Author Topic: Which DAT (not DDS) tape to use? (Read 8097 times)

jlykos · « **on:** September 23, 2003, 10:23:43 AM »

Now that Terrapin is out of business, I need to find a new brand of DAT tape. I had been using the Quantegy tapes with great success, but they are more expensive than other tapes at the other retailers.

I am looking at the Sony and BASF as alternatives. HHb is too expensive. Opinions and experiences? Anything else I should consider? Who has the best prices? I am only looking at DAT tape, not DDS tape. Thanks for the help in advance!

twoodruff · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2003, 03:06:59 PM »

I use BASF/EMTEC, although there was one bad batch I believe, or was it a bad head for Mike Falcon, can't remember.

Scuba Jeremy · « **Reply #2 on:** September 23, 2003, 07:08:58 PM »

Just out of curiosity, why are you anti-DDS? Is there a compatibility issue with one of your decks?

Chris K · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2003, 08:25:57 PM »

i use basf/emtec almost exclusively now, but also used quantegy in a pinch. i never use dds, as they are not made for audio dat, and i am afraid they will mess up my tascam da20mkii

i have been getting my basf's from oade. they are a little more expensive than dds, but worth it in my opinion.

the dds vs audio dat has always seems to been a heated debate on oade board

since i am recording audio, i will stick with audio grade dat tapes

ymmv

chris k

Joe w. · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2003, 10:26:20 PM »

i have never had a problem with the BASF tapes.

jlykos · « **Reply #5 on:** September 24, 2003, 09:45:49 AM »

Quote from: Scuba Jeremy on September 23, 2003, 07:08:58 PM

Just out of curiosity, why are you anti-DDS? Is there a compatibility issue with one of your decks?

Not to re-open this tired debate, but *I* don't use DDS tapes because the shells on the two types of tapes are different and from what I understand, the cheaper DDS shells can negatively affect your deck's performance over the long haul. As I am usually the only taper at most of the shows that I attend, I place a premium on reliability and the Quantegy DAT have never failed me over hundreds of tapes.

In my personal experience at larger shows, when a tape is to blame for an error (misload, snapped tape, etc.), the culprit is almost always a DDS tape. Now, most people probably use DDS so I will not draw any ratios from this, but the experience has steered me away from DDS.

Scuba Jeremy · « **Reply #6 on:** September 24, 2003, 10:27:49 AM »

No man, that's cool. I'm new to the board and haven't heard this debate before. Just curious about it, I'll have to go hund down other threads and see what the rest of the debate is all about. Thanks for the help!

rabhan · « **Reply #7 on:** September 24, 2003, 01:18:55 PM »

you can also read about 30pages of related threads on the oade board too.

wbrisette · « **Reply #8 on:** September 24, 2003, 01:55:52 PM »

You may also want to consider Cassette House's "house" brand (they are Fuji's). I've started using them and haven't had any problem with them.

Also as an FYI, used a bunch of Sony 92 minute DATs this weekend and they are using the same crappy shell that their DDS counterparts are using. :-(

Wayne

jlykos · « **Reply #9 on:** October 23, 2003, 12:15:42 PM »

Quote from: wbrisette on September 24, 2003, 01:55:52 PM

Also as an FYI, used a bunch of Sony 92 minute DATs this weekend and they are using the same crappy shell that their DDS counterparts are using. :-(

Amen to that. While this thread is back up, I bought a box of the Sony Pro DAT 125 tapes and the second one I used misloaded and jammed in my deck. I have since switched to HHb and will eat the cost so hopefully things will improve.

cpclark · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2003, 06:56:11 PM »

from what i could deduce from the great debate was that DDS tapes were manufactured to a higher specification and caused less dropouts than DAT grade tape,just my opinion on this one and i use maxell hs-4 DDS 60M exclusively, .02

utahtaper · « **Reply #11 on:** October 26, 2003, 12:48:49 AM »

I once read somewhere that DDS tapes were strictly manufactured in dust free factories and that the same care was not taken on audio grade tapes. FWIW.
Now personally I haven't had a problem yet with DDS.

blu666z · « **Reply #12 on:** October 27, 2003, 03:46:13 PM »

So if DDS tapes have higher standards, why are they so much cheaper?

-Kevin

Sean Gallemore · « **Reply #13 on:** October 27, 2003, 06:14:52 PM »

the casing, no?

creekfreak · « **Reply #14 on:** October 27, 2003, 06:18:43 PM »

I believe it is the casing that costs more, not sure why though

Scuba Jeremy · « **Reply #15 on:** October 28, 2003, 01:24:10 AM »

Quote from: blu666z on October 27, 2003, 03:46:13 PM

So if DDS tapes have higher standards, why are they so much cheaper?

-Kevin

Because all you have to do is add "Pro Audio" to anything, and it will increase the price by a good 40%!

blu666z · « **Reply #16 on:** October 28, 2003, 01:31:34 AM »

Ah...ok, tommorow I'm going to tell my boss I'm not an ISeries Application Developer. I took some new classes, now I'm a Pro Audio ISeries Application Developer. That should be worth another 25k a year. Sweet!!

-Kevin

greenone · « **Reply #17 on:** October 28, 2003, 08:31:53 AM »

Gotta pay a higher tax on them - same reason music CD-Rs are more expensive than data CD-Rs.

utahtaper · « **Reply #18 on:** October 28, 2003, 10:44:55 AM »

Quote from: greenone on October 28, 2003, 08:31:53 AM

Gotta pay a higher tax on them - same reason music CD-Rs are more expensive than data CD-Rs.

Bingo!

junkbondking · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2003, 04:22:08 PM »

i use dds as well in my d-8. maxell 4-60's and 90's.... the sony 60's jammed in the d-8and i got stuck with 6 of em.....

Simp-Dawg · « **Reply #20 on:** October 28, 2003, 07:55:45 PM »

Quote from: greenone on October 28, 2003, 08:31:53 AM

Gotta pay a higher tax on them - same reason music CD-Rs are more expensive than data CD-Rs.

why is there a higher tax on these? or did i miss that part of the discussion.....

greenone · « **Reply #21 on:** October 28, 2003, 10:25:43 PM »

It's actually part of the Audio Home Recording Act, passed in 1992 - basically the government telling us that we're going to do illegal things with music CD-Rs and DAT tapes, so they'll take money out of our pockets up front as a disincentive to purchase them.

More info here: http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/bad_laws/dat_tax.html
and here, on expansion to other media: http://www.xent.com/FoRK-archive/apr98/0458.html
More discussion: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/archive/dvd-discuss/msg11357.html

Just be thankful you don't live in Canada - MUCH more is taxed (or "levied") there:
http://neil.eton.ca/copylevy.shtml

--Dave

zhianosatch · « **Reply #22 on:** October 29, 2003, 01:04:26 AM »

Canadia, America's Hat...
These bricks o' Maxells look pretty good to me!

John R · « **Reply #23 on:** October 29, 2003, 02:48:40 AM »

from terrapin

http://www.ttapes.com/techtips/datdds.html

jr

leegeddy · « **Reply #24 on:** November 04, 2003, 12:42:45 PM »

Quote from: blu666z on October 27, 2003, 03:46:13 PM

So if DDS tapes have higher standards, why are they so much cheaper?

the RIAA's imposed levy on DAT tapes is one reason.
it's a similar situation with CDAudio vs. data cdrs.

perhaps more DDS tapes are manufactured than DAT tapes driving costs down.

in my experience, lower cost does not equate to lesser quality.

i have total of 4 DAT decks: Sony M1, D100, PCM-2600 and PCM-R500. not one has ever complained about DDS tapes (Sony 60P/90P and Maxell HS-90 mostly). i've experienced zero misloading and has never had a tape eaten by a deck, due to the fault of the tape or its casing.

marc

RastaFish · « **Reply #25 on:** November 05, 2003, 09:34:12 AM »

The few problems I have had with tapes have always been on DDS tapes. Never had any trouble with audio grade at all. I know that is hardly scientific data, but that has been my experience.

Author Topic: Which DAT (not DDS) tape to use? (Read 8097 times)

rabhan

cpclark