Need to make a clarification. In the early 70's Denon (NHK) showed and used a 4 track digital recorder based on a Quad VTR. It was the size of a Sub Zero. I think I have a picture of it somewhere in my computer. Shai בתאריך 08/08/12 6:20 PM, ציטוט Tom Fine: > Sony's digital efforts were years after the NHK, first alone and then > working with Denon, had developed PCM audio recording. NHK had a > working mono PCM recorder that used videotape as its storage medium > before 1970. By 1972, Denon was releasing commercial LPs made with its > stereo PCM-to-video recorder. By 1974, they had dozens of LPs in the > can. As I wrote in my ARSCJ article linked in a previous post, PCM > concepts and technology were developed for telephony and dated from > the 1940's (and earlier, actually the 1920's). But, the first use for > professional audio recording was the NHK in Japan, and Denon quickly > latched onto their developments and research. Sony was not a "digital > first" by any means, but their R&D probably did as much or more than > anyone in making digital audio (and video) recording and playback > ubiquitous. > > I didn't get into Sony very much in my ARSCJ article because the scope > of it was to deal with "digital firsts" i.e. the dawn of things > digital. Sony would be a lead subject in an article about "the day of > digital" or "the digital takeover of mass media." I don't mean any of > that in a pejorative sense, just stating facts. > > -- Tom Fine > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lou Judson" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2012 8:15 AM > Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Digital History Query > > > Just to save others time researching; The article says this: > > "Nevertheless, Takayama and Suzukawa toiled to build Sony's first PCM > digital audio recording machine, the X-12DTC, was announced in 1974. > It used 2-inch wide tape and a fixed head with 56 channels. Although > it reproduced sound, the X-12DTC recorder was roughly the size of a > refrigerator. The transport unit alone weighed approximately 250 > kilograms. Although overly bulky, the creation of the first machine > marked the beginning of Sony's history in digital sound recording. The > machine was transported to and from various venues to make test > recordings of orchestral music. The recorder was also exhibited at the > 1974 Audio Fair in Japan. Some audio specialists remarked on the > clarity of the machine's sound. In the end, however, the recorder was > not marketed, even though producing digital sound through a PCM system > with fixed heads represented a revolution in recording technology." > > and Betamax is not describer further in the article. So there was a 2" > digital recorder prototype, but it was not a Betamax... was it? Kind > of like having an 18 wheeler Chevy; I never saw one! > > If one were looking for that specific CD how would one ID it - does it > have a label number? Sounds interesting. > <L> > Lou Judson > Intuitive Audio > 415-883-2689 > > On Aug 7, 2012, at 2:03 PM, David Lewis wrote: > >> Is it possible that digital was somewhere in the chain of "Cheap >> Trick at >> Budokan." Historically it is possible: >> >> http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/SonyHistory/2-07.html >> >> The PCM-1 was in use and already being marketed by April of 1978 when >> the Budokan concerts were recorded. At that time, Sony was using 2" >> Betamax >> tapes; >> the disc was being developed, but was not putting out acceptable results >> yet as either a recording or playback format. However, April 1978 is >> a bit >> before the >> fateful meeting with Karajan mentioned in this corporate history. > -- בברכה, שי דרורי מומחה לשימור והמרה של אודיו וידאו וסרטים 8-35 ממ.