Although we are now in an age where most
recordings are done in the Digital domain, there are still
millions of people out there who still use the good old Compact
Cassettes.
I have created this page to relate to you some
of my experiences and top tips for recording cassette tapes.
- Whenever possible, use a good quality Cro2
(Chrome) cassette to obtain the best results. Most
persons that I speak with and trade with are very pleased
with results obtained from MAXELL XLII cassettes. I
personally swear by TDK SA cassettes and have yet to make
a bad recording with one, that is one that I am less than
pleased with.
- Always unpack the tape before recording.
By 'unpacking' I mean that you should fast-forward and
rewind the cassette fully before use so as to make sure
that the tape is evenly wound on the spools.
- Always leave a decent lead in time on your
cassette before starting recording. I always allow at
least 20 seconds from the start before I record any
audio. By doing this it stops your precious recordings
from being damaged by stretching.
- Regarding Record levels. I tend to record
my cassette tapes slightly 'hot'. You can comfortably set
your record levels to +2 dB but if you push it much
higher you will run the risk of adding distortion to the
recording and thus ruining it!
- When labelling cassette tapes always
include a playlist and record date. Also note down any
Dolby settings as this allows you to set your playback
deck for optimal results.
- When I am labelling cassette tapes I
always try to reproduce my J-Card on my computer so that
it is legible. How many times have you written on a
J-Card / cassette label and three days later not been
able decipher your own scrawl?
- If you must write on the J-Card / cassette
label, always try to use a felt tipped pen. If you write
in pencil or in ink, when it dries out you run the risk
of it contaminating your media or even worse, the heads
on your cassette deck!
- I never attach the sticky labels on the
actual shell of a cassette due to the fact that after a
time they start to peel away. If a sticky label comes
away and gets inside your cassette deck it can cause a
phenomenal amount of damage. I once saw it happen to
floppy disk drive on a PC and it wasn't a pretty site!
- Try not to dub your tapes on a duel well
cassette deck, as they sound shocking! Always use two
single well machines if you intend dubbing tape to tape.
- If you must use a dual well cassette deck,
never ever do it in high-speed mode as it will completely
wreck the recording!
TO DOLBY OR NOT TO DOLBY?
This is the eternal question that home
recording enthusiasts have faced for many years and still there
is no definitive answer to the question?
Ultimately, I think it all comes down to
personal preference. I am going to leave this blank for the moment
and I shall investigate a bit further into the workings and
practicalities of Dolby before I make any comments.
Any personal comments (good or bad) on the
Dolby Noise Reduction systems would be welcomed.
