Curious Why People Still Use DAT?

[fmaderjr]

Yes the 120/140's have digi in/out.

The later 320/340'd don't have digi-in but may have digi-out (I'm too lazy to try to look it up at the moment).

[mfrench]

I've not cared about digi-i/o since I gave up DAT. weird little game we play.

[stevetoney]

After reading responses, I respect that people stick with DAT.   However, I do have to wonder whether some of you that responded aren't fully aware of the current state of the flash based recorder.

Are you aware that the price of R-09HR recorders has come down to $250 and MTII are now something like $170?!?

That means you could be recording in 24bit, without SCMS, without needing to transfer tapes in real-time, for about the price of one box of 50 DAT tapes?!?

The R-09HR is easily as capable or moreso as a Sony D8, in terms of features and reliability.

I don't want to insult anyone's intelligence with this post.  But if you weren't aware of the current price point for entering the flash recorder market...well I'm just sayin'.

IMHO, recording with the extra headroom offered by 24bit alone is worth $170!

[flipp]

^^^  what he said

And once you go flash/hd recorder and experience how fast transfers are I doubt you'll want to go back to DAT. I can't think of anyone I know, or know of, who returned to DAT.

If you're happy with your current setup there is no real reason to switch but when something happens to your DAT deck I seriously recommend moving to flash/hd recording rather than getting your DAT deck repaired.

[Todd R]

I will consider modern recording equipment to have come as far as when I see an inexpensive one with digi I/O 

They've had one for years-a rockboxed iRiver HP120. Still 16 bit, but way more convenient to use than a DAT IMO and can do quick uploads to a computer also. Even if you need to add a small preamp like a ST-9100 for recording acoustic, its still a pretty small package to carry around and has been way more reliable for me and easier to use than my DAT was.

digi I/O ??

Sorry Cap'n, I missed the I/O part and only read your post as digi-in.  As noted, the H120/H140 has digi I/O, as does the Sony D50.  With next to no patchers these days, esp digital patchers, and the ability to skip real-time transfer and just transfer the data from the flash card, I see very little need for digital out anymore. 

[capnhook]

I will consider modern recording equipment to have come as far as when I see an inexpensive one with digi I/O 

They've had one for years-a rockboxed iRiver HP120. Still 16 bit, but way more convenient to use than a DAT IMO and can do quick uploads to a computer also. Even if you need to add a small preamp like a ST-9100 for recording acoustic, its still a pretty small package to carry around and has been way more reliable for me and easier to use than my DAT was.

digi I/O ??

Sorry Cap'n, I missed the I/O part and only read your post as digi-in.  As noted, the H120/H140 has digi I/O, as does the Sony D50.  With next to no patchers these days, esp digital patchers, and the ability to skip real-time transfer and just transfer the data from the flash card, I see very little need for digital out anymore.

Sorry, should have specified RCA SPDIF I/O.  Of course, the D50 has optical digi I/O, but I think optical is too fragile for field use.

And I'm looking for a $200 modern recorder.....aren't the H120/H140 and the others discontinued, er, obsolete as DAT?

I have high expectations on what my next 4-channel field recorder must have.  The H4n comes close......


_{edit ------ H4n, not H4 (close, but no cigar)}

[fmaderjr]

I have high expectations on what my next 4-channel field recorder must have.  The H4 comes close......

What recorder are you talking about? The Zoom H4 isn't a 4 track recorder. The H4n is, but you have to use the built in mics for 2 of the channels.

I wouldn't use anything from Zoom if you gave it to me. I have an H4 (bought before I heard of taperssection) and it really sucks. The H4n is supposed to be a lot better, but I still wouldn't trust anything from Zoom.

[capnhook]

.....aren't the H120/H140 and the others discontinued, er, obsolete as DAT?   

[fmaderjr]

Yeah they don't make them anymore, but they turn up in the yard sale here all the time (or on E-Bay but often too expensive there).

[Todd R]

And I'm looking for a $200 modern recorder....

I was going off your earlier comment about modern recorders achieving what had been done by DAT.  There were never any DAT recorders that had a new street price of $200 or less.  Thus the comment about the PMD661 for instance.

If what you want is a $200 recorder with RCA digital, the Microtrack II is your only current bet.  It only has digi-in, though as I said, I'm not sure what the draw is for a digi-out.

As to a new sub-$200 digital flash recorder that has both digital in and out on RCA, I'd guess you will never see it, no matter how far down the road you wait.  Between companies moving away from digital anything let alone digi-out, and moving away from RCA connectors, and the price requirement, my bet is you'd be better off deciding which are the most important aspects you need since you'll never get them all in one recorder.

Sorry, not trying to be a naysayer, just my read on the reality of the situation.

[yousef]

And I'm looking for a $200 modern recorder.....aren't the H120/H140 and the others discontinued, er, obsolete as DAT?

They might be discontinued but they certainly aren't obsolete: user-replaceable batteries and hard drives (even the option of swapping the HD for flash media) mean that the recorder could potentially last for years at minimal cost.

Plus, even if the recorder itself craps out you'll still have access to your recordings without having to replace it with a similar machine, or even replace it at all.

I'm rueing the decision to stick with DAT for as long as I did now I'm having to make repeated transfers of tapes and patch different passes together in order to get a glitchless transfer. The only other option would seem to be getting my decks serviced (a remote and costly option) or delving back into the Ebay used DAT deck lucky dip...

[Belexes]

I have friends still taping with DAT because they have to have a physical master of the show. They shrug their shoulders at 24 bit.

[mfrench]

In my experience, DATs degrade and start sloughing off tape particle at a point far earlier in their life than cassettes.  I've had a bunch of problems with old dats doing this and clogging heads.

[fozzy]

lower capacity CF media is dropping down to the price of DAT media.  I would assume when bought in large quantities one could use 1gb, 2gb or 4gb CF cards once and the store.  You can probably get these a 7-11 when in a pinch. 

[raymonda]

In my experience, DATs degrade and start sloughing off tape particle at a point far earlier in their life than cassettes.  I've had a bunch of problems with old dats doing this and clogging heads.

Depends on how you store them and what part of the country you live in. I live in upstate NY and have DAT tapes that were mastered as far back as 1989 and they haven't failed. That being said, I have transfered all DAT tapes to DVD.

I gave up on DAT when I went to laptop taping but still used it in situations where I had to stealth. I bought a MTII a while back and have been very pleased with it. It has recorded flawlessly, with the
exception of one time.

I not sure I buy the computer thing. Everyone on this board has a computer they use. Software for transfering files is cheap and sometimes free. It is a no brainer to switch away from DAT. You'll save a lot of money not buying tapes plus save the environment, too. One tour of DAT Tapes is what you could buy a new recording device for. Make the jump. Stop dragging your knuckles.