Klarinet Archive - Posting 000606.txt from 2000/02

From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Another Q for Benjamin Maas
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 02:04:04 -0500

>
> Since this is the Benjamin Maas week I will take the opportunity to ask
> you, Ben,
> Ii you know anything about the older generation of portable Sony DATS.
> I have the chance to buy a used Dat walkman. It is model TCD-D7.
> I notice it has a plastic shell - not metal like the current Dat walkmans.
> Is a DAT a DAT when it comes to portables or are the older models inferior
> to the newer models.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Simon Aldrich

Boy, I feel so special... Everybody wants to know something :-) In all
seriousness, I assume you are talking about the Sony Portables. When it
comes to the Sony portables, they are all pretty much the same. The only
difference between the D-7 and D-8 is a switch for sampling rate and a
separate line/mic input. That is it... As for the super small ones (D-100
and M-1?) they are smaller. The newest one (M-1, I think is it's number)
doesn't have copy protection detection on its digital i/o.

There are other portables that are much better quality than the Sony's, but
they also cost about 2x as much. Tascam and Teac have made good ones. Aiwa
made a decent consumer machine and an excellent pro machine (in conjunction
with HHB). HHB since has come out with their own machines that are great
(but also cost $3000+ US).

The best quality generally comes from the full size decks, though. The
biggest reason is because the transport mechanism is much more robust. If
you have looked at a DAT deck, the heads are on a drum that rotates. It is
called a helical scan mechanism. The drum rotates very quickly and requires
extreme precision. On such small machines, you loose the exactness you need
for a stable transport. On the big decks, the head stack is at least 3x as
large. This allows for a very stable transport.

Unfortunately, the downside of this is the size. You cannot plug a
microphone directly into a deck which means you need to bring some sort of a
preamplifier to bring the signal up to line level. With most portables, you
can plug some kind of microphone directly into the machine.

I actually own a Sony TCD-D8 (along with my 2 Panasonic decks). I purchased
the full remote/digital I/O kit for it and I use it as a backup machine for
my gigs. It is great for this because it is so small. I don't have to
worry about the sound of the digital converters as I go into the machine
digitally. It is strictly a transport and tape recorder. Works pretty well
for that (and has saved my behind when I have had a tape get eaten on a
gig...).

Well, long answer... I hope you got what you were looking for :-)

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Freelance Clarinetist and Recording Engineer
Los Angeles, CA
benmaas@-----.com
http://www.fifthcircle.com

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