Sony SDDS Print Master manual DASH Machines - Care and Use

3 DASH Machines – Care and Use

3 DASH Machines – Care and Use

3.1Models

T here are five models in current use

§Sony PCM3324

§Sony PCM3324A

§Sony PCM3324S

§Sony PCM3348

§Sony PCM3348HR

T he top two machines from this list can be used but are not recommended. T he others have easy provision for Fs shift pull down and have a useful 0.2dB per segment calibration mode.

3.2Head cleaning

Ensure the utmost care when cleaning heads on these machines. Move in a side to side direction only. Moving up and down can damage the head permanently and replacement is extremely costly. Clean with isopropyl alcohol and an approved chamois cleaning stick.

3.3Pre-striping

Although you can manage with advance record mode, it is far better to pre-stripe all tapes. Format at single speed using advance record with all tracks armed. SCPC does not recommend using the “PreStriping” function, which formats at 4X speed.

3.4Number of reels on a tape

I t is best to have one tape per reel, as this makes replacing reels much easier. However tape costs are high. I f more than one reel per tape is recorded, then it is recommended that continuous timecode is recorded throughout the tape. Synchronisation errors will then be minimised. T he box must be clearly labelled with start and end times. T here must be an absolute minimum of 1 minute between reels. Five minutes is recommended.

3.5Punch-ins

I f drop-ins or punch-ins are necessary, make sure the crossfade time on the machine is set to minimum. T his is also another good reason for pre-formatting.

SDDS Print Master Guidelines, Page 10 of 26