Topic: DAT Transfers: PCM - R500 -> MacBookPro

[lperyer]

Hi friends,

I read a couple of other threads about transferring DATs but am a little lost, mainly I am not sure how to interface the DAT deck to my mac (a MacBookPro running the latest version of Sierra).

My DAT deck is a PCM - R500, which has both AES/EBU and coax (RCA female) digital outs.

My Mac has Thunderbolt, USB, and HDMI ins. No separate audio in.

I would appreciate advice on any of these topics (in order):

1. How should I interface the devices?
2. What audio software is recommended?
3. Can you share a workflow?

Thank you so, so much.

Lawrence

[H₂O]

Get a cheap recorder with digital in such as a used Tascam dr-100mkii or Tascam hd-p2. Possibly even a microtrak would work

Much easier to do xfers IMO

I haven't used a sound card or digital interface to xfer tapes in over 10
years

[lperyer]

AH, interesting...and then the recorders interface with the Mac via USB?

Thank you.

[rippleish20]

Older Macs used to have an audio in/SPDIF port which made things easier. Now you need a device in the middle. 

DAT -> A/D Device -> USB -> Mac

The A/d device could be a standalone device or a recorder. I have done some transfers using a zoom u-44 (DAT w/SPDIF out > Zoom SPDIF in > USB > Mac). I think SD 7XX recorders allow for AES/EBU in so that would be a possibility.

[lperyer]

Thank you so much. H₂O's reply was super helpful and i think that is the route I am going to go. Plus, I will have other uses for the recorder.

[H₂O]

not that almost all recorders do not support 32khz on SPDIF

AES/EBU doesn't support 32Khz at all either so if you have these tapes you will need to use the SPDIF out on the R500 and not AES

Only JB3 and Rockboxed iRiver support this to my knowledge (both have optical inputs)

[lperyer]

Thank you. So in practice does this mean i need to use the coax out and make sure any recorder i am going into goes via coax in?

[H₂O]

Thank you. So in practice does this mean i need to use the coax out and make sure any recorder i am going into goes via coax in?

AES/EBU is typically 44.1 and up (really 44.056khz is the starting point and possibly slightly less with pull down)
SPDIF supports 32khz and up

Some newer recorders (Sony D50, Tascam DR-100mkii) are more picky then older ones when it comes to locking to a signal (so you may need to try both AES/EDU and SPDIF to lock) - some decks have the option of setting the format of the signal (i.e. DR-680)

32Khz tapes are pretty rare but they are out there as the alot of portable DAT decks supported this format and some tapers would run at LP(12bit 32khz) or 32khz to conserve tape

I have taped 100's of shows and all was at either 44.1khz or 48Khz (probably 90%)

Out of the 100's I have transfered for people only a handful where 32khz (maybe 5-8 total)

AES/EBU does not pass copy bits (SCMS) so in the old days of DAT cloning it was preferred (the locking XLR's are nice as well)

[lperyer]

Thanks. These tapes all come from an artist's archive and fall into three categories:

1. Soundboards from shows recorded by the sound engineers;
2. Reference tapes from studio rehearsals and writing sessions;
3. Reference copies of material other people sent him to listen to.

None of the recordings are from tapees, per se.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Thank you. So in practice does this mean i need to use the coax out and make sure any recorder i am going into goes via coax in?

Yes.

I use a Sony R500 (coax out) to transfer DATs to my Tascam HD-P2 (coax in).

The P2 doesn't record 12/32, so you'll have to find someone that can do that for you (H2O did two 32k DATs I had many years ago).

Good luck!

Terry

[scb]

Hi friends,

I read a couple of other threads about transferring DATs but am a little lost, mainly I am not sure how to interface the DAT deck to my mac (a MacBookPro running the latest version of Sierra).

My DAT deck is a PCM - R500, which has both AES/EBU and coax (RCA female) digital outs.

My Mac has Thunderbolt, USB, and HDMI ins. No separate audio in.

I would appreciate advice on any of these topics (in order):

1. How should I interface the devices?
2. What audio software is recommended?
3. Can you share a workflow?

Thank you so, so much.

Lawrence

Which Macbook Pro? Are you sure the audio out isn't also an optical in?

[rippleish20]

Hi friends,

I read a couple of other threads about transferring DATs but am a little lost, mainly I am not sure how to interface the DAT deck to my mac (a MacBookPro running the latest version of Sierra).

My DAT deck is a PCM - R500, which has both AES/EBU and coax (RCA female) digital outs.

My Mac has Thunderbolt, USB, and HDMI ins. No separate audio in.

I would appreciate advice on any of these topics (in order):

1. How should I interface the devices?
2. What audio software is recommended?
3. Can you share a workflow?

Thank you so, so much.

Lawrence

Which Macbook Pro? Are you sure the audio out isn't also an optical in?

Good point. The desktop macs dropped it a while go but it looks like the macbook pro dropped it more recently...

[H₂O]

The retinas where the first without

It is toslink or optical so you would need a format converter to go that route

[lperyer]

Which Macbook Pro? Are you sure the audio out isn't also an optical in?

Interesting...It is a MacBook Pro Retina from early 2015.

[dnsacks]

looks like it only has optical/toslink OUTput -- http://babcuvpisecek.com/htpc/do-i-have-optical-out-apple-toslink-spdif-compatibility-list/

[rippleish20]

How about somthing like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Coaxial-Toslink-Optical-Converter/dp/B001622FL8

or

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-ODL-312-Converter-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000068OGR

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

How about somthing like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Coaxial-Toslink-Optical-Converter/dp/B001622FL8

or

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-ODL-312-Converter-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B000068OGR

I would find a Hosa...

I've used Radio Shack versions and the MAudio CO2, and those all produced an occasional drop-out...  The Hosa units I've owned have always given me perfect results...

Terry

[lperyer]

I wound up going with a TASCAM DR-40 and Hosa EBU-020 Cable.

[Life In Rewind]

I wound up going with a TASCAM DR-40 and Hosa EBU-020 Cable.

Well bad news...

Unless I'm mistaken - the DR-40 does NOT have a digital input of any kind. It is a digital recorder - but it does not accept a digital signal - only analog.

(Some of the replies here are a bit misleading...)

You really have no need to mess around with AES/EBU format - that's generally only found on more expensive pro gear.

You just need something with SPDIF - in COAX (RCA) or TOSLink (Fiber Optic) format...

With the recorder you bought - you will be limited to analog transfers - which is exactly what we seek to avoid when making these transfers. You just want to move the digits from one place to another. We want to avoid converting the digits to analog and sending them through another analog input where they are re-digitized.

D > D (good)
D > A > A > D (bad)

The cable you picked is useless - since you have no AES input.

Portable recorders with digital inputs include: (and there arent very many!)

TASCAM DR-100 (and its various sucessors mkii/mkiii)
The old Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 (TosLink)
The above mentioned ZOOM interface (TosLInk and COAX)

Im sure there's a few more...others should chime in...

[H₂O]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-Tascam-HD-P2-Digital-Multi-Track-Recorder-TESTED-/302139347457

Here is  hd-p2 starting at $150 - probably sell in the $250 range

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tascam-DR-100mkII-DR-100-MK-II-Linear-PCM-Digital-Audio-Recorder-HAS-ISSUE-/272420266258

DR-100mkii's sell for about $180 used - you need to make sure it comes with the mini to SPDIF in adapter though - this one has a broken mic so you could probably offer $150 or even less - no SPDIF adapter though

[lperyer]

thank you again, H₂O