Digital tapeless recording refers to any recording method using digital data recorded to a medium other than audio/videotape (usually hard disk, CD-style or flash memory). It is popular in sound recording circles using computers or specialized workstations, and has something of a following among video users as well (in particular, among both low-end camcorder users who want the ultimate in light, silent equipment, and among high-end video and film producers doing high-definition video at such a high bitrate that tape simply cannot keep up. It is also common on mid-to-high end portable voice recorders, which record to formats such as MP3 or ATRAC.
It is generally believed that digital tapeless recording is one of the most robust and easy-to-manage solutions for audio and video production, though its high price in terms of computer resources can make it prohibitively expensive for all but professionals. Nevertheless, particularly within the audio world, there has been significant demand for returning to all-analog, even vintage, recording equipment, to achieve a softer, "warmer" sound at the expense of precise sound replication. This has not so much been the case with video production, as vintage equipment is often inoperable or unable to work with current technology, and generally lacks the quality achieved by digital video technology.
Famous quotes containing the word recording:
“Too many photographers try too hard. They try to lift photography into the realm of Art, because they have an inferiority complex about their Craft. You and I would see more interesting photography if they would stop worrying, and instead, apply horse-sense to the problem of recording the look and feel of their own era.”
—Jessie Tarbox Beals (1870–1942)