Tascam DR-60D : How Many Settings Is Enough? :-)

Uhhh - the clicky digital faders rule it out as a one in all recording solution - you still need a mixer.

[video=youtube;Kl-7vmShkgs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Kl-7vmShkgs[/video]
 
I'm thinking about getting this or a riggy
I'm confused as to if this has the ability to replace the audio tracks of the camera like the juicedlinks?
 
Postmaster said:
Uhhh - the clicky digital faders rule it out as a one in all recording solution - you still need a mixer.
Click to expand...

The digital fader surprised me, too. But then I realized that I don't often change the volume while recording, and even then the jumps in volume can be eased in post. So it's something to consider, but probably not a deal killer. More important is the quality of the preamps.

swaneon said:
I'm thinking about getting this or a riggy
I'm confused as to if this has the ability to replace the audio tracks of the camera like the juicedlinks?
Click to expand...

You can hook a cable to the DR60D's camera out and record the audio to the camera (as well as to the recorder).
 
Sumfun said:
The digital fader surprised me, too. But then I realized that I don't often change the volume while recording, and even then the jumps in volume can be eased in post. So it's something to consider, but probably not a deal killer. More important is the quality of the preamps.



You can hook a cable to the DR60D's camera out and record the audio to the camera (as well as to the recorder).
Click to expand...
welll i'll order this instead of the riggy then

and do you guys think the 60d would be better than my current maranz 661?
if so I think I'm going to sell it--I'd use a SD Mix Pre D into the tascam or marantz either way
 
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Thanks for posting the review. A bit more info - e.g. about the stepping and menu functionality - but a lower noise mic (e.g. the NT1a) would have allowed better understanding of the self-noise of the Tascam DR-60D. Also, it is pretty unclear - for what is presumably meant to be a real-world usage review - how close he is from the mic (apart from when he steps away near the end and gives his distance): it looks to me as if he is speaking right up to the mic, rather nearer than normal booming distance. I'm not sure this adds much to what we know of the preamps from the spec and the photos of the op amp on Tascam's website: i.e. probably comparable or perhaps a little better than their DR 100mkii, but below the DR680. Anyway, the DR60D is an interesting option. Cheers, Roland
 
DR-40 mounting concern

DR-40 mounting concern

One concern I have about the DR-60D is the mounting integrity of the unit when placing a camera above it. Will it wobble? Will the camera mounting points fail over time?

I mention this because a piece of my DR-40's threaded mount broke off inside the unit. I often use the DR-40 mounted on a tripod or friction arm. Being a light unit, I never had to tighten it very hard. One day I heard something rattling around inside the DR-40, opened it up and found the broken part. The DR-40 mount appears to be cast metal, which just didn't hold up.

As the DR-60D weighs more than the DR-40, and substantially more when supporting a camera, I hope Tascam found a better way to secure the mounting system.
 
Tascam DR-60D is a No Go. Power hungry.

Tascam DR-60D is a No Go. Power hungry.

I just opened my DR-60D up and am shipping it back to B&H. Why? Here's the story.

PROS: Unit is lightweight, even with batteries installed. Nice legible screen, nice fit and finish. Nobs fine. Mounting bracket is good, not quite up to Mixpre-D mount.
CONS: Power consumption.
EDIT: I'm going to redo this post as Rich had issues with my testing. I don't want to get into a battle of testing, I'm not an electrical engineer. Needless to say, the power consumption of the unit was high, the batteries I had put into it were very fresh, (all measuring at or above 1.4 to 1.46 volts, and it seemed to draw down the batteries very quickly.) I tried multiple groups of batteries, none out of sealed fresh containers, but with voltage readings above 1.4 and many close to 1.5. I have found in the past that batteries usually can work fine until under 1.3 volts in most of my gear, such as the mixpre-d, and Marantz. I sent the unit back. I'll post more as I have time.
That it would not even work with fresh Lithium's in it, is a no starter. My Lithium's all come in reading 1.6 or 1.7 Volts. To be fair, the Marantz PM661 does not work with Lithiums either. But it does not draw power down like the DR-60v did.

For now, to me, the unit is a nice attempt with too high a power requirement for a form factor designed around 4 Alkaline batteries and field use.
 
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8string said:
I loaded 4 AAs that my meter read above 2.20, which to me is pretty well charged.
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What does that mean? "Read above 2.20" WHAT? Volts? Four fresh cells is a nominal 6V. (1.5V each)
2.2V isn't a healthy voltage for any combination of AA cells.

Were these fresh primary cells from a reliable source?
Were these rechargable secondary cells? What chemistry? What does Tascam recommend?

Absent details, it is not possible to establish whether your test methodology was legitimate.
 
interesting--i have the exact set up as you, I'll share my experience when mine comes in on tuesday
 
The juiced link guy seems to be defending his product which is fine, but who really wants to record to a dslr in any event? And if I was going dual system, I wouldn't choose the juiced product regardless. The new Tascam looks like a retro B17 cockpit instrument = clunky box. What are these outfits thinking? Am I missing something?

Grant
 
The unit isn't as clunky as it looks (to me at any rate). It fit in the palm of my hand, and was very lightweight, even with the 4 AAs in it. I think that the mount would hold up, though it is not as sturdy as the Mixpre-d. Given that it's power draw was too high for my tastes, I didn't get a chance to try it's preamps. The mix-preD is fine with my 5D mark iii, and it gives a very clean signal in. I've been happy with the actual sound quality of recorded dialogue with the 5D and the Mixpre-d.
 
The dr-60d has only three reviews on B&H, and they are generally positive; none of them so far have mentioned the power-draw problem - is it possible it was a defective unit, otherwise seems odd tascam would release a product that has ridiculously impractically short battery life and no ac power option. Regarding the ac power option, the earliest review has this to say:

"I will say that Tascam could have made it easier by including an AC adapter but that wasn't hard to remedy."
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT]I have not seen how the batteries are inserted into the unit, but I wonder what the customer meant by "wasn't hard to remedy" - is there some AC/DC adapter that easily fits onto the battery connectors you can pick up at RadioShack? Of course, if 8string is right, and the batteries drain ridiculously fast, then this recorder is a bust, but if not, then it might be interesting to grab some kind of AC adapter solution, for those occasions when you're recording a longer interview in a stationary situation where you can just plug in the AC, or shooting interiors without much movement. Can somebody who has access to the dr-60d chime in on how this AC/DC situation looks? TIA!
 
I'll give my take on it when it comes on tuesday
ill try with 4x eneloops and run it with phantom power
 
I think it can be charged by USB. I was thinking of getting the Lanparte v-mount battery adapter that has USB and using it to power the DR-60D and other power connections to power the BMCC. That should be a good shoulder mount/ tripod option and then use batteries when recording sound away from the camera. Still considering all similar options at this point.
 
yes, the the Tascam 60D can powered by a usb to ac adapter. Here is what Tascam recommends - the Tascam PS-P515U.

Also, I got my Tascam 60D last mid-last week, and then used it the following day on a shoot with no problems. I used standard energizer rechargeable batteries, doing a number of interviews with the unit on for about 1.5 to 2 hours and got maybe halfway through the charge. Since it was advertised as getting 3 hours out of a charge, this was on target. I don't have eneloops, but I would like to get some and try them out.

The mount on the unit is just fine. However, if I had to do critical tripod moves, I would probably not have the recorder under the camera. Not that the mount itself is bad, per say, it's just that the camera + lens is so high up off the tripod baseplate, it just feels like something is going to move. Mounting it is waaay easier then a Juiced Link because it has a tightening wheel, and doesn't need an allen wrench. I guess a Juiced Link is smaller though, so perhaps it's more set-it-and-forget-it. The Tascam 60D is a real beast, and though it's not as heavy as it looks, it is big enough to never truly feel like a comfortable extension of the camera. However, I would note, that even at it's most awkward, it is a great improvement from trying to attach a H4N or Tascam DR-60 in some ungodly way to the camera. On a tripod, it's great, everything is right there in front of you.
 
camera and tripod mount durability?

camera and tripod mount durability?

swaneon said:
mine comes tomorrow--i'll post some updates then with an attached NTG3
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Hey. Could you share your thoughts on the integrity of the camera and tripod mounts on the DR-60D? I'm concerned about how strong they are, and if a camera will wobble much when placed above the DR-60D.

thanks!
 
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