Topic: future of dat

[heath]

do you think DAT tape will always be around?

nope!  the digital world, obviously, is moving towards hard disk recording.  sooner or later, because of technology advances in teh digital recording world, the demand for analog reels will exceed the demand for DAT and DDS tapes. when that happens, DAT and DDS tapes will cease to be produced. you said yourself that certain companies have already ended production or know when there ending production lines on DAT related products.  For the rest of time there will always be someone or some company with the ability and will to restore/repair/modify ATR's and another company will always have analog tape available because there will ALWAYS be a demand for analog sound.  With digital, why record 16bits/44.1 on a tape when you can record 24/88.2-192 on an HD inside a better constructed machine?  DAT demand is already going down because HD recording is becoming cheaper.  The cheaper it gets the more people will start forgetting about DAT.

all my guestimations but it seems like a logical path to me.

excellent answer.  +t

[heath]

heath,

are these companies different than any of the ones who have sent out survey's regarding this subject?

i'm pretty sure EMTEC was bought back by the company that was(still is?) B.A.S.F.   

it depends what surveys you have seen.... 


not trying to be a d*ck.  I was just asked repeatedly to keep mymouth shut, so I will.  For now.

[Brian]

thanks bud, backatcha

my eyes and ears are peeled to the latest on this subject.  I'm getting daily updates from all  of my audio teachers.  this is like the football playoffs for them

to the PM"s we go

[heath]

Bottom line.  I use analog tape (1/4", 1/2", 1", 2") almost every day at work. I am not worried about a tape shortage.  I think everyone will be just fine once things settle down...

[hexyjones]

If I were (still) a DAT taper - this would be the year to move on to something else...save all the remaining "good" hours on your deck for transfers...

I have well over 100 DATs - most of which are trapped on the tapes...for now I rely on sneaking a transfer in on a buddy's deck now and then...and 100 is a tiny collection compared to some...

Useable media may remain available - but thats not the issue.

Its the hardware...pretty soon the parts will be gone - and think of this - a lot of D7s have been serviced over 3 times - the drain on the parts supply began a long time ago.

The industries that relied on Audio DAT have moved on...and probably adapted their archive to new media...our hobby is a relatively small market...not enough users to support the biz...

Nor will DAT enjoy the more esoteric support that analog tape nuts have given to the big reel machines...

Good riddence most will say...

[Brian]

i think you are right heath.  tape will always be around, but like I asked before....at what cost?  certainly higher than it is right now, no doubt, and it ain't that cheap right now.

[heath]

it will be pricey.  that is certain.  you can always go to the foreign markets...I believe there is some tape being made in china, and russia (i'll have to read through some old emails).  The tape is supposedly pretty good and cheaper than name brand stuff like GP9 and 900.

h

[spyder9]

I think Dat can be around as long as you want it. There is still a core group out there who still love reel-to-reel. It just means that the Dat hobby will become increasingly expensive, and numbers will dwindle to just hardcore enthusiasts.

I see your point but I think you are missing the fact that manufacturers are no longer making the parts. In a few years you won't be able to have a new transport put into your old deck. Besides the tape manufacturers are going to stop producing the tape. Quantegy just closed, the reel to reel guys are going to be feeling that in a few years, at most.

Reel-to-reelers love carcasses.  I picked up 2 Tascam 32 recorders at a local school auction last fall.  Tascam stopped making them in 1994.  They powered on, but I had no way of testing them (no tape).  Paid $25.00 for both.  Flipped them on eBay as-is for $400 total.  Hardcores in any hobby never stop.   Some go to the extent of buying the schematics from manufacturers, who view them as worthless, and make their own parts. 

[Brian]

i feel sorry for anybody who is going to get that "hardcore" on DAT that they feel the need to build their own DAT players/recorders for mere 16bit/44.1kHz recordings that can't compare to the latest digital recorders.  Who really would want to hold onto that piece of digital recording technology on a tape medium?

personally I don't think there will be such a person for DAT like there are for ATR's for all the reasons I stated in my earlier post.  Why would you want to when 24bit/88.2-192kHz recording is getting cheaper every 6months?

remember it all boils down to "how it sounds".  Analog Tape REcording is still alive because MANY engineers and producers think it sounds better.  I don't think anyone is going to defend DAT recording in the same way with respect to its successing technology.  And anybody that does, should have their ears checked

the only reason DAT might stick around is for playback?  But why?  especially when you can transfer the 1s and 0s off of a tape medium to a computer?

not trying to be an ass, it just doesn't make any sense to me that DAT's will be around forever, like ATR's and analog tape will be.

[heath]

i agree.  i would not mind having a computer for playback and recording of all my 16/44.1(48) audio.  But nothing could ever replace the sound of bass hitting Ampex 456 (or just about any 2" tape) HARD on a Studer...    

[Tim]

nicely said Brian

quick hijack: did Marcus tell you that I gave them a box of tapes?

[Brian]

box of tapes? what?  

i haven't talked to them since they were in Steamboat.  Shawn was supposed to call me back with their thoughts on my rough mix of the NYE recording, but has yet to get back to me.   you know how that goes

i'll be seeing them on 2/11.  I'd imagine they are going to give me that box but maybe they found some other poor soul who has the time to transfer them I would just like to hear some old speakeasy some time.

[Tim]

it's everything I have I think... I'll keep my eyes out though. There's also some other springfield bands in there....

[Brian]

BTW, is that Svetlana, as in Svetlana, the Russian tube manufactuer?

according to some engineers I know they are the only company building high-quality tubes these days that can actually compare to the tubes being built in teh 50s, 60s, and 70s.

[Tim]

I just put in 4 matched Svetlana el34 tubes in my amp tonight

BTW - fuck taping, this is WAY more fun