A reference to the fact that DAT (Digital Audio Tape, a physical magnetic cassette tape format for digital
data and
media storage, also being an early lossless digital music recording format and medium, with helical read/write heads similar to those used with
VHS videocassettes), preserved the complete nature of the recorded and so sounds “
true” (generally 48kHz 16-bit stereo PCM), unlike the disgraceful and horrible lossy formats such as mp1l3 (OK, mp3), ATRAC (MiniDisc), PASC (as used on the well-known DCC format), and many other pretenders such as RealAudio. All of those lossy encoders produce recordings that
sound “false”, and denigrate music and human experience below acceptable limits. DAT is the one true
fin-de-siècle medium, hence the term “true dat”.
“You know what? I heard that before and it didn't really get me!”
“Really?”
“Yeah for sure. This
time it was somehow different, I really
felt the vibe.”
“
True dat.”