Part 2: Set-Up, Use And Other Suggestions
Set-Up
It is best to use the simplest path possible to make the best
dubs. What I do is connect both decks into the same tape loop. Here's how it
works: Preamp(Receiver)>Deck 1>Deck2> Preamp(Receiver). There are other
advantages to this aside from having only a patch cord between decks. While you
are dubbing you can listen to something else. It also frees up an extra input on
your preamp(receiver). Obviously you record from deck 1 to deck 2 so it is best
to have deck 2 be the better deck. When you just want to listen to tapes you use
deck 2. If you want to record from something other than a tape you either record
on deck 1 or pass the signal through deck 1 to deck 2. For best results you
could physically remove deck 1 from the chain but that would be a pain. If you
have a deck that has playback fine tuning features such as the Nakamichi Dragon
and CR-7A you will probably want to have it in the playback position. Do some
experimenting and see which decks work best in the play and record positions. If
you have one deck that is a Nakamichi and one that is not you will probably want
to pay particular attention to which one you use for which purpose. Keep in mind
that a tape made on a Nak will sound best when played back on one.
It is better to not stack your stereo equipment on top of each other. You
should isolate your amp or receiver as far away as possible from your other
equipment. Try to keep other electrical appliances as far away as possible from
your audio equipment. Once you turn your cassette decks or other equipment on
you should leave them on until you are through with them for the day. Equipment
such as preamps and CD players that do not run hot should be left on all the
time. Each time you turn a piece of electronic equipment on or off you send a
surge through it. Leaving equipment on but idle uses very little electricity.
Your equipment will last longer and sound better when left on rather than turned
on and off repeatedly.
Audiophile cables are worth looking into and really can make a difference.
The following are recommended. Prices are approximate and for a 1 meter pair.
Kimber PBJ $65
Straightwire Flex Connect $50
Vampire (not sure of
model) $30
Audioquest is also a good low cost alternative, but I am not that
familiar with their line.
AVOID Monster cable, the above are far better.
Setting Levels
Setting levels is going to vary from deck to deck for a
variety of reasons explained below. You want to set the levels as high as you
can to keep the music above the noise floor(hiss). If you set the levels too
high the tape will saturate and distortion will result. With most chrome tapes
on many decks you will want the peaks around +2 or +3 dB. Different tapes and
decks will react differently. Consult your manual to see what it suggests as far
as setting levels. Use that as a starting point and then experiment. See how far
you can push different types of tapes before distortion begins. Once you find
the point where your deck is going to distort try to stay about 2 dB below that
level.
First of all, 0 dB on cassette decks can vary from one deck to another
whether by design or just by miscalibration. Most decks have a Dolby symbol
somewhere on the meter and this *should* be considered the real 0 dB. Different
meters also react differently, especially different types, i.e. needles, LED,
fluorescent. Some meters are faster than others and also some are meant to show
averages(needles) and not peaks. Slower meters are not able to "follow" a signal
all the way up to the peak. Very fast meters can read peaks of +5 or more but
this is for such a small fraction of a second that the tape will not saturate.
These +5 peaks will more likely read at around +2 or +3 or lower with most other
meters.
Play recordings made on your deck on other decks and try to get a consensus
of how differently your recordings are going to react. READ YOUR MANUAL. It will
suggest recording levels based on how the deck has been set up. Some decks,
especially ones with meters that show averages, should usually be set around 0
or +1. Very fast meters should usually be set with *peaks* at around +4 to +7.
If your source material has high continuous levels you will need to set the
levels lower or saturation will result. This is based on chrome tapes. Metal
would be a little higher, normal bias a little lower. Experiment and see what
works best. See how high you can push a tape before distortion results.
Experimenting with test tones can lead to some insight. As an example I can use
a test tone and match my two cassette decks to exactly 0 dB with a continuous
signal. Peaks on my Onkyo TA-2056 of +2 dB will correspond to about +5 or +6 on
my Aiwa F-990.
Set the levels for the loudest part of the tape. Once you get the hang of
this and get a good feel for your tape decks you will be able to do this fairly
quickly. Keep mental or actual notes about where the peaks are on your tapes.
Once you set the levels and start recording you should not change them so as to
preserve the dynamic range. If there is an obvious change in level due to
something non-musical, then it probably is a good idea to make subtle
adjustments to compensate.
Some purists say you should never adjust the balance between the left and
right channels. The simple fact though is that after a few generations it is
real easy for the balance to get skewed to one side. I personally prefer the
levels to be close to even on average unless there is a good reason for them not
to be. Some early(60s) tapes had a weird left-right balance and necessitate
being off balance. Also, the Dead's drums/space segments will have odd balances
on purpose. Use your best judgment. Find out what your trading partners prefer.
Head Cleaning
The best and cheapest method is to use swabs (Q-tips or
whatever) and plain alcohol. Cassette cleaners that you insert in the deck are
not as effective. First of all make sure you use something that has 90% or
greater alcohol content. Most rubbing alcohols have around 70% and this is not
good as there are too many additives which are not good for your deck. The best
thing I have found to use is grain alcohol. Everclear is 95% alcohol, and I
think it is the most concentrated you can get. I can't believe people actually
drink the stuff. Another good choice is denatured alcohol which you should be
able to get at a pharmacy. There are some drug store alcohols that are something
like 92% for about a dollar. This is the cheapest way to go, but I think using
Everclear or denatured alcohol is better. The 200ml bottle of Everclear will
cost about $4 from a liquor store, and you will probably never run out of it.
Keep the cap on tight as it evaporates easily. It is probably better to get the
foam swabs rather than cotton as the cotton strands sometimes unwind and could
get caught up in the deck. I still use the cotton though.
Take the swab and dip it in the alcohol and then scrub the heads and anything
else that the tape might touch. When the swab gets a little bit of brown gunk on
it change to another. Do not use alcohol on the rubber pinch roller, or it can
dry and crack. The safest thing to do is use only rubber cleaner on the pinch
roller. At one point you could get rubber cleaner at Radio Shack but I have not
been able to find it there lately. Places that sell professional recording or
broadcast supplies should have it. I often use just a dry swab on the pinch
roller. The capstan (metal pin above the rubber pinch roller) is usually
spinning all the time when the deck is on. This makes it pretty easy to clean as
you just have to press the swab against the capstan and the spinning does a
pretty good job of cleaning. Some capstans only spin when there is a tape in the
deck. In this case you can feel around at the top of the deck's well and find
the switch that senses when a tape is inserted. Pressing the switch will make
the capstan spin. The capstan is very important to keep clean because it is
usually the culprit when a tape is "eaten." If the tape well in general looks
dusty or grungy try to clean it up as best you can. A can of compressed air can
be very effective. The alcohol usually evaporates quickly, but it doesn't hurt
to go over everything with a dry swab to make sure everything is dry. Many decks
have removable doors that make them easier to clean.
Clean the heads about every 20-50 hours of use. Some decks get dirtier faster
than others. If there is more than just a hint of brown stuff on your swab, you
need to clean your heads more often. It does not hurt to do it too often.
Demagnetizing
There is much controversy concerning demagnetizing. A few
say it needs to be done often, some say only once every few years and many say
not at all or only when necessary. One thing I will say is DO NOT use the cheap
demagnetizes that you find in record stores. These can cause more harm than
good. Demagnetizing should only be done by a professional with professional
equipment. The safe plan is not to do it all. If your deck is having problems
and you are having it serviced ask the technician about demagnetizing. They will
usually do it for free if you are already having work done. Otherwise, if it
ain't broke don't fix it.
Professional Maintenance
It is a good idea to take your deck to a
reputable repairman or high-end oriented audio store and have your deck
professionally cleaned, aligned and calibrated. If your deck gets very heavy use
you should do this about every year or so. If you are a little tight on money
you can get by with every two or three years or so. At a minimum have them 1)
calibrate the meters on playback and record 2) calibrate the transport speed 3)
calibrate the bias to the tapes you use most often 4) clean and demagnetize(only
if necessary) 5) set the head-azimuth to zero' 6) check the performance of the
analog sections. After 5 or so years it is a good idea to have them check the
motors if the deck has had very heavy use. This will cost approximately $30-$80,
depending on where you take it and how much you need done. This can be done
yourself if you really know what you are doing and have the right equipment.
Bias Setting (Tape Types)
There are three broad bias or tape type
settings. These are:
- Normal or Type I
- Chrome, CrO2, High Bias, or Type II
- Metal or Type IV
[Type III or Ferric Chrome is no longer
available.]
Each of the names on a line means the same thing. The first name is the most
common in usage.
Most cassette decks should have settings for the different types of tapes.
Car stereos, boomboxes, and walkmen sometimes do not. In playback mode metal and
chrome are basically the same. Many car stereos and walkmen have a playback
setting that says chrome/metal. Many newer cassette decks have an auto setting
so you do not have to even worry about setting this. Even with auto setting
there should still be some sort of indicator light showing the setting.
Fine Bias
Within the normal and chrome settings there is also bias fine
tuning that is necessary. Most better decks made within the last several years
will have some sort of bias fine tuning. Some of the older decks may not. If
your deck does not have any sort of fine bias adjust you should find out what
tape the deck was factory set for and use that tape or have the deck
recalibrated for the tape you want to use. Many decks are set for Maxell XL-II
or TDK SA in the chrome position which are pretty close to each other as far as
bias. The exception would be where the deck manufacturer also makes tapes in
which case they would likely bias their decks for their own tapes. This is a
concern that needs to be addressed with Sony and Denon decks. The deck's manual
should say what tape the deck was set for. If it does not try contacting a
service representative for the company or try experimenting with different
tapes. (More on different tapes below)
There are two ways of setting the bias fine tuning. With automatic systems it
is usually just a matter of inserting the tape you wish to set the deck for and
pushing a button. The deck will go through its motions for several seconds and
then be ready to go. With a manual system there is usually a dial on the front
of the deck. In the straight up position the dial should lock in place and be
set for whatever tape the deck was biased for. The deck's manual will show where
to set the dial for other brands of tapes. If the manual does not give the
information you need, you can call a service representative or you can try to
figure it out for yourself by ear.
You will need a 3-head deck to set the bias by ear. Start recording a good
sounding source(preferably a CD or LP) you are familiar with. Put your deck on
source and get a good idea of how it sounds. Then switch over to tape and have
the bias dial set to the straight up position. Slowly turn it to the right and
see what it sounds like and then slowly turn it to the left. Your goal is to as
closely as possible find the setting that will match the sound of the source to
the tape setting. Resist the urge to set the dial only based on where the hiss
is the least. This can result in dull highs. The difference in sound will likely
be very subtle, so take your time and listen closely. The effects will be most
noticeable in the high frequencies. Try this both with speakers and headphones.
Dolby
My best advice is to not use it. Most current tape formulations
allow for very low noise so Dolby is not really necessary. To my ears, Dolby B
is terrible and I try not to ever use it for any reason. It kills the high
frequencies and sometimes causes weird phasing or pumping problems. Dolby C
*can* work very well on a high quality deck. The problem is it only really works
well when you play the tape back on the same deck it was recorded on. Results
can vary considerably when tapes are played back on other decks. Dolby circuits
in decks that cost less than about $250 or so are not likely to be very good.
If you have a tape that already has Dolby on it the best way to copy it is to
set the Dolby off on both decks. The copy will still have the dolby on it and
will need Dolby engaged when playing it back. Most people don't want Dolby on
their tapes though so most of the time you will decode the dolby on your play
deck and then record without Dolby. Some dubbing decks will not let you do this.
Multiple encoding and decoding of Dolby will make the sound worse and should be
avoided.
Dolby HX pro is a dynamic range enhancer, and on good decks is usually
beneficial. It is on all the time.
I have not heard a dolby S deck yet but have heard that it works very well,
better than Dolby C supposedly. The advantage is supposed to be that you can
play back a Dolby S tape with Dolby B and it will sound decent but not as good
as played back with Dolby S.
The MPX filter (not Dolby related) on cassette decks is intended to filter
out unwanted multiplex noises associated with FM broadcasts. It does not need to
be decoded on playback. It is not supposed to affect the sound of an FM
broadcast, but I can hear a subtle difference so I don't use it. Experiment and
see what you prefer.
Erasure Prevention Tabs
The tabs on the top of a cassette can be popped
out to prevent accidental erasure of a tape. You can cover the hole with thin
tape if you want to record over the tape. When doing this make sure you only
cover the part where the tab was. The hole beside the tab is used for cassette
decks that set the tape bias automatically. Also keep your tapes far away from
electro-magnetic sources such as your speakers, TV and other electrical
equipment to avoid erasure.
Tape Length
It is best to use 90s as much as possible. Use 100s when
necessary. 110s should only be used when absolutely necessary. I would avoid
playing 110s in walkmen, car stereos and boomboxes as the extreme tape length is
bad for the motors. Avoid fast forwarding and rewinding when possible in any
deck with 110s. The only two 110s I would consider using are the Maxell MX-110
and the TDK MA-110. I tend to prefer the TDK as it seems to put less strain on
the tape deck. DO NOT use anything over 110. If something will fit on a 60(like
some Dead first sets) check with who you are trading with to see if that is OK.
Most people will prefer a 90 and then some filler.
Be aware that tapes are not going to be exactly the specified length. They
are always a little bit longer. There is usually about two extra minutes per
side on most TDKs and Maxells. It will vary from batch to batch.
Tape Brands
Since most good decks now have bias fine tuning you can
usually optimize the performance of your deck with just about any good quality
tape. Still you should consider strongly the tape recommended in the deck's user
manual and also try some experimenting.
Maxell
Maxell XL-II has pretty much become the standard among tape
traders. Some people also like to trade with the nicer and more expensive Maxell
XL-IIS. For the most part XL-II will do for most situations. XL-IIS can make a
difference with super high quality low generation tapes. XL-IIS tapes have a
nicer shell and also a higher bias so that you can record higher levels. If you
do not have bias fine tuning you will see little to no advantage using XL-IIS
tapes, unless your deck was factory set for them. Maxell's MXS metal tapes are
extremely good but pretty much overkill in the world of tape trading. Their best
use would be in dubbing exceptional tapes from DAT and for live recording. MX
tapes are a notch down from MXS. In most cases XL-IIS will probably outperform
MX tapes. Avoid the Maxell Capsule series. Many people feel that the XL-IIS and
MXS are among the most durable tapes you can get, so there is some advantage to
putting irreplaceable recordings on these tapes.
TDK
Although most everyone prefers Maxell, TDK tapes are at least worth
a try. Some decks may work better with one than the other. If you do not notice
any difference in quality get whichever is cheaper. Make sure with your trading
partners which tapes you send them. TDK SA tapes are comparable to Maxell XL-II,
SA-X are comparable to Maxell XL-IIS, MA are comparable to MX, and MA-X are
comparable to MXS. TDK does make some real high end metal tapes above the MA-X
but they are really only necessary in pro applications. TDK D tapes are good if
you want something that is real basic and cheap. They are good for boomboxes,
car stereos and walkmen.
Denon
If you have a Denon deck I strongly urge you to a least try a few
different Denon tapes and see how they sound. Denon makes a wide range of very
nice tapes. It should make sense that a company would set their decks for their
own tapes. They make one of the best metal tapes I have ever encountered, but it
costs about $7. If you do find that the Denon tapes sound better, urge your
trading partners that you will be able to make them better tapes with the
Denons.
Sony
I have never cared very much for Sony tapes, but if you have a Sony
deck you should probably at least give the better ones a try.
Fuji
I have encountered a few people that have like Fuji tapes. I have
not tried them.
Nakamichi
Nakamichi chrome cassettes are TDK SA-X but with a different
(better?) shell and higher quality control. The tape is only taken from the
center part of the large spools in manufacturing where the quality is more
consistent. They are considerably more expensive than regular tapes
Continued
in Part 3