Recording DAT Digitally

[Carl G.]

I'm transferring some DATs from 1998 to the Multi-track.
1. I record a :30 second track through my Lynx audio card choosing "Internal" as preferred clock source.
2. I record same :30 second track through my Lynx audio card choosing "Digital" (48khz) as preferred clock source.
Both times, I have SawStudio Menu>Multtrack>"Soft Clipping" turned on during recording.

#1 plays back in Sound File with no overs - same as DAT meters
#2 plays back in Sound File with 2 overs - even though I'm using DAT as the 'Digital' clock source (yet DAT meters show no overs).

Question A: Does MT "Soft Clipping" effect recording files when using internal clock source (SawStudio), but not when using 'Digital' clock source? Just wondering why the overs on #2.... but no overs on #1.
(puzzling because the DAT shows no overs either, plus I though "MT Soft Clipping" only applied to MT playback).

Question B: Which is the preferred method of recording from a DAT's "Digital Output"?
Choose DAT's clock? (digital input on Lynx Mixer)
Choose Internal clock (SawStudio Clock)

[andy cross]

The clock source needs to be the same for both devices, so in this instance it's likely to be easier for the DAT machine to be the master clock and the Lynx therefore be set to "digital" (your scenario 2). Not sure why that leads to you getting two overs, though. What happens if you switch soft clipping off? (I'm not sure it will actually be doing anything in a digital-to-digital transfer, though.)

[jmh]

I wouldn't worry about it. The clipping is probably already on the dat. Don't know how SS's meters and clipping indication work - maybe just consecutive full or minimum level samples?

I would definitely have the dat as the clock source and eliminate guesswork. I'm not that familiar with dat's but I wouldn't know if the consumer one I had had the ability to sync to an external source.

You could turn the input fader (do any of us ever use this?) down a few dBs and compare the waveforms you get - they should look identical only smaller. In that case you just go back and do the full-scale transfer. To be totally confident, you could also do the same comparison to analog (although the filters may make the waveform look different - particularly if there was a clip on the original - so scratch this thought).

Soft clipping works on saw's output - not the input - so if we mix carelessly and send samples to an output that are too hot because the bus bit width is greater they are trimmed to fit in the sample width this is (much more gross than what levelizer's peak limit does).

Also how does it sound?

[MMP]

I agree, use the DAT as the master clock.

In a digital to digital transfer, unless you have some device in between that can change levels and dither externally, there is nothing you can do about the potential overs. I wouldn't worry too much about the the metering discrepancy. A digital to digital clone should perfectly represent the source material, warts and all.

[Carl G.]

The clock source needs to be the same for both devices, so in this instance it's likely to be easier for the DAT machine to be the master clock and the Lynx therefore be set to "digital" (your scenario 2). Not sure why that leads to you getting two overs, though. What happens if you switch soft clipping off? (I'm not sure it will actually be doing anything in a digital-to-digital transfer, though.)

Tried all combinations.. still get overs ... so as the manual says - "Soft Clipping" option only is for MT playback.

[Carl G.]

I wouldn't worry about it. The clipping is probably already on the dat. Don't know how SS's meters and clipping indication work - maybe just consecutive full or minimum level samples?

...I would definitely have the dat as the clock source and eliminate guesswork....Also how does it sound?

Thanks: Andy, Michael and you helped. DAT clock source for DAT master (Lynx "Digital" selection) seems best for recording DAT (Panasonic SV3700) to SawStudio. (even though the recorded file shows an Over - which the DAT does not show). There is no wrap around and it sounds OK (no pop) but shows the over in direct playback from Soundfile and from the Multitrack.

I did note that when I simply Cntrl-Clicked on the over (*without* adjusting it - leaving it 'Over') then "Playback" did not show it as an over - interesting.