Back in the 70'sand 80's when cassettes were the standard for music playing, the decks from the major manufacturers, wanting to get a slight advantage over the competition, would have their decks play slightly faster than standard, usually around 2%. In the showroom, when you brought in your favorite music tape, the effect was slightly higher pitch and clearer sound. (at least, that was the perception). After you bought the machine, and used it for a while, the mechanisms would loosen up and the tape would play even faster. I was in the cassette duplication business and I calibrated hundreds of tape decks. I never found a new one that didn't play slightly fast. I was using professional calibrated speed tapes and a Sound Technology 1500 tape recorder analyzer for calibration. Radio stations had been using the faster speed trick for years on their music in order to sound more exciting than the other stations. When CD's were introduced, the players had a jumper that could be cut for a 2% speed increase.
I recorded an A 440hz tone on a TDK SM10 using a calibrated nakamichi 1000zxl 30 years ago. It has worked for easy accurate testing ever since. No test equipment needed.
I have a few boom boxes and you can adjust the speed. If not on the board there is a adjustment that can be done on the back of the motor through a small hole, I currently have a boom box that has adjustments for both normal and high speed dubbing
I changed the pinch rollers and belts with new ones on my Sony TC-WE835S. The 10 minutes 3kHz test cassette I bought does not have constant frequency. It started at around 300xHz then gradually reduced to 296xHz in about 5-6 minutes then went back up to 297xHz in the last 2 minutes. The difference is about 40Hz. It that normal? Should I calibrate in the first 3 minutes or wait until after 6 minutes? Thanks.
2:40 if you record a tone on a good quality ferric tape using a Quartz locked recorder like a WM-D6C that is in good condition, it will be fine. Something with a quartz locked transport will always be on the ball unless its in bad condition and needs servicing.
If you have recorded tapes made on the same machine (like I have) and want the same speed on another "new" machine (to play recorded tapes accurately), use a tape recorded (in previous machine) from CD. For this, use a headphone. Use the same CD and play it on for example the left channel. Play the recorded version on the right channel. Try to synchronize both versions (this real fun!). When both versions sound the same, stay long in sync (since tape is analog and CD digital), you have the correct speed for your recorded tapes. To get the azimuth right, the same as on recorded tapes (without any noise reduction turned on), use a amplifier with a mono switch or use a headphone with a stereo to mono connector. Play a recorded tape and listen to the high frequencies. When changing the azimuth you will hear the high frequencies change. You need to find the right 'spot' to get highest clear sound without any artifacts. If dolby was used on any of the tapes, it also sounds better. When the heads have the same azimuth (as recorded tape), the sound is not muffled (or less) when dolby switched on. If you don't have tapes, a new user to tapes, you can do what you describe in your video to get the 'right' speed (and azimuth by using the callibration tape) however if you have (many) unique recordings made on a different machine, it is another story. Callibrating the speed to a 'calibration standard' after you made some recordings effects the playback speed of the recordings previously made. I know analog is never precise as digital and because of that everybody creates there own standard when start to record something without callibrating. That is what normally happen, recording and assume it is the right speed. It is never exact as you showed us so what if you started wrong? Hundred of tapes doesn't sound correct, run on the incorrect speed when callibrating 'correctly'. Callibration is good however, when you start fresh. Calibrate to a 'standard' doesn't make sense when you have recordings previously made. I suggest to use your own standard (like I explained before) if you use it to playback your own previously made recordings. In modern times, I think every transport needs a tweak control, to tweak the age of time. Like Nakamichi did with auto azimuth. Every tape is unique like every recorder is.
Can't you just record the audio from a CD and the same album from a pre-recorded tape into the computer, place both waveforms into audacity, and then line up the beginning of a song? Then look at the end of the song, and you should be able to see a shift. The other way is to just listen to a song. Does the beat sound off? Are the notes slightly flat? It seems like the higher tones are more noticeable when things run slow.
If there is no potentiometer for one side you must write down the high speed frequency of the fixed one then adjust the high speed pot of the other one to that frequency, There should be pins to short to activate high speed, refer to service manual to avoid the magic smoke, soft touch decks should have a button combination to press to activate high speed/service mode. Cheaper decks will have one motor shared for the two, those will be simpler to adjust.
Great vid In my Tascam midistudio 644 when it plays it is ok but when recording, the recording is shaky. I think it's Flutter's problem. Could it be that with this stay I could solve this? thank you
I do not trust this without one additional step. You must know the absolute length and use a stop watch to set the speed . Without this step it cannot be precise. Using a tone is a secondary or tertiary standard , only using a timer from start to stop, marking the points with a felt pen and then measyuring the true length will give the absolute speed. I would disassemle the tape and measure it on a linear table and then reassemble it. No need for a time period over 3 minutes because that would be cumbersome and possibly reduce the accuracy of the measurement. I was a i&c tech And this is how we had to deal with all possible variations and midtakes by other parties. Larry k
I didn't want to spend a dime, yet I needed to calibrate my tape player/recorder speed to at least know how far off it was. I had a commercial cassette tape of a well-known artist. On UA-cam was an "official" recording of the same album. I digitized my cassette tape with my tape deck and Audacity and also downloaded the UA-cam recording using YTD downloader and loaded it into Audacity. Looking at the "waveforms", I highlighted the same song from both versions, and read the duration of the songs. With a calculator, I calculated the per cent change in speed (-2.2 %) for my tape song to equal the duration of the UA-cam downloaded song. Then I could either capture from my tape player and change the speed -2.2% in Audacity, or adjust the tape player speed to be 2.2% slower. If you can assume the tape player/recorder has about the same deviation when recording, you can create a tone tape by recording a tone that is higher according to your calculations and then adjust the motor until the tone equals the desired calibrated frequency. Not the easiest process, but a "bush fix" of sorts.
I was thinking of doing the same, recording a song from a commercial retail cassette tape to PC, and then comparing the duration of that song to a digital copy ripped from a CD. Then repeatedly re-recording and adjusting the tape motor speed until the duration of the song from the tape version is within a second or two in variance. What about the Azimuth calibration, is there a free method that you know of?
I use an Android phone with a Anker usb c hub, a tecknet usb sound adaptor plugged into that hub, switch the android usb to midi mode, plug a cable into the mic socket on the tecknet and one into the headphone socket on the deck. Then I use this video - ua-cam.com/video/wbd2gGtXh0w/v-deo.html - to playback a 400hz tone and an app called Spectroid to analyse the tone. Put as tape into the deck and switch between source and playback....this only works on a 3 head deck obviously. On Spectroid for it to be fully accurate you need to change the FFT size to 8192 bins.
While these tests help calibrate your machine so your tapes play and record at the correct settings, they're meaningless when playing recordings that were made on other machines that may not have been calibrated. If all you ever play are commercial cassettes and tapes recorded on your own calibrated machine, then you're good to go.
Back in the 70'sand 80's when cassettes were the standard for music playing, the decks from the major manufacturers, wanting to get a slight advantage over the competition, would have their decks play slightly faster than standard, usually around 2%. In the showroom, when you brought in your favorite music tape, the effect was slightly higher pitch and clearer sound. (at least, that was the perception). After you bought the machine, and used it for a while, the mechanisms would loosen up and the tape would play even faster.
I was in the cassette duplication business and I calibrated hundreds of tape decks. I never found a new one that didn't play slightly fast. I was using professional calibrated speed tapes and a Sound Technology 1500 tape recorder analyzer for calibration.
Radio stations had been using the faster speed trick for years on their music in order to sound more exciting than the other stations. When CD's were introduced, the players had a jumper that could be cut for a 2% speed increase.
hah that is wild :)
I recorded an A 440hz tone on a TDK SM10 using a calibrated nakamichi 1000zxl 30 years ago. It has worked for easy accurate testing ever since. No test equipment needed.
I have a few boom boxes and you can adjust the speed. If not on the board there is a adjustment that can be done on the back of the motor through a small hole, I currently have a boom box that has adjustments for both normal and high speed dubbing
Yes this is correct, and I have done this with the Victrola boombox in a later video.
How do i adjust the high speed dubbing
Can i connect my tape deck to a pc using a mini jack to rca cable?
what over the years.... over decades, man!
I changed the pinch rollers and belts with new ones on my Sony TC-WE835S. The 10 minutes 3kHz test cassette I bought does not have constant frequency. It started at around 300xHz then gradually reduced to 296xHz in about 5-6 minutes then went back up to 297xHz in the last 2 minutes. The difference is about 40Hz. It that normal? Should I calibrate in the first 3 minutes or wait until after 6 minutes? Thanks.
A mitad del cassette,no ajustar el principio,ni final...cuando cambie sus belt yo prefiero usarlas unos días y ya después de su uso,justo corregir.
To avoid buying a test tape, could you just use a normal tape and then compare that frequency output to the song on youtube or something?
I ran into the same thought. In my opinion, technically doable. The thing is that you don't know if the tape was recorded at the right speed.
Very Thank you Sir 🙏
Please! I need to buy a test cassette and link for test software works on windows7?
2:40 if you record a tone on a good quality ferric tape using a Quartz locked recorder like a WM-D6C that is in good condition, it will be fine. Something with a quartz locked transport will always be on the ball unless its in bad condition and needs servicing.
Isn't it 440hrz for adjusting speed?
No, Most are 3k or 3150hz, but depends on what deck you have, Update some use 440hz and guitar sound meter
If you have recorded tapes made on the same machine (like I have) and want the same speed on another "new" machine (to play recorded tapes accurately), use a tape recorded (in previous machine) from CD. For this, use a headphone. Use the same CD and play it on for example the left channel. Play the recorded version on the right channel. Try to synchronize both versions (this real fun!). When both versions sound the same, stay long in sync (since tape is analog and CD digital), you have the correct speed for your recorded tapes.
To get the azimuth right, the same as on recorded tapes (without any noise reduction turned on), use a amplifier with a mono switch or use a headphone with a stereo to mono connector. Play a recorded tape and listen to the high frequencies. When changing the azimuth you will hear the high frequencies change. You need to find the right 'spot' to get highest clear sound without any artifacts. If dolby was used on any of the tapes, it also sounds better. When the heads have the same azimuth (as recorded tape), the sound is not muffled (or less) when dolby switched on.
If you don't have tapes, a new user to tapes, you can do what you describe in your video to get the 'right' speed (and azimuth by using the callibration tape) however if you have (many) unique recordings made on a different machine, it is another story. Callibrating the speed to a 'calibration standard' after you made some recordings effects the playback speed of the recordings previously made. I know analog is never precise as digital and because of that everybody creates there own standard when start to record something without callibrating. That is what normally happen, recording and assume it is the right speed. It is never exact as you showed us so what if you started wrong? Hundred of tapes doesn't sound correct, run on the incorrect speed when callibrating 'correctly'.
Callibration is good however, when you start fresh. Calibrate to a 'standard' doesn't make sense when you have recordings previously made. I suggest to use your own standard (like I explained before) if you use it to playback your own previously made recordings. In modern times, I think every transport needs a tweak control, to tweak the age of time. Like Nakamichi did with auto azimuth. Every tape is unique like every recorder is.
hey can you post a link to the wow and flutter meter software you used
www.ant-audio.co.uk/index.php?cat=post&qry=library
@@BrettDarien amazing thank you
@@BrettDarien also what is the name of the device you used to connect the cassette deck to the computer
It was a EZ Grabber 2, but you can also use the line-in jack on your sound card if you have one.
Maybe with 3 head deck and monitor option enabled you can calibrate it in real time with a pc making the freq in real time.
Can't you just record the audio from a CD and the same album from a pre-recorded tape into the computer, place both waveforms into audacity, and then line up the beginning of a song? Then look at the end of the song, and you should be able to see a shift. The other way is to just listen to a song. Does the beat sound off? Are the notes slightly flat? It seems like the higher tones are more noticeable when things run slow.
This was helpful, thanks!
How to adjust hi speed dubbing speed?
it is just doubled speed. There must be trimpot for highspeed, look inside. Cheers, 😎
If there is no potentiometer for one side you must write down the high speed frequency of the fixed one then adjust the high speed pot of the other one to that frequency, There should be pins to short to activate high speed, refer to service manual to avoid the magic smoke, soft touch decks should have a button combination to press to activate high speed/service mode.
Cheaper decks will have one motor shared for the two, those will be simpler to adjust.
Thanks for the video. I was with you until screws started to look like potentiometers.
Great vid In my Tascam midistudio 644 when it plays it is ok but when recording, the recording is shaky. I think it's Flutter's problem. Could it be that with this stay I could solve this? thank you
awesome!
I do not trust this without one additional step.
You must know the absolute length and use a stop watch to set the speed . Without this step it cannot be precise. Using a tone is a secondary or tertiary standard , only using a timer from start to stop, marking the points with a felt pen and then measyuring the true length will give the absolute speed. I would disassemle the tape and measure it on a linear table and then reassemble it. No need for a time period over 3 minutes because that would be cumbersome and possibly reduce the accuracy of the measurement. I was a i&c tech
And this is how we had to deal with all possible variations and midtakes by other parties. Larry k
I didn't want to spend a dime, yet I needed to calibrate my tape player/recorder speed to at least know how far off it was. I had a commercial cassette tape of a well-known artist. On UA-cam was an "official" recording of the same album. I digitized my cassette tape with my tape deck and Audacity and also downloaded the UA-cam recording using YTD downloader and loaded it into Audacity. Looking at the "waveforms", I highlighted the same song from both versions, and read the duration of the songs. With a calculator, I calculated the per cent change in speed (-2.2 %) for my tape song to equal the duration of the UA-cam downloaded song. Then I could either capture from my tape player and change the speed -2.2% in Audacity, or adjust the tape player speed to be 2.2% slower. If you can assume the tape player/recorder has about the same deviation when recording, you can create a tone tape by recording a tone that is higher according to your calculations and then adjust the motor until the tone equals the desired calibrated frequency. Not the easiest process, but a "bush fix" of sorts.
I was thinking of doing the same, recording a song from a commercial retail cassette tape to PC, and then comparing the duration of that song to a digital copy ripped from a CD. Then repeatedly re-recording and adjusting the tape motor speed until the duration of the song from the tape version is within a second or two in variance. What about the Azimuth calibration, is there a free method that you know of?
I use an Android phone with a Anker usb c hub, a tecknet usb sound adaptor plugged into that hub, switch the android usb to midi mode, plug a cable into the mic socket on the tecknet and one into the headphone socket on the deck. Then I use this video - ua-cam.com/video/wbd2gGtXh0w/v-deo.html - to playback a 400hz tone and an app called Spectroid to analyse the tone. Put as tape into the deck and switch between source and playback....this only works on a 3 head deck obviously. On Spectroid for it to be fully accurate you need to change the FFT size to 8192 bins.
W&F hard and soft @
While these tests help calibrate your machine so your tapes play and record at the correct settings, they're meaningless when playing recordings that were made on other machines that may not have been calibrated. If all you ever play are commercial cassettes and tapes recorded on your own calibrated machine, then you're good to go.
seller could have easily lied about his equipment. Easy money.
Such as my spelling.
Please don't put your laptop on the carpet floor...