Users' questions

Are DAT recorders still made?

Are DAT recorders still made?

DAT, or Digital Audio Tape, was once considered the best medium for both live taping and studio backup. In recent years, however, the low cost and high quality of hard disk recording have made the DAT nearly obsolete. Still, many tapers and studios still use the DAT format.

Are DAT tapes portable?

DATs are between 15 and 180 minutes in length, a 120-minute tape being 60 metres in length. DATs longer than 60 metres tend to be problematic in DAT recorders due to the thinner media. DAT machines running at 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz sample rates transport the tape at 8.15 mm/s.

Are DAT tapes reliable?

New York A group of the world’s leading audio preservationists have warned that tape-based digital recording media — especially DAT — is not reliable for long term archiving.

What is a DAT recorder used for?

In the late 1980s digital audio tape (DAT) recorders using magnetic tape cassettes became available for audio reproduction and recording. The DAT recorder converts audio signals into digital data on a magnetic tape by means of a microprocessor and converts the data back into analog audio signals that can…

Is DAT tape expensive?

DAT being digital is still less expensive than a premium metal bias tape. DAT was a whole lot more finicky than analog. And a lot more unforgiving, and a lot more expensive. I’m sure someone else here can chime in with a completely different experience.

Is tape analog or digital?

The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback.

What happened to DAT?

Sony stopped selling DAT machines in December 2005, officially making DAT obsolete. They reported that sales had dropped to a mere 100 units per month.

How fast is a DAT tape?

8.15 mm/sec
Tape speed in DAT machines is 8.15 mm/sec for recordable tapes, but is 12.225 mm/sec for pre-recorded DAT tapes. There are several electronic switches in DAT machines (both audio recorders and computer DAT drives) that allow them to interface with various kinds of DAT tape.

Can digital sound as good as analog?

As long as nothing corrupts a digital file, it will stay the same no matter how much time has passed or how many copies engineers make. Today, technology in the audio recording industry is so advanced that many audio engineers will tell you there’s no detectable difference between analog and digital recordings.

Does analog sound better than digital?

The smooth analog signal matches the recorded sound wave better than the steps of a digital recording. However, the analog medium (vinyl or magnetized tape) the recording is imprinted on can have tiny imperfections that cause cracking and popping noise.

What does DAT stand for?

DAT

Acronym Definition
DAT Drug and Alcohol Testing (US Military Entrance Processing Station)
DAT Differential Aptitude Test
DAT Documentation et Assistance Technique (French: Documentation and Technical Assistance)
DAT Direct Access Trading

What sounds better analog or digital?

Digital recordings can have a greater signal-to-noise ratio depending on the bit depth of the recording. The smooth analog signal matches the recorded sound wave better than the steps of a digital recording.

Which is the best digital DAT tape recorder?

Only 1 left! Tascam DA-40 Professional Digital DAT Recorder . Sony TCD-D8 Digital Audio Tape Recorder One Owner! Works Great! Gently Used! Only 1 left! Sony TCD-D100 DAT Walkman with accessories tested and working!

Are there any Tascam digital DAT recorders left?

Tascam DA-30 MKII Professional Digital DAT Recorder . Only 1 left! Tascam DA-40 Professional Digital DAT Recorder . Sony TCD-D8 Digital Audio Tape Recorder One Owner!

Which is better DAT or hard disk recording?

Also, small portable recorders such as the Sony D8 and Tascam DA-P1 made this a perfect choice for tapers. DAT is a great medium, but quite simply, hard disk recording is more reliable, cheaper per hour, and the equipment is much less expensive to maintain. DAT also requires real-time conversion to move from tape to hard disk.

Which is the best recorder for field recording?

Your best bet for field recording is now either hard disk recording or Flash/SD memory recorders. DAT, compared to current technologies, is outdated and thus expensive to maintain and use, even though the initial investment of equipment will be quite small. What Is DAT? DAT is quite simply music stored digitally on 4mm magnetic tape.