Re: [ARSCLIST] Storage of audio CDs

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Ross wrote:

>
> >Perhaps someone on the list has some information on this...are DAT
> >machines about to go the way of the 8-track cartridge?
>
> They probably will. I was told by an equipment salesman (not
> necessarily the most reliable source, of course) that ALPS, the last
> maker of DAT transports that were used by Sony, Tascam and the other
> makers of recorders, has ceased production of those transports. As a
> result, nobody can get the transports necessary to build more machines.
>
> There might be a handful of recorders left in the retail channel, but
> when that supply dries up, there won't be any more new ones. I have
> no idea whether anybody has a decent spare parts inventory.
>
> This implies that those of us in the archival community should make
> sure that our collections include at least one working DAT player,
> and we should consider transferring the contents of our existing DATs
> to a more stable and accessible format as a top priority.
>
> John Ross
> Northwest Folklife
> Seattle

My Panasonic 3700 is giving me grief (probably needs new heads, which may be a
problem). The Tascam DA 20 is holding up fine, but I'd better start watching
out for low mileage DAT machines for backup since it's still my principal
format. Sometimes a film company will have DAT recorders that have hardly been
used and these turn up on electronics clearance lists when the film production
wraps up.

dl