A gross over-simplification, but basically how it works: the DAT machine's
digital input locks to the incoming digital signal, and derives a clock from
the sample rate of that signal that is then used to clock the DAT recorder's
inner workings. Digital signal format (S/PDIF, AES3, or whatever) must be
the same for best results. Sample rate must be the same for any results.

David M. Boothe
 Audio Director
  Lyrick Studios
   Dallas, Texas USA

-----Original Message-----
From: davids@pavell.com [mailto:davids@pavell.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 03, 1998 1:48 PM
To: Csound List
Subject: [soundcards] ?? Real digital recording ??



Assume that I play a stereo, 44.1Khz, 16bit wav file on my pc wich has a
soundcard with digital (s/pdif ?) i/o....
Now there is a DAT player digitally hooked on that digital soundcard
output. 

My question is :  how exactly does the DAT record the sound from my
soundcard then ??  by traditional recording or
is there some sort of "a-rate" synchronisation so that my wav file is
actually digitally "copied" to DAT tape, like when
burning a wav to cd-audio format ???

wrapping up -->
Just recording or digital copying ???


David.