The Tascam DR-70D is designed to compete with the Zoom H6 and includes new features such as 4 channel recording with independent level adjustment, 2 built-in mics on the front and 4 XLR combo inputs with phantom power, stereo 1/8" input with plug-in power and more. Slimmer than the Tascam DR-60D, two built in stereo microphones to act as a stand alone recorder, and now with 4 XLR inputs - it's the perfect bolt on audio solution for DSLR cameras. Can be mounted to the bottom of the camera, or mounted to the top via shoe mount, or above a cage.
I want to say that Adorama is the first to get this product in stock, is listed at $399 $299 and offers FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING. I literally got this product Next Day FREE after placing my order. If you've borrowed someone's DR-60D, then you'll be sold on the DR-70D. Check it out below
Tascam DR-70D
Doug vanderHoof
A battery pack to power this Tascam DR 70D
AND
a GH2?
There are several that have the right output connectors but I don't know how to calculate the power useage.
Would both get the power they need?
How long could I shoot using phantom power for one Sennheiser ME66/K6 and the GH2?
How about a bracket that holds the battery between the Tascam and the tripod head?
What's the best one for the cheesy budget, with or without that bracket?
I have the cables and coupler/dummy battery for the GH2.
Thanks in advance for any truth about this,
Doug
Mike Berridge
I have not been able to record stereo on channels 1 & 2. I have selected the XLR options on both inputs, but in ALL settings that I can find, each mic from L and R inputs is recorded on both record channels 1 & 2 as MONO. The PAN mode does not give the Left-Centre-Right options as indicated in the manual, but gives only WIDE and a scale of 1 - 100 adjusted by the data knob. If anyone has any info on this I would be very grateful!
kiedamackem
Can anyone help me out with finding a suitable cable that Jay Windland describes above, I'm in the UK and have searched and searched to no avail. I will be running my Tascam DR70D into my Sony A7Rii. Thanks in advance...
Jered McKenna
YEP! It works perfectly. I can't believe it. Still wonder why though?
Jered McKenna
Jay. Thanks you so much. I will buy the cables now. You are great, friend.
Jay Windland
Hey guys, I know this is an older post, but since it looks like people are still having trouble with the noisy line out, I thought I would weigh in with what I've just found.
If you want to pass a clean line out to your camera from the DR-70d, you've got to use a -25db attenuator cable (like the ones from Sescom) and select a line level out rather than a cam level. This is specific to the DR-70d. It is not that way with the DR-60d. Earlier this week I was on a shoot and my boom op ran me a camera feed to my GH4 from his DR-60d with a regular old unbalanced 3.5mm stereo cable and it sounded great. The same cable and signal strength on the DR-70d has a noticeably higher noise floor. I've tested both Tascam units with the same mics and same cameras, and they behave differently. I've also done side by side comparison recordings between the internal recording of the 70d and the pass through to a GH4 (at -12db gain setting on the camera). I can get them very similar - almost identical - by setting my line out to "line" with a level of -6db in the "monitor" page of the menu. When I brought both files into my editor the levels and noise floor matched *pretty close* - not perfect, but close. The 70d's internal recording was a bit fuller sounding than the GH4's recording and the noise floor was *slightly* more present; but this is nitpicking A-B testing with studio headphones in a quiet room with no music bed or nat sound. For normal interviews or dialogue, this setup will work just fine with sound in camera.
So the moral of the story is - hit up Sescom and get some -25db attenuator cables!
Jered McKenna
I have the exact issue with my dr 70d. just experienced it today. The line out is hissy and dirty, but the headphone out is clean, so I had to use that instead, to feed my GH4.
MAN! What will tascam do? is THIS why they just had a huge discount on the DR 70d recently? I'll be pissed if there is no fix for this.
Liz
having same issue + tested with output gain to mic + line connected to my 5D. white noise in all recorded clips
andy zou
I've had no problems running the line out into cameras or control rooms.
Have you set the output gain to Mic and not Line like it defaults to? Sounds like you guys are just overloading your cameras preamps which are mic inputs.
Yost
Hey Eduardo, try this experiment.
Attach camera directly on top of dr 70d and retest. Some people are getting some interference leaking into line out when set up this way.
This product needs to work as advertised. Will be interesting to see your results.
eduardo larez
The way i fixed recording to the Canon 6d and 5d cameras was to activate the Wind filter pad on the Canon and bring the Camera levels down to -12 signal level, i use the slate on the DR 70 at -12 to feed the tone to the camera and then is usually one click up on the canon levels, and that gets the audio input set to -12, the results are perfect and you get clean audio and nice levels from the mix out of the DR 70
I also added a FiiO Kilimanjaro2 E11K Portable Headphone Amplifier for the mix out and gives me control of the over mix levels to the cameras wile recording, if levels change with the VO material i can adjust it.
Hope that helps, i had many successful shootings with the DR 70,
1 boom and 3 lavs running for 10 hour session days.
i got a freeze switching from internal battery power to usb external power wile DR70 on and had to re boot it , i did not loose any audio files or corrupted files, it was stressful but i was lucky it happen on a scene change over so no action at the moment it happen.
The pre amps are excellent and clean even at low level settings
i set the time on the DR 70 with the tc slate manually so it close to the time code slate i re do this every 2 hours of shoot , at least the files are super close to the videos with the audio files time data.
so far so good, i have my DR70 on a SACHTLER audio bag the smallest one and it works nice, 3 receivers one boom sennheiser the fiio amp and an external usb battery all in the bag feeding audio mix to Canon cameras 6d or 5d all working smooth.
i have taken mix out to radial stereo DI to xlr in for xlr cameras with great results too and nice quality .
GK
No, that is not a problem of AGC. My dr-70d has the same problem with a Canon 6d and a 550d too. The white noise is constantly there, even if you change the level of the preamps or the output gain, the level of the white noise is always the same.
I already contacted Tascam and I am still waiting for a solution. Their technician asked me to send them some recording, which I did and now we will see what they say or do. I am disappointed at the moment.
GK
The noise problem has definitely nothing to do with AGC (automatic gain control). I own a Zoom H4n too and it works perfectly well with similar output level.
I have contacted tascam and sent them an audio example (one file recorded with the dr-70d and one passed through to the GH4). The difference is extrem and the white noise has always the same level, even if you reduce the output gain or the level of the mic preamps of the tascam.
I am still waiting for their reply and keep you up to date. At the moment I am disappointed.
Yost
No noise/ground problem here. AGC? I've heard it can simply be turned off on GH4
Yost
My understanding is the noise is a grounding problem. There was a YouTube reviewer who seems to have taken down the video in which he shared this revelation . The problem was fixed with a galvanic isolator in the line out to camera. Also by moving the recorder away some unknown distance, which of course defeats the purpose of the setup.
Found the isolation transformer at B&H for 65.00$ . it's called the JK Audio Pureformer. Will test mine this weekend to see if it has same issue.
Perhaps Tascam will end up sending every owner a transformer as a recall fix or at least those who ask. Have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more about this.
Yoster
This noise is a grounding problem that some units have according to a YouTube review that I found. Video seems to have been taken down.
According to whoever he was, problem can be solved with a galvanic isolator placed on line out. Found one at BH called JK Audio Pureformer.
I believe he also solved problem by moving recorder away from camera.
Haven't tested mine yet but if I have that ground noise I think Tascam should send the expensive gizmo to me and anyone else who has this problem.
GK
having the same problem here that paul has.
I use the dr 70d together with a gh4 and the line out going from the 70d to the gh4 produces white noise like hell. passing the signal through is possible but you can definitely not use the result that is recorded in your cam. you have to sync the audio that is recorded in the 70d with the video later.
i am totally pissed because of that. it seems that the amps used for the line/cam out are absolute bullshit.
Steve Pitt
I'm worried about the white noise issue Paul had when using the dr70d with Rode ntg3. Has anyone had success with this setup?
Hans Zimniak
I own both the DR-60D and DR-70D. I do like the form factor and 4X XLR/TRS inputs, but I don't like the menu structure on the DR-70D. F.i. the "graphical" mixing section as being used on the 60D isn't there on the 70D. There's a lot more functionality hidden now in the menu structure, while the 60D had those on fysical buttons (input selection, phantom power etc.). I liked that more.
The 70D also lacks the "monitoring selection while recording". You can only monitor the total "mix" or the "camera out", thus not the individual tracks (or am I missing something?, there are 4 buttons labeled 1,2,3,4 but the're just transport controls).
@tanner: the 70D has no audible clicks (like the 60D) while adjusting the input levels with the potentiometers: that's a plus!
Emm
Post author@Paul - I'm going to have to test mine, but are you sure you have the proper Phantom power on via XLR? That mic needs to be powered up pretty good.
Paul
Just received my DR-70D and passing the audio through to the camera will not work with this setup as it introduces a ton of white noise. I'm using an NTG-3, which has very little self noise, and the tracks are unusable from the camera files do to the wooshing/rushing sound. And, this is with the GH4 set to -12db and all of the correct/attenuated output settings on the DR-70d. Very disappointing.
Cheese Cadet
The Op Amps used in the DR-70D are the NE5532. The DR-60D and the DR-60D MKII both used the RC/NJM4580 Op Amps despite some people thinking the MKII was upgraded in this area.
This thing smokes the Zoom H6.
Dave
Regarding Dan's questions about the quality of an external recorder versus using in-camera audio, I would say an external recorder will likely be a noticeable improvement in most cases. In camera recording can be limited due to lower sample rates, noisy preamps and automatic compression that can't always be deactivated. That said, you can get acceptable quality for recording dialog. Just know that better results with an external recorder are available. Recording in 96kHz is only suitable for music and audio sources with wide dynamic range. Some claim 96kHz to be the "Emperors Frequency", but it does have advantages over lower sample rates when it comes to editing.
Regarding Tanner's inquiry about the digital potentiometer, I don't know if the new product uses analog pots, but I don't find the digital pots to be a problem. I actually think digital pots have the advantages of being cleaner (no problem with dust causing dropouts) and the stepped settings are more consistent for stereo levels. If you don't have to ride your faders, digital pots are a non-issue.
Tanner
Does this still have digital potentiometer. Has this been fixed in these recorders yet? Do you still hear clicks when adjusting gain during recording?
OldCorpse
I have many reasons I want to buy the DR-70D, but the ones that have a bearing on your post are the following:
1)What if I want to record Foley, or ambient sounds/atmosphere, FX etc. - do I have to drag the camera around as with a RM222 type device...yes I do. What if I don't want to drag a camera around just to do those things? DR-70D comes in handy
2)What if I have a sound person and they want to bag for greater control, or need to be away from camera and it's not practical to run a 25' XLR cable from the bag to the camera? If you need to be away from the camera to record sound, as boom people and sound people often do, then the DR-70D is a great choice and the RM222-type device does nothing for you
3)What if you can run a cable to camera, but need to monitor the sound and are running, say, several lavs on different channels, how practical is it to use the camera in this scenario especially that the person running, say, 4 lavs, is not also going to be running the camera and looking at the camera LCD to monitor sound - it's just not practical. The DR-70D can record to 4 different channels with XLR inputs and has a nice screen you can do it with, without crowding around the camera. None of the RM222-type devices even have a screen.
How good are the preamps on the DR-70D? I don't know. But I tell you what. Robert from JL ran a bunch of tests, where he compared one of his devices with a DR-60D among other devices. The quality of preamps on the 60D was excellent, and certainly no worse than the JL. Now, Tascam claims that the preamps they put into the 70D are *improved* over the 60D. In which case, if the 60D are at least equal to the JL, what reason is there to get the JL in the first place, if *preamps* are you criterion? Because the 70D preamps are even better than the 60D, so it can hardly be a reason to go to a JL based on *that* criterion (preamps). Now, 60D had also the disadvantage (in Robert's view) of steppy pots - which supposedly the 70D fixed (as did the 60Dmkii), but I personally never cared about that. Other considerations are battery life (which I solved by a powerful USB battery bank so I can run it for days), and size (which the 70D improved on, by making it not as tall).
But just for these 3 reasons alone (above), I'd pick the DR-70D over any RM222-type device. But that's me, and my likely use scenarios - YMMV.
OldCorpse
@Dan - reasons *I* intend to buy the DR-70D are many, but the ones that have a bearing on your post are the following:
1)What if I want to record Foley, or ambient sounds/atmosphere, FX etc. - do I have to drag the camera around as with a RM222 type device...yes I do. What if I don't want to drag a camera around just to do those things? DR-70D comes in handy
2)What if I have a sound person and they want to bag for greater control, or need to be away from camera and it's not practical to run a 25' XLR cable from the bag to the camera? If you need to be away from the camera to record sound, as boom people and sound people often do, then the DR-70D is a great choice and the RM222-type device does nothing for you
3)What if you can run a cable to camera, but need to monitor the sound and are running, say, several lavs on different channels, how practical is it to use the camera in this scenario especially that the person running, say, 4 lavs, is not also going to be running the camera and looking at the camera LCD to monitor sound - it's just not practical. The DR-70D can record to 4 different channels with XLR inputs and has a nice screen you can do it with, without crowding around the camera. None of the RM222-type devices even have a screen.
How good are the preamps on the DR-70D? I don't know. But I tell you what. Robert from JL ran a bunch of tests, where he compared one of his devices with a DR-60D among other devices. The quality of preamps on the 60D was excellent, and certainly no worse than the JL. Now, Tascam claims that the preamps they put into the 70D are *improved* over the 60D. In which case, if the 60D are at least equal to the JL, what reason is there to get the JL in the first place, if *preamps* are you criterion? Because the 70D preamps are even better than the 60D, so it can hardly be a reason to go to a JL based on *that* criterion (preamps). Now, 60D had also the disadvantage (in Robert's view) of steppy pots - which supposedly the 70D fixed (as did the 60Dmkii), but I personally never cared about that. Other considerations are battery life (which I solved by a powerful USB battery bank so I can run it for days), and size (which the 70D improved on, by making it not as tall).
But just for these 3 reasons alone (above), I'd pick the DR-70D over any RM222-type device. But that's me, and my likely use scenarios - YMMV.
Dan
A device like this is really about getting better sound.
The question is, does the DR-70 record really superior sound compared to the internal audio recording capability of your camera?
I've found for voice recording of a single person, a good lav or shotgun like the Sennheiser 416, positioned properly close to the source, sent into a good mixer and, more importantly, a really good adapter that converts the low impedance balanced mic signal into the high impedance unbalanced camera input is the key to clean, usable audio.
I like the looks of this Tascam DR-70. It appears that you can take the phones output of your camera and send it to recorder. That way you can switch between monitoring the mic directly and what the camera is recording. This is a professional feature. It also allows you to adjust the recorder's output so the camera is not overdriven.
However, if you were not recording to the DR-70's card, will the device act like a good mixer and deliver perfect sound to the camera? Or can you only consider the camera audio as a reference track?
My Sound Devices 302 mixer's line out signal, sent into a JuicedLink RM222, then into my Nikon D800 or the Canon 5DMII or other DSLR consistently gives me usable, high quality audio. The GH4's YAGH adapter has pro XLR inputs so I don't need the RM222. I then send my 302's line out directly to the YAGH, which then records the audio onto the camera's card along with the video. If I didn't want to use the YAGH for some reason, the RM222 can be employed again directly into the GH4's stereo mini input with good success.
So, the question is, how much better is the double system sound recorded by the Tascam than the audio recorded internally to the camera?
Does the 24-bit recording at 96 kHz really knock your socks off?
I can see recording multiple sources to separate tracks would be handy too. Discreet tracks can solve problems in post. But double system sound also adds complexity to a project. You need to name and catalog the video and audio so you know which tracks go with which video. Sounds easy, but it's not.
So, again, is the DR-70 a world class recorder with silent preamps, good headroom, and good dynamic range, or is it just another recorder?
J Toha
I think for pre-amp capability alone, Juicedlink products are great. Just that since they are made in USA and in small batches, they don't have the mass production capability (hence, economies of scale) to sell them at competitive price to customers.
les
@Tom. ya man I have a DR100MK 2 straight into my cam and the quality is acceptable for me, I would love a just a better built pre-amp than other "home made" pre amp(cosmetic wise) just for better fit with my camera.
Tom
It's amazing what you get for the money with this or the 60D compared to the preamps from juicedlink etc. I wish Tascam made a pre-amp without the recorder (and mics), and priced it a little lower. They would probably take over that whole market.
Claire McHardy
Looks cool but I would have to add a quick release between the recorder and the camera for battery changes.
How is the recorder powered, do I have to keep carrying those pesky 9v batteries around everywhere or is there a more elegant solution?
I there an external battery that could power this device and a GH4 at the same time?
Steve M.
True. However, if all your project settings are correct and you still are having audio drift issues, 9 times out of 10 the double system sound audio sample rate isn't compatible to the reference track. You can use 44.1 but I would stick with 48khz.
Emm
Post author@Earnest Reply - This is a very common problem and I'm guessing you didn't have your project settings setup correctly. You see most cameras can be set to shoot at 24p and 30p, but in reality they may really be shooting at 23.98 or 29.97. Video editing software will take file and try to 'make it work' with your project settings. You can take a 60p or 120p file and drop it into a 24p project timeline, and it will try to make it play in 24p (althought it may look weird as it's dropping frames sometimes). That slight difference in frame rate will cause the audio to drift over time. If you set your project to the exact frame rate of your video file, then the audio will remain in sync.
Even the Panasonic GH4 has this problem if you don't switch to 24hz Cinema mode. The default mode will allow you to choose 23.98 and if you begin editing on a 24p timeline with audio from a zoom H1 it will drift. So you have to start your project with 23.98 and then the audio will be fine the entire time. So be careful about the setting you shoot with and how you choose to start your project time line. Audio regardless if it's recorded in 44 or 48hz should not make a difference The problem is your video editing software is trying to drop or make up frames from your uneven workflow.
Steve M.
@Earnest, That's bizarre as there is really no reason, other than an incorrect record setting, that the DR40 should lose synch over a long record. Make sure you're setting that to 48khz - 16bit, and NEVER deviate from that or you can get audio drift.
Rob S.
@Alain Wrong market for time code. This is being marketed to the DSLR crowd, hence the HDMI and 1/8" connectors and no SDI.
Alain
No timecode ?
pixcanfly
I hope the TR-70D audio out to the camera will sound better than just a scratch track. For convenience, I would rather use the camera audio without any post syncing, and rely on the TR-70D recording as a backup.
Earnest Reply
And will it keep sync with DSLR footage over long records. My Tascam DR 40 did NOT.
Rob S.
They say that this has the same preamps as the new 60D Mkii, which are considerably improved. I used to have the 60D mki and that had decent preamps already. This beats anything by Zoom by a long shot.
Joe G
Man, I'm jealous of this. I bought the DR-60D mkII right when it came out. Crazy that this came out so fast. Well, it's $100 difference and I'm still happy w/ the DR-60D mkII. Would love to see a head-to-head between the 60D mkII and the DR-70D, with the Zoom H6N thrown in for good measure, too.
OldCorpse
The only thing the Zoom H6 has over the 70D is the interchangeable mics, but unless you really need those mics (personally, I don't), seems to me the 70D is the better deal by far (and $100 cheaper!). But how good it is we'll only find out once a lot of people are using it.
David Peterson
Well damn, I've got a DR-60D but as usual there is always something so much better just around the corner! 😮
Hogo
How are the pre amps on this compared to the zoom h6?
Emm
Post author@Pino - You can also mount this recorder to the top of a cage. Then your rails will work as normal.
Pino
Any thoughts on how anywhere to add rails and a tripod quick release for run-n-gun situations?
Emm
Post author@Tony - No you can't get to the battery once it's mounted to the top. A QR plate would be helpful if that's what you need. I can say that I shot several hours with a GH4 recording in 4K to the card, while simultaneously outputting 1080p via HDMI to a switch and didn't have to change out my battery. So for GH4 users, I don't think it would be too much of a concern and it's not that hard to take it off when you really have to.
Tony
Hi
Was wondering if you can still open the battery compartment to your GH4. I like the set up but the only annoying thing is when I can't get to the battery compartment.