Cassette Crosstalk

Bwhahaha. This is still a non-product.

A working (and profit-generating if you can get mastering lacquers) Neumann lathe can be had under $100k. This guy was hoping to get $60k for his in Brazil (didn't get an update). A kickstarter to buy 10 lucky winners one.

 

Thanks and it looks good from here.. I gotta admit the I like his glasses. thou. Its kinda like a David Bowie / John Johnson Bohemian look there for a second...

 

Why didn't you buy a nice DAT machine? Too expensive I think you said before. How much more? Did you look into VHS HI-FI? It gives that pro audio sound without the pro audio price.

 

Big hardware files... I have boxes of new VHS tapes and still have my player. But I cant pick it up for its too heavy to store....

 

I answered you about this some weeks ago. A DAT deck in Spain cost (the most basic Sony model) around 2000 Euros not adjusted to inflation, that prices was unaffordable by the times Spanish economy were the average wage ranged from 400 to 700 Euros,not adjusted to inflation. I've said it here many many times, Spain was and still is a geat country for holidays,but a mean lousy country to live/work in.
My 3 head JVC deck,the one I modified myself, cost me around 600 Euros at a discounted price as one of my father's friend owned an electronic shop (I've told about this on one of the cassette threads) and I got my favourite tapes, BASF's Chrome Maxima II tapes and electronics at a discounted price, but DAT was out of the question back in the late 1980's for my father's friend and me. In addition to that, I didn't want to ecord digitally back then for several being price only one of them.

 

Lol..... any place has their pros and cons.
going back to the adat.. they sound good but the media is small... Lol.... in no time its be out of pitch.
Youre probably talking about the size of a VHS adat. I have boxes of those here at home and I couldn't even pick it up...

 

What about a HI-FI VCR? You could have made great analog recordings with that. Or was that super expensive too?

 

Nope, they were expensive but I could afford one but I didn't like the idea of recording audio on a devices that also recorded analogue video, but I admit that Hi Fi VHS (Betamax was dead at that time in Europe) sounded damn good.
But think about this, I got the analogue sound I wanted with ZERO money spending as I did the mod myself.

 

My first HI-FI VCR in 1989 was the 1986 Toshiba DX-900C. It also had a built in 14 bit PCM processor. It had 4 inputs and outputs. You could actually record 2 tracks of AFM and 2 tracks of PCM at the same time. And the PCM processor worked on the EP mode. So for $4 you could record 8 hours of 14 bit PCM on a T-160. $1300 in May of 1989.

At the time there was a store that allowed you to rent a CD for 72 hours for 1.99. I picked up all the Bealtes CDs from the rental store for about $30 and made perfect copies for less than $15 worth of VHS tapes. No bias or Dolby level to set. Just make sure the peaks don't go over zero. Easy as pie.

Dumb move! Couldn't play back those PCM EP tapes after 2 years. I wish I had down all the PCM stuff on SP.

 

Hi I was wondering if anyone were able to download the song list. Not the song but the text file out of spotify so I can copy rather than typing it one by one.
Thanks,.,...

 

And what track sounded better to you, the AFM or the 14 bit digital one?

 

AFM by large margin. It was like the source and not a copy. Unfortunately early digital just didn't cut the mustard. AFM could be annoying on soft passages where the switching noise could be heard. And of course the odd HI-FI drop out.
Audiophiles went on about the DBX pumping. Never heard it. DBX only will pump when the machine isn't calibrated properly. Same goes for Dolby A.

14 bit PCM was more convenient. You could record the EP mode and get 6 hours. Try that would AFM and the switching noise will kill you.
But when you wanted the source on tape AFM kicked butt and then some. Those were the early units. The ones in the last 20 years not so. Poor analog circuits.

 

Live Aid 1985. Mark Knofler's performance is just incredible!
Update recording, I changed my cassette recording interconnects from silver to pure copper w/ silver coating and balanced my input and output levels. Bingo., sounds like gold.

 

FYI

Avery labels has a template for the cassette itself so that you can really go overboard with this. Below is a sample label that I mocked up.




M~

 

I don't have the correct adhesive for that template
besides this...
I have a version 2 cover format that I made 5 days ago. this is way better than the first one in the picture., and was complete in pdf format. I accidentally deleted it.....

 

The labels are self stick and this one has been good since 5/10/2014.

Re "I accidentally deleted it" I feel your pain, that's one of the major reasons for me going heavy into a daily backup and working in the cloud for creative items. Still, I manage to mess things up.

M~

 

I'm ordering 200 pieces of plastic covers from national tape co. Ill see if I can get the stick on inside labels.

Wanna ask you something.... For some reason I put my backup teac cassette player for sale since I have 2 bx-300 now and plus a sony. and someone wants to buy it. I'm having a second thought..
Honestly I had used so many cassettes players in my life. There are a lot of players and recorders that sounds better and has the bells and whistles. after 3-4 years or so, they have a problem....
This teac is the one that surpassed them all in reliability, durability and "very good to better" sound quality. since 1986 this cassette player never ate a tape, never recorded badly unless it needs cleaning and its just so simple and easy to use. I must be crazy to sell this unit. I will never find anything like this again.
Its like a toyota corolla in the car world. Theyre in the top 10 overall, not the best in ride, style, but they will out class most cars in durability for the next 30 years or so....

 

You answered your own question, keep it and turn it on weekly to exercise it is what I would do. The peel and stick labels I used are Compulabel Catalogue 311905 12 labels to a sheet 100 sheets, but I forgot how much I paid for them. Try these, I haven't used them though so I can't recommend them from personal experience. But I am going to try them.

M~

 

As the recording goes on for 3 weeks now, I notice I'm using and appreciating more quality normal bias tapes on digitally converted files to analog. It fills up the missing ingredients and becoming more lively. Rikki Don't Lose that Number..

 

Do I get the matt finish or the removable? This is going to a laser printer...

 

Link

M~

 

The Teac is gone forever... But I'm glad it went to a young promising musician.

 

How dare you show your awesome turntable on this site! This thing makes my Rega P3 Look like a $125 Dual.

 

Thanks, my bad. But my best memory of a table is a Dual 505 which kept pace with my brand new (at the time Sota Sapphire). I made a lot of great sounding tapes with that table.

M~

 

Today I was randomly recording on the bx-300 and it stopped in the middle of the recording by itself twice (not counter memory). a few weeks prior to this it did the same thing only on play. I didn't pay attention for I thought it was a glitch. It looks like I'm gonna be seeing your buddy peeweeh herman to see what's going on.
Now I'm a bit disappointed that I sold my backup teac recorder.