UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players

Notices

Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 7th Aug 2018, 4:05 pm   #21
crackle
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Basildon, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,100
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

What is the frequency response achieved by the best quality cassette machine playing at the standard cassette speed of 1 7/8ths IPS?

Mike
crackle is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 4:25 pm   #22
Refugee
Dekatron
 
Refugee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,549
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

I can remember tape chewing.
I had one chew while it was recording so it never got spotted until the roll around the capstan was so big that it locked into the tape housing.
Refugee is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 4:38 pm   #23
GMB
Dekatron
 
GMB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: near Reading (and sometimes Torquay)
Posts: 3,086
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

I have to admit that I still use cassettes in the car - which is quite old now. I now see that some modern cars don't even have CD players so not sure how I am supposed to upgrade.

Quote:
I used to record John Peel's late night Radio One show on cassette, then listen to it in the car the next day. I don't think there's any 2018 technology that could do this.
I think it is often forgotten that TV HD recorders can record radio (because it is on the TV too), and the good ones will then write it out to a USB stick. After that it is simply a matter of reading it onto your PC then converting the format because no doubt your player won't accept MP2, then download the result to the player.
That's the beauty of modern technology - there is nothing it cannot do - - eventually - - - and with enough effort, and processing power - - - and electricity....
GMB is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 4:41 pm   #24
Refugee
Dekatron
 
Refugee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,549
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

I have seen MP3 players in cars that just take an SD card.
Mine can play MP3 from CD.
Refugee is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 4:50 pm   #25
TonyDuell
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
Posts: 5,188
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by crackle View Post
What is the frequency response achieved by the best quality cassette machine playing at the standard cassette speed of 1 7/8ths IPS?
The service manuals for a couple of 'reasonable but not the best' cassette machines I have here (one is JVC the other Alpage) both claim 30Hz to 18kHz.
TonyDuell is online now  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 6:15 pm   #26
Studio263
Octode
 
Studio263's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Hampshire, UK.
Posts: 1,574
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by crackle View Post
What is the frequency response achieved by the best quality cassette machine playing at the standard cassette speed of 1 7/8ths IPS?
B&O claimed up to 22KHz for the Beocord 9000 (self calibrating), and 20KHz for the fixed calibration version of the same machine (Beocord 8004). These are typical figures for top class decks. "Good" cassette decks record up to 16KHz, better ones manage 18KHz. The bottom end is similar to records, normally it is possible to get down to around 30Hz but the response gets a bit 'lumpy' in this area for all but the very best. Note that maximum recording levels are much lower at high frequencies than at lower ones, but fortunately the nature of the sounds and music that the machines are normally used for match this characteristic, so in practice it is not a problem.

Dynamic range is typically 50dB, improved to 60dB with Dolby B and 70dB with Dolby C. Some manage a little more, some a little less. Typical W&F for a good deck is in the order of 0.05%.

The best ever measured performance for a cassette deck I ever saw was the record / replay response of the Pioneer CT-A9 in Noel Keywood's Hi-Fi Choice book of 1985. Ruler-flat and fully extended, the speed stability was also quoted as being excellent. Both figures were way beyond what any record playing system could hope to achieve; in the end it was the quality of duplication that let pre-recorded cassettes down.
Studio263 is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 7:56 pm   #27
sp10mk11
Octode
 
sp10mk11's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 1,275
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

I have never given up on cassettes, I have always maintained my machines, so mechanical problems are far and few, and providing you can use the machine properly you will get good recordings.
I still use Elcaset this is a truly wonderful medium but like anything mechanical it needs maintenance form time to time but nothing terrible or excessive
I also like Reel to Reel again an excellent format.
As for looking for music most of my recordings are labelled so I know where something is, even then if you have to put some EFFORT into finding a piece of music so what? …….to me that is part of pleasure along with cover graphics etc .
I see some one has released the first pre-recorded Elcaset which is interesting and if groups started releasing music on 7" pre-recorded tape then I would be glad to see those aswell
Digital storage of music holds little or no pleasure for me
Gary
sp10mk11 is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 8:05 pm   #28
Nymrod121
Nonode
 
Nymrod121's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 2,039
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

I have many cassettes of all sorts of stuff - prerecorded ones, 'messages from home' ones, Band II DX from the late '70's, a 'Last Night of The Proms' one (Richard Baker presenting) that was taken from an RF feed derived from the Radio 3 FM modulator drive monitoring socket at Kirk o'Shotts in September 1982 ...

One of my all-time cassette recording favourites is an episode of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (R4) where Marvin the Paranoid Android outwits a heavy-duty battle robot sent by a Frogstar Scout Robot Class 'C' to prevent Arthur, Ford, Zaphod from reaching Zaniwoop's office at the top of a publishing house building on the planet surface ... the stereophonic jiggery-pokery by Paddy Kingsland of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is absolutely spectacular *

Nowadays, I have all of Enya's CD's (post-Clannad, anyway) on a USB memory stick that is permanently plugged in to my vehicle's Kenwood car radio - see pic.

Best wishes
Guy

* transcript can be found at:

https://www.clivebanks.co.uk/THHGTTG...Gradioxmas.htm

Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0365.jpg
Views:	53
Size:	109.3 KB
ID:	167203  

Last edited by Nymrod121; 7th Aug 2018 at 8:18 pm. Reason: add URL ref re HHGTTG transcript
Nymrod121 is offline  
Old 7th Aug 2018, 11:17 pm   #29
Radio Wrangler
Moderator
 
Radio Wrangler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,799
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nymrod121 View Post
One of my all-time cassette recording favourites is an episode of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' (R4) where Marvin the Paranoid Android outwits a heavy-duty battle robot sent by a Frogstar Scout Robot Class 'C' to prevent Arthur, Ford, Zaphod from reaching Zaniwoop's office at the top of a publishing house building on the planet surface
"What a depressingly stupid machine"


It was so good, it's stuck in full detail in my head.

"No, I've not got one of those." Marvin

"An electron ram?" Battle robot

"What's one of those?" Marvin

"One of these:" <wheee tweet tweet SMASH> battle robot

"that's very impressive, but no, I haven't got one of those." Marvin

I've got the full radio originals on open reel tape, all in stereo except for the 7th episode which only got broadcast in Scotland on long wave Despite all the articles in the Scottish edition of radio times banging on about how wonderful the stereo effects in the new series were... (BBC please note: those of us wronged this way have long memories and bear grudges)

Anyone who hasn't heard these in all their glory is missing out badly.

David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done
Radio Wrangler is online now  
Old 8th Aug 2018, 9:43 am   #30
Nymrod121
Nonode
 
Nymrod121's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 2,039
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

<chuckle>

David, it's official ... you and I are best buds

Now, I'm hoping that somewhere there is a numismatist who is screaming 'OMG ... a 1940 halfpenny ... does this idiot realise just how much it's worth?' [/OT]

G

Last edited by Nymrod121; 8th Aug 2018 at 9:52 am. Reason: fiduciary postscript
Nymrod121 is offline  
Old 8th Aug 2018, 9:48 am   #31
Radio Wrangler
Moderator
 
Radio Wrangler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,799
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

TV's OK, I suppose, but the pictures on the radio are MUCH better!

David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done
Radio Wrangler is online now  
Old 9th Aug 2018, 8:02 am   #32
sp10mk11
Octode
 
sp10mk11's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 1,275
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

"TV's OK, I suppose, but the pictures on the radio are MUCH better!"

I totally agree!

Gary
sp10mk11 is offline  
Old 9th Aug 2018, 10:34 am   #33
Nymrod121
Nonode
 
Nymrod121's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 2,039
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.



Spent a couple of hours yesterday going through my collection - edited list to follow separately - and found several casssettes missing the cardboard insert.

This morning I resurrected my Sony TC206D, gave the cylinders a squirt of Bradex EasyStart and after a few coughs, splutters and misfires (but no white smoke due to overzealous use of the excess fuel device), it began to run quite sweetly.

The first unknown tape had some classical music (?Handel?) on side A, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue on side B.

The second unknown tape had the episode of HHGTTG to which I'd referred earlier ... how's that for an improbability drive output?

"Heyyy, sass that hoopy Radio Wrangler ... there's a frood who really knows where his towel is!"


G
Nymrod121 is offline  
Old 9th Aug 2018, 10:52 am   #34
mark2collection
Hexode
 
mark2collection's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Royal Berkshire, UK.
Posts: 470
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by GMB View Post
I have to admit that I still use cassettes in the car - which is quite old now. I now see that some modern cars don't even have CD players so not sure how I am supposed to upgrade.
I use a device similar to the one pictured. So long as your modern device has a headphone socket, the car's radio just sees a cassette.

I had to insert a couple of capacitors inside the 'cassette' from output to ground (the value of the capacitors escapes me). The output from my fondleslab (Phone) sounded far too bright, even with the treble turned down.

Sounds great now, though I have been known to 'make' my own tape for old times sake.

Mark
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Phone to Cassette.jpg
Views:	44
Size:	35.8 KB
ID:	167253  
mark2collection is offline  
Old 9th Aug 2018, 1:05 pm   #35
dave walsh
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

I've lots of material on cassette. So convenient at the time and with tape lengths to match Radio Programs ie 30/45/60 minutes . Pictures on the Radio? The Hitch Hikers Giant Tea Cup never looked so good as on Radio 4. My Yamaha Cassette Thread [yesterday] illustrates that anything I pull out of the archive at random is invariably fascinating.

Favourite H Hiker moments- Ford Prefect eating a horrible green snack-"The Ventrassi must really hate the Vogans" and the effect of hearing Vogan Poetry!

Marvin The Paranoid Android [actually eeh aw the donkey] has been waiting in a Car Park for forty thousand years. What was he doing there? [depressed but patronising deep voice] Park...ng Car...s!

The Planet of Hairdressers histrionic, vacuous and useless, like much of modern society perhaps?

Dave
dave walsh is offline  
Old 9th Aug 2018, 4:35 pm   #36
dave walsh
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,814
Default Re: Heard this on the radio this morning.

Just caught part of an episode of Morse where he doesn't seem to understand parental grief, having no children himself. Pathologist "Try to imagine losing your only copy of the Ring Cycle". Morse "Ah but I've got it in on Cassette as well"

Dave
dave walsh is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 1:36 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.