Date:         Tue, 8 Nov 2005 20:58:07 -0500
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
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From:         Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: need audio cassette deck suggestions
Comments: To: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Hi David:

From what you're describing (mono WAV, etc), this is spoken-word content? If
so, I can't see the need for heaping hundreds of dollars on a vintage Nak
Dragon. Tascam still makes very good cassette decks, for a few hundred
dollars at most. I believe Yamaha also makes cassette decks for the consumer
market, and perhaps others, which probably cost less. Any of these will be
just fine for spoken word transferred in mono. I'm guessing most of these
tapes were made with mono portable recorders anyway?

If I were in your shoes -- assuming my guesses about the audio quality of
the content are correct -- I'd buy a moderately priced machine and keep at
what you're doing and use the rest of your budget for the pizza and beer
party you well deserve for taking on that most tedious task!

If, on the other hand, you were transferring soundboard tapes from a great
jazz festival or nightclub, I'd say get a Dragon and shoot for the moon with
quality. But I can't see it for mono spoken word tapes.

-- Tom Fine


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Rice" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 9:34 AM
Subject: [ARSCLIST] need audio cassette deck suggestions


> Hi Audio List,
>      I am doing a large analog to digital conversion project
> (several thousand hours)  from audio cassette masters of radio
> broadcasts. So far the project has been going well creating 16 bit,
> 44.1 mono WAV files using an M-Audio box and Pro-Tools, but yesterday
> my audio cassette deck died. I am seeking suggestions on how or where
> to get a good audio cassette deck for this project. If possible I
> could use suggestions in a few price ranges.
> Thank you.
>
> David Rice
> Archivist
> Democracy Now!
> 87 Lafayette St.
> New York, NY 10013
> Phone: (212) 431-9090
> Fax: (212) 431-8858
> Email: [log in to unmask]