The Unbearable Hiss of Being

One other thing to keep in mind is that this recorder has a signal to noise ratio of only 43db and the amps on these types of units, from personal experience, are pretty noisy especially when cranked up to any appreciable level. Add it all up and you've got a pretty lousy recorder. Point is that what I think I'm hearing is tape and amp noise combined. Again, as per my previous post, I'd not be surprised if what you're hearing, without any actual tape playback, is either amp noise or the unit is faulty in some way (if constant level noise is still heard when all is set to "0" or above).
 
I realize this post is a decade old, but I still play with the Porta02 MKII for fun.

I'll confirm that loud hiss in the headphones at all times. It is independent of the volume control, which makes me think there is an extremely noisy output stage after the control. I'll try to see if I can confirm if the same hiss is present on the line-outs during playback, independent of volume control.

I wouldn't expect such hiss even from cheap electronics, and I would think Tascam circuits would be a cut above the minimum.

Update: one tip: it seems you can reduce the line-out hiss by cranking up the output volume near the max and reducing the input gain of the next stage, typically the amplifier you'll be listening to.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top