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Tape Trail

I learned the hard way NOT to use it.

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In Reply to: RE: Recording with Dolby B On or OFF posted by akolegov on August 04, 2017 at 23:41:45

Not a question of whether or not it sounds better. The question is whether you'll always be able to decode a Dolbyized (or DBXed) open reel or cassette tape. I have had near-unlistenable open reel Barclay Crocker tapes that languished until I was able to borrow a Dolby decoder that worked. First thing I did was to dub/decode my favorites so they'll play on any machine, And that is not only a pain in the ass but risks losing SQ unless the dubbing setup is VERY good.

BTW, don't believe that business about "just turn down the treble" if you don't have a proper decoder. First, you might not have tone controls. Second, doing it that way does NOT equal the sound quality you'll achieve with a proper decoder.

Granted, all this applies more to open reel decks than cassettes.

Follow Ups:

RE: I learned the hard way NOT to use it. - akolegov 08:46:31 08/05/17 (4)
It was a great experience!

...I made my first recording with Dolby OFF. I can't say I was happy this way, because for some reason, my tape recorder "eats" high frequencies. But in any case, it seemed to me that it sounded more "honest" without Dolby.
- RE: I learned the hard way NOT to use it. - Inmate51 08:31:30 08/08/17 (1)
  "for some reason, my tape recorder "eats" high frequencies."
  
  Three possible problems:
  
  1. Head alignment is ever-so-slightly off. Remember, cassettes are squeezing four tracks onto 1/8" wide tape. A tiny misalignment can make a big difference.
  
  2. Dirty heads.
  
  3. Bias is not right. Have you looked to make sure you're using the right setting for the tape? If the bias is actually off, you may be able to have someone tweak it.
  
  HTH
  
  :)
  - RE: I learned the hard way NOT to use it. - akolegov 14:19:43 08/08/17 (0)
    I think reasons 1 and 2 definitely apply. As for reason 3, it doesn't have a bias adjustment for particular tapes. By the way, I made a perfect recording today which I could not achieve before. The piece is very unstable...
    
    There is another reason - some cassettes that I recorded in early 90s may be deteriorated (the tape looks loose)...During the playback, some tape residue gets stuck to the head and so the head must be cleaned...
- RE: I learned the hard way NOT to use it. - Quadzilla 10:29:25 08/05/17 (1)
  I thought you were sold a door stop by some Canadian scammer.
  Are you now saying that your cassette deck actually works?
  
  Prehistoric 4-Channel Lizard
  - RE: I learned the hard way NOT to use it. - akolegov 10:53:50 08/05/17 (0)
    Yes, it does, but not the way I hoped for...

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