A comparison of mp3 versus cassette tape.

  • Thread starter Thread starter jedblue
  • Start date Start date
jedblue

jedblue

beep beep beep beep beep
Hi there folks. I thought I'd put up another comparison for you this time with audio.

This is a comparison of the same tune on 256k mp3 from two different sources, one sucked off a cd and the other from a cassette. It is exactly the same recording treated in two different ways. The cd one has come directly of the Boss BR1600 DAW, normalised to 100%, burnt to cd, ripped to mp3 in Windows media player then uploaded to mp3.com.au.

The cassette one was recorded onto my Akai GX-95 Reference Master deck directly off the BR1600 (still 16 bit 44.1kHz) then recorded back to the BR1600, peaking at -10db, normalized to 100%, burnt to cd, ripped to mp3 again using Windows media player then uploaded to mp3.com.au. A new type II C12 cassette was used and the Akai was biased to this individual tape with Dolby C and HX-PRO engaged, peaking at 0db.

This is the deck (the one on the middle);

CIMG1865.jpg

Here is the cd to mp3...

http://www.mp3.com.au/Forms/MediaView.aspx?MediaId=134938

and here is the cassette to mp3...

http://www.mp3.com.au/Forms/MediaView.aspx?MediaId=134964

I'll let you decide what the difference between the two is in your own mind.

G
 
That is an interesting experiment, but both are MP3s in the end. If the cassette was a higher definition, it would now be lost in the MP3 translation you made. :) But I can do this experiment in my own home with albums I have the original cassettes of, along with duplicates on CD that I have personally ripped to MP3.

In the end, I honestly feel a 320kbs MP3 is more pleasant souding than any cassette I have...except a couple which are strictly for the fact that the sound of the warn out cassette is now a part of how I need to hear the music...ie, Bon Jovi New Jersey. It just doesn't sound right any other way because I listened to it on cassette to point it literally sounds like dogshit.
 
I'll re-do them as 320k mp3's and see what comes out Outlaw. I didn't think I could but I've found a converter that'll do them. I've also noticed there is a normalisation error on the cassette one that drops the volume about 30 seconds in so don't bother running them as a comparison at the moment.

G
 
Well, neither sounded very good from this end but the CD version was unbearable. Not sure if what I got was even worse than it is.

Jedblue, you record some good talent. I liked the song. :cool:
 
So the original recording music was tracked and mixed on the Boss? It just doesn't sound like a 16bit digital recording on either one.

I am not trying to be offensive, but it sounds like it was tracked on a Portastudio.
 
Interesting experiment. The 320k MP3 of the CD was very spiky, but I think all MP3's, even at this higher rate, sound that way. The cassette was weird, a little hollow sounding, but I think I prefer that MP3 to the other.
 
HUH! That's a really cool song and I dig the style (sorta "semi-unplugish" and wild) and I appreciate the "special" dynamic and attitude of the song (hard to explain what I mean in short, so I won't even try). Three and a half thumbs up. :)

Sorry, I kinda, don't give a rat a$$ about the "mp3 vs mp3" experiment part of this story. So no comments there heh heh :p :D
 
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