While dedicated reel-to-reel and later cassette-based digital audio recorders were being developed, for stereo use it became obvious that the high bandwidth of analog video recorders could be used for recording a digital audio bitstream. Also, video links were used to transmit high-quality digital audio acround the world.

Most early CDs were mastered on a Sony PCM-1610 or later PCM-1630 system which used 3/4″ U-Matic video cassettes. Tapes made on these systems should interchange with each other. Resources for transfer: Sonicraft, New Jersey

JVC had a competing mastering system called the DAS-90 and later the DAS-900. These also use 3/4″ U-Matic video cassettes and the two should interchange.

dbx developed the model 700 which was the first one-bit delta-sigma converter to be used in audio, predating the Sony system used on SACD. This system was used for wire/microwave transmission of the Boston Symphony summer concerts at Tanglewood to WGBH in Boston for broadcast. When recording, this was typically used with 3/4″ U-Matic video cassettes. Resources for transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario [note: this capability has not been tested, but we have two PB processors and two U-Matic recorders]

The most widely used system was the Sony PCM-F1 which was introduced in about 1982. The PCM-F1 and the SL-2000 lookalike BetaMax recorder made a portable system that could run off 12V. Many of the Grateful Dead concerts were recorded that way. In addition to the PCM-F1, there were the 501, 601, and 701 AC-operated processors from Sony and the PCM-100 from Nakamichi. All of these are interchangeable and we believe all PCM adapters from Japan are compatible as this was an EIAJ standard. Both 14- and 16-bit operation was supported in the standard, although some units were 14 bit only. Resources for transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario — Doug Pomeroy, New York — Bluefield Mastering, North Carolina — Ted Kendall, England