HX PRO
- Thread starter overmodulated
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- Jun 12, 2010
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Check out this resource, too: Vintage Cassettes
Usually, if the cassette wrapping has Chromium Dioxide printed on it, it's the true CrO2 formulation.
Nando.
Usually, if the cassette wrapping has Chromium Dioxide printed on it, it's the true CrO2 formulation.
Nando.
By the way... I tried to do a better EQ job on my Teac using the BASF extra II pure chromium dioxide tape, and my second attempt come out much better than the first. Very very sensitive to the way I set the level, the bias, and the EQ on that deck, but it still sounds better on my Akai deck.
It will be interesting to see how my Walkman pro handles them hmm.
It will be interesting to see how my Walkman pro handles them hmm.
That is THE professional studio deck. Also, it's a 24-track 2" machine... I'd want a 1/4" or 1/2" half-track, cuz 1/2" at 30 IPM is not going to need much in the way of HX pro...
I can not even imagine how many iconic records were tracked on Studer decks... maybe pre-Studer, which would have been MCI machines (also excellent) but even more money to maintain; Studer became king because of their quality, yes, but the modular construction and therefore ease of service is where they really shine. In a studio, if you're not charging for hours (recoding) you are spending money...
(sidebar: Willi Studer had NO interest in making a cassette deck...)
I can not even imagine how many iconic records were tracked on Studer decks... maybe pre-Studer, which would have been MCI machines (also excellent) but even more money to maintain; Studer became king because of their quality, yes, but the modular construction and therefore ease of service is where they really shine. In a studio, if you're not charging for hours (recoding) you are spending money...
(sidebar: Willi Studer had NO interest in making a cassette deck...)
We did our one EP on a Studer A80 (something) deck. Nothing like 2" tape flying past a head.
I had aspirations of making a cassette deck a few years back, and the transport was to be based on the Studer design (but milled aluminum, rather than cast) with the same three discreete motors transport and running at double-speed. Great cassettes sound even greater at high speed.
Tascam made a 4-track cassette deck that ran at double speed (and you only use one side of the tape).
I had aspirations of making a cassette deck a few years back, and the transport was to be based on the Studer design (but milled aluminum, rather than cast) with the same three discreete motors transport and running at double-speed. Great cassettes sound even greater at high speed.
Tascam made a 4-track cassette deck that ran at double speed (and you only use one side of the tape).
My feeling is Teac/Tascam are safe bets for consumer decks. Others have better looks, but finding repair parts can be tricky, as are techs willing and able to properly restore them.
With Teac/Tascam, you have (the very busy) Sam at Skywave- who is a member here- used to run the service center when it was open. He did my two Tascam 122Mk. III decks and they perform better than new now. He is efficient too- once he starts on a deck it's done in a day or two (unless it needs a full recap I guess, but my decks didn't need a full recap, just some key ones to control motor speed). Very fair pricing as well.
With Teac/Tascam, you have (the very busy) Sam at Skywave- who is a member here- used to run the service center when it was open. He did my two Tascam 122Mk. III decks and they perform better than new now. He is efficient too- once he starts on a deck it's done in a day or two (unless it needs a full recap I guess, but my decks didn't need a full recap, just some key ones to control motor speed). Very fair pricing as well.
That's what I was just looking at a Teac.
I just made some recordings today on my both my Akai with HX pro and my Teac and I'll tell you both are pretty stunning. Not exactly perfect to the source, but the source was Hi-Res so CD-quality or better, and they both sound very good. Probably all I need. But they are pretty close to the source.
I just made some recordings today on my both my Akai with HX pro and my Teac and I'll tell you both are pretty stunning. Not exactly perfect to the source, but the source was Hi-Res so CD-quality or better, and they both sound very good. Probably all I need. But they are pretty close to the source.
I was speaking to open reel decks above, but, yeah, their cassette decks up to the 122 Mk. III are good. After that, they were on the wrong side of the CD and went downhill fast. Most techs agree the 122 Mk. II is the pinnacle of Tascam cassette decks (for a conventional deck and not a multi-track or other special use deck at higher speed). More and more plastic, crappy heads, watered-down electronics etc. Just built to a price point and no quality concerns. I don't even think you can get a balanced in and out cassette deck after the Mk. III... (I don't know of one anyway). Maybe the 112B was still available but that's a 2-head ("B" suffix indicates it has balanced in and out). I actually had a 112B for a while as a digitizing source for my old cassettes. Decent, VERY decent play deck, but not the best for recording, unless you set it up for one tape and don't vary from that.
The 122 Mk. II and Mk. III both have on-board tone generators for the fine bias and level adjustments. The first 122 is adjustable, but no internal tone generators (I had one of those before the 112B but lack of test tones was a bother). However, you can see/feel the build quality decreasing through the life of the 122. The Mk. III has some other functions I like as well, but the "ultimate" three-tape-type performance will be had with the Mk. II.
And if you care about balanced in/out on the open reel decks, you generally do not find this on the Teac offerings- it was a Tascam thing, and even then, not on all of them. I prefer to run balanced for all the recording/tracking/mastering activities. It won't matter much for basic ripping and playing.
The 122 Mk. II and Mk. III both have on-board tone generators for the fine bias and level adjustments. The first 122 is adjustable, but no internal tone generators (I had one of those before the 112B but lack of test tones was a bother). However, you can see/feel the build quality decreasing through the life of the 122. The Mk. III has some other functions I like as well, but the "ultimate" three-tape-type performance will be had with the Mk. II.
And if you care about balanced in/out on the open reel decks, you generally do not find this on the Teac offerings- it was a Tascam thing, and even then, not on all of them. I prefer to run balanced for all the recording/tracking/mastering activities. It won't matter much for basic ripping and playing.