A Question for Tascam DR-701D or DR-70D Users about "Slate" Function

[Karl Lee]

I was wondering if any Tascam DR-701D or DR-70D users could help with a question I have about the slate function on these recorders. Can the slate button be pressed at any point during a recording to generate (and record) tone, or is the button just used to access the slate configuration menu which enables/disables automatic slate tone insertion at the beginning and/or end of each recording? And, if the former is the case, does the recorder start recording a new track each time the slate button is pressed, or does it simply insert tone on the audio recording without creating a new track or mark?

Essentially, I'm just trying to figure out if I can press the slate button and have it insert tone at any point during a recording. I've tried looking through the manuals for both of these recorders, but documentation specific to the slate functions and capabilities seems to be pretty sparse.

Thanks!

 

[Jonathan Stevenson]

I know this isn't very helpful, but I wanted to chime in and say that I too have tried numerous times to figure out what the fuck that slate button does, and I can't for the life of me figure it out. You're not alone...

 

[Eric Hales]

I own a Tascam DR70D and yes, you can press the slate button at any time to insert tone on the audio recording. The slate function is not automatic, you have to press the slate button for tone to generate and the tone lasts however long you hold down the slate button. So for example, if you only want it last 1 second, you just hold down the button for 1 second. If you want it to last 5 seconds, you hold down the button for 5 seconds. Sometimes to help differentiate takes, I'll press the slate button twice near the beginning of take 2, three presses of the slate button on take 3, and so on. You can also adjust the loudness of the tone within a menu setting if you want a different loudness level.

 

[Eric Hales]

Actually there is an "auto tone" setting in the menu, I've just always manually pressed the slate button. Either way works.

 

[David Peterson]

Sometimes to help differentiate takes, I'll press the slate button twice near the beginning of take 2, three presses of the slate button on take 3, and so on.

Good tip!

Sometimes I would double tap the slate button on the DR-70D, thinking that the random gap between the two slate tones (because we're only human, we can't make the timing exactly the same between each two, no matter how hard we might try) would also help PluralEyes (or whatever else post might use) to sync the two tracks together if the software is struggling to identify them together.

But using your idea to help identify take one/two/three/etc is a good idea to add on! Thanks

(btw, if anybody is confused about its function.... it only makes sense if you're sending out a signal to the camera. If you're not hooked up to anything else, than it has next to no purpose at all)