However, if you are in the market for a stereo recorder, you won't regret buying either of these machines. The idea is not so much to help you in your purchasing decisions as to provide helpful advice for those who haven't yet had the pleasure of operating either the B77 or DTC1000ES (or any reel-to-reel or DAT machine, for that matter), but would like to know what to do when the opportunity comes along - as it always does sooner or later for those who are really determined to get into serious recording. These are the two machines that we'll be looking at in this and the next installment in the Hands On series, starting this month with the B77. The Sony DTC1000ES isn't as common as the B77, and probably never will be due to the proliferation of new DAT models coming onto the market, but it has the distinction of having being accepted as the recording industry's favourite in these early days of DAT. Am I making a contentious statement? Do I risk the wrath of those who would say that nothing less than a Studer or Otari reel-to-reel or top-of-the-range Fostex or Sony DAT will do for serious stereo mastering for CD release or broadcast? The true figures are probably impossible to obtain, but I would say with a good deal of confidence that, considering all levels of studio activity, the B77 and DTC1000ES has each recorded more masters in its respective format than any other machine.Ī catalogue I have before me (from Canford Audio) has space to list only six of the 67 versions of the B77 which can be supplied to special order. The Revox B77 and the Sony DTC1000ES are the world's two most popular master recorders.

Stereo master recorder