DP-24 Pops and Clicks

[RedBus]

The long wait is over, the firmware updates are on the TASCAM website.

I truly appreciate your patience while we worked through all the scenarios and found new problems on the way.

 

[BobV55]

Thanks so much, RedBus...I've downloaded both the update and the release notes, and will install them into my DP-24 tomorrow morning! Thanks again!

 

[R.Harris]

Is this firmware update applicable to the older DP 24 units?

 

[cmaffia]

Looks like it is! If you go to Tascam.com, legacy products, DP-24 and then downloads, listed is the new firmware with the post dat of 7-10-15.

 

[RedBus]

Yep, all 4 models - DP-24, DP-24SD, DP-32 and DP-32SD

 

[Postecutioner]

Redbus, are there any advantageous differences between the ,DP24, and the DP24SD? Or, is the only difference the lack of the CD burner? I can't seem to find anything on Google comparing the two. I feel a bit put off that I purchased my DP24 last year, and now it's discontinued, and because of injury, and illness, I've never used it! I have a two year extended warranty from Sam Ash, and if the SD has more features. I'm considering returning it and getting the SD. I don't understand why it was discontinued, unless there is something wrong with the unit, or the SD has features not available on the DP24! How long will it be supported by Teac/Tascam for firmware updates?
Thanks, Keith C

 

[BobV55]

Hiya Keith,

First and foremost, RedBus would be the authority, so his answer will be the real deal...my take is purely speculation on my part, based on why I think the models were changed.

That said, I remember looking over the 32SD when it was introduced, as it came out before the 24SD did, and I don't recall seeing anything else either added or removed outside of the CD burner. I suspected it was a marketing decision, designed to both save manufacturing costs as well as offer it at a lower price point in an effort to boost sales. CDs aren't used nearly as much as they once were, and having both USB connectivity as well as SD cards as a storage medium makes the CD drive much less necessary than it once was, back in the original 2488. The other perk they may have considered is that removing the drive means the only remaining mechanical parts are the buttons and potentiometers in the user interface, which should boost reliability overall.

Again, just my own home baked theory...I have absolutely zero regrets about my DP-24, which I got when they first came out (because my 2488 was getting a little tired by then). I know you've heard the results I get with it, and I am very pleased with it overall.

 

[RedBus]

I'm not an expert with the DP series, but really the only difference is the media type. It's getting harder to find CD transports, and we still manufacture a bunch of different rack mount versions.
These recorders are mature technology now, nothing planned in terms of adding features.
As with all our products, repair and parts will be available for 7 years past discontinuation.

 

[Jimi Jones]

Well All,

I just checked out the Tascam website, and the new DP-32 firmware update is now there, and the version clearly explains my curiosity, I purchased my original DP-32 in April, and it had v1.04 on it, however there was no place on Tascam's website that showed v1.04, it only had v1.03, now this brand new firmware update is v1.05....nice...

Jimi Jones

 

[Icepulse]

I'm not an expert with the DP series, but really the only difference is the media type. It's getting harder to find CD transports, and we still manufacture a bunch of different rack mount versions.

All SD models removed MIDI connectivity. I'd say that's a pretty big difference. I couldn't care less about the CD burning, but I'm disappointed that they didn't retain MIDI.

 

[cmaffia]

I didn't realize that. If I were to get one of these it would be for tracking live performances remotely. That means I'd import audio to my DAW and if MIDI is needed it can be done there. But yeah, as a standalone device losing the MIDI kind of hurts.

 

[Icepulse]

Right. It's not a deal-breaker, but MIDI control of effects was possible, as well as sync w/ sequencers, DAW, drum machines, etc. I rely on my own rhythm and timing skills, for the most part (drummer at heart), but still... They should have incorporated a USB MIDI port.

 

[Postecutioner]

Thanks Bob, and RedBus, glad I have the DP24, as the MIDI time clock is a necessity for me, as I'm going to build my Drum tracks in a DAW, and time control sure makes that a bit easier, and to Jimi, my DP 24 shipped with an addendum and release notes for v1.10, I've since updated to 1.12, and 1.14. I don't know if the 32 uses different numbers, but the new update that includes the pops, and clicks fix is v1.15 for the DP24. It's a nice machine, and it looks like I'm forced into permanent retirement, so I will hopefully get a lot of use out of it, this forum is great because of people like Bob, and all the others I've had contact with. It's rare for people to be so very helpful, and ego free on product forums, so once again thanks, and God Bless, The Postecutioner, Keith

 

[BobV55]

Mea Culpa Keith, and thanks to Icepulse for the correction. I never use MIDI, so I didn't even notice that it was removed, along with the CD drive.
Often, I don't have the luxury of starting a song with our drummer, so I simply fire up the Alesis SR-18 and create a click track (closed hi hat) and record it on tracks 23/24. That becomes the timeline against which all the other parts are played, including the drums. If I have an idea about the drum part, I'll cook something up and lay it down on another stereo track, which becomes disposable once my drummer has his part set and ready to track.
Everything else is very old school, all tracks played live against the click track, so MIDI isn't even something I think about.
Keith, sorry to hear that retirement is a forced option...last we spoke, you were still catching calls in the field. Hope this opens new doors for you (not to mention giving your knees some well deserved relief), as well as giving you the time to work with your DP-24.

 

[MetalDude]

Hi.

Is this spiking for the old models or the new models? I just got the new DP 24 SD a couple weeks ago, and a friend emailed me a link to download software to correct this issue. I haven't had it happen yet. I've recorded 3 songs and today learned how to mixdown and master. I didn't hear any pops or clicks.

I did have a question though: I don't have a computer in the room the Tascam is. It's in my basement studio, and my desktop computer is upstairs in the office. I had a computer in the basement but it got infected badly so i went "Office Space" smashing on it. I'll probably buy a laptop for down there. My desktop amazingly does not have a card reader slot (its almost 5 years old now), but my printer/scanner/copier does. Can you take the SD card out of the Tascam, insert it into that, and get the mastered WAV files? I tried it, and the "Audio Depot" folder where the they should be said "empty folder". The folder with the tracks had all the tracks there, though. Maybe i did something wrong in mastering it. I didn't see any "save" prompt. It automatically gets dumped to that folder, right? Or do you have to connect the Tascam with a USB to the computer?

 

[BobV55]

Hi MetalDude,

When you finish tracking, go through the mastering process to create a final mix. Then, when you connect to the computer via USB, navigate to and open the folder named Music. You'll find all the songs you've done in folders bearing the name you gave the song when you created (or renamed) it on the Tascam. Open the folder with the song you just mixed, and you'll find a WAV file with the same name as the song near the top - the files below are the individual tracks. Copy that named WAV file to the computer, and you'll have your completed mix.
I take all my mixes out this way, then bring them into Sound Forge Pro and use Ozone 5 to master them, using some multiband compression presets I've cooked up as my start points.

Hope this helps!

 

[Postecutioner]

Hey Bob, I didn't want to start a new thread, I hope I don't offend anyone by asking you about another issue. I understand that if you don't record from the start of a track, you will have to realign the tracks when sent to your computer. Recording silence doesn't seem to be a big hassle, but how the heck do you do fade ins, and fade outs? The DPs don't seem to have an option for that based on what I've read, so I assume you'd have to use fade in, and fade out functions in a DAW. It seems it would have been simple, and cost little for them to have made it so in between mixdown, and mastering, the main stereo bus could have been configured to fade in, and out by manually raising and lowering that, and as far as the tracks lining up in the folder when it hits the computer, that sounds like a no brainer, they shouldn't be a need to record the entire length of the song for a few flourishes at various points during the song. At price point, it has a lot of features, but some omissions, like real MIDI, instead of just clock, and fade in, and out, and lastly, and most importantly to me, the ability to apply dynamics, and effects at any stage of recording process, and more than one at a time is also a no brainer, but of course my rack units make that possible, I think?
Sorry to get the thread off track, but I hate starting threads.

Thanks, Keith

 

[BobV55]

Hi Keith,
On the Tascam, the only way to fade in/out is by using the faders. What I do is create a master on the Tascam, then copy the WAV file off to my laptop, bring it into Sound Forge Pro, and before I run it through Ozone to actually make the master, I trim off all the "pre-song" noises...throat clearing at the mike, humming tube amps, and so on. If I'm going to do a fade, I do it here, as the fade is perfectly linear, and I can make it as long or as short as I want.
An alternative at a much lower price point than Sound Forge Pro is Audacity, which I believe is still free, and should allow you to bring in the master WAV and take care of the trims, fades, and so on to clean up the intro and outro of the song you're working on.

As far as the tracks lining up, they all start at 0:00, so you can export a single track, apply effects, etc. in a DAW, then copy it back into the song with no change in alignment...I tried that once as a test, where I copied a vocal track out, then tested iZotope's Nectar on the vocal, and copied it back into the song. The hardest part is actually finding which track is which, because the track naming convention Tascam uses doesn't make it clear which is track 1, 2, and so on.

I've never had an issue with the tracks not lining up, although I will mention that you may hear some bizarre things in a song that weren't there before - when this happens, the fix is to copy all content on the SD card to a computer via USB, then format the SD card in the DP-24, and finally copy the content back from the computer to the SD card. The cards do need an occasional format to avoid errors, and has fixed oddball issues for me every time without fail.

Hope this helps!

 

[Postecutioner]

Your information is always helpful Bob! I already have Cubase AI6, and Reaper. I'm sure both have fade in/out capabilities, and I think Reaper has a good Mastering plugin, although I haven't gotten that deep into the 400+ pages of technical information in the Reaper Reference Guide. I hate reading technical manuals, but they are a necessity, LOL

Thanks for indulging my off topic post.
Your friend Keith

 

[BobV55]

Glad to help, Keith! I think you're right, and Reaper will handle the chores you need it to, based on all I've read about it. I agree...the manuals are both painfully dry and endlessly long, but are critically necessary.