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

[goodcooker]

I'm out of here.

If anybody has glitch problems with cards on the tested list, please contact me directly.
The advice about slowed down cards was for cards not on the list.  Tested cards are good even when slowed down.

Classy.

[pohaku]

I'm out of here.

If anybody has glitch problems with cards on the tested list, please contact me directly.
The advice about slowed down cards was for cards not on the list.  Tested cards are good even when slowed down.

Classy.

Not unexpected considering the reception he got.  While he wasn't able to answer all the questions posed, he did provide us with more info than we had.  I think it is unfortuate that he has now bailed, but I don't blame him in the least.

[Jonmac]

Has anyone reported similar problems with the DR-60D when recording 4 channels , and is that model fussy about cards ?

[ButchAlmberg]

Agreed, pohaku. Frustration is one thing, disrespect is another.

[stevetoney]

I'm out of here.

If anybody has glitch problems with cards on the tested list, please contact me directly.
The advice about slowed down cards was for cards not on the list.  Tested cards are good even when slowed down.

Classy.

Not unexpected considering the reception he got.  While he wasn't able to answer all the questions posed, he did provide us with more info than we had.  I think it is unfortuate that he has now bailed, but I don't blame him in the least.

Nonsense.  The issue is that the DR70D doesn't work right and Tascam is doing a dance around customer concerns, not that Tomuo was treated poorly here.  How he was treated is, frankly, irrelvant.  We shouldn't have to 'stroke' a company rep in order to get them to address a collective group of people expressing LEGITIMATE concerns.  And any anger expressed here is justified, though I agree that the lawsuit threat was crazy. 

He bailed because, when his responses were challenged, he couldn't/wouldn't provide a legitimate response other than their stock excuse, which he has chosen not to provide responses to questions for why it holds water.  This happens all the time in the PZ when someone is challenged and they can't provide a valid retort.  They bail instead.  It's the internet way of getting control when you are starting to lose a discussion.  If you can't stand the heat, then don't step in the fire but don't quit when the going gets a little rough.

[goodcooker]

Tascam's product shits the bed and when the rep who was around trying to provide some answers doesn't have any valid answers he bails.

Looking at Taperssection pile ons from the past this discussion isn't even a blip on the radar. No one insulted the guy. If you are going to represent the company then have some answers. His answers were the standard non answer. I work for a huge corporation and I understand the concept of risk management. I wouldn't be surprised if his leadership told him to get out of the discussion as the problems with this machine get worse and worse and the likelihood of a fix seems distant.

Use the cards on the list. That's the answer.

Unfortunate...I've used several recorders from Tascam and use a DR60d presently. Works great. But the DR70d is a dud.

[stevetoney]

Use the cards on the list. That's the answer.

Unfortunate...I've used several recorders from Tascam and use a DR60d presently. Works great. But the DR70d is a dud.

That's the bottom line.  If these cards all work, then this issue goes away.  I'd be a happy camper. 

My concern right now is that the good cards list is risk management, as you say, as a stall tactic to get many of these units out past warranty.  And even if the 'list' cards fail and Tascam considers a warranty claim, they have the fallback for rejecting replacement under warranty that the card degrades over time which Tomuo has already set the stage for.  So you have to feed it new cards all the time.  That's a different issue than the card simply bogging down during the testing phase. 

Hopefully the good cards list is the only answer needed.  I'm skeptical.

[johnmuge]

I sure hope it's just a card issue.  Mine ran fine with the free Sandisk 8 GB microsd that came from B&H with the promo.  When I did the firmware update to V1.10, it crapped out bad.  The first 30 minutes of the set are great and the rest of the set is all skips constantly to the end.  It did the same thing for the 2nd set starting at 32 minutes till the end of the show.  I put a new 16 GB SD class 4 card in and it has not messed up again.  I've run it 4 times since with no issues.  I am getting a approved card and hope all this will be behind us.  My DR-680 still has the original SD card that I put in it almost 5 years ago and I have never had any problems with any of my recordings. 

[2manyrocks]

Pulled out the box where I bought a 70d (still new in the box) as part of the $199 special that went on a while back to see what card was in there.  It's a Sandisk Ultra microSDHC UHS-1 8 GB card which I've never used.

Got me to wondering...I had a 70d from another seller and had no issues with it at all.  I haven't touched the one I got as part of the $199 special to know if it's good or bad.

Tonedeaf and others having card issues, did you get your 70d as part of the $199 special?  Is there something about a particular production batch of these 70ds that we ought to be looking into?

Maybe do another survey on this detail?

I bought two of them under the $200 deal.  One for myself and one for another person (who doesn't have a credit card).  The purchases for both were from B&H and were one day apart.  Mine has problems, his doesn't.

Was the firmware upgraded the same on both after being purchased?

[stevetoney]

Pulled out the box where I bought a 70d (still new in the box) as part of the $199 special that went on a while back to see what card was in there.  It's a Sandisk Ultra microSDHC UHS-1 8 GB card which I've never used.

Got me to wondering...I had a 70d from another seller and had no issues with it at all.  I haven't touched the one I got as part of the $199 special to know if it's good or bad.

Tonedeaf and others having card issues, did you get your 70d as part of the $199 special?  Is there something about a particular production batch of these 70ds that we ought to be looking into?

Maybe do another survey on this detail?

I bought two of them under the $200 deal.  One for myself and one for another person (who doesn't have a credit card).  The purchases for both were from B&H and were one day apart.  Mine has problems, his doesn't.

Was the firmware upgraded the same on both after being purchased?

Yes.  His hasn't had a problem since the beginning with original or updated firmware.  Mine worked properly in the beginning.  I can't say for sure whether the onset of the issue coincided with when the firmware was updated.  Sorry, I know this isn't helping, but at the time I updated the firmware I didn't have a reason to make any mental notes about whether or not there were potentially firmware related issues because at that point I didn't realize there was a generic problem.  As I mentioned earlier, when I first noticed this issue of skipping data, I thought my issue was that the USB connector was loose and the unit was cycling between the USB battery and the internals.

[pohaku]

FWIW, I posted an inquiry about this over on GS.  I haven't seen similar reports of problems over there so I thought I would ask.  The thread is in the Remote Possibilities and Location Recording forum.

[jbell]

Way to many reports of failure!!  My DR680 was never picky or had this problem.  To blame it on SD cards is BS.  I have NEVER had a deck not play nice with a quality SD card.  Tascam should update the firmware so it works with a MUCH larger range of SD cards.  If that is even the issue

[MakersMarc]

Is this the first truly unreliable flash deck? I'm not counting Zoom prior to the f8. I can't think of one. Quirks, yes. The Fostex has a funky battery setup to some. The 661 won't play nice with some mics. But this thing.....feel bad for those who bought. Come to think of it, the deck that seems to have the most issues is probably the p2.

Agree with Cooker, Tomuo was treated fine....some other manufacturers or retailers in the past....not so much. Saw nothing disrespectful, and his answers were canned.

[Life In Rewind]

Can anyone confirm they have heard glitches =prior to file transfer=

i.e. - you go home, play the files back on the DR-70D and heard digi-noise

Im wondering if the files are being corrupted in transfer...

Asking since I've had previously perfect recordings get corrupted after (seemingly) making another recording on the card.

There was that win10 issue that had CF transfers being corrupted - maybe a Windows update has brought a similar issue to SD cards?

[voltronic]

Can anyone confirm they have heard glitches =prior to file transfer=

i.e. - you go home, play the files back on the DR-70D and heard digi-noise

Im wondering if the files are being corrupted in transfer...

Asking since I've had previously perfect recordings get corrupted after (seemingly) making another recording on the card.

There was that win10 issue that had CF transfers being corrupted - maybe a Windows update has brought a similar issue to SD cards?

That win10 issue was Sound Devices specific because of how they were writing to the card, but that's an interesting idea.

One possible test could be that people who have noise issues try that card in another recorder (where you didn't have problems), transfer it and compare?  There may be too many variables there, but possibly worth a shot.