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Other Articles - A Guide To Cassette Decks And Tape Trading

by Michael Bell
Version 2.01 - last updated 19 July 1995

INTRODUCTION This is a very opinionated guide to help in the purchase and use of cassette decks. It is aimed in general at people who trade tapes of live music and in particular at Grateful Dead tape traders. I do not in anyway condone the sale or purchase of unauthorized recordings. I have no financial interest in any of the companies mentioned. Most of this is based on my own experiences. I have also taken into account the opinions of people I trust regarding audio equipment. Thanks go to the following: Ken Hays of Terrapin Tapes The good people of Audio Systems, Austin, TX Marc Nutter of Sonic Sense John Longmire Eric Doherty Jeff Tiedrich Melissa Agar Jeff Maggard The many contributors to the various Usenet newsgroups including: rec.music.gdead rec.audio.high-end rec.audio.opinion rec.audio.pro & the Phish FAQ I welcome all comments, suggestions and questions. If your favorite cassette deck is not listed here and you think it should be, tell me about it and what decks you compared it to. In future editions I hope to include a glossary of terms if I can figure out how I want to put it together. ******************************************************** Table of Contents INTRODUCTION PART 1: CASSETTE DECKS: A BUYING GUIDE NEW CASSETTE DECKS Shopping Extended Warranties Dual-Well Cassette Decks USED CASSETTE DECKS Used Cassette Deck Price Guide Where to Find Used Cassette Decks PART 2: SET-UP, USE AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS Set-Up Setting Levels Head Cleaning Demagnetizing Professional Maintenance Bias Setting Dolby Erasure Prevention Tabs Tape Length Tape Brands Part 3: TAPE TRADING INFORMATION AND ETIQUETTE Your List General Tape Trading Etiquette Part 4: HOW TO GET STARTED Grateful Dead Hour Local Friends Buying Tapes at Cost Tape Trees Groveling Adopt-a-Newbie Suggestions On What Tapes To Start With Deadbase Terrapin Tapes The Live Taper's Survival Guide by Jeff Maggard ************************************************************ PART 1 CASSETTE DECKS: A BUYING GUIDE The cassette deck market has changed quite a bit in the last few years. Single well decks are becoming rare and 3-head decks are now almost non-existent. The other thing is that most of the decks available now are crap. Like with many other types of audio and video equipment, the current trend seems to be to pack on as many features as possible, but this comes at the expense of the overall performance quality. Most of the cheaper decks today are going to break down under the constant use of tape traders. Here are my very biased suggestions on looking for a good cassette deck. I would consider myself an audiophile and also have some experience in professional recording. You can take that for whatever it is worth. For the record I have an Onkyo TA-2056 and an Aiwa AD-F990. Both are 3-head and date from 1985 or 1986 or so. I bought the Onkyo at dealer cost and the Aiwa used from a friend. If I had the money I would have Nakamichis. Why do I need a good cassette deck? You may say all you care about is the music and you don't really care about spending a lot of money on a good cassette deck. Well, for one thing you might change and start to care about better sound. I strongly believe good sound goes a very long way in the enhancement of the musical experience. Also, the better your deck is the better dubs you can make, which makes you more desirable in trading. Better quality decks will also get you in a better position on a tape tree. A better built deck will last longer and when it does develop problems will be worth fixing. General Comments I lean toward 3-head decks because in most cases they perform better than comparable quality 2-head decks. With an individual head dedicated to playback and record they can each be optimized to best performance. Also, the ability to monitor the playback while recording can be extremely useful in use and calibration. Most features are of no real use and can sometimes degrade the deck's performance. This is particularly true of auto reverse. Since the heads have to move they become easily misaligned. The auto rewind feature on many Onkyo decks is not really useful but is not sonically degrading. A real time counter with time remaining can be extremely useful. Since even the better decks are not really built that well anymore, reliability is something that also needs to be considered. NEW CASSETTE DECKS Below are the new decks I think worth looking into. Most of them are 3-head and all of them should have some sort of fine bias adjust and Dolby B and C. All but the Nakamichis and the portables have Dolby HX. None of them should have auto-reverse unless specified. Nakamichi Nakamichi arguably makes the best sounding cassette decks you can buy new. However, they are not made as well as they used to be. If you run a Nak hard, like many tape traders will, it is going to be in the repair shop at some point. Actually, most any deck run hard is going to need work done after several years, but most people tend to expect more out of something that costs as much as a Nak. Look into extended warranties. Most people feel the older Naks sound better than the newer ones. (see below for a list of used Naks) The DR-1($929 list) and DR-2($749) are both 3-head decks. The main advantage of the DR-1 over the DR-2 is the user azimuth adjust which helps to optimize playback of tapes made on other machines. The DR-3($429) is a 2-head deck that will out perform just about every other currently available 3-head deck. The Nakamichi pro decks are worth a look. The MR-1 is a 3-head deck with XLR in/out and 1/4" in and costs $995. The MR-2 is a 2-head deck, has 1/4" and RCA in/out and runs $695. They do feature pitch control which is difficult to find on quality decks these days. These decks sound great but apparently suffer from some of the same reliability problems as the current Nak consumer models, but probably not near as bad. It should be noted that tapes made on Nakamichi decks will not sound their best unless played back on a Nakamichi. The problem is not like it was with older Naks, but it still exists to some degree. Keep this in mind when tape trading. Sony ES The Sony ES series is beginning to look like a good possible alternative to the Nakamichis. The TC-RX606ES ($400 list) is just about the only decent deck with mic inputs, but it is a 2-head model and unfortunately has auto reverse. The 3-head models include the top of the line TC-K909ES($790) which looks like a very nice deck. The TC-K717ES($560) does not spec as well as the other 3-head decks mentioned in this article but seems to sound good and is built solidly. I have not had the opportunity to listen to any of the ES series cassette decks, but I have heard good things from reliable sources. They are among the few decks with the new Dolby S. Another plus to the Sony ES series is the three year warranty, and in general they should be very reliable. I don't like the regular (non-ES) Sony line very much at all and would avoid them. Aiwa The Aiwa AD-F850 ($400 list) is a 3-head dual capstan deck. I have heard some complaints about transport problems in Aiwas. My F-990 is about 9 years old and has given me little trouble. Like Nakamichi, the Aiwa decks are not built as well as they used to be. Consider an extended warranty. There is also an Aiwa AD-F950 which includes Dolby S and should have a list price of around $500. It was not listed in the Audio directory, possibly because it is a new model. For many years the upper end Aiwa models have proven to be very good sounding decks for the money. I've seen Aiwa decks listed in J & R Music World and other mail order catalogues for ridiculously low prices. Denon The Denon DRM-740 ($400 list) is a 3-head deck that is very reliable, but I don't think it sounds quite as good as Aiwa. The DRM-540($250) is a good 2-head deck for those on a limited budget. Tascam Pro The Tascam 122 MkII is virtually the industry standard in studios and has recently been replaced by the 122 MkIII. Many feel it does not sound quite as good as the Nakamichi MR-1, but as far as reliability it is nearly indestructible. There is a host of user accessible calibration adjustments on the front, and other features that are very useful but mainly in a studio setting. XLR, RCA and 1/4" jacks are supported and it costs around $1000. The 112 MkII is essentially a 2-head version of the 122 with a few less features, but it does have pitch control. It runs for around $650. The 130 is a 3-head deck that does not have the studio oriented features of the other decks and runs for around $450. Portables Sony Pro The Sony WM-D6C Pro Walkman might possibly still be available if you look in the right places. The TC-D5 portable is no longer available. These were the recorders of choice for Grateful Dead live tapers until DAT machines took over. Both are 2-head, and both have pitch control. Connections on the D6 are via stereo mini-plugs(ugh). Connections on the D5 are 1/4 inch mic (D5M), XLR mic (D5ProII), and RCA out. There is a slim chance that some mail order professional recording or broadcast suppliers might have these decks in stock. They should be somewhat available on the used market since many who used them are switching to DAT. The D6C costs around $450 new, the D5 was around $650 to over $900 depending on the configuration and accessories. Used D5s should be around $300-$400. Used D6s should be around $200-$225. Marantz The Marantz PMD430 costs around $500 and I believe was very popular in the professional broadcast world and in field work. It has pitch control, 3 heads and quarter inch and RCA jacks but does not have Dolby C. It is probably easier to find new than the Sony decks. Again look at places that sell pro recording and broadcast equipment Shopping All of the above prices are list price(or estimates of list) and should really only be used for comparison purposes. Actual prices will vary considerably from brand to brand and store to store. Most of the above equipment will not be available at mass market stores such as Circuit City and Best Buy. Regular prices at independent audio retail stores will likely be fairly close to list, but in exchange you will get good one on one service and a chance to listen to the equipment. Some of the more upscale stores will have nice listening rooms and will often let you take equipment home to try it out. Some independent retail stores will sell for lower or have sales often. Things will be different in different parts of the country. The best prices are usually available with mail order where you can get in the neighborhood of 10%-20% or more off of list price. Be careful with mail order and know who you are dealing with. Using a credit card is a good idea as the credit card company will back you up if you have problems. Ask about warranties. You may not get a manufacturers warranty if the mail order company is not an official dealer for the specific product line. The rec.audio.marketplace newsgroup occasionally posts surveys of mail order places. Our friend, Ken Hays, at Terrapin Tapes 1-800-677-8650 will offer prices competitive with any other mail order outfit and he will treat you right. For the pro decks mentioned you will need to check with music stores or other places that sell professional recording equipment. If the above prices seem too high to you, I strongly recommend searching out the used market(see below). Extended Warranties Extended warranties for as much as 5 years can be had for as little as $35 and are certainly worth looking into. Do not pay too much and do read the fine print. It is best if the extended warranty is from the manufacturer. If you do get an extended warranty, try to get one that will allow general maintenance and use it for all it is worth. Take the deck in to have it adjusted, aligned and internally cleaned about once a year. Even if you don't get an extended warranty it is a good idea to have this done. New decks costing less than about $250 are rarely worth an extended warranty or even getting repaired, which is another reason for avoiding them. Also, certain credit cards will double your warranty. If you are doing, or plan on doing, some very heavy taping, your deck is likely going to need some kind of service within 5 years. Dual-Well Cassette Decks I don't think too much of dual-well decks, but if your are on a very tight budget it may be the only way to go. At this point my main recommendation would go to the Sony TC-WR801ES ($430 list). The TC-WR901ES ($670) is nicer, but at that price you are likely better off looking into separate decks. The Denon DRW-840 ($400 list) is worth looking into. If you are really broke consider the Denon DRW-660 ($300 list). Anything less than this is not going to sound very good and is going to break under moderate to heavy tape trading use. USED CASSETTE DECKS In the past I have not thought it a good idea to buy a cassette deck used since they have so many small moving parts. But given the sorry state of the market today it now looks like one of the better ways to go. I strongly believe cassette deck quality peaked between 1983 and 1987 roughly. They sound better, are built better, and don't have a lot of unnecessary features. Don't buy one from a Deadhead, they work cassette decks to death. Try to get one from someone who did not use it too much. However, avoid anything that has been sitting completely unused for more than a year or so. Check all transport functions and make sure they all work smoothly. A good tape to use to test the deck is something with acoustic piano on it. Listen for wobble or flutter in the tone and a fuzziness on the attacks. See if the dealer/owner will let you try the deck for a period of time. Avoid decks with auto reverse and other unnecessary features. It will cost more to buy a deck from a dealer but they hopefully will have refurbished the deck and will also offer some sort of warranty. Most any Nakamichi deck made since 1979 would be a good choice, just be real certain the transport is in good condition. The earliest Naks are the most durable. The older top end(3-head) Onkyos and Denons where very good and rugged. Aiwa is worth looking into, but like the Naks beware of transport problems on more recent models. Pro models from Tascam/Teac, Fostex and Tandberg are sometimes worth a look but are generally not too common on the used market. Always try to get a 3-head model, but Nak 2-head decks are generally fine. Some sort of fine bias adjust is also a good idea but will not be very common on older models. The original box and manual is a plus. Mainly look for decks from the middle 1980s Used Cassette Deck Price Guide Namamichi: 3-head %481 $200-250 (no monitoring) 581 $250-300 (no monitoring) ^581Z $275-325 ^582 $300-350 ^670ZX $300-400 *680ZX $450-550 *681ZX $400-500 (no monitoring) *682ZX $450-550 ^LX-5 $350-450 *ZX-7 $550-650 *ZX-9 $750-900 CR-3a $325-425 CR-4a $425-525 CR-5a $500-600 *CR-7A $750-850 *RX505 $650-750 *DRAGON $800-1100 BX-300 $375-425 Cassette Deck 1 $450-550 Cassette Deck 1.5 $400-475 DR-1 $500-600 current DR-2 $400-500 current 2-head 580 $150-200 (no metal) BX-1 $125-175 BX-2 $125-175 %BX-100 $150-200 BX-125 $150-225 %BX-150 $175-250 %480 $150-200 CR-1a $125-200 %CR-2a $150-225 LX-3 $250-350 RX-202 $300-400 Cassette Deck 2$200-250 DR-3 $250-300 current Pro Models MR-1 $475-550 3-head MR-2 $350-425 2-head Portables 350 portable $125-175 w/power pack $275-350 2-head *550 portable $350-500 2-head * = Classic Nakamichi, very desirable, highest recommendation ^ = Recommended % = Good low cost alternative (under $250) The BX and CR series will be worth the higher end of the scale if they have had the gear modification done. If the mod has not been done it is highly recommended that you get it done. The original transports in these units turned out to be very weak and prone to breaking in as little as 2-3 years. The gear mod can be done by any Nakamichi specialist and will fix the problem. Be aware that tapes made on the older Nakamichis are not going to sound as good when played on non-Nak decks due to a difference in the head gap. If you get one of these decks it will be in your best interest to only use it when trading with other Nakamichi users. The CR and DR series should not be very problematic. Tapes made on non-Nak decks may not play well on certain Nak models but most of the better ones should play them fine. Aiwa and Denon 3-head decks: C. 1980-1984- $125-$175 C. 1984-1989- $150-$250 C. 1990-1994- $150-$200 Onkyo 3-head decks: C. 1980-1984- $75-$125 C. 1984-1989- $125-$200 C. 1990-1994- $150-$175 Condition and specific models will effect the prices greatly. When new, Aiwa, Denon and Onkyo 3-head models from the 80s ranged from $350-$700. I think Aiwa has had some models in the $1000 range at some point and used prices for those would be closer to $400. The above are essentially dealer prices and should come with the option of returning the deck and some sort of warranty(30-90 days is typical). You should pay less if buying from an individual or if details on the deck are sketchy and there is no option of returning the deck. Roughly 40%-50% of the original price for models from the 80s and slightly more for more recent decks is what you should be looking at. Some of the classic Nakamichi decks have a very high demand and actually command prices greater than 50% of the original price. Even if you have to get some small repairs done, I think you will most likely still be ahead on your money. If a cassette deck is going to have some sort of catastrophic failure it is most likely to occur in the first year or two. After that, most repairs concern replacing worn out parts which is usually not too expensive. Where to Find Used Cassette Decks The best deals will usually be found in the classified ads. There are also a variety of places on the internet including rec.audio.marketplace where you can find used audio equipment. There are some stores that sell used equipment and usually offer some sort of warranty, usually 90 days. Repair shops also sometimes sell some used equipment. Hunt around for deals in places that sell used electronics in general. Pawn shops are usually overpriced and won't take stuff back. They will often take a lower than marked price though. Sonic Sense, P.O. Box 61141, Denver, CO 80206 (303) 698-1296, sell and repair used Nakamichis and other recording equipment. They are very helpful and knowledgeable. ********************************** PART 2 SET-UP, USE AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS Set-Up It is best to use the simplest path possible to make the best dubs. What I do is connect both decks into the same tape loop. Here's how it works: Preamp(Receiver)>Deck 1>Deck2> Preamp(Receiver). There are other advantages to this aside from having only a patch cord between decks. While you are dubbing you can listen to something else. It also frees up an extra input on your preamp(receiver). Obviously you record from deck 1 to deck 2 so it is best to have deck 2 be the better deck. When you just want to listen to tapes you use deck 2. If you want to record from something other than a tape you either record on deck 1 or pass the signal through deck 1 to deck 2. For best results you could physically remove deck 1 from the chain but that would be a pain. If you have a deck that has playback fine tuning features such as the Nakamichi Dragon and CR-7A you will probably want to have it in the playback position. Do some experimenting and see which decks work best in the play and record positions. If you have one deck that is a Nakamichi and one that is not you will probably want to pay particular attention to which one you use for which purpose. Keep in mind that a tape made on a Nak will sound best when played back on one. It is better to not stack your stereo equipment on top of each other. You should isolate your amp or receiver as far away as possible from your other equipment. Try to keep other electrical appliances as far away as possible from your audio equipment. Once you turn your cassette decks or other equipment on you should leave them on until you are through with them for the day. Equipment such as preamps and CD players that do not run hot should be left on all the time. Each time you turn a piece of electronic equipment on or off you send a surge through it. Leaving equipment on but idle uses very little electricity. Your equipment will last longer and sound better when left on rather than turned on and off repeatedly. Audiophile cables are worth looking into and really can make a difference. The following are recommended. Prices are approximate and for a 1 meter pair. Kimber PBJ $65 Straightwire Flex Connect $50 Vampire (not sure of model) $30 Audioquest is also a good low cost alternative, but I am not that familiar with their line. AVOID Monster cable, the above are far better. Setting Levels Setting levels is going to vary from deck to deck for a variety of reasons explained below. You want to set the levels as high as you can to keep the music above the noise floor(hiss). If you set the levels too high the tape will saturate and distortion will result. With most chrome tapes on many decks you will want the peaks around +2 or +3 dB. Different tapes and decks will react differently. Consult your manual to see what it suggests as far as setting levels. Use that as a starting point and then experiment. See how far you can push different types of tapes before distortion begins. Once you find the point where your deck is going to distort try to stay about 2 dB below that level. First of all, 0 dB on cassette decks can vary from one deck to another whether by design or just by miscalibration. Most decks have a Dolby symbol somewhere on the meter and this *should* be considered the real 0 dB. Different meters also react differently, especially different types, i.e. needles, LED, fluorescent. Some meters are faster than others and also some are meant to show averages(needles) and not peaks. Slower meters are not able to "follow" a signal all the way up to the peak. Very fast meters can read peaks of +5 or more but this is for such a small fraction of a second that the tape will not saturate. These +5 peaks will more likely read at around +2 or +3 or lower with most other meters. Play recordings made on your deck on other decks and try to get a consensus of how differently your recordings are going to react. READ YOUR MANUAL. It will suggest recording levels based on how the deck has been set up. Some decks, especially ones with meters that show averages, should usually be set around 0 or +1. Very fast meters should usually be set with *peaks* at around +4 to +7. If your source material has high continuous levels you will need to set the levels lower or saturation will result. This is based on chrome tapes. Metal would be a little higher, normal bias a little lower. Experiment and see what works best. See how high you can push a tape before distortion results. Experimenting with test tones can lead to some insight. As an example I can use a test tone and match my two cassette decks to exactly 0 dB with a continuous signal. Peaks on my Onkyo TA-2056 of +2 dB will correspond to about +5 or +6 on my Aiwa F-990. Set the levels for the loudest part of the tape. Once you get the hang of this and get a good feel for your tape decks you will be able to do this fairly quickly. Keep mental or actual notes about where the peaks are on your tapes. Once you set the levels and start recording you should not change them so as to preserve the dynamic range. If there is an obvious change in level due to something non-musical, then it probably is a good idea to make subtle adjustments to compensate. Some purists say you should never adjust the balance between the left and right channels. The simple fact though is that after a few generations it is real easy for the balance to get skewed to one side. I personally prefer the levels to be close to even on average unless there is a good reason for them not to be. Some early(60s) tapes had a weird left-right balance and necessitate being off balance. Also, the Dead's drums/space segments will have odd balances on purpose. Use your best judgment. Find out what your trading partners prefer. Head Cleaning The best and cheapest method is to use swabs (Q-tips or whatever) and plain alcohol. Cassette cleaners that you insert in the deck are not as effective. First of all make sure you use something that has 90% or greater alcohol content. Most rubbing alcohols have around 70% and this is not good as there are too many additives which are not good for your deck. The best thing I have found to use is grain alcohol. Everclear is 95% alcohol, and I think it is the most concentrated you can get. I can't believe people actually drink the stuff. Another good choice is denatured alcohol which you should be able to get at a pharmacy. There are some drug store alcohols that are something like 92% for about a dollar. This is the cheapest way to go, but I think using Everclear or denatured alcohol is better. The 200ml bottle of Everclear will cost about $4 from a liquor store, and you will probably never run out of it. Keep the cap on tight as it evaporates easily. It is probably better to get the foam swabs rather than cotton as the cotton strands sometimes unwind and could get caught up in the deck. I still use the cotton though. Take the swab and dip it in the alcohol and then scrub the heads and anything else that the tape might touch. When the swab gets a little bit of brown gunk on it change to another. Do not use alcohol on the rubber pinch roller, or it can dry and crack. The safest thing to do is use only rubber cleaner on the pinch roller. At one point you could get rubber cleaner at Radio Shack but I have not been able to find it there lately. Places that sell professional recording or broadcast supplies should have it. I often use just a dry swab on the pinch roller. The capstan (metal pin above the rubber pinch roller) is usually spinning all the time when the deck is on. This makes it pretty easy to clean as you just have to press the swab against the capstan and the spinning does a pretty good job of cleaning. Some capstans only spin when there is a tape in the deck. In this case you can feel around at the top of the deck's well and find the switch that senses when a tape is inserted. Pressing the switch will make the capstan spin. The capstan is very important to keep clean because it is usually the culprit when a tape is "eaten." If the tape well in general looks dusty or grungy try to clean it up as best you can. A can of compressed air can be very effective. The alcohol usually evaporates quickly, but it doesn't hurt to go over everything with a dry swab to make sure everything is dry. Many decks have removable doors that make them easier to clean. Clean the heads about every 20-50 hours of use. Some decks get dirtier faster than others. If there is more than just a hint of brown stuff on your swab, you need to clean your heads more often. It does not hurt to do it too often. Demagnetizing There is much controversy concerning demagnetizing. A few say it needs to be done often, some say only once every few years and many say not at all or only when necessary. One thing I will say is DO NOT use the cheap demagnetizes that you find in record stores. These can cause more harm than good. Demagnetizing should only be done by a professional with professional equipment. The safe plan is not to do it all. If your deck is having problems and you are having it serviced ask the technician about demagnetizing. They will usually do it for free if you are already having work done. Otherwise, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Professional Maintenance It is a good idea to take your deck to a reputable repairman or high-end oriented audio store and have your deck professionally cleaned, aligned and calibrated. If your deck gets very heavy use you should do this about every year or so. If you are a little tight on money you can get by with every two or three years or so. At a minimum have them 1) calibrate the meters on playback and record 2) calibrate the transport speed 3) calibrate the bias to the tapes you use most often 4) clean and demagnetize(only if necessary) 5) set the head-azimuth to zero' 6) check the performance of the analog sections. After 5 or so years it is a good idea to have them check the motors if the deck has had very heavy use. This will cost approximately $30-$80, depending on where you take it and how much you need done. This can be done yourself if you really know what you are doing and have the right equipment. Bias Setting (Tape Types) There are three broad bias or tape type settings. These are: Normal or Type I Chrome, CrO2, High Bias, or Type II Metal or Type IV [Type III or Ferric Chrome is no longer available.] Each of the names on a line means the same thing. The first name is the most common in usage. Most cassette decks should have settings for the different types of tapes. Car stereos, boomboxes, and walkmen sometimes do not. In playback mode metal and chrome are basically the same. Many car stereos and walkmen have a playback setting that says chrome/metal. Many newer cassette decks have an auto setting so you do not have to even worry about setting this. Even with auto setting there should still be some sort of indicator light showing the setting. Fine Bias Within the normal and chrome settings there is also bias fine tuning that is necessary. Most better decks made within the last several years will have some sort of bias fine tuning. Some of the older decks may not. If your deck does not have any sort of fine bias adjust you should find out what tape the deck was factory set for and use that tape or have the deck recalibrated for the tape you want to use. Many decks are set for Maxell XL-II or TDK SA in the chrome position which are pretty close to each other as far as bias. The exception would be where the deck manufacturer also makes tapes in which case they would likely bias their decks for their own tapes. This is a concern that needs to be addressed with Sony and Denon decks. The deck's manual should say what tape the deck was set for. If it does not try contacting a service representative for the company or try experimenting with different tapes. (More on different tapes below) There are two ways of setting the bias fine tuning. With automatic systems it is usually just a matter of inserting the tape you wish to set the deck for and pushing a button. The deck will go through its motions for several seconds and then be ready to go. With a manual system there is usually a dial on the front of the deck. In the straight up position the dial should lock in place and be set for whatever tape the deck was biased for. The deck's manual will show where to set the dial for other brands of tapes. If the manual does not give the information you need, you can call a service representative or you can try to figure it out for yourself by ear. You will need a 3-head deck to set the bias by ear. Start recording a good sounding source(preferably a CD or LP) you are familiar with. Put your deck on source and get a good idea of how it sounds. Then switch over to tape and have the bias dial set to the straight up position. Slowly turn it to the right and see what it sounds like and then slowly turn it to the left. Your goal is to as closely as possible find the setting that will match the sound of the source to the tape setting. Resist the urge to set the dial only based on where the hiss is the least. This can result in dull highs. The difference in sound will likely be very subtle, so take your time and listen closely. The effects will be most noticeable in the high frequencies. Try this both with speakers and headphones. Dolby My best advice is to not use it. Most current tape formulations allow for very low noise so Dolby is not really necessary. To my ears, Dolby B is terrible and I try not to ever use it for any reason. It kills the high frequencies and sometimes causes weird phasing or pumping problems. Dolby C *can* work very well on a high quality deck. The problem is it only really works well when you play the tape back on the same deck it was recorded on. Results can vary considerably when tapes are played back on other decks. Dolby circuits in decks that cost less than about $250 or so are not likely to be very good. If you have a tape that already has Dolby on it the best way to copy it is to set the Dolby off on both decks. The copy will still have the dolby on it and will need Dolby engaged when playing it back. Most people don't want Dolby on their tapes though so most of the time you will decode the dolby on your play deck and then record without Dolby. Some dubbing decks will not let you do this. Multiple encoding and decoding of Dolby will make the sound worse and should be avoided. Dolby HX pro is a dynamic range enhancer, and on good decks is usually beneficial. It is on all the time. I have not heard a dolby S deck yet but have heard that it works very well, better than Dolby C supposedly. The advantage is supposed to be that you can play back a Dolby S tape with Dolby B and it will sound decent but not as good as played back with Dolby S. The MPX filter (not Dolby related) on cassette decks is intended to filter out unwanted multiplex noises associated with FM broadcasts. It does not need to be decoded on playback. It is not supposed to affect the sound of an FM broadcast, but I can hear a subtle difference so I don't use it. Experiment and see what you prefer. Erasure Prevention Tabs The tabs on the top of a cassette can be popped out to prevent accidental erasure of a tape. You can cover the hole with thin tape if you want to record over the tape. When doing this make sure you only cover the part where the tab was. The hole beside the tab is used for cassette decks that set the tape bias automatically. Also keep your tapes far away from electro-magnetic sources such as your speakers, TV and other electrical equipment to avoid erasure. Tape Length It is best to use 90s as much as possible. Use 100s when necessary. 110s should only be used when absolutely necessary. I would avoid playing 110s in walkmen, car stereos and boomboxes as the extreme tape length is bad for the motors. Avoid fast forwarding and rewinding when possible in any deck with 110s. The only two 110s I would consider using are the Maxell MX-110 and the TDK MA-110. I tend to prefer the TDK as it seems to put less strain on the tape deck. DO NOT use anything over 110. If something will fit on a 60(like some Dead first sets) check with who you are trading with to see if that is OK. Most people will prefer a 90 and then some filler. Be aware that tapes are not going to be exactly the specified length. They are always a little bit longer. There is usually about two extra minutes per side on most TDKs and Maxells. It will vary from batch to batch. Tape Brands Since most good decks now have bias fine tuning you can usually optimize the performance of your deck with just about any good quality tape. Still you should consider strongly the tape recommended in the deck's user manual and also try some experimenting. Maxell Maxell XL-II has pretty much become the standard among tape traders. Some people also like to trade with the nicer and more expensive Maxell XL-IIS. For the most part XL-II will do for most situations. XL-IIS can make a difference with super high quality low generation tapes. XL-IIS tapes have a nicer shell and also a higher bias so that you can record higher levels. If you do not have bias fine tuning you will see little to no advantage using XL-IIS tapes, unless your deck was factory set for them. Maxell's MXS metal tapes are extremely good but pretty much overkill in the world of tape trading. Their best use would be in dubbing exceptional tapes from DAT and for live recording. MX tapes are a notch down from MXS. In most cases XL-IIS will probably outperform MX tapes. Avoid the Maxell Capsule series. Many people feel that the XL-IIS and MXS are among the most durable tapes you can get, so there is some advantage to putting irreplaceable recordings on these tapes. TDK Although most everyone prefers Maxell, TDK tapes are at least worth a try. Some decks may work better with one than the other. If you do not notice any difference in quality get whichever is cheaper. Make sure with your trading partners which tapes you send them. TDK SA tapes are comparable to Maxell XL-II, SA-X are comparable to Maxell XL-IIS, MA are comparable to MX, and MA-X are comparable to MXS. TDK does make some real high end metal tapes above the MA-X but they are really only necessary in pro applications. TDK D tapes are good if you want something that is real basic and cheap. They are good for boomboxes, car stereos and walkmen. Denon If you have a Denon deck I strongly urge you to a least try a few different Denon tapes and see how they sound. Denon makes a wide range of very nice tapes. It should make sense that a company would set their decks for their own tapes. They make one of the best metal tapes I have ever encountered, but it costs about $7. If you do find that the Denon tapes sound better, urge your trading partners that you will be able to make them better tapes with the Denons. Sony I have never cared very much for Sony tapes, but if you have a Sony deck you should probably at least give the better ones a try. Fuji I have encountered a few people that have like Fuji tapes. I have not tried them. Nakamichi Nakamichi chrome cassettes are TDK SA-X but with a different (better?) shell and higher quality control. The tape is only taken from the center part of the large spools in manufacturing where the quality is more consistent. They are considerably more expensive than regular tapes ********************************** PART 3 TAPE TRADING INFORMATION AND ETIQUETTE Your List Your list should include: Band, Date, Venue, Source, Generation, Grade and Time(length). Source The source is how the master tape was made. A Soundboard (SBD) is a tape made from the direct outputs of the soundboard at a show. The sound is usually up front and very clear. Depending on how it is mixed there is usually little to no crowd/hall ambiance mixed in. These are generally the most desirable tapes. However, keep in mind that not all SBD master tapes are perfect and there are several examples of defects on them. In very small venues there can often be a very off balance mix if a tape is made from just the soundboard. A tape made with a mix of soundboard feed and mics used for ambiance can be very nice but done wrong can be really horrible. In the past couple years there have been some Dead tapes circulating labeled as SBDs but are actually tapes made from one of monitor mixes. These usually don't sound very good and will have an odd balance. They also might have the band talking to each other through their internal intercom system. Audience (AUD) tapes are made with microphones in the venue. With Dead shows most of these come from the taper's section which is behind the soundboard. Front of Board (FOB) tapes are recordings that are made from somewhere between the stage and the soundboard, usually stealth. Most consider the front of the soundboard a better place to record from. Stealth recordings are recordings that are made at shows or in parts of a venue where taping is not allowed. AUD recordings are rarely as clean as SBDs, but some people prefer them because they give a better sense of "being there." As some tapers are getting into better and better equipment, AUD recording are getting better and some sound very fine. One way to identify AUD tapes is if you hear people in the audience that sound near and distinct. The crowd (if any) on SBD recordings will always sound more distant. Recordings made off of the radio are usually designated FM. With a good tuner, FM recordings can sound quite good. Due to the limitations of radio the very highest frequencies are lacking and the dynamic range is compressed, however. Some p

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