Getting invalid card message on DP-008ex

[Findlay]

I'm really concerned because my DP-008ex is suddenly giving an invalid card message with every card I have used on it and with any new card I try to format - I get a file error/power off message when I try to format. I can't play any of my recordings or record. Is there any sort of reset or will I have to buy a new unit? Help please! I see Davis has got a similar problem but no answer yet....

 

[Mark Richards]

The 2488/DP-24/32/SD Digital Portastudio forum's Equipment Tips sticky thread has some suggested SD card/file recovery processes that you might get you pointed in the right direction (after first backing up your SD cards on your computer). It will depend on how similar the DP-008 file system is to the DP-24/32/SD.

Other thoughts:

• Can your computer read the SD cards?
• Is your firmware up to date?
• Will your DP-008 recognize an SD card first formatted by your computer?
• Are you using TASCAM confirmed SD cards? From the DP-008EX OM "Introduction":

A list of SD cards that have been confirmed for use with this unit can be found on our web site. Please access to a product page of this product [sic] from the TEAC Global Site (http://teac-global.com) to find the list or contact the TASCAM customer support service.

The DP-24/32/SD OM is even more specific:
"Use of SD cards that have not been verified for use with this unit could result in the unit not functioning properly."​

• Are your SD cards genuine? there have been reports of counterfeit cards over the years. See this post on buying SD cards for use with portastudios.

​

 

[Findlay]

Hi Mark, thanks for this. I've looked at a previous thread and tried to update the firmware but the infuriating thing with the DP-008ex is that you can't do this unless it can read a card.

The pc can read my cards ok.
It can't recognise cards formatted on the pc
I'm using the confirmed SanDisk Extreme cards - have tried several and
they format on the DP-32sd ok.

I can only think that I have worn out the card reader! I have used it so much these last 3 years recording about 250 songs and always taking the card out to download tracks on to the pc and then to the DP32. I should have been using an SD extension cord as I do for the DP32 I guess. Tricky to fix if so I should imagine?

 

[Mark Richards]

Have you tried applying Deoxit or similar contact cleaner in the card reader?

 

[Findlay]

Yes, tried that too. I wonder if I should try to bend the contacts in the card reader slightly, or even try to replace the reader? Any ideas?

 

[Findlay]

Well I've taken the back off and had a look at the card reader. The contacts seem to be making contact with the card contacts - I've pushed them down slightly to make sure. Squirted contact cleaner on them and the card. The connections to the board look good. At a loss really. If I ignore the need invalid card message and go to the main menu, select card and partition size, as say 8GB and try to format I get the message "file error 0704FF". Any Tascam tech know what this means? A repair by the service centre would be uneconomic I think. I hate to have to just junk this recorder as I am very fond of it, I use it all the time for recording basic tracks to mix on my DP-32sd. Is there any way to flash it into life? The catch 22 seems to be that if you hook it up to a pc it needs a mounted card to be visible for updating.

 

[shredd]

Any Tascam tech know what this means?
-- I hate to have to just junk this recorder as I am very fond of it, I use it all the time for recording basic tracks to mix on my DP-32sd. Is there any way to flash it into life? The catch 22 seems to be that if you hook it up to a pc it needs a mounted card to be visible for updating

As resident maroon, I'll chime in my $0.02 (probably actually worth about 1/2 a ruble...):

• RE - 'flash'ing or resetting: that's always a good place to start, and sounds like it needs it...something 'corrupted'? Is it possible to do some sort of 're-boot'/factory-default reset? That's either gonna be in the user manual, a service manual, or possibly in the 'system' menu?
• I'd also point out that in my experience w/my various small-format MTR's that run on SD cards - more often than not, they do NOT "like" SD cards that have been formatted in a computer - they typically prefer/require that the card be formatted BY the unit itself. Probably some proprietary format BS.

I agree - the little units are perfect for capturing tracks to add to full-studio projects. That's what I do with mine.
Couldn't help but get a laugh over your wondering if Tascam techs read the forums and help us out. That SO kewt...

EDIT: found a post by the brilliant @Phil Tipping in a thread about this problem. In it, he refers to a Tascam product release concerning firmware corruption/reloading...maybe that'd help ya?

 

[Findlay]

Thanks for the link Shredd, but you can't update the firmware until the unit can read a card - it is a sort of catch 22 set-up!

 

[shredd]

Thanks for the link Shredd, but you can't update the firmware until the unit can read a card - it is a sort of catch 22 set-up!

Yeah...I read that part up above. That's a real FUBAR for sure.
I guess I was thinking that if somehow the unit could be TOTALLY factory-reset (right down to the originally installed firmware) it might recognize/format a card, and THEN you could update firmware...yikes...

 

[Andy Kay]

if you are getting regular card issues, it's sometimes worth downloading the formatting tool from here https://www.sdcard.org/.

Another suggestion, echoing what's been said already is to do a factory reset in order to return the machine to it's original configuration/restoring initial preferences etc then updating the firmware it that let's you read a card.

Technology is great, right up to the point it isn't

 

[Findlay]

Thanks for this. The problem was that it wouldn't allow access to the preferences, just kept giving the error message on start up. I finally contacted the Tascam service centre and was advised it probably needed a new main circuit board. Sent it back for repair and now working fine!

 

[Andy Kay]

good to see you got a resolution. As a point of interest, how did the cost of the repair compare to the cost of a replacement piece of gear. When my old DP006 died it made no sense to repair as it was almost double the cost of a new unit

 

[Findlay]

The repair cost wasn't bad. It is a bit newer than I thought - I have a much older DP008 that I still use - and although outside the 1 year warranty it is within 2 years so repaired at a very reasonable £36 to cover handling. I'm very impressed with Tascam service I must say.

 

[Andy Kay]

that's a result - Tascam service seems somewhat unpredictable in recent years, glad you got a good result