Topic: Cassette transfers.

[Sevoflurane]

I used to run Nakamichi > V3 > R-44, but now just run Nakamichi > Mixpre-6

I'm trying to explain this without sounding dumb. But that's not going to happen... Any way to run into these recorders so that the waveform is the same as what is recorded on the media? Instead of having to adjust levels? I feel like sometimes I run it a bit hot and it sounds brickwalled, even though it's not looking that way on the WAV file.

[rigpimp]

I'm not sure that I understand your question. 

I have done literally thousands of cassette transfers.  Shit there is a box of bluegrass tapes at my feet while I type and stacks on my desk collecting dust while I pound through my school work.  I have one of those silly black and white composition books that I use to take notes.  Side A, Side B and their corresponding Mixpre file #s.  I fill an SD card and dump it, make text files, have my historain buddy do a write up and then it all sits idel.

What part isn't going to happen?  If you are brickwalling a digital recorder you probably have your limiters on.  Set the Mixpre so the peaks tick red and you are good.  You should only adjust levels so it does come out like crap.  Anything else can be done in post.  All of mine are residing in raw FlAC'd 24/96 files waiting for some tracking angel to fall from heaven so that I can share them all on the LMA. 

This is all I have been able to upload so far:  https://archive.org/details/thespps

[ts]

I notice that in some transfer lineage that the cassette deck is sometimes listed as just Nakamichi (no model #) or some other random cassette deck. Usually three head decks. Since we are obviously concerned with playback only for transfers are the big dogs like the Dragon and CR7A really necessary? Aren’t the strong points of these masterpieces for recording? For transfers playback azimuth is the strongest point. Some decks there is a knob on the face, auto or take the door off.

[jefflester]

For transfers playback azimuth is the strongest point. Some decks there is a knob on the face, auto or take the door off.

How many non-"Big Dog" decks have manual azimuth adjust*, much less auto? Not many. Any?
*meaning knob, not a screw

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

I used to run Nakamichi > V3 > R-44, but now just run Nakamichi > Mixpre-6

I'm trying to explain this without sounding dumb. But that's not going to happen... Any way to run into these recorders so that the waveform is the same as what is recorded on the media? Instead of having to adjust levels? I feel like sometimes I run it a bit hot and it sounds brickwalled, even though it's not looking that way on the WAV file.

Technically, you could make Test Transfers and re-adjust the input levels on your recorder until you get the same levels on your input as your output.  I'm not sure that's possible via the meters on your cassette deck vs the meters on your recorder.  I think it would take a lot of technical effort and gizmos...

Years ago, I figured out a good "working" input level on my recorder and stick with that.  If I find that I'm running hot (or not hot enough), I'll adjust and start the Tape over... 

But yeah, when going analog to digital, there's no way to do a "perfect" transfer...  Its the nature of the analog beast...

Terry