[78-L] Pre-recorded DAT..ever seen one?

Sammy Jones sjones69 at bellsouth.net
Tue Aug 21 17:35:19 PDT 2012


>>>> David Lennick wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I knew the format never caught on with consumers but I didn't
> >>>> realize any major labels ever released anything on DAT.
> >>> I don't know about major labels getting into the DAT field; but
> >>> Schwann listed DAT pre-recorded tapes in its May 1988 issue, I
> >>> believe for the first time. There were 44 titles by Delta Music
> >>> (on the Capriccio, Delta and Jazzline labels) and 8 titles on the
> >>> GRP label. I bought one of those on the Delta label -- "Action
> >>> Movie Themes" from Apocalypse Now, Delta Force, Karate Kid,
> >>> Rambo, Rocky III, etc.
> >>>
> >>> -- Jack Raymond
> >> I'm curious if the pre-recorded DATs you've seen were recorded at
> >> 48kbps. One consumer DAT recorder I've used (Pioneer?) would only
> >> allow recording at 48.
> >>
> >> Sammy Jones
> >>
> > My JVC consumer dat machine (first one I owned) would record at 48
> > and also 24 (archive speed, double length), and if it received a
> > digital signal it would record at 44 and defeat the copy guard. That
> > machine is still in use because it plays everything perfectly and
> > also performs the "renumber" function more efficiently than
> > professional machines.
> >
> > dl
>
> My Sony DAT machine records at sampling frequencies of 48, 44.1, and 32
> kHz.  The one pre-recorded DAT that I own doesn't seem to indicate what
> the sampling rate is.  It plays fine on my machine.
>
> -- Jack Raymond

Your DAT machine probably displays the sampling frequency somewhere as the 
tape is playing back.  The machine automatically selects the playback mode 
from metadata on the tape, and so no "speed" indication on the label for 
consumers was necessary.

Wouldn't it be neat if 78s and LPs had THAT feature???  Imagine playing a 
Caruso from 1908, and then a Billy Murray from 1925, and the turntable 
automatically selects the appropriate speed (be it 76, 78, or whatever)!

BTW, I own a Sony PCM-R700 professional DAT machine.  Love it, but I hardly 
ever record on DAT anymore.  I generally use the machine's input monitor 
function to act as an analog to digital converter in my recording chain. 
Most actual recording is done to .wav files on my harddrive these days.

Sammy Jones



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