FR-AV 2 Question

[Regal1956]

Just bought an FR-AV 2. I’ve found that, when turning off the device, it often doesn’t retain settings when turned back on. Specifically, phantom power is deactivated when I power up the device. Since I use the FR-AV 2 exclusively with mics that need phantom power, this is annoying. Other users assure me that the FR-AV 2 does retain settings. But that hasn’t been my experience. And reading through the 75 page user manual, I can’t find whether the FR-AV 2 is supposed to retain settings when powered off. In case it’s relevant to my question, I’m powering my FR-AV 2 solely from either its PS-P520U AC Adapter or USB BUS power—I’ve not yet installed batteries of any kind.

The fact that it’s phantom power that’s often deactivated when I power up makes me wonder. Is this is a built-in safety feature to avoid accidentally sending phantom power to a passive ribbon mic?

Hence my question: Is the FR-AV 2 supposed to retain all settings after powering down? Or are certain settings selectively deactivated?

 

[Joop]

You can find that function on page 64 item 17-8. Not all settings are saved and some depends on the power settings.

 

[Regal1956]

After reading your post, I tried saving my settings as a preset. So far, so good. We’ll see if it holds. Thanks for your help.

 

[Regal1956]

Okay, I’m still having trouble getting my FR-AV 2 to save settings. I use this unit in exactly the same way every time, with the same two XLR mics. So I want it to retain the following settings:

INPUT (F3)
Rec Level:
CH 1: +45.0dB
CH 2: +45.0dB
Input: MIC
Stereo Link: On
Phantom CH1: On
Phantom CH2: On

(All other settings on the F3 menu—Gang, Plug In Power, Delay, Low Cut, Dynamics, EQ, Noise Gate, Phase Invert (both channels), MS Wide—should be off.)

To be clear: every time I power up my FR-AV 2, I want all the above settings. I’ve tried saving these settings as a preset. But my FR-AV2 will not do this. Specifically, the phantom power settings do not behave consistently. Sometimes when I power up, they’re on, as I want them to be. Sometimes they’re off.

So here’s my question. Is the FR-AV 2 designed so that it will not save phantom power settings as a preset? (Perhaps as a safety feature. For example, to avoid sending phantom power to a passive ribbon mic.)

 

[-mjk-]

I’ve not yet installed batteries of any kind.

Have you tried putting a set of batteries in it and testing the settings retention function? This is too easy to not try it.

 

[Regal1956]

> Have you tried putting a set of batteries in it and testing the settings retention function?

My problem is that my unit is retaining some of the settings, but not all. Specifically, phantom power is the setting being lost. (Sometimes.) If having no batteries installed is causing the problem, then why would it affect only the phantom power setting? Why wouldn’t my other settings also be lost?

This is why I suspect phantom power is, by design, being treated differently than other settings.

 

[Toska]

hi! i got my FR-AV2, and need help. I connected to pc to usb, but it doesnt appear on m computer or anywhere. Doesnt appear on my DAW also. Could please someone help me with the configurations? How do i configure/connect it to the DAW? please?

 

[-mjk-]

If having no batteries installed is causing the problem, then why would it affect only the phantom power setting? Why wouldn’t my other settings also be lost?

We don't know. But what we do know is, the device is normally used with batteries in it.

 

[Joop]

> Have you tried putting a set of batteries in it and testing the settings retention function?

My problem is that my unit is retaining some of the settings, but not all. Specifically, phantom power is the setting being lost. (Sometimes.) If having no batteries installed is causing the problem, then why would it affect only the phantom power setting? Why wouldn’t my other settings also be lost?

This is why I suspect phantom power is, by design, being treated differently than other settings.

The setting of the Phantom power is going back to the basic, which is "off" in order to prevent damage to the microphone(s) and internal circuitry. Of course this is only for XLR input. Getting something automated tend to the problem that you forget a thing or two which can in time give problems.

 

[Joop]

hi! i got my FR-AV2, and need help. I connected to pc to usb, but it doesnt appear on m computer or anywhere. Doesnt appear on my DAW also. Could please someone help me with the configurations? How do i configure/connect it to the DAW? please?

It should be going automatic. May be you use an USB cable which is only for charging and not for data.

 

[Regal1956]

The setting of the Phantom power is going back to the basic, which is "off" in order to prevent damage to the microphone(s) and internal circuitry. Of course this is only for XLR input. Getting something automated tend to the problem that you forget a thing or two which can in time give problems.

You’ve confirmed my guess. Thanks for your help.

 

[Toska]

@Joop, thank you )

 

[Regal1956]

While I’m here, I’ll ask another question. Sometimes when I power on my FR-AV 2, the first thing I get is this warning screen:



This is mystifying, since I’m not searching for a file—I’m merely powering on the device. It’s only a minor annoyance. I simply push the F4 button and the strange warning goes away. And it doesn’t always happen. But it’s an occasional distraction that seems to serve no purpose. So I’m wondering why my FR-AV 2 does this.

 

[Joop]

I don't know what you are doing. Is there an SD card in the recorder, did you formatted the card in the recorder? When you write a sound file to the card, it also writes a system file in which settings are stored. It could be that you did not setup the recorder correctly. Please insert batteries. Set time and date and set drive/directory for saving files. When you don't have batteries and you pull the power plug from the recorder, then the recorder don't know anything after next start. You have then go over the whole procedure again. I can't explain it otherwise.

 

[Regal1956]

Just to be clear, I use the FR-AV 2 is a very specific way. I’m a musician, and I use it as a practice tool. My FR-AV2 is permanently set up near my practice spot. It’s hooked up to a pair of XLR mics mounted over my music stand. I power it with the Tascam PS-P520U AC Adapter. After recording something, I turn off the FR-AV2, disconnect it from the mics, and take it to my computer to transfer the file. (When transferring files, I run the FR-AV2 via USB bus power.) Yes, I record to a sound card, yes, the sound card is properly formatted, yes all the other settings are correct.

Looking again through the user manual, I found this:

https://postimages.org/][/URL]

My guess is that some of the glitches I’m seeing are because of the “shutdown procedures”—whatever they are. (The manual doesn’t explain the shutdown procedures in any detail.) So even though I always power off my FR-AV2 before disconnecting it from its power adapter, I may inadvertently be disrupting its shutdown procedures.

As things stand now, I can use the FR-AV 2 as I intended when I bought it. It occasionally does weird things, but I’ll just have to get used to them. It’s the price I pay for using a device that’s not really designed for musicians. Fortunately, its sound is excellent enough to make the FR-AV 2’s fussiness tolerable. So I’ll live with it.

 

[Joop]

No, you record to a recorder which can act as a soundcard. How did you format the sd card? When you use ONLY an AC adapter then the unit can only hold settings for a very short time (changing batteries). Probably you have to set time and date every time you hook it to the computer. It probably also looses the setting for the sd card. Because of this you get that screen, the recorder can't find your SD card and can't find the map in which the files are. These settings are normally set once if operated on batteries. But with no power, because you have to go to the computer, it is possible if this takes too long that you have to setup the recorder all over again. I don't think that your recorder does weird things. Why not try it with batteries. You still can use USB power or AC adapter. Do you then have also those weird things?