How to put DAT recordings on my HD...for access by IPOD or..

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

I have a friend who has a TON of classical recordings on DAT tape from
over the years. He now wants to move that to a Hard Disk on his computer
for more instant access. He has (of course) RCA outputs, but he also has
a "USB adaptor" of come kind.

I'm not familiar with it, but what would he need, at a minimum, to
accomplish this? He wants to bring his DAT recorder to my house just for
a try before committing to hardware / software. But I fear that I don't
have the recorder software to do it. My computer is a 2.9 ghz P4,
runnnig XP home, 800 mhz FSB, 1 gig dual-channel memory, and has a
decent (but not high-end) built-in sound board (not USB). I also have a
All-in-wonder 9800 Video card for whatever that's worth. Of course, my
computer has USB 2.0 and Firewire inputs. So, my question is with my USB
2.0 ports, what software would I need to capture the audio he has to my
HD to allow me to record to my HD...so he might be able to put it on a
IPOD, or similar device?

Any ideas?

Steve Henderson

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Richard Crowley wrote:
> "Steve Henderson" wrote ...
>> I have a friend who has a TON of classical recordings on DAT tape
>> from over the years. He now wants to move that to a Hard Disk on his
>> computer for more instant access. He has (of course) RCA outputs, but
>> he also has a "USB adaptor" of come kind.
>>
>> I'm not familiar with it, but what would he need, at a minimum, to
>> accomplish this? He wants to bring his DAT recorder to my house just
>> for a try before committing to hardware / software. But I fear that I
>> don't have the recorder software to do it. My computer is a 2.9 ghz
>> P4, runnnig XP home, 800 mhz FSB, 1 gig dual-channel memory, and has
>> a decent (but not high-end) built-in sound board (not USB). I also
>> have a All-in-wonder 9800 Video card for whatever that's worth. Of
>> course, my computer has USB 2.0 and Firewire inputs. So, my question
>> is with my USB 2.0 ports, what software would I need to capture the
>> audio he has to my HD to allow me to record to my HD...so he might
>> be able to put it on a IPOD, or similar device?
>
> You didn't mention what the DAT machine is?
> Specifically, does it have a digital I/O ("S/PDIF" )?
>
> There is some possibility that your sound card provides for
> S/PDIF input, but if not, you can get an S/PDIF to USB
> interface from Edirol. It also does "Toslink" (the optical
> version of S/PDIF)...
> http://www.edirol.com/products/info/archive/ua1d.html
>
> Using S/PDIF (or Toslink) will keep the recordings in the
> digital domain and free of any artifacts caused by an additional
> (and undesirable) D/A and A/D step.

Make sure the resulting WAV file is 16 bit 44.1 kHz to burn to CD. Lots of
DATs are 38 kHz, IIRC. You may have to upconvert the sampling rate by
software.

Mark Z.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

Richard Crowley wrote:
> "Mark D. Zacharias" <spammenot@yis.us> wrote in message
> news:LuOhe.109$5Z1.86@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com...
>> Richard Crowley wrote:
>>> "Steve Henderson" wrote ...
>>>> I have a friend who has a TON of classical recordings on DAT tape
>>>> from over the years. He now wants to move that to a Hard Disk on
>>>> his computer for more instant access. He has (of course) RCA
>>>> outputs, but
>>>> he also has a "USB adaptor" of come kind.
>>>>
>>>> I'm not familiar with it, but what would he need, at a minimum, to
>>>> accomplish this? He wants to bring his DAT recorder to my house
>>>> just for a try before committing to hardware / software. But I
>>>> fear that I
>>>> don't have the recorder software to do it. My computer is a 2.9 ghz
>>>> P4, runnnig XP home, 800 mhz FSB, 1 gig dual-channel memory, and
>>>> has a decent (but not high-end) built-in sound board (not USB). I
>>>> also have a All-in-wonder 9800 Video card for whatever that's
>>>> worth. Of course, my computer has USB 2.0 and Firewire inputs. So,
>>>> my question is with my USB 2.0 ports, what software would I need
>>>> to capture the audio he has to my HD to allow me to record to my
>>>> HD...so he might be able to put it on a IPOD, or similar device?
>>>
>>> You didn't mention what the DAT machine is?
>>> Specifically, does it have a digital I/O ("S/PDIF" )?
>>>
>>> There is some possibility that your sound card provides for
>>> S/PDIF input, but if not, you can get an S/PDIF to USB
>>> interface from Edirol. It also does "Toslink" (the optical
>>> version of S/PDIF)...
>>> http://www.edirol.com/products/info/archive/ua1d.html
>>>
>>> Using S/PDIF (or Toslink) will keep the recordings in the
>>> digital domain and free of any artifacts caused by an additional
>>> (and undesirable) D/A and A/D step.
>>
>> Make sure the resulting WAV file is 16 bit 44.1 kHz to burn to CD.
>> Lots of DATs are 38 kHz, IIRC. You may have to upconvert the sampling
>> rate by software.
>
> Well, 32K or 48K perhaps.

I knew I should have gone and looked that up!

mz

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

On Sat, 14 May 2005 19:48:10 -0500, Steve Henderson
<shenderson_2@charter.net> wrote:

>I have a friend who has a TON of classical recordings on DAT tape from
>over the years. He now wants to move that to a Hard Disk on his computer
>for more instant access. He has (of course) RCA outputs, but he also has
>a "USB adaptor" of come kind.
>
>I'm not familiar with it, but what would he need, at a minimum, to
>accomplish this? He wants to bring his DAT recorder to my house just for
>a try before committing to hardware / software. But I fear that I don't
>have the recorder software to do it. My computer is a 2.9 ghz P4,
>runnnig XP home, 800 mhz FSB, 1 gig dual-channel memory, and has a
>decent (but not high-end) built-in sound board (not USB). I also have a
>All-in-wonder 9800 Video card for whatever that's worth. Of course, my
>computer has USB 2.0 and Firewire inputs. So, my question is with my USB
>2.0 ports, what software would I need to capture the audio he has to my
>HD to allow me to record to my HD...so he might be able to put it on a
>IPOD, or similar device?


Unless he wants to fuss with levels, it has to be a digital transfer.
Does his DAT machine have a spdif output? If the computer doesn't
have an input, a card that has is very affordable. Then you just
need any wav recording software. What's that free one people keep
recommending?