Topic: DAT Long Play 12 bit/32 kHz transfers

[jerryfreak]

Now that Paul is gone, where do we go to get decks serviced?

This...  I have a R500 I want to have serviced...

Terry

somebody posted here a few months ago they had a guy. midwest? cant remember. should be a relatively easy search

[TheMetalist]

So, is there any modern audio interfaces that can handle 12 bit/32 kHz?

How do you guys transfer your long play tapes?

[goodcooker]

Now that Paul is gone, where do we go to get decks serviced?

This...  I have a R500 I want to have serviced...
Terry

somebody posted here a few months ago they had a guy. midwest? cant remember. should be a relatively easy search

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=194528.0

Sam at Rebooted Electronics. He's local to me in Kansas but is possibly willing to take in shipped work.

His specialty is cassette decks, turntables and vintage amps but he did a great job on two Tascam DA30s and two Nak MR2 cassette decks for me.

Doesn't cost anything to open up a dialog about what you want done.

[goodcooker]

So, is there any modern audio interfaces that can handle 12 bit/32 kHz?

How do you guys transfer your long play tapes?

I don't have any LP tapes and have never had to transfer anyone else's but I do have a Fostex D5 DAT deck that supports LP mode. I play DATs digital out to a Sound Devices USB Pre and use it as my soundcard to record in Wavelab. WL has 32kHz as an option for sampling frequency but if for some reason it didn't work I'd have to go analog out and use the USB Pre as A>D converter.

if anyone wants to send me a LP tape to test I'll be happy to.

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

Now that Paul is gone, where do we go to get decks serviced?

This...  I have a R500 I want to have serviced...
Terry

somebody posted here a few months ago they had a guy. midwest? cant remember. should be a relatively easy search

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=194528.0

Sam at Rebooted Electronics. He's local to me in Kansas but is possibly willing to take in shipped work.

His specialty is cassette decks, turntables and vintage amps but he did a great job on two Tascam DA30s and two Nak MR2 cassette decks for me.

Doesn't cost anything to open up a dialog about what you want done.

Thanks for that!

Terry

[TheMetalist]

Is this lineage possible?

DAT-tape (LP mode, 12 bit/32 kHz) > DAT-recorder (with LP mode) > SPDIF > Tascam DR-100MKII

Seems like the DR-100MKII has SPDIF input and can do 32 kHz recordings. But what about 12 bits? What am I going to do with that?

Are there any issues converting 32 kHz to 44,1 or 48 kHz in post?

[jerryfreak]

you can resample to any sample rate in software, there are no restrictions

this link suggests the 12-bit is a non-linear format, so im unsure what sonic differences, if any, would result by dumping it into a 16-bit LPCM file

https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=275407&qt-forum_new=0

[TheMetalist]

you can resample to any sample rate in software, there are no restrictions

this link suggests the 12-bit is a non-linear format, so im unsure what sonic differences, if any, would result by dumping it into a 16-bit LPCM file

https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=275407&qt-forum_new=0

So, as long as  the DR-100MKII can handle 32 kHz I will be fine?

[kozakz]

from some old post:

Nomad JB3 will read 32Khz recordings - it always will write as 16bit though (some 32Khz recordings are actually 12bit)

[live2496]

SPDIF format is still the same no matter what the source. 12 bit recording will still be 16-bit at the SPDIF output.

[boa]

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=194528.0

Sam at Rebooted Electronics. He's local to me in Kansas but is possibly willing to take in shipped work.

His specialty is cassette decks, turntables and vintage amps but he did a great job on two Tascam DA30s and two Nak MR2 cassette decks for me.

Doesn't cost anything to open up a dialog about what you want done.

I spoke to Sam and sent him a DA-20. He is currently working on it.

[H₂O]

Sony 7030 or 7040 (newer version) were the top of line DAT machines in the history of that medium.  I have both.  There is no appreciable difference between the two, except the 7040 had remote capabilities.  I don't believe the electronics are different under the skin.  These machines were rack mounted beasts that weighed in at about 50 pounds and had a killer transport system.  They retailed for $10,000 in the day. 

I transcribed (converted) somewhere near 1,000 shows for a radio station  five years ago using these machines. 

The output is weird, only a single XLR for digital out, no SPDIF or Sony 7 Pin, so I think I had to use a HOSA AES Box to convert that signal to SPDIF, thence into a Tascam DR680.   

PCM-7040 is the refined and final version of the 70x0 series there where 4 decks in this series


PCM-7010 - a modular deck that came in many configurations - only one in the series that supported 32khz playback and SPDIF output (with the right module installed)
PCM-7030 - a modular deck that is a refinement of the 7010
PCM-7050 - a fully loaded 7030
PCM-7040 - a non modular single board revision of the 7030/50


7010’s and 30’s where sold in many configs - analog only, analog w/ timecode, analog w/digital io, etc (also there was an option for editing RAM)


The 7010 had an AES/EBU digital I/O option and separately a IEC/SPDIF option card - some of which had SDIF-2 jacks as well


The 7040 is a single board design and isn’t modular - it is not as deep or heavy as the rest of the 70x0 series - the transport is based on the SDT-5000/7000 series dds drives and some parts are interchangeable - I replaced a motor and the loading mech on my 7040 with ones off a SDT-5000

[JEMS]

I have never seen a 12-bit DAT. Is it possible that's just a typo? Even at 32khz, the bit rate was still 16.

[TheMetalist]

I have never seen a 12-bit DAT. Is it possible that's just a typo? Even at 32khz, the bit rate was still 16.

https://www.minidisc.org/dat-heads-faq.html:

DAT defines the following recording modes with the following
performance specifications...

   2 channel 48KHz Sample rate, 16-bit linear encoding, 120 min max.
   Frequency Response 2-22KHz (+-0.5dB)
   SN = 93 dB   DR = 93 dB
 
   2 channel 44.1Khz Sample rate, 16-bit linear encoding, 120 min max
   Frequency Response 2-22KHz (+-0.5dB)
   SN = 93 dB   DR = 93 dB
 
   2 channel 32KHz Sample Rate, 12-bit non-linear encoding, 240 min max
   Frequency Response 2-14.5KHz (+-0.5dB)
   SN = 92 dB   DR = 92 dB

Someone at the Steve Hoffman forums explained it like this:

Note that there are two incompatible 32kHz standards:

16-bit linear, which runs the tape at full speed (broadcast satellite
standard, used only in Japan?)

...and 12-bit non-linear, which runs the
tape at half speed (so you can get 4 hours on a tape). The second is
also called "long-play" mode. The Panasonic sv-3700 uses 16-bit
linear, Sony decks (and Denons?) use 12-bit non-linear.

Here are a few samples of DAT players recording 32 kHz/12 bit:
Sony PCMR700 - https://www.broadcaststore.com/store/model_detail.cfm?id=665508
Sony DTC-A7 - http://www.datrecorders.co.uk/dtca7.php
Tascam DA-20 - http://www.datrecorders.co.uk/da20.php


Here are the two portable DAT players used to record the shows (in LP mode) I'm about to transfer:
Sony D7 and D8 - https://www.gracey.co.uk/specifications/sony_d7-s1.htm

Signal Format :
Sampling Frequency - Record : 48 kHz / 32 kHz analogue / digital inputs
Sampling Frequency - Playback : 48 kHz / 41.1 kHz analogue / digital
D/A Conversion : 1-bit
A/D Conversion : 1-bit
Encoding/Decoding SP : 16-bit linear
Encoding/Decoding LP : 12-bit non-linear

I may be stupid but I don't know the difference between linear or non-linear. Can someone explain this, please? Sorry if it is a silly question...

16 bit linear
12 bit non-linear

Why are they different?

Edit: Is linear always divisible by 8? Just a guess... 12 is not.

[morst]

PCM encoding is considered linear because the steps are all the same "size" (voltage and time)
Not all encoding must be linear.
ATRAC for instance, (Sony minidisc format) and DSD are types which are non-linear.