DAT vs. MiniDisc: Which has a future?

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coomar

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I'm leaning toward DAT for recording live music. The deck/medium needs to be stable, not super sensitive to movement, and provide HIGH-quality recordings.

Which way to go? Are DATs passe? Are MiniDisc to bitchy? Are there other alternatives if my end goal is digital output / CD?

Thanks!
Mark...
 
MDs are a lossy-format, so you ARE losing signal quality due to the ATRAC algorithms.

DAT is a lossless digital format - all signal quality is maintained....


The trade-off is convenience/portability for sound quality.

Any serious recording work would NOT be done via MD....

Bruce
 
They both have a past and a present.

A future?

You'll be a part of that decision.
 
I know this post pertains to DAT for recording live.. but is there any use for DAT in the bedroom studio if your primary recording mediums are ADAT and a computer?
 
MiniDisc is a kick-ass format.. I wouldn't mind if my imaginary commersial album were mixed down to a pro MiniDisc.
 
They are both marketed towards a completely different public. So I guess they will both live there lives. Dat in a more professional context, minidisc as a consumerproduct...

I don't see direct concurrents for both of them, so I guess they both have a future...
 
as a consumer format outside of the us MD is as popular as the cd formats, but the dat is a dying format. because of the lack of interest from the general public,and the fact that you can easily burn a cd nowdays.
 
What we need is one of those new fangles direct to CD 24 bit recorders with digital outs!

Music Discontinuities=MD
Dynamite Audio Technology=DAT


Peace,
Dennis
 
I don't think either has a future.... I think we are gonna be mixing down to DVD before long.... but who knows...

Oh, and to answer your question... stay away from MD!
 
The important issue here is what do you want to do with the recordings? Once you are in the lossless digital domain (DAT, CD, WAV) they are all interchangable thru digital cables.

If your goal is to give the recordings to somebody (studio, other musicians, fans) then you want a format that they can play. So if you are in Europe than MD may be a viable distribution format but in the states CD is king.

Forget about MD as a mastering format. DAT is great and if you want to use it than it will work for you. But if you want to send out multitrack masters for mixdowns then it wont be of much use. DAT and CD are both on the way out. DVD is the only physical format with a real future. The only really adaptive format is .wav files on your computer. They can be whatever resolution you need.

The question you need to answer is "What digital format will I be working with the most?" If your main collaborator has DAT than get DAT.
 
DAT Vs. MiniDisc

Thanks everyone for feedback...especially Tex. Well said.

Just came across the new 500 mb mini-discs (the size of a U.S. quarter) being put out (and the parade of new gadgets that are being built around this new technology!).

Do you think this one of the main reasons why DAT is on the way out- that now you can go uncompressed for just as long as DAT, have greater durability, and record directly to a format (.wav, etc.) that can be transferred (to a CD) without ANY loss.

For me though, I like to buy behind the curve. DAT works. Period. That has meaning for me. I never need to be the first in line for the latest gadget. I like to be the guy who buys it off the guy who was first in line for 25% of what he paid. ;)

I'm going this route: DAT, Mia digital sound card, two good mics, one quality stand and an open mind.

Thanks for everyone's input! I DO appreciate it.

--Mark
 
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