I've been offered a second hand HHB PDR1000 DAT recorder at a seemingly great price. It's from a friend who runs a studio that is getting rid of old kit. £300.

Do I need it?

I have a Canon XM2 (GL2), decent mics etc etc and at present I am using this equipment to put together some training materials for a client. I edit in Vegas 4. For this project I am recording a number of studio based v/o's as well as a considerable amount of location audio. I already have the studio equipment I need.

Naturally, I want the best quality audio but I don't really understand the benefits of DAT over what I already have.

I am a complete beginner when it comes to DAT so apologies for the fact that these are possibly dumb questions. I wonder if anyone could advise (or point me to any resources) on the following :

1. How do I get the audio off the DAT and onto the PC?

2. Is the DAT recorder linked to the camcorder in some way during filming?

3. Do I need another piece of equipment to sync the timecode on the camera with that on the DAT?

4. Is this model any good?

Any advice or pointers gratefully received. Thanks.

Ian . . .

Ian, for dialog, you'll gain nothing by using a DAT. Not enough dynamic there to make a big difference.
For music, you'll love having a DAT. DATs are good for capturing big dynamic ranges, but as related to DV, you don't really need one if dialog/voice overs iare your goal.
The HHB is a very good DAT.
The bigger thing is your soundcard. If you have a good quality sound card, you already have a great digital recorder in Vegas. But that requires a laptop for location work.
With a GM2, you don't have a way to physically lock the DAT to the cam. But by using a clapboard, hand clap, whatever, locking the two up is a snap on the timeline in Vegas.

That was very useful, thanks!

In fact, music is my primary area, video second. I have a small studio (somewhere in between a project studio and a home studio I guess) and I am in love with my Delta 1010/Mackie desk/Sonar 3/Lexicon reverb/Pod Pro/Rode NT1 etc etc.

I don't have a laptop as until now everything has pretty much been done right here. Obviously the 1010 ain't gonna work with a laptop anyway and I have been looking for an alternative to recording to camera when recording on location (even though this is typically just v/o and dialogue). It seems that a portable DAT would do just the trick, allowing me to bring it back here and drop it into Vegas or Sonar or whatever. It's just that the price of DAT is a little bit out of my league today - until this nice deal came up! It strikes me that I would have the advantages of a portable unit AND a great system for use in the studio.

If I understand what you're saying about a clapboard/handclap etc, you mean I can look at the spike from the DV transfer and line it up with the spike from the DAT audio transfer. Makes sense. And free! I like that!

Thanks again for your help, sir. Also for a great Vegas read on my recent trip back from Dallas to the UK.