Recording Question

[anathema]

Hi Guys,

I am making some recordings from vinyl to tape on my Sony TC-206SD cassette tape deck and have a question regarding the VU meters.

I know I should not push the VU meters past '0' too much (i.e. the red zone), causing the PEAK indicator to come on, as this would cause distortion in the recording - the limiter function on the deck does this nicely, though I've been told that the limiter function causes some of the 'highs' to be compromised.

What are my options here? Should I just sit down and monitor the recording throughout (a total pain) or turn on the limiter and fire up a cuban?

Thanks!

 

[EddyFranner]

Smoke and relax. A good deck will produce a good copy or recording,

 

[Edriz]

when I record, I allow peaks from +3-+5db and maintain 0db. Good chrome tapes can handle those settings easily

 

[gmku]

I actually push a little over 0dB and end up with fine recordings, but generally I like my tapes a little loud. Anyway, good deck will give you some leeway and be forgiving.

Don't worry too much about it, shoot for 0, and enjoy the music.

 

[Parnelly]

Depends on the tape too. Type II tapes i believe you can drive well over 0 and still sound clean. Much like gmku i like my tapes loud.

 

[boonie]

If you want to set your levels manually you don't have to monitor the whole record. Just pick a loud section of the album and set the levels using this section.
And like others I like to push my chrome tapes into the red a little when recording.

 

[dr*audio]

VU meters are different than dB meters. A constant signal at -3VU is 0dB on a dB meter. They also tend to have slower ballistics and won't respond well to peaks. Therefore on a cassette deck with VU meters it is best to record so the loudest part of the music comes in at -3VU on the meters. If you have peak LEDS, the loudest parts of the music should just make them flash occasionally. Otherwise you will saturate the tape. If you take a tape recorded in this manner and play it on a deck with dB meters, the peaks will be higher, like +3dB or more.
On a reel to reel deck with VU meters you can record at higher levels because the medium will tolerate it.

 

[gmku]

I just keep it simple and push it into the red a bit (with high bias). Always sounds nice.

I'm wondering how people generally set their adjustable bias. It seems that almost always, on both my Nak and my Yamaha, I need to go -1 (more bias) with almost every tape brand (with high bias tape). Occasionally I'll find one that I can record flat. I seldom go higher, seldom need to go lower.

 

[Naptown Rob]

when I record, I allow peaks from +3-+5db and maintain 0db. Good chrome tapes can handle those settings easily

I agree, mostly - I'd come in a little lower. Say 0 to +3dB.
Avoid the limiter (for reasons too lengthy to go into here...).

 

[jan_stevns]

I agree, mostly - I'd come in a little lower. Say 0 to +3dB.
Avoid the limiter (for reasons too lengthy to go into here...).

There is a rather easy (practical) explanation :

A limiter only react's when recording level exceed's 0db, and will lower recording level instantly

Another system : Automatic recording level, would increase recording level at low levels, and also reduce at high - giving the infamous compressed sound, where you easily can hear hiss and noise level raised in low pasages in the music, and the pumping effect when music level are high

Sony's limiter is of the first (and pretty usefull) type

 

[GPS16]

Hi Guys,

I am making some recordings from vinyl to tape on my Sony TC-206SD cassette tape deck and have a question regarding the VU meters.

I know I should not push the VU meters past '0' too much (i.e. the red zone), causing the PEAK indicator to come on, as this would cause distortion in the recording - the limiter function on the deck does this nicely, though I've been told that the limiter function causes some of the 'highs' to be compromised.

What are my options here? Should I just sit down and monitor the recording throughout (a total pain) or turn on the limiter and fire up a cuban?

Thanks!

Hi,

When transferring to tape from vinyl, I always have a look at the grooves in question under a magnifier first. Where the grooves are widest apart is where the loudest passages are recorded. The speed of the cutter is accelerated for loud passages so that the grooves do not meet and make the track unplayable. If you look where the widest grooves are. Make note. And play the loudest section to set up the peak level. The rest of the track will be in proportion and not distorted by the limiter.

GPS16

 

[fortycoats]

Some CD players have (or probably more like "had" since this was back in the days when they co-existed with cassette decks) a very useful feature called "Peak Search". You let the CD player find the loudest passage and set your recording level so that the passage in question doesn't exceed your chosen maximum level (which is not necessarily 0). With vinyl, you have 3 choices -- 1) play it once to determine the loudest passage and then play it again to record; 2) if you are experienced enough, use the visual method described by GPS16; 3) use the devil-may-care approach and trust in the deck, as prescribed by some other posters here. You might happen to get a good quality recording from any method but the chances of that happening are best with method #1 and least with method #3. If you decide to use method #1, then exactly how you determine the loudest passage is a whole 'nother discussion.