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

davidp158 said:
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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here are some pics of my recently arrived tascam







the dr-60d is EXTREMELY light compared to the mix pre d---like 1/2 or more.
The dial is very flimsy feeling but the mount itself is solid--i can take pics if you want
 
Stupid question: would it be utterly idiotic to use a MixPre-D into the Tascam DR-60D? I mean, if you already happen to have a MixPre-D, would buying a Tascam DR-60D be moronic?
 
OldCorpse said:
Stupid question: would it be utterly idiotic to use a MixPre-D into the Tascam DR-60D? I mean, if you already happen to have a MixPre-D, would buying a Tascam DR-60D be moronic?
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its my for my 2nd camera--getting it instead of a Juicedlink.
The Mix Pre D is for my marantz or just camera.
The blackmagic has issues so anything thats not run and gun I feed Mix Pre D into a recorder.
 
davidp158 said:
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.
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I have found my DR-60D to be unusable under even a lightweight camcorder (Canon HFG10). The main problem was that if a small mount plate was used, such as the Manfrotto 200PL-14, the entire base plate of the recorder "pops," or buckles suddenly at one particular angle; this would mean that if you were following a moving subject on a tripod, you would get a very unpleasant jerk as the camera enters and exits the critical tilt angle. This problem is not present with a larger plate, such as the Manfrotto 030-14.

The lesser problem has to do with balance: the recorder is so high that the weight of the camera creates so much torsion that it's quite difficult to work with unless you're shooting at almost horizontal tilt levels. All my testing has been with a video camera so far; at the moment, the stability is so poor that I haven't even considered up the EOS 5D + grip + 300mm yet!

Perhaps I have a badly made unit but I would certainly hesitate to use the recorder mounted under the camera unless it is absolutely unavoidable. I do like the preamp performance with Channels 1/2 (but not Channels 3/4) and that, in itself makes the recorder worth while, but I have ultimately mounted the DR-60B on one of the tripod legs using a clamp.
 
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for me I'd mount it on it on top of my BMC or on top of Mix Pre D.

Using an NTG3 with fresh eneloops
it says 2/3 battery bars at 1 hour mark
right now its at the 1:31 minutes and 2 bars left
estimated time on the machine itself is 48 minutes

going to sleep--can do preamp test tomorrow
 
kckleong

Thanks for the info regarding the DR-60D mounting. If I were to buy one, I'd likely not be mounting it under the camera.
Aside from the lack of XLR/combo inputs and phantom power, what is lacking in the preamp performance for channels 3 & 4?
 
So basically, this allows the user to have the functions of a mixer, such as the MixPre-D, but with the pre-amp quality of a DR100mkii? Or is there some other huge function that I am missing? I won't be doing anything too complex right now, and am trying to decide between the DR-40, DR-100mkii, and this.
 
As I recall hearing and seeing someplace on the web..YouTube? the DR-60's record volume is digital (in dB steps). So on sustained type sounds and loud enough BG noise, a zipper effect would be audible, if so adjusted. The DR-40 is like that as well, but it's not really designed for 'riding gain' anyway. I don't know if this applies to the DR-100mkII, which has a rotary user interface. To risk being called a 'snob', I would recomened a quality front-end.
 
Rick R said:
As I recall hearing and seeing someplace on the web..YouTube? the DR-60's record volume is digital (in dB steps). So on sustained type sounds and loud enough BG noise, a zipper effect would be audible, if so adjusted. The DR-40 is like that as well, but it's not really designed for 'riding gain' anyway. I don't know if this applies to the DR-100mkII, which has a rotary user interface. To risk being called a 'snob', I would recomened a quality front-end.
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yep its true--the adjustment is done in discrete steps
 
things to note:
the xlr inputs are extremely strong--not TOO difficult but force is required after pushing the clip down to pull the XLR off.

Using an NTG3 +48v on the tascam with 4x fresh eneloop 2000mah at 24 bit, 48k i had about 3 hours and ~5 minutes before it died.

I have a sampling between the mix pre d into the recorder and without it if you guys want to listen, though there is a computer in the background and its pretty rough. Still it does paint a pretty clear indication of the tascam's preamp vs the Mix PD
 
Yes please, let's hear a comparison between the DR60D + NTG3 and DR60+Mixpre-D+NTG3: I don't think anyone has posted an audio clip comparing the DR60D preamps to something decent yet (or, indeed, to the DR100mkii, which, given the price and same opamp is likely to be pretty similar). Cheers, Roland
 
Woah, the MixPre-D makes it a ton better...not sure how the Tascam DR-60D background noise compares with the noise in the other models..anyone know if the 60d's preamps are any better?
 
the 60D's preamps are defiantly way better then the ones in the DR-40. And better then the ones in the H4N, for that matter.
 
iamlance said:
anyone know if the 60d's preamps are any better?
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Looking at swaneon's sample WAV files, the DR-60D appears to have the same noise-floor as the DR-100 Mk2, which is -81 dB RMS when the pre-amps aren't straining. I expect the rest of the DR-60D performance will match the DR-100 Mk2, which is quite good for a low-cost recorder.

The Sound Devices MixPre-D is in a whole other category, but then it costs three times as much and doesn't record anything.
 
So, aside from the handy DSLR riggin feature and the multiple mics/recording options, what advantages does the 60D have over the 100mkii? It would cost me an extra $150 for the D60, so I'd want to get my money's worth.
 
The biggest difference is 4 channel vs 2 channel recording, and a sh*t load of options that the DR-100 Mk2 doesn't have. If you don't need 4 channels or the options, then the DR-100 Mk2 might be the better buy.
 
At the moment, I only have 1 mic. not sure when I'll need to use more than one, as I'm only in college. Eh, what other features does it have that I would need? I'll be doing some documentary work, working with musicians (maybe, and only in simple ways), and stuff like that.
 
Well, my unit must have been defective, as my batteries were pretty fresh. So given the input from others here ignore my post on battery life. But it does seem that the unit is not a replacement for using a Mixpre-D. Another thought for you is that the Marantz PM661 has a tripod mount on the bottom, and can be mounted on an arm off the tripod or the camera. The Mixpre can then go under the camera. So no need to replace both for the 60D. But if you were starting out without a mixer and recorder, and the battery life is as good as some are saying, it's probably worth the price.

Still and all, if you consider a 5D with a recorder, and a couple of batteries, and maybe a monitor, it would be a better idea to look seriously at a C100. Twin xlrs, zebras, waveforms, etc. long life batteries. Ergonomically way better than this mashup. But if you were using a GH3, T2i, or 7D, then this is still more economical.
 
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