How to Transfer Digital Audio Tapes (DAT) to CD

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Q1. What is a Digital Audio tape (DAT)?

Digital Audio Tape, also known as DAT or R-DAT, is a sound recording and playback medium. It was developed and introduced by Sony in 1997. A digital audio tape looks like a compact audio cassette, which uses a 4mm magnetic tape packed in a protective shell. The size of a DAT is 2.89 inch x 2.13 inch x 0.41 inch (73mm x 54mm x 10.5mm).

Q2. How many sampling modes does the DAT feature?

DAT features 4 sampling modes i.e. 32 kHz (12 bits), 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz (16 bits). Some recorders operate beyond the given specifications and allow users to record at 96 kHz (24 bits).

Q3. What is the length and recording time of a DAT?

The length of A DAT "tape" is from 15 to 180 minutes. This means the length of a 120-minutes tape is 60 meters. Tapes longer than 60m have thinner media, so they can be problematic in tape recorders.

Q4. What Are The Uses Of DAT?

Professional use

The industry of professional sound recording used DAT in 1990s. At that time, the production of these tapes was at peak. Soon after the introduction of CDs, the use and popularity of DAT decreased significantly.

Computer data storage medium

Initially, the DAT tapes were used for audio recording but the introduction of ISO DDS standard allowed storing data from 1.3GB to 80GB on a tape of 60 to 180m in length. However, the actually amount of storage depends upon the standard and compression.

Q5. What is the future of DAT?

In November 2005, the manufacturer of DAT, Sony, announced that it would discontinue its remaining digital audio tape machine models the next month. So far, Sony has sold about 660,000 digital audio tape (DAT) products. This format is still used in film and TV recording. However, the latest hard drive recording equipment offers more storage and flexibility. As a result, the DAT is being replaced by this new medium.

Q6. Is There any Downside to DAT?

DAT is a very good medium, but hard drive recording is much cheaper and reliable. Also, it is relatively easier to maintain a hard drive. Recording audio from a DAT tape to a computer hard drive takes place in real time, meaning a 90-minutes tape will take 90 minutes to be recorded on a computer hard drive. On the other hand, recording directly on a hard drive enables a user to get a finished product in short order. DAT tapes are costlier than CDs.

Q7. Is it possible to transfer audio from a DAT tape to a computer hard drive?

To transfer audio from a DAT tape to a computer, you need a computer, a Digital Audio Tape deck and an RCA cable. You also need an analog to digital converter to convert the audio signals to digital files which is then capture onto the PC hard drive. The audio can be stored in different formats, such as MP3 or WAV. With an audio editing software you can 'clean' up the recording, remove extra static noise, remove dead silence regions, before burning onto a CD using a CD/DVD writer. If that sounds too technical to you, find a video /audio transfer lab in your are. Not all video and audio transfer labs can transfer DAT tapes, ask them on the phone before you make a trip to drop off your DAT.

Digital audio tapes, like any audio tape, do have a shelf life. Convert them before they disintegrate.

Maurice Sheinfeld has been transferring audio tapes to DVD at a video transfer lab in Newton, MA since 1986 In additional to DAT tapes, he can also transfer your aging home videos, VHS, Hi9, miniDV, and film to DVD or to digital files.

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Saving Your Memories on VHS Tapes to DVD

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In the mid 1980's when VHS camcorders first became popular, parents who may have grown up with eight millimeter films and their three minute limits per reel were suddenly provided with two hours of uninterrupted filming on a single VHS tape. With such a large amount of time, they shot every move their kids made. Over and over and over - you get the idea.

A spin off of VHS was a format called VHS-C. This was a smaller version of a VHS tape in a smaller shell but using the same size tape as a full VHS cassette - just less of it. It was made to allow the camcorder to shrink in size. The mechanism used to play these small tapes in a full size VHS adapter proved to be fatal, as many of these small tapes jammed or mis-tracked. To complicate matters further, another spin off of VHS was made. These were S-VHS tapes. They were the same size as VHS, but offered more sharpness than VHS. They needed special players and would not play in a standard VHS player. S-VHS ended up as mostly a pro-sumer format.

A few Beta camcorders were made, but by then Sony was already losing the tape format wars to VHS. Beta camcorders were far and few between. VHS was king for several years.

As technology progressed, so did the camcorder. The tapes became smaller with the advent of eight millimeter video, so named for it's similar width to eight millimeter film. The tapes were better, the cameras were smaller and the color was better. The term eight millimeter turned out to add confusion with the old film reels by the same name.

Digital mini-DV tapes changed the game in the mid 1990's. For the first time, home video allowed the average user the ability to create videos that looked better than broadcast television. The tapes were even smaller than the eight millimeter and VHS-C tapes.

Fast forward to today. Camcorders half the size of a cigarette pack produce high definition video clips. Habits have changed, too. People don't shoot hours of video anymore, they shoot lot's of minute long clips. They fill up SD cards and hard drives with videos they may see only once, except for the few they upload to social video sites.

The bottom line is this. People have so much video. Many don't know what to do with all their old tapes and current video files. The best thing you can do is create a hard copy on a DVD disk. This allows not only a nice back-up copy, it lets you share your best moments with those you love. But only if you copy them before they are ruined in the heat of an attic, in the dampness of a basement or by the failure of a hard drive.

Most of the devices on the market that do convert tapes to disk involve more technical expertise than simply making a tape copy. While manufacturers have concentrated on making it easier to shoot video, they have made it harder to viewvideo. No wonder many people stash their videos into never-never land.

If you're a techie, you already know what to do. If you're not, then perhaps sending your tapes and files to someone who can convert them for you onto a DVD is the easiest solution for you. One good choice on the internet is http://www.tapestodisk.com

Rick Bennette

Rick Bennette is a 27 year veteran independent film maker. He has owned and operated a video production facility since 1985 in Connecticut and south Florida. Currently, Rick provides video services for the independent film industry, actors auditions and demo reels as well as legal video services. In addition, Rick is a published author and screen winter. His web sites include http://www.tapestodisk.com/

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