spunktronics Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 i'm looking to make some cassette's to give away to friends. what's the best device to record these? i tried a tascam 4 track and it was noisey and low volume so no good. i'll be doing about 20 c90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I released my debut on cassette but didn't use a mixer which records directly to cassette. Instead of that I simply copied the masters to cassette when all the tracks were mixed / mastered. So I can't give you a big advice on equipment. What I can say though is that there's a quality drop according to the cassette length and as far as I understood through my searches C90 sounds quite altered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunktronics Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 i figure i just need a really nice cassette deck no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soma333 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'll tell you something that either Sean or Rob from some band named attacker told me, it broadened my horizon... Don't be afraid to turn levels up when recording to tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuatxuk Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Ok, I could write a book on this but I'll keep it succinct and you can ask me more if need be. i'm looking to make some cassette's to give away to friends. what's the best device to record these? i tried a tascam 4 track and it was noisey and low volume so no good. i'll be doing about 20 c90's. The best cassette deck will be a profession single well deck or a decent brand dual deck. The 4 track is not optimized for that kind of duplication. I prefer mid-fi and hi-fi late 80s and 90s models because they tend to be less maintenance than late 70s and early 80s decks and the belts are usually still good. With some searching and patience you should be able to get a good deal on one. I've had some great dual decks that I bought for $10-15. If you want something reliable, get a restored/refurbished deck (i.e. with new belts, re-capped, cleaned) from ebay or local specialty store - you're looking at $100+ for that though. Tascam sells new decks for $350. AVOID boomboxes, the decks that came with bookshelf/modular stereos, department store era electronics, etc. Brands like Nakamichi, Tandberg, Teac are the most renowned. Akai is up there too. Tascam single and dual decks are very solid. That said, so are JVC, Onkyo, Yamaha Bang & Olsen Pioneer, Sony, later era Technics, etc. What I do is this: browse around then look up that model online, especially on Tapeheads.net or Audiokarma.org where experts/enthusiasts weigh in; ebay prices are also a good indicator of quality. 3-head decks are usually better but rarer too. You should also check the deck to make sure the tape head (the metal part that records and plays the tape) is ok and not worn down. Check with test tape to make sure it plays, otherwise the belts (90% of the problem with most broken decks) are out. Some q-tips + isopropyl alcohol (91% or 99%) will clean a lot - specifically the pinch rollers and tape head. Demagnetizers help but only if you plan to dub and play tapes A LOT. Basically the alcohol removes the rust colored tape residue. Demagnetizers, well, demagetize, preventing the tapehead and pinch rollers from removing even more tape fragments. Use carefully - I'd look up tutorials online. This maintenance is what most neglect to do and a huge reason tapes and tape players decline in quality. Since you are only doing 20, it's not worth getting a high-speed duplicator. They are often low-fi and mono because usually they were meant for spoken word/speeches/audiobooks and in the US specifically...sermons. Likewise, 2x dubbing might not be ideal, if you have time 1x recording from source is ideal. Though you already have them I bet, the best tape would be vintage type I tape or type II chrome. Type IV metal is very expensive and more for extreme audiophiles. Shorter length of tape is usually better and faster for obvious reasons. Newer Maxell and TDK are always good, but you can find good deals at various online stores for new stock or ebay for older unopened tapes. As said earlier, push the recording into the red on the peak levels: too low and you get too much noise: it'll be quiet and when you turn it up it's more hissy. Just test it out, set the record level, and start recording the copies. Too much in the red and you get tape saturation though tape saturation is a lot less abrasive than digital clipping. I wouldn't mess with Dolby B or C (or NR) unless you have a very, very dynamic and high-frequency heavy music (i.e. classical, ambient that has less bass and more treble, etc) and you want NO tape hiss at all. Yeah, don't mess with that I'd say, but I can explain it later if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuatxuk Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Also, if you need to do this fast, you could buy a few good quality dual decks and get splitter cables. Or, as another watmmer has done, use a mixer or interface with multiple outs for multiple decks. John E (awepittance) has a setup with a bussing capable mixer that sends signals to 4 decks at once. I use one of these nifty devices with 3 Sony dual decks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuatxuk Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 So I can't give you a big advice on equipment. What I can say though is that there's a quality drop according to the cassette length and as far as I understood through my searches C90 sounds quite altered. Yeah longer than that (C100, C120) are usually looked down and C90 is not good for multitrack recording. It all depends on the quality of the reels inside too: some older tapes get all wow and flutter heavy only when they get to the ends of the tape, because of tension issues. Decent brand C90s should be ok though. C60 or less is ideal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunktronics Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 ive got this badboy already but never tried to record anything to it just for sampling from tape. http://www.vintagecassette.com/yamaha/kx_580 I've got some TDK SA90 Type II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest A/D Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Incredible posts JTX. I wish we could make some kind of database of all the watmm knowledge.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuatxuk Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 It came with a shitload of trial and error, fiddling around with decks and tapes, and processing a wealth of information from tape enthusiasts online over the last year or so. A lot of it (like adjusting bias or reel to reel recording) is still above my knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Incredible posts JTX +1 bookmarks thread for future tape fuckery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuatxuk Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 ive got this badboy already but never tried to record anything to it just for sampling from tape. http://www.vintagecassette.com/yamaha/kx_580 I've got some TDK SA90 Type II Oh dude, right on, you're good to go. That's a damn good 2-head deck, Yamaha is solid especially from that era. Same with the type IIs. You can easily push those tapes into +5 db in the red at peaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hello spiral Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Incredible posts JTX +1 bookmarks thread for future tape fuckery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KyoAcid Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I'm also finding this all really useful. Thnx! Sent from a mobile device using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunktronics Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 ive got this badboy already but never tried to record anything to it just for sampling from tape. http://www.vintagecassette.com/yamaha/kx_580 I've got some TDK SA90 Type II Oh dude, right on, you're good to go. That's a damn good 2-head deck, Yamaha is solid especially from that era. Same with the type IIs. You can easily push those tapes into +5 db in the red at peaks. Awesome cheers dude x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.