The Casio DA-R100 (circa 1990) is a compact portable DAT recorder aimed at serious hobbyists and mobile musicians. Despite its slim profile, it offered full 16-bit linear PCM recording at 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz — functionality that challenged much larger units of the time.
The DA-R100 shares its platform with the Denon DTR-80P, reflecting the common practice of the era where DAT hardware was shared across manufacturer brands. It supports both SP and LP recording modes, with SP delivering 90 dB S/N ratio and LP extending recording time to 240 minutes on a standard 120-minute tape.
Its clear LCD display provides real-time track numbers, time indexing, and signal levels. Analogue I/O is via stereo mini-jacks for both line/mic input and line output.
- Compact Portable Design — a slim, lightweight form factor designed for mobility while maintaining a professional-style layout.
- Linear PCM Recording — records at 16-bit / 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz for high-fidelity, uncompressed digital audio.
- LP Mode — Long Play mode at 32 kHz extends recording time to 240 minutes on a standard 120-minute tape.
- Comprehensive Display — integrated LCD screen showing track information, time indexing (absolute time/programme time), and signal metering.
- Subcode ID Support — full support for Start ID, Skip ID, and End ID markers for professional-grade track navigation and indexing.
- Analogue Connectivity — stereo mini-jack line/mic input and line output for field and studio use.
- Sampling Frequency Support — recording at 48 kHz and 44.1 kHz, with 32 kHz playback support.
- Headphone Monitoring — integrated stereo mini-jack headphone output for real-time monitoring during recording and playback.
- Automatic ID Functions — built-in logic for auto-detecting track starts for quick playback navigation.
| Tape | DAT cassette tape |
| Tape speed (SP) | 8.15 mm/s |
| Tape speed (wide-track playback) | 12.23 mm/s |
| Tape speed (LP) | 4.075 mm/s |
| Recording time (SP) | 120 minutes continuous (with 120-minute tape) |
| Recording time (LP) | 240 minutes continuous (with 120-minute tape) |
| Head | Dual rotary |
| Drum speed (SP) | 2,000 rpm |
| Drum speed (LP) | 1,000 rpm (recording) / 2,000 rpm (playback) |
| Track pitch | 13.6 µm (20.4 µm for wide-track) |
| Sampling frequencies | 48 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 32 kHz |
| Quantization (SP) | 16-bit linear |
| Quantization (LP) | 12-bit non-linear |
| Modulation | 8-10 |
| Number of channels | 2-channel stereo |
| Frequency response (48 kHz) | 10Hz~22,000 Hz (±1 dB) |
| Frequency response (44.1 kHz) | 10Hz~20,000 Hz (±1 dB) |
| Frequency response (32 kHz) | 10Hz~14,500 Hz (±1 dB) |
| S/N ratio (SP) | 90 dB |
| S/N ratio (LP) | 88 dB |
| Dynamic range (SP) | 90 dB |
| Dynamic range (LP) | 88 dB |
| THD (SP) | 0.008% (1 kHz) |
| THD (LP) | 0.06% (1 kHz) |
| Wow and flutter | Less than measurable range (±0.001% W.PEAK) |
| Emphasis | Recording: OFF / Playback: ON/OFF auto switching (time constant 15/50 µs) |
| Rewind time | Approximately 70 seconds (120-minute tape) |
| Auto power off | Approximately 6 minutes after last operation |
| Analog input level (line) | 200 mV (0 dB), input impedance 47 kΩ |
| Analog input level (mic) | 3 mV (0 dB), input impedance 10 kΩ, stereo mini-jack |
| Line output level | 1V (0 dB), output impedance 300Ω, stereo mini-jack |
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