Tascam Dr-40 Buzz/Clicking noise.

broughtonfilm said:
I appreciate your attempt to help but I don't remember mentioning an issue where a left channel is too hot. This is not the issue that is being described here. Did you read a thread by any chance?
I think your advice is somewhat irrelevant or I am not getting something. Thanks anyway.
Click to expand...

No I don't read threads, I just randomly post crap. That was specifically in reference to "how does that solve the problem of inability to adjust one channel separately?". Although intended for the situation where a channel might be overloaded and the backup track would save the day, it might be a workaround to allow a gain delta between L and R.
 
J Michael said:
No I don't read threads, I just randomly post crap. That was specifically in reference to "how does that solve the problem of inability to adjust one channel separately?". Although intended for the situation where a channel might be overloaded and the backup track would save the day, it might be a workaround to allow a gain delta between L and R.
Click to expand...

I did not mean to make you angry. Sorry if I made you feel this way. I understand that this would be a workaround for having different gain levels for two separate external mics or even simply one (no internal mics) but how is this going to help in 4 Channel mode (2 Internal mics and 2 external ones). Also, how is it going to help to eliminate the noise from an empty input when only one external mic is plugged (internal stereo + one external mic)?
 
All that it comes down to is that the Dr-40 that I have and probably some other people have ( due to the very similar issues) is defective in some way. After trying the zoom h4n it works 100 percent perfect with no issues, what I really was hoping the Tascam would do. I have tried to contact Tascam about this issue three days ago and have not heard back.
 
How is the DR-40 anyways? Would it be "just as fine" as the FR-2LE if I put the MixPre-D in front of it? In this case I mean for run&gun, corp videos and 1on1 interviews.

I find myself circling around different portable recorders and each time a new name pops up, it's in combination with people praising that particular model. Kinda makes it hard to decide what to do :)
I was looking at the FR-2LE, then I read this thread and saw the Guy Cochran video on vimeo and guess what... back at being confused.
Does it boil down to functionality once you put a mixer in front? And if so, how do you find the DR-40? Are the any "better" choices than the DR-40 in the same range and not any more expensive than the FR-2LE?

Thanks
 
Looking into the issue

Looking into the issue

I bought my Tascam in November 2011. I have found out the follow if you have a faulty unit:

-When recording with INT mic (mono, stereo or dual) the internal buzz/helicopter is gone and you do not hear the internal recording low end hum.
-When recording with EXT mic (mono, stereo, dual or 4CH) the internal buzz/helicopter sound is present and if you listen closely you can, on some units, hear the hum of the Tascam recording to the SD card.

There is a new fireware update (1.02), as of 12/13/2011, and for some units updating the firmware should fix this problem. I am currently waiting a return phone call from Tascam product support to see if this is problem that can be fix with a further update of there is a recall or option for replacement for faulty units. The update did not work for my DR-40. It fixed some other issues but did not clear up the buzz/helicopter sound, nor the low ending hum. I will post a follow up once I have more information.

You can find the firmware update here http://tascam.com/product/dr-40/downloads/
 
Even with the firmware update, I get the helicopter sound. It's a shame because the price and feature set on the DR-40 was really nice. I just got done shooting something and heard that faint helicopter sound in some of the takes and that's just not acceptable. Was contemplating returning and getting the new DR100mkii. But, perhaps it shouldn't be a tascam.
 
Just out of curiosity, can someone post a demo clip with the 'helicopter sound' abnormality? Some of the SD mixers and other recorders occasionally made a 'helicopter/motor-boating sound' with certain microphones when subsonic low end is present. I recall an issue with the limiter, but a HP filter eliminates it in my experience. I don't know if this has anything to do with the DR40 issue though.
 
Hello, I'm not an audio expert as well, but I've had this problem too. However, instead of using a mic, I tried to plug in my guitar into one of the inputs. I knew I had to switch the rec mode to mono. When I monitored it I started hearing that loud helicopter noise. I realized that on the side of the unit I had to switch from internal mic to line in, or mic + phantom power. I'm sorry if this was no use to you, but it saved me a trip back to B&H and a ton of complaining :)
 
Alrighty people, need some testers for this. I randomly read some where that if you, while recording or in armed mode, hit the "Menu" button (so you are no longer in the main recording screen) the helicopter noise disappears. I tried this and it worked!!!! This only tells me that Tascam has yet to fix the issue and it must be software related. Let me know if this worked for you and post your results here. If it did, email tascam about it so they know and can identify it as a larger issue than just a few units.
 
krotoflik said:
hit the "Menu" button (so you are no longer in the main recording screen) the helicopter noise disappears. I tried this and it worked!!!!
Click to expand...
I've also experienced this. Here's an audio sample from my DR-40—for the first five seconds, you can hear the clicking "helicopter noise." Then, I hit the menu button, and the sound disappears for five seconds until I return to the home screen. (This is recorded in mono mode at 100% input level, with only one external XLR port active, but no mic plugged in. (Same noise without a mic, or when my Azden SGM-1X is plugged in.) It's also 16-bit WAV at 48kHz, although it sounds the same in every mode.)

The background noise is to be expected at high gain, but the helicopter noise is strange, and noticeable when I record voice over with my Azden SGM-1X at 55% input level.

A Tascam tech believes it's my mic. (I have found that when a dynamic stick mic is plugged in, the sound disappears.) I suppose I won't bother trying to replace it, as it sounds like many units have this issue. I'm glad there's a workaround—navigating away from the home screen while recording—but that's annoying, because I lose the ability to see the meters and timecode.

In case you're curious, here's the back-and-forth I've had with Tascam:
  1. "I bought my Tascam DR-40 on 6/12/12, to replace a Zoom H4n, and I'm impressed by its feature set (especially at the price), but there's one weird thing mine does. When recording with my Azden SGM-1X electret condensor mic, plugged in via XLR, the DR-40 adds a subtle "helicopter noise" to the recording, but that goes away if I navigate away from the home screen during recording. Here you can see/hear what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCuf_tLrmS4&t=5m52s Is this normal, or do I have a faulty unit? (I'm using the latest firmware: v1.20) Thanks for your help!"
  2. "The microphone input and ext input of DR-40 works only with a microphone with a balanced output. Even a unbalanced microphone wired to connect to the XLR connector will not work correctly."
  3. "Thanks for the reply! The mic is balanced, and I imagine the unit is introducing the noise, as it occurs only on the home screen. When I push the menu button during recording (to navigate away from the home screen), the noise disappears. I've seen others online complain about this issue, but I can't tell if it's a defect in all units, or only some."
  4. "We have seen that-but only with unbalanced mics.I did some research on a different shotgun mic that a previous customer was using,and depending on which website I went to,some said it was balanced,some said the exact same mic was unbalanced with the output impedance varying with cable length.Unless you know for sure it has a transformer in it-it's unbalanced.Try another mic ,one you know is balanced,does it sill make that sound?"
  5. "Yeah, it looks like I can avoid the helicopter sound with a dynamic mic, but it shows up when the shotgun mic (which is designed as a balanced mic) or when no mic is plugged in. If I use an XLR-to-1/4" adapter (which would definitely be unbalanced, right?), it introduces loud hum, but a noise that's distinct from the helicopter sound. Any idea why the sound disappears when I navigate away from the home screen? It's as if some on-screen measurement is introducing the noise when trying to read the input from the shotgun mic. It's cool that I can avoid the noise with this workaround, but unfortunate that I can't view levels or the timer will recording."
  6. "But is there a Xformer in the mic?"
  7. "I don't know—I'm not knowledgeable on mic design components. It has a AAA battery to power the pre-amp, and Azden calls it a balanced output."
  8. "Yeah, I saw that on their website, but they also called one of their other mics balanced, but it turned out it wasn't.If you wish to send the DR-40 in,include the mic.I can tell if it's balanced or not.But the fact that the dynamic balanced mic works fine points to your mic either being unbalanced, or Azden is using some kind of quasi-balanced output stage that is not truly balanced. Let me know what you want to do."
  9. "I use my mic too often to send it in, but I might send the DR-40 in if the potential repair/replacement is covered under warranty. Attached is a sample audio clip of the "helicopter nose"—one file is straight off the device (compressed to MP3 for file size), and the other is the same, but boosted 24dB so it's easier to hear. This is recorded in mono mode (only one XLR input), but with no mic plugged in, and input level at 100. (The sound is the same with or without plugging in my shotgun mic.) You can hear the clicking for the first five seconds, then I navigate away from the home screen and it disappears for the next five seconds, then I go back to the home screen to stop recording. From listening to this, can you tell if this is a sound every working device makes (when no mic is plugged in), or is mine uniquely defective? Thanks again for your assistance!"
  10. "If the input is set to 100,then any residual noise is amplified.What is the level of the noise when you are using it at a realistic level? I still think the problem is your microphone.You would still have the problem if I exchanged it. To fully test the unit I would have to have the mic to be able to test it the way you are using it. 100% of the problems I have seen with the description of the problem you are describing have been microphone related,(unbalanced output). Try another condenser mic that you know has a real balanced out. If you send just the DR-40 in,I would test it with a microphone that I know is has a balanced output. If it ends up having no problem,then it would be sent back as a "no trouble found" If you wish to send just the DR-40 in,I would be glad to test it for you."
 
I have exactly the same problem defined above but while making different tests I found an interesting thing.

I tried DR-40 with a Shure 565SD (http://www.shure.com/americas/products/microphones/classic/565sd-classic-unisphere-vocal-microphone) which has a magnetic reed ON/OFF switch and when I brought down the switch, the chopping sound disappeared. The sound is now clear but there is no solution for Videomic so far. I hope this gives some clues as to the intricacies of the DR-40 and may help us all to find a more complete solution.
 
Last edited:
Hmmm... I can't replicate this DR-40 "helicopter" problem. Here's the gear I am using...

- Tascam DR-40 with firmware 1.20 ( powered by 3 AA Alkaline batteries )
- Rode NTG-2 ( no battery ) plugged into the LEFT channel
- REC MODE: STEREO
- SOURCE : EXT IN 1/2
- MS DECODE : OFF
- PHANTOM POWER : ON
- Recording level set to 70 ( I also tried raising this up to 90 )
- Monitoring with cheapo Sennheiser EH150 DJ closed-back headphones

Everything sounds good. Loud, clear, no noise other than ambient.

DR-40 recorder was bought new last August.
 
I could never replicate the DR-40 "helicopter" issue with numerous mics and preamps. However I have encountered the "helicopter" aka, "motor-boating" with a Portdat recorder (If we're talking the same thing) but that always happened with very sensitive mics. A high-pass filter was the remedy.
 
Output impedence of microphone?

Output impedence of microphone?

Griffinity said:
I've also experienced this. Here's an audio sample from my DR-40—for the first five seconds, you can hear the clicking "helicopter noise." Then, I hit the menu button, and the sound disappears for five seconds until I return to the home screen. (This is recorded in mono mode at 100% input level, with only one external XLR port active, but no mic plugged in. (Same noise without a mic, or when my Azden SGM-1X is plugged in.) It's also 16-bit WAV at 48kHz, although it sounds the same in every mode.)

The background noise is to be expected at high gain, but the helicopter noise is strange, and noticeable when I record voice over with my Azden SGM-1X at 55% input level.

A Tascam tech believes it's my mic. (I have found that when a dynamic stick mic is plugged in, the sound disappears.) I suppose I won't bother trying to replace it, as it sounds like many units have this issue. I'm glad there's a workaround—navigating away from the home screen while recording—but that's annoying, because I lose the ability to see the meters and timecode.

In case you're curious, here's the back-and-forth I've had with Tascam:
  1. "I bought my Tascam DR-40 on 6/12/12, to replace a Zoom H4n, and I'm impressed by its feature set (especially at the price), but there's one weird thing mine does. When recording with my Azden SGM-1X electret condensor mic, plugged in via XLR, the DR-40 adds a subtle "helicopter noise" to the recording, but that goes away if I navigate away from the home screen during recording. Here you can see/hear what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCuf_tLrmS4&t=5m52s Is this normal, or do I have a faulty unit? (I'm using the latest firmware: v1.20) Thanks for your help!"
  2. "The microphone input and ext input of DR-40 works only with a microphone with a balanced output. Even a unbalanced microphone wired to connect to the XLR connector will not work correctly."
  3. "Thanks for the reply! The mic is balanced, and I imagine the unit is introducing the noise, as it occurs only on the home screen. When I push the menu button during recording (to navigate away from the home screen), the noise disappears. I've seen others online complain about this issue, but I can't tell if it's a defect in all units, or only some."
  4. "We have seen that-but only with unbalanced mics.I did some research on a different shotgun mic that a previous customer was using,and depending on which website I went to,some said it was balanced,some said the exact same mic was unbalanced with the output impedance varying with cable length.Unless you know for sure it has a transformer in it-it's unbalanced.Try another mic ,one you know is balanced,does it sill make that sound?"
  5. "Yeah, it looks like I can avoid the helicopter sound with a dynamic mic, but it shows up when the shotgun mic (which is designed as a balanced mic) or when no mic is plugged in. If I use an XLR-to-1/4" adapter (which would definitely be unbalanced, right?), it introduces loud hum, but a noise that's distinct from the helicopter sound. Any idea why the sound disappears when I navigate away from the home screen? It's as if some on-screen measurement is introducing the noise when trying to read the input from the shotgun mic. It's cool that I can avoid the noise with this workaround, but unfortunate that I can't view levels or the timer will recording."
  6. "But is there a Xformer in the mic?"
  7. "I don't know—I'm not knowledgeable on mic design components. It has a AAA battery to power the pre-amp, and Azden calls it a balanced output."
  8. "Yeah, I saw that on their website, but they also called one of their other mics balanced, but it turned out it wasn't.If you wish to send the DR-40 in,include the mic.I can tell if it's balanced or not.But the fact that the dynamic balanced mic works fine points to your mic either being unbalanced, or Azden is using some kind of quasi-balanced output stage that is not truly balanced. Let me know what you want to do."
  9. "I use my mic too often to send it in, but I might send the DR-40 in if the potential repair/replacement is covered under warranty. Attached is a sample audio clip of the "helicopter nose"—one file is straight off the device (compressed to MP3 for file size), and the other is the same, but boosted 24dB so it's easier to hear. This is recorded in mono mode (only one XLR input), but with no mic plugged in, and input level at 100. (The sound is the same with or without plugging in my shotgun mic.) You can hear the clicking for the first five seconds, then I navigate away from the home screen and it disappears for the next five seconds, then I go back to the home screen to stop recording. From listening to this, can you tell if this is a sound every working device makes (when no mic is plugged in), or is mine uniquely defective? Thanks again for your assistance!"
  10. "If the input is set to 100,then any residual noise is amplified.What is the level of the noise when you are using it at a realistic level? I still think the problem is your microphone.You would still have the problem if I exchanged it. To fully test the unit I would have to have the mic to be able to test it the way you are using it. 100% of the problems I have seen with the description of the problem you are describing have been microphone related,(unbalanced output). Try another condenser mic that you know has a real balanced out. If you send just the DR-40 in,I would test it with a microphone that I know is has a balanced output. If it ends up having no problem,then it would be sent back as a "no trouble found" If you wish to send just the DR-40 in,I would be glad to test it for you."
Click to expand...


I checked out the specs of that microphone - http://www.azdencorp.com/new/product.php?productid=93298

It appears to have a 1500 ohm output impedance even though it is a balanced XLR mic. Anything less than 600 ohm is considered to be a 'low' impedance microphone and will work best with the DR-40. Try to use a microphone with less than 200 ohm impedance however. There might be some english communication problems with Tascam, but if you understand the problem, you will realise it's not a fault of the Tascam DR-40 - it just requires a LOW IMPEDANCE, balanced microphone.

According to Rode, the NTG2 is a 250 ohm microphone. Compare this with the Rode NTG1 50 ohm microphone. This might explain the noise the original poster had with the NTG2.

I would suggest the NTG1 over the NTG2 if you don't need the power onboard the microphone.

Hope this helps :)
 
Last edited:
bombnav said:
I know this is old but I had the same problem and just fixed it by flashing the DR-40 with the latest firmware(v2.00) from here:

http://tascam.com/product/dr-40/downloads/

All noise is gone now... FINALLY!!!
Click to expand...

I am going to try this today, ive had my DR-40 sitting in a closet for 2 years and replaced it with the zoom h4n. I liked the tascam menu better and it was easier to work with but i also got a weird noise. Mine didn't sound like the helicopter noise everyone got but was similar and didnt start until the recorder had been on for 15 minutes or so like it was over heating. I used multiple xlr cables, microphones (mainly the ntg-1) and tried every mode on the recorder. The audio was perfect for 10-15 minutes, then would get worse and worse the longer I used it. Going to the menu did not fix it, changing modes would dial back the weird noise for a minute or 2 then it would slowly get worse. The only way to get rid of the noise was to turn it off and leave it alone for a couple hours and then the recorder would go back to normal... for 10 minutes.
 
bombnav said:
I know this is old but I had the same problem and just fixed it by flashing the DR-40 with the latest firmware(v2.00) from here:

http://tascam.com/product/dr-40/downloads/

All noise is gone now... FINALLY!!!
Click to expand...

I got really excited when I saw your post, I have a many year old DR-40 with the helicopter noise. (This noise is only really noticeable aurally and on the meter with the input level set to close to 90 or full) I updated the software to v2.00 successfully, but the noise is still there. Can you give me any more info on what you did to get rid of it? Maybe there's a difference between updating and flashing the firmware that I can't figure out? For what it's worth I have a brand new DR-40 which I updated in tandem with the old one, and this new one did not and does not have the noise...i've compared every setting on the new versus the old, and can't get it to go away on the old one.

Thanks for any help!
 
newmanvideo said:
Maybe there's a difference between updating and flashing the firmware that I can't figure out? For what it's worth I have a brand new DR-40 which I updated in tandem with the old one, and this new one did not and does not have the noise...i've compared every setting on the new versus the old, and can't get it to go away on the old one.

Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...

If the firmware number on the startup screen increased, then you have updated successfully. For what it's worth I had helicoptering, with several mics, that disappeared when I updated to Firmware 1.30.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top