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Tascam DA78

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--- Quote from: Scooter123 on September 09, 2020, 03:50:50 PM ---Anyone here have a Tascam DA78hr?  This is an 24 bit eight channel digital recorder that used VHS tapes as a tape medium.  I have a bunch of these 24 bit eight channel  DTSR  tapes that need to be converted to a digital  format on a hard drive.  The tapes have some historical significance.  I would like to borrow or rent this machine or you could transcribe them for free or for payment. 

I have a DA88 and it needs servicing and question whether my 16 bit DA88 would even play the 24 bit tapes.  Servicing is fairly expensive, about $4-500 I am told.  My DA88 is quite finicky.

--- End quote ---

Just a nit-pick but the DTRS tape format used Hi8 video tapes rather than VHS. ADAT format used S-VHS tapes.

A DA88 won't play HR-DTRS 24 bit tapes. The encoding methods are different and 24-bit HR tapes aren't backwards compatible with the older DTRS machines so only play in the HR type 24-bit machines - 78HR and 98HR. The HR type machines can however play 16-bit DTRS tapes and output 16 bit on their TDIF digital connections and 16-bit (non-HR) tapes recorded in the HR machines are backwards compatible with the non HR machines.

If you don't have many DTRS tapes to transcribe it might be cheaper/easier to send them to a company which offers a transcription service. There are lots out there. At least that way you don;t have to worry about the condition of any machine you might buy/rent.

If you do decide to buy, it's worth checking out the running hours on the machine you're thinking of buying. And bear in mind that there is a DA98 and a DA98HR and they're different - only the HR offers the 24-bit compatibility. The HR machines are a darker grey colour than the non HR machines.

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