Tascam DA 3000 Recorder

[AudioGremlin]

I use the DA-3000 for live band recording along with paired Neumann mics and Millennia Media mic-pre. I'm very pleased with the DA-3000, its transparent and easily surpasses my old double speed DAT recorder DA-45HR on operation and sound quality. Operation is more intuitive than the DAT. I haven't tried archiving vinyl yet but I would imagine it would very good.

[o0OBillO0o]

That is awesome! I want to do that!

Regarding Vinyl. There is a reason for it. Even thought I personally want to stay honest to the format. I do want to back it up to digital. I'm just not convinced that these purported drawbacks that I quoted, really get in the way. I have several LP versions, and I hate saying this cliche, that I prefer over the CD copy. Basically anything from 1988-1998, where Analog peaked is absolutely amazing. Today it's all digital, which is even better, but lacks the uniqueness of a physical copy and it's related sound.

[AudioGremlin]

Its a pity that there isn't a more modern way of storing analogue in its entirety without resorting to digitisation. I suppose it probably could be done purely in the analogue domain in this technological age IF the demand was there. Backing up on RTR only has a limited shelf life. I suppose you could have something similiar to a pressing master to archive... but thats getting into the realms of fantasy. Oh well, back to my single malt.

[o0OBillO0o]

Originally Posted by AudioGremlin

Its a pity that there isn't a more modern way of storing analogue in its entirety without resorting to digitisation. I suppose it probably could be done purely in the analogue domain in this technological age IF the demand was there. Backing up on RTR only has a limited shelf life. I suppose you could have something similiar to a pressing master to archive... but thats getting into the realms of fantasy. Oh well, back to my single malt.

right.

Is there a way so record with chemicals?

Sent using A.Aficionado

[FlashG1]

Originally Posted by AudioGremlin

Its a pity that there isn't a more modern way of storing analogue in its entirety without resorting to digitisation. I suppose it probably could be done purely in the analogue domain in this technological age IF the demand was there. Backing up on RTR only has a limited shelf life. I suppose you could have something similiar to a pressing master to archive... but thats getting into the realms of fantasy. Oh well, back to my single malt.

Interesting comment about limited shelf life. Vinyl LPs last 50-100 years, RTR around 50 years if stored properly, other tape formats maybe 25 years if you can find playback, optical formats seem like they will last 100+ years if you can find the player, some formats have disappeared, and magnetic disc drives seem to crap out after 4-6 years of routine use and recovery is very costly. The biggest risk seems to be the loss of quality playback/retrieval equipment.

[phunge]

Originally Posted by o0OBillO0o

...I have several LP versions, and I hate saying this cliche, that I prefer over the CD copy. Basically anything from 1988-1998, where Analog peaked is absolutely amazing. Today it's all digital, which is even better, but lacks the uniqueness of a physical copy and it's related sound.

Bill,

I absolutely agree, and for me I often attribute my preference to the vinyl version to the greater dynamic range that is present when the Vinyl is mastered. Take a look, for example, at Daft Punk's album Random Access Memories:DR results

I own the CD, HD download and vinyl versions of this album. The DR results clearly show that the digital versions are very highly compressed compared to the vinyl version. For me, even though I like the clarity and detail of the digital , I prefer to listen to the vinyl where it is not so highly compressed.

[blacsno]

I went and purchased one to assist me in my vinyl archiving process. In my setup the DA3000 is the master and the RME Hammerfall in my computer has the role of slave. The DA3000 outputs a 24bit 192Khz signal to the RME Hammerfall in my computer via digital XLR. The recorded file then is saved at 24bit 192Khz resolution and all editing is done to that file. Once happy the results I down convert to 96Khz as a AIFF file. The DA3000 D/A converter for PCM is “MEH” compared to the McIntosh MDA1000. Under this setup I’ve made a step forward in equally the sound quality of analog. Before owning the DA3000 the connection was pre-amp to computer. Now if I had to give a score quality to analog to PCM. Analog being a 10….

Previous steup:
MC2300 MDA1000 with RME Hammerfall
All mastering and editing done under 24 bit 96Khz AIFF file format. Score(9)

MC2300 MDA1000 with DA3000 and Hammerfall
All mastering and editing done under 24 bit 192Khz final output file 24 bit 96Khz AIFF file format. Score (9.4)

Last but not least I did do a DSD v PCM via MDA1000 comparison. I had to make a raw file at 24 bit 176.4Khz for the MDA1000. The DA3000 result score was (9.5) and MDA1000 result score was also (9.5). Both had flaws…. DA3000 while quite good was still “bright” and “thin” in sound. The MDA1000 also while quite good was still “dull” but had a fuller more natural sound. These observation are all back to the turntable and the source. To me it’s the units ability to reproduce and not the file format..... IMO

Ken

[o0OBillO0o]

Ken!

You have completely surprised me! Very, very interesting. Thank you for sharing your results.

Have you been able to record/archive a Vinyl disc of your choosing to 2X DSD and play it back on the Tascam DA-3000 and compare it to the original Analog/Vinyl Recording?

[blacsno]

Originally Posted by o0OBillO0o

Ken!

You have completely surprised me! Very, very interesting. Thank you for sharing your results.

Have you been able to record/archive a Vinyl disc of your choosing to 2X DSD and play it back on the Tascam DA-3000 and compare it to the original Analog/Vinyl Recording?

I had the mindset that this purchase was a tweak only! I tried both levels of DSD for playback each sounded different can't say one was better than. I'm going to say the limitation is the unit not the format. Nothing I've heard in PCM/DSD equal analog! Analog just has a clarity that no digital format can reproduce! So for me with iZotope,DA3000, and MDA1000 iv'e gotten damn close on the PCM side. I can't or won't judge DSD based on the DA3000. I will need to hear other DSD players. I remember when CD's where first introduce the lie told was.... all players will sound alike......

[o0OBillO0o]

Originally Posted by blacsno

I had the mindset that this purchase was a tweak only! I tried both levels of DSD for playback each sounded different can't say one was better than. I'm going to say the limitation is the unit not the format. Nothing I've heard in PCM/DSD equal analog! Analog just has a clarity that no digital format can reproduce! So for me with iZotope,DA3000, and MDA1000 iv'e gotten damn close on the PCM side. I can't or won't judge DSD based on the DA3000. I will need to hear other DSD players. I remember when CD's where first introduce the lie told was.... all players will sound alike......

Ken neat. please let me know when you compare, and what album you used, 2X DSD to the Vinyl disc version.

Have you used the built in Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) in the Tascam unit? How well does the auto track split work?