The Philips DCC 600 was introduced in 1993 as the company’s second full-size Digital Compact Cassette recorder. It followed the original Philips DCC 900 and brought the principal features of the DCC format into a smaller, lighter and more affordable component. Its conventional 435mm width allowed it to integrate with standard domestic hi-fi systems, while its reduced height and simplified connection layout made it considerably less imposing than Philips’ first-generation recorder.
The Philips DCC 600 could record and play Digital Compact Cassettes while retaining playback compatibility with conventional analogue Compact Cassettes. Analogue tapes could not be recorded, but ferric and chrome cassettes could be reproduced with Dolby B or Dolby C noise reduction. The deck automatically identified whether a DCC or analogue cassette had been loaded and selected the appropriate playback system.
Digital recording used Philips’ Precision Adaptive Sub-band Coding system. PASC reduced the incoming stereo digital signal to a fixed recording bit rate of 384kbit/s, allowing digital audio to be stored on tape running at the same 4.76cm/s speed as a conventional Compact Cassette. Digital sources with sampling frequencies of 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz could be accepted, while signals received through the analogue inputs were converted at 44.1kHz.
The DCC format used a stationary digital head rather than the rotating-head mechanism found in DAT recorders. Eight parallel tracks carried the compressed audio data on each side of the cassette, with an additional auxiliary track used for programme information, timing data and control markers. Auto-reverse operation allowed both sides of a DCC to be recorded or reproduced without manually turning the cassette over.
Philips used Bitstream digital-to-analogue conversion in the Philips DCC 600. This conversion system reconstructed the digital programme during playback before passing it to the analogue line and headphone outputs. Digital recordings could also be transferred directly through the deck’s electrical digital output without passing through the analogue conversion stage.
The Philips DCC 600 provided stereo analogue inputs and outputs together with coaxial digital input and output connections conforming to the IEC 958 interface standard. Unlike the Philips DCC 900, it did not provide optical digital connections. A variable-level 6.3mm headphone socket was fitted to the front panel and supported headphones with impedances between 8Ω and 600Ω.
Analogue recording level and channel balance were adjusted using the front-panel controls and level display. Digital signals were recorded at the level contained within the incoming data stream and did not require manual adjustment. A source selector allowed the user to choose between the analogue and digital inputs before beginning a recording.
The deck used the DCC marker system to identify tracks and control programme access. Start markers could be written automatically or manually and could subsequently be erased without rerecording the audio. When recording digitally from a compatible CD player, track changes in the source could be used to create markers automatically.
Markers allowed the Philips DCC 600 to search for individual tracks more accurately than a conventional analogue cassette deck. They also provided instructions for changing tape direction and controlling the transition between the two sides of a cassette. Track access still required the tape to wind physically to the selected position, but the recorded marker information allowed the transport to locate the required programme automatically.
The Append function prepared a blank or partly recorded DCC for a new recording. On a previously used tape, the machine searched for the end of the final recording and positioned the cassette so that new material could be added without disturbing the existing programme or breaking the recorded timing sequence.
Prerecorded DCC releases could carry album titles, artist names, track titles and timing information. When this information was present, the DCC 600 displayed it on its alphanumeric information panel. User-recorded tapes could display track numbers, elapsed time, remaining time, tape direction, recording source and operating status.
A supplied remote control provided access to the principal transport and programme-selection functions. Direct track selection could be used with correctly marked DCC recordings, while conventional analogue cassettes relied upon the detection of silent gaps between selections.
The Philips DCC 600 was manufactured in Belgium and represented Philips’ attempt to refine the original domestic DCC recorder into a more practical component. It retained digital recording, analogue cassette compatibility, text display, marker-based programme access and remote control while reducing the size, weight and complexity of the earlier Philips DCC 900.
Features
- Digital Compact Cassette recording and playback
- Playback compatibility with conventional analogue Compact Cassettes
- 384kbit/s Precision Adaptive Sub-band Coding
- Bitstream digital-to-analogue conversion
- 32kHz, 44.1kHz and 48kHz digital input compatibility
- Automatic and manual programme-marker writing
- Append recording for adding material to existing tapes
- Prerecorded DCC album, artist and track-title display
- Coaxial digital input and output
- Supplied remote control with direct track selection