I once heard someone say they "open up" after they get warm. That was a really long time ago when I was a teenager, helping to set up a band at a bar in Lake George NY that had all Phase-Linear stuff as their house system.
The only thing I can guarantee is I didnt know what they were talking about at the time.
I worked at Olsons as a floor salesman in my last year at Uni. They had this one Fisher deck with separate record and playback heads and a panel "source / tape" switch. Got to play with different tape formulations available at the time. The only one that sounded identical to my young ears was this Scotch iron oxide model; none of the high end TDK / Maxell formulations did that. That's with Dolby off, IIRC.
I found it astonishing that was the only tape where you could ping-pong the source / tape switch and hear just the delay.
That's interesting >
In the many years I spent aligning/calibrating cassette decks, I came across a Scotch tape called "Dynarange" in Australia.
Although it only retiled for a relatively short time > it was a dream to adjust & calibrate to > GREAT RESULTS !
Much later in my audio career, when transferring OLD 2trk copy-masters to DAT, Scotch tape masters were amongst the very best.
PS.
I love to tell people the history of the Scotch/3M brand name = "The Minnesota Mining and Manurfacturing Company".
In the many years I spent aligning/calibrating cassette decks, I came across a Scotch tape called "Dynarange" in Australia.
Although it only retiled for a relatively short time > it was a dream to adjust & calibrate to > GREAT RESULTS !
Much later in my audio career, when transferring OLD 2trk copy-masters to DAT, Scotch tape masters were amongst the very best.
PS.
I love to tell people the history of the Scotch/3M brand name = "The Minnesota Mining and Manurfacturing Company".
In Hawaii in the 60s through mid 1970s, Scotch was the only RtR tape easily available for ordinary (ie.,, non-professional) consumers AFAIK. One thing I learned: make sure you use 2400 ft max tape; the 3600 ft tape was too thin and allowed print-through, and was easier to stretch (mylar backing). Do not recall seeing other backings available in Dynarange in Hawaii. 1800 ft was the best but cheap people like me wanted 2400 so that we could record LPs and concerts halves on one side of the 7" reel tape at 7.5 ips. 1800 ft required two tape machines, with overlap running as one reel ran out. We are talking 7" reels here, because 10.5" reel machines were too expensive for ordinary people - either Revox, Nagra, or Ampex, in increasing order of expense.
For cassettes, though, I did like the TDK high bias formula (can't remember the name, but Maxell also had its competitor. Better than chromium dioxide tape, based upon my experience as a consumer.
For cassettes, though, I did like the TDK high bias formula (can't remember the name, but Maxell also had its competitor. Better than chromium dioxide tape, based upon my experience as a consumer.
Lots of people liked that SA formula. At Uni, I recall going to one of the local hifi shops early Saturday morning, as they were having a sale on it. Knew there would be a line. Waiting for the place to open, I swear everyone gathered started chanting "SA! - TDK!" for the heck of it. Back then, people really wanted what you still couldnt so easily have; good sounding recordings in their car. I recorded stuff like "Charlie Daniels - Full Moon" and "Jeff Beck - Wired" on mine.
Interesting tape stories 🙂
Going back to when I was the service/maintenance technician for a high-speed cassette duplication plant, the company's major/primary raw
1/8" blank tape was - believe it or not - actually made in Australia by a company called Greencorp. [ the company also used a lot of BASF tape ]
When the company was getting substantial requests from clients to have their recordings duplicated onto chrome tape, there was a problem >
The all Japanese OTARI duplicators were not switchable to a high bias situation suitable for chrome tape.
I felt very 'lucky & special' when I became able to liaise with Greencorp to create a custom ferri-chrome formulation suitable for the duplicators.
It was essentially black in color like chrome, and although it contained iron-oxide, we could honestly state to clients that we had a custom chrome tape.
Greencorp gave it the name NPX. When used for blank cassettes at low/normal bias, its sonic character was like comparing TDK D to TDK AD.
PS.
The high bias cassette tapes from TDK, Maxell and Hitachi were in fact the very best quality ever made.
Going back to when I was the service/maintenance technician for a high-speed cassette duplication plant, the company's major/primary raw
1/8" blank tape was - believe it or not - actually made in Australia by a company called Greencorp. [ the company also used a lot of BASF tape ]
When the company was getting substantial requests from clients to have their recordings duplicated onto chrome tape, there was a problem >
The all Japanese OTARI duplicators were not switchable to a high bias situation suitable for chrome tape.
I felt very 'lucky & special' when I became able to liaise with Greencorp to create a custom ferri-chrome formulation suitable for the duplicators.
It was essentially black in color like chrome, and although it contained iron-oxide, we could honestly state to clients that we had a custom chrome tape.
Greencorp gave it the name NPX. When used for blank cassettes at low/normal bias, its sonic character was like comparing TDK D to TDK AD.
PS.
The high bias cassette tapes from TDK, Maxell and Hitachi were in fact the very best quality ever made.
Everything depends on tape calibration. Everything. The standard to which most Japanese tape decks were calibrated to was TDK-SA or TDK-SAX. Nakamichi reference tape was Centre cut from rolls of these tapes. Maxell was excellent, but about 5 dB hotter at high frequencies (needed higher bias current), so good once your heads were worn a bit.
I did warranty for Revox, Nakamichi, Teac / Tascam and several other good brands of machines. Nothing can beat a Nakamichi for record or reproduce performance as long as it is calibrated and in good working condition. They even set head height, which no other machine did (three head machines). I did a lot of R-R product as well. Ampex or 3M were the top two tapes you could use, back-coated.
I did warranty for Revox, Nakamichi, Teac / Tascam and several other good brands of machines. Nothing can beat a Nakamichi for record or reproduce performance as long as it is calibrated and in good working condition. They even set head height, which no other machine did (three head machines). I did a lot of R-R product as well. Ampex or 3M were the top two tapes you could use, back-coated.
Tape bias calibration, yes, but perhaps you also included head calibration in the term, tape calibration? I assume you did since you talked about the Nakamichi cassette deck, which an older and richer acquaintance owned. Those were awesome machines, and the price reflected it. Amazing drive system with two driven capstans, servo controlled if I recall correctly?
Head calibration is an art and very tricky. I saw the tech at our radio station do it, and I’m not sure he was doing it right. I never learned it as I knew I would not be able to afford buying any manner of R-to-R deck. Of corse, now, I would go digital recorder like Zoom F8 or Sound Devices MixPre: you can see that even at 70 years old I cannot afford true pro gear.
Head calibration is an art and very tricky. I saw the tech at our radio station do it, and I’m not sure he was doing it right. I never learned it as I knew I would not be able to afford buying any manner of R-to-R deck. Of corse, now, I would go digital recorder like Zoom F8 or Sound Devices MixPre: you can see that even at 70 years old I cannot afford true pro gear.
Ah ah ah I saw a movie on TV last week
'Mixed by Erry' -2023
It was about pirate cassette tapes in the 80's and early '90s .
Hi Halauhula,
Yes, first mechanical tape path alignment, then playback alignment followed by record calibration. Bias current can shift the record azimuth. The three head Nakamichi head alignment is identical to that of an open reel. All heads are freely adjustable in free space. The alignment jigs and tapes cost me about $10K when I started as a warranty station. The later heads Teac and Tascam used introduced an adjustable azimuth for the record head once you set playback azimuth. Other brands probably used this same head.
I did normal consumer machines, radio station machines (some cart players) and recording studio multitrack and mastering R-R machines. As well as DAT and 8 track DAT machines. Also lapped some recording heads that were designed with parallel gaps in order to allow lapping.
The "glass" Akai heads were Ferrite. Those are terrible heads with very poor overload characteristics, and they do wear and also chip in the gap. The normal "butter" heads were far better in performance, and Sendust (Nak Crystalalloy) heads were the absolute best heads you could use. Plus Nakamichi had about the lowest noise head amplifiers in the industry. A Nakamichi cassette deck was worth every Penney, the very best. Studer (Revox) machines were also extremely good, very reliable. A Teac machine was next best. The better transports had replaceable Capstan bearings. If those are worn and not replaceable, the machine is garbage.
Yes, first mechanical tape path alignment, then playback alignment followed by record calibration. Bias current can shift the record azimuth. The three head Nakamichi head alignment is identical to that of an open reel. All heads are freely adjustable in free space. The alignment jigs and tapes cost me about $10K when I started as a warranty station. The later heads Teac and Tascam used introduced an adjustable azimuth for the record head once you set playback azimuth. Other brands probably used this same head.
I did normal consumer machines, radio station machines (some cart players) and recording studio multitrack and mastering R-R machines. As well as DAT and 8 track DAT machines. Also lapped some recording heads that were designed with parallel gaps in order to allow lapping.
The "glass" Akai heads were Ferrite. Those are terrible heads with very poor overload characteristics, and they do wear and also chip in the gap. The normal "butter" heads were far better in performance, and Sendust (Nak Crystalalloy) heads were the absolute best heads you could use. Plus Nakamichi had about the lowest noise head amplifiers in the industry. A Nakamichi cassette deck was worth every Penney, the very best. Studer (Revox) machines were also extremely good, very reliable. A Teac machine was next best. The better transports had replaceable Capstan bearings. If those are worn and not replaceable, the machine is garbage.
You are sending my memory back to the old (good and bad) days of audio! I don't think I've thought about Sendust, "Akai glass" and cart machines in a long, long while!
I am totally impressed: you did head lapping! I never knew anyone/business in Hawaii or RI (where I went to college with our 50 kW FM station, WBRU) who did head lapping.
I am totally impressed: you did head lapping! I never knew anyone/business in Hawaii or RI (where I went to college with our 50 kW FM station, WBRU) who did head lapping.
I bet that would make an interesting YT video.
I remember that. What a brilliant marketing name, for something almost no one would understand; "I'll take the one featuring the Sendust heads, please". Maybe it's like diamond dust on blade, only this "Sen" stuff instead.
Sendust discussion from Wikipedia:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendust.
Invented in 1936 as an alternative to permalloy. Harder than oermalloy and uses cheap materials instead of nickel in permalloy.
According to an article in Science Direct, sendust is named after the Japanese city of Sendai, where it was discovered. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topic...moto and Yamamoto,Masumoto and Yamamoto, 1937).
Invented in 1936 as an alternative to permalloy. Harder than oermalloy and uses cheap materials instead of nickel in permalloy.
According to an article in Science Direct, sendust is named after the Japanese city of Sendai, where it was discovered. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topic...moto and Yamamoto,Masumoto and Yamamoto, 1937).
As mentioned, all mechanical alignments must be performed prior to electrical calibration.
Apart from tape-guide/path adjustment where applicable, many people don't realize that when it comes to head alignment >
there is actually more than just Height & Azimuth. Where applicable, the full position factors are > Height, Wrap, Zenith and Azimuth.
This was the situation with the high-speed OTARI duplicators I aligned, calibrated and serviced.
The full situation [ after tape path ] was alignment of 72 heads and calibration of 144 audio channels including 'traps', bias, EQ and level.
Among the 'normal speed' tape machines I repaired & fully adjusted were [ alphabetically ] >
AMPEX, MARANTZ, MCI, NAKAMICHI, OTARI, PIONEER, REVOX, STUDER, TASCAM and TEAC. Usually calibrated to a tape specified by the client.
PS.
As mentioned, the 'second generation' of Nakamichi cassette decks were truly exceptional. They somehow exhibited a special sound of transparency.
Apart from tape-guide/path adjustment where applicable, many people don't realize that when it comes to head alignment >
there is actually more than just Height & Azimuth. Where applicable, the full position factors are > Height, Wrap, Zenith and Azimuth.
This was the situation with the high-speed OTARI duplicators I aligned, calibrated and serviced.
The full situation [ after tape path ] was alignment of 72 heads and calibration of 144 audio channels including 'traps', bias, EQ and level.
Among the 'normal speed' tape machines I repaired & fully adjusted were [ alphabetically ] >
AMPEX, MARANTZ, MCI, NAKAMICHI, OTARI, PIONEER, REVOX, STUDER, TASCAM and TEAC. Usually calibrated to a tape specified by the client.
PS.
As mentioned, the 'second generation' of Nakamichi cassette decks were truly exceptional. They somehow exhibited a special sound of transparency.
No time for videos ... I'm working. Maybe when I'm older ... lol!
Sendust heads were so superior to the normal "butter" heads, and harder, yes.
If you examine the Nakamichi electronics for their head amps, you will understand how advanced they were. Even the power supply regulation for the front end was innovative. I've often said, if Nakamichi had made 24 track machines similar to Studer in construction, their electronics would have KILLED the Studer machines. There is no better 24 track tape machine than a 2" Studer. Same for any of their tape products.
Yes Audio>X, we always calibrated machines to a sample of what the client was using, even for consumer. The importance of this cannot ever be over-stressed, especially if you then use Dolby or dBx (my favorite) noise reduction.
Sendust heads were so superior to the normal "butter" heads, and harder, yes.
If you examine the Nakamichi electronics for their head amps, you will understand how advanced they were. Even the power supply regulation for the front end was innovative. I've often said, if Nakamichi had made 24 track machines similar to Studer in construction, their electronics would have KILLED the Studer machines. There is no better 24 track tape machine than a 2" Studer. Same for any of their tape products.
Yes Audio>X, we always calibrated machines to a sample of what the client was using, even for consumer. The importance of this cannot ever be over-stressed, especially if you then use Dolby or dBx (my favorite) noise reduction.
I wonder what the difference between the two technically is? I understand they they each compress dynamic range to the tape, then re-expand it back upon playback. I'm pretty sure the old NADY wireless did that as well; compress at the transmitter, re-expand at the receiver. Works for all analog mediums that fall short of a direct wired connection.
I looked and those arent cheap. I managed to score 24 channels for < people want for their 3, in a Soundcraft rack unit. It isnt exactly portable, nor records in 32 bit like SD's latest, but it's certainly enough to keep me busy for a while.
I wonder if anyone's considered these (or such) devices for general HiFi listening use as a USB DAC? I would think all that can record to a digital file, could store it on a PC via USB and play it back - and play back any arbitrary audio file that's in a format the device can handle.
One would think the DAC part would - have to be - be pretty good sounding, given their primary intended use case. Plus you get the recorder part which could be useful to transfer material from different mediums, if you dont happen to be a performer. If you do happen to be a performer, well then you can put yourself alongside your favorites in the mix -
Internet is your friend for explaining Dolby A (the most complex system); Dolby B (consumer level); and dBX. For dBX, an amusing note is how that system irrevocably ruined the recording of Katy Lied by Steely Dan.
32 bit is useful for field/live/concert recordings IMO. While I have never been a pro studio engineer, anyone worth their pay and title as an engineer would not need to use 32 bit recording to avoid digital overs in studio recording. YMMV.
32 bit is useful for field/live/concert recordings IMO. While I have never been a pro studio engineer, anyone worth their pay and title as an engineer would not need to use 32 bit recording to avoid digital overs in studio recording. YMMV.
Dolby S and Dolby SR (Pro) were very good. dBx is more aggressive, so not forgiving on calibration. I set my car deck and home gear up, so it worked perfectly and sounded wayyyy better than Dolby A ever could.
The more effective a noise reduction system is, the more critical the basic calibration is.
The more effective a noise reduction system is, the more critical the basic calibration is.
In remastering & transfer I discovered that, in the end, there were actually three versions of DBX in existence.
There was of coarse the professional version that always worked well when decoded with proper level Cal. and a 'flat' tape machine >
but, domestic cassette decks with DBX had some difference with encoding where it couldn't be properly decoded using a PRO. decoder >
even after level and/or EQ to prevent 'pumping' > so, I called this 'the domestic version' (?)
Technics actually sold a cassette deck with a switch position for decoding vinyl records - but without any means of calibration - how did that work 😕
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=105924
There was of coarse the professional version that always worked well when decoded with proper level Cal. and a 'flat' tape machine >
but, domestic cassette decks with DBX had some difference with encoding where it couldn't be properly decoded using a PRO. decoder >
even after level and/or EQ to prevent 'pumping' > so, I called this 'the domestic version' (?)
Technics actually sold a cassette deck with a switch position for decoding vinyl records - but without any means of calibration - how did that work 😕
https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=105924