DP-32SD file backup/restore question

[Dan R]

I have recently bought a DP-32SD and so far so good but I backed up songs to my computer (mac) and when I tried to restore them they transfer to the DP32 Music folder on the mac but don't show up on the song list on the DP32. I've followed the procedure in the manual, tried several times and can't get the files to show up. It was easy enough to back them up on the mac and I thought it would be a simple matter to put them back but no luck. Anybody know why?
Thanks
Dan

 

[Mid life crisis]

Dan, you mentioned they show up on the Mac's Music folder. Did you load them into the DP32SD Music folder before trying to search the song list? I have the same machine and a Mac, but haven't tried transferring songs back and forth yet. I know on the 2488's, you had to drop the songs into the FAT folder prior to opening them.

 

[Dan R]

Yes that's what I did. And just now I tried again and also put a copy in the Audio Depot folder just for the heck of it. That didn't work either. It's rather odd too because I can see the song folders that do show up in the list that haven't yet been transferred and deleted from the card. On the mac it looks like I'm simply adding another song folder like the others and yet it refuses to appear. Very baffling.

 

[Mid life crisis]

Are you transferring with the SD card or USB? One more thing .... Are you using the 2GB card that came with the machine or something different? If I get time tonight, I'll try mine and see what happens.

 

[Dan R]

Those are good questions I never thought of. I'm using the USB and a different card. The manual says the Tascam website tells which SD cards were tested and shown to work with this unit but I looked all over the website and found no such information. I even wrote to them and they never replied except the auto-reply that says they will get back to me. That was March 9. still waiting...
I don't know why the USB would matter but I guess it could. The card could very well matter. Thanks for your ideas! I will try some experiments and let you know how it goes.

By the way have you tried to use the "undo" feature? I goofed and over-wrote some short bits of tracks and followed the manual but the undo button didn't seem to do (or undo) anything at all. I think they could have written this manual a bit better but anyway I still like the machine very much so far.

 

[Mid life crisis]

Dan, I just tried it with the SD card and seemed to work fine. Haven't tried USB yet. I copied the songs to the Mac HD and then transferred them back to a different card. Plugged the card into the DP and worked fine. I could be wrong, but I think you only have to use the Audio Depot if using the USB. I do remember it was confusing on my 2488. Unfortunately, Tascam rarely responds to emails from my experience. I had better luck by phone, but the wait time is typically 15 - 30 min.

On their website, select Digital Portastudio, then DP-32, then Downloads, then select Tested Media List. I have not been able to find most of them. I don't know where you are from, but if you have Costco nearby, they sell a Sandisk Extreme 32GB card for $39.99 that works great. For any card, just make sure it is a Class 10. Try to see if you can return it if it doesn't work, because the 32gigs are not cheap. That's why I like Costco, no questions asked. Lastly, I have not used the Undo feature yet on the DP-32SD yet, but I remember with the 2488, I had to put the cursor one step from where I thought it should be (if that makes any sense). I'd make copy of the song you're working on and play with the copy. That way you'll still have the original if you screw up.

On this site, there is a document called 'Double's Home Guide' that was very helpful for the 2488 and may have been updated for the DP machines. It's on the home page. I do agree , the manual could be a little more informative. There used to be a predecessor to this forum that had experienced users chime in when some one was having a learning curve. I think a lot of them moved on. Hope some of this helps!
MLC

 

[Dan R]

Oh what a boatload of information! Thank you so much!
I do have costco and go all the time. I will try your suggestions as soon as I can!
Thanks again!

 

[Dan R]

Hey I think I figured out what's going on. I was doing it wrong. ha! no surprise there...
Anyway what I was doing was transfer a song file from the DP-32SD to the mac and then change the name on the mac assuming that would change the name everywhere. But the DP-32SD still thinks it's the same song (which it is) and puts it under the same name so the song list doesn't change. In other words the DP-32SD doesn't recognize name changes made on the computer. I figured it out when I put a totally different song from a different card from the mac to the DP-32SD and it showed up just fine. So now everything is working. A bit more information about this in the manual would have been really helpful.

I'm getting the hang of this thing bit by bit. You're help is much appreciated!
Dan

 

[bigbob64]

Hi Dan,
Pleased you got this sorted basically I take the SD card out and copy the whole SD card complete to a folder I made called DP24 backup as use the card in a Zoom R16 as well when I go to band practice ( I am Scottish and we are well known for being tight) so I have an other folder for the zoom and when I come home from the practice I dump the result in the zoom folder put the card back in my DP24 and format it put the sd card back in the computer and copy paste the whole thing back from the DP24 backup folder.
The audio depot is an other story it is used to get tracks into the DP24 as single wave tracks either via the USB or by putting the SD card into your card reader and using copy and paste I have loaded whole songs I have done on the zoom or sonar into the DP24 once they are in the audio depot you make a new song then go to audio depot and import one at a time. If you have stuff on your DAW software that you do not have on the DP i.e bass compressor or vocal stuff like melodyne you can also export the same way add whatever and as long as you do not change the name save the track in the PC the import it back into the DP.
If you have mastered a song (i usually normalize and then use the multiband compressors in the DP) it is saved in a song file and when you connect the DP via usb you can see it as a separate drive and load it into your favorite mastering software if you prefer mastering this way.

Bob

 

[Dan R]

Oh that reminds me I did try your suggestion of putting the card in a reader and moving files directly to the computer but the computer didn't recognize the card without it being formatted on the computer. At least that's what I gathered. Anyway it's ok now. I'm content using the USB now that I know how it works. I did use the audio depot to insert a WAV file of a sound effect in one of my songs and that worked beautifully. It sounds like you're a bit more sophisticated in this stuff. This is my first serious shot at home recording. I've been in other people's studios many times but there was always a guy who knew all about it and all I had to do was play my instruments. Now I have to learn something about it myself! Ha! It's a blast!

Oh I just realized you're not the same person who was chatting with me before on this! Anyway you've obviously read the thread and know what I'm referring to above. I love these forums. They are so helpful!

 

[bigbob64]

[QUOTEOh I just realized you're not the same person who was chatting with me before on this][/QUOTE] Yes sorry should have said just thought as a reasonably new owner of the DP24 I would share my experience with file swapping etc. although I have used other stuff in studio's in the past.

Now I have to learn something about it myself! Ha! It's a blast! [/QUOTE
It is and a lot of fun. The DP24/32 are great on their own but incorporate them with some form of DAW and they then become awesome. I was looking up the other day on how the first concept album was made "Sgt Peppers lonely hearts club band" and was amazed at what they had to record the album they did not even have 8 track they improvised by syncing two 4 track reel to reel and had a mono Reel to reel to put reverse symbols and strings/Brass through the mixer and in the past I would have lusted after this stuff but if I had a spare 59 Les Paul and a Dumble in the closet I would not have been able to buy that stuff. And now look at us for less than a grand we have a 100 times the amount of recording power only wish I had there inspiration but with less they produced more by thinking out of the box and that's the fun bit I find in recording.

 

[Dan R]

Oh yes the early days of recording are really something to explore. You'd never guess from the sound quality either how it all was done. But I'm very happy to have our 21st century technology! Lets us focus on the songs!