two questions about memory cards

[bobbydj]

Two questions RE memory cards:

What brand and size do you use (I'd be most interested to hear from Model 12 owners, as that's what I have)? My first and only card so far has been a SanDisk 128GB one billed as "SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC card, SD Card, V30 Memory Card, 4K UHD, up to 200 MB/s, SanDisk QuickFlow Technology, RescuePro Deluxe Data Recovery Software, UHS-I, Class 10, U3, V30" on Amazon).

What happens when you get to a hundred songs? This latter question I can answer: You cannot record any more songs, and the Model 12 (and presumably the 16 and 24) function of pressing Menu, Song and New brings up a small box saying something to the effect that no new song can be created. This came as a bit of a shock this morning!! Luckily, I remembered there were at least two songs in my long list that had no data, were totally blank and unused - so I just deleted them and got cracking on a new song.

However, it did make me wonder. I have a horrible feeling I'll encounter a potentially difficult problem. When it comes time to mix my 8 tracks down to a stereo pair, will the Model 12 try to create a new song - and then find there are none available because of the 100 song limit?

Secondly - as I go back and begin to add more tracks to my existing 100 songs (e.g. vocals - or "details" such as keyboard parts etc.), will I run out of space on the card? It's difficult to understand how the 128GB cards work. On the one hand, a limit of 100 songs. On the other, supposing I only recorded 50 songs, but each one was very long, and all eight tracks were used up. It's hard to know what the relationship between number of songs, and amount of data used by each song is.

Thanks guys.

 

[Mark Richards]

brand and size do you use

Go to the TASCAM website support page for your unit and you'll find a list of the TASCAM tested/approved SD cards - see page 18 of your Owner Manual (OM). Also pay attention to the note on that page about formatting SD cards. Stray from those at considerable risk somewhere down the line.

It's hard to know what the relationship between number of songs, and amount of data used by each song is.

Generally: Limit your song count to about 80% of the SD card capacity based on awareness of each of the following three measurements:
* the ratio of songs to the SD card's total song capacity;
* the ratio of song time length to the SD card's available/remaining hh:mm:ss;
* the ratio of average song file size to the SD card's maximum file size capacity/remaining.

The several sections found on OM pages 26, 28, 35, and 60 should prove informative in figuring things out for each unique song.

With a general appreciation of the above ratios developed from information found in the above referenced OM pages, you should be able to estimate when it's time to introduce your Model 12 to a new mate. Using track sheets to plan each of your songs in advance of recording will also help a lot.

 

[bobbydj]

Go to the TASCAM website support page for your unit and you'll find a list of the TASCAM tested/approved SD cards - see page 18 of your Owner Manual (OM). Also pay attention to the note on that page about formatting SD cards. Stray from those at considerable risk somewhere down the line.

Already done this, bud. Hence my question - what size and brand of cards do you and other users use (as opposed to what should I use?

Thanks for the prompt to look at the OM. I found this sentence: This recorder treats each recording data group as one song and manages data by song. For one song, WAV files are saved for 10 tracks and a stereo master file.

So, when I asked the question "When it comes time to mix my 8 tracks down to a stereo pair, will the Model 12 try to create a new song - and then find there are none available because of the 100 song limit?" the answer seems to be "no." Because the way the file system operates is to automatically reserve a two additional tracks - i.e. a stereo pair - whenever a new song is created. That could and should be positive news for me.

Using track sheets to plan each of your songs in advance of recording will also help a lot.

Sure. Mostly my tracks are woefully formulaic and follow a tracking process when we were still on 2" tape, mixing down to 1/4": Drums on 1-6 -> bass on 7 -> guitars on 8, 9, 10 -> vocals on 11 and 12 -> b-vox on 13 -> tambourine on the choruses on 14 -> indulgent crap on any remaining tracks if there's time (gospel choirs, string sections, exotic percussion, novelty voice samples, etc. ad nauseam).

However, I also use the M12 to write with. And that's the most fun of all. Go into it "flying on instruments". Winging it. Busking it. Improvising every step of the way. E.g. let's record 3:30 of a drum track....then add a layer of improvised ambient guitar, then put a simple bass line on track four. Ime, this is when the best ideas and songs happen. Or maybe it just feels like that. In any case, it's so much more fun than being mind-numbingly methodical - which is the kiss of death to spontaneity and the most enjoyable kind of creativity. At any rate, it's usually a case of vocals on track five, at some unspecified time in the future.....and thusly, an M12 user can quickly find themselves with a stack of ideas nudging three figures!