With a rare combination of the finest audio quality and a practical recording medium, DTRS recorders can be found everywhere from personal and project studios to post-production suites and scoring stages around the globe. The Tascam DA-98HR represents the pinnacle of evolution for DTRS recorders. Its 24-bit audio bit depth, sample rates of up to 192kHz, confidence monitoring capability and a new simplified operating system with one-touch commands and clear status displays make the Tascam DA-98HR the new standard for professional audio production.
Features
- Selectable 16 bit or 24-bit High Resolution audio
- High Resolution 48kHz mode (8 tracks), 96kHz mode (4 tracks) and 192kHz mode (2 tracks)
- Confidence monitoring for layback, mastering, and live recording applications
- TDIF and AES/EBU digital I/O
- >104dB Dynamic range
- 20Hz – 20kHz frequency response ±.5dB
- 1 hr. 48 min. recording time on a single 120 tape
- Built-in synchroniser for SMPTE, MIDI and Sony 9-Pin sync
- Individual track input monitor select switch facilitates easier checking of source/tape levels
- Selectable reference levels for integration into a variety of recording environments, with internal tone generator
- Track slip from -200 to +7200 samples
- Expandable up to 128 tracks (16 machines)
- Word Sync In/Out/Thru
- Serial Control (9-pin) port and parallel control port
- Optional analogue I/O (IF-98HR) with 96kHz performance on balanced DB25 connectors
At the head of the TASCAM DTRS range, the Tascam DA-98HR is both the ultimate modular multitrack recorder and the perfect master-controller for system-users. With a built-in chase-synchroniser and enhanced menu-driven control software to ease complex tracking and synchronisation, the Tascam DA-98HR is optimised to command modular digital multitrack systems comprising any combination of other DTRS recorders. The addition of a Tascam DA-98HR to an existing system introduces the latest control ideas and enhancements to the entire system.
High resolution bit depth and sample rates
The Tascam DA-98HR will record and playback with the stunning audio quality found in 24-bit resolution. It is also capable of working with higher sampling frequencies. In addition to its standard operating mode of eight tracks at 44.1 or 48kHz rates, the DA-98HR can also function as a four-track recorder for 96kHz rates, or even as a stereo master deck for 192kHz frequencies.
This flexibility allows you to choose the type of digital recording quality that fully meets your needs without any loss of recording time. For compatibility with other DTRS machines, the Tascam DA-98HR will also recognise and work with 16-bit data as well. In a mixed system that uses both high resolution and 16-bit machines, the Tascam DA-98HR will output 16-bit data from the TDIF interface to older decks.
Confidence monitoring ensures accuracy
The Tascam DA-98HR offers Confidence Monitoring, a system that verifies the integrity of the material you print to tape during the mastering and playback process. The audio you are hearing is exactly what is being recorded on tape. This important function virtually eliminates the possibility of encountering mistakes after the fact. You can trust that your master recordings and archive copies are completely free of glitches or dropouts of any kind.
Interfacing for professional facilities
The Tascam DA-98HR offers both serial (RS-422, P2) and parallel control I/O, so integrating it into systems that require transport automation in both music and postproduction recording is easily accomplished. A SMPTE time code reader/generator is built in as standard equipment, as are MIDI jacks for MMC and MTC. Time-code generation is enhanced with the ability to sync. time code to ABS time, making searching and frame-matching accurate and instinctive. A video sync jack is added for locking to blackburst, and a digital audio interface for AES/EBU transmission is also included in addition to the DA-98’s standard 8-channel TDIF interface.
Control Menus
The group of fifteen advanced control menus give you access to all system functions and options at the front panel. Navigation is simple: a ‘top menu’ lists the menu groups and as you scroll through with the cursor keys, a summary of each group’s contents is shown for easy identification. In addition, there are direct access keys to main menu functions.
Input Monitor switches positioned directly under each track’s record select switch allow easy toggling between Source/Tape levels, simplifying the process of comparing the two signals.
Reference Levels
The Tascam DA-98HR (with optional IF-AN98HR) has a switchable reference level for quickly establishing compatibility with the prevailing reference level in your recording environment. This feature is supported by an internal tone generator to allow settings to be checked.
Electronic Patchbay
The more machines and tracks you are using, the better this feature gets. You can route any input to any track without touching the connectors. Patching and repatching are unnecessary.
For the acquisition and delivery of audio for picture, high-end music recording and special applications like surround encoding, the Tascam DA-98HR offers a peerless solution for engineers and studio owners who prefer the advantages of working with tape-based digital audio.
Solid Design
The Tascam DA-98HR is designed for demanding, 24-hour use. It is encased in a sturdy all-metal chassis made to withstand working on location.
P2 protocol, Front Panel access to all machine set-up parameters, a menu-driven control environment, a comprehensive LCD display screen, self-illuminated transport control, individual input monitor switches, switchable reference levels and more.
By adding a PLL circuit to both the DAC and ADC, use of OS-CON (OS-CON is well-known for huge capacitance, low Equivalent Serial Resistance, long life, as well as excellent high-frequency and temperature characteristics) and a switchable Low Pass Filter at either Hi-Fs or Standard Fs, the optional Analog to Digital and Digital to Analog boards promise to give the DA-98HR incredible sound quality.
Designed to take the music recording and postproduction world into the next millennium, the Tascam DA-98HR is the finest modular digital multitrack recorder ever made.
Progress without obsolescence
The Tascam DA-98HR continues TASCAM’s track record of delivering dynamic progression and innovation while at the same time avoiding obsolescence of earlier DTRS machines. Each new product advance has enabled system refreshment rather than system replacement. In the realm of competitive and fast-moving technology, such security of your investment is a rare virtue indeed. The DA-98HR, when used as a system ‘master’ controller, is able to apply the very latest control ideas and enhancements to an entire system of existing DTRS machines.
Universal Media
Worldwide commitment to the ‘common currency’ of Hi8 tape in multitrack digital audio is now very high. The evolution to 24-bit high resolution recording, with backward compatibility to 16-bit archives, using a proven and universally available media, will ensure that industry standard DTRS maintains its lead as the optimum multitrack format. Hi8 tape is a readily available, compact and economical media – a PAL 90 tape provides 113 minutes of recording time and fits in your pocket. Archiving is easy because you can store more work on a tape and the transport can locate accurately and quickly for retrieval.
Fast and reliable
Nothing comes close to the speed and ease of operation of TASCAM DTRS. The precision tape transport has been designed, manufactured and refined by TASCAM specifically for this application. It offers flawless tape handling, error-free reproduction, reliable operation and it is exceptionally fast. Location is frame accurate to memorised points while fast, precise manual searching is optimised by the variable speed shuttle wheel in conjunction with standard transport controls.
Count on the reliability
The advanced technology employed makes TASCAM DTRS a particularly robust format because tracking data is combined with the audio data. This means you can be sure that playback and recording are securely taking place as each type of data cannot be read without the other. Any threat to this condition is dynamically monitored by an error-checking system which displays the rate of error and identifies the affected heads.
Modular. Hardware or software?
DTRS provides the choice of using machine hardware or tape software to build up tracks. Up to 16 DTRS units can be connected together to give 128 synchronised tracks. Alternatively, because of the sample accurate sync capability, an infinite number of tracks can be generated using as few as two DTRS machines. When one machine is synchronised with another, 14 tracks can be used for recording while the remaining pair carry synchronised guide tracks mixed down from the original 14.
By dubbing this guide track onto a third tape in digital sync, overdubs on a third and in turn fourth tape (and so on) will be perfectly synchronised with the original 14 tracks. There is, therefore, no limit to how many synchronised first-generation tracks you can create for a given song. A vast choice of material can be gathered, from which you can select only the very best of every instrument or performance.
Even if the best passages of a particular instrument exist on different tracks and tapes, the seamless drop-ins, internal digital copy and patchbay facilities will allow you to create the perfect performance for mastering. DTRS users do not compromise – they do not need to.
