2. analog
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An analog question for those who record

I am going to buy either a reel to reel or a VHS recorder to record my vinyl onto for repeated playbacks. Is recording vinyl possible by simply hooking my preamp up to a VCR hitting record and dropping the needle. This would be ideal as it has a long run time via the VCR tapes. I have heard VCRS have good analog sound. Should I just go with a reel to reel? Cassettes arent really an option but I have heard some recordings from vinyl onto cassette that sound great. I also am aware of digital recording using audacity and have used it hundreds of times. However I like analog and if I want digital I will just pop in a cd. Do you think there would be a huge difference in the quality one way or another.
davidnboone

Showing 6 responses by duaneadam

duaneadam
36 posts
 
If sound quality is your top priority, a 1/2 track reel to reel which plays 15 ips is your best option. Aside from sound quality, its a very impractical way to archive as you'll need to store these huge and somehwat costly tapes, hunting for a track is time consuming, and you'll need to align and de-mag the heads on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, you'll lose some of the vinyl magic if you convert to digital no matter how good your chain. Trust me I've tried for years with my very high end recording studio (Manley, Weiss, Cranesong etc, etc,).

My solution is to buy back up copies of my favorite vinyl and leave it at that.

duaneadam
36 posts
 
orpheus it tells us you can't tell the difference between digital and analog and you've already stated as much in numerous other posts that you've tried to lead down the same path. The original post is about archiving analog into analog.
duaneadam
36 posts
 
Just dug out the two cassette decks I've had collecting dust in the garage for several years. The better of the two wouldn't run, but the other did, and I fed it a few LP's via a Manley Steelhead using a 30 year old blank cassette.

The results were purely analog with a slight push in the lower frequencies as tape tends to do. Kick drums and bass retain their pillowy analog flavor and horns sound like horns. This is a $150 Sony consumer deck so a better studio grade player could be just the ticket for making copies for casual listening.
duaneadam
36 posts
 
This deck has phono RIAA inputs. Haven't heard it so don't know about sound quality.

Tascam CC 222SLmkII $469.
duaneadam
36 posts
 
I had never heard of Tape Project, that is just sick. I can't imagine a better sounding source other than sitting in the studio listening to the 1st generation multi-track. Even at $300 per album, it's probably worth it.
duaneadam
36 posts
 
Davidboone your killing me. Never expected to be making analog copies again until this thread. Now I have a cassette player permanently installed in one room, am putting a new belt on my 1/2 track tonight. Life would be so much simpler if I could just be happy with an I-pod.
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