Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

THIS EQUIPMENT IS AMAZING. VERY EASY TO USE AND SUPER AFFORDABLE. THE QUALITY OF SOUND IS COMPARABLE WITH THE BEST.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

It appears it work as advertised. I am just using it now for the first time and there are some things that should be improved:- modulation meters. These are a little too simple. You can see when it is going 'over' but it is difficult to modulate near 0db. But then anyway it records so well that you hardly notice when you adjust this in ProTools. For inputs, the DR-680 is smartly designed with six channels of phantom - power -optional microphone preamp -- four with XLR and 1/4" combination jacks, two on 1/4" jacks alone --along with two extra channels available via S/ PDIF digital. Each channel features a low-cut filter as well as a variable limiter. Each of the channels is capable of recording in 24-bit, 96kHz resolution, with stereo 24-bit, 192kHz recording mode for any two channels. The true value comes from the flexibility of channel parameter values. You're able to do a lot with the DR-680,including mixing down in real-time a stereo mix of the six analog channels, in lieu of using all channels to record individual channels. You can also change all of your settings.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

great recorder for the price. ez to use - lightweight - many built in features

The con is the plastic housing

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

We use this recorder with our DSLR cameras for interviewing multiple subjects so everyone can be on their own track. We have it set up for 6 mono tracks (instead of 3 stereo pairs) which works well when syncing in our timeline. I tried to use the last stereo pair (inputs 7/8) using the digital input, but could not get it to sync to my analog to digital converter, so I can only get 6 tracks, not 8. I'll have to research this. Overall I am pleased with the unit, however I wish you could monitor the inputs without having to be in record/pause mode.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Looking to use it for small productions and it appears to work as advertised. Nice design but be sure to order the bag with it. Would love a sound devices mixer for better quality control on mixing on the fly, but DR-680 is a great compromise.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I am a professional radio feature maker. Many colleagues use smaller products that have less features. But I also want to be prepared to record music and quality sound effects that I use with the features.This recorder can capture all I need and more... Even MS stereo.I am just using it now for a few weeks and there are some things that should be improved:- modulation meters. These are a little too simple. You can see when it is going 'over' but it is difficult to modulate near 0db. But then anyway it records so well that you hardly notice when you adjust this in ProTools. And at 24-192 you have a lot of overhead.- With the above in mind the limiter could be improved.- It can record 8 tracks but 2 of them only through line inputs.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I,m a video producer for [*], I was using my Zoon H4N for a long time, but I think that is time to get something with a better quality sound. I was looking to a sound device, actually I get one to use with my zoom h4n, but I wasn't happy. Then I decided to get this DR-680 from Tascam. OMG!!! . Big different.he DR-680's features are awesome at this price. For inputs, the DR-680 is smartly designed with six channels of phantom-power-optional microphone preamp -- four with XLR and 1/4" combination jacks, two on 1/4" jacks alone -- along with two extra channels available via S/PDIF digital. Each channel features a low-cut filter as well as a variable limiter. Each channel is capable of recording in 24-bit, 96kHz resolution, with stereo 24-bit, 192kHz recording mode for any two channels. The true value comes from the flexibility of channel parameter values. You're able to do a lot with the DR-680, including mixing down in real-time a stereo mix of the six analog channels, in lieu of using all eight channels to record individual channels. You can also change all of your settings for storage, format, and gain all within the rather easy to navigate menus.While the interface and features are top-notch, the most important questions is, as always, how does it sound?Quite simply, any audio product is only as good as the results you get from it. The DR-680 certainly doesn't disappoint. Recordings I made with the DR-680 sounded fantastic, even in MP3 mode (you can record up to four tracks in MP3 format), and the DR-680's built in preamps are surprisingly quiet with a very pleasing, neutral sound signature. Unlike some preamps in lesser-quality field recorders, these are able to handle reasonable levels of SPL and don't crack under pressure from bass-heavy recordings.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I've only had it for a little over a week now but so far it does everything it's supposed to. I'm a composer and sound designer and I bought this unit cause I want to get more into collecting my own sounds in the field. I already have a Zoom H2, which works great for what it is. The Zoom is just way too noisy for quiet sources like quad ambiences. With this unit I am able to collect surround ambiences and more. A lot of bang for the buck on this unit and the price B&H offer is something like $300 lower than anywhere I could buy a new DR680 in Canada.

It does feel a little fragile though. Very light and lots of plastic. I'll need to get a case for it. Walking around too any cables that bump the hard plastic back make noise. That would be another reason to have a soft case to put it in.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

It is powerful, easy to use and its compact size and light weight makes my long recording days so much easier.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

This is a overall a really nice field recorder. I just wish it had a little more mixing options. I guess that the preamps arent what I was hoping they would be. The recorder doesnt offer much of a mic boost but everything else works great.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

As a professional remote recorder I need to count on my gear. I cannot count on this product. Like many I was taken in by cost, features, specs, and a brand name. I used for a year before unit starting acting up. It finally crashed with a typical "Sys Rom Err"
I researched this and found it to be a common failure issue. Tascam wants three tries at fixing before they'll replace. That's 8-10 weeks down time with shipping. That is just poor for a major manufacturer. I can't afford such downtime.
I do not consider this pro gear or up to the rigors of field recording. Simply put Tascam needs to do better. I am not a happy customer. Issues are still unresolved so BUYER BEWARE.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

"Moved up" from a Zoom H4, to the DR-680, though they say It's a 8-track, it's really a 6 track with an option to record a stereo mix in the unit. Not useful for me, so it's a 6-track. I Wanted a recorder with at least 3 tracks, so that knocked out most of the field recorders for me. I also did not want to get another Zoom (type) recorder. I needed something that would hang off my shoulder and be EASY to ride levels while holding a mic. This recorder has ONE knob and six buttons to controll levels, a bit strange but it works, though you cannot ride levels for more than one channel at the same time, it is fast enough to switch channels for most work, The Edirol has 4 pots for riding levels, but is hundreds more than the Tascam. I figured I would get a simple field mixer for the price difference if I needed it in the future, so far it has not been an issue for my work. For me these were the main concerns, for choosing this recorder.

Not built to the rugged specs as a Sound Devices recorder, but I use the Gator Broadcast bag (large) to make it a bit more bash proof on location.

I started with a Nagra4, so for me this is a "lightweight" recorder, though it's large by todays palm sized two track recorders. I found the Zoom inadequate for what I needed to do.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Built in limiter is amazing and has saved me many times. Easy to use, always consistent. Always works and I beat our equipment hard. Portabrace has a great case for it. Eats up the batteries when using 48v phantom with a boom.

Do sound recording of features with it.

I owned the Fostex FR2LE, and it always caused us problems. Replaced it with this. A great upgrade!

Plus, it's hot roddable with custom pre's.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

We have been using on location and does everything we need. Being able to multi track and mixer in one make a nice small workable solution!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Very nice recorder!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I'm very happy with this Tascam!!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

The others sound recorders are much more expensive than TASCAM. So, it became a wonderful option.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I use the product, for shotfilm production, the andantage of having 6 channels available at 96k is awesome, also the power consumption is pretty low considering with a set of 8 AA 2300 mAh you have nonstop recordingfor about 6 to 8 hours.
On the downside the only thing is the construction is a little to much plasticky, so sometimes you have the imprecion that you are working with a really fragile device, but I believe that if you also but the proper case you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I do typical field recording for film/game sound design and find the DR-680 to suit this application very well. Clean relatively neutral preamps and a good user interface plus lots of input/output options make this a nice unit to work with, especially for the price. Only gripes would be that the headphone preamp is rather noisy and will make your recordings sound noisier than they actually are while you are monitoring through the unit. Not a big deal, but it can be annoying. Other thing is that the meters are almost useless with no real reference to what your levels actually are other than whether you're clipping or not.

Chews through batteries like crazy so i'd suggest external battery power, just be very careful about what you use, this unit has no fuses, if you supply too much power you WILL blow it up! I currently use some custom built 10, 000 mah lithium packs that last forever.

Unit is obviously built to a price so it's not notably sturdy (relatively cheap plastic) so a good audio bag is a must if you plan to take it out with you a lot. I'm OK with this since the unit does everything else well where it counts. To get anything better than this you'd have to spend considerably more on a Sound Devices unit!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Easy To Use and Excellent Sound

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

THIS EQUIPMENT IS AMAZING. VERY EASY TO USE AND SUPER AFFORDABLE. THE QUALITY OF SOUND IS COMPARABLE WITH THE BEST.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

It appears it work as advertised. I am just using it now for the first time and there are some things that should be improved:- modulation meters. These are a little too simple. You can see when it is going 'over' but it is difficult to modulate near 0db. But then anyway it records so well that you hardly notice when you adjust this in ProTools. For inputs, the DR-680 is smartly designed with six channels of phantom - power -optional microphone preamp -- four with XLR and 1/4" combination jacks, two on 1/4" jacks alone --along with two extra channels available via S/ PDIF digital. Each channel features a low-cut filter as well as a variable limiter. Each of the channels is capable of recording in 24-bit, 96kHz resolution, with stereo 24-bit, 192kHz recording mode for any two channels. The true value comes from the flexibility of channel parameter values. You're able to do a lot with the DR-680,including mixing down in real-time a stereo mix of the six analog channels, in lieu of using all channels to record individual channels. You can also change all of your settings.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

great recorder for the price. ez to use - lightweight - many built in features

The con is the plastic housing

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

We use this recorder with our DSLR cameras for interviewing multiple subjects so everyone can be on their own track. We have it set up for 6 mono tracks (instead of 3 stereo pairs) which works well when syncing in our timeline. I tried to use the last stereo pair (inputs 7/8) using the digital input, but could not get it to sync to my analog to digital converter, so I can only get 6 tracks, not 8. I'll have to research this. Overall I am pleased with the unit, however I wish you could monitor the inputs without having to be in record/pause mode.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Looking to use it for small productions and it appears to work as advertised. Nice design but be sure to order the bag with it. Would love a sound devices mixer for better quality control on mixing on the fly, but DR-680 is a great compromise.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I am a professional radio feature maker. Many colleagues use smaller products that have less features. But I also want to be prepared to record music and quality sound effects that I use with the features.This recorder can capture all I need and more... Even MS stereo.I am just using it now for a few weeks and there are some things that should be improved:- modulation meters. These are a little too simple. You can see when it is going 'over' but it is difficult to modulate near 0db. But then anyway it records so well that you hardly notice when you adjust this in ProTools. And at 24-192 you have a lot of overhead.- With the above in mind the limiter could be improved.- It can record 8 tracks but 2 of them only through line inputs.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I,m a video producer for [*], I was using my Zoon H4N for a long time, but I think that is time to get something with a better quality sound. I was looking to a sound device, actually I get one to use with my zoom h4n, but I wasn't happy. Then I decided to get this DR-680 from Tascam. OMG!!! . Big different.he DR-680's features are awesome at this price. For inputs, the DR-680 is smartly designed with six channels of phantom-power-optional microphone preamp -- four with XLR and 1/4" combination jacks, two on 1/4" jacks alone -- along with two extra channels available via S/PDIF digital. Each channel features a low-cut filter as well as a variable limiter. Each channel is capable of recording in 24-bit, 96kHz resolution, with stereo 24-bit, 192kHz recording mode for any two channels. The true value comes from the flexibility of channel parameter values. You're able to do a lot with the DR-680, including mixing down in real-time a stereo mix of the six analog channels, in lieu of using all eight channels to record individual channels. You can also change all of your settings for storage, format, and gain all within the rather easy to navigate menus.While the interface and features are top-notch, the most important questions is, as always, how does it sound?Quite simply, any audio product is only as good as the results you get from it. The DR-680 certainly doesn't disappoint. Recordings I made with the DR-680 sounded fantastic, even in MP3 mode (you can record up to four tracks in MP3 format), and the DR-680's built in preamps are surprisingly quiet with a very pleasing, neutral sound signature. Unlike some preamps in lesser-quality field recorders, these are able to handle reasonable levels of SPL and don't crack under pressure from bass-heavy recordings.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I've only had it for a little over a week now but so far it does everything it's supposed to. I'm a composer and sound designer and I bought this unit cause I want to get more into collecting my own sounds in the field. I already have a Zoom H2, which works great for what it is. The Zoom is just way too noisy for quiet sources like quad ambiences. With this unit I am able to collect surround ambiences and more. A lot of bang for the buck on this unit and the price B&H offer is something like $300 lower than anywhere I could buy a new DR680 in Canada.

It does feel a little fragile though. Very light and lots of plastic. I'll need to get a case for it. Walking around too any cables that bump the hard plastic back make noise. That would be another reason to have a soft case to put it in.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

It is powerful, easy to use and its compact size and light weight makes my long recording days so much easier.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

This is a overall a really nice field recorder. I just wish it had a little more mixing options. I guess that the preamps arent what I was hoping they would be. The recorder doesnt offer much of a mic boost but everything else works great.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

As a professional remote recorder I need to count on my gear. I cannot count on this product. Like many I was taken in by cost, features, specs, and a brand name. I used for a year before unit starting acting up. It finally crashed with a typical "Sys Rom Err"
I researched this and found it to be a common failure issue. Tascam wants three tries at fixing before they'll replace. That's 8-10 weeks down time with shipping. That is just poor for a major manufacturer. I can't afford such downtime.
I do not consider this pro gear or up to the rigors of field recording. Simply put Tascam needs to do better. I am not a happy customer. Issues are still unresolved so BUYER BEWARE.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

"Moved up" from a Zoom H4, to the DR-680, though they say It's a 8-track, it's really a 6 track with an option to record a stereo mix in the unit. Not useful for me, so it's a 6-track. I Wanted a recorder with at least 3 tracks, so that knocked out most of the field recorders for me. I also did not want to get another Zoom (type) recorder. I needed something that would hang off my shoulder and be EASY to ride levels while holding a mic. This recorder has ONE knob and six buttons to controll levels, a bit strange but it works, though you cannot ride levels for more than one channel at the same time, it is fast enough to switch channels for most work, The Edirol has 4 pots for riding levels, but is hundreds more than the Tascam. I figured I would get a simple field mixer for the price difference if I needed it in the future, so far it has not been an issue for my work. For me these were the main concerns, for choosing this recorder.

Not built to the rugged specs as a Sound Devices recorder, but I use the Gator Broadcast bag (large) to make it a bit more bash proof on location.

I started with a Nagra4, so for me this is a "lightweight" recorder, though it's large by todays palm sized two track recorders. I found the Zoom inadequate for what I needed to do.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Built in limiter is amazing and has saved me many times. Easy to use, always consistent. Always works and I beat our equipment hard. Portabrace has a great case for it. Eats up the batteries when using 48v phantom with a boom.

Do sound recording of features with it.

I owned the Fostex FR2LE, and it always caused us problems. Replaced it with this. A great upgrade!

Plus, it's hot roddable with custom pre's.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

We have been using on location and does everything we need. Being able to multi track and mixer in one make a nice small workable solution!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Very nice recorder!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I'm very happy with this Tascam!!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

The others sound recorders are much more expensive than TASCAM. So, it became a wonderful option.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I use the product, for shotfilm production, the andantage of having 6 channels available at 96k is awesome, also the power consumption is pretty low considering with a set of 8 AA 2300 mAh you have nonstop recordingfor about 6 to 8 hours.
On the downside the only thing is the construction is a little to much plasticky, so sometimes you have the imprecion that you are working with a really fragile device, but I believe that if you also but the proper case you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

I do typical field recording for film/game sound design and find the DR-680 to suit this application very well. Clean relatively neutral preamps and a good user interface plus lots of input/output options make this a nice unit to work with, especially for the price. Only gripes would be that the headphone preamp is rather noisy and will make your recordings sound noisier than they actually are while you are monitoring through the unit. Not a big deal, but it can be annoying. Other thing is that the meters are almost useless with no real reference to what your levels actually are other than whether you're clipping or not.

Chews through batteries like crazy so i'd suggest external battery power, just be very careful about what you use, this unit has no fuses, if you supply too much power you WILL blow it up! I currently use some custom built 10, 000 mah lithium packs that last forever.

Unit is obviously built to a price so it's not notably sturdy (relatively cheap plastic) so a good audio bag is a must if you plan to take it out with you a lot. I'm OK with this since the unit does everything else well where it counts. To get anything better than this you'd have to spend considerably more on a Sound Devices unit!

Comments about Tascam DR-680 8-Track Portable Field Audio Recorder:

Easy To Use and Excellent Sound