Advice needed! DAT issues & studio setup/moving into the future....

[Bassload]

Hello, I would appreciate some advice if anybody would be so kind as to
offer their opinions on a few matters. My DAT machine died and I'm
rethinking my setup.

I have a small recording setup at home, for the last 10 years I've been
mixing down from the PC (Cubase/Acid) or my Ensoniq ASR-88 through a
Mackie 1604VLZ with hardware FX/compressors to my Tascam DA-30 MKII
deck. From there I would then dump the DAT via my Echo Gina 24 to the
PC for normalization and so on.......I can't use Cubase/Acid to play
the music through my board and record it coming back at the same time,
thats why my DAT was essential.

.......well, my DAT Tascam DA-30 just died. I have no way/nowhere to
dump a mix to now. It displays error code 01 which means that tapes
won't load and its gonna cost roughly $300 for a thorough cleaning, new
load belts and to have the heads looked at (estimate, it may be even
higher). I'm looking to replace my DAT with another one off of Ebay, a
working Tascam DA-40 MKII or a Sony PCM-R300/500 costs less than it
costs to fix my DA-30. Not sure which machine is better, I know the
Sony has a 4 head design. Not sure about the DA-40.

I know the DAT format is dead but it's cheaper than buying another PC &
Motu soundcard to drop mixes to (I'm assuming thats what people are
doing now when using analog gear, they drop a mix to a PC or a DAT). In
a few years I'll get another PC & a MOTU but for now I don't have the
$$$. Somebody suggested virtual mixers but I have no experience/not
sure about the quality. Basically what I'm asking is....

1. Is dropping a mix to a PC using Cool Edit/Sound Forge to record
better quality than a DAT machine? Is that a better way to go about it?

2. Tascam DA-40 MKII or Sony PMC-R500? Which one is better?

Thanks for any info, sorry for the long winded post.

-D

[Mike Rivers]

Bassload wrote:
> Hello, I would appreciate some advice if anybody would be so kind as to
> offer their opinions on a few matters. My DAT machine died and I'm
> rethinking my setup.
>
> I have a small recording setup at home, for the last 10 years I've been
> mixing down from the PC (Cubase/Acid) or my Ensoniq ASR-88 through a
> Mackie 1604VLZ with hardware FX/compressors to my Tascam DA-30 MKII
> deck. From there I would then dump the DAT via my Echo Gina 24 to the
> PC for normalization and so on.......I can't use Cubase/Acid to play
> the music through my board and record it coming back at the same time,
> thats why my DAT was essential.

You can't? It's just like an overdub, and I know you can do that in
Cubase. Or is your PC so close to its horsepower limit that it just
can't record one more stereo track when playing the tracks back into
the mixer?

> 1. Is dropping a mix to a PC using Cool Edit/Sound Forge to record
> better quality than a DAT machine? Is that a better way to go about it?

It's all dependent on the sound card you record through. But something
modest like an M-Audio Audiophile card which costs about $100 is as
good or better than any DAT, certainly any DAT that you'd pick up from
an eBay seller. And for 2-track recording, you could use a $50 (or
giveaway) PC. I still use a 266 MHz Pentium 2 with 128 MB RAM for
2-track recording in my studio.

> 2. Tascam DA-40 MKII or Sony PMC-R500? Which one is better?

The one that's in the best condition. But that will be hard to tell
without buying both of them, and you probably don't want to do that.

[Bassload]

Mike Rivers wrote:

> You can't? It's just like an overdub, and I know you can do that in
> Cubase. Or is your PC so close to its horsepower limit that it just
> can't record one more stereo track when playing the tracks back into
> the mixer?
>
> > 1. Is dropping a mix to a PC using Cool Edit/Sound Forge to record
> > better quality than a DAT machine? Is that a better way to go about it?
>
> It's all dependent on the sound card you record through. But something
> modest like an M-Audio Audiophile card which costs about $100 is as
> good or better than any DAT, certainly any DAT that you'd pick up from
> an eBay seller. And for 2-track recording, you could use a $50 (or
> giveaway) PC. I still use a 266 MHz Pentium 2 with 128 MB RAM for
> 2-track recording in my studio.
>
> > 2. Tascam DA-40 MKII or Sony PMC-R500? Which one is better?
>
> The one that's in the best condition. But that will be hard to tell
> without buying both of them, and you probably don't want to do that.

Thanks for the advice. Right now I'm using the Echo Gina 24 card. My PC
is a p4 2.33ghz w/1GB of PC1066 RDRam. It should be able to handle
it...perhaps I'm just in a rut with the old way I was recording before
I had the PC and never actually tried to play something and record the
2 out mix from the mackie back into the PC. Initially, All I had was
the ASR-88, hardware and the dat was the finale. Gonna do some
experimenting tonight and post up results. Thanks again.

[Danny T]

Bassload wrote:
> Mike Rivers wrote:
>
> > You can't? It's just like an overdub, and I know you can do that in
> > Cubase. Or is your PC so close to its horsepower limit that it just
> > can't record one more stereo track when playing the tracks back into
> > the mixer?
> >
> > > 1. Is dropping a mix to a PC using Cool Edit/Sound Forge to record
> > > better quality than a DAT machine? Is that a better way to go about it?
> >
> > It's all dependent on the sound card you record through. But something
> > modest like an M-Audio Audiophile card which costs about $100 is as
> > good or better than any DAT, certainly any DAT that you'd pick up from
> > an eBay seller. And for 2-track recording, you could use a $50 (or
> > giveaway) PC. I still use a 266 MHz Pentium 2 with 128 MB RAM for
> > 2-track recording in my studio.
> >
> > > 2. Tascam DA-40 MKII or Sony PMC-R500? Which one is better?
> >
> > The one that's in the best condition. But that will be hard to tell
> > without buying both of them, and you probably don't want to do that.
>
> Thanks for the advice. Right now I'm using the Echo Gina 24 card. My PC
> is a p4 2.33ghz w/1GB of PC1066 RDRam. It should be able to handle
> it...perhaps I'm just in a rut with the old way I was recording before
> I had the PC and never actually tried to play something and record the
> 2 out mix from the mackie back into the PC. Initially, All I had was
> the ASR-88, hardware and the dat was the finale. Gonna do some
> experimenting tonight and post up results. Thanks again.

Mike is right. You can come out - through the board and back in. If you
really don't want to do that and you really want a dat, I have a SV3800
with about 12 hours on the playback and maybe 2 at tops on recording
that I can sell you. I bought it new from Gutiar center years ago when
I needed to off load some archives but when I was through with that, I
just let it sit. I just replugged my studio and put it back in the rack
and wired it up but I highly doubt i will ever use it.

If you think you might want it let me know. Its not going anywhere so
there's no rush. I might get around to ebaying someday but for now its
going to stay in the rack.

[Danny T]

If you have something you don't need I might want to trade too.

[Paul Stamler]

"Bassload" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Basically what I'm asking is....
>
> 1. Is dropping a mix to a PC using Cool Edit/Sound Forge to record
> better quality than a DAT machine? Is that a better way to go about it?

Yes, provided the soundcard is decent. And you're not limited to a fancy PC
and a MOTU; for recording 2-track 24/96 you can use a P-II/450 and something
like an M-Audio Audiophile192 or a used CardDeluxe. The computer will maybe
cost you $150 max, the CardDeluxe $150 on e-bay if you shop carefully, or
the Audiophile maybe $175.

For that matter, on a temporary basis, if you have any kind of a soundcard
with a S/PDIF input (that doesn't automatically apply sample-rate
conversion), you can use your DAT machine as an A/D and have the same
quality you're getting now. After all, it's the transport that doesn't work,
not the electronics. I'd prefer the results with the better soundcard, but
as a temporary basis that will work.

Peace,
Paul

[Mike Rivers]

Bassload wrote:

> Thanks for the advice. Right now I'm using the Echo Gina 24 card. My PC
> is a p4 2.33ghz w/1GB of PC1066 RDRam. It should be able to handle
> it.

That will do just fine. And by having the stereo mix on your computer,
you'll find that it's very convenient to make edits, adjustments in
level, EQ to match up songs, and burn CDs.