Input Components Specifications, Digital Tapes

Input Components Specifications

3.1. Sound Carrier Specifications

DADC offers all necessary facilities to prepare sound carriers for MD-production. For exam- ple PQ-encoding, digital editing for the common digital tape formats U-Matic and R-DAT, as well as A/D transfer from 1/4” and 1/2” analog tapes and transfer from CD-R discs can be done at DADC. However, PQ-encoded U-Matic tapes in the Sony 1630 format as used for CD-production is the most common format. DADC can transfer this tape into the MD format via the ATRAC Format Converter.

The following pages contain important specifi- cations as well as necessary information sheets which have to be sent with the tape (Samples on pages 14 to 18, blank formsheets in Appendix). Please forward this information to your studio.

General System Specifications

•The maximum recording time on premastered MD is 78 minutes 16 seconds.

•The maximum track number is 255.

Digital Tapes

•Please send a “label copy” with the tape. On the label copy the order and duration of the titles (as it has to be on the MD) should be indicated by the producer.

•Prepare the "Premastering Instructions" form (see Appendix, form 1) which describes the

music start times with an accuracy down to one frame.

•Please note all noises (kind of noise and time at which it appears) as well as general quality notes in the ”Sound & Noise Information” sheet (form 2).

•Start recording of time code and digital mute at least one minute before the first track.

•Stop recording of digital mute and time code not earlier than two minutes after the last track has ended.

•A pause (digital mute) of at least two seconds has to be kept in case you want to change the preemphasis status.

Please note that de-emphasis will be performed during format conversion at DADC.

Additional Specifications for U-Matic Tapes

•Sampling frequency: 44.1kHz

•Tape format:

3/4" U-Matic NTSC standard (Sony PCM 1630/1610)

•Time code:

SMPTE non-drop-frame; The time code has to be locked to the NTSC video-frames and must be recorded continuously and without interruption on analog channel 2 of the U-Matic tape. It may not go beyond 23h 59m 59sec 29fr.

•PQ code:

The PQ data has to be stored on analog channel 1 of the U-Matic tape.

Track 1	Track 2	Track 3
Offset time	Offset time
≥ 5 frames	≥ 5 frames
Begin Track 1	Begin Track 2	Begin Track 3

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