problems recording vinyl to cassette

[admin_exported]

Hi all - I'm not getting sufficiently high recording levels using my
KX580. Quick set up spec - very obvious entry level so be kind please:

T/table - Project Debut II
Amp - Rotel RA921
Deck - Yamaha KX580SE
CD player (/recorder) - Sony 2 drawer job

Now
bear with me please. When I record to cassette from CD I can get BAGS
of level - if I wanted to peak at +8db I could do that no sweat. Of
course, I *don't* want to do that because the recordings would sound
horribly distorted when the dynamic range is at its fullest. Hence I
generally shoot for around +2db, maybe +4. This sounds good-to-great
with a chrome SA90.

So - no probs recording from CD to cassette.

The
difficulties arise when I want to record from vinyl to cassette. I then
find with a lot of my LPs that I'm struggling to hit 0db, even with the
KX580's record levels cranked all the way up. Sure, on well-pressed 12"
singles spinning on 45rpm I can normally get into the comfort zone. But
I don't want to have to make comp tapes from vinyl that are compromised
by all being at 0db. Basically I want more headroom" (is that the right
term?) from my KX580. OR more input level from the amp and or t/table.
One way I *can* get this is by coming out of the Rotel's headphone
socket and into the KX580 - I then crank the KX580 and use the Rotel's
volume control to increase the level of signal going to tape. But it
strikes me that this isn't a good solution because the circuitry from
the headphone out won't be as good as if it was coming out of the rear
of the amp in the way you're meant to do it. I've done some A-B
comparisons between tapes done via phones out and via the more
conventional way - but it's hard to assess them for the simple reason
that the former is louder on play back. Obviously.

Is this
making sense to anyone? I appreciate this is luddite stuff and that
history left me behind a decade ago. But for various reasons I still
use cassettes and plan to do so for the foreseeable future. And
although I do like the KX580s (so much so that I have 3 of them - and
yes I have swapped them around to isolate faults, and no - they're all
weak when it comes to obtaining high record levels from my set-up when
recording to tape from vinyl), I am getting a bit frustrated with their
apparent inability to get good signal to tape from vinyl. I guess my
amp could be playing up - but as I said, it works perfectly well for
processing signals from CD. I thought the t/table might be the weak
link so tried another stylus. Nope. Same story.

Maybe what I'm asking then is what's a good tape deck for recording vinyl? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.

 

[nads]

ok the bsics. the turntable is connected to the phono in?

the cartrige matches the phono stage?

all conections are clean?

should not be a problem.

 

[chebby]

The last time I had a cassette deck it was the Yamaha KX-580.

Never had any problems recording from vinyl to cassette. Ever. With any cassette deck or turntable. Levels were always very strong.

Obviously I am assuming your turntable sounds fine just playing normally (through the phono-stage in your RA821 amp) and that you don't have to crank the volume way up high to hear it at normal levels.

If so then there should be no problem recording from vinyl.

I simply don't understand unless your amp has a fault in it's phono-stage. (The cassette is obviously OK from what you have said.)

 

[ear]

Yep I only get more volume using a mixer with equalizer and some amplification built in ( + 6 db) very nice.Hard to finf them these days😛

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Might be the case that the Rotel's phono preamp just isn't sensitive enough for the cart on the project. You have three options as far as I see it:

1) use the headphone socket. TBH, unless you are using a CR-7E or Dragon, it will probably do the job fine (use a headphone splitter if you want to hear what you are recording (unless the rotel doesn't auto-cut the speakers)

2) get a different phono amp with a higher sensitivity than the Rotel (check the manual - it's probably something like 5mV whereas something like 2-3mV may be better).

3) Change your cartridge on the Project for something with a higher output...

If the recording quality from 1) sounds ok to you - just carry on doing that!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much everybody - these responses are very, very helpful. And dead quick too. I plan to ask various questions later.

Again - thank you! ;-)

 

[fatboyslimfast]

No worries Robbie...

 

[Anonymous]

So - after some thought I've decided to spring for a new amp. Gulp.

Budget is as tight as the proverbial duck's, so I'm aiming low. Really low. At least for now. I'm guessing that to equal my Rotel RA921's performance I could maybe go for the Richer Sounds dobber, the Cambridge A1 (V3) - I seem to remember What Hi-Fi giving it the full ticket a few years ago. Will check back issues later. Or - OR - maybe I should get the Pioneer A209R. I have no idea what the mag thinks of this one, however. I know, the best solution is to audition them with my little Kefs. Hopefully they'll be agreeable to that at the shop. In the mean time though, can anyone give me some advice please - it would be greatly appreciated. I do appreciate I'm bottom-feeding with these choices but I really am feeling the pinch at the moment, unfortunately. A planned up-grade of the whole system has had to be put on hold and it's a case, largely, of make do and mend. Thanks in advance all.

 

[fatboyslimfast]

DON'T DO IT...

Seriously - the A1 (and the A5 for that matter) will be a serious step back from your RA921 - in fact, I sold my A5 recently when I chanced upon a 25yr old RA820. The 820 blew the A5 away...

Richer sell a phono preamp for 20 quid - this would be a better bet, and if it doesn't work, they may well take it back (if not, ebay it for a tenner, and then you've only lost a tenner)...

 

[Anonymous]

Okay - point taken. Thanks. I may well give the preamp a go - but say I was going to go for an amp (haven't had an xmas prezzie off the folks yet - just remembered), what do you think would sit well with my little Kef Cresta 1s? I don't need much, obviously - but a built-in phono pre and phones socket are a must. Any ideas? I guess I'm open to 2nd hand stuff via eBay (or any other outlets you could recommend). Cheers!