Wanted Audio Cassette to CD Recorder

[davemurgtroyd]

Looking for an Audio Cassette to CD recorder at a sensible price - only ones I have found so far are very expensive new ones from Japan (around £600 inc shipping) or TEAC music centres with turntable as well and I don't particularly want this type. I have separate cassette deck and CD recorders but would like one with both in one unit for ease of use and convenience of not having to connect via amp which allows me to listen to something else whilst transferring material. I don't need the cassette deck to record as I already have a CD to cassette recorder (which is mainly used for its 6 CD autochanger)

 

[davemurgtroyd]

I finally found one at a very cheap price although that doubled with shipping and import duty from the US. It is a Tascam CC222 a professional rack mount CD and cassette recorder deck and now awaiting delivery to start transferring my tapes to CD.

As a bonus it also now gives me a remote control high quality cassette deck - a pretty rare item.

 

[Archive7]

Good luck with the new recorder.
When I see USA the red bell of AC mains 120VAC start ringing in my ears. I hope it is also for 240VAC or you will need an adapter which I am sure you have.
In my honest opinion, CD is no longer a favorite option for me and I would rather use a cassette USB output to HDD converter.
This Marantz model for example but it is for 120VAC
Marantz Professional PMD-300CP Dual Cassette Deck PMD-300CP B&H

 

[davemurgtroyd]

I'm pretty sure it is 120V - it is unlikely to be the European or general export version. That is not a problem as I have a 240 to 120V step down transformer.

I have been reading through the manual and have discovered it has a built in phono preamp and input so I can now transfer vinyl directly to CD or cassette as well without having to go through my amplifier.

I already have a dual cassette to USB deck (an Ion Tape2PC) but am not keen on MP3s and the like - to me they are only fit for audiobooks and poor quality cassette recordings. I will be using ATRAC (Sony's superior version) on one of my Sony HAR LH500 HDD audio jukeboxes for my collection of audiobooks as it will hold over 1000 hours of them.

 

[Archive7]

You are converting from cassette tapes which already have low quality sound. How can you improve on that by not converting to mp3 etc?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Good luck with the new recorder.
When I see USA the red bell of AC mains 120VAC start ringing in my ears. I hope it is also for 240VAC or you will need an adapter which I am sure you have.

You can always run two US products in series.......

 

[davemurgtroyd]

You are converting from cassette tapes which already have low quality sound. How can you improve on that by not converting to mp3 etc?

You have the popular misconception of audio cassette sound quality ysually caused by having been subjected to poor quality recordings on low quality tape played on low to medium quality decks.

A good quality recording on metal tape with Dolby S noise reduction made on a high end deck is almost indistinguishable from CD.
There are four different grades of tape - ferro, chrome, ferro chrome and metal in ascending order of quality. There are three grades of dolby noise reduction (other types are available and can be equals) Dolby B, C and S again in ascending order.
A large number of my tapes are on ferro chrome and chrome tape with Dolby C NR recorded on high end machines which means most are equal if not better than MP3. With a few on metal with Dolby S. If I wanted to record them to HDD it would be in FLAC format (lossless) and NOT MP3

This video will explain a little more

 

[Archive7]

Alright, this explains your point better.
I was thinking of my purchased tape cassettes for songs and classical music and there is a big difference.
For example I bought Sade set of tapes and also in CD's made by the same company and the tapes sound was terrible.

 

[davemurgtroyd]

Alright, this explains your point better.
I was thinking of my purchased tape cassettes for songs and classical music and there is a big difference.
For example I bought Sade set of tapes and also in CD's made by the same company and the tapes sound was terrible.

Commercial pre-recorded tapes are very much a lottery depending on quality of tape used and method of duplicatiom. A large majority are of low quality being on poor tape and/or early poor duplication methods. There are some medium quality on CrO2 tape and later duplication methods. There are very few almost high quality (really only lacking in highest frequency response) but only from a small number of niche studios in limited quantities and high prices (they also produce DCCs (Digital Compact Cassettes).

One quick visual guide to difference between low and medium quality is to look at the colour of the recording tape itself = low quality are almost always on ferric tape which is light brown whereas medium quality are on Chrome tape which is dark grayish brown. Obviously not easily done with new packaged tapes.

 

[Archive7]

I have about 400 tape cassettes recorded from various sources.
I am going to bin all of them except language courses and for these conversion to mp3 will be fine for my ears.
Will buy this player, unfortunately it comes with a turntable which I don't need
Dual DTTC 100 Schallplatten und Kassetten Player (Direct-Encoding, eingebaute Lautsprecher, Plattenspieler, Kassettendeck, USB, SD-Card, LCD-Display, AUX-IN) mit eingebauten Boxen schwarz: Amazon.de: Audio & HiFi

 

[davemurgtroyd]

This is the cassette to USB deck that I have

Another video on current cassettes

 

[excollier]

And cassettes degrade over time, I was looking up a home recorded tape of Steve Hackett live at Reading Festival I taped it from Radio 1 in 1981 - it will hardly play now so that recording is gone forever......

 

[Channel Hopper]

And cassettes degrade over time, I was looking up a home recorded tape of Steve Hackett live at Reading Festival I taped it from Radio 1 in 1981 - it will hardly play now so that recording is gone forever......

A bit late now, but

Patent US4140219 - Protective storage case for tape cassettes

 

[excollier]

^^^^ a lot late - the tape plays, but muffled sound and speed fluctuations - ah well.....

 

[dmaavrigdo]

Play the cassettes into your pc and record in wav format (I'd use Audacity) then you can export it to any medium you desire.

 

[Archive7]

Play the cassettes into your pc and record in wav format (I'd use Audacity) then you can export it to any medium you desire.

Good idea provided you have a good tape player with audio line out. Recording with phono out isn't good enough.
All my tape decks are non functional and the Dual DTTC 100 (see link above) might be just what I need. Waiting to have spare cash in order to buy it.

 

[davemurgtroyd]

Good idea provided you have a good tape player with audio line out. Recording with phono out isn't good enough.

I assume you mean headphone out - line out sockets are usually phono (RCA) sockets/plugs

 

[Archive7]

I assume you mean headphone out - line out sockets are usually phono (RCA) sockets/plugs

No. I mean Line Out with RCA sockets like they have in professional tape decks.
Took me a long time to find one that has it.
The Dual has it. See attached image

 

[davemurgtroyd]

No. I mean Line Out with RCA sockets like they have in professional tape decks.
Took me a long time to find one that has it.
The Dual has it. See attached image

View attachment 109857

I thiink you are misunderstanding and confusing terminology here. In HiFi phono has two completely different meanings - firstly meaning a record deck/turntable and secondly as a connection plug socket an alternative name for RCA plugs/sockets.

In over 50 years I have never seen a HiFi component.unit with a phono (meaning turntable) output socket. Many manufacturers describe their output sockets in sales/marketing as phono (meanibg RCA) sockets and are nearly always line out sockets. Many portable devices have line output sockets as well as headphone sockets but are usually mini jack sockets but usually have a similar signal level output to the line out phono sockets. Many music centre type units do not have any line output sockets.

 

[Archive7]

I stand corrected. Thank you.
I meant recording from headphone out NOT phono out of course.
My head is still buzzing from an unfortunate event that I experienced yesterday.