There have been a number of dedicated digital audio formats, with most of them introduced between 1980-1990. This page addresses one-piece dedicated machines, whether or not they use video tape. If the format used an analog VCR and a digital audio adapter, it is listed here. If the tape is used for voice logging, we have that listed here.

Stereo Formats

DAT: 4mm helical scan tape shared with DDS data tapes. Later, higher-density DDS tapes do not work in DAT machines. Caution: This is essentially and end-of-life format with some interchange problems. Now is a good time to think about migrating DATs to more stable media. Few machines remain in production as of early 2006.

Resources for problematic DAT/DTRS (DA-88)/ADAT transfer: Many problematic DAT and related tapes were recorded on machines that were out of alignment. The only way to reliably transfer tapes that were made on mis-adjusted machines is to mis-adjust a working machine to match the record machine. We have found two new sources for this:
—Manhattan Sound Technicians in Minneapolis, Minnesota, contact Eddie Ciletti at (651) 554-0304
—Chace Audio in Burbank, California, contact Todd Gruber at (818) 842-8346
—Safe Sound Archive/George Blood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Resources for standard DAT transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario — Art Shifrin, New York — Masterdigital, Covington, Louisiana — Bluefield Mastering, North Carolina — Dreamhire, New York — Vidipax, New York — Berkeley Language Center (510) 642-0767

DCC: This 0.150-inch serpentine-track consumer format was brought out by Philips and gained more traction in Europe than in the Americas or Japan, although it was never a major contender. The positive aspect of the format is the players were designed to record and play digital compact cassettes and could also reproduce analog compact cassettes. This is essentially a dead format and is seriously at-risk. Resources for transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario

Sony DASH: This 1/4-inch format was developed by Sony and Studer made a machine for it as well. Tapes made on any of the following machines should all play on any of the other machines: Sony PCM-3202, Sony PCM-3402, andStuder D820X. This is essentially a dead format and is seriously at-risk. Resources for transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario — Dreamhire, New York — Chicago Audio Works (312) 337 8282

Mitsubishi Pro-Digi: This digital audio stationary head format — or should I say formats — has severe interchangeability issues among the different versions and even among different machines. It was introduced early and saw a significant amount of use. These are dead formats and are some of the most at-risk formats today. Resources for transfer: Dreamhire, New York — Chicago Audio Works (312) 337 8282 — Benny at Masterfonics, Nashville — Sterling Sound, New York — Holland Audio Service, Holland

Here is an attempt to summarize the various versions and their (in)compatibility:

• The original X-80 machine had a 50 kHz sample rate. It’s tapes will play back properly on a 50 ks/s X-80, or 4% slow on a 48 ks/s X-80 or an X-86C.
• Later X-80 machines had a 48 kHz sample rate. It’s tapes will play back properly on a 48 ks/s X-80 or an X-86C. Presumably they will also play 4% fast on an original, 50 kHz X-80.
• The switchable 44.1/48 ks/s X-86 tapes will play on an X-86, X-86C, and X-86HS.
• The high-resolution (88.2/96 ks/s) X-86HS tapes will only play on that machine.
• The “radio-station” 7.5 in/s tapes made on the X-86LT will only play on that machine.

Soundstream:

This system was normally leased. It was a pioneering system. Contact me and I will put you in touch with someone who may be able to get your tapes transferred.

8-Track Modular Multi-track Formats:

In video production, the Tascam DTRS system was widely used in the 1990s. These machines, such as the DA-88, DA-98, DA-38, and others placed 8 digital audio channels on a Hi-8 video cassette. Resources for transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario (one machine) — Dreamhire, New York — Live Wire Remote Recorders, Toronto (many machines) — Chace Audio in Burbank, California

The other competing system is the Alesis ADAT. Alesis went to 20 bits while maintaining 8 tracks before Tascam came out with higher-resolution machines. These use an S-VHS video cassette. Studer’s entry into this field is in this format. Resources for transfer: Richard L. Hess, Aurora, Ontario (one 20-bit machine) — Dreamhire, New York — Chace Audio in Burbank, California

In either system, the machines were locked together to provide 24, 32, or more tracks for recording. A multi-part set can be transferred to files using one machine and re-syncing the passes in a variety of ways, or by using as many machines as was originally used for recording.

Reel-to-Reel Digital Multi-track Formats:

Sony, Tascam, and Studer all used a common multi-track DASH format. The Sony 3348HR will play all the formats. All use 1/2-inch tape at 30 in/s. I believe that the 24-track machines can play the first 24 tracks of the 48-track tapes. Resources for transfer: Chace Audio, Burbank, California — Quad Studios, Nashville (Mark Greenwood) — Dreamhire, New York

Otari and Mitsubishi used a common 1″ 30 in/s 32-track format that soon went away when Sony offered 48 tracks. Resources for transfer: Live Wire Remote Recorders, Toronto — Quad Studios, Nashville (Mark Greenwood) — Dreamhire, New York

Mitsubishi had an earlier 16-track 1/2″ 30 in/s format.

3M had two digital formats 32-track 1″ and 4-track 1/2″. These ran at 45 in/s! Resources for 32-track transfer: Roger Nichols, Florida — River Sound, New York City — Arvato Digital Services, Germany (possibly the only all-digital transfer chain available).

Machines are out there, and the Hollywood studios used 3348 Sony machines in film production and archiving. Let’s hope these machines are available. If you have any of these formats, I would strongly suggest transferring them while you can. The existing machines don’t get better with age.

Related Pages: Digital Audio on Video Cassettes, Digital Audio-Disks