Mastering for cassette tape release?

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XerXes

i am the one who is who i
I can't really find info on this anywhere on this board or the internet at large...

I am doing a project for a cassette tape release... I received a test proof of the tape. with the audio on that tape, it seems like the lower mids are boosted, and that the higher mids have been subdued... the high frequencies as well, but the changes in the mids seem the most substantial.

my question is: is this typical when going to cassette? if so, should i simply compensate my digital master by cutting the lower mids and boosting the higher range of mids? i'm weary about sending a master out that doesn't sound right and hoping it will sound right once put on cassette.

info:
i am sending a cd-r master, the tape is bin loop mastered process.
this is a "noise" release, but I am still very concerned about getting a great quality sound.

if anyone can help, it is deeply appreciated.
thanks
 
Maybe the real MEs will correct me on this, but IMHO you should not be trying to "lead" the mastering the way a quarterback would try to lead a receiver by throwing the ball where you think he's going to be instead of where he is.

Rather, there's a reason you received a test print; exactly so you CAN critique it and respond with how you'd like it tweaked. Just tell them what you just told us and let them make the appropriate adjustments..

G.
 
I'd go along with that.

But no doubt - A (especially a high-speed) cassette copy is going to sound different - Perhaps a lot different. Cassette sounds like crap. It's always sounded like crap. It was never made to sound "great" - it was made to be portable. Shocked me how decent they did sound. If those "bumps" you're hearing are acceptable, I'd leave them - The next tape might sound different anyway.

If nothing else, talk to the plant and see what they say on the matter. They might be making minor cuts and boosts themselves (most of them did).
 
Also agree. The master that you send should represent the final version of what you want it to sound like. Obviously going to tape as well as Dolby will affect the sound, but you shouldn't be compensating for it in the master.
 
Make sure you preview the test tape on a good cassette player.
Ideally the test cassette should sound quite close to your CD-R but with tape hiss of course noticeable in quieter passages. If dubbed without Dolby it should sound flat if hissy.
If there are significant changes in eq there's something amiss.

The exception is if the tape has been Dolby B encoded in which case it should sound significantly brighter and more "squishy" in the highs than your CDR, with the tape hiss more masked by the program. Whether it's Dolby encoded or not should be your choice.

The giveaway for badly maintained dupe gear is poor/crushed highs, which is what you seem to have. Also, level and eq differences between left and right, and side 1 and 2.

Poor/crushed highs can partly be a function of the record levels they use when dubbing. Unlike digital there's no sharply defined clip point and unless you advise them, the dupe house will make their own decision as to how hard they drive the cassette copies from your CDR - often driven too hard, and often to try and mask poorly maintained gear.

These days especially, duplicating houses might be reluctant to spend the money on proper maintenance of analog tape duplicating gear if it's being less and less used (if at all) and so makes less and less money for them.

In the end it's an act of trust because on a large run you wont be able to check the quality of each and every copy, even if the test cassette sounds acceptable.

Good luck, Tim
 
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