I used to be a big fan of DAT, but my experience has taught me otherwise. It had its day, but I think that day is over; I look forward to being able to retire it in favor of a laptop. Here are the typical problems with DAT, and why I do not recommend it anymore.
1. Transport issues. Tapes don't always thread and mechanisms jam. This is a problem with DAT machines from many manufacturers, especially portable units, and questions about how to unjam mechanisms appear regularly in the DAT-Heads listserv. The mechanism is so small and complicated, with its VHS-style tape loading, that alignment errors creep in over time as well. Sony units are especially susceptible to this. 2. Transport failure. It can happen any time, and the only solution is replacement. Few DAT repair parts are available; as one who also does high-end electronic repairs, I know how frustrating this issue has become for DAT owners. 3. Head clogging. You can't tell it's happening, and a blank recording is a result. On-site recordings, where environmental issues can't be controlled, are often victim to this. 4. Tape dropout. This afflicts even the best tapes, and results in nasty dropouts, particularly on the leading and trailing few minutes of tapes that have been stored for a long time or shipped in variable weather. I exercise every tape before use (twice forward/rewind), but that's still no guarantee of a low-dropout recording unless I start several minutes into the tape. 5. Shell deformation. Again, this is a hidden issue that can't be seen until a regular pattern of dropouts is heard with ever turn of the supply or takeup hubs -- too late to do anything about it. 6. Lockouts. The humidity protection system can trigger unexpectedly and falsely (or correctly, but for too long), and the DAT machine will not record. This can be very frustrating for on-site recording. 7. Errors. Almost no DAT records error-free, and the quality of the result is in proportion to the level of dropouts and errors, and the quality of the error-correction on the deck. I have a lovingly recorded master tape that was given to me as a gift, and, with error correction turned off, it sounds like a scratchy old LP. 8. Most important, it's obsolete recording quality. 16-bit 44.1KHz two-channel is a 20-plus-year-old recording standard, now an amateur standard that should be obsolete -- and *would* be obsolete if there weren't so much investment in it. It's 2003. Imagine if, in 1983, we were still using decks from 1963? Impossible to think! 24/96 multichannel recording sound formats is even a semi-pro standard now. Mix to 5.1 (and other consumer multichannel) is becoming affordable for home studios. Minidisc solves none of the quality issues, of course, but at low cost and high reliability (my Sony minidisc machines have survived numerous falls; my Sony DAT's first fall required service), it's an excellent interim method. Upcoming advances in memory technology will see uncompressed memory-card recording of greater length, which is pretty much foolproof, but still probably at the old 16/44 format. I've never had a HD recording failure, but maybe that's because I personally know my system (4-input, 24-bit, 96KHz) well enough to keep it functioning through black magic and feeding it chocolate. :) Dennis (Who's back from two solid months of no time & no life, able to post again, and will be in touch off-list with a few folks I've been ignoring.) PS: Those in Amsterdam might like to hear my piece for MalletKat and playback, "RatGeyser", performed by Michael Manion at Zaal 100 on April 23. _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
