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What's the best way to copy tapes?
Overview: Alek Grabinski <Alek_Grabinski@ccm.hf.intel.com> posted (10/6/93), "The best way to make an analog dub is to take two high-quality cassette decks (at least one of which is a 3-head deck), and run the Tape Out from the source deck directly into the Rec In of the record deck. This eliminates noise added by other components (like the amp/receiver). Then set the bias for the record tape, set the levels, record about a minute of the tape while you are listening to the recording (NOT the master, hence the need for a 3-head deck), listening for distortion, make fine adjustments to levels, bias, and balance, stop the tapes, queue the master to 5 seconds before where you WISH it had started (no point in dubbing 90-second lead-ins), and start recording. Clean the heads of both decks every 10 hours, demagnetize every 20. Repeat ad nauseum. This assumes that you have two cassette decks, which is not necessarily a good assumption for a lot of people."
"Checklist" for Dubbing: It's generally understood that you'll, at the minimum, be aware of these issues and that you'll ask folks you're trading with about any of them you aren't clear on. Moreover, some traders only trade under strict choices along each, or all, of these guidelines, and may add others, and that's their perogative:
"Dubbing Decks" (single-well vs. dual-well decks): Decks with two "wells" (i.e. those that you can put two tapes into, so that you could record from one to the other) use parts "lower in cost and quality" (see below) so present a number of problems, including less resistance to wear. There's also greater chance of magnifying tape speed effects within the same dual-well deck rather than from one to the other. Dual-well decks are also more likely to have "convenience" features that work against your ability to make high-quality reproductions, like dolby (which is fine for playing tapes, but shouldn't be used to record them) and auto-reverse (where either the deck head or the actual tape "spins" around so that you can play or record on both sides, except that over time the tape and head don't continue to meet in exactly the same place and you're more likely to experience problems with your deck, wear on your originals, and lower-quality reproductions).
High-speed dubbing: Alek Grabinski <Alek_Grabinski@ccm.sc.intel.com> posted (1/29/96), " I am dismayed at how widespread this practice is. Folks, listen: High Speed Dubbing [HSD] is EVIL. It is the handiwork of the Devil himself. HSD is available only on cheaper dubbing decks, which is doubly damning because cheaper dubbing decks already suffer for the quality of the motors and other tape transport components - ie, for the same investment you'd make for a good single-well deck, you get twice the number of parts in a dubbing deck - with the obvious conclusion that the dubbing deck parts are lower in cost and quality. In addition, running the deck at high speed increases the effect of slight motor speed variation, which in turn has an audible effect on the audio quality (listen to songs like Divided Sky or Squirming Coil for how HSD screws up the pitch of Trey's long, sustained notes). ... If you use a dubbing deck to make tapes: GO REAL TIME. Listen to the music as you make the tapes; this is the point of collecting tapes in the first place, right? ... If you feel you *must* use HSD in order to get your taping commitments met, then you've arranged too many trades. You are not a tape-making factory. (Commercial cassettes are reproduced on high-speed machines, and they sound like shit). Go slow, go real time, enjoy the music and take 'er easy."
High-speed dissension: <Cdust97@aol.com> emailed (1/30/97) a spirited dissension: "HSD does not necessarily mean you have a cheap deck. Many good HQ decks are made with HSD. It is true that with some decks you may notice a bit of pitch change. This may be not only the result of the HSD deck but also other factors. Power supply: The smallest powers surge or flux on most (meaning the common el cheapo) decks will result in an audible change of pitch. This is due to the fact that the tape being pulled so rapidly across the head will change it's speed at a different rate than the tape in the other deck. This difference is usually do to uneven use of both decks and a poorly designed system.
"Deck Quality: It's not so much that HSD is a poor way of copying tapes it's only that it's a bit trickyer. Many people will believe that by pulling the tapes so fast you 'hurt' them. The only thing that may be hurt by doing this is a cheap deck and a great band sounding like the chipmunks on crack. If your deck is good and has a HSD option go with it. The author of the above article seems to feel that only the cheaper decks are equiped with HSD. Not true. I recently consulted the local town council to by a $1,500 deck. It was equiped with HSD and also acted as a self contained pre-amp. The deck was in fact one of the best I had seen and will last for at least 20 years before it needs to be replaced.
"Deck Use: On cheaper decks it is true that there will be some audible flaws in the sound when using HSD or not. This however is due to the poor motors inside the deck. You see each motor after constant use will develop what I like to call catoracks. It will begin to have to 'warm-up' in order to see all audible parts of the tape. I have an older deck at home that does this. The motor however on the other side is in fact fine. Why? That is because people tend to use only one side of the deck for playback. This will mess up a cheaper deck more than anything else. It throws the gears off that regulate both motors when using HSD.
"In the end here's what it comes down to. HSD is not evil. It is the manufacturers of your deck that have made the mistake by using below par components. The above author is true go out and buy a good deck. Remember though that only a cheap deck will show any noticeable flaws in HSD. Good decks do come with HSD they are however more expensive (you can get them for less than $1500). In the end any type of deck will be lowing considerably in price by the year 1998 due to the re-recordable cd writers which will be coming out alowing one to make and re-make their own CD's just with using a home pc. (Although stand alone models will be made for a bit more)."
Other info: Michael Bell has an excellent primer on decks and trading, and the People for Clearer Phish have standards for trading on CDR.
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