Lady72nRob71

Okay I want a simple device to hook to my home tape deck, 8-track and turn table to record my old tapes and records.
I envision a little unit like a tape deck, but with an SD card slot instead.
I have hundreds of tapes which have recordings you cannot even find online to replace, nore would I want to. Some tapes are custom mixes when i played DJ back in the late 80's and 90's, not too bad for back then............

I HATE computers and software!! Do not want to go there!
I am currently using a soundblaster USB unit and WAV studio and the sound is warbly, echoy, tinny, and it sounds like I am playing it in a water well. It makes my cassettes sound MUCH better on their own! It is a pain to use and hook up, too.

I want to record right onto an SD card in WAV format, making a perfect copy of the original. A button to break the tracks would be nice. I could store tons of files right on the SD card and convert them to MP3 on the computer to dump to the i-thing. Or, put the card in my boombox and play away.

Does such a device exist? I have searched and searched but only found cheezy voice recorders and band performance recorders that are overpriced and over complicated. I am not a DJ nor do I need a pocket studio mixer.
The closest I've come is the Pyle Pro PPR80, but reviews say the sound quality is not the greatest. The Tascam DP004 was the next candidate but it looks cumbersome to use....

Any ideas?

bdub217

does ur 8 track/record player have an audio output or headphone jack? you can then just get a cable to go from the audio source to the "line in" on your computer and grab a free sound recorder. I know you said you hate computers but you did mention converting to mp3, and this way i'm telling you will do that automatically. Audacity Is Free/ and pretty simple to use. You can touch up the sound quality if you like, but it probably wont need much since it's a direct source to source audio feed, it's like plugging a guitar into an amp =)



i've done this many a times for my dad's old eagle's records and a few friends who wanted their vinyl on cd.

jaunty75

I agree about Audacity. Wonderful program, easy to use, and free.

It's pretty difficult to do what you want without using a computer. As bdub217 says, hook the line-out jack or jacks from your tape-deck, 8-track unit, etc. to the line-in jack on your computer. Start Audacity, push its record button, start your audio source, and watch it work.

I've converted dozens of record albums and several hundred cassette tapes to mp3 format this way. All sorts of audio problems (scratches, hiss, incorrect speed. muddy sound, lots more) can be easily corrected with Audacity, and the difference can be amazing. It's well worth the trouble to overcome your computer phobia and get going with this. Hell, you're using a computer to post on this site. If you can do that, you can make the recordings you want. It really isn't difficult.

rocketraider

Worst thing about downloading it to a computer is that it will end up severely compressed and may compromise the sound quality. One of the instrument techs at work told me about a device that can convert my turntable's analog signal to digital and download it onto a computer drive, but he also warned about the compression. He's somewhat of an audiophile and despises digitally processed music for that reason.

'Course he and I often speak tube, which frustrates one of the other I-techs. "I can't stand that old stuff" he sez.

Jack's retort- "That's because you never understood it- not that you understand transistors and circuit boards any better." And we go back to talking tube while the big guy stews.

Lady72nRob71

Over the past 5 years I have converted hundreds of songs from tape, radio, and LP to digital using a computer, this same laptop.
It, like most laptops at the time, does not have a line-in jack. Mic only. So I bought a good Soundblaster USB external sound unit. Now it always had issues with conflicting its drivers with the laptop sound circuit drivers. I wonder if it is related.

I used to think the sound was okay, until yesterday.
I converted the Top Gun soundtrack cassette and started listened to the files on my big old-school home stereo. The beginning of "Mighty Wings" by Cheap trick sounded awfully twangy when compared to the analog version. Also the highs were muted. I fought with it but could not get it better. I then started comparing other files and i hear the same twangy and slightly muffled effect. Not bad but annoying.
It is faintly noticable on computer speakers, or car radios, or boomboxes, but very audible on my big home system.
Even youtube video music sounds much better (played through the same laptop) than what I can record.
In fact if I record the audio from a utube video and play it back, it then has that twangy sound.
I have also heard odd artifacts in some songs recorded in the past, like soft pops, wallows, and noises like soft taps on a microphone.

Now ALL of my initial recordings were in WAV format. Most were 44khz, 16 bit but 96khz, 24 bit sounded the same.
I tried another sound recorder and it was slughtly better but still not great.
I would edit them then compress to MP3.
Converting a WAV to a 160kb/s MP3 file gave me no audible degradation, so the problem is in the initial A-D conversion. I am gonna have to blame the computer or the Soundblaster hardware.

So instead of screwing around with the computer i am looking for something easier that will get me more clear WAV files to start with. A new laptop is out of the question... I will try Audacity to edit files and will try to record with it too.

And as a bonus, as I was messing with all this the last 2 days, I found out that I had miswired my home system when i got the new entertainment center 6 years ago. I should not have drank beers when doing that.
Preamp ins were swapped and main speaker cables were swapped. As another bonus, two cheap cables I used to go to the computer from tape 2 had the L and R swaped! So now I find out the computer recorded the L and R channels backwards on a couple hundred songs! No wonder the stereo effect was lacking from them....
Jeez...

It took several hours to rewire it due to severe close quarters and always a short cable that won't let you get enough access space...
Here is half of the system...

The rest is below and on the other side...
Everything is normal now but still the digital artifacts...

bdub217

nice setup! anyway, you can just go straight from analog to mp3......you don't need the wav file, it's just an extra step and can hurt SQ going from analog to wave to mp3 etc

and there are filters to apply to your track such as "noise filters" which you can set the Hz at which sounds are cut off or diminished in audacity. Make sure when you are recording using the microphone as your input that you go to volume control by the time in windows computers and mute microphone so the sound doesnt echo out the computer speakers. also if you want to avoid the computer completely i think your only option is to hook a cassette recorder to the 8track and vinyl player and record it that way. You also could break down and buy the music on cd, or god forbid i say it "pirate" it using "keepvid.com" or "bit torrent" let me know how it goes

oldcutlass

Something like this?

http://www.vintagetub.com/asp/produc...A&utm_id=IDK1K

or this?

Lady72nRob71

Thanks...
I have gone straight from analog to mp3 with the same digital atifacts. I have not lost quality from digital to digital conversion.
I prefer to start with WAV because they are easier to modify, like normalizing the volume, and fading in or out if it was a radio recording.

Not using a mic and no plans to. No mic in the computer, so i am safe. Just going through the soundblaster card's line in port. I did make sure the mic input was muted regardless.

Well if I have to back up on tape, then I will use VHS HiFi or Digital 8. They record in a digital format and VHS HiFi is very close to CD quality. But in order to use my i-thingie and be able to find songs fast, digital is required. Dang...

No way am I rebuying all these. I will settle with the funky sound instead.
Many songs and mixes of what I have will not even be able to be found online either.

Yes, similar but without the CD player, tape player, and turntable!
I question the sound quality of the components they use, esp. the tape player. I prefer my high end deck to play, as it will be better with high frequencies. Also I need easy access to the head adjustment screws inside. All tapes recorded on different machines will have slightly different alignments, making high frequencies suffer. Also the playback head need to be easily accesible for cleaning. I clean it after each tape recorded.
One of those machines has a line input which means it might do what i want it to, but the whole thing is bulky and hard to store - i am running out of room in this house... Cost is a bit steep, too.

bdub217

but we just want our old music back and sounding good and readily accessible why it gotta be so hard??????????? let me know if u get a setup that works well. im out of ideas at the moment.

Lady72nRob71

It should be easy and sound good - lots of others do it.
I think my sound card or the laptop or drivers are screwing it up, and I am sick of messing with it.
I ordered the Pyle PPR80 and will try to record some with the line input. I will post the results.
I just cannot believe there is not a device out there that is much like a tape deck but with an SD card slot instead of a tape compartment. Too logical, eh??

bdub217

okay well the "ipod" would be the device..........can you record from an external source on an ipod? no...dem companies be gettin over on us i swear!

Lady72nRob71

Hard to believe, isn't it.

The Pyle PPR80 came in today and I recorded the Top Gun soundtrack again.
Came out GREAT! Recorded directly to 192kB MP3 files on an 8GB SD card.
The tape itself has some issues, but the recording did not add anymore issues. Seems like all the bass and all the treble is there, no dropouts, and NO digital artifacts. All tape hiss is accounted for, also.
It uses 2 AA batteries, so I use the rechargables that I use in the camera.
It can even be used as a regular MP3 player.
Just had to get used to the recording level tuning, but now I know.
Looks perfect for my indended use. I will report back later after I record more.

bdub217

sweet a$$ sweet!

raider973

Lady72nRob71 ,Rob,I got to ask,what the heck is that on the very bottom shelf of your old school system? Macintosh? Phase Linear?

oldcutlass

How much was the contwaption?

Lady72nRob71

Nope. Home-made!
It is one of two recreated Dynaco MK III monoblock power amplifiers, my final term project at tech college (in 1992).
Using only the transformers from a pair of trashed Dynaco amps, I built the amps around them with only the finest new parts and materials I could get, like mil-spec caps and resistors, matched tube sets, silver plated wire, silver solder, etc.
The chassis, sub-chassis, and cabinets were all custom built completely from scratch by my two hands and lots of cool tools.
Design enhancements included soup-can capacitors, preamp B+ regulation, separate DC filament supplies, high-voltage soft start, tube heater preheat, fan cooling, and more.
They use 6550 outputs and are rated for about 75W each. They also serve as space heaters in winter.


The little recorder was had from BH camera/Photo for 75 bucks and they were running a free shipping deal then.
My biggest gripe so far is that the buttons are too small for adult male fingertips, particularly the play/pause....

oldcutlass

I like your amp, back when I went to school for electronics in the mid 70's, they were still teaching tubes, go figure, I built a lot of those style amps. The sound out of those old tube amps are second to none.

And the heat in winter is a perk!!

66luvr

http://www.ionaudio.com/products/det...ick-play-flash

Does this catch anyones interest?

raider973

raider973

Well you know all the great music amps fender,marshall,were tube amps.I have always wanted to build something like that,great job Rob!

Lady72nRob71

Thanks... Yes, I love the sound of tube amps - warm with very soft distortion. Classic rock sounds so real with tubes, because tube amps were used during the original performances. Many new guitar amps use tubes, too. Even the discrete-transistor based amps sound better than the big ICs that have been common in home audio amps since the late 80's.
I am quite into old radios, console stereos, and such. My latest addition was a 1958 Zenith console, with an amp using 6BQ5 tubes, often called the "mice that ROAR"! This thing makes classic rock almost sound live! The speakers are stiff which gives very tight bass, rather than boomy. Power output of this is only 20W per channel, but it is enough for me.
Here is that unit's amp in operation. Note the blue high-voltage coronas...