Digital Audio Tape

Aside from the general problems of magnetic media, is anyone aware of
particular problems or benefits of digital audio over analog audio for
tape recordings?  In thinking about DAT, I have nightmares that the tape
gets stretched and bits are lost; does that become insignificant noise,
like a bit in a pixel being flipped in a digital image, the overall
image reads with no perceptible difference?

The Heard Museum is considering acquiring a DAT machine for oral history
interviews.  I thought I'd ask if anyone sees particular preservation
problems in their crystal balls.

Richard Pearce-Moses
Curator of Photographs
Arizona State University Libraries
Tempe 85287-1006

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 7:79
                    Distributed: Monday, May 2, 1994
                        Message Id: cdl-7-79-003
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