portable live DAT recording?

[dmiller91]

Hi. I bought a Sony DAT (portable, the $600-800 tape deck) quite a few years ago. Over the years I've dropped it several times, and no I didn't know I could buy a case that wouldn't cover the knobs. I had it repaired, $400, and still only records sporadically. Then I spent on a minidisc only to find I can't get it digitally back into my computer.

soooo. Now I'm looking to replace. I love the Marantz pmd670, it allows wav or mp3 compression, the mp3's which can be transferred to pc.

I guess my question is, is the Sony the best deal in that price range, or are some other possiblities available?

I put EVERYthing I record into my computer.

Diane

 

[Todzilla]

Of course, minidisc and mp3 recorders introduce lossy data compression to the recorded sound, so it's really not an ideal way to capture sound.

DAT, on the other hand, is still a pretty good way to grab sound, short of a laptop/soundcard combo.

The Sony seems pretty standard, but if I recall, the low end model converted analog into 48K, which is a kind a weird standard.

Also, you'd still need a preamp (with phantom power for good mics) which starts to defeat the portability of the unit. You may want to look at the Tascam version, which has phantom/pre built in.

 

[dmiller91]

tascam

Thanks for that reply. I wondered about the data compression. Not a computer whiz, so stumbling in the dark a little. I liked my dat, but so easy to abuse! I want to be sure before I drop another $750, etc.

I'm also wondering about good quality mics for under $300. I bought the Sony $100 and have been happy. But can I get better sound from the Core mini's? They cost a lot, don't know if sound is better?

I'll check out the TASCAM.

diane