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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc. |
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13th Nov 2019, 9:07 pm | #1 |
Triode
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 15
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Akai 4000 Series / 4000DB
Hello,
Can anyone tell me whether the Tape Selector switch on my Akai 4000DB affects playback, or is it just for record? It is hard to tell whether some tape is Low Noise or Wide Range and I'm assuming my old Grundig/BASF/EMI (shiny brown) tape is Low Noise and wondering if the back coated darker tape is Wide Range? But if it doesn't affect playback, then it doesn't matter as much. Michael |
14th Nov 2019, 1:03 am | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 3,670
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Re: Akai 4000 Series / 4000DB
From the diagram, it appears that this is a record EQ tweak - I'm a little surprised because I always assumed it was bias. At all events, it doesn't affect playback.
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14th Nov 2019, 11:10 am | #3 |
Triode
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 15
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Re: Akai 4000 Series / 4000DB
Thanks Ted for that.
Michael |
14th Nov 2019, 12:13 pm | #4 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,939
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Re: Akai 4000 Series / 4000DB
It is there to support Japanese higher coercivity tapes like Maxell XL which were becoming available at the time, developed alongside cassette formulations. You should normally use the LN (low noise) setting for anything made before the mid 70s.
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14th Nov 2019, 12:21 pm | #5 |
Triode
Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Blackpool, Lancashire, UK.
Posts: 15
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Re: Akai 4000 Series / 4000DB
Thanks Paul. The recording of Grieg's Piano Concerto (Bavarian State Orchestra/Odd Gruner-Hegge) which I first recorded with the RCA leads and was clipping frequently throughout the digitising, which I did again yesterday using the new DIN output, resulted in a vastly better transfer, though the levels on the tape are essentially too high on the World Record Club original tape (up to a sustained +4dB for several seconds at times). I then decided to try this again today with it set to WR instead of the (expected) Low Noise which I used yesterday. I am thinking though that the off tape clipping is sounding less evident with the WR selection despite believing it to only affect record.
I shall try listening both transfers on my Hi-Fi and compare them! |
14th Nov 2019, 12:27 pm | #6 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,939
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Re: Akai 4000 Series / 4000DB
There is certainly no harm in experimenting. Trust your ears!
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