TASCAM DR-680 portable 8-track - announced at NAMM

[kirk97132]

You guys are killing me, I hate you all.  And I mean that in a good way.  I've got my brand new DR-680 sitting here and while our finances are up in the air I figure it is worth more unopened if I have to sell it.  Hopefully the drool marks on the outside will come off.  Meanwhile it sits there mocking me.....

So initial reports are good.  and I have to say that the reports of it sounding better than a V2 or little box were surprising.  But wouldn't that mean the P2 or 07 would sound better too?  Or is this possibly a new preamp design?  Inquiring minds want to know.

[nottingham]

I'll have mine out tonight, not sure if I'll get a board feed tonight but next week I will for sure.

[yug du nord]

It can't possibly be anywhere near the quality of 8channels of V2 quality preamps > HDP2 quality ADC's for under $900 can it??  I'm sure that it is fantastic sounding, but I just can't believe the street price of this thing......... 

[Will_S]

It can't possibly be anywhere near the quality of 8channels of V2 quality preamps > HDP2 quality ADC's for under $900 can it??  I'm sure that it is fantastic sounding, but I just can't believe the street price of this thing.........

No, it can't possibly be...because it only has 6 channels of preamp.     But I don't think the price per channel of a good preamp need be absurdly high...look at the Littlebox and then factor in economies of scale and manufacturing in China, or look at the FR2LE and add 4 channels of preamp, keeping in mind the case etc. are already taken care of.

Of course, I'm taking "anywhere near" seriously.  The V2 may well be a smidge better, but I'm not convinced it would be an audible difference in most situations.  I think folks here tend to way over-estimate how different competent preamps sound.

[yug du nord]

Well...  only 6 preamps.........  what's all the hype about then?   

Basically, this will end the production of the HDP2 then most likely eh?  Unless the P2 has some specific features that the 680 doesn't have.  Guess I'll have to re-read the specs on this thing.  Not saying it needs one, but I wonder how long before a MOD exists?

[ShawnF]

There's no timecode on the 680 . . .

[Chuck]

I just ordered one. It should be here in time to record three nights of moe. in Denver.
I'm going to bring my V3 and *hopefully* do some sort of a comparison one or more of the nights.

I'm worried a little about the DR-680 meters. I've been spoiled by the V3 and RockBoxed iRiver meters.

The last time I bought an all-in-one pre-amp/recorder (Oade Marantz PMD671) I was a little disappointed. It sounded great, but, I just wasn't so thrilled with it.

This DR-680 box records 6 channels and 8 (if you count the SPDIF input)... I have been recording at least 2 stereo sources every opportunity now-a-days, so I'm really hoping this is IT.

[kirk97132]

There's no timecode on the 680 . . .

Not exactly true it will accept AES and Coax time code sync.  It also geneterates time code signal but not wordclock.  It cannot accept wordclock input. 

[midside]

2 questions:

1. are you sure this accepts time code?  I don't see any input for it nor do I see any reference in the manual when I do a quick search for 'timecode', 'time code' or 'smpte'.
2. can you completely lock the top panel and still have good control of all needed features by using the front panel for 'drop in bag' field applications?

Thanks!

[headroom]

The manual says:  sync to AES/SPDIF IN/OUT from another 680 machine no time code possible

[willndmb]

kinda a side note but can someone tell me the difference between time code and word clock
thanks

[philper]

kinda a side note but can someone tell me the difference between time code and word clock
thanks

Word Clock is a high freq clock signal that determines the sample rate you are using (48k, 44.1k etc).  Timecode (LTC anyhow) is an analog stream of data that can be translated into hours/minutes/seconds/frames plus userbits by appropriate equipment.  Digital recorders need clock to determine their sample rate, which determines their speed accuracy.  Timecode gives you an exact location in time for any part of the file.  "Real" timecode, readable by professional gear, is applied to Broadcast Wave Files, the files are "timestamped" with the TC value at their start and the playback device counts on from that point (there is no separate "timecode track" as in older recorders).  I asked Tascam if they time-stamped the DR680 files with the time from the recorder's internal clock, and they said yes.  The recorder will record in Broadcast Wave File filetype, but I don't know yet whether the DR680 timestamps the BWF w/ it's clock time in a way other equipment will interpret as TC, and what the default frame rate would be (important to know for Final Cut projects).  The DR680 CAN take in an external clock via its SPDIF/AES input, and clock itself to that, but will only do so when you are recording that input--if you have only activated the analog inputs it won't clock to the SPDIF input (at least this is what Tascam told me).  This is a bummer.  I wish they had made the DR680 a little more expensive and allowed external clocking in any record mode, and also allowed external TC to be applied to the BWF files it makes (both like the H2P2).

Philip Perkins

[Ozpeter]

I wish they had made the DR680 a little more expensive and allowed external clocking in any record mode, and also allowed external TC to be applied to the BWF files it makes (both like the H2P2).

http://www.tascam.com/products/hs-p82.html was announced at the same time as the DR-680 - and is of course a lot more expensive.  So far I think all manufacturers have regarded timecode as chiefly being of interest to 100% professional purchasers, and have specced and priced the gear accordingly.

[headroom]

HS-P82 SMPTE Timecode In and Out (BNC connector) 4 a professional connection with Camcorders some semipro have also Timecode IN. Expensive upgrade a Timecode board cost near as  much as the 680 recorder alone!

[philper]

I wish they had made the DR680 a little more expensive and allowed external clocking in any record mode, and also allowed external TC to be applied to the BWF files it makes (both like the H2P2).

http://www.tascam.com/products/hs-p82.html was announced at the same time as the DR-680 - and is of course a lot more expensive.  So far I think all manufacturers have regarded timecode as chiefly being of interest to 100% professional purchasers, and have specced and priced the gear accordingly.

TC isn't that expensive to implement if you don't include a high-accuracy clock--that's both the advantage and the knock on the HDP2 as a TC-capable recorder (can take external TC and clock and be very stable, is only frame accurate for about 20 min on its own).  The HSP82 is priced much too high for Tascam to sell many of them in the pro market--for less than $1k more than its price you can buy a Sound Devices 788T, which does WAY more than the Tascam and can take all kinds of interesting accessories (DVDRAM mirror burner, both rotary and linear fader panels, can be monitored and controlled live in the Wave Agent computer app., can record two stereo mixes in addition to 8 iso tracks, can record to 3 media at once, etc.. and is much smaller than the Tascam, about the same size as the DR680).  The DR680 is much more interesting re: price and size, so I keep trying to find workarounds to get it to hold sync and record files that can fit into a video audio workflow....

Philip Perkins