Recording mixtapes?

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Mustey

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Aug 17, 2017
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Hmmm... My 80's Spandau Ballet doesn't play at all. It was in the middle, I tried rewinding it and it spins quite slow and jams.
I tried again with the Prince cassette and it winds back and forth with good speed and all the way through.

I noticed sound improves a bit (but not quite what I was expecting yet) when I turn noise filtering off (I got dbx and Dolby B).
 
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Mustey

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Yes! now we are talking!
I didn't take a lot of dirt off, though...

The playback head was really clean, according to my swabs.
The recording head gave a bit of yellow-brown stuff.
The pinch roller was nice and soft to begin with but gave a little brown stuff. I didn't go nazi on it as I feel that I might be abrasing it at some point.

I will try recording now.
 
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Mustey

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I just wonder, my capstan isn't squeaky clean, I brushed it with alcohol swabs until it stopped giving off black residue but it still looks dirty, even though it feels smooth.
Should I polish it somehow?
 
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Mustey

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Well, I am on batteries. I have a supply but I trust the batteries more for now.

When recording, I monitor the source (my laptop, via headphone jack) using the Monitor button.
It already sounds worse than the source usually (when I listen to music from laptop).
There is an added "pffff".

When I monitor the record, it's even worse, more pfff...

The cassettes are listenable but not good quality.

I suspect it is because I am using the headphone jack.

I am going to buy a real DAC with lead out and hope this makes for better source and better recording.
 
goodman

goodman

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Yeah, sometimes have the little noise from PC sound card.
When recording, laptop run on batteries or AC power?
If laptop run on batteries this noise must be lower...

If you have boombox or other HI-FI with line out, try to recording to Marantz.
In this case, you maybe not listen this noise...
 
Transistorized

Transistorized

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Nickeccles said:
My Opinion??

I burn tracks to cd & then direct connect to my old DVD/HDD recorder & use it as just a cd player.................I use it solely for transferring music CD's to cassette! :-)

This eliminates all the EQ problems & enables very easy channel balance when recording - Using a good quality OFC interconnect straight into the cassette deck & monitor with headphones!!

I can also tell you now that recording even mp3 files direct from your PC/laptop will result in very varied results...........Recording from a CD whether the original files are wave flac mp4 or indeed mp3 type will result in cassette recordings of astonishing quality, especially older 70's & 80's tracks!!

You will capture to cassette sound quality you may even thought tape could reproduce :yes:

I learnt the hard way.............I tried line out from PC with truly lousy results & after a few years I bought a quality Technics RS-B655 from Ebay & the interconnect & they sit together always ready to copy CD burns that I decide to compile!!

So many hours wasted trying to gain a decent cassette recording from PC to Cassette deck, plenty of VU level problems (usually too low) led to adopting the method I use now!!

You can of course tell the PC to normalize all tracks so you rarely need to adjust recording levels - I encode every sound file I have myself from records flac/wave files & in the past from cassette to PC & only when I am happy do the lame encoded mp3's become the end result & trust me they sound awesome from CD, Tape & my Panasonic Bluray/HDD recorders mp3 decoder (One of the best home mp3 players out there) If music is a part of your life you cannot live without, then have fun & enjoy the recording to cassette process :-)

I never tire of watching the FL meters on my technics pump when I record a cassette tape!!

Hope some of this helps......... :-D


LG RHT497H DVD HDD Recorder.jpg
Technics RS-B655 Stereo Cassette Deck.jpg





Click to expand...
Umm... :agree: with everything that was said in this post :cool:
 
hopey

hopey

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Seems odd to me to be upscaling audio from MP3 or compressed files. You should record directly from the source. Also use a proper separate with Dolby HX Pro which gives you Dolby C as well. Record at a minimum of 6 db even with normal cassettes. The higher the level of your recording will ensure you get the most out of the boombox amp.

Even though Boombox's don't carry hx pro or Dolby c it is advantenious to record at this quality.
 
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