Date:  Tue, 2 Apr 1996 10:46:00 -0600

From:  Tom Klingler <klingler[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MAILHOST.TCS.TULANE.EDU>

Subject: Problems with DAT recordings



I recently began making field recordings in DAT format using a Tascam DA-P1

portable recorder. Just last week a colleague of mine who also does

linguistic field work told that he had decided against making digital

recordings because, he claimed, they distort speakers' voices. Although I

hadn't noticed this before, his comment prompted me to compare analog and

digital recordings I'd made of the same speaker. I was surprised and

somewhat disconcerted to find that there was, indeed, a pretty noticeable

difference between the two. I'm not sure just how to describe the

difference, but in a general way I'd say the speaker's voice sounded less

natural on the DAT recording, and somewhat lower than I recall it to have

been.



I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else who has used DAT recordings has

noticed this problem.



Tom Klingler





******************************************************************************

Tom Klingler

Department of French and Italian

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA 70118

(504) 862-3120 (office)

(504) 865-8020

Email: klingler[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu