However, it is very finicky and crashes some computers. DAT recorders have gone up in price over the last five years. They break very easily and usually cannot standup to years of use. DAT records like a VCR and uses a 4 mm tape. There are only three portable DAT recorders on the market.
Digital mixers can be quite expensive.
The cheap ones will only work with MIDI devices and digital tape sources. The expensive ones will word with just about any combination of analog and digital. Portable Digital Studios are the best compromise if you are on a tight budget. They combine the features of a mixer and a recorder with a microphone pre-amp. Fostex, Akai, Roland, Tascam, Korg and Yamaha make similar models.