TP-028, Nat Adderley's Work Song is now available

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Messages - Kenkirk

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31
Tape Tech / Re: eq options .... external device?
« on: October 23, 2008, 01:28:30 PM »
Thank you Arian for the information. I figured it would get messy, and all of those parts would start to mess with the overall sound as well. I am not so concerned with the 23db loss as I was going to use my Cat Ultimate phono stage which is a M/C phono stage and will need padded down anyway to compensate for the higher output of a tape head. But it sounds like it would turn into a trial and error project with the time better spent just building a Seduction or something else.
Thanks again!

Ken

32
Tape Tech / Re: eq options .... external device?
« on: October 22, 2008, 10:39:46 AM »
Excellent write up!  And I think you are the one who could figure out how to make another passive circuit that would roll in the IEC curve and an inverse RIAA curve to feed a tape head directly into a nice phono stage! Can it be done???

Thanks,

Ken

33
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Re: Otari MX 5050 B III service manual
« on: October 20, 2008, 10:14:38 AM »
Hi Steve,

Thanks for the link. I can't find a B III service manual on that site anywhere! I do have a nice Operators manual which has general service for the deck, but it does not have the schematics or more detailed replacement procedures. I just want to get deeper into the deck. I also want to know how to date my deck from the serial number. It looks factory fresh on the inside.

Thanks and if you can find a direct link to the service manual, a big thanks!  :-)

Ken

34
Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Otari MX 5050 B III service manual
« on: October 20, 2008, 09:13:36 AM »
I can't seem to be able to find anyone selling a service manual for the B III. Anyone know where to buy one. I guess I can give Otari a call, but a PDF would be good enough for my use.

Thanks!

Ken

35
General Discussion / Re: The Tape Project and TAS
« on: October 09, 2008, 07:36:07 AM »
I used to ride my bike to Radio Shack several times a week and just dream about having a fancy stereo, cb radio, etc. One of the family friends upgraded his hi fi to stereo and donated to me his Williamson tube amp and Heath FM tuner. I then was given a huge home made speaker ( 4.5x 3.5x 3.5 feet ) with University Drivers and crossover. It was mono, but you could hear it and feel the bass across the street. Later as a teenager in the 70's, I saved up and bought a Kenwood KR 4070 receiver. Finally I had state of the art, no warm up time. When I first turned it on, I just sat there wondering what was wrong... It was loud, but not nice, not musical. But I decided that is the way recorded music is supposed to sound, and I moved on. Fast forward 30 years and I friend hooked up a nice tube amp one evening. All the memories of beautiful music came back. The next day I went on a tube amp hunt. Ended up with the Cat gear. At the time I owned a  very nice pair of Classe CA 300's in monoblock. I have heard some of the best solid state amps out there including the Mark Levinson 33's, Halcro's, etc. The Cat amps sound better to my ears. I will never go back to transistors for my main stereo system. Magic in those tubes!!

Ken

36
General Discussion / Re: The Tape Project and TAS
« on: October 08, 2008, 07:44:35 PM »
No, you need the ears to hear this stuff. Age is catching up to to me, so I figure I'd get
a good sound system while I still can hear it. Thank you for this information.I had expected the CD to win,but I guess it is more Cassette 1 quality like people are now finding out. For some reason I can't tell much between a CD & SACD
but I do know the few tapes I have more life than digital.

(1) I was going to say 8-track but I might get banshed for a month saying that word here.

Ears and experience for sure. And I think a good cassette is much better than cd. My Nakamichi Dragon can make just about a perfect recording of a lp, cd and SACD. Only the reel to reels are too much for the dragon to handle. Well actually it gets about 90% of the TP tape sound, but it is still like a veil comes down on the music. But the copy I made of one of my TP tapes on my Dragon is still the best sounding cassette I have ever heard. But when I want to listen to it, I just cue up the reel.  Too bad they did not make a 2 track Dragon that ran at double speed.

37
General Discussion / Re: The Tape Project and TAS
« on: October 08, 2008, 08:32:38 AM »


Still I would like to compare the 'best 7 1/2 tape' possible with a CD just see how they compare if anybody wants to duplicate a TTP tape, as a informal test.


I have done this with a 4 track. The source was a Tascam TSR 8 multitrack. The music was a local blues band I recorded multi mic, multi track. I mixed it down to stereo on my Teac X2000r at 7.5 ips usig my Mackie 24/8 board. I also made a stereo mix on my Alesis Masterlink at 24/88.2. I then used the Masterlink to rip red book cd's at 16/44.1. I used my Wadia 860 to play the cdr. I compared the Teac 7.5 ips tape to the cd, and also to the 24/88.2 master on the Masterlink. The tape sounded better. Only place the 24/88.2 sounded better was in the kick drum slam. But overall, the Teac sounded more like the 8 track master. My Otari MX5050 b III ( stock )at 15 ips 2 track pretty much nails the sound of the Tascam 8 track. But as you know, this is all mid-fi pro gear. The TP tapes are made with the best. I have not gotten to the bottom of these tapes with my Otari, that is for sure. I would think the difference between 7.5 ips on a nice 2 track deck vs. red book cd would be even greater. But in all systems, you need the speakers to be able to hear this stuff.

Ken

38
Suggestion Box / some rock
« on: October 07, 2008, 12:21:41 PM »
Janis Joplin " Cheap Thrills"
the Doors " debut lp" or "Strange Days "
Hendrix " Band of Gypsies" I have the 7.5 ips reel and it sounds very good.
War: Eric Burdon " Declares War"

Ken

39
Suggestion Box / Re: Hopefully, a slam dunk suggestion
« on: October 07, 2008, 11:59:33 AM »
I have the reel to reel on Capital made by Ampex . Even at 7.5 ips, it is an incredible recording. I agree, this would be a huge score for the Tape Project!!!

Ken

40
Suggestion Box / Re: Some Female Vocal Suggestions
« on: October 07, 2008, 11:54:34 AM »
Linda Ronstadt did 3 lp's with Nelson Riddle back in the early eighties:

"Whats' New"
"Lush Life"
"For Sentimental Reasons"

Her vocals are at their peak, the band is wonderful. The dynamics on vinyl are excellent. It would be a nice big artist score if you could get the masters!

Ken

41
Arnold Overtures / Re: TP-003 - Oh my!
« on: October 01, 2008, 10:04:17 PM »
Oh My indeed! This tape is absolutely incredible. This is what analog tape is all about. Out of the park home run. Goose bump city. Wonderful. Wow!  More like this!!

Ken

42
Yeah, that phono stage is killer! I had a SL1 Signature for 12 years before buying the Ultimate. I hate to think what some guys would charge for just the phono stage. I listened to the other full function preamps before upgrading,.. the Hovland was beautiful but the bass was absent, the Ayre K1x was a close second but it was a tad cold. One of these days I need to send the CAT back to Ken for upgrading (mines a Mk-1) but I'm so happy with it, I think it's the last thing in my system I'd ever really need to upgrade.
Heck,.. it even has a tape loop!

Agreed. I have tried at least 4 or 5 high end preamps/ phono stages, but after several days of close listening, I always went back to the Cat Ultimate. I have not sent mine back for the Mark II upgrade either. I have 3 friends that all have the Mark II, and the only difference I can hear in their systems is a slightly lower noise floor. If mine needed work ( repair ) I would get it upgraded. Other than that, I not just looking for things to spend money on! Seen the stock market lately?? Ouch! :-)

I did pull out my reverse RIAA adapters. The guy closed them up with large pieces of heat shrink tubing. Looks like there are 2 caps, and they are probably those custom Cat caps with probably no markings. I need to find some large heat shrink before I rip them open. Anyway, the way he made them is there is a rca male on one end, a rca female on the other, and between them are a pair of caps, and several resistors all neatly wrapped up in heat shrink.

Ken

ken

43
Yea, I need to just build a Seduction. Later when the catalog of 2 track tapes justify it, I would love to have the all out unit.

But I really love the Cat phono stage and it just might be possible to get excellent sound from it. I wish that tech at Cat still worked there. He could have whipped one up for me so quickly. He was really clever and knew the Cat inside and out.

Ken

44
I just remembered I also have an Old Dynaco Stereo tube integrated amp that has a tape head input. Maybe a schematic and some smart EE guy can come up with how to tweak the old dynaco for IEC.

Guess I am going to have to start splicing into the Otari soon. I just must have a tube head amp! :-)

Ken

45
Excellent. I could even open up one of the reverse RIAA networks to see the values used. The tech used to work at Cat and knew what he was doing. I am sure Ken Stevens could put something on paper.

Ken

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