Recent content by C. Lewis

Calibrating I know I already mentioned this a while ago, but it was amazingly helpful to me: I just worked on my TSR-8 by following the recent article in Tape Op <www.tapeop.com>, and it really made a difference in both the fidelity of the recordings and my confidence with the equipment. It...

Differences in CD, CD-R, vinyl One interesting thing to note about CD-R and CD media: At extremely cold temperatures, the coating on a CD-R seems to change viscosity, disallowing my car CD player's laser to read it. I have never had this problem with ANY CDs. Come to think of it, I haven't...

It was Quantegy. And I assumed sealed, unless they open it in order to make it filthy. Most Radio Shack employees in this area haven't the dexterity (mental nor physical) to operate boxes, however. I'm serious.

TapeTape I've always gotten my reels from TAPETAPE.COM -- very reliable service, and both new and used tape is available. I know some thing it's heresy, but you can use one-pass tape for half the price of new and get fantastic results. I have also seen Radio Shack carrying reel-to-reel tape...

"Tape Op" Nov/Dec 2000 issue: "An Intro to Analog Tape Deck Calibration Fun," pp. 42-45. The magazine is available for free at circulation@tapeop.com or go to the tapeop.com website.

One just went for $500 on e-bay, from a private seller.

What do you mean the store has an RNC in stock for $300? You mean the compressor? Why not get it direct for $200? Or is that in Kronor?

Whew. Thanks for the critique. Your post is exactly why I wondered if anyone had A/B'ed this to something like the art. I look at the spec's sometimes and wonder how significant such #s are to someone like me (who routinely cranks my once-busted-neckt SG thru the overdrive just to get the...

Wow: Larry Crane's mag did a really nice article on rebiasing and head maintenance. Getting back to Kristian's comment on how little activity goes on here in the analog neighborhood, could it be that (for most of us) the _sources_ of our information are analog, too? The same things that make...

Dear recordists: Has anyone used this mic pre-amp? I saw Guitar Center has it listed for under $400, while everyone else on the planet seems to put it around $650. For under 4, it seems like a great deal. Better than the 2 Tube MPs I was thinking of buying. --Chandler

I'm an analog recorder/digital masterer -- I love my TSR-8 for recording and my Mac for dumping to 2-track masters and burning CDs. The problem is that I've been dumping to SpinDoctor, which has a weird way of coloring the higher frequencies (cymbals mostly). First question: Is that the...

I've been using a TSR-8 for a while now and truly, deeply love it. Something to condsider, however: in the end, it's much cheaper to record on digital media. Quantegy 1/2" runs $18 a reel for used tape. For new, $35. Another thing that may push you toward digital is the maintenance issue...

I actually prefer 456, since it seems to keep better. I've had bleed-through problems with 499 (and yes, I store them tail-out). You can still hit just as hard, as well, and get nice, saturated harmonic distortion. For which tape variety has your machine been calibrated? If you can...

Good question! I bought my DSP used and have been muddling through without a manual, but it does off things now and then (it says BATT when switched on, but the toggles through the different modes and works fine; but now some LEDs are not working 100% of the time). Anyone have any PDFs...

I've found it at both Sam Ash and Victor's House of Music (large East Coast retailers), so I would be confident that a large chain retailer would have it or could get it. One caveat: It will sell for $38 for a 2500' reel of 456. Go to TapeTape.com or Tape.com to get it more cheaply (a bulk...