Topic: TASCAM DR-680 portable 8-track #4

[Chuck]

I sent some questions to the eBay seller. I might just try it. It's only $34 shipped.

I've been looking at all the available options and so far this looks pretty good as far as weight & price. I'm a bit leery of the 6800mAh claim though.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Hasn't there also been talk of similar low level noise out of the DVD batteries?  I haven't done any serious research but it would seem that there are noise issues with several of the less expensive external powering options.

[kirk97132]

Hasn't there also been talk of similar low level noise out of the DVD batteries?  I haven't done any serious research but it would seem that there are noise issues with several of the less expensive external powering options.

According to my friend who posted the screen shot, no the wallyworld DVD batteries did not exhibit this noise.

[Myco]

Not sure if someone has already written about this yet or not, but if I set the 680 to accept analog on channels 5-6, will it still record a digital signal fed to the coax input to the stereo mix channel, effectively giving you eight channels recorded (3 stereo analog/ 1 stereo digital?)

[kirk97132]

Yes. 

In order to monitor the levels you must go into menu and reset it from mixmon to dinmon.  I think that's all there is to make it happen, 99% sure you do not need to change anything else.

[jb63]

Here's an old one, I'm sure, but I just read something like 50 pages and didn't find it:

How is the footprint with the DR-680 compared to the R44?
I'm shopping around for about another month, and have not used either (or even touched either) so I'm not any kind of expert here.
I'll have about a month to figure out how to work the thing, and about 3 shows to screw it up before the big one in June.

Another question I could not find the answer to was how much space on a card 4 channels was going to take up? And 6 channels?

I know I sound kind of green here, but its always easier to ask.

Thanks!

jb

[Myco]

Thank you very much! 

Yes. 

In order to monitor the levels you must go into menu and reset it from mixmon to dinmon.  I think that's all there is to make it happen, 99% sure you do not need to change anything else.

[kirk97132]

Here's an old one, I'm sure, but I just read something like 50 pages and didn't find it:

How is the footprint with the DR-680 compared to the R44?
I'm shopping around for about another month, and have not used either (or even touched either) so I'm not any kind of expert here.
I'll have about a month to figure out how to work the thing, and about 3 shows to screw it up before the big one in June.

Another question I could not find the answer to was how much space on a card 4 channels was going to take up? And 6 channels?

I know I sound kind of green here, but its always easier to ask.

Thanks!

jb

Someone asked how an R-44 compared in size to a PMD-661 so I figured I would take some comparison photos.

Iriver H120
60 (W) x 105 (D) X 19 (H) mm
2.36 (W) x 4.13 (D) x .75 (H) inch

Edirol R-09HR
62 (W) x 112.9 (D) x 27 (H) mm
2.5 (W) x 4.5 (D) x 1.12 (H) inch

Marantz PMD-661
93 (W) X 165 (D) x 36 (H)  mm
3.7 (W) X 6.5 (D) x 1.4 (H) Inch

Edirol R-44
157 (W) x 183 (D) x 61 (H) mm
6.18 (W) x 7.25 (D) x 2.44 (H) inch

Tascam DR-680
202 (W) x 176mm (D) x 54 (H) mm
7.95 (W) x  6. 93 (D) x 2.12 (H) inch

[jb63]

Wow.

That is spectacular.

Thanks Kirk & Ted.
You know, looking at that, er... chart, make me realize that the pmd661 is just the greatest box I've ever used.
I'm guessing I will really suffer for quality if I try to record 4 channels of an orchestra with a dr-2d.

Thanks again you guys!

[Gutbucket]

I'm guessing I will really suffer for quality if I try to record 4 channels of an orchestra with a dr-2d.

Nope. You'll only suffer for external preamps, phantom power and control features.  Quality is fine. Did an orchestra recording two weeks ago with the DR2d. I love the 680, but not because it offers better recording quality.  Technically it is incrementally better on-the-bench, but not dramatically so, and that doesn't influence which I choose to use.

[jb63]

You'll only suffer for external preamps, phantom power and control features.  Quality is fine. Did an orchestra recording two weeks ago with the DR2d. I love the 680, but not because it offers better recording quality.  Technically it is incrementally better on-the-bench, but not dramatically so, and that doesn't influence which I choose to use.

While this belongs in the DR-2d section, I'll just ask it once and then go over there....
So what you're saying is, as long as the 2 external mics I choose to use have a preamp that lets me adjust the input, I can sort out the brickwalling issues and get a solid 4 channel capture.

But if I were to use, say, Some Sonic Studios mics & Some Core Sound mics, both of which rely on the recorder to adjust the input, then its a disaster-in-the making.

[Gutbucket]

What I'm saying is that I feel the recording quality of the DR2d using external preamps is on par with the DR-680.  Convenience and how you go about using them are seperate issues.  The DR2d brickwalling issues can be worked around pretty easily when you know how, the only "distaster in the making" would be in not doing so.

[aysvideo]

Just used my 680 Sat. night for the 2nd time.  The first time it crapped out every time I started recording, and I discovered the next day I was using a card that it wouldn't accept.  My fault.  The other night, everything seemed to be going well.  I was recording a jazz ensemble, using 6 mics, all on phantom power, and powering the deck with a 12V battery I bought on Ebay. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=170788244991&si=VQP%252FFqGHRh%252BQeD9euFRfnA9fwFY%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AL%3AOC%3AUS%3A1123&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_1919wt_1139

Last week, I ran the deck for several hours with this battery before trying it on location, and it worked fine.  The other night, when I started recording, everything seemed to be working great, but after about 25 minutes of the first set, the record levels completely dropped out, all at once, on all 6 mics, while the deck continued recording.  After momentarily freaking out, I stopped recording, and then started again...again, no sound.  At that point, I powered the unit down, let it sit for 30 seconds or so, then powered it back up and started recording.  This time, there was audio, but the levels were outrageously overmodulated on all the mics.  When i looked at the display, I noticed the machine had electronically boosted the level on each mic to full blast, so while it was rolling, I potted down each mic, continued recording, and from that point on, things were fine.  The set went for another 25 minutes, at which point, I powered the unit down, waited for the 2nd set to start, and recorded the entire 2nd set with no trouble at all. 

Without reading 95 pages worth of posts about the 680, is this a similar problem to what others have been experiencing?  In the end, I was fortunate, because I was able to make an edit in the music and make the problem sound unnoticeable, but I know I won't always be that lucky.  Just wondering if I should send this back to Tascam, and if so, does anyone have a contact there who is familiar with the issues people are having with these decks? 

[kirk97132]

The jury is still out on those batteries.  And while I cannot even begin to try an summarize all of the discussion and related problems, battery power is one of the things that has seemed to risen to the top of the pile as being an issue that should be addressed carefully

[Chuck]

The jury is still out on those batteries.  And while I cannot even begin to try an summarize all of the discussion and related problems, battery power is one of the things that has seemed to risen to the top of the pile as being an issue that should be addressed carefully

Agreed.

I'm happy so far with a 12v SLA. No issues with the lead so far. Except weight!

I am going to try to use 10 AA, 1.2v NiMH in rechargeable battery pack soon. I have almost all of the components collected.