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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
 Posted - 09/06/2001 : 10:34:36 AM
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What is a DAT recorder? How much? Where do I get one?
Keep tapin and tradin. |
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Inky
Is Anybody Here?
24 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 11:25:38 AM
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They're called a digital audio tape recorder. They're basically like the size of a Walkman but record in digital format instead of analog format. Which means no tape hiss. They can record I think up to 4 hours consistently with no tape flips. They ROCK! But are kind of expensive. Sony makes a few nice models. The PCM-M1 is around $800 dollars and is very small. They also make a TCD-D8 which is slightly cheaper and a bit bigger.
Hopefully Fluffy can add input on this part. You can hook them up to Tim's soundboard and get a digital feed into the deck. But I don't know what kind of hookups the soundboard has. There's a few digital hookups out there that connect devices like DATs and soundboards. I think the most common is the coaxial optical which looks like your basic RCA jack but a yellowish-orange. If you wanted to hook up your deck to the soundboard you would need a 7-pin to coaxial digital cable, which you can buy from a few places on the internet. But I don't know what kind of connections the board has.
Hope this helps. Invest in one. Don't go down the weary path of MiniDisc! |
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Isaac
Chatterbox
USA
461 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 12:43:26 PM
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Anyone know of any places where you can borrow or rent a Dat recorder? Libraries? Schools? Do rental places have shit like that? Any other ideas?
Isaac
"Father up above, why in all this hatred do ya fill me up with Love, Love Love..." |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 12:59:19 PM
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Hmmmm, 800$ buckaroos? Don't think that might be happening!
Well, I'll try with an old regular tape player and a video recorder. I'll send 'em to Jon and if he likes them he can put them up I guess.
Keep tapin and tradin. |
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Erich with an h
Yak Addict
USA
853 Posts |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 4:27:30 PM
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Yeah, like I said 800 bucks is out of my price range! But I'll do a regular analog tape, and I think it will turn out well if I don't talk to much and sit as close as I can!
Keep tapin and tradin. |
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Inky
Is Anybody Here?
24 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 5:33:20 PM
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True, they are expensive but they are a great investment. With tender love and care they will last you years and years. They have a much better mechanism at recording dynamics than analog tape recorders do, provided a good sonic source is available. Basically, what I mean by that, is you will have much clearer and better results with a DAT using nice (i.e., expensive) microphones or a digital source. Th recording will be flawless provided the heads on the deck are clean (and if they aren't you get dropouts [places in the music where there isn't any music] and diginoise, which sounds like static). With analog you have to flip the tape, and also analog pops and other "analog artifacts" appear in the recording.
As for wanting to rent one, which I HIGHLY recommend! Call around to a few places. There are music stores around where I live that rent PA equipment, and I bet they would have DATs to rent. Lots and lots of musicians use them at home to record their music (*cough* Tim). I doubt if libraries would have them unless you go to a private library where they've got the $money$ to spend on their collections. There is a library in Iowa that allowed its patrons to rent portable CD players, but you have to be a patron to do that. That library has the money to do those things.
One place that I know that rents DATs is a place in Colorado. I forget the name, but their prices were very high, even for just renting one. As I recall you had to put down a deposit to rent one.
But if I were you I would save my money and just buy one. That way you'll always have it on hand in case Tim ever plays near you, and you can transfer your recording to CD with that deck. If you rent one you only have such and such a time to use it, and then you got to send it back!
Ask around with your friends. Some people in college have the money and if you ask them nicely they'll let you borrow theirs. Not me, though. ^
Check out ebay! As awful as they are, there are folks who sell theirs for around $300 (top bid), and most of the time the ones they're selling have been cleaned and their heads have been replaced.
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Inky
Is Anybody Here?
24 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 6:44:30 PM
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Forgot to mention a few retailers on the internet that you might want to check out.
http://www.oade.com -- Doug Oade was a taper for the Dead years ago. Great info, and several decks to choose from. My personal favorites are the D10 and the M1. Prices are kinda high though.
http://www.ttapes.com -- Terrapin Tapes. Media at great prices and good prices on decks.
http://www.am-dig.com - American Digital. Again, good prices on media. Have a good selection of digital cables.
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jsoldo
Administrator
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 9:03:56 PM
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you could also look at mini disks, the quality is a little worse but better then a tape and you can get a whole setup for under 200 bucks
peace
jon
Timmah! |
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Erich with an h
Yak Addict
USA
853 Posts |
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jsoldo
Administrator
USA
286 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2001 : 11:50:26 PM
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i use the sony pc?-m1 it was like 750 which sucked, but now i have it for life, or until next months technology makes it obsolete, whichever 
peace
jon
Timmah! |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2001 : 12:01:56 AM
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What is the likely hood, that If I buy one today, that it won't be obsolete in a week or a month? Are they pretty complete in the technology where no more advancements can be made?
Keep tapin and tradin. |
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Inky
Is Anybody Here?
24 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2001 : 1:36:56 PM
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| I don't think the technology will become obsolete until maybe, maybe 2 years from now. People are starting to get on board with DVD audio (which is capable of 96bit, 192kHz, or something like that ), twice the quality of DAT. But DAT is the only portable digital format that is cheaper in the long run (plus it won't compress your recordings). Blank minidiscs often are more expensive than DATs, and only recording up to 80 minutes until you have to put in a new one, possibly missing some music. With DAT you can get get 2 hours of seamless music (I say 2 because most people use 60 meter DATs to record live - some people have problems with 90 meter or 180 minute DATs). |
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Arthen
Alien Abductee
USA
4845 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2001 : 3:46:31 PM
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Do DAT recorders use a certain kind of tape?
Keep tapin and tradin. |
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Erich with an h
Yak Addict
USA
853 Posts |
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Inky
Is Anybody Here?
24 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2001 : 5:25:01 PM
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In regards to Arthen's post about tapes: Yes, they use their own kind of media. They are smaller than an analog cassette, about 2in. x 1.75in. Computer tape backup drives use the same kind of media, except just like CD-Rs, some use computer formatted discs and some use music formatted discs. I don't think you'll be able to use audio DATs in a computer backup, but you can use data DATs in a portable DAT deck. Some swear by them only. Supposedly the tape and shell in computer "grade" DATs are superior to audio, since more error correction is needed in tape backups. They are often cheaper too.
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Fluffy
Administrator
USA
10739 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2001 : 05:14:06 AM
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As far as hookups at venues go, every venue is different. That is why it is a good idea to check with them in advance of the show to see what you might need. A helpful reference can be found at TimReynolds.com on the taping policy page at the bottom. Hope this helps. Peace and Keep the Faith Fluffy
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DAT Recorder?
