Breaking DAT Tapes !

[NYMo]

Hi there,

Doing the old transfer of my original music dat tapes into my new converter to be archived on DVD.

Broke three tapes today trying to rewind them ! (4th tape I slow rewound ;-)

Anybody suggest who I can send these to, to be respliced as my DT's are too bad to do it myself !

Cheers
N
Y
M
O

[wez]

can you even save a busted digital tape? i've had ADATs chewed, even if it's only slight damage, if the timecode is damaged, you're kinda screwed. timecode on a DAT is probably not as critical though (ie a DAT will still play back without it, whereas an ADAT won't). but splicing a digital tape, regardless of timecode... gee, i dunno. could be bordering on the realm of forensic data recovery, ie big $$$.

someone please tell me i'm wrong so nymo can get some sleep!

cheers, wez

[chris p]

NYMo

I cut this off an old DAT heads post a while back and kept for future reference when I still had a DAT machine.

Splicing together DAT tape (like with analog tape) is definitely not
recommended for amateurs or first timers. While it's possible, a taped or
spliced together section is more likely catch on the delicate heads and screw
up the playback deck really good if not done perfectly right.

While this is really a pain and incredibly tedious to say the least, maybe
try this alternative approach instead:

1) Keep the broken DAT tape on the two (take-up and supply) reels of the
original cassette, but take this cassette shell apart so that "one of the
reels" can be removed with the tape still on it. You're going to remove the
reel (along with the tape on it) that has the "least amount of tape on it"
from the cassette shell. The removed reel with the broken tape is going
directly into a new cassette shell that has the same-side reel removed from
it.

2) Find another 'same make DAT cassette," open it up discarding all the
(blank or otherwise) tape from this (donor) shell, and remove the "same side
reel" you need to replace in the original cassette. Take this empty "donor"
reel and insert it into the original cassette shell. Attach broken end of
the tape to the new reel, thread the tape where it needs to go, and
reassemble the DAT cassette.

Place about 3-4 tape layers on the take-up reel side (if needed) to allow the
deck to load the tape.

You now have a cassette that will (likely if assembled OK and if the original
DAT cassette itself wasn't defective) safely play the one section of the
broken tape on a playback deck that's also in good working order.

3) Place the remaining reel (section of the broken tape removed from the
cassette) in the same shell as was cannibalized for the (emptied) reel.
Attach the broken tape's end to this reel, thread the tape, and reassemble
the cassette. You now have the other section of the broken tape show on a
second cassette that should play OK if all else is equal.

And YES, you WILL have a gap in the show where the tape got broken (and the
wrinkled sections won't play too well) But, this might be far better than NO
recording or royally screwing up a DAT deck with having tried to splice the
two sections together with adhesive or (splicing) tape in anything but a
perfect DAT splicing method.

TIP: Be careful NOT to touch the "playing side" of the DAT tape, leaving
fingerprints to maybe clog up DAT heads and leave (corrosive) fingerprint
smear onto the metal tape guides as a result. At least work with clean or
freshly washed pinkies.

And lastly, best of luck ........ AND may the DAT Gods be smiling on you when
attempting anything like this.


Regards in Sound & Music Recording,
Leonard Lombardo
========================================
Sonic Studios(tm)..."Making Audio History With DSM(tm) Microphones"
"Sonic Studios Stealth Microphones(tm) . . . Since 1986: The First Choice
of Sound Recording Professionals"

[NYMo]

Hi there,

Shit...this is nearly all my original music from the 70's and 80's :-(

Can anyone on list offer their services(for a fee of course) to do this for me ??

The tapes are mostly Teac 120 min (thats the mistake no doubt)

Hate to say it..but some days I just hate f &*king tape (staring at his Ampex and Ta@#$% tape machines)

I will buy some DAT tapes to butcher.

Cheers
N
Y
M
O

[zarat]

chris p: The "alternative" method works well - I have done this a few times. I also successfully spliced a DAT, once, but never again - far too painstakingly fiddly and, as you say, potentially damaging to the machine. Whichever method used results in quite a bit of lost programme, due to the slow linear speed of DAT. The "alternative" method will lose more than a splice.

NYMo: DO NOT put another tape in that machine, before it is serviced. DAT machine service is expensive but not worth losing irreplaceable material for. 120 min tapes are a mistake. I experienced problems on certain machines from day 1, due to the variations in the mechanisms of different brands.

Bill