DAT / Betamax PCM
DAT transfer
We can transfer Digital Audio Tape, often referred to as DAT to CD or any other analogue or digital audio format. Almost all DAT machines could only record at 44.1 or 48 kHz at 16 bit resolution. A few later machines could record at 24 bit depth too which we can support.
We can also transfer the earlier Betamax digital PCM audio recordings made on video tape, usually Betamax but sometimes VHS or Umatic, that the DAT machine made obsolete. Having extensive racks of video machines makes these possible using the Sony PCM-701ES unit.
Many valuable audio recordings were made on video tape either as a standard video soundtrack in mono or stereo or using the higher quality FM recording system.
We use Sony PCM 2600, Sony PCM 7030, Fostex and Tascam DAT machines. The PCM 7030 has probably one of the best transports of any DAT machine built and is one of the more serviceable machines made. This is important and DAT as a format for recording is now obsolete yet there are many, many DAT tapes surviving and the machines, if not looked after, are slowly decaying!
Helical scan digital tape recordings such as 2 channel DAT, ADAT Tascam DTRS, DA88 and DA38 are potentially very vulnerable to damage and as playback machines in good order become more scarce it’s really worth transferring any valuable recordings from the tape to another digital format, preferably in two places for safety.
Please feel free to contact us for a free and friendly discussion about your needs.