Hello, everyone! Although what I would really like is a Portacapture X6 with combo jacks, that doesn't exist, and the X8 isn't in my budget right now, so I settled for the DR-40X, and today I made my first recording of a public meeting.
I have discovered a few things:
1. The quick release plate for my tripod for some reason would not screw in all the way the first three times I tried it, but on the fourth try, it screwed right in. weird! Because I couldn't set it on my tripod during today's meeting, I propped it on top of the Plano box I'm using to store and transport it (see below), but realised that probably isn't very secure. I'm going to buy a Manfrotto PIXI tabletop tripod, for a smaller option.
2. I bought a Samsung EVO Select 128 GB micro SDXC card (MB-ME128SA), which type I also use in my Raspberry Pi 4B, and that worked fine, but then I decided to buy a Samsung PRO Ultimate 128 GB SDXC card (MB-SY128SB), and that caused the DR-40X to completely lock up, necessitating removal of the batteries to get it to shut down. I didn't have a second card of that type to test, so I don't know if the card is just incompatible, or whether it was a defective card, but I've notified TASCAM of the issue, and ordered a second EVO Select 128 GB micro SDXC card.
3. I had no idea the DR-40X has a maximum file size of only 2 GB. That's a little annoying in 2025. The recording I made today was stereo 24-bit/96 KHz, and the meeting lasted over 1 hour, 24 minutes. There is no record of this factoid in either the DR-40X owner's manual or reference guide. I freaked out a little bit when I looked at the time display on the DR-40X after it had already rolled over to the second file, over an hour into the meeting.
4. The DR-40X fits nicely into a Plano medium size ABS waterproof box with enough room to wrap the unit in a couple of layers of bubble wrap and store an extra set of 3 AA batteries and a couple of spare SD cards inside the box. This line of boxes is discontinued, but Amazon has 9 left right now for about $18 each.
5. My mother has a DR-05X, that I recommended to her a few years ago, but she cannot locate it after moving from New Jersey to California, so I was forced to buy a new field recorder instead of borrowing hers. I probably could have gone with the DR-05XP for my immediate needs of recording these public meetings, but for $60 more, I felt it was a better idea to go with the DR-40X, because I am also a musician, and having the combo jacks is important for my ability to use the recorder for more than one purpose.
6. What do you think the odds are that the DR-40X is about to be replaced with a Portacapture X4? I feel like now that I plunked down the money on this already obsolete unit, that's imminent. It would have been nice to have 32-bit float and USB-C. I'm trying to get rid of all the micro USB things.
7. Why is the battery compartment cover so hard to open?? I feel like I'm going to end up breaking it.
I have discovered a few things:
1. The quick release plate for my tripod for some reason would not screw in all the way the first three times I tried it, but on the fourth try, it screwed right in. weird! Because I couldn't set it on my tripod during today's meeting, I propped it on top of the Plano box I'm using to store and transport it (see below), but realised that probably isn't very secure. I'm going to buy a Manfrotto PIXI tabletop tripod, for a smaller option.
2. I bought a Samsung EVO Select 128 GB micro SDXC card (MB-ME128SA), which type I also use in my Raspberry Pi 4B, and that worked fine, but then I decided to buy a Samsung PRO Ultimate 128 GB SDXC card (MB-SY128SB), and that caused the DR-40X to completely lock up, necessitating removal of the batteries to get it to shut down. I didn't have a second card of that type to test, so I don't know if the card is just incompatible, or whether it was a defective card, but I've notified TASCAM of the issue, and ordered a second EVO Select 128 GB micro SDXC card.
3. I had no idea the DR-40X has a maximum file size of only 2 GB. That's a little annoying in 2025. The recording I made today was stereo 24-bit/96 KHz, and the meeting lasted over 1 hour, 24 minutes. There is no record of this factoid in either the DR-40X owner's manual or reference guide. I freaked out a little bit when I looked at the time display on the DR-40X after it had already rolled over to the second file, over an hour into the meeting.
4. The DR-40X fits nicely into a Plano medium size ABS waterproof box with enough room to wrap the unit in a couple of layers of bubble wrap and store an extra set of 3 AA batteries and a couple of spare SD cards inside the box. This line of boxes is discontinued, but Amazon has 9 left right now for about $18 each.
5. My mother has a DR-05X, that I recommended to her a few years ago, but she cannot locate it after moving from New Jersey to California, so I was forced to buy a new field recorder instead of borrowing hers. I probably could have gone with the DR-05XP for my immediate needs of recording these public meetings, but for $60 more, I felt it was a better idea to go with the DR-40X, because I am also a musician, and having the combo jacks is important for my ability to use the recorder for more than one purpose.
6. What do you think the odds are that the DR-40X is about to be replaced with a Portacapture X4? I feel like now that I plunked down the money on this already obsolete unit, that's imminent. It would have been nice to have 32-bit float and USB-C. I'm trying to get rid of all the micro USB things.
7. Why is the battery compartment cover so hard to open?? I feel like I'm going to end up breaking it.
