2. analog
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An analog question for those who record

I am going to buy either a reel to reel or a VHS recorder to record my vinyl onto for repeated playbacks. Is recording vinyl possible by simply hooking my preamp up to a VCR hitting record and dropping the needle. This would be ideal as it has a long run time via the VCR tapes. I have heard VCRS have good analog sound. Should I just go with a reel to reel? Cassettes arent really an option but I have heard some recordings from vinyl onto cassette that sound great. I also am aware of digital recording using audacity and have used it hundreds of times. However I like analog and if I want digital I will just pop in a cd. Do you think there would be a huge difference in the quality one way or another.
davidnboone
simpsonjp
8 posts
 
Another option is to purchase a used Alesis Masterlink
ML-9600 Reference Digital Recorder ($700) or the Tascam DVRA 1000 HD ($1,800) new. Both of these recorders will record at 24 bits and 96 - 192 kHz sampling rates, the Tascam unit will do Sony's DSD (1 Bit) recording scheme. Then you can archive your LP's to either CD-R or DVD-R at the Hi Rez signal. The Hi-Fi VCR records the Hi-Fi audio
signal onto the video tracks using the rotating head of the VCR to put the signal to tape. Cheap archiving and playback.
duaneadam
36 posts
 
Just dug out the two cassette decks I've had collecting dust in the garage for several years. The better of the two wouldn't run, but the other did, and I fed it a few LP's via a Manley Steelhead using a 30 year old blank cassette.

The results were purely analog with a slight push in the lower frequencies as tape tends to do. Kick drums and bass retain their pillowy analog flavor and horns sound like horns. This is a $150 Sony consumer deck so a better studio grade player could be just the ticket for making copies for casual listening.
duaneadam
36 posts
 
This deck has phono RIAA inputs. Haven't heard it so don't know about sound quality.

Tascam CC 222SLmkII $469.
davidnboone OP
22 posts
 
I really want to go reels but due to many setbacks that can occur with them I decided on a cassette player. Duaneadam I would love to hear your Manley Steelhead. I have the tubed Eastern Electric Minimax Phono and love it but that Manley Gear looks extra nice. I believe I will just go with one of the high end 3 head cassette decks and stock up on some high bias cassettes. I did enjoy the sound of my friends cassette player and a recorded from vinyl Doors album. I once had a Sony RCD-W500C CD but had trouble from it reading discs and making cds so I had to return it.
vicdamone
850 posts
 
Understandably, your not that interested in ultimate analog playback but with a reel to reel you could easily get very close. The mix down from a two inch master is the ultimate. Played back on, even a modest, quarter inch reel to reel at 15 ips and possibly some pre recorded R-R media would be the next step down the chain and the potential of consumer analog.

Check out the recent audio shows, many of the manufactures are displaying using Tape Project gear. Vinyl is simply in the ballpark. I owned a Nak Dragon for a very short time, nuff said. On the other hand if cassette playback gets you there than even lesser Nakamichi is the way to go.
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