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anonymous 26 March 2001

I'm getting ready to purchase something to mix down to. I am going to be mixing from Adat. I am currently looking at Tascam and Marantz for CD-r and whatever I can find used for dat.
Which, in your opinion is better, a stand-alone CD-r or a dat deck, and why?

Thanks!

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harveygerst Mon, 03/26/2001 - 13:04

Right now, I mix to DAT, thru a Lucid 2496 A/D converter. I'd like to mix directly to a CD-R at 24 bit, .AIFF format if I could. I might get a Masterlink for Xmas, if I'm lucky. If you use a Tascam DA-30 or the MK II, I wouldn't mix hotter than -3 or -4 dBFS on the meters on the peaks.

anonymous Mon, 03/26/2001 - 13:11

So are you saying that cd-r would be a wiser investment? I just keeping thinking about the costs of dat tapes compared to cd-r's and can't help but think of the money saved in the long run, you know?
What other stand alone cd-r's will record .aiff, do you know?

Jen H.
Wondercrush
http://www.mp3.com/wondercrush

harveygerst Mon, 03/26/2001 - 15:09

Actually, I've been finding slightly used (and new) DAT tapes on the net (ebay, for example) for about $1 each in 60 and 120 minute recording lengths.

harveygerst Mon, 03/26/2001 - 18:48

Actually, you'd hafta hear some of the bands I record to appreciate that , Brad. LOL. Most of the time, I use new tapes (especially for the important stuff), but oddly enough, we've really never had any problems with the stuff that was used one or two times.

After all, if you stripe the tape for TC on one machine, to get it ready for use on another machine, isn't that now a used tape?

anonymous Tue, 03/27/2001 - 08:15

Hello Harvey!
I burn down to either my pc's plextor or outboard standalone (Teac CDRW).I also own a Sony DAT deck on occasions when 2-track mixdowns are needed when client's request a DAT format.

anonymous Tue, 03/27/2001 - 08:20

Oops! I mean't my stand-alone is my Tascam CDRW700. My Teac is a tape deck!
I also own a Phillips 775,but this baby causes HUGE block error rates when recording at 2x, so I use it simply to play basic c/d's.

Dan Popp Tue, 03/27/2001 - 15:47

I am starting to experience problems with DAT tapes recorded only 6 years ago. The tapes are (then-new) Ampexes, and they have been stored properly.

My opinion is that CDR is pretty stable and that there will be players around for it forever. DAT decks?..."probably not," on both counts.

Does that help?

Yours,
Dan Popp
Colors Audio
USA

anonymous Tue, 03/27/2001 - 16:00

Yep, sure does. And most mastering houses accept cd-r, correct?

anonymous Wed, 03/28/2001 - 10:31

Are duplication houses still requiring a disc at once CD-R or do they do this process and simply charge extra for it? Yes, this should be handled in mastering but I have a lot of clients that skip mastering, even with my warnings against. I have a stand alone CD recorder that I mix to but then I dump this into Wavelab and perform a disc at once burn to a Plextor at the end. I someimtes wish I bought a DAT to mix to as I occasionally get a request for DATs and I have to go the Plextor anyway for the final burn.

anonymous Wed, 03/28/2001 - 11:43

Thanks Brad. That's what I thought. So to wondercrush, you may want to consider this. Do you have a need for DAO CD-Rs? If so, how will you make them? Do you have another burner? If so maybe a DAT isn't such a bad idea as it gives you several mediums for clients to choose from. Just some thoughts.

anonymous Wed, 03/28/2001 - 13:10

Yes but, I can get a Marantz for $300-400 used...

I like the abilities of the masterlink, but cost, unfortunately, is a huge consideration at the moment.

GZsound Sun, 04/08/2001 - 09:24

I believe I read somewhere that mastering to a DAT created a master that was better sounding because of fewer errors. I'm not positive about this so perhaps some of you with more knowledge than I could answer..

Rog Mon, 04/09/2001 - 04:41

Future proof is definitely a very important consideration - burning to 44.1 16 bit vs 48 for a DAT is something to think about.

If your DAW can write a 24/96 file to CDR (assuming your source material is recorded that way) that might be an option. Also, why rely on your converters and / or your DAW's summing bus to dither down when a mastering studio can do it better?

anonymous Mon, 04/09/2001 - 21:37

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rog:
Future proof is definitely a very important consideration - burning to 44.1 16 bit vs 48 for a DAT is something to think about.

As long as I must deliver a digital product :mad:, I prefer to mix to DAT. It's a safety factor for me: I don't need to scrap the whole disc because of one over. I can also write and rewrite the track IDs where ever, and whenever, I want. Watch out with used DAT recorders, these things are just plain dangerous to buy used.
BTW If your final product is CD, never record at 48KHz. Doesn't matter what converter you use, the sample-rate conversion still degrades the audio. :eek:

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