Corrupt audio files from Tascam DR60

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doubledark

Well-known member
Hi all

shot some interviews yesterday and had a major issue with the Tascam DR60; all the files were corrupted.

All the files show as "zero" kb in size, yet the card shows over 1GB has been used. Managed to retrieve the files using data recovery software but they are un-usable.

i tested the recorder and the same issue. Switched the recorder on & off several times as I swapped out cables and mics and everything now works fine.

The interviews ran back to back and there was no time to listen at the end of each session. The audio thru the headphones sounded fine.

Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Now I don't know whether I can trust this recorder again.
 
How are you off loading the files? Are you using Windows 10? There was a known bug with Win 10 corrupting FAT32 formatted portable media. Don't know if it has been fixed yet.
 
Since you have the files there is a chance they are recoverable.

What probably happened is that the headed info got corrupted, leaving you with raw audio files.

I'm not sure what currently can work with RAW files but Sound Forge used to be able to.

What you did was import the files. To do that you have to know what the format was, bit depth, sample rate, stereo, etc. (it would ask). Some you should know and some you may have to guess at. When you get the info correct you should hear the file correctly. If you got any of the info wrong it will sound like white noise so try again. We used to have to do a lot of this when moving sound files from a Mac to Windows (prehistory Win 95 days), because the Mac stored the header info in essentially a separate file and there weren't any Windows apps the would read them correctly. So we extracted the "data fork" and treated as a raw file.

If none of that works you may have trashed data and be totally SOL. But the odds are pretty good that you have the raw audio and just lost the bits that tell it what it is.
 
As Scott stated, there is a chance they are recoverable and yes Sound Forge Pro can open RAW audio files.. files with no headers, TOC or other necessary data. When the (cryptic named) file is found via recovery software, the <.raw> extension must be added prior to opening in SF.
If you recorded anything to the card afterwards, the data could have been overwritten and therefore not recoverable. I don't recall which other audio software program can open RAW audio files. Audacity or AA maybe.
 
Noiz2 said:
Since you have the files there is a chance they are recoverable.

What probably happened is that the headed info got corrupted, leaving you with raw audio files.

I'm not sure what currently can work with RAW files but Sound Forge used to be able to.

What you did was import the files. To do that you have to know what the format was, bit depth, sample rate, stereo, etc. (it would ask). Some you should know and some you may have to guess at. When you get the info correct you should hear the file correctly. If you got any of the info wrong it will sound like white noise so try again.
Click to expand...

The guy I was working with took the SD card to a data recovery service and they retrieved the files. However, when played he advises it sounds like noise and a bit garbled.
I'll look at Sound Forge and see if it will read the files straight from the SD card. EDIT: just re-read RickR's response; will try adding the .raw extension to the recovered files.

Rick R said:
As Scott stated, there is a chance they are recoverable and yes Sound Forge Pro can open RAW audio files.. files with no headers, TOC or other necessary data. When the (cryptic named) file is found via recovery software, the <.raw> extension must be added prior to opening in SF.
If you recorded anything to the card afterwards, the data could have been overwritten and therefore not recoverable. I don't recall which other audio software program can open RAW audio files. Audacity or AA maybe.
Click to expand...


Nothing has been recorded to the card after this event.


Thanks for your tips & suggestions.
 
What memory card are you using in your DR60 ?

Are you transferring recordings via the USB or directly from the card ?

Do you format the memory card every time before you make a new recording ?
 
Hi Dingo
its a brand new Sandisk. I don't have the card with me at the moment to give the exact details.

Card was formatted before the job.

Data transferred via card reader.

I'll test the Tascam again but I have to say I'm going to be anxious every time I use the recorder, even if I can't replicate the issue.
 
Could be just a bad card. I recently had a PNY card 'go bad', but was able to recover the audio by using a different reader and recovery software. VMMV though.
I've also read of counterfeit Sandisc cards about on e-Bay and other lower than normal cost sources.
 
Patryk_Rebisz said:
Had similar issues with Zoom H4 recorder - various cards - so definitely NOT the cards.
Click to expand...

Do you run a second recorder to safeguard against this issue?


Rick R said:
Could be just a bad card. I recently had a PNY card 'go bad', but was able to recover the audio by using a different reader and recovery software. VMMV though.
I've also read of counterfeit Sandisc cards about on e-Bay and other lower than normal cost sources.
Click to expand...

It's happened on two different brands of card, so possibly not the card(s)
 
For important stuff ALWAYS dual record, and when i say 'DUAL' each recorder will have nothing shared between them, no powering (unless house powering), different sorts of cards, different size cards, ideally different types or models. The ONLY thing common thing between them is the input source material.
Even the SD mixer recorders have common batteries yet different cards, running an external recorder at times might be useful.
 
A good practice in critical work on my personal work flow is one output from the mixer goes to camera recording PCM 16 bit, and the other output
goes to my Tascam recorder, Usually the one from the recorder is the one to edit, but the one on camera is the back up.
So far never have had issues with either one, but Important to see that that happens so I'll continue with this healthy practice
 
I had corrupt files from a card that went south. It wouldn't read from a card reader, but I was able to access the files when I hooked up the recorder to my computer.
 
doubledark said:
Did that; used two mics, two recorders, two cameras.
Click to expand...

Wait...WHAT?
Are you saying this corruption happened to BOTH of them?
Or only just one?

WAV files are a ***** like that.
If you lose power during recording the files will usually be corrupted in this way too.

It's interesting that Blackmagic cameras will record recoverable RAW video files right up until they lose power.
What I want to test is if I feed my audio into a BMD camera recording in RAW, and then I yank the power - will the embedded audio also still be recoverable and usable along with the RAW video.
 
I used a Tascam DR-680 for a film (64 shooting days). If the 680's external batteries die or the PS gets pulled, it automatically switches to the internal batteries. That actually saved my ass on a take. I think the new F8 is redundant as well.
 
DPStewart said:
Wait...WHAT?
Are you saying this corruption happened to BOTH of them?
Or only just one?

WAV files are a ***** like that.
If you lose power during recording the files will usually be corrupted in this way too.

It's interesting that Blackmagic cameras will record recoverable RAW video files right up until they lose power.
What I want to test is if I feed my audio into a BMD camera recording in RAW, and then I yank the power - will the embedded audio also still be recoverable and usable along with the RAW video.
Click to expand...

The Tascam files were all corrupted, but those from second recorder were fine.

I had an external battery pack powering the Tascam (as well as the internal batteries) so it's not lack of power.
 
doubledark said:
The Tascam files were all corrupted, but those from second recorder were fine.

I had an external battery pack powering the Tascam (as well as the internal batteries) so it's not lack of power.
Click to expand...

Thats probably the answer... In the 'Caution' note at the bottom of page 33 of the manual about the external battery running out of power (this would also happen also if the power plug into the unit is loose)
We know on 'most' recorders that if the power is removed before the stop button is pushed (which finalises the recording) often it leaves flies blank on the SD card.
 
Def not the power; ext battery pack still had 2 out 4 power indicator lights on and the internal batteries were still full (confirmed also using battery charger and cross checked by the time it took to recharge)
 
OzGizmo said:
Thats probably the answer... In the 'Caution' note at the bottom of page 33 of the manual about the external battery running out of power (this would also happen also if the power plug into the unit is loose)
We know on 'most' recorders that if the power is removed before the stop button is pushed (which finalises the recording) often it leaves flies blank on the SD card.
Click to expand...

What? Here is what the "Caution" says exactly:

"The DR-60D cannot detect the remaining battery charge of a BP-6AA. If you use a BP-6AA to operate the DR-60D without batteries in the recorder itself, the unit might stop operating suddenly if the battery pack runs out of charge. In order to avoid problems, put batteries with sufficient charge into the DR-60D before connecting and using a BP-6AA."

In other words, the way the DR-60D works, is that when it is switched to taking power from the USB (external power), it will do so, and when that power is interrupted for whatever reason, it will switch to internal batteries in the DR-60D, so you better put those batteries in. The only time it will impact recording, is if you are using external power, but have no internal batteries in, and if so, when the external power fails, it will impact the recording, because it cannot detect charge levels in the external power. So they advise that the way around that is to always put in internal batteries. If you do, then it doesn't matter if the external power fails, as the DR-60D will simply switch to internal batteries, and your recording is not affected. So the only question remains is if the OP had put in internal batteries into the DR-60D, which he did:


doubledark said:
[...]I had an external battery pack powering the Tascam (as well as the internal batteries) so it's not lack of power.
Click to expand...

Since he did have internal batteries, he's right that it cannot be lack of power or some kind of interruption of external power.

So, no, that's not the answer.
 
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