realysm42 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 (edited) Gents, I need your help! I've got around 700 tapes I want to back up (being shipped over from England as we speak). Some of them are probably already ruined (I think my oldest tapes are from 1997 or thereabouts) but I want to back them up in the best fidelity possible. When I was a kid using tapes as my main medium, I wouldn't have known what a good tape deck was if it hit me in the face! So can you guys tell me/point me in the right direction of what a good tape deck for doing the ripping job would be (and that is still available for not stupid money) please? I'll sell the tape deck afterwards, it's literally just for the job. I know that cassette tape is a pretty shite format to begin with, but some of these tapes are rare and I want to make sure I do the best job possible of preserving them for everyone's enjoyment. Is there anything else I need to be aware of (I've briefly read about demagnetisation and adjusting azimuth - are they important)? If anyone has got something to sell/lend around the Melbourne area that be amazing Any help gratefully appreciated. Edited June 6, 2016 by realysm42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasebass Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 The name Nakamichi .......they are the best....supposedly... There are many good quality decks out there but I should imagine by now most wilt be in the hands of collectors or enthusiasts..... Tapeheads would be a good forum for you to visit re-education though so take a look there IMO. FWIW Denon DRM series are excellent decks if you can find one in good working order as are the ones from Pioneer and Technics of the same mid 90's vintage...ooo and JVC!!! If you want just to play back then a 2-head will do the job as 3-headers are for offtape monitoring when recording onto the tape. These are still available but are now silly money....http://www.ebay.com/itm/Technics-RS-AZ7-EX-DISPLAY-AUDIOPHILE-SINGLE-CASSETTE-DECK-/171471090077 Good Luck Tase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThirdDrawerDown Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Others will step in who have more knowledge, eg graduate diplomas in tapeology. I'm at cassette tape 101, and this is what little I know: - Demag is easy and important. Do it. - Azimuth is important, especially in Nakamichis. Do it, or get your technician to do it. There are online guides. - clean the plugs and connectors for the RCAs (isopropyl alcohol or similar, there are SNA threads on this) Did you record on a Nak? In which case, a Nakamichi is probably what you need, azimuth being quite important on them. Whatever you buy, these days the belts and lubrication are an issue, because people don't use cassette players very much, so they sit on a shelf and go stale. Also, service people hate them because they are so finicky. I'm selling this here 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 (edited) If you want to archive your cassettes at the highest fidelity then you should look for a cassette deck that has very low wow & flutter (usually dual capstan decks) and you will need to set the azimuth of the playback deck to match that of the recording deck; there is not much point in having the playback deck's azimuth perfect if the record deck was out! If the original cassettes were recorded on different decks you may need to adjust the azimuth for each cassette. The playback azimuth matches that of the record deck when the high frequency content from the tape is maximised. You could do this by ear, but it is actually quite difficult to get correct (using headphones helps because the phasing 'comes into focus' when azimuth of the two decks matches), however it might be easier to connect a RTA and look at the high frequency content. There are plenty of RTA apps available for smartphones, so that doesn't mean opening a lot of money. The speed of the playback deck needs to match the recording deck, as do the settings of EQ (low 120uS or high 70uS) and the Dolby setting (off, B, C or S). Hopefully the person doing the recoding has labeled the tape with the correct Dolby process used, but at least the tape should be labeled by the manufacturer with the EQ required. Some cassette decks automatically set the EQ based on the presence or absence of a hole on the end of the cassette, but Dolby always has to be set manually. You may have to guess the correct Dolby setting based on how the tape sounds when played back, and you may need to adjust the speed of playback if the recording deck was not calibrated correctly. Some decks have a pitch (speed) control. A dual capstan Nakamichi in good working order would be a good start, although there were good high end cassette decks from quite a few manufacturers. Any cassette deck will likely need servicing to replace drive belt and possibly pinch roller, because these rubber components will have aged by now. Also any deck that had a lot of use may have a worn playback head, which will affect frequency response and possibly channel balance. Edited June 6, 2016 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myPal Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 (edited) Generally speaking all Nakamichis' require restoration nowadays. Naks are temperamental. I have a personal preference for Studer. If you can find a fully balanced pro deck such as the A721, you will be pleasantly surprised! Given their modular construction, they are also easier to maintain. Edited June 6, 2016 by myPal 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 (edited) Yep, Studiers are great cassette decks and even shared input and output boards with Revox/Studer reel to reel decks, IIRC. The odd one sells at a bit over $1k on fleabay, which is quite a bargain, given how much they cost new which was around ~$4,500 plus sales tax of 30% in the late 1980s. Edited June 6, 2016 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darth vader Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Most of your tapes should be ok as long as they havn't been exposed to too much heat. Depends on how much money and accuracy you want to put into this, cassette decks as a rule these days are a steal compared to their original sell price. Many good deals to be had. But like @@johnmath said, most will need a new belt at a minimum. The more high tech, generally the more involved this job is. Some real high tech (for the day) decks will require you to learn a lot about bias, dolby, eq, etc. A middle of the road deck might suit perhaps. Less cost, less technical, possibly easier to get going It does depend on what level of digitisation your looking for too. For MP3, no need to go top of the heap. Lossless, well you got some big effort there. Demag will be needed after a good handful of cassettes if your chasing best SQ. Good luck champ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
realysm42 Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 Lots of reading for me to do here; thanks for your help gents, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyboyrm Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 http://www.hifiengine.com This site has almost all available listings in the library and also most of the user and service manuals. You just need to register to get onto all parts of the site. As for decks, 3 head and dual capstan decks are best. Most of the early Akai, Denon, Teac, Sony, Pioneer, Sansui, with adjustable controls were and are good. Always check the heads for wear. As a rule the glass crystal ones were better for wear than the softer alloy heads. You should not have to pay more than around $250 for a real mint condition one. Auto reverse is not necessary but nice to have. And do ensure that you are playing the tape to correct type and set the machine to that. All the rest of the info above from our learned body applies. Clean heads and demag a must. And despite what some have said cassettes could sound surprisingly good with the right equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren69 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 I reckon most of the tapes will be fine, as the Dark Lord stated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blk plastic Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Yep,unless your tapes have been exposed to extreme temperatures for long periods of time they should be fine. I have a cassette player in my car and my tapes, some of which are 38 years old, still sound great. Well recorded good quality tapes will last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 (edited) Some excellent advice given already. I will add my 2c worth. Nakas are great. Choose one of their lower end models, as they are cheaper to service (and they all need service). Decide if you need Dolby C or not, as this can alter prices significantly. And yes, you do not need a three head machine. Many critical parts are pretty much impossible to obtain. ReVox made superb decks (mechanically), though their head technology was way behind Naka. Cost of service (which is quite unlikely) can be horrendous. I had to replace motors in a couple of ReVox cassette decks. I finally tracked down the motor manufacturer to Switzerland. It was the same company that makes motors for NASA. To their enormous credit, the company looked up their records (gotta love the Swiss penchant for rigorous record keeping) and custom built motors for me. It took 6 months, but I was able to resurrect my clients' machines. Oh yeah, the motors cost a little North of 300 Bucks each! Naka motors cost around $30.00 each. High end Teacs are worth a look. Good machines, usually available at decent prices. Before playing a tape, run it fast forward and rewind first. Be prepared to clean the heads frequently, as old tapes will shed oxide. And, by frequently, I mean every tape side. Edited June 16, 2016 by Zaphod Beeblebrox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 How do you clean the heads like isopropyl stuff? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 How do you clean the heads like isopropyl stuff? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yep. IPA and cotton buds works well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Thanks trev hey i got an alpage al 300 is this any good? No tape to play now so my ear can't be a judge for the time being lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Thanks trev hey i got an alpage al 300 is this any good? No tape to play now so my ear can't be a judge for the time being lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I've never worked on that model, though I recall an Alpage which used some nifty mirror-reflecting meters. The AL300 looks pretty decent. It's a belt drive, dual capstan unit, with adjustable bias (with cal tones), so it should be capable of very good performance. Obviously, without the superior direct drive systems and discrete heads of the Nakas, it won't be the absolute best, but it should be respectable enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren69 Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Before playing a tape, run it fast forward and rewind first. Jeez that brings back memories! I used to do that to get rid of any tight spots etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 What are the sonic differences if any between BD and DD in a tape deck? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surprisetech Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Also be aware that depending on the computer that you are going to use for the backup, you might need an external ADC. If you connect the analogue output from your cassette deck directly to the line input on your computer, chances are you will get noise from the computer added to the signal before it is digitised. A computer with a high-end sound card with appropriate shielding etc. should be OK though. I backed up most of my cassettes a couple of years ago and was quite happy with the result. I got my Yamaha KX-500A deck running like new, fed the output into an A.R.T. USB Pre connected to the desktop PC. An advantage of a device like the ART USB Pre is that the input gain is adjustable. It is limited to 16bit/44.1kHz but this is more than adequate for cassettes. I cleaned the heads and used the TDK demagnetiser regularly throughout the process. The cassette deck and the USB Pre took up residence in the computer desk for few months with all the connections in place, so I could just turn it all on and do a session whenever it was convenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiofeline Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 When cleaning the heads be very careful not to get any alcohol on any of the rubber components. Keep well clear of dual-well cassette decks and those with displays that light up like Christmas trees - they are cheap+nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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