Thinking about adding a cassette deck to my set-up

You mean a 10k system magically removes scratches and dust from records?

 

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I relate. In 1993 or thereabouts I installed a pair of Sony PCM-7010F Time Code DAT Recorders into my post production studio along with a Sony RM-D7200 Dual Remote/digital editor , for radio commercial archival and distribution, which set me back about $17,000. Since I've not recorded or played stereo with any analog or digital technology that's sounded better in any manner I can conceive as being better, I've retained these Sony DAT Recorders. Mostly these days, they're used to edit environmental recordings, like thunder showers, to create relaxation CDs for family and friends who have trouble sleeping.

 

$17 000 ! Could you break down the individual prices if possible.

 

Thank you. Unfortunately my Samsung Blu-ray doesn't operate properly anymore. It needs to be replaced. Easier for me to buy a Region free Blu-ray player than paying $50 to de-lock a broken one. A wish I had known about this years ago. Thanks again. It looks like the real deal.

 

It depends. Some vinyl had pops that were cut right into the lacquer. You can't clean that out.

 

$7200 each PC-7010F and $2750 for RM-D7200. The 7010's optioned out with time code generator, word sync, memory start, IEC 958, AES/EBU, and S/PDIF 2 input/outputs plus 9 pin connector for RM-D7200.

 

Agreed. A lot of vinyl near the end was pretty bad. And the vinyl in the last 30 years was the worse. I remember what new vinyl use to sound like. And cutting an entire band's catalog on picture disk is really stupid. Iron Madien comes to mind. Might as well buy a cassette!

A clean and quiet record used to be expected. Now it is something special. Not everyone was lucky. Many customers got noisy records. And most did NOT have a sonic or wet vaccum cleaner.

 

The old DASH machines used the old S-DIF / SDIF-2 cables. You can't get them anymore. If you are lucky you can find one used.

 

In all honesty. Here goes......


You take a well cut record made from a master ; wet vacuum cleaned and played back on a good system - You can't beat that sound. Unfortunately many of us haven't had that experience. Back in the 1970's a well cut record that was quiet in the grooves was a normal thing.

Funny story. In 1988 I stumbled upon this record store. They had some new records. One was Elvis Live in Las Vegas. So quiet in the groove straight out of the jacket. Never needed any cleaning. Made my crappy $120 turntable sound like a $1500 player.

 

Maybe I am a dreamer but I would assume that for $10 000 (In metric you leave a space between the zeros. No comas. ) the thing would playback a record properly. And for $10 000 one would have a Nitty Griity machine. And a line contact stylus should (not always) reduce surface noise by 70 %. Supposedly....

 

Jesus. Many fellow young engineers have a hard time believing how expensive the old DASH and Pro Digi multitracks were. Today you can get a pro A/D converter for less than $3 000.

Sony DASH 3324 ......... $150 000 USD (1981)
Sony DASH 3348 / 3348 HR....$250 000 USD (1988)

Mistubusihi Pro Digi X-850...... $156 000 USD (1985)

And DASH 1/2 inch and Pro Digi 1 inch tape (pure Metal) was much more expensive than than analog tape of similar width.

In 1981 you could get a good Studer of Ampex 2 inch 24 track for $25 000. So even a DASH 3324 must have looked like a major investment.

 

John.... Any new cassette decks?

 

The person I was responding to apparently had 85% of his collection like that....so maybe it's a US thing, I don't know. Hardly have anything like that in my collection.

 

Totally love this deck as a 2nd player. I'm really trying to be extra careful with it. I load all 6 cassettes so I wont make a mistake loading another one and jam the carrier. It actually sounds great on normal bias. I was playing this in sequence this x'mas weekend its a blast!

 

Any cassette decks "NEW RELEASE" that's promising?

 

what I actually said was about 25% of the vinyl I owned didn’t have some kind of issue, however minor. It might only be a brief moment of surface noise, or a quick pop. Or it might be a bigger issue. One out of every four records was completely quiet from beginning to end. I don’t think in the vinyl format that is at all unusual - I didn’t say the records were unlistenable, just that there are often flaws that a listener has to accept with vinyl. Unlike with a Hi-Rez file, which you can play 1 million times and it will sound perfect and exactly the same every time for every person who downloads it.

I had a VPI prime, Soundsmith MIMC Star cart, Manley Chinook with NOS tubes, & setup my deck with a Feickert Protractor. I directly compared excellent pressings of some of my favorite records with high-resolution files of the same albums over an Auralic Aries G1 into a Yggdrasil A2. Hi-Rez was better in every way and it didn’t require any of the hassles of vinyl. So I got rid of my rig without much hesitation. I miss the collecting of vinyl more than I miss the listening.

And again, most of the new re-issues of old records the major labels are putting out are cut from digital masters, not from the original analog master. So what are you really buying?

I think a lot of people who knock digital have never heard high-resolution files played through a good tube amplifier, especially a triode or single ended low watt setup. You get a tremendous amount of resolution and liquidity, it’s the best of both worlds.

Getting back to cassettes: I recorded some SACD files directly out from my Oppo 205 onto my Nak DR-2, onto new type 1 “Recording The Masters” cassettes. I was surprised at how good the cassettes sounded. But A/B’ing between tape & SACD showed just how much information was being lost in the transfer to analog. Less separation, less clarity of the individual instruments, truncated frequency on dynamic range. You could hear the obvious character of analog compression on the recording where it kind of congealed everything into a whole, which can be pleasant. But I think the most pleasant thing about recording and listening to cassettes is just the nostalgic, tactile experience of doing so. It’s not about the sound quality.

 

Aaaaah... I got a good test run for you..
The 1993 John Foxx - Metamatic album. The sound of this is the mother of them all when it comes to analog synth. I have the CD and I have my own cassette recorded on ferri-chrome.
The sound on the cassette is just phenomenal especially on my 1981 JVC deck. I'm using 8 watt 300b setup. My speakers are killer on especially on bass.., mids and high. I wish I have the equipment, know how to record and post on youtube. This might be a game changer tip for some people may want to improve and add their own ideas on improving theyre setup. and so I can learn more too.
The CD is great too. Its has its own characteristics. Nothing better or best. I was just born with cassettes for that's the only music format I can afford when I was young and improved my listening as the years gone by.

 

I love John Foxx and that’s a great record! VERY analog synth heavy, amazing sounds. I have a few CD versions of it ripped, I’m going to go listen to it now...maybe I’ll make a cassette copy.

UNDERPASS!!!!!!

 

Never seen one, I had no idea they exist. Great stuff !

 

Pretty sure you already have an idea that it "might" not be reliable... I just bought it as a 2nd player. Lol... surprisingly it sounds good, it has a remote and it was in the box like new condition. I cant pass it up.
@john morris would kill me......

 

Still 1 out of 4 which does not have any issue (however small) is very little imo. I agree with you on the new releases though, which is why I hardly buy any new releases myself.
I only know 'underpaaaaaaass' (great song), but never heard the album so it looks like I might have to get it sooner or later !

 

Yes but it's just ubercool !!

 

Hey! No more cassette decks for you.

 

Well said. Excellent post.