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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: F.O.Bean on November 29, 2012, 03:03:59 PM

Title: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: F.O.Bean on November 29, 2012, 03:03:59 PM
I was wondering if anyone knew how much Paul at prodigital would charge me to repair a DAP1 ??? I just tried to transfer from DAP1>Marantz PMD670 and the DATS on the DAP1 have diginoise all over them when trying to playback. I KNOW the DATS are fine, so its GOT TO BE the DAP1. Any info is MUCH appreciated.........

Thanks,
Bean
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: Gil on November 29, 2012, 03:09:23 PM
It needs to be serviced, ya yinzer ;D

Have you tried a tape cleaner first? That solved the diginoise problems on my old DTC-A7.

You're more than welcome to borrow mine. That is, if I ever see you again.
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: F.O.Bean on November 29, 2012, 04:19:40 PM
yes i tried a tape cleaner :(
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: Todd R on November 29, 2012, 05:27:43 PM
It's been about 10 years since I sent anything off to Paul at prodig.  But back in the DAT day, I sent him portable and full size DAT decks probably 6-7 times.  Seemed like no matter what was going on or what the repair was, the bill was $200-250. 

Given that rates have gone up over the last decade, I'd guess the repair bill will be in the $250-300 range.  I'd probably put out an ISO in the yardsale for a working DAT deck, esp a full size deck rather than a portable.  A full size deck would probably go for cheaper used and it's transport is probably more robust than a DA-P1.

I don't think I'd get it repaired, unless you can't drum up one from ts.com.

I need to get back to transferring DATs, those master tapes aren't getting any younger.
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: DiggerinVA on November 29, 2012, 05:41:40 PM
What machine were the dat's recorded with. I remember alignment issues between Sony's and Panasonic's in the past. Just wondering if that could possibly be it.
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: hi and lo on November 29, 2012, 05:54:40 PM
What machine were the dat's recorded with. I remember alignment issues between Sony's and Panasonic's in the past. Just wondering if that could possibly be it.

Yep. Total speculation here, but this could be a situation where the DA-P1 is actually fine and the issue has to due with differences in alignment between it and the deck that originally recorded to your DATs. It's possible your old deck was out of alignment, but otherwise functioned correctly, which is actually not all that uncommon. This has happened in the past to more than one friends and the end-result was that the deck that recorded that DAT was the only deck that could also play it back without errors.

I think the last thing I'd recommend is going the repair route just because it's going to be very expensive. First, you should find a blank DAT and see if the DA-P1 will record and play back a new recording OK. If that works, it's still possible the DA-P1 is out of whack, but at least you'll know it wasn't DOA. Where to go from there is a bigger question, but I'd probably lean towards selling or swapping your deck with someone before spending more money.
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: twatts (pants are so over-rated...) on November 29, 2012, 06:29:55 PM
http://www.prodigitalinc.com/

His rate is $82 per hour...   

Terry


Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: F.O.Bean on November 29, 2012, 06:57:10 PM
i found a full size panasonic on ebay BIN for $200. seems like thats my best bet
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: H₂O on November 29, 2012, 08:32:02 PM
Panasonic's are ok (I own a SV-4100 and have owned a SV-3800) but I would only buy one of the following nowadays:

 - Sony DTC-A8, DTC-A9
 - Sony PCM-2600, PCM-2800
 - Sony PCM-R500, PCM-R700

If you only have 44.1 and 48 Khz tapes the Sony PCM-7040 is the way to go.

All these decks are 4 motor decks and have very reliable transports - plus they are very easier to repair and parts are pretty cheap (i.e. pinch rollers which can fail pretty easy over time can be bought for $20 from full compass).

This seller in Canada has 4 R500's for less than $200 shipped each.

Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: F.O.Bean on November 29, 2012, 10:12:13 PM
my dats wsere all recorded on a sony d8. they used 2 play just fine back in the dayn hoppyfully the panasonic full sized decks will have better luck!
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: capnhook on November 30, 2012, 08:11:39 AM
Bought a low-hours used Sony PCM-R500 a while ago and never looked back.......it has played every tape from any d7 or d8 I have ever made tapes on.

Git yinz one, you will be happy for sure, Bean.   8)
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: One Cylinder on November 30, 2012, 08:26:03 AM
>>>> FWIW I used to tape primarily with a DA-P1, but occassionally w/ a Sony D7 and a D8.  For playback I had a Panasonic SV-3800, a Tascam DA-20 and a Sony PCM-R500. The Panasonic was my primary playback deck and the DA-20 my main cloning deck. Out of the three decks, the PCM R500 was by far the most unreliable. Almost always - if I experienced  playback issues (diginoise) I could throw the DAT in one of the other two decks and it played fine. Didn't matter if I had taped the show w/ my DA-P1 or one of the little Sony decks, the Panasonic and Tascam were always good to go.

If I had a sizeable number of DAT masters to transfer and no access to a DAT deck, I'd pick up a Panasonic 3800. But I'd definately have it checked out by Plonick prior to running any of my tapes in it. Diginoise sucks, but getting your DAT stuck in a deck would really blow!!

my dats wsere all recorded on a sony d8. they used 2 play just fine back in the dayn hoppyfully the panasonic full sized decks will have better luck!
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: darby on November 30, 2012, 09:42:08 AM
Bought a low-hours used Sony PCM-R500 a while ago and never looked back.......it has played every tape from any d7 or d8 I have ever made tapes on.

Git yinz one, you will be happy for sure, Bean.   8)

after dicking around with my old DA-P1, my D8, my DA-20, and my Fostex D-5
I finally broke down and bought a used Sony R500
out hundreds of masters, only 2 wouldn't play back,
and one of those was because the recorder's head slipped out of alignment
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: H₂O on November 30, 2012, 12:30:28 PM
"the PCM R500 was by far the most unreliable"

You must have had a lemon - I have rarely heard of problems with the R500
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: tapjunkie on November 30, 2012, 03:02:51 PM
FYI: Paul does sell decks that have been refurbished too.  That way at least you know if works if you buy one.
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: microburst on November 30, 2012, 04:00:19 PM
"the PCM R500 was by far the most unreliable"

You must have had a lemon - I have rarely heard of problems with the R500

I agree with the Lemon comment - I found the R500 to be the most reliable of any deck I ever used for playback and over the years I owned or had in my posession for extended periods 90% of the decks mentioned above.  FWIW, I also found Panasonic SV-3700 and SV-3800 decks to be less than reliable.
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: One Cylinder on December 01, 2012, 12:50:56 PM
... Maybe someone @ Sony had it out for me.  Not only was my R-500 unreliable but my D7 was complete dud.  The D7 spent more time being serviced than in field. 
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: H₂O on December 01, 2012, 05:27:02 PM
My da-p1 was in the shop more then it was in the field - probably every 40-50 hours of use

My Panasonics went to the shop about every 150-200 hours of use

My D8 about every 80-100 hours

My fostex d5 once at about 400 hours

I didn't run the R700 enough I owned to get it serviced

I have put about 100 hours on the pcm-7040 I rebuilt with no issues

I haven't run my A8 enough either

Ability to read tapes in order of least reliable to most:
D8 > DA-P1 > D5 > SV3800/4100 > (big jump) A8/R700 > (big jump) 7040
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: rodeen on December 01, 2012, 08:13:13 PM
Reading this thread, I really don't miss DAT...
Title: Re: DAP1 needs serviced........
Post by: F.O.Bean on December 01, 2012, 09:33:34 PM
I HATE the ole DAT days now :P :'( :( I had a few honoral people here on ts.com PM me and gave me the email to a MINT DAT Deck, forget what kind, for a really good price! So, if that doesnt work, Im DONE with DAT. Its a shame because I have alot of killer recordings from 1999>2003. I am SOOOOO HAPPY I switched to solid state media in 2004[JB3], and have never looked back ;)

Sony D8[1997]>Tascam DAP1[1999]>Nomad JB3[2003]>SD 722[2006]>Sony M10[2011]. Damn Sony has me hooked again ;D 8)