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Re: [ARSCLIST] 12 bit non-linear DAT and Sony LP mode
Thanks for your input! Here's an update:
1. I have since learned that the original recorder was a TCD-DC7
2. The tapes are not in my possession. I was curious to get input
regarding their playback potential on my gear before sending the person
who *I believe* has them on a hunt to locate and mail them.
3. They contain a mix of live recordings of rock/punk bands and Free
Jazz ensembles at Bennington College circa 90-94, live recordings of a
post-college iteration of a punk/noise band I was in from around 93-94
and some other various stuff. The Free Jazz recordings include a range
of student and professional musicians--including some sessions with
performers of note (assuming one is interested in such things to begin
with, of course). Some of the Free Jazz stuff I would love to get
bit-for-bit transfers of if possible, but generally I don't think any
would suffer too badly via A/D-D/A. Certainly not any of the
post-college stuff, as the one tape I have in mind consists of little
more than rhythmic whooshing-chugging digital distortion that
occasionally allows a song structure to peek above it--the result of
overwhelming the gear in a small practice room. As an aside, this
particular recording, curiously, is viewed by many of the microscopic
number of people interested in our music as our most resounding sonic
achievement--hence the interest among some of my friends to see it
transferred.
4. My interest in this is both personal and professional. We're working
as a part of a "VT Music History Timeline" project and I'm trying to
build an archival collection of recordings and ephemera made at
Bennington College during my approximate dates there (1989-1993) as a
window into the musical culture of the place during that time.
At this point I'm feeling comfortable enough to give it a try. Now I
just have to figure out a way to navigate the complicated and fractured
interpersonal relationships that surround this material so I can get a
tape to test!
If and when I have a tape in hand, I'll give a playback report to the list.
Thanks again!
andy
---reply--
I was going to say what Richard said. I would add -- I can't imagine
that this content is such high fidelity that it will be audibly degraded
with a good D-A and then A-D chain. The advantage is, you can hear
unrecoverable errors in real time and mark them as you go, you can mark
edit points or track cuts as you go and you may want to tweak EQ or
dynamics in the analog realm to improve audibility.
So, satisfy our curiosity here:
1. what's on tapes made in that mode?
2. did they play OK on the Tascam deck?
PS -- ping me off-list if you're having trouble getting them to play. I
am almost certain my Sony DAT deck will play this format.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard L. Hess"
<arclists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 2:17 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] 12 bit non-linear DAT and Sony LP mode
> At 02:02 PM 2007-10-10, andy kolovos wrote:
>> Folks,
>>
>> Richard Hess--as always--has been wonderful in addressing a series
of questions I'm confronting, this time with some quirky DATs. I feel I
need to let him off the hook at this point as I am sure he has better
things to do than spend his day holding my hand. As such, now I am off
to pester the lot of you.
>>
>> 1. Is this the same as the Sony LP mode, or did Sony do something
characteristic and create there own proprietary LP mode?
>
> What happens when you play it?
>
>
>> 4. Assuming I can indeed get the tapes to play, does it make the
most sense to output it as an analog signal and then bring it back into
the digital domain via my A/D converter?
>
> If the digital links don't work then this is a good way to go. I
wouldn't worry much about the A-D adding anything--assuming you're using
your normal "good" chain and hopefully the D-A in the playback machine
is good enough.
>
>> P.S. to those who are interested, I've opted to go with the Aphex
balancing amp based on Richard's thorough review.
>
> Glad to be of help.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Richard
>
> Richard L. Hess email: richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Aurora, Ontario, Canada (905) 713 6733 1-877-TAPE-FIX
> Detailed contact information: http://www.richardhess.com/tape/contact.htm
> Quality tape transfers -- even from hard-to-play tapes.
--
Andy Kolovos
Archivist/Folklorist
Vermont Folklife Center
88 Main Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
(802) 388-4964
akolovos @ vermontfolklifecenter.org
http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org