TASCAM DR-680

[reesey]

anyone got any input on this one?  digital or analog of course.  just trying to find out what this unit is like in the field, i will happily enjoy any comments regarding its performance.

danke...

[dgale]

Check out the latter pages of this thread:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=131128.0

I haven't had a chance to use mine yet but so far everyone else has given it high marks.

[groovon]

I haven't had time to use mine yet either! Just noodling around, so far. It seems pretty awesome when you think about it though - 24 bit@96 or 192kHz, up to eight tracks, six apparently decent mic preamps... but it's also unfortunately very plasticky, almost toy-like in construction, which is a bit off-putting. I'm hoping I can get over that and just look at the practical side of it. Will make some recordings very soon...

Dave

[groovon]

Not to get too negative here, but I'd like to ask DR-680 owners to list some of the things they're not too keen on with the unit. I know this deck seems great value for money if you need the tracks. But it also seems that 'number of tracks for the money' is almost the only reason people are buying one  -and we're having to turn a bit of a blind eye to a number of obvious shortcomings.

For instance, I'm pretty disappointed by the weak headphone amp and (to a lesser extent) it's funky volume control. This is of practical concern, unlike some other cosmetic or less-than-sound mechanical details I could perhaps get used to. Another thing (others have noted too) that seems really stupid, is the inablilty to link the gain control of stereo paired inputs, even when in 'stereo' mode!

I'm hoping FW updates will eliminate some of these shortcomings, as for me it's an impossible leap to the next most 'affordable' portable multitracker!

Dave

[kirk97132]

^^^ A "number" of obvious shortcomings?  I'd say the headphone amp is fine and recording multi track I don't even bother to bring headphones any more.  And as for linking stereo tracks...eeeh who cares, do you REALLY need to be able to have the levels change at exactly the same times.  For me I record in mono mode anyway so I really couldn't care.  But even so the extra second or two it takes to hit the button and set a level is no big deal.  And I'm not sure what you mean by "less than sound mechanical details".  If you mean it is not a metal cased unit like a sound Devices you're right it's not.  Does it make it less than sound mechanically, I don't think so.  Will take physical abuse like an SD box, probably not but then again if you are planning on that kind of abuse why buy something that won't handle it.  I'm more than pleased with the unit and it has preformed flawlessly so far and exceeded expectations.  I've run a SD MP-2, UA-5 BM2p+ and a Lunatec V2 in front of it yet the stock preamps will hold there own against the other pres no problem.  The ONLY thing I'd like changed is that the over meter shows actual overs.  A peak hold would be ok too.  I even like the meters once I got used to them.  So as for obvious shortcomings, I'd say Tascam has hit a home run. Any deck that my wife can walk up to and use after NEVER running anything before means that the layout is very easy and intuitive.  What more can you ask for?

[rastasean]

can you change the bars from being vertical to be horizontal?   

[stevetoney]

can you change the bars from being vertical to be horizontal?   

Turn the deck on its side.   

[groovon]

^^^ A "number" of obvious shortcomings?  I'd say the headphone amp is fine and recording multi track I don't even bother to bring headphones any more.  And as for linking stereo tracks...eeeh who cares, do you REALLY need to be able to have the levels change at exactly the same times.  For me I record in mono mode anyway so I really couldn't care.  But even so the extra second or two it takes to hit the button and set a level is no big deal.  And I'm not sure what you mean by "less than sound mechanical details".  If you mean it is not a metal cased unit like a sound Devices you're right it's not.  Does it make it less than sound mechanically, I don't think so.  Will take physical abuse like an SD box, probably not but then again if you are planning on that kind of abuse why buy something that won't handle it.  I'm more than pleased with the unit and it has preformed flawlessly so far and exceeded expectations.  I've run a SD MP-2, UA-5 BM2p+ and a Lunatec V2 in front of it yet the stock preamps will hold there own against the other pres no problem.  The ONLY thing I'd like changed is that the over meter shows actual overs.  A peak hold would be ok too.  I even like the meters once I got used to them.  So as for obvious shortcomings, I'd say Tascam has hit a home run. Any deck that my wife can walk up to and use after NEVER running anything before means that the layout is very easy and intuitive.  What more can you ask for?

Fair enough, but, IMO (am I allowed to say?), I see a few shortcomings, as there are in just about every piece of gear. The headphone amp output seems low to me, as I've heard others comment. The build is pretty plasticky, it's a fact. This was to save money, no doubt, which was hopefully then put towards the preamps etc. If that was the case, I'm glad of it. Obviously I'm hoping to overlook my minor gripes and appreciate the positives of the deck, of which there are many.

Anyway, I'm VERY glad you're finding it to be a great machine in practicl use (which perhaps is all that really matters). I trust I will, too, now I've got the FW update sorted out. My criticisms weren't intended as a wholesale put-down of the machine, so please forgive my perhaps clumsy earlier comments!

Cheers
Dave

[nottingham]

Turn the deck on its side. 

[rastasean]

Turn the deck on its side. 

yes,

well deserved.

[Johnny Thunder]

Turn the deck on its side. 

yes,

well deserved.

NASA spent untold gobs of money to develop a pen for space. It will write in zero gravity, freezing temperatures and even underwater. The Russian space program opted to make it policy to use a pencil. Are you Russian tone?

-JT

[rastasean]

Turn the deck on its side. 

yes,

well deserved.

NASA spent untold gobs of money to develop a pen for space. It will write in zero gravity, freezing temperatures and even underwater. The Russian space program opted to make it policy to use a pencil. Are you Russian tone?

-JT

haha. I've heard of that pen. Who's got any underwater paper for me to test out the pen?

[dgale]

NASA spent untold gobs of money to develop a pen for space. It will write in zero gravity, freezing temperatures and even underwater. The Russian space program opted to make it policy to use a pencil. Are you Russian tone?

-JT

haha. I've heard of that pen. Who's got any underwater paper for me to test out the pen?

Actually I have tons of it - I use waterproof paper and notebooks in my job all the time (for field biology work, either for collecting data in the pouring rain or for recording notes and data while snorkeling streams to enumerate fish populations).  The more typical stuff is called "rite-in-the-rain" and is more water resistant than water proof, while the really tough stuff is call "dura-write" and is genuinely waterproof - I can swim with the stuff tucking in my wetsuit all day long and record data at will.  As for the NASA pen...thanks but I find trusty ol' mechanical pencils work best for shitty weather data collection.