DAT VS. NJB3

[Depechemode1993]

it would be nice if you told which one is which...

[BJ]

it would be nice if you told which one is which...

he does, after you d/l and guess, put your thoughts out for others to see...

[taktheride]

From the highly regarded FAQ thread found in the archives here...

[010] What are the pros and cons of the NJB3 v. DAT or MD?

Cons
poor mic-in performance compared to portable DATs (though you shouldn't be running mic-in, anyway)
http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=16338.0

HTH

Can you explain a bit more about that point?

[F.O.Bean]

the crappy mic pre's in most portable dats and the jb3 is poo=poo, so you avoid the mic pre as much as possible and instead run LINE-IN

[taktheride]

the crappy mic pre's in most portable dats and the jb3 is poo=poo, so you avoid the mic pre as much as possible and instead run LINE-IN

So Bean, here is my possible setup   mic>soundpro's  batterybox>line-in JB3   
would that be bypassing the problem you mentioned? 
Or better yet let me ask this..
here is my equipment, how should I hook it up?:
stealth mics (miniplug)
sound pros battery box with levels and bass roll off
JB3

Is there anything else I should get? I see a lot of tapers convert to digital in for the JB3...  Does that make a LOT of difference?
I'm not trying to hijack this thread, and I'm not just soliociting answers blindly, I've been reading a LOT on this site and still have a few questions.

Thanks Bean and everyone else.

[kfrinkle]

I dont see how people can compare JB3 and DATs anymore. 

With all the upkeep and media requirements for the DAT, its a real pain in the ass and money pit compared to the JB3.  Also, the AD conversion in the JB3 seems to be just fine.  I just dont think the DAT users really want to admit it.  I still havent found anyone (and I am sure they exist...) that has had problems with the built in AD converter.  For a stealth rig, going mics > SP bat box > JB3 kicks ass, you cant beat it (unless you are skinny as fuck like me, in which case it is a bit harder to stealth).  It is important to get the second battery for the JB3, so that is gonna cost you a few extra bucks.  The leather case doesnt hurt either.  Look around and you see a ton of people out there now with seriously bad ass rigs, with a JB3 at the end of it. DAT is dead, praise the Lord.  I get tired of all the wankers who claim that its DAT or nothin.  I get shit like 'It just doesnt have the warmth of a DAT' all the time, and its bullshit.  Perhaps that is why i have 2 JB3s right now.

[Nick Graham]

I was, and in a way still am, one of the biggest supporters of the JB3. With that being said, I've recently switched back to DAT. After taking a more "official" role as archivist for a local band, I prefer actually having a physical copy of the show when I leave. Having that tape in my back pocket gives me a since of security I'd lost when using a JB3. You also have to figure that there are 15 year old DAT decks still in the field today. JB3s were only introduced like 2 years ago, their reliabilty over time hasn't been proven yet. They've also been discontinued, so service/repair work will likely be impossible.

All other things considered though (speed of transfers,ease of use, etc.) the JB3 could easily be considered superior.

[kfrinkle]

I actually transfer the wavs to puter, then after mastering, I burn all the raw wavs to Data DVDs.  Even DAT tapes shouldnt sit around for more than 5-10 years before you retransfer them, if what I have heard is correct.  If you get good DVDs, they easily last 10 years, and you have the raw data, which i find to be better than having only the audio format ...

[hexyjones]

I was, and in a way still am, one of the biggest supporters of the JB3. With that being said, I've recently switched back to DAT. After taking a more "official" role as archivist for a local band, I prefer actually having a physical copy of the show when I leave. Having that tape in my back pocket gives me a since of security I'd lost when using a JB3. You also have to figure that there are 15 year old DAT decks still in the field today. JB3s were only introduced like 2 years ago, their reliabilty over time hasn't been proven yet. They've also been discontinued, so service/repair work will likely be impossible.

All other things considered though (speed of transfers,ease of use, etc.) the JB3 could easily be considered superior.

That makes no sense what so ever...

Its not like you NEED the JB3 to listen to the recordings...record with them as long as they will last...put another hard drive in  - start over...there is almost nothing to wear out...they are the same drives used in thousands of laptops...what do you want "proven"?

The vast JB3 user community has amassed a large archive of repair and maintainence information that addresses most issues anyone will likely encounter...and then some!

[nickgregory]

no one has any clue how long DVD-Rs last...they havent been around long enough...as for stealthing...I disagree wholeheartedly, the JB3 doesnt touch the D100 in terms of size and the remote, for stealthing purposes.  Add to that that if I am using an external A/D, I will trust a coax or 7 pin connection over optical any day...

we all have different opinions, but this view of JB3 being vastly superior is completely overblown

[JackoRoses]

I like the warmth of analog decks myself, been thinking of running a
portable cassette deck with my current setup just for giggles.
Anyone have a portable cass deck they want to part with?

[kfrinkle]

no one has any clue how long DVD-Rs last...they havent been around long enough...as for stealthing...I disagree wholeheartedly, the JB3 doesnt touch the D100 in terms of size and the remote, for stealthing purposes.  Add to that that if I am using an external A/D, I will trust a coax or 7 pin connection over optical any day...

we all have different opinions, but this view of JB3 being vastly superior is completely overblown

I would consider them equal (but I msut admit, I do lean more towards the JB3).  Addiing a remote to the JB3 for recording purposes would kick some serious ass.

[hexyjones]

no one has any clue how long DVD-Rs last...they havent been around long enough...as for stealthing...I disagree wholeheartedly, the JB3 doesnt touch the D100 in terms of size and the remote, for stealthing purposes.  Add to that that if I am using an external A/D, I will trust a coax or 7 pin connection over optical any day...

we all have different opinions, but this view of JB3 being vastly superior is completely overblown

I dont think anyone really expects any format to last forever...I'm not a "format-ist"...

Any DAT you want to last will need to be transfered to a more stable media...eventually...the sooner the better...

The JB3 doesnt touch the D100 in price either...

I was really referring only to the archival argument...obviously cetain devices have their strengths...

[Nick Graham]

I was, and in a way still am, one of the biggest supporters of the JB3. With that being said, I've recently switched back to DAT. After taking a more "official" role as archivist for a local band, I prefer actually having a physical copy of the show when I leave. Having that tape in my back pocket gives me a since of security I'd lost when using a JB3. You also have to figure that there are 15 year old DAT decks still in the field today. JB3s were only introduced like 2 years ago, their reliabilty over time hasn't been proven yet. They've also been discontinued, so service/repair work will likely be impossible.

All other things considered though (speed of transfers,ease of use, etc.) the JB3 could easily be considered superior.

That makes no sense what so ever...

Its not like you NEED the JB3 to listen to the recordings...record with them as long as they will last...put another hard drive in - start over...there is almost nothing to wear out...they are the same drives used in thousands of laptops...what do you want "proven"?

The vast JB3 user community has amassed a large archive of repair and maintainence information that addresses most issues anyone will likely encounter...and then some!

What doesn't make sense? And at what point did I mention anything about listening to the JB3? Are you sure your response was even directed at my post?

I said I like to have a physical copy when I leave shows. That was pretty much my argument for DAT.

As far replacing the harddrive, there's a lot more that can go wrong than HD failure. And even still, if the HD did "fail", whats to say that files already on it would be retrievable.

Some of us just like having a tape...trusting stored files isn't good enough. No right or wrong....

[hexyjones]

I was, and in a way still am, one of the biggest supporters of the JB3. With that being said, I've recently switched back to DAT. After taking a more "official" role as archivist for a local band, I prefer actually having a physical copy of the show when I leave. Having that tape in my back pocket gives me a since of security I'd lost when using a JB3. You also have to figure that there are 15 year old DAT decks still in the field today. JB3s were only introduced like 2 years ago, their reliabilty over time hasn't been proven yet. They've also been discontinued, so service/repair work will likely be impossible.

All other things considered though (speed of transfers,ease of use, etc.) the JB3 could easily be considered superior.

That makes no sense what so ever...

Its not like you NEED the JB3 to listen to the recordings...record with them as long as they will last...put another hard drive in - start over...there is almost nothing to wear out...they are the same drives used in thousands of laptops...what do you want "proven"?

The vast JB3 user community has amassed a large archive of repair and maintainence information that addresses most issues anyone will likely encounter...and then some!

What doesn't make sense? And at what point did I mention anything about listening to the JB3? Are you sure your response was even directed at my post?

I said I like to have a physical copy when I leave shows. That was pretty much my argument for DAT.

As far replacing the harddrive, there's a lot more that can go wrong than HD failure. And even still, if the HD did "fail", whats to say that files already on it would be retrievable.

Some of us just like having a tape...trusting stored files isn't good enough. No right or wrong....

As far as "listening" - I just meant - you dont need the JB3 after the initial recording...I can only play a dat tape on one thing...

Isnt a DATA format preferable for archiving...?

You could store your JB3 transfered wavs as data files on a DDS drive/tape and have the best of both worlds...

As far as the "when I leave the show" argument...well - you got me on that one...I concede.