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Re: tape digitizing

Subject: Re: tape digitizing
From: "John" jmccubbinmd
Date: Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:42 am ((PDT))
--- In  "marcelo" <> wro=
te:
>
> Thanks John,
>
> Yes, they are all cassettes. We do have digital recorders, a Marantz PMD =
660 and a Marantz PMD 620. However those are mostly for getting recordings =
in the field. Digitizing 700 cassettes can easily take several months so it=
 doesn't make sense to keep them in the lab all that time. Even if we may u=
se one of those exclusively in digitizing I think that recording straight t=
o a hard drive is much faster and those digital recorders can't do that. So=
 we have to buy a device. I am mostly concerned about the quality of the ca=
ssette tape desk. What should be the minimum requirements in order to keep =
the quality of the recordings? We are applying for funding to get this equi=
pment so, what would be a good cassette tape desk?  One more question: Does=
 the quality of the cable connecting the tape desk with the computer matter=
?
>
>
> Cheers
>
>
> Marcelo Araya
> Laboratorio de Bioac=FAstica
> UCR
If you are going to do 700 tapes, I'd get a dedicated deck, a USB or Firewi=
re digital interface (which really does all the work), and then you'll have=
 high quality components all through the chain of conversion.

Even modest analog to digital converters might suffice, depending on your g=
oals.  When I capture live audio to a computer (essentially the same thing =
you are doing), I use a fireface 800, which is known to have some of the be=
st analog to digital converters out there.  Since you are going to do two c=
hannels, at most, you can use its little brother, the fireface 400.  If the=
se are unreplacable recordings, then I'd use the best converters I could fi=
nd.  If you are just cataloging sounds that you just want to keep, but aren=
't critical, PreSonus or M-audio gear is very good, and really you could us=
e any firewire interface out there.  I use a Presonus DigimaxFS to expand m=
y Fireface 800 and it connects via ADAT optical. The pre-amps and A/D conve=
rters are very clean.

Note, I can tell a clear difference between my M-Audio Firewire810 interfac=
e and my RME Fireface 800 or 400.  The M-Audio is okay, but the RME is just=
 cleaner and does a better job.  The PreSonus channels are nearly as good a=
s the RME.

For simplicity sake, USB is less finicky, and you are going to be feeding l=
ine level audio into the interface.  So you don't need phantom power, XLR i=
nputs, etc.  Something like this:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/PreSonus-Audiobox-USB-104841978-i1388074.gc

...would do very nicely.  The front inputs are combination XLR and 1/4", an=
d you can take a high quality tape deck, feed the RCA out into the 1/4" in,=
 and it will go straight to the hard drive.  I record 10 channels simultane=
ously on a laptop on occasion via firewire.  You will have at most two chan=
nels and this should work well on almost any computer through the lower spe=
ed USB line.  That unit has pre-amps and A/D converters that are fairly hig=
hly rated by the people who use them.  I like my PreSonus pre-amp, A/D inte=
rface.

Here is a run down on cassette decks and technology:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/gdead/taping-guide/part1.html

Something like this unit should allow you do go digital between the SPDIF o=
ut of the unit to the SPDIF in on the digital interface, which should give =
you as noise free conversion as possible.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CC222SLmk2/

Here is the list of Tascam alternatives,

http://www.sweetwater.com/c797--TASCAM--Cassette_Decks?gclid=3DCI7t5v31j50C=
FdFJ2god9XqK2w

You may note that several of those Tascam units also allowed tape -> CD con=
version.  But, as you probably know, CD-R's don't last all that long.  They=
 are certainly not archive material.










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