The Sony PCM 2300 DAT

The Sony PCM 2300 looks much like a cassette deck, but has a lot of extra buttons. The large ones tend to be the most important:

The Transport Controls

The Number Pad

Numbers: Enter the number of the program you want to hear, then press PLAY. Press Clear if you make a mistake. (See Start IDs, below.)

Copy Prohibit: This will mark the recording as not copyable. (See SCMS below) Not usually a good idea unless you are making distribution copies.

Date: Press Present to see the current Date, Day of Week, and Time. Press Recorded to see the Date, Day of Week, and Time the cut being played was recorded. (But only if it was recorded on a Sony machine.) Note 24 hour clock format.

The internal clock may be off a bit. To set clock, Press PRESENT until the time shows, then CLOCK SET until the number you want to set is blinking, then use the 0 and Copy Prohibit buttons to change the numbers.

Counter:

The counter always shows minutes and seconds. If you press the mode button, you get a choice of:

More About Time:

Every inch of a DAT tape should have something recorded on it. If you leave an unrecorded gap, the AMS and ID find features will not work, nor will the time counter. The Sony PCM 2300 will not let you fast forward into unrecorded space, but you can play into it. If you want silent spots on the tape, record zeros; either with the REC MUTE or by turning the input down. To find the end of recorded space, simply hit FAST FORWARD. You will be left cued up to the first blank. (Other decks have a special End Search function to do this.)

Start IDs:


Start IDs are recordings in the subcode data of the tape. They run for about 9 seconds (so they are easy to find in fast motion) and contain a digital code indicating a start point.

If Auto is active, a start ID is recorded every time you hit the RECORD button and signal starts. A new one will be added if you Pause recording, or if the signal stops for a second or so and restarts.

You can record a start ID anywhere you want one, even while playing back.

Program Numbers

A program number is another chunk of data recorded in the subcode. Most of the time the deck includes a program number with each start ID, but not always. ( For instance, there will be no program numbers when you add IDs during play.)

Skip IDs

Skip IDs instruct the deck to find the next start ID. You may write them in Record or Play mode. If the deck is playing, it goes into a rehearsal mode, looping to show you where playback will stop. Adjust this point by hitting the Rew or FF buttons. When the end of the loop is correct, hit Skip ID Write again.

End ID

An End ID marks that spot as the end of tape. The deck will not play or fast forward past the End ID. An end ID is written with the End ID Write button, the deck goes into rehearsal mode, looping to show you where playback will stop. Adjust this point by hitting the Rew or FF buttons. When the end of the loop is correct, hit Write again.

To remove an End ID, fast forward till the display reads EE. (If you play into an End ID, the deck goes into rewind.) Press End ID Erase, and the End ID will be removed.

Things That Can Go Wrong with the 2300

SYMPTOM ~~~~ CAUSE

Function buttons don't work.

PLAY and FAST buttons don't work.

Cassette is rejected

Fast Forward won't work

Rewind and Fast Forward won't work

Tape does not move

CAUTION indicator lights

Noises during rewind

REC and ID functions won't work

Can't record

Suddenly starts fast forward

Very slow searching

Search does not find ID


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