Topic: Re: TASCAM DR-680 portable 8-track #5

[dogmusic]

My best experience with organ recording is a four mic setup:
-one set of omnis closer to the organ depending on acoustics abot 5 to 7 meters distance with about 60 cm between the mics
-second set of omnis around 5m behind the first with about 1,2m distance between the mics which is more a room acoustic setup

That fits good for stereo recording mixing both sets with the same level resulting in a very good ambient acustics  sound and even natural organ sound down to the lowest bass.

If you put the second set to  surround back only and the first to front L and R you will have much of the church acoustis in your listening room.

I am not a friend of using a center mic for classical recordings, I prefer the 4 mic setup as the stereo front mics results in a good front image itself.

You may haven impression about the sound of that setup here:

http://www.bachverein-erlangen.de/01cd-einspielungen.html

clicking on the mp3 files  "Hörproben zur CD (flash)" below the Franz Liszt Orgelwerke CD

Best regards
Grosse_j

Great recording!

Your setup is little more along the lines of what I had planned, and I hope to try out your microphone distances. Now that I have a DR680, it will be interesting to use all these different methods coming from your and Gutbucket's extensive experience with surround recording.

I managed to figure out how to make a DVD-A 4 channel disc at 24/96 using Audacity and Burn, both freeware. For anyone interested, it's quick and fairly uncomplicated, and, for me, easier than plugging and unplugging my DR680 into my Home Theatre system whenever I want to hear a particular surround recording.

I'll take the gentle hint and post the method here:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=162384.0

[Gutbucket]

I'm diggin' those Liszt clips! Nice work.

[Elana]

B&H is selling the DR-680 for under $450 now =-o  Just wondering if anybody is still having issues with powering the unit with the standard 9V DVD batteries.

[Gutbucket]

I'm not aware that anyone has determined the root cause of problems experienced with some units, but 9V DVD batteries do not seem to be it.  They work fine for me.

[kirk97132]

B&H is selling the DR-680 for under $450 now =-o  Just wondering if anybody is still having issues with powering the unit with the standard 9V DVD batteries.

It seemed after a long discussion and a lot of people posting problems VS batteries that the Tekkeon voltage sensing battery was one that should not be used with the 680.  None of this information is absolutely proven BUT, if you dug back into the thread there is a point where I kept a running tally of what batteries where being used when someone reported a problem.  There are many here, myself included, who run their 680's on the 9 volt DVD battery without any issues.  WARNING>>>If you are not able to hot swap DVD batteries then it is highly recomended to keep AA batteries in your battery tray internally to prevent accidental loss of power.  680 DOES NOT do auto saves and loss of power could me loss of recording

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

If I had more opportunities to multi-track I might pick up another one of these at this price.

Well worth it at this price for anyone that occasionally gets to run a matrix (SBD+mics).

I don't run mine often anymore since I mostly just do 2 channel recordings, but it's nice to have in the arsenal.

[Elana]

B&H is selling the DR-680 for under $450 now =-o  Just wondering if anybody is still having issues with powering the unit with the standard 9V DVD batteries.

It seemed after a long discussion and a lot of people posting problems VS batteries that the Tekkeon voltage sensing battery was one that should not be used with the 680.  None of this information is absolutely proven BUT, if you dug back into the thread there is a point where I kept a running tally of what batteries where being used when someone reported a problem.  There are many here, myself included, who run their 680's on the 9 volt DVD battery without any issues.  WARNING>>>If you are not able to hot swap DVD batteries then it is highly recomended to keep AA batteries in your battery tray internally to prevent accidental loss of power.  680 DOES NOT do auto saves and loss of power could me loss of recording

Ok thanks.  Good to know.

[lukpac]

I hope this hasn't already covered...I haven't read through all of the threads, but I did a quick search and didn't see anything.

When utilizing the S/PDIF in for recording on the stereo track, is there a way to force use of the internal clock, rather than the clock coming in via S/PDIF? I'm plugging in an ART DI/O, and if I just have the output of the 680 plugged into the input of the DI/O (with the DI/O set to sync to an external clock source), the DI/O locks on to the 680. However, if I then plug the output of the DI/O into the input of the 680, the 680 apparently tries to sync to the DI/O and clock is lost on both units (the "lock" LED on the DI/O blinks and playback on the 680 goes crazy).

Now, if I set a specific sampling rate on the DI/O (as opposed to just using what's coming from the 680 via S/PDIF), everything works fine. And if I have to do that, I will. However, I'd rather use the 680's clock, so that if something *did* happen with the DI/O, I'd only have 2 channels with problems, instead of all 8.

Thoughts?

[Gutbucket]

There is no provision to force use of the internal clock on the 680 while using the S/P-DIF input, it switches automatically. 

If the recorder looses sync with that signal for whatever reason, it will revert to it's internal clock and continue recording the analog channels only. When that happens it will display a message which remains on the screen until you press ENTER.  It will then display a similar message if/when it regains sync, and switch to clocking off the input stream again.

[lukpac]

There is no provision to force use of the internal clock on the 680 while using the S/P-DIF input, it switches automatically. 

If the recorder looses sync with that signal for whatever reason, it will revert to it's internal clock and continue recording the analog channels only. When that happens it will display a message which remains on the screen until you press ENTER.  It will then display a similar message if/when it regains sync, and switch to clocking off the input stream again.

Ok, thanks.

I never had an issue with the DI/O when going into my sound card (and always used the clock from the DI/O), but I had a bunch going into an EMU 0404. Doubting the DI/O had anything to do with it, but I'd feel slightly less nervous just using the internal clock. Oh well.

[Gutbucket]

I'm most comfortable when using the internal clock and no digital input, and slightly more nervous when I'm using the digital input because locking to an external clock is inherently somewhat less reliable.

[lukpac]

I'm most comfortable when using the internal clock and no digital input, and slightly more nervous when I'm using the digital input because locking to an external clock is inherently somewhat less reliable.

Agreed. Unfortunately I'm going to need all 8 tracks for a show coming up.

[Chuck]

I'm most comfortable when using the internal clock and no digital input, and slightly more nervous when I'm using the digital input because locking to an external clock is inherently somewhat less reliable.

Agreed. Unfortunately I'm going to need all 8 tracks for a show coming up.

I agree with Gutbucket on this.

[bobbygeeWOW]

*sigh*
Well I am well aware that my concept of comfort seems at odds with most people's concept of common sense, but does it have to extend into taping!?

I swear every time I use mine, its with digi input from the v3 

....... once again I'm trucking down the avenue with a big grin unaware that this nice cool shower is actually pissing rain 

 -Cheers!

[kirk97132]

I use mine with both the V3 & USBPre-2 on the digi input.  The one thing I have done is to have custom SPDIF cables (granted I make my own) that have right angle connectors.  This has help immensely with not only fitting things into the bag, but also increased the reliability and reduced the strain on the jack that was present in my bag set up.  In fact I just finished an extra long one, that allows for taking a SPDIF signal out of digital SBD,s.  There are a few venues I record in that have this feature, and I am running across it more often now.  I also built one for Zaolla silver 75 ohm cable  that allows me to sync the USBPre-2, this also makes for a nice high end rca patch cord if I need it too.  Once I went with the right angle connections I had a lot less unlock errors even when moving things in the bag.  I have enough material to make one more of the black spdif cables up to 12' long.  That one is 75 ohm oxygen free copper.  If you wanted one of the solid silver Zaolla we'll have to talk about it and I would need to get some ends.  But that is perfect when I use two 680's ans sync them via the Pre-2. Hit me up if you want, Kirk