be just a lightning/female to USB, but it seems nobody has had the idea for making one so far. Any suggestion?

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #48 on: February 02, 2022, 09:55:25 AM »
A bit off-topic, I apologize....@Ozpeter; I also own a Shure mv88 which is a useful tool, but I own the first  version with lightning connector. I think there is no reason why it shouldn't work also with a Mac computer, apart from the fact that I couldn't by any means find an adapter cable. What needed would be just a lightning/female to USB, but it seems nobody has had the idea for making one so far. Any suggestion?

I use this for connecting a Sennheiser Ambeo binaural headset to an Android phone - or to the DJI Action 2 - but I know nothing about Mac computers  so....

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B085VHX67X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Offline WiFiJeff

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #49 on: February 03, 2022, 02:09:48 PM »
I've received my X8, the hum is a definite issue.  I get spikes at about 25,384 Hz, 50766 Hz, and 76,143 Hz (plus a wee something at just under 90 kHz).  These first three spikes are clearly some sort of harmonic series.  The issue is greater in the right channel than the left (and in track 4 than track 3, I have not yet tested tracks 5 & 6).  It doesn't seem to matter if the external mics are close to the recorder or several feet away, as far as I can tell.

Tascam mics on the body of the recorder: My noisy room background -117.4 dB; 25384 Hz (L -110 dB) (R -96.1 dB); 50766 Hz (L -111 dB) (R-99.6 dB)
  with screen set to dim and backlight off 25384 Hz (L -111.2 dB) (R -96.3 dB), no real difference as far as I can tell.

Nevaton MC 59/W in inputs 3&4 background at -114 dB; 25384 Hz (L -113 dB) (R-100.1 dB); 50766 Hz (L -113.3 dB) (R -100.3 dB)  dim or bright screen, mics near the X8 or a few feet away, no difference I can see.

With no mics in 5&6 I still see biggish but not so sharp peaks at those frequencies.

I usually record at 96 kHz, so the 50k and 76k spikes won't mean anything to me, but the 25384 Hz spike will be a concern.  Those who record at 48 kHz won't have any issues here at all.  I'm waiting to hear how Tascam, who has been made aware of the problem, will deal with this.  I have not yet upgraded to the new software, as it does not claim to do a fix for this.  Not sure how software could!

Jeff


« Last Edit: February 03, 2022, 03:21:38 PM by WiFiJeff »

Offline tapeheadtoo

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #50 on: February 03, 2022, 06:02:13 PM »
I returned mine to B&H.  I need a six channel recorder, not a four channel recorder with two useless external mics.  If I wanted a four channel recorder I'd use one of my six DR2ds.




3. Inputs - To recap, there's the two detachable mics at the top, 4x xlr/trs combo jacks, and then the 1/8" input on the side. It has an option for routing the inputs to the recording channels. HOWEVER, if you are using the 1/8" input, it bypasses the 3rd + 4th xlr/trs input. There is no way to override the detachable mics input instead. So in effect, this is a recorder that is 4x channel plus 2x mics, not a 6x channel recorder.

Mics: Schoeps MK4, DPA 4061, AT953, Shure MV88
Preamps/BB: Nbox, tinybox, ST-9100, CA-UGLY, SP-SPSB-10
Recorders: In use--Teenage Engineering TX6, Tascam DR-2d, Sony PCM-A10, Zoom L-20R; collecting dust--Sony M10, Ediirol R-09, Zoom H4n, Zoom H6, Cymatic LR16
Video: In use--Panasonic VX981, Panasonic ZS100, GoPro Hero 10/11; collecting dust--Sony HDR-CX520V, Sony HX9V, Panasonic ZS3/ZS7

Offline voltronic

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #51 on: February 05, 2022, 03:08:06 PM »
I returned mine to B&H.  I need a six channel recorder, not a four channel recorder with two useless external mics.  If I wanted a four channel recorder I'd use one of my six DR2ds.

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Offline WiFiJeff

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #52 on: February 09, 2022, 11:58:26 AM »
This looks even worse for the X8:

https://mindful-audio.com/blog/tascam-portacapture-x8-review

Weird transient things, no hint what makes them come or go away.

Jeff
« Last Edit: February 09, 2022, 12:00:29 PM by WiFiJeff »

Offline hoserama

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #53 on: February 09, 2022, 01:11:37 PM »
I'm looking to return mine, unless somebody wants to buy mine. Disappointing to say the least. Gonna take that money and buy yet another IEM receiver.
Audio: Countryman B3 + AT853(hypers/cards/subcards) + SBD feeds
Wireless Receivers: Lots of those
Antennas: Lots of those
Cables: Lots of those
Recorders: TE TX-6, Zoom L20R, Zoom F8, (3) Tascam 680, (3) Tascam 2D, Zoom H6, and a graveyard of irivers/nomads/minidiscs.

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #54 on: February 10, 2022, 06:29:38 AM »
This looks even worse for the X8:

https://mindful-audio.com/blog/tascam-portacapture-x8-review

Weird transient things, no hint what makes them come or go away.

Jeff

Gulp.  That review kind of skewers it... and the reviewer really did seem to be unhappy that he was having to do so.

Offline carpa

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #55 on: February 10, 2022, 04:01:52 PM »
Seems quite weird (or maybe a mystery of marketing) that it doesn’t seem possible to come up with a really good quality 6 channel handheld recorder with decent built-in mics. Mixpre and Zoom f6 are fine but sometimes the convenience of a couple of decent onboard mics may prove very flexible; set and go recordings or maybe a 4 tracks recording bringing just a couple of external mics and one stand, thus saving time and space. I’ am quite ok with my Zoom h6 but I feel it’s limits; I’d be happy to pay the extra money for something like the F series preamps packed in the H6 ( or this Portacapture) form factor.

Offline datbrad

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #56 on: February 10, 2022, 07:37:50 PM »
That review is painful. Nobody wants to be the bearer of news that bad. He seems to be very fond of his D100 and M10 Sonys, and the SD 633 which is really one of the best field recorders made right now. Well, I like knobs and monochrome displays so I'll never get anything with a touch screen and onion layers of menu settings, but I'm old and need gear with '90s leaning user experiences, lol.
AKG C460B w/CK61/CK63>Luminous Monarch XLRs>SD MP-1(x2)>Luminous Monarch XLRs>PMD661(Oade WMOD)

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Offline WiFiJeff

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #57 on: February 13, 2022, 12:14:57 PM »
Well Tascam got back to me Friday:

"Hello Jeff,

Our engineering department has sent the following information...

Although noise level approximately -100dBFS of outside of audible band of 25k/50k/75kHz at internal MIC(*) and default setting(+18dB) has been observed.
* Although the level is more low, the noise has been observed also on other channel.
There is also the frequency that improved by the latest firmware, so please try with V1.03."

So I upgraded to Firmware V1.03 as suggested, new issues. This is what I just sent them:

"As you suggested, I upgraded to firmware 1.03.  Although the 25.3 kHz line is gone (also 50.6 kHz and 76 kHz), there are now hum lines at roughly 36.6 kHz and 74 kHz, again in both the plug-in-power mics and XLRs, including channels without mics or phantom power enabled.  Channel 5, which was decent before, has messy peaks at these resonances with no phantom or attached mics.  In addition, when loading the (very short) files into iZotope, I get an error message that the timecode is too big and iZotope is resetting it to zero.  I did not try to enable timecode, what is going on with this?  I did not get this message with firmware 1.00."

Still looking for a review that tells me what I don't know: how do the preamps and A/D sound in the sub-ultra-sonic area where it matters more?  I have not run into the sporadic noise issues mentioned in other reviews, but I haven't been able to try it out in real life.

Note added: Curtis Judd is about to post a review (in about an hour).  That should be interesting.
« Last Edit: February 13, 2022, 12:36:02 PM by WiFiJeff »

Offline Ozpeter

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #58 on: February 13, 2022, 05:01:26 PM »
Well, if this is the Curtis Judd video you meant, I don't think I'll bother watching - at the outset he says he's used it for 45 minutes and hasn't recorded anything with it yet (due to it not liking his SD card).  I'd be much more interested in a review by someone thoroughly familiar with the device who could offer carefully analysed audio examples from test and real world situations.  (Then again, maybe I'm criticising a video I haven't watched where someone reviews a device they haven't used!  :banging head: )

https://youtu.be/T-GrHAivZks

Offline WiFiJeff

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Re: Tascam Portacapture X8
« Reply #59 on: February 13, 2022, 08:30:27 PM »
Yeah, I saw it.  He does promise to update when he has the necessary micro-SD card (how come he doesn't have 20 or so of them lying around, like I thought everyone does).  Right now he is clueless, seems to have relied on the paper "owners manual" rather than the online reference manual, which explains a lot of the stuff he was unsure about.  But his audio reviews have been helpful in the past, I hope he addresses the issues once they have a chance to kick him in the head as hard as I have experienced.

 

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