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Re: [ARSCLIST] Some DAT questions
Hi, Tom,
A few thoughts on this...
At 08:05 AM 2009-01-18, Tom Fine wrote:
2. one key reason I was thinking for doing these DATs
digital-to-digital would be the real-time monitoring, so I could
note the locations of any dropouts or glitches. Assuming I'll find
some, are there any hidden tricks or tips to fixing them or is that
audio lost on a damaged segment of tape?
Sometimes, a different machine will play a tape better. Eddie Ciletti
can adjust a machine for playback to match the misaligned recorder if
you run into some problematic tapes.
3. if done digital-to-computer, I'm assuming SPDIF, but does anyone
have personal experience indicating either coax or optical is
preferable? I was thinking optical, given the sometimes strange
grounding issues of a computer.
This is probably more a function of your interfaces than of the
media. In theory, both should be the same, and I use them
interchangeably. I don't think I've ever heard a difference.
4. is there anything to be gained by running a simultaneous
analog-to-computer? I'm thinking, no, but I'm also thinking, I sure
don't have all the answers so there may be something unknown to me here.
The one place where this may help is with old DATs with the
preemphasis flag set. If the digital output just carries through the
preemphasis and the DAW doesn't honour the flag (as it might well not
as it's expecting to pass it along to the CD output) then having the
analog copy would immediately flag the offset for you and provide an
immediate "out" for dealing with the preemphasis. The analog may be
fine while the digital may be screechy.
6. finally, are there any DAT brands/types with known sticky-shed
problems? Most of these DATs are BASF, but some are Ampex branded. I
am not at all sure that Ampex manufactured its own DATs, they may
have resold Japanese tape.
Some early-ish (at least to me) mid-1990s TDK DATs did awful things
with head clogs--even when they were new.
Good luck!
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.