Topic: TASCAM DR-680 portable 8-track #3

[Todd R]

Another reply, mainly echoing kirk.

I bought two of those type of CCTV batteries, both were useless.  Neither was the same storage amount, but both looked essentially the same with the blue shrink wrap. 

First one I got from ebay/China, listed as 12v output, 6800mah.  It worked fine for some initial testing, but first time I charged it, it blew up like a balloon.  Not good for li-ion batteries -- scrap that (ok, recycle that).  Next one came from DinoDirect (or something like that), also from China, also listed as 12v, 6800mah.  It worked fine, ran the 680, used it only a couple of times, but it ran the 680 for far less than I was expecting.  Then it died, wouldn't charge, no output voltage, useless. 

I finally got around to dissecting it and it contained 3x 3.7v li-ion packs, so without upconverting the voltage, that would be 11.1V out, not 12v out.  I never tested while it was working to see if it was 11.1V out or 12v out, so it may have stepped up the voltage to 12v.  Thing is though -- the 3.7v li-ion packs inside were 4200mah packs.  Yep, no wonder it didn't last as long.  The 6800mah listing was just completely made up, it was a 4200mah pack at best.

Bottom line, stay away from this junk, the typical 9v DVD battery works great with the 680.


On the card speed, I first ran a (supposedly) Class 6 Adata 16gb card I had been using with the R44.  It worked for 4ch at 24/48, but choked and ruined recordings with 6ch at 24/48.  I have a Mac, so I don't know how to do actual speed testing on the card (which is now lost) and I thus don't know how fast it really was.

I replaced it with a 32GB Class 4 card from Kingston.  It has been rock solid running up to 8ch at 24/48.  I've never run above 48k, but I think theoretically 8ch at 96k sampling should be less than 2.5 MB/s write speed, so a true Class 4 card at 4 MB/s should be able to cover 8ch of 24/96 recording.  From my experience, get a quality card from a quality mfg (Sandisk, Lexar, Kingston, maybe others, but that's who I trust) and just get a Class 4 or Class 6 card.  No reason for Class 10, unless the mfg is mis-reporting their speeds.

[kirk97132]

and FWIW the Tang Tang are not shrink wrapped but come in a plastic case with an on off switch and three slots, 1-USB, 1-12volt, 1-9volt.  I'll grab it and take some voltage readings that I will post here.  The noise I was talking about is in direct reference to the Tang Tang model. 

[axomxa]

This is just opinion, but I think it might be the battery. I know a lot of people use the dvd batteries and they power the decks and all, but they're designed to work on 12V and people are running them on a 9V. I use a 12V and have never had this issue. I have had my deck modded though, so the different op-amps may play into it also.

Hey Myco, when we spoke last week at phish I had forgotten you helped me with the battery advice.  I have decided to pull the trigger on the BG unit you use.  That night I ran about 3/4 of the show with the lithium advanced cells and then had to plug in one of my 9v dvd's which finished the show no problem, but no more messing around around with cells and 9v dvd's too much $ and aggravation.   It seems like that BG unit is not much bigger than the 9v's.  Thanks again for input.   

[Todd R]

been lurking on the 680 threads for a while now, and even posted some comments.
I've seen some battery solutions
I may join the team this summer...
but need to know about external battery options that won't break the bank.
saw some Li-Ion batts like this on ebay- yea or neigh?
http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-9800mAH-Li-ion-Rechargeable-Battery-CCTV-Camera-/260756895091?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb6527573
http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-DC-9000mAh-Rechargeable-Li-ion-Battery-CCTV-cam-/150572284101?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230eceb8c5
seem to remember that: tangtang1628  is a reputable seller?

also on SDHC cards any issues with the Transcend cards? class 6 or 10?
I usually get Transcend's never have had issues with them.

thanx

--Ian

Shameless plug:

Summer is officially just around the corner, and I've got everything you need if you want to join the team now:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=146307.0

[ArchivalAudio]

been lurking on the 680 threads for a while now, and even posted some comments.
I've seen some battery solutions
I may join the team this summer...
but need to know about external battery options that won't break the bank.
saw some Li-Ion batts like this on ebay- yea or neigh?
http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-9800mAH-Li-ion-Rechargeable-Battery-CCTV-Camera-/260756895091?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb6527573
http://cgi.ebay.com/12V-DC-9000mAh-Rechargeable-Li-ion-Battery-CCTV-cam-/150572284101?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230eceb8c5
seem to remember that: tangtang1628  is a reputable seller?

also on SDHC cards any issues with the Transcend cards? class 6 or 10?
I usually get Transcend's never have had issues with them.

thanx

--Ian

Shameless plug:

Summer is officially just around the corner, and I've got everything you need if you want to join the team now:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=146307.0

Todd,
Thanx!
I want it!
I sent a PM - though may not be the first...
hopefully I am!
 

peace
--Ian

[Myco]

This is just opinion, but I think it might be the battery. I know a lot of people use the dvd batteries and they power the decks and all, but they're designed to work on 12V and people are running them on a 9V. I use a 12V and have never had this issue. I have had my deck modded though, so the different op-amps may play into it also.

Hey Myco, when we spoke last week at phish I had forgotten you helped me with the battery advice.  I have decided to pull the trigger on the BG unit you use.  That night I ran about 3/4 of the show with the lithium advanced cells and then had to plug in one of my 9v dvd's which finished the show no problem, but no more messing around around with cells and 9v dvd's too much $ and aggravation.   It seems like that BG unit is not much bigger than the 9v's.  Thanks again for input.

Good deal! I run them parallel myself. The internals are just emergency backup that way. I ran the whole phish show on my batterygeek 12V and didn't lose a bar. The 9V can work just as well I'm told, so it's good to have options. I have (2) 12V batterygeek lithiums, and (4) 9V dvd lithiums that I bought in the big ebay sale a year or two ago. Oh, yeah, I got one old 9V Energizer lithium from an Oade purchase a while ago also. So I'm good for a festi & more. 

[drewloo]

When I was running a Mini-MP > M10 one time I had to rearrange my bag and ended up setting a DVD battery on the powered-up mmp and I guess because there are(?) relays in the mmp phantom circuitry it kept causing the phantom power to shut off.  Really freaked me out at first because I was doing work for a festival organizer and thought the mmp had an issue.

One of the first things I did with the 680 was to check and see if it was affected by being too close to a battery and there were no issues.

BTW here's a quick comparison between some MC930s and MBHO 603a/500 (hypers) both straight into a 680 if anyone's interested:
http://www.mediafire.com/?82b8p8kx99t39vd
http://www.mediafire.com/?3rwu7mkcix0588w

[ArchivalAudio]

I await my "new" DR-680 from ToddR
--Ian

[Grosse_j]

Synchronization of two DR-680
As Kirkd describes jan 5 2011 he succeeded with synchronization of to DR-680 via SD USBPre2, but that means to put another 700 Dollars invest on top of two DR-680. My goal is to use them for smaller recordings as backup DR-680 to the second one and backup recording of up to 12 (hopefully 14 or 16?) channels of my Fostex D 1624 of classical live recording. I nearly lost two live concert recordings through a contact issue of my Fostex D1624 or even a internal power  failure of the R-44 in the last months.
Did nobody find a costly solution up to now for synchronizing both devices as the master slave only synchronizes the record and stop "buttons". but not the digital clock.
May there be a way to send the digital output of track 7/8 (mix modus) to the input 7/8 of second device in the normal "not master/slave" modus to synchronize?
That's my main issue bevor investing in a second DR 680,
Thanks
Grosse_j

[Gutbucket]

May there be a way to send the digital output of track 7/8 (mix modus) to the input 7/8 of second device in the normal "not master/slave" modus to synchronize?

That will certainly work to syncronize clocks using a SPDIF coaxial cablebetween machines for 12 total tracks (or 14 if you also use the digital input on the 1st deck). Transports would not be locked so the recorders would need to be started individually and the resulting tracks aligned latter in the computer.  I do that to clock the DR-680 to my R-44. I can then record four channels on the R-44 and send digital out from there to sync the 680 with six more tracks on it for 10 total.

Might it be posible to use that SPIF linking make clock sync and also use the sync cable for master/slave mode transport linking?  I don't know of anyone trying that yet.

[Grosse_j]

What was your longest track/recoding you realized synchronisity between R44 and DR 680? Was it some ten minutes or hours f.e. classical live recording of 90 to 120 minutes?
Thanks
Grosse_j

[Gutbucket]

105 minute jazz set lastnight.

The DR680 screen indicates DIN UNLOCK if the SPIF connection is lost for what ever reason (cable disconnected, R44 powered down, etc) and DIN LOCK once the connection is restored.

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

Ok...I know I've been threatening to buy one of these since before it came out...and...wait for it...I FINALLY DID!

 

Musicians Friend had them as their daily deal for $649! 

Now the Porta-brace I bought for it about 6 month ago finally feels wanted.

Just need to pick of a large SDHC card and battery and I should be good to go. Probably should pick up some long XLR's too so I can run my MCE400's on stage.

[Chadfish]

Got a link to that? I don't see it.

[rastasean]

Got a link to that? I don't see it.

well it was discussed here: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=146489.0
but since its just a day long deal, its gone now.