Upsetting experience

[WernerBeukes]

Hey everybody,

I have posted countless times on different forums on how to calibrate the faders of the Tascam DM 4800, and it looks like it's not possible to do so... In that case I should buy a Yamaha DM 2000 console because working on a desk with absolutely no way to calibrate faders are frustrating to say the least.

The faders don't sit side by side anymore, and makes it kind of difficult to mix with remote section.

Please if someone here can help me it would come VERY much appresiated.

 

[Gravity Jim]

Yes, you've posted this question all over the Internet, and in several places on this forum alone (even in threads on other subjects), but I get the impression you haven't contacted Tascam support, which is what I would do.

Or, before I did, I might try backing up all my projects to the SD card and the computer, pulling all the faders down and doing a hard reset.

 

[Arjan P]

I have posted countless times on different forums

Yes, it was quite clear. You have to realize: no answer is also an answer. In other words; either noone has the experience you have, or noone knows of a way to calibrate. And if the question was asked in a totally unrelated topic I would hope noone answers because it's a topic hi-jack.

 

[cmaffia]

Pardon me for stating the obvious but as already pointed out, this isn't a normal problem so why wouldn't you call Tascam Support to see WHY you need to "calibrate" ? This may be a malfunction with your unit that requires them to service it... but you won't know until you call...

 

[captdan]

I'm one of those stuborn people who first tries all options before calling the 'authorities.' In this case, it would be to follow Jim's suggestion, performing a total board reset. If the OP hasn't yet done this, he should. If he has and the problem persists, Tascam authorities are just a phone call away.

CaptDan

 

[Gravity Jim]

I'm one of those stuborn people who first tries all options before calling the 'authorities.' In this case, it would be to follow Jim's suggestion, performing a total board reset. If the OP hasn't yet done this, he should. If he has and the problem persists, Tascam authorities are just a phone call away.

CaptDan

Yep. When it comes to this digital stuff, the one thing I've learned is... if nothing makes sense, then back it up and set it to zero.

 

[TascMan]

Or pick up that Yami DM2000. Looks like a nice board...

 

[WernerBeukes]

Hey guys,

Yes, calling Tascam would be the first best thing to do I totally agree... But, I even did call and email Tascam Japan, they gave me instructions, "press buss 1/2 buttons and ccnrl, then switch of the desk... Guess what, it only test's the console's faders and pots ect...
So then I spoke to Wald&Marr(Tascam agents in South Africa) and they simply don't have an answer.
I love the desk, but one thing I know for a fact is that ALL digital mixer faders MUST be calibrated at some point, and Yamaha for example know yhis is obvious and gives the instructions propperly in their manual, Tascam on the other hand, simply nothing!

Anyway, not trying to make you guys negative, just hoping somebody would know.
The advise on resetting the desk, I,m probably going to make this my next step.

Blessings to all!

 

[Gravity Jim]

So, did it work?

 

[WernerBeukes]

So, did it work?

I did it, and no, it resets everything, but the faders are still not side by side.
There's about a 2-3 db difference between the faders.

The only other thing I think of is to open the desk and then reset then inside on the circut board.

 

[Will Miho]

Would it help to play with the digital trim settings?

 

[WernerBeukes]

Hi Will,

I hear you, trims good idea, although I'm using either a load of stereo chnl's or simply mono like my avalon 737 or 1176LN...
Where it realy get 's pain in the butt is when I'm on the remote section of the desk and it stuffs my pro tools faders around...

 

[cmaffia]

This makes no sense. Are all faders Affected? Are the same faders affected on each layer? What If you manually adjust them to zero? What happens when you power cycle the board then?

 

[Will Miho]

I have had weirdness with faders sometimes, on the DM4800 switch layers and you come back and there are one or two faders that aren't where you left them. Thing is touch sensitive faders will eventually bite everyone on the butt, move them with your fingernail and it might go down but still be passing audio, or vice versa. Seen this on the SSL C100 and Calrec Bluefin Beta and SIgma desks.

 

[waterstrum]

My old digital mixer had a calibrate mode where you could press a couple of buttons and the faders would jump up and down for a bit and then settle in.
This would correct any anomalies.
Maybe the DM4800 has something similar.
Has anybody checked the service manual?

FWIW, I haven't needed this on my DM.
Faders have been well behaved.
Stereo pairs are always perfectly aligned.

I agree with Will that touch sensitive faders are a bite in the butt waiting to happen.
I've been bitten several times.
Turn off the touch if you don't need it.

 

[WernerBeukes]

Yeah, I think thats makes sence. I'll rather turn it off then, will it affect my remote section??

 

[captdan]

My experience with PT10 and the DM is, touch sensitivity doesn't work the same in the remote layer as it does on the DM's layers. In PT's mix screen, touching faders (occasionally) results in PT's selected channel fader responding by highlighting the fader volume section. In otherwords, touching the DM fader doesn't result in that fader lighting up.

Cubase, on the otherhand, was more concise in that regard - where touching a DM fader actuated both the Cubase channel and the DM's.

Bear in mind, I haven't delved too deeply into this issue with regard to ProTools; I mix out of the box, and so long as PT's mix section syncs with the DM when the remote layer is selected, I really don't care if the DM's fader responds or not. However, I agree with Will: touch sensitivity can cause various problems; it's both a blessing and a curse. I like it for final mixes; but for most other tasks I usually keep it off.

Finally, there's a possibility that something is awry in your PT HUI settings. If you mix in the box, and your DM's faders consistently disagree with PT's mix screen, perhaps the issue lies in either the DAW settings, or your DM's HUI/Remote setup.

CaptDan

 

[r3writed]

maybe a stupid question but....did u try to change the sensitivity of the faders touch? or did u try to put all faders on 0 on the desk and in PT and start from there?

 

[Gravity Jim]

I asked Tascam abut this, and they said you SHOULD run the fader diagnostics, as that will calibrate the faders... unless you have a hardware problem. So, if you actually did run the diagnostics and got no joy, then the console needs service.

 

[WernerBeukes]

Yes, I did run the diagnostics, and didn't do anything to solve this problem. I don't understand why it needs service? A friend of mine has a Yamaha M 7 and he pressed one bottun and it callibrated with no problem, it asks you to put the faders on 0 , then all the way to the top and then on unity. And all fixed.
Aint this possible with the dm 4800?