Tascam DAT Issue

Aaron Hultin · August 9, 2007

Hello everyone. I have been using my Tascam DA-P1 for a bit now successfully, and suddenly I cannot get it to pick up my mic anymore. Its an Azden shotgun mic, and I have used it to records lots of stuff and it has worked great, and when I was experimenting a minute ago with reducing hiss (its got brutal hiss on this cheap mic!) and I just cant get it to pick up anything from the mic. All of the settings seem to be correct, everything is plugged in, but nothing is coming through. I even changed batteries to fresh ones on the mic. The only thing I can see is its reading 0db on the display screen, and I'm sure when its working correctly this does not read zero.

Any ideas on how to get this back on track?

Regards.

Nick Mulder · August 9, 2007

I dont know about your mic there but I own a DAP1 - without knowing what settings you've set aside from them being 'correct' I suggest try sending it 48V phantom from the DAP1, maybe you dont need those batts ?

oh hang on ... '0' Db !? 0 Db and your getting nothing out of the headphone or outs ? on just the one channel ? or both ? have you tried changing channels ? (I'm guessing you have the limiter on for it to stick at 0 .... btw)

Something is not nice !

Aaron Hultin · August 9, 2007

I've tried a few different set-ups, the shotgun mic feeding into just one channel or the other, and then tried with an XLR 'splitter' (not sure of the actual name) to both channels. All of these methods have allowed me to record in the past, and earlier today infact, and now nothing is recording at all. I will have to play around some more and see if I can get it working. I think I may have actually messed up the microphone itself, so I will have to rent one and test to see if I can get it working again, either that, or I will try a different XLR cable as I think it may not be making a proper connection.

Christopher Kennedy Alpiar · August 9, 2007

I've tried a few different set-ups, the shotgun mic feeding into just one channel or the other, and then tried with an XLR 'splitter' (not sure of the actual name) to both channels. All of these methods have allowed me to record in the past, and earlier today infact, and now nothing is recording at all. I will have to play around some more and see if I can get it working. I think I may have actually messed up the microphone itself, so I will have to rent one and test to see if I can get it working again, either that, or I will try a different XLR cable as I think it may not be making a proper connection.

It could be the cable also. A VERY worthwhile investment for anyone recording anything with xlr cables is to pick up a cable tester. The first thing we check in the studio is the cables and 90% of the time signal loss or noise problems are the cables. So pick up a 15-25 dollar cable tester and check out your cable... If you are so inclined its not hard to make your own cables and resolder when the jacks go bad. Also you can make custom lengths then too ;)

Aaron Hultin · August 9, 2007

I'll pick up a tester this afternoon. I was hoping to pick up a more expensive XLR cable, as the one I bought was quite inexpensive, in the hopes it will have less hiss. Currently I am just messing around with my DAT and Adobe Audition recording dialog as practice for the future. I am really interested in audio, and am trying to create the absolute cleanest sounds possible, and as it stands right now I am dis-satisfied with the results, as I am getting recordings with a ludicrous amount of hiss. To correct, I am going to be looking at alternate microphones, a gate for the DAT, and higher quality cables. Am I ever glad I am doing some thorough testing at this stage, rather than when the actual film is running through the camera.

Thanks for the input.

Aaron Hultin · August 20, 2007

I have since got everything back to normal and functioning properly. It must have been the XLR cable, as I bought a new one and everything is back to normal.

Thanks for the input.