TASCAM DA-98HR
7
1 – Introduction to the DA-98HR
The TASCAM DA-98HR is a digital audio multi-
track recorder designed for use in a variety of appli-
cations, including video post-production and audio
multitrack work.
It records up to 8 tracks of full-quality digital audio
on standard Hi8 video cassettes using a specially-
designed transport and head mechanism. Using this
medium, up to 108 minutes of continuous recording
is possible on a single NTSC “120” tape.
Recording is carried out at either 24 bits or 16 bits of
resolution, and digital data may be input at 16, 20 or
24 bits of resolution.
As well as the “traditional” industry-standard
44.1 kHz and 48 kHz sampling frequencies, the DA-
98HR can also record and playback at double and
four times these sampling frequencies: 88.2 kHz and
176.4 kHz, and 96 kHz and 192 kHz.
The DA-98HR builds on the foundations laid by the
TASCAM DA-78HR, DA98, DA-88 and DA-38 digi-
tal multitrack recorders, and retains compatibility
with them. Tapes recorded on one of the DTRS series
can be replayed and overdubbed on any other
machine in the series, or any DTRS
1
machine, sub-
ject to the word length and sampling frequency capa-
bilities of both machines.
NOTE
Recording is an art as well as a science. A successful
recording is often judged primarily on the quality of sound
as art, and we obviously cannot guarantee that. A com-
pany that makes paint and brushes for artists cannot say
that the paintings made with their products will be critically
well-received. TASCAM can make no guarantee that the
DA-98HR by itself will assure the quality of the recordings
you make. Your skill as a technician and your abilities as an
artist will be significant factors in the results you achieve.
1.1
Unpacking
The box contains the following.
• DA-98HR Digital Multitrack Recorder (x 1)
• Rackmount screw kit (x 1)
• AC power cord, 2 m (6 ft.) long (x 1)
• This manual (x 1)
• Warranty card (x 1)
• Quick Start guide (x 1)
• HC-8 cleaning tape
1.2
Features
Key features of the DA-98HR include:
• TASCAM-exclusive high-performance/high wear
resistive rotary 4-head mechanism with TASCAM
original track layout (DTRS standard)
• Use of standard, low-cost media with long record-
ing and playback times
• 16-bit or 24-bit recording
• “Traditional” and high-speed sampling rates for
ultimate sonic performance
• Different sampling frequencies can be recorded
simultaneously on different tracks on the same
tape, providing ultimate flexibility
• Fast, frame-accurate tape location and positioning;
end-to-end winding for a “120” tape is around 80
seconds
• Direct digital synchronization of up to 16 DTRS
recorders (128 tracks) without the use of any exter-
nal synchronizer or controller
• Direct digital dubbing between DTRS units
• Input patchbay provides an internal digital patch-
bay, allowing input-to-track assignment without the
use of external equipment
• Output patchbay allows the routing of tracks to out-
puts without the need for external equipment
• 15-segment peak meters with user-selectable fall
ballistics and variable hold time (including contin-
uous peak hold)
• Integral digital sine oscillator, providing signals at
440Hz for tuning and 1kHz for lineup purposes
• Digital input and output in TDIF-1 format on a sin-
gle convenient compact D-sub connector
• Eight channels of AES/EBU I/O on a single conve-
nient compact D-sub connector
• Two expansion slots allow the use of optional
accessory boards, such as analog I/O, optimized for
use with the DA-98HR
• Settings carried out through a menu hierarchy
using a 20-character x 4-line LCD display with
cursor keys and an ENTER/ESCAPE system
• The 10 most commonly-used functions can be
assigned to “soft keys” for easy recall
• Full SMPTE/EBU timecode synchronization ,
including on-board timecode generator
• MIDI Time Code and MIDI Machine Control
• Confidence replay mode, allowing off-tape moni-
toring while recording is in progress
1.DTRS is a trademark of TEAC Corporation
