Post 18 : Thanks you finally came back. I agree many answers have been off topic.
I hinted at a possible misleading expression in post 3 already and knew what you meant.
However, in preamps of today tape monitor and record outputs are no longer of relevance.
But even at the time, say 40 years ago, level matching was not common for tape outputs.
Still you can see that for instance the A77 machine has line inputs of different sensitivities
and Revox B77 must be similar if not the same in this respect. It is easier to limit the input
voltage in the tape deck by a resistive divider than to establish level change in the preamp.
In the Revox machine this is just a change of two or four resistors.
A record output buffer would be useful if not required if you want to do record level change
in the preamp, this is additional expense.
I hinted at a possible misleading expression in post 3 already and knew what you meant.
However, in preamps of today tape monitor and record outputs are no longer of relevance.
But even at the time, say 40 years ago, level matching was not common for tape outputs.
Still you can see that for instance the A77 machine has line inputs of different sensitivities
and Revox B77 must be similar if not the same in this respect. It is easier to limit the input
voltage in the tape deck by a resistive divider than to establish level change in the preamp.
In the Revox machine this is just a change of two or four resistors.
A record output buffer would be useful if not required if you want to do record level change
in the preamp, this is additional expense.
I designed and built a number of custom pre-amps to order decades ago with record out selector which works well particularly if you want to record one thing and listen to something else - it does add substantial additional cost which may not be warranted if all that is needed is off tape monitoring in which case the tape monitor switch is a more cost effective solution.
With analog sources having maximum output voltages nowhere close to digital sources it is useful to either attenuate the digital (redbook level) sources to match your analog sources or conversely to provide gain and attenuation options on some inputs for level matching at typical program levels for the source used. (I am currently experimenting with this for an ADC interface.)
With analog sources having maximum output voltages nowhere close to digital sources it is useful to either attenuate the digital (redbook level) sources to match your analog sources or conversely to provide gain and attenuation options on some inputs for level matching at typical program levels for the source used. (I am currently experimenting with this for an ADC interface.)
I have never seen the preamp with the Monitor switch. Can you give an example?
At the same time, I know a lot of amplifiers with separate input switch for record output. Its main idea is to be able to listen to one source, and record from another. I also made such a switch in an preamplifier about 30 years ago.
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Pre-amps specifically with tape monitor switches, these are just a very few examples and there are many more. Most Japanese and American made receivers and amplifiers also had tape monitor switches.
Some models like the Yamaha C-2A had dedicated record source selector switches and no tape monitor switch. (There are others, but not nearly as common)
Below, just a few that I know about.
HK Citation 11
Dynaco PAT-5 (and PAT 4)
Quad 44
Pioneer C-21
Adcom GFP 715
APT HOLMAN
This one includes dubbing options as well, but select either tape 1 or tape 2 (IIRC tape 1 must selected to play tape 1 or 2) and that tape recorder playback overrides the source selection switch.
Some models like the Yamaha C-2A had dedicated record source selector switches and no tape monitor switch. (There are others, but not nearly as common)
Below, just a few that I know about.
HK Citation 11
Dynaco PAT-5 (and PAT 4)
Quad 44
Pioneer C-21
Adcom GFP 715
APT HOLMAN
This one includes dubbing options as well, but select either tape 1 or tape 2 (IIRC tape 1 must selected to play tape 1 or 2) and that tape recorder playback overrides the source selection switch.
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Thank you. I have never seen such amplifiers before. And yet I do not agree that the monitor button is in most amplifiers.
Perhaps in old amplifiers it was.
If you switch between the REC IN and PB OUT of tape deck, then there will always be a volume difference that will depend on the position of the recording level knob on the tape deck.
If you switch between the REC IN and PB OUT of tape deck, then there will always be a volume difference that will depend on the position of the recording level knob on the tape deck.
I think it is time to give it a rest you are just wrong. Sorry. Back in the pre-digital days literally every single serious solid state and many tube pre-amplifiers had the tape monitor switch or a tape source switch. It is a feature of limited usefulness today since very few people own 5 tape decks like I do. (All 3 head with off tape monitoring.) Let's agree to move on, OK?
This is correct if you use the SOURCE-TAPE switch on the tape deck. Then the source signal goes through the recording level regulator. But if you use the MONITOR button on the amplifier, the source signal will not pass through the recording level regulator, the volume difference will be.