Digital Recorders

Digital Recorders covers recording machines that capture, store, or transfer audio in digital form, including digital tape recorders, DAT recorders, ADAT and DTRS machines, hard disk recorders, optical disc recorders, and other digital recording formats. These recorders marked the transition from analogue tape to digital audio production, offering new approaches to multitrack recording, mastering, editing, synchronisation, and archival storage. This category focuses on the machines and formats that shaped digital recording, from early professional PCM and open-reel digital systems through compact modular recorders, studio hard disk machines, and recordable disc-based formats.

Made In U.S.A.

Released in 1978 /

3M Digital Audio Mastering System

The 3M Digital Audio Mastering System, introduced in 1978, combined the DMS-32 32-track digital recorder and the DMS-2 2/4-track mastering deck. Recording at 16 bits and 50 kHz on 1-inch tape, it was the first fully integrated professional digital recording system. Extremely rare and prohibitively expensive, it marked the dawn of multitrack digital recording.

Made In Japan

Released in 1980 /

Mitsubishi X-80 2-Track Digital Audio Recorder

The Mitsubishi X-80 Digital Recorder was a pioneering audio recorder that offered significant improvements in fidelity and accuracy over analogue recording technologies upon its release in 1980.

Made In Japan

Released in 1981 /

Mitsubishi X-800 32-Track Digital Recorder

The Mitsubishi X-800 32-Channel Digital Recorder was a pioneering professional digital multitrack recorder promoted by 1981 and proposed as a 32-track 25.4mm tape system in 1982. As part of Mitsubishi’s ProDigi development, the Mitsubishi X-800 helped define the early battle between ProDigi and DASH, offering 32 channels of digital recording at a time when the industry was moving away from large-format analogue tape and towards professional digital multitrack production.

Made In Japan

Released in 1982 /

Sony PCM-3324 DASH Multitrack Digital Recorder

The Sony PCM-3324 stationary-head 24-channel digital audio recorder, when used with the optional RM-3310 synchroniser/auto locator/remote control, offers an ideal combination of digital performance and convenience, in addition to all the prime functions of analogue recorders.

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Made In Japan

Released in 1985 /

Mitsubishi X-850 32-Channel Digital Recorder

The Mitsubishi X-850 32-Channel Digital Recorder provided a 32-channel digital multitrack system with ProDigi compatibility and integrated synchronisation features, built on a transport design derived from the Otari MTR90 Mk II and widely used in professional studio environments.

Made In Japan

Released in 1986 /

Mitsubishi X-86 Digital Audio Recorder

The Mitsubishi X-86 is a professional fixed-head, two-channel digital audio recorder designed for music recording, broadcast production, post-production, and CD mastering, offering advanced digital processing, error correction, and extensive synchronisation capabilities.

Made In Japan

Released in 1986 /

Otari DTR-900 32-Track Digital Recorder

The Otari DTR-900 (Model II shown here) is a high-end 32-track digital multitrack recorder using the PD format, offering advanced tape handling, precise sync capabilities, and superior audio fidelity for mastering and post-production applications.

Made In Japan

Released in 1987 /

Sony DTC-1000ES Digital Audio Tape Recorder

The Sony DTC-1000ES Digital Audio Tape Deck was the world’s first DAT machine, and although it was a consumer machine, it proved to be very successful in the professional world too, perhaps even more so as DAT never really made it in the consumer world.

Made In Japan

Released in 1987 /

Sony PCM-2500 Digital Audio Tape Recorder

The Sony PCM2500 DAT Recorder took over from the Sony PCM-1630 Series Recorders and kept the DAT format alive for years to come in the studio, (with many successful albums having been mastered to it) but DAT as a format, failed to succeed in the domestic market.

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Made In Japan

Released in 1987 /

Sony DRD-100 Digital Audio Tape Duplicator

Sony DRD-100 DAT Duplicator is a real-time rack-mount system offering master-quality copying of digital audio and subcode data in up to fifty linked units operating as master or slave with split-use capability.

Made In Japan

Released in 1987 /

Luxman KD-117 Digital Audio Tape Recorder

The Luxman KD-117 is a 1987 digital audio tape recorder with R-DAT rotary head recording, 16-bit linear conversion, 48kHz and 32kHz recording, coaxial and optical digital connections, advanced subcode functions and a digitally controlled transport system.

Made In Japan

Released in 1988 /

Sony DTC-M100 Digital Audio Tape Recorder

The Sony DTC-M100 is a compact 1988 domestic DAT recorder with 16-bit linear digital recording, 48kHz recording and playback, 44.1kHz playback only, 32kHz digital recording and playback, subcode editing functions, digital peak margin display, optical and coaxial digital input, optical digital output, removable side wood panels and RM-N500 wireless remote control.