Labeling DA88s

[jahtao]

Borrrrrrinnggg I know, but...

In my old place, my boss had built a template sort of thing within Microsoft Access, it had the company logo in it and lots of little fields for writing all the info that should go on a DA88 label.

At my current job we print off a sticky label and attach it to the inlay thing that comes with the DA88s.

I was thinking I'd make a little templately thing in MS Word similar to what I used to have at my old job. One A4 page would be good for 10 or so labels. But maybe there's a better way.

How are you doing it?

Matt

[Jfriah]

DA88s? What are those?



'back in the day' that's how I was doing it -- was using Filemaker Pro which I created a template for all kinds of labels.

Currently when we have to send tapes, Filemaker Pro is being used, printed on card stock for J-card type stuff and for sticky-labels: just address labels and cut to fit.


Jeff

[ggegan]

I just take a Sharpie and write "DOA, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESUSCITATE" all over it.

Just kidding. But, I'm always surprised when people want DA88 archives of their shows. By the time they need to retrieve them from the archives, they'll have to borrow a machine from the Museum of Jurassic Technology to do it.

Of course, we actually still get requests for Mag deliverables sometimes, too, even though it costs an extra $20,000. It is very frustrating when the cost has to come out of the editorial and mixing budget.

[dr.sound]

On a show we just delivered to "The History Channel" we had to deliver on a D-88.
For templates I use "Avery" labels and Microsoft Word.
It works very well.
This is the outside label (Avery 8196):
Avery 3-1/2" Diskette Labels

And the Avery 8160 is the inside label:
Easy Peel White Address Labels

[Jfriah]

Originally Posted by ggegan

It is very frustrating when the cost has to come out of the editorial and mixing budget.

... of the next-coming project from the same production company.

[musikwerks]

You'd be surprised how many feature films rock up with their 5.1 mix on a DA-88/98 tape, still to this day. There's nothing wrong with the format at all, especially the 24 bit version.

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by musikwerks

You'd be surprised how many feature films rock up with their 5.1 mix on a DA-88/98 tape, still to this day. There's nothing wrong with the format at all, especially the 24 bit version.

Except that it's an obsolete format that utilizes out-of-production hardware.

Better to use an LTO for a tape archive. It is more universal, plus you can get all the files for the entire show on one tape. If that worries you, make two.

[dr.sound]

I had a hell of a hard time getting stock (D-88 tapes) the same day. Very few places use D-88's any more. More deliverables use Broadcast Wave to DVD and Firewire drives for files only not tapes. It is easier, cheaper and faster and safer to deliver files.

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by dr.sound

I had a hell of a hard time getting stock (D-88 tapes) the same day. Very few places use D-88's any more. More deliverables use Broadcast Wave to DVD and Firewire drives for files only not tapes. It is easier, cheaper and faster and safer to deliver files.

A man after my own heart.

[musikwerks]

Originally Posted by ggegan

Except that it's an obsolete format that utilizes out-of-production hardware.

Like tape?

Better to use an LTO for a tape archive. It is more universal, plus you can get all the files for the entire show on one tape. If that worries you, make two.

It's not for archive. It's for transfer when the mix comes in from the audio facility. Way less hassle to sync a DA88/98 machine to an SR deck than it is to book an edit suite with an operator, import, line it up and then lay back. More cost effective too. Cheaper to book a tape room transfer than an edit suite session.

As long as the decks are maintained, like any deck, the obsolescence of the format should not be a problem.

Both options work well.... whatever works for your specific situation I guess.

[TVPostSound]

they'll have to borrow a machine from the Museum of Jurassic Technology to do it.

Come on by, I still have a well maintained low hour DA78HR, and DA88.
I even keep a Prism Sound bit splitter in the rack!!!






.

[ErikG]

It seems silly to try to keep those beasts alive...

I mean a Simple audio daw with a syncronizer would be way cheaper in the long run compared to a DA-X8. And you don't need an editing room for a transfer just because you have "an editing system", it works just as well in the transfer bay.

Import, spot to original TC and away!

We threw away our last unit when it broke down when we moved two years ago. Some beasts they were, in constant need of realignment, or so it seemed.

[Berolzheimer]

Originally Posted by musikwerks

You'd be surprised how many feature films rock up with their 5.1 mix on a DA-88/98 tape, still to this day. There's nothing wrong with the format at all, especially the 24 bit version.

Other than being obsolete, unreliable & awful sounding, they're great.

[Jfriah]

And, as always: money already spent.

[Sonsey@mac.com]

Producers still want DA-88's because it's on the distributor's list. They really have no idea WHAT it is, or why it's a pain for most of us- yes musikwerks, for some it works just fine, but for most it's a pain - or even that the list is way out of date. But the Producer see's it on the list and says "I must have it". In one case, I actually asked the Distributor if they would rather have DVD/LTO etc... and they said yes, they no longer wanted DA's but they hadn't changed the sheet yet.

In another instance, I was using the Maxell BQ stock, and sent the tapes to the Producer - I might add CLEARLY labelled as DA-88 tapes - but packaged in the original box. I got a furious call from the Producer the next morning telling me what an incompetent I was, because I had sent Hi8 tapes when she had CLEARLY asked for DA-88 tapes, and that I had completely blown her deliverables. I explained that those WERE what a DA-88 recorded to and that they WERE the tapes she needed. Her response? "Oh... well I've never seen DA-88 tapes before, so I thought they must be something else... I haven't really had my tech look at them....".

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by Sonsey@mac.com

Producers still want DA-88's because it's on the distributor's list. They really have no idea WHAT it is, or why it's a pain for most of us- yes musikwerks, for some it works just fine, but for most it's a pain - or even that the list is way out of date. But the Producer see's it on the list and says "I must have it". In one case, I actually asked the Distributor if they would rather have DVD/LTO etc... and they said yes, they no longer wanted DA's but they hadn't changed the sheet yet.

In another instance, I was using the Maxell BQ stock, and sent the tapes to the Producer - I might add CLEARLY labelled as DA-88 tapes - but packaged in the original box. I got a furious call from the Producer the next morning telling me what an incompetent I was, because I had sent Hi8 tapes when she had CLEARLY asked for DA-88 tapes, and that I had completely blown her deliverables. I explained that those WERE what a DA-88 recorded to and that they WERE the tapes she needed. Her response? "Oh... well I've never seen DA-88 tapes before, so I thought they must be something else... I haven't really had my tech look at them....".

Those delivery spec sheets are rarely up to date. No one seems to even know who compiles them and a lot of times it takes a major search for the studio to dig them up, which tells me it probably came from an old file that should have been 86ed 10 years ago. They also tend to have improper terminology and conflicting specs. Every once in a while I still even get a demand for a mono DME mixed to the academy curve. Lately most just want a hard drive and maybe some DVDs.

[jahtao]

*ahem*

labels anyone? : )

[ggegan]

Originally Posted by jahtao

*ahem*

labels anyone? : )

You probably want us to stay on topic. What a quaint idea.

[Sonsey@mac.com]

Well in that case... LOL... If you're using Avery Labels, you can go to their website and pick up Word, Photoshop, et al, templates for all their label sizes... Makes it very easy to do up a whole page labels quickly in your software of choice. And yes, I always just used the sticky labels and then cut to fit...

[jahtao]

Originally Posted by ggegan

You probably want us to stay on topic. What a quaint idea.

I'm old fashioned like that...

...

long live the DA88!

[musikwerks]

Originally Posted by Sonsey@mac.com

...because I had sent Hi8 tapes when she had CLEARLY asked for DA-88 tapes, and that I had completely blown her deliverables. I explained that those WERE what a DA-88 recorded to and that they WERE the tapes she needed.

Oh dear. That has happened to me too... not quite the bollocking you got but it made me laugh, eventually.

[Rick Sanchez]

Originally Posted by ggegan

I just take a Sharpie and write "DOA, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RESUSCITATE" all over it.

Just kidding. But, I'm always surprised when people want DA88 archives of their shows. By the time they need to retrieve them from the archives, they'll have to borrow a machine from the Museum of Jurassic Technology to do it.

I still get DA-88s at least 4 times a year from one of the major studios in town. Usually archived stems being revived for a DVD re-release, an M&E or a promo campaign.

Hate them Hate them Hate them.

Many times they are mis-labled, have no tones or sync pops or have dropouts all over them. They always need to be conformed to a D-5, yet they don't supply the D-5 or reference audio.

I still have 3 working DA-88s and one DA-98HR that I would really rather use as boat anchors.