DP-24 V1.11 Firmware update released today

  • Thread starter Thread starter RustyAxe
  • Start date Start date
Well.....I uninstalled version 1.1 because of the EQ issues....

Let's try this again
 
I haven't tested things out completely (like rendering an audio CD from 24/48 tracks) but the mixer issue (EQ and other settings) is fixed, and that's what I cared about. I had dumped the 1.10 release almost immediately once the issue was discovered. This version seems to work fine.
 
Rolled back to 1.02 today after discovering a new problem in 1.11 - did a 6 minute scratch for a new song...2 guitar tracks on 1 & 2, and a hi hat keeping time on 23 & 24....that's it. Went into mixdown mode, and while mixing, the track was randomly "skipping" - for those old enough to remember vinyl skipping, you know exactly what it sounds like. Tried the mixdown a couple of times, and the skipping occurred in different parts of the song. Rolled firmware back to 1.02, and mixdown and mastering worked perfectly, just as before. (Edited to add-) Just sent Tascam Support an email to report the skipping issue...if others run into the same problem, I'd suggest also reporting it to Tascam, in hopes of obtaining a fix within a reasonable turnaround time.
 
Last edited:
Wow ... that had me scared so I tried it myself. Two guitar tracks (1,4), one vocal (3), one upright bass (12). Mixed and mastered without a hitch. I suppose I need to record something in stereo and add it to the mix. I'll be back with results.
 
Just added a stereo track to 23-24, mixed down, mastered. No problems. Hmmmm .... are you recording in one resolution and mastering to another? I'm using 16/44.1 all the way.
 
To Steve - no, actually I only tried it on the new track I recorded Sunday afternoon, after I'd installed the 1.11 firmware update....it threw me quite the curve, as I'd never heard this occur before on the DP-24 (or in all the years I've used the original 2488).

To Rusty - nope, this was a new song idea, so I left it at 44.1 kHz/16 bit.....recorded a "click track" on tracks 23 & 24 using a pattern I'd set up on the Alesis SR-18 drum machine, then did 2 guitar tracks on tracks 1 & 2, no FX set, nothing unusual or out of the ordinary.

Never even got to the mastering tools....after I'd finished putting down the 2 guitar tracks, I decided to do a mix so I could send it to my friends...went into mixdown mode, and the first time I hit the record button, the skipping started right away, perhaps 20-25 seconds into the song. I stopped, exited mixdown mode, played the tracks all the way through, and they sounded fine. Went back into mixdown mode, and this time, the skipping began at about 5 minutes into the song (which runs 6:25 total).

At that point, I went ahead and put 1.02 back into the DP-24....once done, I went back into mixdown mode, and this time, it went flawlessly through, no skipping at all. I then went through the mastering process, more to test than anything else, and again, everything worked fine.

To me, it seems to have been associated with the 1.11 firmware, based on everything you see above....this was a far simpler track than most of the ones we've done on the DP-24 to date, none of which have ever provoked any issues at all....if there's something you guys catch that I'm missing, I'd be willing to reload 1.11 and try again - there's nothing to lose, as it's so easy to migrate back if need be - but, I can't see any reason for what happened other than the fact it occurred after installing 1.11.

(Edited to add) I did submit an email to Tascam regarding this problem...if I get a response back from them, I'll add it to this thread as soon as I get it, but I expect it'll be a couple days at least.
 
Last edited:
Broken Toe Test by Crossroads2012 on SoundCloud - Hear the world

Here's a sample of the track that provoked the issue that I posted on SoundCloud in order to put it on Facebook for the guys to have a listen to....the effects you hear on the guitars are through the pedal board, not on the DP-24 at all. Nothing fancy at all.

(Side note....the working title "Broken Toe Test" refers to the collision my foot had with my wife's Elliptical Trainer just before I changed a few things in the home studio, and recorded this piece to test that everything was working. The changes were external, and had nothing to do with the DP-24)
 
Where do you hear the problem in that SoundCloud clip? I don't hear it. I loaded up a song with seven tracks, one stereo keys, mixed and mastered, no problem. Curiouser and curiouser!
 
The problem isn't in that clip....that clip was from the successful mix I did AFTER returning to 1.02. I only posted the clip as a sample of how basic the song in question is, which makes the skipping issue all the more odd. I never completed a mix when the issue occurred because I stopped the mixdown when I heard it happen.
 
Well ... I tried to make it happen, but not able to reproduce the problem. What memory card are you using? I'm wondering if there isn't a problem when it reads/writes to the card. I'm using a Transcend 32gb SDHC.
 
The card is a SanDisk Extreme 32 Gig Class 10....although I wouldn't rule it out, as any storage can get corrupted, what are the odds it would occur twice during mixdown on the same song after applying the 1.11 update, and then not occur at all during mixdown on the same song again, after migrating back to 1.02?

The firmware version was the only variable between the error occurring and the error free mixdown....and I have a number of other songs on the same card, all of which were done with 1.02, and none of those ever exhibited the "skipping" error...interesting that no one else here has experienced the issue, at least not as yet, but I'm still leaning toward thinking the firmware was the catalyst in some manner.

I'm planning on working more on this particular song this coming weekend....I think I'll do the work, add the new tracks, etc., all at 1.02, and do a new mixdown and master it. If the skipping doesn't occur, I can always pop 1.11 back in, and do another mix with that firmware.

If the mix is error free with 1.02, and then returns with 1.11, I'll be sold on 1.11 being the cause, and will simply leave it at 1.02 so I can actually focus on the music instead of troubleshooting the board...I get more than enough of that at work, I certainly don't need to waste my weekends diagnosing problems with equipment!
 
Update, 2/26/13 - decided to spend a vacation day in the home studio, and did a remix of one of the new songs we're working on. Mixdown went smoothly, proceeded to Mastering screen, and about 30 seconds into the song, along comes the skipping again....with firmware 1.02 still loaded from the last time it occurred.

Looks like the 1.11 had nothing to do with the skipping after all, so I wanted to post that straightaway...I've copied the MUSIC folder off the card onto a computer, and am doing a full format of the card as we speak (and have also updated to 1.11 again). Arcaxis suggested the possibility of the card being fragmented, so a full format will either correct the issue or rule it out. Once the format is complete, I'll copy the contents of the MUSIC folder back to the card from the computer, and try Mixing and then Mastering the same song again.

Hopefully, the problem isn't in the card - now that I have the contents of the MUSIC folder on the computer, I can always install and format another card, restore the MUSIC folder, and try that, if the skipping remains on the original card.
 
I feel for ya Bob ... what a PITA when all one wants to do is record some music. Tascam published a list of compatible cards on the dp-24 downloads page ... others may work fine because they came out after the list was made (as mine did) but there's a reason they've tested and approved certain cards and not others. Please be sure to post your results here. Thanks!
 
RustyAxe said:
I feel for ya Bob ... what a PITA when all one wants to do is record some music. Tascam published a list of compatible cards on the dp-24 downloads page ... others may work fine because they came out after the list was made (as mine did) but there's a reason they've tested and approved certain cards and not others. Please be sure to post your results here. Thanks!
Click to expand...

And that's the ironic part, Rusty....my SanDisk Extreme 32 Gig Class 10 card IS on the Tascam list of tested and compatible cards! I've always used SanDisk Extreme cards with my cameras, and they've never let me down whether shooting a scenic for myself, or shooting a wedding for a client when you CAN'T afford a screw up. Before I purchased the DP-24, I downloaded the list of cards from the Tascam site, and verified that these were on it. 32 GB was the largest approved size, so I got three of them, planning to rotate them as needed.

After completing the card format (did the Full, not the Quick), I copied all the song folders back to the Music folder on the DP-24, then did a Mixdown, followed by a Master on the same song that had "skipped" earlier, and this time it worked flawlessly.

Looks like file fragmentation on the card was the culprit after all....at least, so far....I frequently do a Delete Unused while working on songs, to keep the file size manageable...a carryover habit from the 2488....I wonder if that may have induced fragmentation?

Anyway, if nothing else, I've certainly ruled out firmware v. 1.11 as having had anything to do with it, now that it finally occurred with 1.02 installed, so I've upgraded the DP-24 back to 1.11 again. I did want to keep this thread updated, so that if anyone else has a similar issue, they'll have the benefit of our discussion here to assist them in chasing the problem down.
 
arcaxis said:
Same reason that over time deleting images off a card in your camera can eventually fragment a card and sometimes be a cause of corrupted images. When I was doing weddings all the cards got a clean in camera format prior to the event. I also use SanDisk cards and never have had a problem.
Good to hear the problem seems cleared up.

If you ever have a doubt about a card this test utility seems to work fairly well....
USB Flash Drive Tester - CNET Download.com
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link to that handy utility! Think I'm going to modify my workflow a bit, and mirror the contents of the MUSIC folder on each of my cards to the laptop I keep on the desk after each session...that way, if I need to reformat a card, it'll be easy to restore the work that's been done on it after the format is complete.

I also did a fresh format of my CF card prior to any important shoot, and like you, have never had a problem with them....never had to worry about that sort of thing with my venerable old F4! :thumbs up:
 
pbassbob said:
And that's the ironic part, Rusty....my SanDisk Extreme 32 Gig Class 10 card IS on the Tascam list of tested and compatible cards!
Click to expand...
Yeah, I noticed that after I posted.

After completing the card format (did the Full, not the Quick), I copied all the song folders back to the Music folder on the DP-24, then did a Mixdown, followed by a Master on the same song that had "skipped" earlier, and this time it worked flawlessly.
Click to expand...
GREAT! All's well that ends well!

Looks like file fragmentation on the card was the culprit after all....at least, so far....I frequently do a Delete Unused while working on songs, to keep the file size manageable...a carryover habit from the 2488....I wonder if that may have induced fragmentation?
Click to expand...
Maybe. I back up to my PC every session, and always do a full format when starting a new project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top