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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: Scooter123 on September 09, 2020, 03:50:50 PM
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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.
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My DA88 is quite finicky.
UNPOSSIBLE!
Try Mr. Smalls studios here in Pgh. They took over a room that I worked at with a couple of 88s and 38s. I don't have any guess on the bit depth issue.
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There is a 78 on eBay for under $200, it says it has errors when playing but it does in fact play. I may take a flyer on that.
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There's also the DA-98HR - which may work as well
https://tascam.com/downloads/tascam/302/DA-98HR_TECHDOC.pdf (https://tascam.com/downloads/tascam/302/DA-98HR_TECHDOC.pdf)
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98hr's seem to sell for around $100-400 in working condition
https://www.ebay.com/itm/TASCAM-DA-78HR-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder/333694722132 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/TASCAM-DA-78HR-Digital-Multitrack-Recorder/333694722132?hash=item4db1c16054:g:5cwAAOSwA3dfOspw)
Here's a new 78HR that sold for $235
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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.
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.