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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Recording Media => Topic started by: satchmo on March 08, 2009, 03:44:52 PM

Title: Broken DAT
Post by: satchmo on March 08, 2009, 03:44:52 PM

Recorded Jake Shimabukuro from the 4th row center - recording came out great but my 2nd set DAT broke.   I'm converting the 1st set now after letting it sit (just pissed about it) since Oct. 2007....     I'd like to fix the 2nd set tape - has anyone accomplished this before?  Hints?

Title: Re: Broken DAT
Post by: schoepsnbox on March 08, 2009, 04:06:41 PM

Are both ends of the tape hanging out of the shell?  Rat shack sells tape for splicing audio tape back together...you would put the tape on side facing the inside of the shell.  If the tape is not hanging out of the shell it may be more complicated, you may have to take the cartridge apart.  Hope this helps.


Good news is it can be fixed.  The degree of difficulty depends on where the tape snapped.

Title: Re: Broken DAT
Post by: live2496 on March 08, 2009, 04:13:06 PM

Yes. It has been a while since I worked on one, but you can splice the tape. Cassette tape splicing kits will work as the tape is about the same size. It may lose the tracking when it hits the splice but at most it should mute the output momentarily.

Taking the shell apart is a bit tricky. It's a bit like a miniature video tape. It's best if you can overlap the tape a bit. Position the splice such that the spinning head will not grab the tape as it moves across the head.

Title: Re: Broken DAT
Post by: satchmo on March 08, 2009, 10:49:12 PM

Thanks for the hints - I'm going to hit the local RS and see what they have for splicing and give it a shot - it was my only good low profile recorder at the time and one of the last DATs I recorded.

Title: Re: Broken DAT
Post by: greenone on March 09, 2009, 12:11:54 PM

I posted a little primer here:

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,5391.0.html