The greatest consumer cassette tape deck ever produced?*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Cowboy Kim, Feb 3, 2017.

  1. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Yes, it appears to be well built.
    I thought you were buying a professional quarter inch, half track? - The Otarti. Is this consumer RTR to fix up and sell or for you to use?

    Is that 58 db unweighted or A weighted?
    Because 58 db A weighted is really bad. That is 1954 quality. It needs some external NR unit. Unfortunately Dolby A units are expensive as sheeet. Let's assume it is unweighted. 60 or 61 db A weighted is no better than a 3 head cassette deck. Although with RTR the noise is dispersed throughout the audio band. So 60 db on a RTR probably sounds better than 60 db on a cassette deck. This is a quarter inch, quarter track.

    There is a reason Dolby A got excepted real quick by the industry - half in half tracks and 1 inch 8 tracks were super noisy back then.
    You could get a DBX unit it but that would ruin the sound.

    Advice. If it is for yourself hold out for a nice pro RTR. It will be way better than the cassette decks you have been using.
     
  2. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Dolby misses you........Good luck with the machine..Does it have a 15 ips speed option?
     
  3. I understand that some have had issues with DBX encoding. I did not.
    The DBX type II tapes that were recorded on this machine many years ago still sound fine to me.
    None of the artifacts that have been described by others.
    Maybe TEAC did a better job of implementing the technology, they were surely committed to it.
    I have at least three other TEAC decks that feature DBX type II encoding.
    DBX type I is available on my TEAC X-1000 and X-2000 reel to reel decks.
     
  4. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    I wasn't aware that the model in
    The A-4300SX has no built in DBX option. So I am little confused by your quote, "The DBX Type 2 tapes that were recorded on this machine many years ago sound fine to me..."

    For every person that says DBX has no artifacts I can find you ten people who will say otherwise. Hundreds of 2 inch tapes through the 1970's were DBX encoded and many of them had major problems in playing them back. And drop outs with DBX are magnified by a factor of 2. In other words a 2 db drop out will be 4 db with DBX. And a 3 db drop out will be 9 db. Pumping on bass and woodwinds is a reason why most professional choose Dolby A over DBX.

    I have transferred several quarter inch DBX type 1 tapes and the results are seldom good. DBX is a crap shoot. When it works it is great but when it doesn't (more often than not) it blows major chunks.
     
  5. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Hi John,
    I bought 2 of them and this is the other one. I'm not gonna complain its almost brand new in the box. This will be my road to the MX50 mk II
    no theres no 15 ips but I can add an adaptor to run 10 inch. Dolby is no problem. I don't need one...:biglaugh:
    John Ill get back shortly. I have to take my cat to burger king,,,,
    JVC RD-1552
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    John catch up with you a bit..
     
  7. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Cool. I think we agree mostly. Yes, when DBX works it is great. No complaints. But more often than not it doesn't. But yes, Type 1 has less issues than Type 2. Dolby A is better but unfortunately Dolby A is priced like gold bricks.
     
  8. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Mmmmm.....I would agree. If the signal to noise ratio is unweighted. But if the measurement is 'A' weighted you are GONNA NEED NR. But 60 db 'A' weighted is alright but nothing to right home about.
     
  9. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario

    If you are gonna date this machine then you should know his last name. Please take time before you move to 2nd base with this RTR.

    Seriously, I wasn't suggesting that you return it. As long as it is in good condition enjoy the analog beauty. But what happened to the Otari? Is that baby no longer on the table?
     
  10. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Do not buy used RTR tape. If you do I shall cry and wet myself. Don't make me do it. I have no desire to walk around with soggy pants. You should buy RTR tape in bulk.

    Is the other machine the Otari? Did you ever consider purchasing a half inch, half track RTR?
    the sound would be Heaven!
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2021
  11. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario

    If you are gonna date this machine then you should know her last name. Please take time before you move to 2nd base with the RTR. If her parents walk in and find you are pressing the record button well........

    Seriously.....If you could record at 30 ips on this baby you could get 62 db unweighted. (64 db 'A' weighted). You are very talented and skilled when it comes to tape machine repair. Could you alter this RTR to record at 30 ips? Say a 15/30 ips speed selector switch. Of course you couldn't use the NAB EQ at 30 ips.
    But adding that option would be child's play for you. Could you pull these upgrades off?
     
  12. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Uncle Jack is still thinking about making cassette decks. Problem is "heads." We thought about getting JDF Magnetics to Make the cassette 4 track heads. Other issue is the Dolby B, C and S
    Your Cat eats hamburgers? You know a cat remixed Rubber Soul in 1986. That explains the sound.
     
  13. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Will external dolby work?
     
  14. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I don't even have a spool yet.
     
  15. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Mmmmm......Oh I see.
     
  16. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Sure. You can buy a 25 year old Dolby 422 S Encoder/Decoder. With the addition of two extra boards you the unit can do B, C and as well as S. You can buy new one at the moment for $4000 +. But I am sure you can find a similar unit for under $1000. Used of course.

    One small problem. These units are meant for pro cassette decks. So they operate at "pro level."
    You can buy a device that takes care of that issue but you would need two of them.

    So you can take an old-ass Nak 582 and add Dolby S to it. But it won't be cheap.

    The only Dolby NR licenses that Dolby Labs still supports it Dolby A / SR .
     
  17. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Dolby license is done long time ago. Its a small circuit. you can call it noise defeater
     
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  18. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    Well not really or she use to be on strict diet and strict food selection. Right now she's on extreme care and I have to spend more time with her...
     
  19. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    I miss my cat. She was my best friend. But Mango was 17. I hope you kitty is doing o.k.
     
  20. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nah! Bribe some guy at Dolby Labs with $500 and he would get those licenses up and running again.

    Seriously.....Yep, Dolby B, C and S are burnt toast. But SR and A are not. Dolby SR is still heavily used in studios with analog tape machines. And Dolby A is needed to playback all those: Quarter inch, half inch, one and two inch tapes that are A encoded. Now Telecom 4.....Good luck with that.
     
  21. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Yep oh. The digital open ended NR curcuit. Great for tapes not made with an NR. But it won't get you 74 db like Dolby C, or 90 db of signal to noise ratio like Dolby S can.

    Nothing is stopping Dolby labs coming up with a new cassette NR system. Let's call it Dolby S2. Or Dolby T. Since cassettes are coming back....Supposedly.
     
  22. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    I'm sorry about your cat. I didn't know.
    Yes they can be your best friend and family. Cherish the time lines that youre with here. It will actually change you and your life for the better. Since when I had my cat, the only thing that's happening to my life was just improving better and better. It affected a lot even my job and well being.
    But as of right now her condition in not too good.
    I'm trying my best to keep her eating and accompanying her more.
     
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  23. john morris

    john morris Everybody's Favorite Quadron

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    Some clever guy could come up with a new NR circuit. If you came up with a new encode/decode circuit for consumer cassette decks you could call it: Quiet Kiity.1. Works on noise throughout the whole audio band. Up to 30 db of NR. No side effects. The new improved version you could call Quiet Kitty.2 or for short
    QK2. All the best new decks and RTR would have QK1. QKPRO1 could be your professional NR circuit. Think about it. That next Iron Maiden 2 inch multitrack tape could be encoded with QKPR01.

    Could you invent a new NR circuit to give Dolby S are run for it's money?
     
  24. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    JVC had ANRS, which was essentially Dolby B but without the patents. Of course, JVC is largely toast as well now, after merging with Kenwood over a decade ago. The king of VHS has fallen quite a lot since the turn of the century.

    It should be easy to replicate Dolby A, B, C and even SR using DSP. Presumably somebody has already written the code for it. dbx as well, plus High Com, ANRS and Super ANRS, which was JVC's answer to Dolby C (but unlike ANRS, not compatible with Dolby's tech).
     
  25. Classic Car Guy

    Classic Car Guy - Touch the Face of God -

    Location:
    Northwest, USA
    you dont have to design anything . there are so many nr circuits laying down all over the internet. all you need to do is connect is add a power supply and put it inside the box. i wish i could do it now really... the only time ican walk in to my music and work room at the house is an increment of 10 minutes x 4 per day. i already got these ideas and hopefully soon my wife will relieve me a bit so i can getback to my nirmal routine.
     

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