Taperssection.com

Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 03:32:26 AM

Title: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 03:32:26 AM
I downloaded the compressed file off the Tascam site, DR-680 page. DR-680-v110.zip.tgz
A .tgz file. Never heard of it. Couldn't unzip it with my regular unzipping programs, so I searched and downloaded 'quickzip' freeware (the other unzippers seem to cost $30 and up).
Can't figure this out. You'd think it should just work, but nothing seems to be unzipping or installing...

Anybody here done this yet? What unzipper did you use? What do you do with the file? I can't see any firmware update instructions on the Tascam site either.   ???

Thanks!
Dave
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B) on July 02, 2010, 04:30:01 AM
Not sure if this is your answer, but normally I put the zip file on your media (SD card) then put the card in your recorder, find  update firmware in your menu and the recorder will unzip the file and update the firmware.

I don't have that recorder (yet), so I'm not sure, but I have updated other recorders firmware in that fashion.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B) on July 02, 2010, 04:39:53 AM
Instructions (end of page 2):

http://www.tascam.de/sw/dr-680/DR-680_RN_v110_EN.pdf
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 01:00:53 PM
That looks like it! Thanks. I'll let you know if it works.

Dave
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 01:13:41 PM
Not sure if this is your answer, but normally I put the zip file on your media (SD card) then put the card in your recorder, find  update firmware in your menu and the recorder will unzip the file and update the firmware.

I don't have that recorder (yet), so I'm not sure, but I have updated other recorders firmware in that fashion.

Thanks. If the file doesn't need unzipping then that might solve my main problem here. It looks like you just connect the recorder via USB and transfer the downloaded file into an existing 'Utilities' folder.

fingers crossed*****
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 03:56:01 PM
Copied unzipped file into DR-680s 'Utilities' folder, started machine as directed. PROGRAM UPDATE and downloaded 'v110.zip' file visible on display. Pressed Enter - display says "ERROR, update file". Tried it again from a fresh download, same thing. Tascam Service is on vacation.

Any ideas?

[PS - I tried a bunch of other things with the file, but always get the same error message.]

Thanks
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 02, 2010, 04:36:50 PM
Where did you get the 110.zip.tgz file - tascam.de or tascam.com? Language could make a difference.

I just downloaded DR-680_v110.zip from http://tascam.com/i-3921-232-128-0-01455580.zip and there is no .tgz extension anywhere that I can find. Maybe redownload and try the update again.

Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 04:52:38 PM
Where did you get the 110.zip.tgz file - tascam.de or tascam.com? Language could make a difference.

I just downloaded DR-680_v110.zip from http://tascam.com/i-3921-232-128-0-01455580.zip and there is no .tgz extension anywhere that I can find. Maybe redownload and try the update again.

Thanks, I'll try your source....

No go - I get .zip.tgz files from that source! Tried it three times... ???  That's weird!
I have a laptop with Vista, dunno if what you're using makes a difference(?)
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 02, 2010, 05:00:22 PM
What happens if you delete the .tgz extension (in essence renaming the file) before transferring the files to the UTILITY folder? I'm hesitant to suggest it but I think it will either update the firmware or you'll get the same ERROR message when you hit enter.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 05:01:16 PM
What happens if you delete the .tgz extension before transferring the files to the UTILITY folder? I'm hesitant to suggest it but I think it will either update the firmware or you'll get the same ERROR message when you hit enter.

That's one of the things I tried. Still get same 'error'. (As it's being downloaded and just after, it shows on the desktop bottom corner as a .zip.tgz file. Accessed in Documents, it loses the .tgz off the end, yet it's still described as a .tgz file in Properties(!)  ???
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 02, 2010, 05:04:32 PM
I've got no idea where the .tgz extension is coming from. In Linux, what I use, that extension isn't seen with these update files. I'm wondering if somehow .zip extensions are being saved and associated with another program. I just assumed you were running some version of Windows.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 05:09:33 PM
I've got no idea where the .tgz extension is coming from. In Linux, what I use, that extension isn't seen with these update files. I'm wondering if somehow .zip extensions are being saved and associated with another program. I just assumed you were running some version of Windows.

Yes. Windows Vista. Actually, I thought I'd read that the .tgz was something associated with Linux OS(?)

Thanks!
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 02, 2010, 05:10:27 PM
Also, are you following the steps in the exact order they are listed in the pdf file? When I tried to update one of my Fostexs I thought I could skip a couple of steps since the listed order wasn't the order I used when recording and the instructions seemed to add a few unnecessary steps. The update failed until I went back and added those steps, then the update succeeded on the first attempt. Made me a believer in following instructions to the letter when updating firmware.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 02, 2010, 05:16:19 PM
If you are still unable to update, all I can do is wish you luck as I'm out of ideas.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 05:19:36 PM
Also, are you following the steps in the exact order they are listed in the pdf file? When I tried to update one of my Fostexs I thought I could skip a couple of steps since the listed order wasn't the order I used when recording and the instructions seemed to add a few unnecessary steps. The update failed until I went back and added those steps, then the update succeeded on the first attempt. Made me a believer in following instructions to the letter when updating firmware.

Pretty much following the Release Notes to the letter. A couple of things don't happen the way described, even so. For instance the unit's supposed to power ON automatically when you disconnect the USB (USB disconnected 'properly' - check), but it doesn't do that. Makes me wonder.

I just tried it again, with the file from  http://tascam.com/i-3921-232-128-0-01455580.zip 

Same error code.  ???
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 05:20:21 PM
If you are still unable to update, all I can do is wish you luck as I'm out of ideas.

No problem, I appreciate your help anyway!

Cheers
Dave
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 02, 2010, 05:25:31 PM
Didn't you say this shipped with v1.02? Maybe just check out all the functions using that version then call Tascam Tech support on Tuesday. Basicaly have nothing to lose since you still have plenty of time to decide whether to keep the deck or send it back.

If you do get it to update, please post what you did to get it to take the new firmware.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 02, 2010, 05:29:21 PM
Didn't you say this shipped with v1.02? Maybe just check out all the functions using that version then call Tascam Tech support on Tuesday. Basicaly have nothing to lose since you still have plenty of time to decide whether to keep the deck or send it back.

If you do get it to update, please post what you did to get it to take the new firmware.

No, it has v1.0 (build 38). I'll happily post the cure when I find it! Yeah, I have plenty of time to evaluate it. I'd just like a few the control updates I've already noticed are lacking. oh well...

[PS - I'll give it a break until I think of something different to try. It's still showing the same error.)   ???

Thanks for trying to help, I really appreciate it.

Dave
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: dgale on July 02, 2010, 11:32:48 PM
Try downloading the file on a different (non-Vista) machine and then, assuming it does not show up there as a .tgz file, then copy it over to your machine.  The only thing I can think is your Vista machine for some reason is associating the file with some program that in turn is causing the error.  You could also try unzipping it on the other machine first before copying it over.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 03, 2010, 01:25:24 AM
Thanks for the idea. It might be worth a try. My other laptop has XP, I'll give that a go.

Cheers
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 03, 2010, 01:46:26 AM
BTW, I thought I'd try the download from Tascam/TEAC European division:

http://www.tascam.de/en/

Downloaded file looks different than the other one, like an ordinary .zip file, and is 100MB smaller. Still no go. I get a different error code now, looks like this:

"ERROR
 Product"

Weird. Maybe the fault's in the deck...

Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 03, 2010, 03:35:32 AM
Well, I downloaded and tried both DR680 v110 files - the US one, and the one from the Euro site, DR-680 connected to my XP laptop this time. They appeared the same as they do on my Vista machine, and the results were the same, too, each producing it's own error code, as noted before. The US file is a .zip.tgz, the Euro one has just a '.zip' tag. The US file is almost 200KB larger - 783KB vs 573KB. Weird.

The only consistent thing here, no matter which way I try it, is that the machine refuses the update.

Any other ideas?


Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 03, 2010, 06:41:29 AM
The tascam.de zip contains only the DR680-110 file while the tascam.com zip contains the same file plus the .pdf installation instructions as well as a MACOSX folder. The DR680-110 file in each is the same size and the extra contents in the tascam.com download would explain the size difference. Perhaps the inability to update the firmware is why the unit was returned originally.

See how this copy of the zip file appears. It\s the download from tascam.com. On my comp it is a .zip file, not a .zip.tgz
< removed link - get the file from Tascam >
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: dgale on July 03, 2010, 09:08:41 AM

Any other ideas?

Call Tascam Tech Support on Tuesday - if they can't help you resolve the issue then return the thing while you still can and buy one new with full warranty.  I haven't gotten around to upgrading the firmware in mine yet, so can't say if this problem is unique to your machine, but I assume a fair % of the numerous decks owned by folks have had it done and I haven't seen anyone else expressing problems, so either there's some weird overlooked issue in how you're going about the upgrade that hopefully Tech Support can resolve or else the machine's got issues.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: earmonger on July 03, 2010, 10:33:39 AM
For what it's worth, .tgz is a Mac filetype.  While you're waiting for Tascam to come back, do you know anyone with a Mac who could try unzipping it?

http://www.gzip.org/
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 03, 2010, 11:44:21 AM
For what it's worth, .tgz is a Mac filetype.  While you're waiting for Tascam to come back, do you know anyone with a Mac who could try unzipping it?

http://www.gzip.org/

Yeah I do, but I don't think that would solve the problem.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 03, 2010, 12:07:04 PM

Any other ideas?

Call Tascam Tech Support on Tuesday - if they can't help you resolve the issue then return the thing while you still can and buy one new with full warranty.  I haven't gotten around to upgrading the firmware in mine yet, so can't say if this problem is unique to your machine, but I assume a fair % of the numerous decks owned by folks have had it done and I haven't seen anyone else expressing problems, so either there's some weird overlooked issue in how you're going about the upgrade that hopefully Tech Support can resolve or else the machine's got issues.

Yeah, I intend calling Tascam, find out if it's a faulty deck.
Are you thinking you'll update yours soon? I'm pretty sure you won't have this particular problem (and I hope, none at all).

Cheers
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 06, 2010, 01:25:10 PM
I just talked with a tech at Tascam, and he says you need to uncompress the downloaded file, then extract and transfer just the update file to the recorder. This is just as I thought in the beginning.

My original problem was that I was not getting just a normal .zip file, but a '.zip.tgz' file, and was unable to uncompress it. The Tascam guy thinks thia might have been caused by the browser I'm using (Google Chrome).

He's sending me the update file, which I'll try again to install. Then just for the record I'll change browsers and try the download again.

Whether this works or not, I'll let you know...

Dave
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 06, 2010, 02:11:26 PM
It worked!  :o   :laugh:    ;D 

Unzipping the file (as I first thought ...ahem.) seems like all there was to it. Just shows you, you can't take in everyone's advice equally(!) But I appreciate all the help everyone offered. It was truly a learning experience!

You can now 'sort of' select menu items from the front panel. It's still pretty 'unintuitive' to get around (hard to believe), but better than before, and I haven't discover all the changes yet.
Amazingly enough, still no linked gain control for stereo pairs. That's insane. I emailed them a suggestion on that one (no doubt I'm not the only one!)

Out to do some recording with this thing soon..

Dave
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: flipp on July 06, 2010, 02:31:39 PM
Glad you got it to finally take the update.
Title: Re: Help needed unpdating DR-680 firmware
Post by: groovon on July 06, 2010, 02:34:00 PM
Yeah, me too. Thanks again for the help earlier!