TASCAM 4-Channel Portable Audio Recorder for Videographers, 2 Combo XLR/TRS", Dual 3.5mm Inputs, Limiter, HP Filter (DR-60DmkII)

The media could not be loaded. The DR-60D MKII is optimized for DSLR video audio—lacking music extras like a tuner and metronome—but sports most of features of the DR-40 but housed in a tripod and camera friendly case.APPEARANCE & BUILD: Although small, the boxy form factor isn’t palm friendly and is at its best on a Magic Arm or tripod. The plastic body feels well made but isn’t as sturdy as the metal clad DR-100 II. Unlike most Tascam portables, there are no built-in mics. A tiny monochrome LCD displays levels, modes and menus. It’s not a touchscreen but is clearly visible in darkness and direct sunlight. And, because it’s not angled like the DR-70D LCD, it’s visible in a bag, on the floor or topside a camera.A tripod socket beneath and tripod bolt above allow connection to studio support and cameras. I use an Arca plate for fast mount/dismount. The top tripod bolt feels flimsy and I wouldn't trust it to hold anything heavier than a battery pack.CONTROLS: I choose the DR-60D MKII over the DR-70D due to the abundance of physical controls—specifically phantom power switches—and the forward facing LCD. When attached on an arm or tripod, the frontal LCD and controls are easier to see and use compared to “palm” recorders like the H6 or DR-100 MKII. The rubberized buttons and wheels operate smoothly and are easy to access. Channels 1/2 have individual gain controls but, oddly, 3/4 sports only a single global level adjustment.MIC CONNECTION: Combo XLR and TRS inputs allow recording from external mics or line level sources such as mixers or outboard mic preamps. XLR preamps have four levels of input sensitivity but, unlike the DR-100 II, sensitivity is set via menus (no switches). There’s a switch to toggle XLR inputs from mic, phantom power and line level. Mini/3.5 mm stereo mic input is also supported, defaulting to channels 3/4. Power for the 3.5mm mic input lacks a switch and must be activated from a menu.BATTERIES: Four AA batteries are housed in a backside compartment. Batteries can be swapped out while the unit is on a tripod. I use Eneloop Pro rechargeable batteries and they only last about four hours with 48v phantom power. Standard Eneloop work okay but the slightly larger size make them tough to install/remove. The short battery life is disappointing but easy to work around (see below).The mini-USB port is only for bus power or uploading to a computer. For long sessions I plug in a USB “lipstick” battery bank and it yields an additional four or five hours. For marathon sessions I strap on a USB battery bank, the Anker Astro E4 13000mAh Portable Charger: power for days with phantom power and can be attached to the top of the DR-60D with a smartphone tripod mount.SOUND QUALITY: I mainly record soft finger picked guitars and preamps have plenty of gain when set to “high” sensitivity: 25 to 50% gain for -12 dB set with KM-184 mics. Quiet passages and rests of classical guitar pieces were wonderfully clean and devoid of noise. Preamps are significantly cleaner than the DR-40 and a notch better than the DR-100 II. The DR-60 MKII and two Neumann KM-184 mics were used to record the audio of my uploaded video at 48kHz/24 bit (synced to EOS 70D video).Finally, the 60D MKII can record various combinations of stereo and mono modes, e.g., stereo plus two mono tracks, but these tracks must be recorded simultaneously. In other words, unlike the DR-40 and DR-44WL, it lacks the ability to “punch in,” while playing back a track. Normally I’d add additional audio in a DAW during post production but it seems odd to omit such features when similar units have them.LAST BLURB: I'm happy with the DR-60D: excellent recording quality, clean preamps, plenty of gain for soft instruments and easy to use form factor for "selfie" audio and video recording. Operation is straightforward and I barely needed to open the manual. Cons are short battery life, no built-in mics, small LCD and no punch-in features. All in all, the DR-60D MKII is a great choice for those needing to record live music performances and DSLR audio.

The Tascam DR-60DmkII includes enhanced pre-amps that are good enough not to not introduce any measurable noise on battery power with a quiet room and a Pyle podium mic that requires High mic gain setting. However using a USB to 5v adapter (not the Tascam adapter) did introduce noise. For this reason, I am using a BP-6AA identical to the one used on a Tascam DR-40 recorder installed in a church recording system. Though we can run the DR-40 or this DR-60DmkII off external USB port power, noise levels are typically much lower using the BP-6AA which I'll review separately. With such a low noise recorder, and with the BP-6AA using tripod mounts to attach to the top or base of the recorder, no brainer upgrade from 2+ yr old Tascam DR-40!Here are our usual pros and cons:Pros:+ lower noise, higher gain pre-amps than prior model DR-60D+ safety track record feature is a lifesaver when initial gain settings are too high! (DR-40 has this feature, too)+ consistent menus and operation to prior generations of Tascam DR series including when power or computer is externally attached via USB port+ available BP-6AA external battery pack gives reasonable life for rechargeable NiMH batteries, but see below...+ Broadcast Wave File (BWF) support - can be a lifesaver when merging audio and video from different recorders. To effectively use, you should keep the clock set correctly.Cons:- drains batteries rapidly compared to comparable Zoom or lower end Tascam DR series recorders- no integral MP3 compression, implying you shouldn't use compression with such a high end recorder! I'd like to make that decision!!- there should be a Li Ion external equivalent bolt-on like the BP-6AA instead of lower capacity and bulkier BP-6AA with NiMH batteries!- might want to think twice about putting a relatively heavy DSLR on top of recorder as shown in photos! This puts a lot of strain on the tripod mount in the bottom of recorder; just don't do it if a BP-6AA is used!- menus can be a bit confusing for the uninitiated and this generation manual is not as helpful as prior generations. Look for YouTube tutorials!I was going to put a small shotgun mic on top with a 1/4" to 5/8" adapter, but realized the DR-60DmkII + BP-6AA underneath + mic on top is not very stable. Better to use either a two-in-one bar tripod adapter or multiple tripods adjacent to one another. If a BP-6AA pack is mounted on top with nothing mounted on top of BP-6AA, then BP-6AA batteries may be changed without impacting setup. The DR-60DmkII batteries are accessible, but it isn't easy to pop them in the rear while the whole setup is sitting upright.Edited 07-31: Beware of open box items marketed as "new". I received one from a vendor sold as new that showed a bit of wear on the rear battery cover and underside. However, the style of packaging for this Tascam makes it difficult to tell whether this is a new, returned, or open box item!I have seen some "unboxing" videos on YouTube and this is the first Tascam DR series I've purchased that doesn't come in a sealed box with a plastic protector for the display and a sealed (at least taped) poly bag holding the recorder. I have seen this style of packaging on "professional" gear before. So how are we as consumers to tell whether an item is an "open box" or return? TEAC/Tascam saved perhaps a few pennies but it would be great to go back to providing a screen protector and tape the poly bags!