Old cassettes sound great

[aquariuscsm]

Normal bias tapes definitely sucked for music recording. I'm thinking they were best for spoken word and voice recorders. Metal was the way to go fidelity and longevity wise. Anyone ever have a deck with the FeCr (ferrichrome) setting? I never did. Tape deck heads also needed to be demagnetized periodically. I had an Aiwa F990 that was supposed to automatically demagnetize itself everytime you turned it on. Maxell imo were also the best tapes. TDK always seemed to lose their highs after awhile.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Normal bias tapes definitely sucked for music recording. I'm thinking they were best for spoken word and voice recorders. Metal was the way to go fidelity and longevity wise. Anyone ever have a deck with the FeCr (ferrichrome) setting? I never did. Tape deck heads also needed to be demagnetized periodically. I had an Aiwa F990 that was supposed to automatically demagnetize itself everytime you turned it on. Maxell imo were also the best tapes. TDK always seemed to lose their highs after awhile.


Memories!

I always preferred Maxell. Remember TEAC?

^ Also. I always set the recording level higher for the right channel, than the left. Did anyone else do that?

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted By: loneryder
I recently bought an 02 Jetta which has a cassette player in the dash. I found some old cassettes that I had recorded back whenever they were they rage. I plugged them in the radio and they sound awesome. Great fidelity. They were a high quality tape but it still surprises me how good they sound.
Don't throw your old cassettes away.ha


An acute case of nostalgia

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Yes, I have experienced this progression as well. Just as long as some yahoo does not randomly smash and steal the radio. It does happen sometimes. With OEM head units less, but sometimes with those too.


In fact, some yahoo did try to steal the first CD deck I installed. It was a $150 Aiwa unit I installed in 1999. Really!? They wanted to steal that? Since I always used the metal grounding bracket they only managed to get it pried out partway and gave up. The hole they pried under the door handle and broken window were the things that upset me more. Since they couldn't make off with the whole stereo they just stole the detachable faceplate; like that would do any good. They did it in broad daylight just a couple of spaces away from the outdoor smoking area at my office.

I don't purchase downloads, btw. I still buy the CD's and rip the music myself. Seems like I have more control that way and the cost is about the same.

 

[DBMaster]

Here is what I used for a VERY long time, fifteen years, I think. Sharp RT-10. The photo is not mine.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
^ Also. I always set the recording level higher for the right channel, than the left. Did anyone else do that?

I did the opposite, although pretty close to even. It sounded more natural to me that way. Most professionally recorded tapes were like that, too.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
^ Also. I always set the recording level higher for the right channel, than the left. Did anyone else do that?

I did the opposite, although pretty close to even. It sounded more natural to me that way. Most professionally recorded tapes were like that, too.



Hmm. I thought it was because the speakers in the car were always farther away, on the passenger side. I remember the left side being higher on pre-recorded tapes, as you said.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Yes, I have experienced this progression as well. Just as long as some yahoo does not randomly smash and steal the radio. It does happen sometimes. With OEM head units less, but sometimes with those too.


In fact, some yahoo did try to steal the first CD deck I installed. It was a $150 Aiwa unit I installed in 1999. Really!? They wanted to steal that? Since I always used the metal grounding bracket they only managed to get it pried out partway and gave up. The hole they pried under the door handle and broken window were the things that upset me more. Since they couldn't make off with the whole stereo they just stole the detachable faceplate; like that would do any good. They did it in broad daylight just a couple of spaces away from the outdoor smoking area at my office.

I don't purchase downloads, btw. I still buy the CD's and rip the music myself. Seems like I have more control that way and the cost is about the same.


Same here. That is how sad the state of society is today. The thieves intentionally do as much damage as possible, almost like they had some kind of personal problem with you. And they will steal anything. They are too stupid to just even take the whole .car. They even got EricTheCarGuy's OEM radio from his 1991 Acura Vigor. Car thieves are the most hated, and special breed of psychopath.

I also do not pay for music. I back up songs, as you do. I listen to iHeartRadio for free but I view iTunes users as "not smart." Some spend $200+ a month on it. And that's not Apple's fault, though they help. Much money there.

That said, iTunes audio quality is usually pretty darn good.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Hmm. I thought it was because the speakers in the car were always farther away, on the passenger side.

You can always compensate for that with the balance knob.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Hmm. I thought it was because the speakers in the car were always farther away, on the passenger side.

You can always compensate for that with the balance knob.



Balance or Fader?

I also remember that Dolby and Dolby II noise reduction always used to make the music sound more muted.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Hmm. I thought it was because the speakers in the car were always farther away, on the passenger side.

You can always compensate for that with the balance knob.



Balance or Fader?

Do you understand the difference?

Quote:
I also remember that Dolby and Dolby II noise reduction always used to make the music sound more muted.

It was like that by design - emphasize high frequencies during recording, and then de-emphasize them during playback while cutting out noise.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
Hmm. I thought it was because the speakers in the car were always farther away, on the passenger side.

You can always compensate for that with the balance knob.



Balance or Fader?

Do you understand the difference?

Quote:
I also remember that Dolby and Dolby II noise reduction always used to make the music sound more muted.

It was like that by design - emphasize high frequencies during recording, and then de-emphasize them during playback while cutting out noise.


Is Balance Right to Left and Fader Front to Rear?

I think the idea of letting one channel lead a little higher on the recording levels was to let one channel "lead," if I remember.. why balance it out?

 

[DBMaster]

Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
I also remember that Dolby and Dolby II noise reduction always used to make the music sound more muted.


That was my observation. Using the Dolby noise reduction was unnecessary to me when the source was a CD. With an LP it did help to cut down on the hissing, popping, etc. that seemed inherent in brand new vinyl LP's in the 80's. The pressings really were pretty low quality toward then end of that media's life.

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Originally Posted By: OilyWaterMIXER
I also remember that Dolby and Dolby II noise reduction always used to make the music sound more muted.


That was my observation. Using the Dolby noise reduction was unnecessary to me when the source was a CD. With an LP it did help to cut down on the hissing, popping, etc. that seemed inherent in brand new vinyl LP's in the 80's. The pressings really were pretty low quality toward then end of that media's life.


78s?

 

[DBMaster]

Hmm. My last cheap turntable from the 70's would run at 78 RPM, but the last GOOD turntable I had would not. I think I had a few 78's in my early childhood but I didn't have the discernment to judge sound quality. Overall, the real issue with vinyl, like magnetic tape, is that there is wear occurring every time you play it. Digital storage may lack the "warmth" that people seem to miss, but in general it will sound the same years from now as it does now because there is no physical media to wear or break down from age.

Overall, though, does "perfect" audio quality really change anything? When you first heard your favorite song on AM radio or on an old 45 did you care about dynamic range, signal to noise ratio, or anything else other than the music itself?

 

[OilyWaterMIXER]

I remember taping together some broken tapes. The 100, 110, and 120 minute tapes snapped sometimes.

Some fine scotch taping on both sides solved it after some car decks ate the tape. My sisters always liked that I saved their favorite tapes. Probably Metallica, Bush, and Slayer. And Pantera

 

[aquariuscsm]

My Aiwa F990 had Dolby HX-Pro which would make the highs more crisp,clear,and compressed.

About the right channel being at a higher recording level than the right,I think it has something to do with stereo recordings,which imo are never balanced right (more bass in the right while having more treble in the left). I prefer everything to be recorded in mono. I actually wired one of my turntables to play in mono only.

I bought a cd copy of The Shadows of Knight's lp "Back Door Men" and the stereo mix was awfull!! I ended up giving it away. I found an original press mint condition mono copy and it sounds INCREDIBLE!!

 

[dishdude]

This format was originally designed for dictation machines, not for music. Cassettes were a convenient way to listen to music on the go but it was never high quality.

 

[Quattro Pete]

This one had B, C, and dbx, in addition to HX Pro. It still sits in my parents' house. Has a matching amp, cd player, and am/fm tuner.

 

[dave123]

The debate goes on for ever might as well debate Chevy vs Ford in what is better. With enough money for the proper equipment many forms can sound awesome always remember garbage in garbage out all about Synergy.