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Old 29th Jan 2014, 1:27 pm   #3
ben
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
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Default Re: Transferring reel tapes to PC or other formats - first steps

- You will now need to buy or make up a lead to connect to the PC (in which case one end needs 3.5mm jack plug) or Hi fi/other recorder (2x RCA Phono). Electronics places such as Maplin sell a variety of adaptors, as do online vendors and even Poundland may be useful if all you need is a jack-to-RCA cable. By all means check here first if in doubt, though.

This brings us to the next point: Mono or stereo?

A detailed description of the various track formats and channel options is the subject for another thread due to the complexity involved, and is not necessary at this stage. What follows is a general overview.

Mono.


Until the early 1970s, most domestic recorders were single channel mono. This is usually the case with ‘suitcase’ style types made by the likes of Grundig, Elizabethan, Telefunken, Thorn/Ultra/HMV/Marconi/Ferguson, Fidelity, etc. (see pictures below).

You will need an output at (or near) what is known as 'line level'. There will be a socket, often marked RADio, AMP, Pre-amp, Line Out, Tape Out or by a symbol -Grundig often used two wavy lines for 'Ausgang' (Output) on early units; Philips used other symbols. See images below for sockets and pin-outs.

Do not use any loudspeaker outputs, as these will cause distortion due to impedance mismatch.
Beware! Many of the multi-pin DIN sockets may have DC voltages on some pins which will destroy any audio equipment erroneously connected to them. The Philips diagram below has such a socket, marked innocuously as 'Stereo'!

To get sound from a mono machine to both channels on a modern audio system, you need to wire the recorder’s single channel output to both Left and Right stereo channels together. If you are not handy with a soldering iron, then use a commerically available lead/adaptor to your PC. Record in single channel to software like Audacity or Nero wave editor and later convert the sample to dual channel mono.
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Ben.

Last edited by ben; 29th Jan 2014 at 1:34 pm.
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