Topic: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?

[morebutter]

I am looking for a stereo portable cassette recorder that provides phantom power for mics.  Does such a thing exist?  Please advise me, I am new to this and would really like to get a great cassette recorder (no digital.) to use with my stereo pair of oktavamod 012s.  Thanks!

[dave w]

The portable cassette workhouse for years in the taping community was the various versions of the Sony D5, but I don't think they provided phantom, even the pro model with XLR inputs.  So you would need both a separate power supply (readily available, small, pretty inexpensive, and easy to find), and track down a Sony D5 - likely a very difficult task.  I have no idea if anyone is currently manufacturing such a device, I find it highly unlikely though - manufacturers have moved to flash media or harddrive recording.
  Why the aversion to digital?  There are many handheld flash media recorders that will provide phantom power.

[xpander]

Right.

The availability of tape is going to be a concern in near future also. Couple of years ago there was already kind of a crisis in tape manufacturing, and it doesn't look too good right now either. I hope the places needing big cakes have been stockpiling enough, one recording medium is going down and the prices will go up more and more.

http://www.loc.gov/nls/technical/cassettecomponents.html

[nameloc01]

Try RAM Electronics in Cleveland...they sell all kinds of quality vintage A/V gear.

[johnw]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-TC-D5-PROII-Stereo-Portable-Prof-Cassette-Recorder_W0QQitemZ320342708351QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0

Here you go - only $799.  This is not mine BTW.

[nak700s]

I have an extra Sony TC-D5M that I no longer need.  I would be willing to sell it.  You can contact me through this site if you want to discuss it further.

[DSatz]

The TCD-5M Pro doesn't have phantom powering built in. It has balanced inputs, though, and should be compatible with external phantom powering.

I can't recall ever hearing of a cassette recorder with built-in phantom powering, other than specially modified units (I used to use one of those myself). But when you're tapping into the existing power supply of an audio component, 12-Volt phantom powering is much more readily available than 48-Volt, if your microphones support it.

In certain cases it can also be a much more efficient use of available power--for example with Schoeps CMC 6-- microphone bodies, the 48-Volt powering needs about 4.5 mA while the 12-Volt powering needs only about 10, so the microphone runs on half the power at 12 Volts with no loss of headroom or other performance aspects.

--best regards

[sunjan]

I am looking for a stereo portable cassette recorder that provides phantom power for mics.  Does such a thing exist?  Please advise me, I am new to this and would really like to get a great cassette recorder (no digital.) to use with my stereo pair of oktavamod 012s.  Thanks!

The only cassette device with built-in phantom I've heard of is Tascam 488 MKII, but I wouldn't call it portable. Sorry, but there's no such thing! 
http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:tn3memDrRasJ:homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php%3Ft%3D275821+tascam+488+phantom&hl=sv&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=se&client=firefox-a

If you're dead set on tape-based media, why not go for a DAT deck instead, it would widen your options!
Otherwise, get a separate phantom supply like Denecke PS2 or similar...

[esteyes1]

i vote for a Nak 550 to go with his CM100's 

neil

[John Willett]

i vote for a Nak 550 to go with his CM100's 

Agreed - Excellent machine, I still have mine. 

Needed an external phantom power unit, though.

Big plus, was that it had a decent user Dolby alignment tone to get the Dolby level spot-on.

[Nick's Picks]

Vintage recording...I love it.
just bust out the R2R and call it quits.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=nagra&_sacat=See-All-Categories

[George]

i vote for a Nak 550 to go with his CM100's 

Agreed - Excellent machine, I still have mine. 

Needed an external phantom power unit, though.

Big plus, was that it had a decent user Dolby alignment tone to get the Dolby level spot-on.

Staring at this picture brings back memories of being a little kid and fiddling a gigantic Sony cassette walkman...ah, nostalgia!