Dual Cassette Overdubbing?

[gatorfoot]

Hi all. Is it possible to overdub on a dual cassette deck, using the line-in? I just wanted to record voice on top of previously recorded material. Advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[stevieb]

Only way I can imagine that working is to remove the wires from the erase head. You could wire in a mini-switch so you could turn the erase head on or off.

Otherwise, I can not think of any way to do what you want to do, with access to only one deck, regardless of it having one or two cassettes in it.

 

[SteveM]

The line in is turned off when you are dubbing from one cassette to the other. So there is really no way to get in there unless you were to modify the tape decks electronics, somehow. You could go through a mixer with a cassette deck and the live signal to a second tape deck.

 

[gatorfoot]

Only way I can imagine that working is to remove the wires from the erase head. You could wire in a mini-switch so you could turn the erase head on or off.

Otherwise, I can not think of any way to do what you want to do, with access to only one deck, regardless of it having one or two cassettes in it.

Interesting. A guy I know that overdubs on a dual cassette deck claims to have "tricked" the unit somehow, so maybe this is how he's done it.

How involved is it to remove the erase head wires, and wire in the switch?

Thanks for the advice...

 

[gatorfoot]

The line in is turned off when you are dubbing from one cassette to the other. So there is really no way to get in there unless you were to modify the tape decks electronics, somehow. You could go through a mixer with a cassette deck and the live signal to a second tape deck.

So the live signal is on the mixer and would allow for overdubbing from the one deck to the other? Sorry, I'm new to all of this. Thanks!

 

[stevieb]

From memory, I think the wires are not too hard to see and access- but wiring a switch might be iffy, as it probably is pretty tite in there...

Go buy a couple of very cheap cassette decks from a second hand store and try it out on them.

 

[mikemorgan]

Yes, it can be done.....it's been a while.

Instead of letting the machine start both tapes at once......start tape one, hit record on tape two. This was how I used to multitrack back in the day. I've done it hundreds of times, still have that deck too, just not in front of me right now.

 

[gatorfoot]

Yes, it can be done.....it's been a while.

Instead of letting the machine start both tapes at once......start tape one, hit record on tape two. This was how I used to multitrack back in the day. I've done it hundreds of times, still have that deck too, just not in front of me right now.

So in other words, indicate "syncro start" recording, but don't start the decks together? I thought that was automatic for both decks to start in sync, but I guess not?

 

[SteveM]

Yes, it can be done.....it's been a while.

Instead of letting the machine start both tapes at once......start tape one, hit record on tape two. This was how I used to multitrack back in the day. I've done it hundreds of times, still have that deck too, just not in front of me right now.

No kidding? I'll have to try this. So you can record now like this with the rca inputs as well?

 

[mikemorgan]

Well, maybe not. I'm looking at my old JVC deck. It has a 1/4 jack on the front with a level control, and was specifically designed to overdub. As I recall, that's why I picked it from the herd. I know the procedure was, set deck two to record and hit pause, then start deck 1 playing, then release pause on deck two. It may not work with line in sources, sorry, my bad.