Safety track

[Bart de Graaf]

I got a question. A while back I bought myself a Tascam 680DR. It is a brilliant piece of gear for its price. For little over 600 dollars you got a mixer with recorder equipped with 6 analog channels, limiters and more.
I am really happy with the recorder although I find it a pain to synchronize all the audio by eye, so therefor I figured out that I could send it to my camera.

I used a wireless transmitter to send the audio to the red, It works perfect. This way the camera and audio recorder get the same audio which makes it way easier to sync it after. Actually the sound quality surprises me so much I might use the in-camera recorded mix once in a while.

I should mix the channels down to where they both are identical but I find the the Red way to sensitive. I know it should be done by lowering the output from the mixer, but it will bring down the master volume of the master stereo track of the mixer and I don't want that.
Therefor I tried making a safety track in camera, but couldn't really figure out how to do it. Is there a way I could duplicate a channel and and mix it down?

Thanks:>

 

[Ulf Krentz]

Hi Bart, if you´ve already turned your input gain down to the lowest level of 30db (menu/Settings/Audio/Audio Control/Pre-Amp/Ch1 and Ch2) you will need to bring the output level of your transmitter down, this could be easily done with two resistors per channel, probably best to have a custom made cable, remember those 3,5mm jacks are wired for a symmetrical input and not for conventional "stereo".

 

[Mike P.]

Not sure if this is the problem, but the camera brain is mic-level in only, which could cause it to sound super loud (though usually straight-up distorted) if the Tascam is outputting line (I think there's a 20db difference between the two, right off the top).

Conversely, this is precisely why, at the very least, I try to have an onboard button mic on the camera at all times. The quality is poop, but it catches the clap like no ones business... and then syncing is a breeze with automated software (or matching the claps). The button mics are only $20 and it would free up your wireless to be used on someone. Just food for thought.