tonyb@juliet.ll.mit.edu (05/09/91)
Kirk Baxter's posting requested alternatives to a reel-to-reel deck that will yield 2+ hour recording times. Depending on the bandwidth of your source material, you might get away with the long-play mode on a DAT deck. This would limit your frequency response to 16k or so, and produce a bit more noise and distortion than the normal DAT record mode, but you'll get 4 hours on a tape. If your source is an FM broadcast, I bet this will do just fine. A second way would be to get a PCM adapter for a VCR. These tend to sound quite a bit better than Hi-Fi decks. Sony, Sansui, and others make these gadgets, many for <$1000.00. I think some of them will work on the slower VHS modes. There is a new company selling one of these that definately does work in the 6-hour modes. Their name escapes me, but the've been advertising in Audio magazine recently (if not Audio, then Stereo Review). Their gadget takes digital input and will dub several hours worth of CD's onto one tape, and for some (large) extra sum of money they'll sell you an A/D box so you can give the thing analog input. Happy listening, Tony Berke (tonyb@juliet.ll.mit.edu)