(Richard Kuschel) wrote:

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

I assume by horizontal, you mean vertical adjustment or head height.

Possibly. I'm not sure which is correct, since I'm not sure of the
point perspective used when defining "vertical" and "horizontal" in
reference to heads. :-) I was thinking of "horizontal" as compared
to the direction of tape travel. I.e.:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/3496/adjus...ustration1.gif

Of course, this illustration is just for clarification; I obviously
wouldn't be vertically adjusting the head *that* much.

One problem with (most)cassette decks is that there are guides
built onto the heads that limit how much vertical adjustment you
have.

My thinking is that the original Sanyo deck's vertical head alignment
was only off by a hair. So, assuming I can acquire a deck where both
head screws served as tracking adjustments, I'd make the greatest
adjustment to the left (azimuth) adjustment screw (the one all decks
allow you to twist), and then only need to very slightly turn the
right screw (the one normally unmovable on most decks) to bring the
head into perfect alignment with the tracks.

That is to say, I can't think of any other explanation for why my
Sanyo-recorded tapes have such a flat head alignment response curve
in all other decks. When I play them in the Sanyo deck (I still
have it -- it's really a bookshelf stereo), I hear *all* the highs
quite fine. So there's nothing wrong with the tapes, nor the
recordings. The problem is, the Sanyo is unusable as a source for
playback during transfer -- it's got no line-outs, and is very old
and foobar (AC hums, subtle fluttering from a dying motor, etc.)

Head height problems are manifest in channel crosstalk.

I hear no L/R crosstalk. *shrug* (Many of these tapes contain old
radio broadcasts from classic rock stations -- lots of songs that
feature portions where all audio is on one channel, and the stereo
separation is as good as the original FM carrier offered.)

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without
tape guides are the three head Nakamichis.

I'll look into them. Thanks.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a
Nak test tape to readjust it after your transfers.

Or just record a ~12 kHz tone on a blank tape with the deck before
adjusting anything, and using it to re-align after?

(Scott Dorsey) wrote:

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

Horizontal alignment won't affect response, but it WILL affect
separation between channels (and between the front and back passes)
and signal to noise ratio.

Really?

Then as I pondered in my response to Richard Kuschel in this thread,
I'm mystified as to what other alignment problem could be causing my
woes. As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

(Richard Kuschel) wrote:

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

I assume by horizontal, you mean vertical adjustment or head height.

Possibly. I'm not sure which is correct, since I'm not sure of the
point perspective used when defining "vertical" and "horizontal" in
reference to heads. :-) I was thinking of "horizontal" as compared
to the direction of tape travel. I.e.:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/3496/adjus...ustration1.gif

Of course, this illustration is just for clarification; I obviously
wouldn't be vertically adjusting the head *that* much.

One problem with (most)cassette decks is that there are guides
built onto the heads that limit how much vertical adjustment you
have.

My thinking is that the original Sanyo deck's vertical head alignment
was only off by a hair. So, assuming I can acquire a deck where both
head screws served as tracking adjustments, I'd make the greatest
adjustment to the left (azimuth) adjustment screw (the one all decks
allow you to twist), and then only need to very slightly turn the
right screw (the one normally unmovable on most decks) to bring the
head into perfect alignment with the tracks.

That is to say, I can't think of any other explanation for why my
Sanyo-recorded tapes have such a flat head alignment response curve
in all other decks. When I play them in the Sanyo deck (I still
have it -- it's really a bookshelf stereo), I hear *all* the highs
quite fine. So there's nothing wrong with the tapes, nor the
recordings. The problem is, the Sanyo is unusable as a source for
playback during transfer -- it's got no line-outs, and is very old
and foobar (AC hums, subtle fluttering from a dying motor, etc.)

Head height problems are manifest in channel crosstalk.

I hear no L/R crosstalk. *shrug* (Many of these tapes contain old
radio broadcasts from classic rock stations -- lots of songs that
feature portions where all audio is on one channel, and the stereo
separation is as good as the original FM carrier offered.)

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without
tape guides are the three head Nakamichis.

I'll look into them. Thanks.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a
Nak test tape to readjust it after your transfers.

Or just record a ~12 kHz tone on a blank tape with the deck before
adjusting anything, and using it to re-align after?

(Scott Dorsey) wrote:

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

Horizontal alignment won't affect response, but it WILL affect
separation between channels (and between the front and back passes)
and signal to noise ratio.

Really?

Then as I pondered in my response to Richard Kuschel in this thread,
I'm mystified as to what other alignment problem could be causing my
woes. As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

(Mike Rivers) wrote:

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

I don't quite understand your graph. It looks like the "frequency
response" peaks with the screw on center for either your new or old
tapes.

Correct.

Are you trying to say that the highest frequency you can get off
the Sanyo deck is 5 kHz, and that's with the azimuth adjusted for
maximum high frequency (screw in its center position)?

The highest is about 8-9 kHz.

And what the graph is intended to illustrate is that when playing
one of the Sanyo-recorded cassettes in any other deck, there is no
point (while turning the non-Sanyo decks' azimuth alignment screw)
where the frequency response narrowly/sharply peaks as it ought to
(i.e. there's no point where perfect azimuth alignment is achieved).
Instead, when I turn the azimuth screw in those other decks, the
frequency response just "plateaus" over a wide range (where 8-9 kHz
seems to be the maximum frequency response). The red line in the
graph demonstrates this; Sanyo-recorded tapes played in other decks
exhibit a wide head-adjustment plateau of maximum frequency response
at 8-9 kHz, while the green line (representing the Sanyo-recorded
tapes being played back *in* the Sanyo) illustrates how those tapes
track *in* the Sanyo when adjusting *its* alignment screw.

So my thinking is (sorry, but here's another illustration):
http://img73.exs.cx/img73/1033/cassette-height.gif

To me that just means the frequency response is crappy. It could
be the tape, it could be dirty heads,

As mentioned in my other response in this thread, the Sanyo plays
these tapes back with full frequency response. I just can't use
the Sanyo as the playback source because of its poor condition.

(Mike Rivers) wrote:

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

I don't quite understand your graph. It looks like the "frequency
response" peaks with the screw on center for either your new or old
tapes.

Correct.

Are you trying to say that the highest frequency you can get off
the Sanyo deck is 5 kHz, and that's with the azimuth adjusted for
maximum high frequency (screw in its center position)?

The highest is about 8-9 kHz.

And what the graph is intended to illustrate is that when playing
one of the Sanyo-recorded cassettes in any other deck, there is no
point (while turning the non-Sanyo decks' azimuth alignment screw)
where the frequency response narrowly/sharply peaks as it ought to
(i.e. there's no point where perfect azimuth alignment is achieved).
Instead, when I turn the azimuth screw in those other decks, the
frequency response just "plateaus" over a wide range (where 8-9 kHz
seems to be the maximum frequency response). The red line in the
graph demonstrates this; Sanyo-recorded tapes played in other decks
exhibit a wide head-adjustment plateau of maximum frequency response
at 8-9 kHz, while the green line (representing the Sanyo-recorded
tapes being played back *in* the Sanyo) illustrates how those tapes
track *in* the Sanyo when adjusting *its* alignment screw.

So my thinking is (sorry, but here's another illustration):
http://img73.exs.cx/img73/1033/cassette-height.gif

To me that just means the frequency response is crappy. It could
be the tape, it could be dirty heads,

As mentioned in my other response in this thread, the Sanyo plays
these tapes back with full frequency response. I just can't use
the Sanyo as the playback source because of its poor condition.

(hank alrich) wrote:

As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

It's not delivering the goods sound-wise. Dying capstan motor (flutter
in playback), and something's foobar inside causing AC hums. The thing
is so old, it's unrepairable AFAIK. (And no, no baseband outputs; it's
a POS bookshelf stereo with a line in, but no line out.)

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

Yes. When played back in the Sanyo after using them in the other decks,
they still boast all their high frequencies.

(hank alrich) wrote:

As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

It's not delivering the goods sound-wise. Dying capstan motor (flutter
in playback), and something's foobar inside causing AC hums. The thing
is so old, it's unrepairable AFAIK. (And no, no baseband outputs; it's
a POS bookshelf stereo with a line in, but no line out.)

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

Yes. When played back in the Sanyo after using them in the other decks,
they still boast all their high frequencies.

Because there don't seem to be any solutions to my problem in the
consumer electronics realm, I'm hoping one might exist in pro land.

As everyone knows, audio cassette deck heads normally can only be
adjusted for azimuth -- by twisting the left screw on the head (the
right screw merely being a fixed support screw).

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?

Sam Etic wrote:

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

Horizontal alignment won't affect response, but it WILL affect separation
between channels (and between the front and back passes) and signal to noise
ratio.

The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?

Use metal shims. Ask your local auto parts store for shim stock. Add and
remove it from behind the head or head mount.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Sam Etic wrote:

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

Horizontal alignment won't affect response, but it WILL affect separation
between channels (and between the front and back passes) and signal to noise
ratio.

The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?

Use metal shims. Ask your local auto parts store for shim stock. Add and
remove it from behind the head or head mount.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Because there don't seem to be any solutions to my problem in the
consumer electronics realm, I'm hoping one might exist in pro land.

As everyone knows, audio cassette deck heads normally can only be
adjusted for azimuth -- by twisting the left screw on the head (the
right screw merely being a fixed support screw).

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?

s

I assume by horizontal, you mean vertical adjustment or head height.

One problem with (most)cassette decks is that there are guides built onto the
heads that limit how much vertical adjustment you have.

Head height problems are manifest in channel crosstalk.

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without tape guides are
the three head Nakamichis.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a Nak test tape
to readjust it after your transfers.

The third adjustment, though I have never seen it on a cassette deck. is head
zenith. This is the adjustment that allows the gap to be centered in the tape
wrap on the head.

Excessive wear on a head could cause this problem.

Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

Because there don't seem to be any solutions to my problem in the
consumer electronics realm, I'm hoping one might exist in pro land.

As everyone knows, audio cassette deck heads normally can only be
adjusted for azimuth -- by twisting the left screw on the head (the
right screw merely being a fixed support screw).

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

In order to properly track these tapes, I'll obviously need a deck
whose head features TWO adjustable screws -- i.e. where I can twist
the left AND right screws to achieve proper horizontal alignment.

The problem is, I don't know where to find such a deck. Suggestions?

s

I assume by horizontal, you mean vertical adjustment or head height.

One problem with (most)cassette decks is that there are guides built onto the
heads that limit how much vertical adjustment you have.

Head height problems are manifest in channel crosstalk.

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without tape guides are
the three head Nakamichis.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a Nak test tape
to readjust it after your transfers.

The third adjustment, though I have never seen it on a cassette deck. is head
zenith. This is the adjustment that allows the gap to be centered in the tape
wrap on the head.

Excessive wear on a head could cause this problem.

Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

In article am writes:

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

I don't quite understand your graph. It looks like the "frequency
response" peaks with the screw on center for either your new or old
tapes. Are you trying to say that the highest frequency you can get
off the Sanyo deck is 5 kHz, and that's with the azimuth adjusted for
maximum high frequency (screw in its center position)?

To me that just means the frequency response is crappy. It could be
the tape, it could be dirty heads, but the azimuth alignment is
correct if you set it for maximum high frequency response, whatever
that turns out to be.

The adjustment that it looks like you're trying to make is head
height. That would affect track alignment (bleed from one track on to
the other) or playback level, but not frequency response.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article am writes:

Unfortunately, I have a box full of audio cassette tapes recorded
long ago using a Sanyo deck whose head wasn't kosher in terms of
*horizontal* alignment. As a result, when they are played in any
other cassette deck, no matter how much I adjust the azimuth screw,
the frequency response curve is very flat. Visual example:

http://img73.exs.cx/img73/6549/cassette-response.gif

I don't quite understand your graph. It looks like the "frequency
response" peaks with the screw on center for either your new or old
tapes. Are you trying to say that the highest frequency you can get
off the Sanyo deck is 5 kHz, and that's with the azimuth adjusted for
maximum high frequency (screw in its center position)?

To me that just means the frequency response is crappy. It could be
the tape, it could be dirty heads, but the azimuth alignment is
correct if you set it for maximum high frequency response, whatever
that turns out to be.

The adjustment that it looks like you're trying to make is head
height. That would affect track alignment (bleed from one track on to
the other) or playback level, but not frequency response.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

Sam Etic wrote:

Then as I pondered in my response to Richard Kuschel in this thread,
I'm mystified as to what other alignment problem could be causing my
woes. As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

Look at the tape as it goes over the head. Is it seating through the
guides properly at all or is it running overtop of the guides? Does
shifting the cassette around with your fingers do anything?

Change the pressure pad on the cassette. Poor tape to head contact is
a big problem on older cassettes.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Sam Etic wrote:

Then as I pondered in my response to Richard Kuschel in this thread,
I'm mystified as to what other alignment problem could be causing my
woes. As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

Look at the tape as it goes over the head. Is it seating through the
guides properly at all or is it running overtop of the guides? Does
shifting the cassette around with your fingers do anything?

Change the pressure pad on the cassette. Poor tape to head contact is
a big problem on older cassettes.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Sam Etic wrote:

As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

--
ha

Sam Etic wrote:

As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

--
ha

On 01 Oct 2004 01:55:00 EDT, "Sam Etic"
wrote:

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without
tape guides are the three head Nakamichis.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a
Nak test tape to readjust it after your transfers.

Or just record a ~12 kHz tone on a blank tape with the deck before
adjusting anything, and using it to re-align after?

The Nakamichi's really require an alignment jig to get the
head geometry right. But I don't think any misalignment
will help with your problem.

Chris Hornbeck

On 01 Oct 2004 01:55:00 EDT, "Sam Etic"
wrote:

The only decks I have seen with head height adjustment without
tape guides are the three head Nakamichis.

If you mess with the head height on those, you had better have a
Nak test tape to readjust it after your transfers.

Or just record a ~12 kHz tone on a blank tape with the deck before
adjusting anything, and using it to re-align after?

The Nakamichi's really require an alignment jig to get the
head geometry right. But I don't think any misalignment
will help with your problem.

Chris Hornbeck

If the Sanyo produces good sound, why not just transfer the tapes from the
Sanyo?

...the lady from Philadelphia

If the Sanyo produces good sound, why not just transfer the tapes from the
Sanyo?

...the lady from Philadelphia

Look at the tape as it goes over the head. Is it seating through the
guides properly at all or is it running overtop of the guides? Does
shifting the cassette around with your fingers do anything?

Change the pressure pad on the cassette. Poor tape to head contact is
a big problem on older cassettes.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."






Or find somebody with a 3 head Nak that doesn't use pressure pads.

It could also be that the tape used in the Sanyo was slit slightly wider than
correct and that the head on your reproduce deck has heavy grooves in the head
from extended use which might cause aproblem with HF response.

Also check out playback EQ on your playback deck. It might be ok with its own
tapes, if the record bias were wrong enough, but might be dull on those
recorded on the Sanyo.
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

Look at the tape as it goes over the head. Is it seating through the
guides properly at all or is it running overtop of the guides? Does
shifting the cassette around with your fingers do anything?

Change the pressure pad on the cassette. Poor tape to head contact is
a big problem on older cassettes.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."






Or find somebody with a 3 head Nak that doesn't use pressure pads.

It could also be that the tape used in the Sanyo was slit slightly wider than
correct and that the head on your reproduce deck has heavy grooves in the head
from extended use which might cause aproblem with HF response.

Also check out playback EQ on your playback deck. It might be ok with its own
tapes, if the record bias were wrong enough, but might be dull on those
recorded on the Sanyo.
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

In article am writes:

Are you trying to say that the highest frequency you can get off
the Sanyo deck is 5 kHz, and that's with the azimuth adjusted for
maximum high frequency (screw in its center position)?

The highest is about 8-9 kHz.

That's actaully pretty good for an old cassette.

And what the graph is intended to illustrate is that when playing
one of the Sanyo-recorded cassettes in any other deck, there is no
point (while turning the non-Sanyo decks' azimuth alignment screw)
where the frequency response narrowly/sharply peaks as it ought to
(i.e. there's no point where perfect azimuth alignment is achieved).

It's just that there isn't much high end on the tape so it's hard to
see the peak at the correct azimuth.

As mentioned in my other response in this thread, the Sanyo plays
these tapes back with full frequency response. I just can't use
the Sanyo as the playback source because of its poor condition.

I still don't understand. You say it plays with full frequency
response but you can't use it because of its poor condition? And in
another reply you said it didn't have a line output. Are you
listening on a built-in speaker? Does it have a headphone jack? Can
you open it up and solder wires to the speaker? I think you need to
hear the playback from that Sanyo deck through some higher fidelity
sysetm in order to realize that you just have a crappy cassette.

Or maybe I just don't get it.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

In article am writes:

Are you trying to say that the highest frequency you can get off
the Sanyo deck is 5 kHz, and that's with the azimuth adjusted for
maximum high frequency (screw in its center position)?

The highest is about 8-9 kHz.

That's actaully pretty good for an old cassette.

And what the graph is intended to illustrate is that when playing
one of the Sanyo-recorded cassettes in any other deck, there is no
point (while turning the non-Sanyo decks' azimuth alignment screw)
where the frequency response narrowly/sharply peaks as it ought to
(i.e. there's no point where perfect azimuth alignment is achieved).

It's just that there isn't much high end on the tape so it's hard to
see the peak at the correct azimuth.

As mentioned in my other response in this thread, the Sanyo plays
these tapes back with full frequency response. I just can't use
the Sanyo as the playback source because of its poor condition.

I still don't understand. You say it plays with full frequency
response but you can't use it because of its poor condition? And in
another reply you said it didn't have a line output. Are you
listening on a built-in speaker? Does it have a headphone jack? Can
you open it up and solder wires to the speaker? I think you need to
hear the playback from that Sanyo deck through some higher fidelity
sysetm in order to realize that you just have a crappy cassette.

Or maybe I just don't get it.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

I still don't understand. You say it plays with full frequency
response but you can't use it because of its poor condition?
And in another reply you said it didn't have a line output.
Are you listening on a built-in speaker? Does it have a headphone
jack? Can you open it up and solder wires to the speaker? I think
you need to hear the playback from that Sanyo deck through some
higher fidelity sysetm in order to realize that you just have a crappy
cassette.

Or maybe I just don't get it.

I pretty much agree with Mike. (I think.) There's no point in trying to gild the
lily. The assumption you can get a significant improvement in sound by playing a
cassette make on a mediocre deck on a much better deck is, IMO, not valid.

I still don't understand. You say it plays with full frequency
response but you can't use it because of its poor condition?
And in another reply you said it didn't have a line output.
Are you listening on a built-in speaker? Does it have a headphone
jack? Can you open it up and solder wires to the speaker? I think
you need to hear the playback from that Sanyo deck through some
higher fidelity sysetm in order to realize that you just have a crappy
cassette.

Or maybe I just don't get it.

I pretty much agree with Mike. (I think.) There's no point in trying to gild the
lily. The assumption you can get a significant improvement in sound by playing a
cassette make on a mediocre deck on a much better deck is, IMO, not valid.

"Sam Etic" wrote in message ...
(hank alrich) wrote:

As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

It's not delivering the goods sound-wise. Dying capstan motor (flutter
in playback), and something's foobar inside causing AC hums. The thing
is so old, it's unrepairable AFAIK. (And no, no baseband outputs; it's
a POS bookshelf stereo with a line in, but no line out.)

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

Yes. When played back in the Sanyo after using them in the other decks,
they still boast all their high frequencies.


Maybe the Sanyo uses a non-standard equalization with more hi boost on
playback.

Maybe you are peaking the azimuth on a false peak, keep turning the
screw a bit further, sometimes there is a minor peak or sidelobe on
each side of the correct major peak.

Maybe the tape is creased in someway that it fits with the Sanyo and
not the others. Take a new tape and make a recording and see if the
same thing happens.

Is there Dolby involved?

Are you summing the L and R sides to mono. This makes the azimuth
much more critical.

Why not use the other machine, peak the azimuth as best you can then
EQ as required.

Mark

"Sam Etic" wrote in message ...
(hank alrich) wrote:

As I mentioned in that post, the Sanyo these tapes were made
in still plays them back with bright, full high frequency response.
Sadly, the deck doesn't offer line outputs, which is why I'm looking
for an alternative.

It must at least have RCA outputs, consumer -10 dB unblanced. There is
nothing wrong with using those if the deck is delivering the goods
sound-wise. Are there interfacing obstacles I'm not grokking here?

It's not delivering the goods sound-wise. Dying capstan motor (flutter
in playback), and something's foobar inside causing AC hums. The thing
is so old, it's unrepairable AFAIK. (And no, no baseband outputs; it's
a POS bookshelf stereo with a line in, but no line out.)

I'm concerned that the deck you're using might be erasing those high
freqs due to something in the tape path that has gotten magnetized. Have
you played those tapes on the Sanyo after playing them on the dull deck?

Yes. When played back in the Sanyo after using them in the other decks,
they still boast all their high frequencies.


Maybe the Sanyo uses a non-standard equalization with more hi boost on
playback.

Maybe you are peaking the azimuth on a false peak, keep turning the
screw a bit further, sometimes there is a minor peak or sidelobe on
each side of the correct major peak.

Maybe the tape is creased in someway that it fits with the Sanyo and
not the others. Take a new tape and make a recording and see if the
same thing happens.

Is there Dolby involved?

Are you summing the L and R sides to mono. This makes the azimuth
much more critical.

Why not use the other machine, peak the azimuth as best you can then
EQ as required.

Mark

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
...
If the Sanyo produces good sound, why not just transfer the tapes from the
Sanyo?

It doesn't. He said it produces full-range frequency response, but that the
flutter is too high and there's hum.

Someone suggested that the OP may be tweaking the azimuth on a false peak,
on one side of the real peak. Keep going past the peak you're getting and
see if you suddenly hear the highs increasing again. If not, go back the
other way, past the peak you've been tweaking on.

What Scott said about the pressure pads is right. Replace them. Or find a
3-head Nak that doesn't need 'em.

Oh, one other thing. What kind of tape is this? Type I, Type II or Type IV?
Is it possible that this is Type II tape recorded with Type I EQ, or
something close to it? If so, and if your playback machine has automatic EQ
switching, possibly it's going to Type II EQ (70uS) automatically, although
the tapes were made with Type I (120uS). If your tapes are Type II or Type
IV, try putting masking tape over the notches that cue the auto-EQ.

Peace,
Paul

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
...
If the Sanyo produces good sound, why not just transfer the tapes from the
Sanyo?

It doesn't. He said it produces full-range frequency response, but that the
flutter is too high and there's hum.

Someone suggested that the OP may be tweaking the azimuth on a false peak,
on one side of the real peak. Keep going past the peak you're getting and
see if you suddenly hear the highs increasing again. If not, go back the
other way, past the peak you've been tweaking on.

What Scott said about the pressure pads is right. Replace them. Or find a
3-head Nak that doesn't need 'em.

Oh, one other thing. What kind of tape is this? Type I, Type II or Type IV?
Is it possible that this is Type II tape recorded with Type I EQ, or
something close to it? If so, and if your playback machine has automatic EQ
switching, possibly it's going to Type II EQ (70uS) automatically, although
the tapes were made with Type I (120uS). If your tapes are Type II or Type
IV, try putting masking tape over the notches that cue the auto-EQ.

Peace,
Paul