Tascam 2424-se

Chris G

New member
Hello everyone I am new here and hoping someone can help me with the issues I am having with my Tascam 2424-se.

The first issue I have is that the unit sometimes freezes when I first start it up. Sometimes the display just stays blank or other times it will say mounting volumes but does not get past that point. Sometimes I have to re-start the unit multiple times before it will start working.

The second issue I have with it is while recording occasionally the unit will freeze and an error will pop up on the monitor saying "Media too slow"

I hope someone out there can help me with these problems.
Thanks in advance,
Chris G
 
How long since you carried out a low level format? Before carrying out a low level format you need to back up all your work as the drive will be wiped.

The reason you need a low level format is that the drive ends up with too many registry folders, they stay even if you delete projects and do a drive clean up. The drive also becomes very fragmented. After the low level format you then need to initialise the drive, using Fat32 if wanting wav file format. All this is on page 47 & 48 of the tutorial.

If that does not fix it you will need a new SCSI drive.


Alan.

P.S: we have a Tascam MX2424 forum running here with tons of information.
 
Thank you for your reply Alan.
I replaced the SCSI drive and performed a low level format and re-initialized the drive but this has not solved the issues.
Will check out the mx2424 forum you mentioned.

Thanks again
Chris G
 
There may be a power supply problem, pop off the lip and check the connections to the power supply, maybe pull off the terminals and re seat them, some MX had the wires soldered on by owners but not usually.

Just out of curiosity, what size ram is installed? Original early MX's had 128mb when they upgraded the operating system they changed this out to 256mb, you can't fit more. If you have 128mb let me know and I will give you a link to suitable RAM as not all RAM works on an MX.

The next thing to check is a menu item 570, if waveform record is turned on, turn it off. Waveform record makes the MX write wave form graphics while recording and this loads up the RAM, by turning it off the waveform is written after the stop button is pressed. It is a safer way to record as it does not bring up "Media Too Slow" during a large tracking situation. This may not be your problem but turn it off anyway. It was brought in during the operating system 3.01 update.

What drives are you using and did they work OK previously? It does still sound like a hard drive problem? Are the drives internally mounted or an external tower? Have you got more then one drive fitted.

Let me know how you go. You will find me over at the Other Tascam Site.

Alan.
 
All of the connections at the power supply seem ok.
I cannot tell what size of ram installed. I removed the ram to look at it but there doesn't seem to be any size marked on it. It is made by Toshiba though. I looked up the numbers on line but could not find any info.
Waveform recording is turned off.
As far as the hard drive is concerned, when I got the unit it had a hard drive installed internally. I was having the problems with that hard drive but I could not do a low level format on it as I did not want to loose the recordings that were on it. (The unit used to be in Natalie Cole's touring rig and has her backing tracks, click tracks etc she would have used on stage.) Anyway, I purchased a used hard drive with similar specs but this did not fix the issues.
It will start up normally 9 out of 10 times but every now and then I have to restart multiple times and I only get the Media Too Slow error occasionally even when only recording on 2 tracks.

Update:
I just found that it has 256mb of ram.

Thanks,
Chris G
www.frontofhouse.ca
 
Last edited:
I just realized the disc was initialized in HFS+ format but I am running a windows computer. I just re-initialized in FAT 32 format. Hopefully this will work.
 
If the Tascam is having trouble starting this can be caused by a hard drive problem. Pop off the lid and disconnect the hard drive completely. Does the MX start quickly and every time? The reason the machine hangs up is that there are too many registry folders on the drive, this also causes problem when trying to create a new project. The only way to clear these folders is a low level format. You can overcome the problem also by mounting the drive on a PC and deleting, very carefully, all the empty folders on the drive. I have recovered projects on a drive that would not mount this way. You need a PC with a scsi card to do this. The Folder issue is not explained anywhere in Tascam Docs, it's something I discovered over the years.

Media Too Slow is caused by hard drive problems 99% of the time. I don't know why the new drive also has problems, was it a brand new drive? Why don't you back up your projects to a PC via ethernet? I know it's slow but it works.

Menu 988 will display the amount of installed memory in the MX-2424.

Alan.
 
If the Tascam is having trouble starting this can be caused by a hard drive problem. Pop off the lid and disconnect the hard drive completely. Does the MX start quickly and every time? The reason the machine hangs up is that there are too many registry folders on the drive, this also causes problem when trying to create a new project. The only way to clear these folders is a low level format. You can overcome the problem also by mounting the drive on a PC and deleting, very carefully, all the empty folders on the drive. I have recovered projects on a drive that would not mount this way. You need a PC with a scsi card to do this. The Folder issue is not explained anywhere in Tascam Docs, it's something I discovered over the years.

Media Too Slow is caused by hard drive problems 99% of the time. I don't know why the new drive also has problems, was it a brand new drive? Why don't you back up your projects to a PC via ethernet? I know it's slow but it works.

Menu 988 will display the amount of installed memory in the MX-2424.

Alan.

Sorry I have been busy and had no time to work on this problem. To answer your question the drive I put in was not brand new. I have just been able to locate a brand new drive and have installed it. The problem seems to be corrected. I have started the unit at least 40 to 50 times now without a problem.
Lesson learned. Never buy a used hard drive off Kijiji.
Thank you for your help Alan.
 
The original drive causing problems can possibly be fixed by a complete low level format, or as I said previously plugging it into a PC and removing the excess empty registry folders.

Alan.
 
Hi, i think i'm gonna move from a dr4vr to this mx2424 for the 16 to 24 bits issue..
I have a question .. . if I record virtual tracks in the 999 virtual tracks offered,
knowing that I can only load a virtual track virtual per main track available
in the 24 principle tracks .. Either I laod these virtual tracks in the physical ones
or not, once virtual tracks are recorded after having used the 24 main ones,
can i hear the virtual tracks simultaneously with the 24 main ones ?

Otherwise, can i hear the tracks from 1 to 24, & 70 other tracks (virtual)
Also recorded, simultaneously? like on a Dr4vr of Akai ..?
 
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