Software Vault: The Diamond Collection/The Diamond Collection (Software Vault)(Digital Impact).ISO/cdr14/cd_tt_1.zip/GC2.TXT

Text File | 1995-02-16 | 18KB | 332 lines

Part 2

SET-UP, USE AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS

Set-Up

It is best to use the simplest path possible to make the best dubs.  What
I do is connect both decks into the same tape loop.  Here's how it works:
Preamp(Receiver)>Deck 1>Deck 2>Preamp(Receiver).  There are other
advantages to this aside from having only a patch cord between decks.
While you are dubbing you can listen to something else.  It also frees up
an extra input on your preamp(receiver).  Obviously you record from deck
1 to deck 2 so it is best to have deck 2 be the better deck.  When you
just want to listen to tapes you use deck 2.  If you want to record from
something other than a tape you either record on deck 1 or pass the
signal through deck 1 to deck 2.  For best results you could physically
remove deck 1 from the chain but that would be a pain.

It is better to not stack your stereo equipment on top of each other.
You should isolate your amp or receiver as far away as possible from your
other equipment.  Try to keep other electrical appliances as far away as
possible from your audio equipment.  Once you turn your cassette decks or
other equipment on you should leave them on until you are through with
them for the day.  Equipment such as preamps and CD players that do not
run hot should be left on all the time.  Each time you turn a piece of
electronic equipment on or off you send a surge through it.  Leaving
equipment on but idle uses very little electricity.  Your equipment will
last longer and sound better when left on rather than turned on and off
repeatedly.

Audiophile cables are worth looking into and really can make a
difference.  The following are recommended.  Prices are approximate and
for a 1 meter pair.

Kimber PBJ  $60
Straightwire Flex Connect  $50
Vampire (not sure of model) $30
AVOID Monster cable, the above are far better.

Setting Levels

Setting levels is going to vary from deck to deck for a variety of
reasons explained below.  You want to set the levels as high as you can
to keep the music above the noise floor(hiss).  If you set the levels too
high the tape will saturate and distortion will result.  With most chrome
tapes on many decks you will want the peaks around +2 or +3 dB.
Different tapes and decks will react differently.  Consult your manual to
see what it suggests as far as setting levels.  Use that as a starting
point and then experiment.  See how far you can push different types of
tapes before distortion begins.  Once you find the point where your deck
is going to distort try to stay about 2 dB below that level.

First of all, 0 dB on cassette decks can vary from one deck to another
whether by design or just by miscalibration.  Most decks have a Dolby
symbol somewhere on the meter and this *should* be considered the real 0
dB.  Different meters also react differently, especially different types,
i.e. needles, LED, fluorescent.  Some meters are faster than others and
also some are meant to show averages(needles) and not peaks.  Slower
meters are not able to "follow" a signal all the way up to the peak.
Nakamichi and some other meters are very fast.  They can read peaks of +5
or more but this is for such a small fraction of a second that the tape
will not saturate.  These +5 peaks will more likely read at around +2 or
+3 or lower with most other meters.

Compare recordings made on your deck to other decks and try to get a
consensus of how differently your recordings are going to react.  READ
YOUR MANUAL.  It will suggest recording levels based on how the deck has
been set up.  Some decks, especially ones with meters that show averages,
should usually be set around 0 or +1.  Very fast meters should usually be
set with *peaks* at around +4 to +7.  If your source material has high
continuous levels you will need to set the levels lower or saturation
will result.  This is based on chrome tapes.  Metal would be a little
higher, normal bias a little lower.  Experiment and see what works best.
See how high you can push a tape before distortion results.
Experimenting with test tones can lead to some insight.  As an example I
can use a test tone and match my two cassette decks to exactly 0 dB with
a continuous signal.  Peaks on my Onkyo 2056 of +2 dB will correspond to
about +5 or +6 on my Aiwa F-990.

Set the levels for the loudest part of the tape.  Once you get the hang
of this and get a good feel for your tape decks you will be able to do
this fairly quickly.  Keep mental or actual notes about where the peaks
are on your tapes.  Once you set the levels and start recording you
should not change them so as to preserve the dynamic range.

Some purists say you should never adjust the balance between the left and
right channels.  The simple fact though is that after a few generations
it is real easy for the balance to get skewed to one side.  I personally
prefer the levels to be close to even on average unless there is a good
reason for them not to be.  Some early(60s) tapes had a weird left-right
balance and necessitate being off balance.  Also, the Dead's drums/space
segments will have odd balances on purpose.  Use your best judgment.
Find out what your trading partners prefer.

Head Cleaning

The best and cheapest method is to use swabs (Q-tips or whatever) and
plain alcohol.  Cassette cleaners that you insert in the deck are not as
effective.  First of all make sure you use something that has 90% or
greater alcohol content. Most rubbing alcohols have around 70% and this
is not good as there are too many additives which are not good for your
deck. The best thing I have found to use is grain alcohol.  Everclear is
95% alcohol, and I think it is the most concentrated you can get.  I
can't believe people actually drink the stuff.   Another good choice is
denatured alcohol which you should be able to get at a pharmacy.  There
are some drug store alcohols that are something like 92% for about a
dollar.  This is the cheapest way to go, but I think using Everclear or
denatured alcohol is better.  The 200ml bottle of Everclear will cost
about $4 from a liquor store, and you will probably never run out of it.
Keep the cap on tight as it evaporates easily.  It is probably better to
get the foam swabs rather than cotton as the cotton strands sometimes
unwind and could get caught up in the deck.  I still use the cotton
though.

Take the swab and dip it in the alcohol and then scrub the heads and
anything else that the tape might touch.  When the swab gets a little bit
of brown gunk on it change to another.  Do not use alcohol on the rubber
pinch roller. The safest thing to do is use only rubber cleaner on the
pinch roller.  You should be able to find rubber cleaner at Radio Shack
or in places that sell professional recording supplies.  I often use just
a dry swab on the pinch roller.  The capstan (metal pin above the rubber
pinch roller) is usually spinning all the time when the deck is on. This
makes it pretty easy to clean as you just have to press the swab against
the capstan and the spinning does a pretty good job of cleaning. Some
capstans only spin when there is a tape in the deck. In this case you can
feel around at the top of the deck's well and find the switch that senses
when a tape is inserted. Pressing the switch will make the capstan spin.
The capstan is very important to keep clean because it is usually the
culprit when a tape is "eaten."  If the tape well in general looks dusty
or grungy try to clean it up as best you can.  A can of compressed air
can be very effective.  The alcohol usually evaporates quickly, but it
doesn't hurt to go over everything with a dry swab to make sure
everything is dry.  Many decks have removable doors that make them easier
to clean.

Clean the heads about every 20-50 hours of use.  Some decks get dirtier
faster than others.  If there is more than just a hint of brown stuff on
your swab, you need to clean your heads more often.  It does not hurt to
do it too often.

Demagnetizing

There is much controversy concerning demagnetizing.  A few say it needs
to be done often, some say only once every few years and many  say not at
all or only when necessary.  One thing I will say is DO NOT use the cheap
demagnetizes that you find in record stores.  These can cause more harm
than good.  Demagnetizing should only be done by a professional with
professional equipment.  The safe plan is not to do it all.  If your deck
is having problems and you are having it serviced ask the technician
about demagnetizing.  They will usually do it for free if you are already
having work done.  Otherwise, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Professional Maintenance

It is a good idea to take your deck to a reputable repairman or high-end
oriented audio store and have your deck professionally cleaned, aligned
and calibrated.  If your deck gets very heavy use you should do this
about every year or so.  If you are a little tight on money you can get
by with every two or three years or so.  At a minimum have them 1)
calibrate the meters on playback and record 2) calibrate the transport
speed 3) calibrate the bias to the tapes you use most often 4) clean and
demagnetize(if necessary) 5) set the head-azimuth to zero' 6) check  the
performance of the analog sections.  After 5 or so years it is a good
idea to have them check the motors if the deck has had very heavy use.
This will cost approximately $50-$100, depending on where you take it and
how much you need done.  This can be done yourself if you really know
what you are doing and have the right equipment.


Bias Setting

There are three broad bias settings.  These are:

Normal or Type I
Chrome, CrO2, High Bias, or Type II
Metal or Type IV
[Type III or Ferric Chrome is no longer available.]

Each of the names on a line means the same thing.  The first name is the
most common in usage.

Most cassette decks should have settings for the different types of
tapes.  Car stereos, boomboxes, and walkmen sometimes do not.  In
playback mode metal and chrome are basically the same.  Many car stereos
and walkmen have a playback setting that says chrome/metal.  Many newer
cassette decks have an auto setting so you do not have to even worry
about setting this.  Even with auto setting there should still be some
sort of indicator light showing the setting.

Fine Bias

Within the normal and chrome settings there is also bias fine tuning that
is necessary.  Most better decks will have some sort of bias fine tuning.
 Some of the older decks may not.  If your deck does not have any sort of
fine bias adjust you should find out what tape the deck was factory set
for and use that tape.  Many decks are set for Maxell XL-II or TDK SA in
the chrome position which are pretty close to each other as far as bias.
The exception would be where the deck manufacturer also makes tapes in
which case they would likely bias their decks for their own tapes.  This
is a concern that needs to be addressed with Sony and Denon decks.  The
deck's manual should say what tape the deck was set for.  If it does not
try contacting a service representative for the company or try
experimenting with different tapes.  (More on different tapes below)

There are two ways of setting the bias fine tuning.  With automatic
systems it is usually just a matter of inserting the tape you wish to set
the deck for and pushing a button.  The deck will go through its motions
for several seconds and then be ready to go.  With a manual system there
is usually a dial on the front of the deck.  In the straight up position
the dial should lock in place and be set for whatever tape the deck was
biased for.  The deck's manual will show where to set the dial for other
brands of tapes.  If the manual does not give the information you need,
you can call a service representative or you can try to figure it out for
yourself by ear.

You will need a 3-head deck to set the bias by ear.  Start recording a
good sounding source(preferably a CD or LP) you are familiar with.  Put
your deck on source and get a good idea of how it sounds.  Then switch
over to tape and have the bias dial set to the straight up position.
Slowly turn it to the right and see what it sounds like and then slowly
turn it to the left.  Your goal is to as closely as possible find the
setting that will match the sound of the source to the tape setting.
Resist the urge to set the dial only based on where the hiss is the
least.  This can result in dull highs.  The difference in sound will
likely be very subtle, so take your time and  listen closely.  The
effects will be most noticeable in the high frequencies.  Try this both
with speakers and headphones.

Dolby

My best advice is to not use it.  Most current tape formulations allow
for very low noise so Dolby is not really necessary.  To my ears, Dolby B
is terrible and I try not to ever use it for any reason.  Dolby C *can*
work fairly well on a high quality deck.  The problem is it only really
works well when you play the tape back on the same deck it was recorded
on.  Results can vary considerably when tapes are played back on other
decks.  Dolby circuits in decks that cost less than about $300 or so are
not likely to be very good.

If you have a tape that already has Dolby on it the best way to copy it
is to set the Dolby off on both decks.  The copy will still have the
dolby on it and will need Dolby engaged when playing it back.  Most
people don't want Dolby on their tapes though so most of the time you
will decode the dolby on your play deck and then record without Dolby.
Some dubbing decks will not let you do this.  Multiple encoding and
decoding of Dolby will make the sound worse and should be avoided.

Dolby HX pro is a dynamic range enhancer, and on good decks is usually
beneficial.  It is on all the time.  Dolby S is still very new and I have
not heard too much about it.

Erasure Prevention Tabs

The tabs on the top of a cassette can be popped out to prevent accidental
erasure of a tape.  You can cover the hole with thin tape if you want to
record over the tape.  When doing this make sure you only cover the part
where the tab was.  The hole beside the tab is used for cassette decks
that set the tape bias automatically.  Also keep your tapes far away from
electro-magnetic sources such as your speakers, TV and other electrical
equipment to avoid erasure.

Tape Length

It is best to use 90s as much as possible.  Use 100s when necessary.
110s should only be used when absolutely necessary.  I would avoid
playing 110s in walkmen, car stereos and boomboxes as the extreme tape
length is bad for the motors.  Avoid fast forwarding and rewinding when
possible in any deck with 110s.  The only two 110s I would consider using
are the Maxell MX-110 and the TDK MA-110.  I tend to prefer the TDK as it
seems to put less strain on the tape deck.  DO NOT use anything over 110.
 If something will fit on a 60(like some Dead first sets) check with who
you are trading with to see if that is OK.  Most people will prefer a 90
and then some filler.

Tape Brands

Since most good decks now have bias fine tuning you can usually optimize
the performance of your deck with just about any good quality tape.
Still you should consider strongly the tape recommended in the deck's
user manual and also try some experimenting.

Maxell

Maxell XL-II has pretty much become the standard among tape traders.
Some people also like to trade with the nicer and more expensive Maxell
XL-IIS.  For the most part XL-II will do for most situations.  XL-IIS can
make a difference with super high quality low generation tapes.  XL-IIS
tapes have a nicer shell and also a higher bias so that you can record
higher levels.  If you do not have bias fine tuning you will see little
to no advantage using XL-IIS tapes, unless your deck was factory set for
them.  Maxell's MXS metal tapes are extremely good but pretty much
overkill in the world of tape trading.  Their best use would be in
dubbing exceptional tapes from DAT and for live recording.  MX tapes are
a notch down from MXS.  In most cases XL-IIS will probably outperform MX
tapes.  Avoid the Maxell Capsule series.

TDK

Although most everyone prefers Maxell, TDK tapes are at least worth a
try.  Some decks may work better with one than the other.  If you do not
notice any difference in quality get whichever is cheaper.  Make sure
with your trading partners which tapes you send them.    TDK SA tapes are
comparable to Maxell XL-II,  SA-X are comparable to Maxell XL-IIS, MA are
comparable to MX, and MA-X are comparable to MXS.  TDK does make some
real high end metal tapes above the MA-X but they are really only
necessary in pro applications.  TDK D tapes are good if you want
something that is real basic and cheap.  They are good for boomboxes, car
stereos and walkmen.

Denon

If you have a Denon deck I strongly urge you to a least try a few
different Denon tapes and see how they sound.  Denon makes a wide range
of very nice tapes.  It should make sense that a company would set their
decks for their own tapes.  They make one of the best metal tapes I have
ever encountered, but it cost about $7.  If you do find that the Denon
tapes sound better, urge your trading partners that you will be able to
make them better tapes with the Denons.

Sony

I have never cared very much for Sony tapes, but if you have a Sony deck
you should probably at least give the better ones a try.

Fuji

I have encountered a few people that have like Fuji tapes.  I have not
tried them.

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