What level of fidelity can you get from this recorder?

[Herr Joachim]

Sony pro cassette recorder
How would it compare to a tascam 246 for instance?

[A Reel Person]

The Sony is the "SONY WALKMAN PRO WM-D6C CASSETTE RECORDER".

It is a Walkman. It will record to cassette tape in stereo format.
It is pocket sized and has the following key features:

Dolby B.C noise reduction
tape type : normal,Cr02,metal
tape counter
record level indicator and battery indicator
headphone volume
tape speed tune on-off fast-slow
line in
DC in 6V
mic attenuation 20dB - 0dB
record level
mini jack stereo mic input

[The Ghost of FM]

The SONY Professional cassette recorder WM-D6C was in fact not a truly professional recorder from Sony in that it was part of their consumer product line-up for several years and hovered around the 3 - 6 hundred range. It recorded at standard 1, 7/8 IPS speed and had exceedingly compact internal circuitry to save space and to save power consumption, driven by 4, AA penlight batteries.

The TASCAM 246 Portastudio was in a much higher class of fidelity because of its superior/faster running speed of 3,3/4 IPS and powered by a higher degree of discrete circuity signal support and loads more headroom thanks to the built in dbx noise reduction and a healthy power supply to drive it all including its respectable 6 channel mixer.

The Sony was at best, a nifty techno toy of its day because of the advent of bootleg recording concert underground popularity and for those who wanted to do a bit of field recording of dialog and sound effects of which I too was an owner and user of one during the production of a concept album done back in 1987 by myself and a good friend and band mate.

We used the WM-D6C to record original folly samples that would be used later in the project for effect while blending songs into each other in concept album format. It performed admirably for its task with us, sounding clean and quiet enough with Dolby C engaged netting a 75db s:n ratio which was more then quiet enough for our work with it.

Your question is a bit of a bizarre one in that the two units you seek comparison on were intended for very different markets and end users. Almost like asking how does a go cart compare to a Roman royal chariot, carried by slaves.

Cheers!

[A Reel Person]

The Tascam 246 is a Portastudio.
It also records to cassette tape, but that's where the comparison ends.

The Tascam 246 has the following key features:
~ Records 1- to 4-tracks simultaneously
~ Overdub capability
~ Single- and double-speed tape speed
~ dbx noise reduction
~ 6 mic inputs
~ 6 mixer channels with 2-band EQ, Pan and Inserts
~ 6 VU meters
~ RTZ, Cue and Endless-Loop playback modes
~ Tape Cue monitor
~ Digital tape counter
~ 2 headphone jacks
...
The Tascam 246 and Sony Walkman Recorder are two very different units, with two specifically different applications.

Technically speaking, the Tascam blows the Sony away.

[exojjl]

I dont remember the question being comparing the functions between the two but rather the fidelity between the two!!!!!!
I'd go with the tascam none the less!

[A Reel Person]

Ghost refers to the S/N ratio on the Sony Walkman recorder as about 75db with Dolby C.

Tascam specs the 246's S/N ratio at 90db with dbx.

[Herr Joachim]

Thanks for your input.

I was thinking of something portable for stereo recording, mainly piano or small chamber setting or guitar and voice. No need for overdubs. I mentioned the 246 since i've tested it briefly, and thought it seemed good. These days i'm pretty sick of computers and would love to use some analog gear instead.
I've tried the Yamaha mt100 and a broken tascam 4-track (can't remember which), and figured if the Sony gave similar or a little better quality compared to the yamaha it could be a nice option. I don't have any clients (which i'm sure you guessed by my post), but need only somewhat usable tracks to send a label i'm in contact with.
I have two Gefell um70's and a dmp3 which should do fine. I have a laptop with an echo card too, but like i said i'm not too fond of computers. Something like the Sony or a small 2-track reel to reel would be very convenient. Any tips?

[A Reel Person]

I like it, and I've done a fair amount of it, but I think you'd have a higher potential in production value with something like the Tascam 246, with it's 6-inputs to 4-track capability, EQ, mixer functions, and high speed tracks. The 246 is one of my favorite machines, and it's an excellent 4-tracker.

Y'know what, I'm game for however much production value you're into. If you want to bring on the reel & small mixer systems, then bring them on! I certainly have no problem with that, and a r/r tape would yield even higher fidelity than any cassette based system. However, for the all-in-oner's and Portastudio class of recorders, you can hardly go wrong with the 246. It has great features and makes excellent recordings.

I think of the pro cassette Walkman Recorder as something for field recording, pocket/scratchpad recording, or for making bootlegs. Minidisc has the Pro Walkman beaten nowadays for bootlegging, anyway, but that's another post! On the other hand, something along the lines of the 246 is a total production machine.

Reel/mixer systems are also fine in my book. Something along the lines of a 22-4 and an M30 would be cooltime. I mean, you implied compact, right? For compactness you have to stick with the Portastudio, but if you want the big guns, maybe get a 34, 34B or 38. I recommend Fostex secondarily, & they had several compact reel/reel 2, 4 & 8-tracks.

None of these analog recorders or mixers are prohibitively expensive these days. The trick is to get the nicest machine at the lowest price, and get it delivered successfully in one piece. For however much money you want to spend, the equipment's there for you.

You led off asking about a Walkman Recorder in comparison to the 246. You want flexibility, convenience & portability and a quality recording for your sessions. The 246 is in a whole other league of recorders than the Pro Walkman. I'd bet money that in capable hands the 246 would produce a noticeably better recording, overall, than the Pro Walkman. Not that the Pro Walkman isn't a nice recorder, but the 246 is better. You know I'd say that, anyway, it seems like the obvious answer.

With multiple tracks, (4), it's not always about overdubbing. Sometimes it is, like with strictly solo work, but other times it's a matter of how many tracks can you record simultaneously in a live room that factors into your resulting sound quality.

Reels & mixers are surely nice, but you kinda emphasized portability and convenience, so I'd have to say start with a nice Portastudio, 246 or other.

One last thing, but you asked about sound quality, and the first thing I responded to was features. I happen to think that the more complex, quality or sophisticated the features of a recorder would in general lend itself to being able to produce better recordings, and having a higher feature set would hopefully actively translate into getting a better sound onto tape.

Gosh, I'm sorry if I repeat myself.

Anyway, best of luck!

[jpmorris]

Originally Posted by Herr Joachim

Thanks for your input.
I have two Gefell um70's and a dmp3 which should do fine. I have a laptop with an echo card too, but like i said i'm not too fond of computers. Something like the Sony or a small 2-track reel to reel would be very convenient. Any tips?

For a portable RtR, I think you basically have two choices:
1. Uher 4200 (the mono 4000 was extensively used for broadcast ENG)
2. Nagra mk4 (which will cost a small fortune on ebay and a big fortune from Kudelski)

For a luggable, the Revox B77 has a handle, although it weighs about 17kg. I don't know if the Fostex model 20 has a handle like the R8, but I think they only weigh about 13kg (thus spake the A8 manual).

Other than that, I might suggest a decent minidisk recorder, even though it is not analogue. With those you can do an optical-in to the computer to keep it digital.

[A Reel Person]

but the R8 does, and it is a handy feature! (Heh: pun).

The Model 20 and R8 are both nice machines.

Again, the portable Minidisc would be superior to the Pro Walkman, if you need a handheld sized unit.

[Herr Joachim]

Thanks again. You guys are great.
Both the uher and the nagra look very neat. I think maybe an uher would have been really nice.
Minidisc just doesn't look to me like it has any musical purpose.

[cjacek]

I would love to get a Nagra but even the old Nagra III, mono units, in pretty used state, cost several hundred dollars. Plus, I bet some inside components of such an old recorder would be rotting by now. There are some that restore those cool Nagras but still these cost lots. The newer Nagras, the IV's, in good cond, are pretty expensive. Hey, if I could find a nice lower use and more recent Nagra, mono or stereo, for about $500, I'd love it.

The Uhers, as I understand it, have kinda strange connectors that made me rethink getting a Nagra instead. Tho the Uhers seem extremely well made.

~Daniel