DAT ou CD

**DJZeMig_L** · 21-10-2002, 08:55 AM

Okie.. which do u use 4 yer track recordings?... I only consider anything ready after it's on DAT... I use CD aswell but they always seem 2 fail after a while...

I got DAT ftapes from early debut works and they still sound as bad as they did originally eheh :P

Z

**sinner** · 21-10-2002, 12:57 PM

I always use DAT. I usually just use the data grade and not the audio grade tapes though. I've never come into a problem with them before and they are tons cheaper.

CD's are just too fragile to master on. I dont recall the last time I had a DAT fail on me, and as long as you keep your equipment clean, it should be fine.

I am looking to pick up an Alexis LC-20 ADAT, but I havent put the money aside for it yet.

My problem is that to use the ADAT how i want, I also have to buy a 8 channel digital audio card for the SGI, which runs about $2500.

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**DJZeMig_L** · 21-10-2002, 07:30 PM

what do u mean with SGI ?? sorry never seen this b4 (I think! ???)

I Use RME Multiface (1 adat I/O).. but the slightly cheaper Digiface has 3 ADAT I/Os..

don't know if this will do 4 ya.. but it should b in the 800 $ range (or cheaper including the interface with the pc, either pci OU pcmcia).

Hope this Helps,

Z

**sinner** · 21-10-2002, 09:06 PM

SGI is Silicon Graphics. They make high end video and audio stations for mostly the Hollywood market. I have been using SGI as the base of my music system for some years now ever since I fell in love with them back around 91.

Silicon Graphics machines are mostly used in video production, but they have some very nice audio qualities.

One of the greatest features of them is the fact the DAT drives that come with them are fully audio capable, and the built in sound devices far outweigh anything but the best PC ones.

The OS also comes with a full suite of MIDI tools built into it, and there is alot of nice commercial software available for it. The version of Cubase VST for SGI isnt supported anymore ( but Nuendo is) , and in fact alot of people arent supporting SGI anymore. Thats why Im starting to play with the various Windows software available, that used to never be available to me because I had to do everything via big dirty knobs

But they are the nicest looking machines ever made, and the while new they are $50,000+ , you can find used ones 3 or so years old for as low as $750.

They arent too far off in operation from macs, but the operating system is UNIX based and lets you tinker with its internals so its very easy to write software to do small tasks that the normal applications dont have instead of begging for new features.

www.sgi.com/workstations/..._spec.html

Thats the specifications on the current model. I still use the previous model to get all my work done.

Its a beautiful platform, and I'm sad to see it dying the way it is, but maybe I can get the windows software to make my life a little bit easier and faster. Who knows I may end up liking it

Mike

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**DJZeMig_L** · 22-10-2002, 02:27 AM

ahhh now it makes sense..!!

Is it true they used sevrral SGI with 4 x 1 Gb flash ram 2 produce Phantom menace part1??

Big wow!!

Z

**sinner** · 22-10-2002, 04:11 AM

Lucasfilms has a huge collection of SGI gear. They make it do some amazing things too.

You can buy an SGI machine with as many as 512 processors if you want though. More if you are willing to pay for it.

Mike

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**DJAmok** · 22-10-2002, 04:14 AM

I love em! I even prefer them to everything else, and with the new Pioneers I even rather spin with CDs than Vinyl.

CD is cheap, has high quality and you can take it and play it everywhere. Dat is rather expensive

**JACKSTAR** · 22-10-2002, 04:35 PM

I always master onto DAT then when compiling a EP together I record to CD. I have spoken to a few cutting engineers about what is best and what they prefer and they all say working from CD is easier and if you've got a good CD recorder then it's the same quality as DAT. I do love the DAT's but for ease of use and cracking price you can't beat CD.

Paul.

www.jackstar-recordings.com

www.paullangley.net

**sinner** · 22-10-2002, 04:45 PM

I do have to agree with you there. I do like mastering to dat mostly because the media isnt near as fragile as CD. But alot of the times you have to push it on CD to do specific things with it.

I dont think I have a CD thats weathered 2 years anywhere, while I still have DAT's I did 5-7 years ago in perfect condition

I suppose that one day I will move on to MiniDisc provided proper hardware and software comes out thats more than consumer grade (if anyone knows of reasonable priced professional grade minidisc mastering tools/drives I would love to hear about them)

Mike

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**DJZeMig_L** · 23-10-2002, 05:12 AM

I've been tolled countless times that If are cutting something 4 vinyl that u should do it at 48Khz.. Do u guys do that?

If u do.. do u prefer 2 do 2 recordigs (1 at 44.1 and another at 48khz).. or do u downsample?? (if so which program do u use?)

Z

**sinner** · 23-10-2002, 05:15 AM

That is one of the major problems I have been having. I always recorded 48khz onto dat, and was having problems downsampling to 44.1 to my satisfaction all the time.

Most of the time the machine I use can handle it just fine most of the time, and downsamples automatically, but now that I am spending more time on Windows, I am in need for decent software also

Mike

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**DJZeMig_L** · 23-10-2002, 08:02 AM

What I used 2 do is have 2 DAT Tapes.. 1 48Khz, another 44.1...

Probably better then having 2 downsample!!

What do u think ??

Z

**sinner** · 23-10-2002, 11:28 AM

I think thats the easiest way long term. It uses up extra tapes which arent exactly the cheapest things on the planet, but I havent bought a true audio grade DAT tape in a long time. The Sony data tapes have never let me down, and they cost half as much.

Thats the biggest thing stopping most people starting out to using dat also. You can burn a cd for 50 cents, it can cost you $20 to master onto a DAT.

Mike

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**sinner** · 23-10-2002, 02:35 PM

Ive been sitting talking about the fact I've been using SGI machines to do alot of my stuff with, and I forgot to mention the biggest reason why I use them because I'm just so used to it

SGI's use the X windows GUI interface, and that lets me send the display from an application running on one machine, onto the monitor on another machine.

For example, when I'm ready to record to dat, I can connect to the machine its hooked up to, and send the display of the application to the workstation Im sitting at instead of getting up and going over to the other machine and typing on its keyboard. It makes things run smoothly and lets me do anything on another machine near the rest of the gear instead of moving

Ive tried various software packages for windows that let you do the same thing, but past using teleffect, it doesnt work well

(teleffect is an applicaiton that runs on windows and on SGI, so I can use one keyboard and mouse across multiple machines. When I move the mouse off the SGI screen, it seemlessly carries over to the windows display. Placing monitors is easy, having a whole bunch of keyboards/mice laying around the rest of your gear is annoying)

Mike

You go in hard, and you go in fast.

**DJZeMig_L** · 23-10-2002, 07:08 PM

More expensive .. last longer...

TDK, HBB, Basf..

Z

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