2. analog
  3. 1301799122

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
hifihvn
943 posts
 
If you do go VHS, I think some of mine wanted a video signal like mentioned above. Even a menu display from another VCR feeding something for a video source just to make the recordings. I use a Sony RCD-W500C CD recorder for convenience now. The rec out from a preamp to it makes some decent recordings with its built in A/D converter. It needs blank CD-R *music*,not data discs though. About $15 for 50 of them.
tobias
1,534 posts
 
I honestly think that if you have more than a few recordings to make and you need to get them done with the least possible fuss and the most consistent fidelity, analog-to-digital recording at 24/88.2 or higher is the way to go. If it were me I would be using an Apogee Rosetta 200 and Wave Editor software.

If what you really want is respectfully to practise the art of recording as it was done in the old days, re-creating the old-time artisan's skill and admiring the machines they used, that's another story.
inna
7,296 posts
 
Why don't you guys stop this digital talk? The man wants to preserve the analog and stated so. Just because you don't do it doesn't mean he shouldn't.
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.
More to discover