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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: tdg455 on July 03, 2020, 02:13:09 PM

Title: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: tdg455 on July 03, 2020, 02:13:09 PM: Hello,

I’m not sure if I’m posting this in the right spot but anyway I have some old DAT decks that haven’t worked in years, a Tascam DA 302 dual dat and a Panasonic SV-3800.
I wanted to sell them and was surprised to see non working decks like my Tascam going for $200 on eBay.
I’m just wondering if people are still recording in this format or is this fueled by nostalgia for old formats?

Tom
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: crunchy on July 03, 2020, 02:19:33 PM: My guess would be to transfer old tapes. I have a good chunk of tapes to transfer and my DA-P1 needs some repairs, but I'm having a hard time justifying paying to fix it or paying the prices for working unit. Since these are not made any more a working unit is more valuable to someone in need.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: billydee on July 03, 2020, 04:30:28 PM: I sold my old non-working SONY D3 portable DAT recorder on Ebay a couple years ago and was shocked at how quick it was snatched up. The buyer was from the Philippines.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: old and in the way on July 03, 2020, 04:31:01 PM: Also a parts machine . A few yrs ago i bought a hhb pdr 1000 so i'd have a machine for parts in the event one broke paid 150.00 and both still work . A couple dozen dats left to transfer and then? Never know though might run into a batch of dats and need one . Actually the hhb was a top of the line portable back in the day and made fine tapes.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: tdg455 on July 03, 2020, 06:33:22 PM: Yeah I’m sure there are plenty of dats still not transferred, I have plenty. I have a Sony ZA5ES that is still working.
The dual dat is what puzzles me.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: DSatz on July 06, 2020, 03:03:43 PM: I'm transferring all my old DATs in order to discard them, and am glad that I had more than one player on hand. Of the two that I assumed would be the most reliable, one (a Sony DTC-75ES -- a full-sized "desktop" unit) crapped out entirely (wouldn't load tapes), while the other one (a Sony TCD-D10 Pro, which cost $2800 in its day if I recall correctly) clearly produces more audible errors than the less imposing, small portables. (That recorder is basically one long story of continuing disappointment.)

If none of these had worked, I would definitely have gone looking for the quickest possible replacement.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: Melanie on July 07, 2020, 07:22:02 PM: I just bought a fostex PD4 from Doug In Seattle, a really nice forum member. I still have lots of transfers to do, the Fostex is prob. the most reliable deck I've used in a while. Between Melanie's DATs and mine it will take a while, I have two other decks I will prob. get fixed, two tascams. Once they are transferred I'll prob. sell all but one Bob
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: Scooter123 on July 08, 2020, 02:32:31 AM: For DAT Transcriptions. Nah, I sure wouldn't want to record on this format anymore.

The DATs are a mess (tape flips) and they are unstable when stored for long periods of time.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: firemt66 on July 08, 2020, 10:09:38 AM: I have one more dat tape to transfer and then I'm very willing to sell my sony D8
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: johnmuge on July 08, 2020, 10:23:20 AM: My Sony DTC-ZE700 has developed a problem and no longer will load tapes. I still have a Denon DTR-80P and a Sony D7 which were both tuned up by Paul @ Pro Digital with basically 0 hours on them since being serviced. I guess the Denon is coming out of retirement for transfers. I still have a bunch of stuff to transfer.
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: lerond on July 09, 2020, 12:32:42 AM: A buddy mentioned to me the other day that Paul passed away recently; anyone have other recommendations for trustworthy DAT repair service?
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: goodcooker on July 26, 2020, 11:51:41 AM: Quote from: lerond on July 09, 2020, 12:32:42 AM
A buddy mentioned to me the other day that Paul passed away recently; anyone have other recommendations for trustworthy DAT repair service?

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=194528.0
Title: Re: Who is buying DAT decks and why?
Post by: Ozpeter on August 01, 2020, 07:40:17 AM: Quote from: old and in the way on July 03, 2020, 04:31:01 PM
Actually the hhb was a top of the line portable back in the day and made fine tapes.

That's the last functioning DAT machine I have left. I think I have some others in the garage somewhere - maybe I should sell them. I have hundreds of DAT tapes of classical concerts I was paid to record, but the chances of anyone now wanting a copy of them is close to zero (and having moved internationally I doubt whether the clients now know where I am).

But I have a memory of the one time I re-used a reel of olde worlde tape, when I realised just before heading off to a recording that I didn't actually have any new ones in stock. Having thus wiped it, the musician involved in the wiped recording from several years before requested a copy a few days later... I forget what lie I told him... since when I have kept every reel of tape, every DAT tape, every minidisc, and every hard drive, and probably would even if I transferred the original material to a newer format. I suspect they will be buried with me when the time comes.