What is your favourite DAT unit? And Why?

[pioneercollector]

Hi Glantoir,

And very nice are the recordings from it!

PC

 

[Elite-ist]

Agreed, Shaun. Your newest DAT deck and Pat's deck both have long play mode.

This is Pat's tape playing in my Sony ES:



Nando.

 

[Bob Boyer]

...The tapes coming off my 122 decks work well enough, no?

Indeed they do.

 

[pioneercollector]

Tascam made some excellent items, they just got missed from my radar...... If i knew then what i know now, there would be a number of Tascam items in my fold!

Too late now..... i am in too deep with Sony DAT, Nak and Pioneer..... And i have no more power points / extension leads left!

PC

 

[udo]

I am determined to get the proper cabling to delve into DTRS format. I picked up a Tascam DA-98 which use Hi8 mm video cassettes to record up to 8 tracks of 16 bit resolution audio tracks.

I bought it last year, but haven't got around to buying the proper cables to interface with my system for recording.

View attachment 39509

A video of its first test. I've cleaned it up since buying it. I have to learn how to format the tape. That's why the time counter doesn't display as the tape is playing.

Nando.

Hi Nando,
I had a stack of 8 of these machines years ago, to record live music. They were synchronized with an external controller. I sold them a few years ago for next to nothing.
Cheers,
Udo.

 

[Elite-ist]

I hadn't committed to getting any of the appropiate cabling to link the Tascam DA-98 to my present stereo components, as Bob had previously suggested. However, I do have a few of the correct 8mm tapes for recording.

Nando.

 

[Elite-ist]

Tascam DA-20 MKII

I got this beaut from a CAM (Canuck Audio Mart) seller back in September 2021. It had never been used, so I did take a chance on it. It has performed flawlessly since buying it. I have a ton of recorded material on DAT, so it has become my main DAT player/recorder.







Nando.

 

[krellmk]

I'll have to kick this DAT/Mini Disc idea around.

Perry you need some minidisk i do have more than i can use they all used.

 

[nakdoc]

Way back on page one someone asked about DAT audio quality. The principal sampling rate of 48kHz seems o close to 44.1kHz (an optional rate for all DATs) that the sound ought to be the same, but to my ears, it isn't. Now I can't claim I know whether it is sampling rate alone, better electronics, or lower error correction rates, but 48k DAT does not have the digital glare common to many CD players. The other aspect I like is bass - for some reason it seems more detailed. Searching for tracks is slow and clumsy, so I recommend it be used by folks who want to listen to the whole tape. Many many studios maintined libraries of "safety copies" of 2 track master tapes. DAT was also used instead of analog tape for CD production mastering. Finding a cache of DAT safeties would be fascinatiing!

I have a Fostex D-5 in great condition for sale with manual. It has low hours. D-5 was built by Pioneer but Pioneer never tried to sell the deck in the US market. I will sell it for $300. Shipping is going to be about $60 because it is a heavy deck. Local pickup in Nashville is fine. The D-5 is light tan colored. IIRC I have the rack ears.