Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: fuck you on January 22, 2004, 07:35:36 PM
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Hello,
I am just about to buy a large collection of 40 - 50 analog audience tapes (basically, pop star stuff that has been out of circulation since 1997) and need advise on the best possible analog > 24 bit set up.
Right now I am looking at the Sony ES TC-KA1ESA, a single well cassette deck.
However, are there cassette decks better than this?
Crutchfield's Sony ES TC-KA1ESA page http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-8ND9ZDjudrD/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=4&g=54100&I=156TCKA1ES&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N (http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-8ND9ZDjudrD/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=4&g=54100&I=156TCKA1ES&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N)
I really like the specs and have always been impressed with the Sony ES line.
I want to transfer all these tapes in their sh*t quality glory to 24 bit by basically plugging the outs of a deck into a 24bit converter > 1.0 USB.
I want USB because I don't like soundcards. :(
What is the best converter to do this with? I need the most transparent sounding unit so I can preserve / make available all of these shitty tapes in their full pop star glory.
It is also possible that I could be transfering old 1990s Grateful Dead masters to 24 bit and offering my services for free on the net as a side project.
Darren
(who has already transfered some 1980s 1st generation Bangles audience tapes in 16 bit with good results but wants to do better.)
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Apogee MiniMe...
highest quality and usb
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I use a nakamichi rx-550->lunatec 316->mme@24bit
gotta love the nak!!
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Apogee MiniMe...
highest quality and usb
Any links? Who has th ebest price?
Darren
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I use a nakamichi rx-550->lunatec 316->mme@24bit
gotta love the nak!!
Links? Pricing?
Darren
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sonicsense.com
oade.com
cascademedia.net
some vendors off the top of my head, they all should do price matching...
also, if you act fast you might be able to get a great deal. http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=7;action=display;threadid=12267;start=0
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the usbpre will do just fine for that as well, although i can't say i've seen any comparison between it and the mme, but i don't imagine there would be any difference whatsoever, plus it's easily half the price of a mme. sonicsense has them, micsupply, cascademedia, etc...you should be able to get one for 550.
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no difference for analog->24bit conversion?
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i dunno...i'd put them up against each other...i guess one would need to know what a/d chips were used in each, the dynamic range, signal to noise ratio, all those other smart-sounding terms i throw around because i have no idea what they mean....
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i dunno...i'd put them up against each other...i guess one would need to know what a/d chips were used in each, the dynamic range, signal to noise ratio, all those other smart-sounding terms i throw around because i have no idea what they mean....
While Apogee gets nailed on here they still do make some of the finest converters in the world.
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>>the usbpre will do just fine for that as well, although i can't say i've seen any comparison between it and the mme, but i don't imagine there would be any difference whatsoever, plus it's easily half the price of a mme<<
i think there would be a big difference...
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Hello,
I am just about to buy a large collection of 40 - 50 analog audience tapes (basically, pop star stuff that has been out of circulation since 1997) and need advise on the best possible analog > 24 bit set up.
Right now I am looking at the Sony ES TC-KA1ESA, a single well cassette deck.
However, are there cassette decks better than this?
Crutchfield's Sony ES TC-KA1ESA page http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-8ND9ZDjudrD/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=4&g=54100&I=156TCKA1ES&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N (http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-8ND9ZDjudrD/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=4&g=54100&I=156TCKA1ES&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N)
I really like the specs and have always been impressed with the Sony ES line.
I want to transfer all these tapes in their sh*t quality glory to 24 bit by basically plugging the outs of a deck into a 24bit converter > 1.0 USB.
I want USB because I don't like soundcards. :(
What is the best converter to do this with? I need the most transparent sounding unit so I can preserve / make available all of these shitty tapes in their full pop star glory.
It is also possible that I could be transfering old 1990s Grateful Dead masters to 24 bit and offering my services for free on the net as a side project.
Darren
(who has already transfered some 1980s 1st generation Bangles audience tapes in 16 bit with good results but wants to do better.)
Buying audience cassette tapes...
???
Sorry if I missed something, but selling/buying audience recordings isn't cool...
???
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Buying audience cassette tapes...
???
Sorry if I missed something, but selling/buying audience recordings isn't cool...
???
These are Alanis Morissette shows and local radio interview broadcasts.
There is no other way that I am able to get these.
Alanis collectors are not audiophile minded. At best if I were to seek out the shows I would be lucky to find an MP3.
Being a collector of her stuff I know that when an offer like this comes up grab it.
Her shows gets taped, offered on a newsgroup, maybe 5 copies made then the tapes sit in a closet or worse get thrown away.
If you see an Alanis offered up for trade reply to the owner immediately because it will nto be in circulation for long.
These tapes I am buying are possibly low generation stuff. If I do not buy the tapes now I or anyone else will never hear most of these shows again.
One big time collector even threw all of his analog tapes into the ocean!!! He knew I was interested but still later tossed them out. None if his stuff is in circulation anymore.
This stuff is extremely rare. If there was any other way for me to get it I would but buying the 50 or so cassettes for $49 is the onlyway to do it. It is a steal and I cannot pass it up.
Darren
(who has a copy of her MI show from 1998 and it has since stopped appearing on people's lists around 2000. You can't find it ANYWHERE now.)
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I'm surprised Calico didn't jump in here with that cassette avatar and all. ;) Showing my age here...the most critical part of a cassette transfer is head alignment on the playback deck. It will make more sonic difference than your choice of a>d and recording medium.
The angle that the head meets the tape is critical. About the only time it will match perfectly is if you play back on the same deck that was used to record (assuming a 2 head deck). These things just fall out of alignment with time and you need to match the angle that the original deck recorded it on.
I used to work in a shop where we had the official Nakamichi alignment tapes (expensive!) and associated testing gear.
When this angle is off, high frequencies fall off. I can guarantee you that most of these tapes won't sound as good as they could without some alignment before each tape.
Your choices - a deck that aligns - the Nakamichi Dragon and one other model (CR-7a?) both allow you to change the alignment. If you don't want to spend the $ on a deck like that and are serious about getting it right, pull the cover off your playback deck and look for the screw near the playback head that adjusts the angle - it usually has a red drop of loctite on it (or nail polish). Break the seal and try turning it both ways while listening. You'll hear the high frequencies come and go as you move around the right spot. You're going for maximum hf.
Give it a try - the difference can be dramatic!
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>>Showing my age here...the most critical part of a cassette transfer is head alignment on the playback deck. It will make more sonic difference than your choice of a>d and recording medium.
ahhh, another tape guru in the forum. i agree 1000%.
>>Your choices - a deck that aligns - the Nakamichi Dragon and one other model (CR-7a?) both allow you to change the alignment.
the Dragon does it automatically based on a small feeback loop circuitry that compares the input signal. i've been told that true Dragon enthusiasts disable this function and stick to manual adjustment.
the CR-7A is manual adjustment and IMHO, is better than the Dragon for just that.
marc
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Right now I am looking at the Sony ES TC-KA1ESA, a single well cassette deck.
However, are there cassette decks better than this?
Oh yeah there are better decks, the Nakamichi Dragon is a good example of one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3073607205
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here's a CR-7A
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3072561200&category=4784
i paid around $900 for mine in 1990. i've seen the CR-7A go for around $700 these days.
marc
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oh man...those pictures are great. The Dragon is just a beautiful piece of machinery. Nakamichi was so into the craft in those days, not 'lifestyle' electronics that they went into.
I bought a 505 - that 3 head deck that flips your tape around. It was cool and still works great. I used to sell the stuff and we could buy Nak stuff direct for 40% of the retail price (after passing your Nakamich product knowledge test!) ;D
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>>Nakamichi was so into the craft in those days, not 'lifestyle' electronics that they went into.
i lost all interest in their new direction. the cassette days obviously died with the cd era, but i still love some of those tape recordings :)
>>I bought a 505 - that 3 head deck that flips your tape around. It was cool and still works great. I used to sell the stuff and we could buy Nak stuff direct for 40% of the retail price (after passing your Nakamich product knowledge test!)
ahh, those uni-directional auto reverse decks were quite innovative for their time. the 505 is a great machine from what i've seen.
i bought my first Nak deck in '86/'87 or so. it was the TD-500, which was a car Tuner/Deck w/ manual azimuth alignment!! i paid a small fortune for that damn tape deck and then i upgraded it to the TD-700 (basically the same deck with search functions). the CR-3A was my first 3 head home deck which i quicky upgraded to a CR-7A few years later. love those old Naks!!
marc
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Def an older Nak if you can find a well maintained one in good shape.
Head alignment adjustment would be a great feature, if you are trying to match a lost deck.
On the D/A:
If portability isn't an issue, what about a Rosetta ?
Apogee does make some good sounding stuff and they are getting reasonable. Some folks will tell you Benchmark, others Grace. I'd bet you'd be very happy with any of the three from an analog source with as much noise as cassette.