Imagine you are a recording engineer in the late
50s, recording stereo on magnetic tape. Then imagine you are approached
by a mysterious stranger, offering you a new recording system with superb
fidelity, no adjustments or maintenance needed and the ability to record
long uninterrupted time. Just one catchif the power is interrupted
momentarily the recording stops, but also everything you have recorded
up to then is lost.
Well, that seems to be the case in many situations
today.
My Tascam DR-680 8 channel recorder has that problem.
There is battery backup but they only last about 4 hours. A recent firmware
update states that when the battery is low, the recording is stopped
(saved). Presumably that means in the older units, low battery can cause
loss of recorded material.
My Tascam SS-R05 is a rack unit without batteries.
I found after purchase that it does save files if the cord is pulled
while recording. So it can be done.
I decided to always keep a set of batteries in the
DR-680 even though I use it on AC. After its being in storage a long
time I checked it and the Duracell batteries had leaked into the battery
compartment. Fortunately the damage wasn't serious and the compartment
looks like an easy replacement if needed.
From the Sweetwater catalog: With the Sound Devices
633, concerns about weight, battery life, power loss, and file corruption
are history. A unique 4-way power supply and proprietary PowerSafe technology
give you maximum runtime and safe shutdown in the event of a total power
loss. $3229
In 1967 I bought an EICO tape recorder kit. It was
the better of the two offered by EICO and featured electrodynamic braking
for the tape reels (it was a 3 motor deck). It was extremely gentle
on the tape and never wore out. I wondered why it wasn't universally
used in high end tape machines. On reflection I thought what if the
power failed while winding. The tape would fly everywhere and get damaged.
In the case of a master tape it was unthinkable.
Using point to point wiring on terminal strips,
it was the quietest tape machine I ever owned, in terms of hum.

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