From: "Rich Fromm - 'If your dog or cat ever dies, I'll buy you a ewe.'  15-Apr-1992 1914" <fromm@tecrus.enet.dec.com>
Subject: Re: so, when buying a tape player..
Reply-To: fromm@tecrus.enet.dec.com
Organization: The Internet
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 01:17:47 GMT

In article <Apr.14.01.10.31.1992.25708@remus.rutgers.edu>,
jjwright@remus.rutgers.edu (      Jay) writes: 
| 
| so, if one was going to purchase a tape player to be used for
| both tape-to-tape copying and CD-to-tape copying, what is the
| best purchase he can make?  brand and style?

Jeff Maggard (btdy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu) writes:

|Wow, you've opened a really BIG can-o-worms!

yes, jeff is certainly right in that response

i just did some tape deck shopping, so i thought i'd share some advice that i 
found; first of all, i read through a lot of advice from other people; at DEC we 
have something called notes files; they're kind of like the Usenet newsgroups, 
except more organized; all of the replies to a note in a particular file are 
easily referenced with respect to the original note; and, best of all, the 
replies stay around as long as the note file exists; so, if any body would like 
me to send them the original note and all of the replies for either the tape 
deck note (211 messages - dating back to 1984) or the dolby note (38 messages - 
all recent) or the tape recording reply from the Audio Survival Guide (one 
message, kind of long, kind of interesting) from the AUDIO notes file, let me 
know via e-mail.  There's also a separate note devoted to Nakamichi tape decks 
(138 messages - dating back to 1984).  I will NOT post them to the net, for 
obvious bandwidth considerations.  I will, however, summarize some of what I 
found.  I certainly don't claim to be an expert, but all of the advice that I 
got was from people who had zero financial interest in selling me anything.  A 
definite plus compared to shifty salesmen, imho.

Jeff also writes:

|I assume price isn't an issue.

bad assumption jeff, since it is an issue to some extent with just about 
everybody; if it weren't, i'd just say go get a top of the line Revox (i think 
that's the brand name; they make absurdly expensive analog decks, in the 
multi-thousand dollar range - i'm sure they're very nice decks, but i'm also 
sure that very few people ever buy them)

some things to consider:

1) dual decks vs. single decks

Well, this has been argued quite a bit lately.  The big advantage of a pair of 
single decks over a dual deck is that a dual deck does not let you independently 
set record level, dolby, (and bias - i think).  There are a few dual decks that 
do have this, but for the price you could probably do better with two single 
decks.  While there are probably some dual decks that make very good recordings, 
on the whole you're probably going to do better with two single decks.  Even if 
you're making a Dolby->Dolby copy, I've been told that the proper way to do this 
is to de-code and then re-encode, as opposed to making a direct copy.  Most dual 
decks will not do this.  A dual deck does bypass some additional signal runs and 
circuitry that you'll have to go thru with two single decks, but this isn't 
really a very big deal, since you can always hook your two single decks directly 
together, bypassing the pre-amp.  Another thing to keep in mind is the overall 
quality.  Other than the basic features of a deck, a lot of things such as the 
tolerances of the individual components will contribute to a certain extent to 
the sound quality.  Combining two decks in one inevitably means that compromises 
have to be made.  But having one dual deck is better than having no deck at all. 
 I'd really let price be your guide.  If you can afford to get two single decks, 
you should consider it.  If you really can't, settle for a dual deck for now, 
but try to get a single deck sometime in the future, and use one side of your 
dual deck as the other deck.

2) 2 heads vs. 3 heads

A 2 head machine has one head for erasing, and a second head for both playback 
and record.  A 3 head machine has seperate heads for each function.  The big 
plus with a 3 head machine is that you can compare the copy with the original as 
you are recording.  That way you can play with the recording levels and bias 
adjustments and instantly hear the effect.  Without 3 heads, you'd have to go 
through a painfully tedious process of recording a bit, rewinding, listening to 
it, rewinding again, making some adjustments, recording again, etc.  Salesmen 
who were trying to push expensive 2 head Nakamichi decks on me kept saying "this 
2 head Nak will make better recordings than this 3 head [brank X]."  Maybe the 
machine will, but I reckon that I'LL be able to make better recordings with a 3 
head deck.  There are also some engineering compromises that have to be made in 
a 2 head deck as opposed to a 3 head deck, but this is a more minor concern that 
just contributes to the overall quality of the components and has less of a 
bearing on the basic sound quality (although I did read in one piece that the 
high frequencies suffer on a 2 head deck, but this is probably getting a bit 
picky).  As with everything else, you'll have to pay more for a 3 head machine.  
My advice - if you can afford it, get a 3 head machine for recording.  A 2 head 
machine will suffice for a playback deck.  (Even though I splurged and got two 3 
head decks, I won't necessarily defend that as a wise financial decision.)

3) 3 motors

Good thing to look for, probably a sign of overall better quality, but probably 
not the primary concern in choosing a deck.

4) fine tune bias control

In addition to the fixed bias settings for different type tapes (Cr02, metal), 
some decks have a fine tune bias adjustment that gives you a further degree of 
control.  Reducing the bias boosts high frequencies but increases distortion.  
Increasing the bias decreases distortion but suppresses high frequencies.  
Adjusting this while comparing the source with the copy (back to the 3 head 
argument) will help you get recordings that sound as close as possible to the 
original.

5) dual capstan

A capstan is a spinning drive rod used by the deck to move the tape.  The 
benefit of having a dual capstan drive is that the tape path where it contacts 
the heads is isolated from flutters in the reels.  Again, this is a good thing 
to look for.

6) auto-reverse

Simply put, don't get it.  Moving the heads around will inevitably result in 
misalignments, which will give you poorer sounding tapes.  The only auto-reverse 
decks that have a reputation for doing it well are some very expensive Nakamichi 
decks that actually physically flip the tape for you.  But they're probably well 
beyond the price range of most people reading this, and I'm pretty sure that Nak 
doesn't make them any more.

7) Dolby noise reduction

I think just about all decks have Dolby B and C (even my piece of shit one-piece 
Fisher had Dolby B), so it's mostly a decision you'll have to make as to what 
you want to use when taping.  I still haven't made up my mind.  Probably the 
best way to do so is do a bunch of tests once you've bought your decks.  And 
read all of the arguments for both sides that have been going back and forth on 
the net lately.

8) Dolby HX-PRO

I think the HX stands for headroom extension.  This circuit monitors the high 
frequency content of the signal and changes the bias dynamically as the 
recording is being made.  This is a "single ended" system in that it only is 
needed when the recording is made.  The benefit is there when played back oon 
any machine.  Just about all manufacturers have it on their good decks, except 
for Nakamichi.  They claim that their decks are good enough that they don't need 
it.  Judge for yourself, but my advice would be to get it if you can.

9) DYNEQ

This wasn't something that I was specifically looking for, and I don't think too 
many decks have it (just NAD and Tanberg?), but it's on my NAD deck, so I'll 
relay what's in the literature.  Apparently it's an extension of HX-PRO that 
"constantly monitors the level and frequency content of the input signal during 
recording, and automatically varies the amount of recording equilization" to 
provide "extended high frequency response" and "less distortion."  At least it 
sounds like more than just a buzz-word.

10) MPX filter

This is something that's supposed to eliminate certain carrier frequencies that 
can interfere with the Dolby noise-reduction system when recording FM 
broadcasts.  I guess whether you care about this depends on how often you record 
from the radio.

11) amorphous heads

After hearing numerous explanations as to what this means, including from a 
Materials Science major (thanks Jeff), I still have yet to obtain a simple 
understanding of how it relates to sound quality.  Lee says to look for it.  My 
Sony deck has it, and says so on the cassette door, which to me indicates that 
it's probably a Sony marketing buzzword.  (Some other specs from the Sony 
literature are "Ultra-pure oxygen free copper wiring" and "Anti-resonant 
Sorbothane cassette stabilizer," although I think I most get a kick out of the 
"Optical Legato Linear A" printed on Lee's receiver.)

12) play trim

Again a feature not found on many decks (just NAD and Yamaha?).  A complaint a 
lot of people make about Dolby is that tapes recorded in Dolby on one deck just 
don't sound right when played back in Dolby on another deck.  This is supposed 
to help correct that problem.  Here's the explanation somebody gave me over the 
net when I asked about it:  "Differences between the recording on one deck and 
another can cause an overly bright or dull sound once the Dolby circuits have 
processed the signal.  The Play Trim is a specialized treble tone control 
designed with curves that allow adjustment of (it is claimed) just the right 
frequency range to counteract such misalignment."  I think it's a nice thing to 
have, especially in the domain of tape trading.

13) azimuth adjustment

A very rare feature to find.  It's on top of the line Nakamichi decks, but I 
don't know where else.  Here's an explanation from the same guy:  "The azimuth 
control is a physical adjustment of the tilt of the playback head so that in the 
event that tapes were made on a deck in which the alignment was not perfect, the 
NAK will allow you to adjust/optimize.  The high frequencies suffer first when 
the alignment is off."  Very nice to have, but you'll pay an awful lot to get 
it.

14) nifty bells and whistles

Keep in mind that these could add to the price without adding to the overall 
sound quality, although some are nice to have.  Automatic Music Search is 
virtually worthless for live tapes.  A real-time tape counter can be handy for 
determining what you can fit on a tape.  One feature that my Sony deck has is 
both peak and instantaneous level meters.  While level meters flash back and 
forth with the current signal level, they also sample the peak level every few 
seconds and keep that light on while the other lights flash.  This is real handy 
for setting levels when recording.


Well, that's about all I can think of.  I'll leave discussion of specific brands 
and models to other people.  My two decks are a Sony K677-ES and a NAD 6300.  I 
got a demo model of the Sony for $330.  It lists for $400.  I got a demo model 
of the NAD for $500.  It lists for something around $800-$900.  The NAD is 
discontinued (and is the last 3 head deck that NAD will make), so it's probably 
a bit hard to find.  It's also kind of expensive, but I think I got a really 
good deal on the demo model.  Shopping for a demo model can save you some money, 
but make sure you get the full warranty.  I'd be a little wary of used, however. 
 It's great for some other equipment (I just got a used NAD tuner, pre-amp, and 
amp for about 50% of the new price), but there's a lot of moving parts in a deck 
that could get fucked up.  So if you buy used, I'd bring it in to get serviced, 
adjusted, calibrated, etc., and take into account the cost of that when shopping 
around.  The Sony deck is an excellent deck for the price, although it's also 
getting a little hard to find.  Apparently Sony changes most/all of their lines 
every year in the fall, and they're not very good about supplying the old line 
in the transition period.

Hope this helps people who are looking for tape decks.  Perhaps an abbreviated 
form of this (along with some of the Dolby discussion) could go in the FAQ file. 
 And if anybody has additions, corrections, of general flamage as to what I've 
said, please respond.  I have to admit that I don't know a great deal about 
this, and a lot of what's above I just compiled from other sources.  A couple of 
months ago I was totally cluless and put a "looking for a tape deck - need 
advice" request in the AUDIO notes file, so most of what I know is what I 
discovered as I was thinking about getting a deck.  And I'm always more willing 
to trust advice from somebody who doesn't stand to make a buck by me taking 
their advice.  Not that all salespeople are bad, but there are some really shady 
characters out there.  I've heard of numerous stories of people who work in 
stores deliberately trying to mislead a person to get them to choose one item 
over another (such as turning on a hidden sub-woofer to make a pair of speakers 
sound better, etc.).

Geez, I didn't expect this to be that long.  I need to go home and get a beer.

"Who is she?!"

- Rich