Need advice from tape enthuists!

[Highfire]

Hey all,

I'm putting together a new system and would like to include an analog source. Records are nice, simple, reliable and EXPENSIVE! I know I can buy used records for cheap, but I can buy used cds for cheap too. And I imagine a decent tape player is cheaper than a decent record player. In addition, most of the records I would like to own I already own in cd. See where I'm going with this?

My question is this; does it make any sense to buy a nice vintage tape deck to record my favorite cds to cassette? Would this provide the nice analog sound I'm looking for or am I just being an audiophilic luddite?

 

[DENNYDOG]

Get a better cd player or dac. I think you are going to go through A LOT of extra trouble to rerecord all of your cd's onto tape and will find the recordings aren't really any better than what you are hearing strait from your cd player imho.

 

[melofelo]

self confessed luddite here...

making tapes is a fun and inexpensive hobby.. try to find a good cassette deck such as the direct drive models from akai , jvc ,technics or any of the mid to high end cassette decks that came out in the mid to late 80's...

tape formulation and cassette decks were constantly improving right up until end of cassette's position as the main domestic recording format and some of the better mid-late 80's machines were capable of truly satisfying recordings when using a good tape..

in terms of chill factor...
watching those leds meters pegging the red on a cassette deck as you subtly adjust the rec level knob definitely rates as 'sub zero'...

 

[meggy]

Recording CD's onto an analog medium won't really turn the CD into what you're looking for even if the CD came from an analog master tape. You'll just have digtal recorded on analog. A lot of vinyl re-issues are like that. You hear a lot of digtal cut to vinyl complaints the forums. What you're suggesting would be digital recorded to analog tape.

 

[Tapehead47]

I have some old cassette music mixes I made back in the 70's and 80's and they sound great! And it's fun to record stuff - can't do that with vinyl.

 

[JonL]

Part of what I love about LPs is taking a $1.00 gamble on some old title or artist I've never heard of but which looks interesting and finding a new favorite. I really only use my cassette deck anymore to listen to a handful of old tapes I have. I might someday make some mix tapes for my car, but my iPod sounds better in my car than my car deck (even though it has Dolby C), and if I'm going to make a mix from LPs I might as well digitize them and put it on my iPod.

 

[goldear]

For what your goal is, tape is probably not the right choice, unless you are looking to make favorites compilations from CD, or are planning to record your records to save them from wear and tear.

If your real source is going to be digital, then get yourself a really excellent CD player or DAC. The improvement in digital media over the last 10 years has been prettty remarkable. The very best digital sources these days can be capable of sounding better than all but the best analog sources.

 

[jaetee]

Don't give up on tape just yet...

As a card-carrying member of the "I listen to my CD's on tape" club, I think you should seek out several things...

1) A decent turntable and cartridge. This way, you can hit some flea markets and buy some cheap vinyl. Fill in that back catalog or try some other artists as JonL pointed out.

2) Get yourself a really good condition upper mid-echelon tape deck. Something like a 3-head (Denon, Onkyo, Teac/Tascam, Aiwa, Akai) from the mid-late 80's, or maybe a Sony ES, or even a mid-line Nakamichi 2-head or 3-head unit. I recommend you read this here for some guidance: Cassette Decks: A Buying Guide

I have cassettes here that are 25+ years old that sound astonishing, most were recorded from borrowed CDs when I was in the military. We'd swap and record on our Naks to save money. I do find that recording a properly mastered CD can yield excellent results. The challeng nowadays is finding properly mastered modern music (read about the loudness war in the music industry here). Basically when it comes to recording anything, its crap in = crap out, But with some knowledge and a decent equalizer, you can make some crappy mastered music sound a bit more to your liking.

Personally, I find there is something much more synergetic and intimate about making a compilation tape vs. organizing a playlist on the computer and simply burning it to CD. You have to listen in real time, you have to set the levels and you have to know the tape you are using and how well it works in your deck. There is a learning process, but its fun and when you get it right the results can be astonishing.

Anyway, what have you got to lose? If you buy decent used gear and tapes and find that it isn't your cup of tea... sell it on ebay or craigslist and get your money back.

But, if the analog bug bites you hard... you may have opened up a whole new world for yourself.

BTW, there's a reason why the "really good" tape decks out there are starting to go up in value... The same can be said for good NOS tapes as well.

Good luck whichever way you go.

JT

 

[Tapehead47]

I like your attitude Jaetee and agree. I got a Nak BX-300 for $35 in the Bargain Trader. Can't go wrong with that. Have had dozens of other decks in my life and the next best one was a Marantz. Can't remember the model # but nothing fancy. Just great sound.

I used to like sitting there listening to the CD or Record I was recording with my finger hovering over the pause button and anticipating the proper split-second to hit it inbetween tracks! If I missed it I'd re-record the cut until I got it precise. Also, fading out or in for certain passages from a live recording was a real challenge. Didn't want any contamination of another cut to infect the selected one but had to fade in/out to get maximum audience reaction. And the fade required a certain curve - not too fast, not too slow.

It was a pleasure and required patience. Almost too easy nowdays, but modern technology makes things so convenient I've become complacent. Put 6 CD's in the recorder and program what you want on the CD and hit REC. It's almost inhuman.....