Topic: Tascam DR-70D 4-channel audio recorder (Part 6)

[noahbickart]

I had a flawless run at Phish with the (mod) DR-70D.

Schoeps mk41v> Nbob KCY> Darktrain 30' extension cable> Naiant PFA> Busman Mod Tascam DR70-D @ 24bit/48kHz
&
Schoeps mk22>  Nbob KCY> Darktrain 30' extension cable> Naiant PFA> Busman Mod Tascam DR70-D @ 24bit/48kHz

Have a listen:

12/30:
mk41v 16 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584142
mk41v 24 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584150
mk22 16 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584151
mk22 24 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584152

12/31:
mk41v 16 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584160
mk41v 24 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584161
mk22 16 bit **Coming Soon**
mk22 24 bit **Coming Soon**

01/02:
mk41v 16 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584221
mk41v 24 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584222
mk22 16 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584225
mk22 24 bit http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=584226

[2manyrocks]

Which card and firmware did you use, please?  It would be helpful to know what is working.

[JiB97]

had no issues running 24/44.1khz for 3 straight nights using this card: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-16GB-Class-MB-SG16D-AM/dp/B00IVPU6AA

not sure I have the most up to date firmware as I have not updated it since I bought the unit, but i haven't encountered any issues so far with the above card

i got a 32bg Samsung card for X-Mas that I am gonna test out in the next few days, i'll update with the results.  Generally speaking I've never encountered an issue using Samsung cards in any recorders I've owned FWIW.

[Artist]

Hi,
I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure of the exact etiquette but what I would like is some advice.
I have recently bought a Tascam DR70 to use with my Canon 5D mk3 DSLR and so far I have found it a great improvement on the setup I have used previously which was the Canon with an external Rode Stereo mic on the hot shoe.
I hoped I could continue to use the Rode mic as the Tascam has a 3.5mm input jack but I have found that the Rode performs much worse than the inbuilt Tascam microphones which I didn't expect.I am using the mic to collect ambient sound rather than voice in interview for example.
Has anyone else had this experience and what what advice would you have for the optimum arrangement of microphones that I could use with the Tascam. I do a lot of walking to collect my material and any arrangement needs to be light ad relatively simple.
Thanks for your help.

[2manyrocks]

I, too, was surprised at the 70d internal mics when I tried them out with my camera.  The built in mics are by far the most simple setup.  I haven't used a rode camera mic, but I have recorded several concerts with audio technica at853s.  Mine have a resistor added to so they can handle louder material.  Sometimes I use a battery box.  Sometimes not. 

At853s can often be found in the yard sale here.  You will need a mic holder to attach to your rig.  You can make one from half inch cpvc pipe and two elbows.

Or you could buy mics and a battery box from church audio, a ts member.

If you have a bigger budget, dpa4060 or 4061 mics are very nice.  They are so small that you can just use stiff wire to make a mic holder.

[morst]

You actually want to hear about successful runs with the DR-70D?

These two were made on the brand-new Panasonic RP-SDUC32GAK (SDHC UHS-I (CLASS 10)R:90MB/s W:45MB/s)
Firmware 1.11 No Phantom Power, 4-channels line in via unbalanced into the XLR combo jacks, at 24/48, with USB battery pack.

https://archive.org/details/CVB2015-12-29
https://archive.org/details/Cracker2015-12-29

they sound ok to me so far, if there are glitches, I have not found them yet.

After these recordings were made on 2015-12-29, I powered the deck down, took the deck home, removed the Panasonic SD card, put it into my MacBookPro's SDXC slot, transferred the files, "ejected" the card, removed the card, replaced the card into the DR-70D and probably turned on the deck to check the settings and time remaining. I would then have turned the deck off, and packed it for the next show, which is the one where it failed, about an hour in, using the same settings - line in 4 channels, 24/48, no phantom power, USB battery pack, still firmware 1.11, as I did not realize that 1.12 "improved operational stability."

First set of the second show, I hear a problem. Wonder what else is wrong with these recordings??

https://archive.org/details/CVB2015-12-30

A brief glitch at 1:48 of t18 is entirely due to the defective Tascam DR-70D. It is in all 4 channels of the master files from the DR-70, but that sound does not appear at all on the masters made on my Sony recorders, including the one that was patched out of the Tascam's camera-out jack. Thus proving that the file glitching problem is confined to the card-writing part of the DR-70D, and not the audio signal path.

Discuss.

[Chomps]

Have not used a pre amp with the deck in a long time. Setting question using the ext 1/2...do I set the input to ext stereo or ext power?

[voltronic]

Have not used a pre amp with the deck in a long time. Setting question using the ext 1/2...do I set the input to ext stereo or ext power?

Ext Power activates plug-in power, so you want Ext Stereo with an external preamp.

[Chomps]

Have not used a pre amp with the deck in a long time. Setting question using the ext 1/2...do I set the input to ext stereo or ext power?

Ext Stereo activates plug-in power, so you want Ext Stereo with an external preamp.

Thanks. I thought so but wanted to confirm.

[voltronic]

Have not used a pre amp with the deck in a long time. Setting question using the ext 1/2...do I set the input to ext stereo or ext power?

Ext Stereo activates plug-in power, so you want Ext Stereo with an external preamp.

Thanks. I thought so but wanted to confirm.

Just saw the stupidity of what I wrote above, bit I think you got what I was going for.  Edited my original reply.

[telemov]

Hey, I just bought the DR70 and joined this forum after reading the first few threads about it.    Looks like I have some catching up to do.

[Chomps]

I understood what you were saying. It is the default setting and now it is coming back to me. Its been such a long time since I used a pre with the deck I had to go back and check all the settings.

[dogmusic]

There's a new Firmware V1.13 posted (incorrectly listed on their downloads page as "V1.31" !).

http://tascam.com/product/dr-70d/downloads/

The update notes state:

V1.13 fix
• When using the erase format function, writing speed would slow and a Write Timeout error would occur sometimes. This has been fixed.

I haven't tried it yet. But at least Tascam hasn't given up yet on the DR-70D.

[jbosco]

There's a new Firmware V1.13 posted (incorrectly listed on their downloads page as "V1.31" !).

http://tascam.com/product/dr-70d/downloads/

The update notes state:

V1.13 fix
• When using the erase format function, writing speed would slow and a Write Timeout error would occur sometimes. This has been fixed.

I haven't tried it yet. But at least Tascam hasn't given up yet on the DR-70D.

I'm going to give it a shot, it sounds like they a least think they addressed the problem, which is very encouraging.  I for one know I used the "erase format function" before I encountered problems.  I wonder if they will readdress the Tested Media list now that in theory the write issues may have been addressed.   

[voltronic]

The wording of this update is a little surprising to me.  The Write Timeout error is what would sometimes pop up for people during recording with certain cards.  I never knew it could appear during formatting.  I suppose that if you consider that an erase format writes to the whole card then it could be a similar condition to cause that error.