Tascam DR-70D 4-channel audio recorder (Part 7)

[jbell]

Kind of a pain, but I wouldn't worry about it.  Hopefully they will fix it in future firmware updates

[lsd2525]

I've never had an issue, but I don't run a pre. The pre's in the 70 seem just fine.....

[Gordon]

so regarding this

no way to gang channels together to link level adjustments

does it literally not change both if you move both?  or just not pair them together so you have to move both and hope they match?  if the later I'm used to that with the knobs on the littlebox.


edit:  Think I answered my own question

For example, in ganged 1 x 2 or 2 x 2 mode, either level control 1 or 2 would adjust both channels 1 and 2 simultaneously and either level controls 3 or 4 would adjust channels 3 and 4 simultaneously.

[lsd2525]

so regarding this

no way to gang channels together to link level adjustments

does it literally not change both if you move both?  or just not pair them together so you have to move both and hope they match?  if the later I'm used to that with the knobs on the littlebox.


edit:  Think I answered my own question

For example, in ganged 1 x 2 or 2 x 2 mode, either level control 1 or 2 would adjust both channels 1 and 2 simultaneously and either level controls 3 or 4 would adjust channels 3 and 4 simultaneously.

Gordon, I know we're  a couple of hours apart but I'm up your way a lot, If you want to take mine out for a test drive before you pull the trigger, let me know. I upgraded to the .14 release before I ran mine, and I couldn't be happier. Been rock solid so far. I'll me glad to letyou try it out

[F.O.Bean]

Yea I forgot about that!

I forgot too - I knew - but so rarely encountered the situation.

But with regard to the level changes on LOW between firmwares...

I was running my Avantone CK1 Omnis - split - about 25-30 feet from the stage - large-ish PA, classic JBL cabinets.

Sounding good - but I wouldn't call it loud.

I was on LOW - but was still getting more peaks than I was comfortable with - and I was already on the max low side of the knob without muting the channel.

Im thinking the older firmwares LOW setting would have handled this just fine...?

This was the first time I have run the Avantones since I got the DR-70D about a year and half ago - so I have no before and after firmware wise.

But this is the first time that I felt I was getting a level that I could NOT CONTROL with any combination of settings - short of engaging the mics 10db pad.

My setup below VVV

So I'm considering getting a 70d for the rare 4 channel shows I do.  Just started reading up and saw this post.  It got me wondering, where you running mic in or line?  external pre or using the 70d pre?

I'll be running my littlebox in front  of the 70d and getting the gain from the littlebox.  So essentially I need to run gain at "unity".  I'm guessing I would need to therefor run the gain as far over as possible without turning the channel off.  This feature and your post really worries me!

You'll be fine Gordon If you're getting your gain from the LittleBox, then you'd just run Line IN & LOW Gain settings! No matter WHAT Gain setting you have on the 70D [LOW/MID/HIGH/HIGH+], when running LINE IN, it doesn't matter! You'll basically ALWAYS be in LOW Gain mode when set to Line In When I run my VMS02IB->DR70D, I have NEVER been too close to turning that channel/input off, by putting the gain knob fully counter-clockwise, and I doubt that you would too, especially since you have gain control on your LB

IMO, the 70D is the PERFECT little 4 channel deck, with just what you need to record/tape and get the job DONE, instead of having a BUNCH of options that NEVER get used, like on most pro decks! I mean, my old SD722 was BADASS, but I NEVER used 90% of the options on it, which is a waste of $$ IMO! We kept asking for and wanting a TINY little 4 channel deck with 4x XLR INs, that was cheap and reliable, and sounded GOOD stock! Well, we got it with the 70D/701D!!!

Gordon, if you get a Tascam Approved SD Card and install the latest FW[v1.14], then you should have NO issues running the 70D! I was like you when I first got my 70D, and ran the LittleBox->70D! Well, after a bunch of times running that combo, and running the PFA side by side, I decided that I DIDN'T NEED my old LittleBox after all! The 70D preamps sound just as good or better than the LittleBox Preamps IMO!

And now that I have [2] +60v PFA's, I plan on leaving the VMS02IB at home way more often, because IMO, the 70D STOCK preamps are MORE than adequate to get the job done, even in quiet acoustic & bluegrass shows! SO I can leave my SUPOER heavy VMS02IB at home and still run 4 channels of HQ audio, just straight into my 70D! Running 4 channels of +60v PFA's and getting HQ audio being powered by a SINGLE 5v USB Battery, well it doesn't get much better and easier than that! As always, YMMV

[F.O.Bean]

so regarding this

no way to gang channels together to link level adjustments

does it literally not change both if you move both?  or just not pair them together so you have to move both and hope they match?  if the later I'm used to that with the knobs on the littlebox.


edit:  Think I answered my own question

For example, in ganged 1 x 2 or 2 x 2 mode, either level control 1 or 2 would adjust both channels 1 and 2 simultaneously and either level controls 3 or 4 would adjust channels 3 and 4 simultaneously.

The 70D DOES NOT have "Ganged Channels". ONLY the 701D has Ganged Channels!

And don't hold your breath on anymore 70D FW updates! It seems that EVERYTHING that we ask for on the 70D, comes out as a new FW update on the 701D I'm really contemplating selling my 2nd 70D and buying a 701D as my main deck! My good friend has one and loves it! I just wonder if as much dust/lint gets under the 701D screens as it does the 70D screens

[Idle Wind]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

[Life In Rewind]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

Sure - I'd set my deck to record 3 mono files - you can do all panning/mixing in post.

[F.O.Bean]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

Sure - I'd set my deck to record 3 mono files - you can do all panning/mixing in post.

Exactly! You can do that and do it in post, or do the panning L/C/R on the 70D since it has built in mixing options

[Walstib62]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

Sure - I'd set my deck to record 3 mono files - you can do all panning/mixing in post.

Exactly! You can do that and do it in post, or do the panning L/C/R on the 70D since it has built in mixing options

Mixing down to stereo on the fly in the field is a horrible idea . Record 3 mono files or l/r stereo and the center as a mono.

[Life In Rewind]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

Sure - I'd set my deck to record 3 mono files - you can do all panning/mixing in post.

Exactly! You can do that and do it in post, or do the panning L/C/R on the 70D since it has built in mixing options

Mixing down to stereo on the fly in the field is a horrible idea . Record 3 mono files or l/r stereo and the center as a mono.

Not sure you can tell the deck to do that  - its either 4Xmono or 2XStereo...

[F.O.Bean]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

Sure - I'd set my deck to record 3 mono files - you can do all panning/mixing in post.

Exactly! You can do that and do it in post, or do the panning L/C/R on the 70D since it has built in mixing options

Mixing down to stereo on the fly in the field is a horrible idea . Record 3 mono files or l/r stereo and the center as a mono.

Oh I totally agree with you! I was just letting him know that it's possible I always avoid doing ANYTHING unnecessary in the field vs having a controlled environment at home!

I also wished that we had this EASY & SIMPLE FW update in FW v1.15 or something! It has to do with the exception of a pop up message when you touch the gain knobs while hold is ON! Every button has a pop up message except the gain knobs while hold is ON! Anyway, in more detail...

When Hold is ON/LOCKED, there is a message that pops up if you hit ANY buttons, EXCEPT the Gain Knobs. Well, I wish that Tascam would have the EXACT SAME message pop up when the Hold is ON, and you move the gain knobs, because as of right now, NOTHING pops up, and IMO it's easy to forget that Hold is ON when I start messing with my gain knobs! At least if there was a pop up message reminding me that Hold was ON when I try to mess with my gain knobs, I'd immediately know that I had to DIS-ENGAGE Hold before I dialed in the gain! I have had that happen to me WAY more than I cared for, so quite a few times over the last 2 years of running the 70D's I have!

At the start of the set, I hit record, and then ENGAGE hold immediately, because I've been doing that for 20 years on pretty much everyone of my recorders lol, and THEN dialing in the gain!! That's just my brain hardwired to do what it's done forever now. Hit RECORD, then ENGAGE hold. Record, Hold. Record, Hold. You get the idea haha. Well, it's really hard to break that cycle & habit honestly. I need to re-train my brain to ALWAYS dis-engage hold before I TOUCH the gain knobs. Or Tascam could update their damn FW easily and have a pop up message for the gain knobs too lol Well, I'm sure you figured out by now that it's easy for me to forget that hold is ON, and then once I move my gain knobs, I'm FUCKED pretty much! I have to try to wait until that song is over and in-between songs/music, I have to DIS-ENGAGE hold, then let the levels bounce to where they are now on the gain dial I absolutely hate that and it's my biggest 70D pet peeve right up there with the channel muting if the gain knob is at its lowest[fully counter-clockwise] haha!

Anyway, it should be a SUPER EASY FW Update to tell the 70D to have a pop up message warning you that hold is ON when you touch the gain knobs too, just like EVERY other button on the damn thing lol If they fixed that and the channel muting at lowest gain thing, this deck would be 100% perfect for ME lol

[F.O.Bean]

Still though, the 70D & 701D are like the PERFECT 4 channel decks for a tapir like me! I'm going to sell one of my 70D's and get either a 701D or a DR680mkii as my main deck! Yeah, our small niche of tapirs asked for YEARS for a SMALL, 4 channel deck with 4x XLR INs, that was easy to power[5v], had good sounding preamps stock, could take a hot Line In signal from a preamp/SBD, sounded great overall, and was cheap as hell! Well, IMO, we definitely got it with the 70D/701D! I like my 70D's so much, that I'll probably get the 701D over the 680ii just because of its size, specs, and ease of powering compared to the 680ii!!! However, the 680ii has my eye for those extra 2 channels on 5/6 vs the 701D! But, since I get a SBD patch RARELY if ever, I don't NEED the extra 2 channels honestly!! And when I DO get a SBD patch, I can just run 2 channels of my DAUD mics and the other 2 channels the SBD! No reason or need to run 4 channels of DAUD mics + 2 SBD channels if it's not necessary! I also like the 701D's blue screen, metal chassis and extra monitoring and the 2 channel stereo mixdown of all 4 channels to tracks 5/6!

So, if someone actually reads my posts, what do you think? 701D or DR680mkii? I'm keeping one of my 70D's regardless because I need 2 decks to record at 2 stages during festivals! FWIW, the 701D or 680ii will be my main deck! My only and biggest cons to me of the 680ii are the single knob to do everything, including dial in the gain, as well as the shitty 12v DC barrel plug design they used for the 12v external powering The ONLY Con to the 701D for ME is it's inability to do those extra 2 channels on 5/6 like the dr680ii can do with the 1/4" INs. A good tapir friend of mine has a dr680 & 701D and took side by side pics for me recently, and the 701D is quite a bit smaller, although the 680 isn't huge by any means either, at least to me! But as of right now, I am leaning towards the 701D and its fancy blue screen lol Like I said above, it also has better specs than the 70D, as well as better monitoring options, the ability to do a 2 channel mixdown to tracks 5/6 so I don't have to do the matrix in post if I chose to, add in the magnesium alloy metal chassis, and its smaller size, and the 701D is in the lead right now haha I already thinkthat the stock 70D preamps sound kickass and that's why I got the 2nd +60v PFA made awhile back, so I think I'd be more than happy with the supposedly slightly better specs/preamps of the 701D! So whatcha think? DR680ii or 701D? What would you buy? And sorry for the super long post! I need to get onto ts.com from my phone instead of my PC, because I type quick posts from my phone, and freakin' marathon posts from my PC

[F.O.Bean]

So, if I want to do THREE channels - like split omnis L&R, with a center card or hyper, can I do something like that with this deck?  Like the old Nak mixers, or panning the channels L, R & C.....

Thanks.  Thinking of summer festies already....

Sure - I'd set my deck to record 3 mono files - you can do all panning/mixing in post.

Exactly! You can do that and do it in post, or do the panning L/C/R on the 70D since it has built in mixing options

Mixing down to stereo on the fly in the field is a horrible idea . Record 3 mono files or l/r stereo and the center as a mono.

Not sure you can tell the deck to do that  - its either 4Xmono or 2XStereo...

You should be able to do 3x MONO files no problem! Just leave one input turned OFF and the other 3 channels ON/ACTIVE Each input is individual from each other in that regard! That's why they all have their own gain knobs and settings too! The 4xMono and 2xStereo are just the way the 70D pans the channels and writes the files to my knowledge! You can do 1x mono-4x mono channels. However, if it was set to Stereo, it would just pan it differently compared to the mono setting I believe. But you can turn ON/OFF as many channels as you want and it'll still write mono or stereo files

So yes, you should DEF be able to do just the 3x Mono files. Just turn the 4th channel OFF and that's it!

[dogmusic]

^^ 701D.

Weight 1.45 lbs with batteries

(DR-680MKII weight 3.1 lbs with batteries)