Tag: USB

DAT – What is it?

Digital Audio Tape (DAT) was an audio recording and playback medium developed by Sony – introduced in 1987 – and was intended to be the successor to the audio cassette. It is somewhat similar in appearance but at 73 mm 54 mm 10.5 mm it is roughly half the size; its height being comparable to an triple-A battery stood on end. DAT was a digital technology with superior maximum quality as compared to a commercial CD and was capable of making perfect digital clones from a digital source unlike other standards of the day (Digital Compact Cassette and MiniDisc) that used lossy compression.

DAT – The Technology

Very similar to video recording technology of the day, DAT used a rotating head with a helical scan to record data. The method of data storage actually worked as a security measure of sorts and prevented splicing tapes to edit them which was possible on analog tapes, digital compact cassettes, and open reel digital tapes.

The DAT standard specified four sampling modes: 32 kHz at 12 bits, and 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz at 16 bits. It was possible to find non-standard recorders that allowed recording at 96 kHz and 24 bits (HHS). DAT was unable to record long durations at the highest sample rates. The same tape at one rate could record for 6 hours and at another rate a mere 90 minutes. Only so much tape can be packed into a DAT shell.

With the more complicated rotary head the recorder mechanism was significantly more expensive for a DAT recorder than for its stationary analog counterpart. Because of this Philips and Panasonic created the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) a less impressive but certainly enviable stationary head design that had decent quality at a reduced cost. It was no match for the DAT because of its required lossy compression but overall it did a good job and proved a static head could be used for high quality digital recordings.

DAT – Was There Ever a Need?

Despite the RIAA’s lawsuits and lobbying against DAT manufacturers it eventually gained quite a following in the 1990’s in the recording industry. Back in the 1990’s a great many archival tapes were made using the DAT media. These archives are still available today in some places but the machines are no longer produced so unless these archives are transferred to another format it will become harder and harder with time to find archivists and audio transfer companies capable of transferring the media to a current format.

Because of DATs lossless encoding and high quality it induced no hiss or other electronic noise so became a favorite for creating perfect master copies. It is actually possible with enough digital equipment to create a complete digital chain between the microphone and the speakers on the CD player. With digital mixers and other digital hardware, analog induced problems could be completely eradicated from the majority of the process.

DAT In The Home

DAT, for many reasons, never gained a great deal of popularity with the general consumer. For the most part it was easier and less expensive to go with the alternatives. It was popular with some garage bands and boutique studios but the everyday Joe rarely saw one until their brief stint as sequential data back-up devices. Data backup tapes enjoyed a few years in the sun before being replaced by large and then ultra large external drives using the serial, parallel and later, USB ports.

Everyone who loves making music and wants to make a career out of it needs to record their music. The only way to truly record your own music so that it sounds professional is through the use of an audio interface. An audio interface has come a long way over the past several years, making it more compact and much more affordable so that just about anyone can have their own studio.

When you want to record music, a USB interface can plug directly into your computer so that you can download what you’ve already recorded. The interface itself is very small and contains storage on the machine so that you can take it everywhere you go. If you want to record a live session at a night club, you can do so using the interface.

Once you get home, you’ll use the USB audio interface to plug into your computer and download your jam sessions. Most of these interfaces come packed with their own software to make the downloading very easy. After you’ve downloaded the music, you even have the option of modifying the sound waves, adding techniques, voice overs and much more to customize the sound. You can also designate what kind of file you want to save the music as to make it easier to share online, burn to CDs or send to potential agents.

The audio interface will go wherever you go. It is a fairly small device in most cases – smaller than a shoebox. This allows you to keep it in your backpack, set it in your garage or take it anywhere that you plan on making music. You can plug microphones and instruments directly into it or have the device record from the amp or speakers.

There are many USB interface systems available in the marketplace, so you need to determine which one is right for you. Some will give you a screen so that you can do playbacks right from your interface without plugging into a computer while others depend on the computer for playback. You may also be able to adjust pitch and other parts of the music with controls directly on the interface.

Ultimately, you need to determine how much you want to do with the USB audio interface. If you plan on tweaking the sound in the field, then you will need to spend more money on one of the higher end interfaces that will give you more control. This doesn’t affect the size much, but it will give you more controls and a screen to be able to adjust your settings easier.

The USB interface can help you with all of the digital changes that you’ll do from the computer, too. The software bundled with the interface should be stand alone, meaning that you don’t need to buy additional software. Read through the features of each software program to make sure that you’re getting everything you need to produce the right kinds of sounds. Some programs feature background tracks and synthesizers to adjust your recorded sound as needed.

Once you have the USB audio interface of your choosing, you can start to record the sounds that you or your band are capable of. The only way you can improve your chances for success in the music career is if people hear what kind of music you’re playing. You will be able to create electronic files to share across the internet and send out to anyone so that you can be heard.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRO AND CONSUMER AUDIO?

There are 4 elements to professional audio;
Microphones
Techniques
Environment
Mixing techniques of sounds and music

Pro vs consumer Microphones
Most recording is done in a digital format on a computer. For a information publisher to get the best result it is advisable to get USB microphone. Most microphones sold are usb compatible, do not use a headset or microphone that plugs into the audio jacks as the sound quality is not as good as with USB microphones. USB microhones integrate very easily into modern day computers and software and makes it very easy to get a good result. You dont have to buy expensive sound equipment to get professional sound quality. What you want is to get a USB microphone with a small diaphragm this is the bit which picks up the sound of your voice. Get one with a large diaphragm as this helps with the sound quality when recording audio. The microphone to use is a USB audia technica 2020. This will give you professional audio quality and is compatible with most modern computers.

Techniques
Make sure you stay close to the microphone, this will ensure a constant good quality audio and gives a consistent sound and reduces interference when recording. Pop filters will filter out wind noise from letters like “P”, “B”,”D”.

Environment
A quiet environment means better recording. Make sure you dont have any outside noise which can add unwanted sound to your recording like noisy computer components, dogs barking, traffic passing etc. Make sure you don’t have too many hard surfaces as this reflects the sound, this can be reduces dramatically with carpeting on the floor or curtains or blinds on windows.

Production techniques
Use production techniques to make sure it sounds professional. This can be done by doing some editing to help present the audio well. To make it sound more professional you can use intro music to create the mood and set the expectation or use music underscoring to sustain the mood. Sound effects can also be used to help enhance the audio. Take out the flaws and mistakes in the recording and generally tidy up the audio to help make it sound more professional and distinguish from consumer audio.

Although small in size, the MicroBook USB Audio Interface is huge when it comes to audio quality. It is a USB bus-powered audio interface that provides studio-grade audio performance. Despite being small, about the size of a regular pocket, the MicroBook USB Audio Interface can turn your Mac or PC into a personal 4X2 recording studio – all complete with the needed audio I/O and mixing features for professional recording.

The MicroBook lets you have a complete personal recording set up whether on a Mac or on a PC. It has four simultaneous inputs for a microphone, a guitar, and a keyboard or any other stereo line-level device. Its mic preamp gives nothing but a neutral coloration and pristine sound, thanks to 20dB pad and 48V phantom power of its built-in condenser mics. On top of that, the MicroBook offers flexible monitoring options – choose among a programmable analog, a digital and headphone outputs.

Because the MicroBook is slim, its mic input is a balanced quarter-inch jack. If in case you would like to use a mic cable with an XLR plug, there is no need to worry because the MicroBook comes with a XLR-to-1/4-inch adapter. Its Precision Digital Trim Feature lets you digitally control analog trim on all analog units. This only means one thing – you get to enjoy both worlds: the excellent signal quality of analog audio circuitry and the fine-tune precision of digital control. Not only that, you also get to save and recall trim settings on your computer.

But perhaps the best thing about the MicroBook is its superb audio quality. It provides rigid audio quality particularly tailored to meet the demands of most professional recording applications. Because it comes from MOTU’s award-winning family of FireWire, USB and PCI audio interfaces, the MicroBook is without a doubt a product that signifies decades of engineering expertise.

Most of the audio interface brands that we see in the market today (even the expensive ones) usually cut corners with unbalanced analog inputs and outputs. Such imbalance then results to a greatly compromised performance that falls way below an equivalent balanced circuit. But the MicroBook has well balanced inputs and outputs that ensure only the best protection possible against RF interference, AC hum, and other noise-creating environmental factors.

The guitar input of the MicroBook gives the proper impedance loads for guitars, so you can play through guitar-processing plug-ins in a host software without worries knowing that you will get nothing but natural feel and response. Its “mini” eight-inch analog input can also be connected to an iPod or any other stereo line level signal. This allows audio input mixing with other inputs and routed to any output device.

With the birth of the MOTU MicroBook USB Audio Interface, you can now have quality I/O recording, personal audio tracking, laptop-based DJing, among many other applications, on-the-go.

Buy the MOTU MicroBook USB Audio Interface from Gigasonic.com, your trusted music store and get special limited time offers on financing and no interest layaways.

If you are in the process of choosing your audio surveillance equipment, you must make sure that you get them from the best spy shop that sells only the best quality spy gadgets. Today, voice recorders that are meant for audio surveillance come in a variety of forms and shapes. By carefully reviewing your spy gadgets, you will be able to pick the right voice recorder that suits your requirements.

Here are some factors that you must take into consideration before you choose your spy gadgets. First of all the audio surveillance equipment that you choose should be of highest quality. Unlike the voice recorders that are used for general voice recording, the equipment used for audio surveillance should be highly reliable. If they are not, then it will undermine the quality and the effectiveness of the entire surveillance operation. You cannot have poor quality voice recorders as part of your surveillance operation.

Secondly, you must find a reliable and reputed spy shop to buy your surveillance equipment. Your spy shop should have a wide range of spy gadgets that will help your surveillance operation. They must sell only the best brand equipment. You should be able to find your voice recorder at the most competitive prices. You will notice that your voice recorders come at different prices and the cost varies drastically from one shop to the other. Therefore, it is important to find a spy shop that sells excellent quality surveillance equipment at the cheapest prices.

The next important aspect in selecting your audio surveillance voice recorder is the size of the equipment. Your voice recorder should be as small as possible so that you can carry it with you without getting others attention. Today you can find your spy gadgets in a variety of discreet shapes. Audio surveillance voice recorders come in the form of USB flash drives, watches, pens, etc. You must choose a voice recorder that will suit your specific need.

Your voice recorder should have battery life that is long enough to support your operation without forcing you to change batteries frequently. Voice recorders with poor battery life can disrupt your operations very badly and make your surveillance operation ineffective.

By carefully choosing your audio surveillance equipment, you will be able to gather highly valuable evidence that you can submit to the police or to the court. By picking some cheap spy gadgets, you may fail to record the most crucial pieces of evidence. Moreover, for your evidence to be a valid one, the recording should be clear enough. Poor quality voice recording may not be suitable enough to be used as evidence and this will render all your efforts absolutely useless.

You can find the best quality voice recorders and spy gadgets at Onlinespyshop.co.uk, which is one of the most reliable spy stores online. You will be able to find all types of audio surveillance equipment here at the most competitive prices.