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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: morebutter on February 20, 2009, 12:16:31 PM

Title: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: morebutter on February 20, 2009, 12:16:31 PM
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!
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: dave w on February 20, 2009, 12:52:20 PM
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.
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: xpander on February 20, 2009, 01:12:15 PM
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
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: nameloc01 on February 20, 2009, 03:54:34 PM
Try RAM Electronics in Cleveland...they sell all kinds of quality vintage A/V gear.
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: johnw on February 20, 2009, 04:07:52 PM
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-TC-D5-PROII-Stereo-Portable-Prof-Cassette-Recorder_W0QQitemZ320342708351QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0 (http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-TC-D5-PROII-Stereo-Portable-Prof-Cassette-Recorder_W0QQitemZ320342708351QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0)

Here you go - only $799.  :P This is not mine BTW.
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: nak700s on February 20, 2009, 10:50:44 PM
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.
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: DSatz on February 21, 2009, 01:01:25 AM
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
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: sunjan on February 23, 2009, 05:50:53 AM
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...
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: esteyes1 on February 25, 2009, 07:39:07 PM
i vote for a Nak 550 to go with his CM100's  ;D

neil
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: John Willett on February 26, 2009, 07:13:14 AM
i vote for a Nak 550 to go with his CM100's  ;D

Agreed - Excellent machine, I still have mine.  ;D

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.

(http://www.avx.hu/forum/uploads/post-35-1229360605.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: Nick's Picks on February 26, 2009, 07:22:51 AM
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
Title: Re: Best Stereo Portable Cassette Recorders With +48v Balanced Inputs?
Post by: George on February 26, 2009, 02:07:29 PM
i vote for a Nak 550 to go with his CM100's  ;D

Agreed - Excellent machine, I still have mine.  ;D

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.

(http://www.avx.hu/forum/uploads/post-35-1229360605.jpg)

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