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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: tbger on June 27, 2020, 02:27:57 PM
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Hello,
I have some old DAT tapes and minidiscs that I want to transfer. For this, I want to build a basic yet quality system that would let me make digital transfers.
I have a TCD-D7 with Sony’s 7-pin cable for the DATs, and a minidisc deck (which doesn’t have a digital output, but I read somewhere on minidisc.org that it is possible to mod it and add one).
Since I’m not familiar with recorders (other than what I’ve read on a topic about ‘bit buckets’), I’d like to ask you guys what recorder I should buy for this purpose (basic, but still a quality one). I thought about the Marantz PMD661 (of which I’ve figured there’s a Mark 1, 2 and 3). This is the only I’ve found yet.
Also, I don’t know whether I would need another component for doing the transfers. To my basic knowledge it should just be a player, hooked digitally to a recorder. But maybe there’s something else that is needed.
Again, I’m not looking for the best rig with extra functionality etc., just something that would do the job, but still of good quality.
I hope I’m posting in the right place.
Thank you very much for reading
Roy
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if transferring *from* a D7/D8, you need the optical version of the cable. The factory coax ones were input only
https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=2451.0
you can also use a 2-way oade coax.
D7/D8 isnt the best deck for transfers due to its half-sized head, i would limit its use to a imited number of transfers made on that particular deck
as far as 'quality' its pretty much all or nothing with digital. you can transfer multiple times and find potenetial error spots, but in most cases with good tapes and a good deck its going to be >99.9% the same bits (though that 0.1% can sound nasty when it rears its head!
there are numerous 'bit buckets' which should all do the same thing. tascam dr100 series, marantz pmd series, even the m-audio microtrack series is bit accurate
use a high quality card to avoid dropped samples (i recommend sandisk pro 32GB as the most fault-tolerant card out of numerous ive tested)
theres a PMD661 for sale in the YS with blown out P48 that would be perfect for you
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Is there something about the Marantz PMD 661 MKIII that prevents it from being a good bit dumper deck?
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How many MDs do you have??? I can transfers them (sometimes) via 16/44 optical output...
Terry
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Is there something about the Marantz PMD 661 MKIII that prevents it from being a good bit dumper deck?
Record level controls digital input, which is just another stage noise could be introduced. Or that's what my thoughts were. I only used the one I had once and got rid of it. The mk2 doesn't have that issue.
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Thank you very much to every one responded. Thanks jerryfreak for all the points you mentioned !
I forgot to mention I have a Violectric V800 DAC which has a Coaxial output (along with an optical input), which I assume I could use as a converter from Sony's optical cable to the recorder's coaxial input. The cable I have has both input and output jacks, with a switch on the other end, choosing what option I want to use.
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on the Marantz recorder, the Mk III version can apparently record transparently from its digital input, but in order to do that, you have to go to the menu and set the recorder for "automatic level control".
An extremely poor choice of UI design--but the recorder apparently does have the capability, at least.
I say "apparently" because I haven't actually tested bit-for-bit. But the levels look right and the record level knob is definitely out of the circuit. The parent company was aware of this problem; it was supposed to be solved in a Mk IV version, and possibly a firmware update for the Mk III. But then there was a change in management, my contact left the company, and the new management seemed to be at square one as far as awareness was concerned.
(If you sense that I have a big chip on my shoulder as far as corporate management is concerned, maybe it's because of the big chip that I do have on my shoulder as far as corporate management is concerned.)
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Thank you DSatz for your informative reply.
Do you mean to say that an Mk II won't do the job correctly as an accurate bit-bucket for my tapes ?
By the way, just because its price is a little high for me, I was also looking for a PMD670, which I figure should be cheaper. Is this one suitable for my need ? Does it have that problem as well (of not being able to record digitally transparently) ? (talking about a 'U1B' model, I really don't know what it means and if there's a difference between models.)
Thanks !
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Mr. mind, no--the MK II definitely CAN do what you need, and the Mk III appears to do so as well--just via a different, rather unexpected menu setting that isn't in the manual and that the company's technical staff didn't seem to be aware of, either.
(Sorry I didn't see your message sooner.)
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Thank you very much !
I've finally gone for the PMD570, as once my D7 DAT stopped working leaving me without a DAT player, I couldn't afford a 100-200 dollar recorder, and I found this one for just $40 in good condition on eBay (thanks to an advice I've received from one of the users here).
Roy