****************GUIDE TO CASSETTE DECKS AND TAPE TRADING********************** by MICHAEL BELL mbell@mail.utexas.edu version 2.02 July 1995 Permission to copy this document or *complete* parts is freely granted. Please do not break up sections. ****************************************************************************** INTRODUCTION This is a very opinionated guide to help in the purchase and use of cassette decks. It is aimed in general at people who trade tapes of live music and in particular at Grateful Dead tape traders. I do not in anyway condone the sale or purchase of unauthorized recordings. I have no financial interest in any of the companies mentioned. Most of this is based on my own experiences. I have also taken into account the opinions of people I trust regarding audio equipment. Thanks go to the following: Ken Hays of Terrapin Tapes The good people of Audio Systems, Austin, TX Marc Nutter of Sonic Sense John Longmire Eric Doherty Jeff Tiedrich Melissa Agar Jeff Maggard The many contributors to the various Usenet newsgroups including: rec.music.gdead rec.audio.high-end rec.audio.opinion rec.audio.pro & the Phish FAQ I welcome all comments, suggestions and questions. If your favorite cassette deck is not listed here and you think it should be, tell me about it and what decks you compared it to. In future editions I hope to include a glossary of terms if I can figure out how I want to put it together. ************************************************************* Table of Contents INTRODUCTION PART 1: CASSETTE DECKS: A BUYING GUIDE NEW CASSETTE DECKS Shopping Extended Warranties Dual-Well Cassette Decks USED CASSETTE DECKS Used Cassette Deck Price Guide Where to Find Used Cassette Decks PART 2: SET-UP, USE AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS Set-Up Setting Levels Head Cleaning Demagnetizing Professional Maintenance Bias Setting Dolby Erasure Prevention Tabs Tape Length Tape Brands Part 3: TAPE TRADING INFORMATION AND ETIQUETTE Your List General Tape Trading Etiquette Part 4: HOW TO GET STARTED Grateful Dead Hour Local Friends Buying Tapes at Cost Tape Trees Groveling Adopt-a-Newbie Suggestions On What Tapes To Start With Deadbase Terrapin Tapes The Live Taper's Survival Guide by Jeff Maggard Appendix Other Recording Formats What About the Magazines and Specifications? ************************************************************ PART 1 CASSETTE DECKS: A BUYING GUIDE The cassette deck market has changed quite a bit in the last few years. Single well decks are becoming rare and 3-head decks are now almost non-existent. The other thing is that most of the decks available now are crap. Like with many other types of audio and video equipment, the current trend seems to be to pack on as many features as possible, but this comes at the expense of the overall performance quality. Most of the cheaper decks today are going to break down under the constant use of tape traders. Here are my very biased suggestions on looking for a good cassette deck. I would consider myself an audiophile and also have some experience in professional recording. You can take that for whatever it is worth. For the record I have an Onkyo TA-2056 and an Aiwa AD-F990. Both are 3-head and date from 1985 or 1986 or so. I bought the Onkyo at dealer cost and the Aiwa used from a friend. If I had the money I would have Nakamichis. Why do I need a good cassette deck? You may say all you care about is the music and you don't really care about spending a lot of money on a good cassette deck. Well, for one thing you might change and start to care about better sound. I strongly believe good sound goes a very long way in the enhancement of the musical experience. Also, the better your deck is the better dubs you can make, which makes you more desirable in trading. Better quality decks will also get you in a better position on a tape tree. A better built deck will last longer and when it does develop problems will be worth fixing. General Comments I lean toward 3-head decks because in most cases they perform better than comparable quality 2-head decks. With an individual head dedicated to playback and record they can each be optimized to best performance. Also, the ability to monitor the playback while recording can be extremely useful in use and calibration. Most features are of no real use and can sometimes degrade the deck's performance. This is particularly true of auto reverse. Since the heads have to move they become easily misaligned. The auto rewind feature on many Onkyo decks is not really useful but is not sonically degrading. A real time counter with time remaining can be extremely useful. Since even the better decks are not really built that well anymore, reliability is something that also needs to be considered. NEW CASSETTE DECKS Below are the new decks I think worth looking into. Most of them are 3-head and all of them should have some sort of fine bias adjust and Dolby B and C. All but the Nakamichis and the portables have Dolby HX. None of them should have auto-reverse unless specified. Nakamichi Nakamichi arguably makes the best sounding cassette decks you can buy new. However, they are not made as well as they used to be. If you run a Nak hard, like many tape traders will, it is going to be in the repair shop at some point. Actually, most any deck run hard is going to need work done after several years, but most people tend to expect more out of something that costs as much as a Nak. Look into extended warranties. Most people feel the older Naks sound better than the newer ones. (see below for a list of used Naks) The DR-1($929 list) and DR-2($749) are both 3-head decks. The main advantage of the DR-1 over the DR-2 is the user azimuth adjust which helps to optimize playback of tapes made on other machines. The DR-3($429) is a 2-head deck that will out perform just about every other currently available 3-head deck. The Nakamichi pro decks are worth a look. The MR-1 is a 3-head deck with XLR in/out and 1/4" in and costs $995. The MR-2 is a 2-head deck, has 1/4" and RCA in/out and runs $695. They do feature pitch control which is difficult to find on quality decks these days. These decks sound great but apparently suffer from some of the same reliability problems as the current Nak consumer models, but probably not near as bad. It should be noted that tapes made on Nakamichi decks will not sound their best unless played back on a Nakamichi. The problem is not like it was with older Naks, but it still exists to some degree. Keep this in mind when tape trading. Sony ES The Sony ES series is beginning to look like a good possible alternative to the Nakamichis. The TC-RX606ES ($400 list) is just about the only decent deck with mic inputs, but it is a 2-head model and unfortunately has auto reverse. The 3-head models include the top of the line TC-K909ES($790) which looks like a very nice deck. The TC-K717ES($560) does not spec as well as the other 3-head decks mentioned in this article but seems to sound good and is built solidly. I have not had the opportunity to listen to any of the ES series cassette decks, but I have heard good things from reliable sources. They are among the few decks with the new Dolby S. Another plus to the Sony ES series is the three year warranty, and in general they should be very reliable. I don't like the regular (non-ES) Sony line very much at all and would avoid them. Aiwa The Aiwa AD-F850 ($400 list) is a 3-head dual capstan deck. I have heard some complaints about transport problems in Aiwas. My F-990 is about 9 years old and has given me little trouble. Like Nakamichi, the Aiwa decks are not built as well as they used to be. Consider an extended warranty. There is also an Aiwa AD-F950 which includes Dolby S and should have a list price of around $500. It was not listed in the Audio directory, possibly because it is a new model. For many years the upper end Aiwa models have proven to be very good sounding decks for the money. I've seen Aiwa decks listed in J & R Music World and other mail order catalogues for ridiculously low prices. Denon The Denon DRM-740 ($400 list) is a 3-head deck that is very reliable, but I don't think it sounds quite as good as Aiwa. The DRM-540($250) is a good 2-head deck for those on a limited budget. Tascam Pro The Tascam 122 MkII is virtually the industry standard in studios and has recently been replaced by the 122 MkIII. Many feel it does not sound quite as good as the Nakamichi MR-1, but as far as reliability it is nearly indestructible. There is a host of user accessible calibration adjustments on the front, and other features that are very useful but mainly in a studio setting. XLR, RCA and 1/4" jacks are supported and it costs around $1000. The 112 MkII is essentially a 2-head version of the 122 with a few less features, but it does have pitch control. It runs for around $650. The 130 is a 3-head deck that does not have the studio oriented features of the other decks and runs for around $450. Portables Sony Pro The Sony WM-D6C Pro Walkman might possibly still be available if you look in the right places. The TC-D5 portable is no longer available. These were the recorders of choice for Grateful Dead live tapers until DAT machines took over. Both are 2-head, and both have pitch control. Connections on the D6 are via stereo mini-plugs(ugh). Connections on the D5 are 1/4 inch mic (D5M), XLR mic (D5ProII), and RCA out. There is a slim chance that some mail order professional recording or broadcast suppliers might have these decks in stock. They should be somewhat available on the used market since many who used them are switching to DAT. The D6C costs around $450 new, the D5 was around $650 to over $900 depending on the configuration and accessories. Used D5s should be around $300-$400. Used D6s should be around $200-$225. Marantz The Marantz PMD430 costs around $500 and I believe was very popular in the professional broadcast world and in field work. It has pitch control, 3 heads and quarter inch and RCA jacks but does not have Dolby C. It is probably easier to find new than the Sony decks. Again look at places that sell pro recording and broadcast equipment Shopping All of the above prices are list price(or estimates of list) and should really only be used for comparison purposes. Actual prices will vary considerably from brand to brand and store to store. Most of the above equipment will not be available at mass market stores such as Circuit City and Best Buy. Regular prices at independent audio retail stores will likely be fairly close to list, but in exchange you will get good one on one service and a chance to listen to the equipment. Some of the more upscale stores will have nice listening rooms and will often let you take equipment home to try it out. Some independent retail stores will sell for lower or have sales often. Things will be different in different parts of the country. The best prices are usually available with mail order where you can get in the neighborhood of 10%-20% or more off of list price. Be careful with mail order and know who you are dealing with. Using a credit card is a good idea as the credit card company will back you up if you have problems. Ask about warranties. You may not get a manufacturers warranty if the mail order company is not an official dealer for the specific product line. The rec.audio.marketplace newsgroup occasionally posts surveys of mail order places. Our friend, Ken Hays, at Terrapin Tapes 1-800-677-8650 will offer prices competitive with any other mail order outfit and he will treat you right. For the pro decks mentioned you will need to check with music stores or other places that sell professional recording equipment. If the above prices seem too high to you, I strongly recommend searching out the used market(see below). Extended Warranties Extended warranties for as much as 5 years can be had for as little as $35 and are certainly worth looking into. Do not pay too much and do read the fine print. It is best if the extended warranty is from the manufacturer. If you do get an extended warranty, try to get one that will allow general maintenance and use it for all it is worth. Take the deck in to have it adjusted, aligned and internally cleaned about once a year. Even if you don't get an extended warranty it is a good idea to have this done. New decks costing less than about $250 are rarely worth an extended warranty or even getting repaired, which is another reason for avoiding them. Also, certain credit cards will double your warranty. If you are doing, or plan on doing, some very heavy taping, your deck is likely going to need some kind of service within 5 years. Dual-Well Cassette Decks I don't think too much of dual-well decks, but if your are on a very tight budget it may be the only way to go. At this point my main recommendation would go to the Sony TC-WR801ES ($430 list). The TC-WR901ES ($670) is nicer, but at that price you are likely better off looking into separate decks. The Denon DRW-840 ($400 list) is worth looking into. If you are really broke consider the Denon DRW-660 ($300 list). Anything less than this is not going to sound very good and is going to break under moderate to heavy tape trading use. USED CASSETTE DECKS In the past I have not thought it a good idea to buy a cassette deck used since they have so many small moving parts. But given the sorry state of the market today it now looks like one of the better ways to go. I strongly believe cassette deck quality peaked between 1983 and 1987 roughly. They sound better, are built better, and don't have a lot of unnecessary features. Don't buy one from a Deadhead, they work cassette decks to death. Try to get one from someone who did not use it too much. However, avoid anything that has been sitting completely unused for more than a year or so. Check all transport functions and make sure they all work smoothly. A good tape to use to test the deck is something with acoustic piano on it. Listen for wobble or flutter in the tone and a fuzziness on the attacks. See if the dealer/owner will let you try the deck for a period of time. Avoid decks with auto reverse and other unnecessary features. It will cost more to buy a deck from a dealer but they hopefully will have refurbished the deck and will also offer some sort of warranty. Most any Nakamichi deck made since 1979 would be a good choice, just be real certain the transport is in good condition. The earliest Naks are the most durable. The older top end(3-head) Onkyos and Denons where very good and rugged. Aiwa is worth looking into, but like the Naks beware of transport problems on more recent models. Pro models from Tascam/Teac, Fostex and Tandberg are sometimes worth a look but are generally not too common on the used market. Always try to get a 3-head model, but Nak 2-head decks are generally fine. Some sort of fine bias adjust is also a good idea but will not be very common on older models. The original box and manual is a plus. Mainly look for decks from the middle 1980s Used Cassette Deck Price Guide Namamichi: 3-head %481 $200-250 (no monitoring) 581 $250-300 (no monitoring) ^581Z $275-325 ^582 $300-350 ^670ZX $300-400 *680ZX $450-550 *681ZX $400-500 (no monitoring) *682ZX $450-550 ^LX-5 $350-450 *ZX-7 $550-650 *ZX-9 $750-900 CR-3a $325-425 CR-4a $425-525 CR-5a $500-600 *CR-7A $750-850 *RX505 $650-750 *DRAGON $800-1100 BX-300 $375-425 Cassette Deck 1 $450-550 Cassette Deck 1.5 $400-475 DR-1 $500-600 current DR-2 $400-500 current 2-head 580 $150-200 (no metal) BX-1 $125-175 BX-2 $125-175 %BX-100 $150-200 BX-125 $150-225 %BX-150 $175-250 %480 $150-200 CR-1a $125-200 %CR-2a $150-225 LX-3 $250-350 RX-202 $300-400 Cassette Deck 2$200-250 DR-3 $250-300 current Pro Models MR-1 $475-550 3-head MR-2 $350-425 2-head Portables 350 portable $125-175 w/power pack $275-350 2-head *550 portable $350-500 2-head * = Classic Nakamichi, very desirable, highest recommendation ^ = Recommended % = Good low cost alternative (under $250) The BX and CR series will be worth the higher end of the scale if they have had the gear modification done. If the mod has not been done it is highly recommended that you get it done. The original transports in these units turned out to be very weak and prone to breaking in as little as 2-3 years. The gear mod can be done by any Nakamichi specialist and will fix the problem. Be aware that tapes made on the older Nakamichis are not going to sound as good when played on non-Nak decks due to a difference in the head gap. If you get one of these decks it will be in your best interest to only use it when trading with other Nakamichi users. The CR and DR series should not be very problematic. Tapes made on non-Nak decks may not play well on certain Nak models but most of the better ones should play them fine. Aiwa and Denon 3-head decks: C. 1980-1984- $125-$175 C. 1984-1989- $150-$250 C. 1990-1994- $150-$200 Onkyo 3-head decks: C. 1980-1984- $75-$125 C. 1984-1989- $125-$200 C. 1990-1994- $150-$175 Condition and specific models will effect the prices greatly. When new, Aiwa, Denon and Onkyo 3-head models from the 80s ranged from $350-$700. I think Aiwa has had some models in the $1000 range at some point and used prices for those would be closer to $400. The above are essentially dealer prices and should come with the option of returning the deck and some sort of warranty(30-90 days is typical). You should pay less if buying from an individual or if details on the deck are sketchy and there is no option of returning the deck. Roughly 40%-50% of the original price for models from the 80s and slightly more for more recent decks is what you should be looking at. Some of the classic Nakamichi decks have a very high demand and actually command prices greater than 50% of the original price. Even if you have to get some small repairs done, I think you will most likely still be ahead on your money. If a cassette deck is going to have some sort of catastrophic failure it is most likely to occur in the first year or two. After that, most repairs concern replacing worn out parts which is usually not too expensive. Where to Find Used Cassette Decks The best deals will usually be found in the classified ads. There are also a variety of places on the internet including rec.audio.marketplace where you can find used audio equipment. There are some stores that sell used equipment and usually offer some sort of warranty, usually 90 days. Repair shops also sometimes sell some used equipment. Hunt around for deals in places that sell used electronics in general. Pawn shops are usually overpriced and won't take stuff back. They will often take a lower than marked price though. Sonic Sense, P.O. Box 61141, Denver, CO 80206 (303) 698-1296, sell and repair used Nakamichis and other recording equipment. They are very helpful and knowledgeable. PART 2 SET-UP, USE AND OTHER SUGGESTIONS Set-Up It is best to use the simplest path possible to make the best dubs. What I do is connect both decks into the same tape loop. Here's how it works: Preamp(Receiver)>Deck 1>Deck2> Preamp(Receiver). There are other advantages to this aside from having only a patch cord between decks. While you are dubbing you can listen to something else. It also frees up an extra input on your preamp(receiver). Obviously you record from deck 1 to deck 2 so it is best to have deck 2 be the better deck. When you just want to listen to tapes you use deck 2. If you want to record from something other than a tape you either record on deck 1 or pass the signal through deck 1 to deck 2. For best results you could physically remove deck 1 from the chain but that would be a pain. If you have a deck that has playback fine tuning features such as the Nakamichi Dragon and CR-7A you will probably want to have it in the playback position. Do some experimenting and see which decks work best in the play and record positions. If you have one deck that is a Nakamichi and one that is not you will probably want to pay particular attention to which one you use for which purpose. Keep in mind that a tape made on a Nak will sound best when played back on one. It is better to not stack your stereo equipment on top of each other. You should isolate your amp or receiver as far away as possible from your other equipment. Try to keep other electrical appliances as far away as possible from your audio equipment. Once you turn your cassette decks or other equipment on you should leave them on until you are through with them for the day. Equipment such as preamps and CD players that do not run hot should be left on all the time. Each time you turn a piece of electronic equipment on or off you send a surge through it. Leaving equipment on but idle uses very little electricity. Your equipment will last longer and sound better when left on rather than turned on and off repeatedly. Audiophile cables are worth looking into and really can make a difference. The following are recommended. Prices are approximate and for a 1 meter pair. Kimber PBJ $65 Straightwire Flex Connect $50 Vampire (not sure of model) $30 Audioquest is also a good low cost alternative, but I am not that familiar with their line. AVOID Monster cable, the above are far better. Setting Levels Setting levels is going to vary from deck to deck for a variety of reasons explained below. You want to set the levels as high as you can to keep the music above the noise floor(hiss). If you set the levels too high the tape will saturate and distortion will result. With most chrome tapes on many decks you will want the peaks around +2 or +3 dB. Different tapes and decks will react differently. Consult your manual to see what it suggests as far as setting levels. Use that as a starting point and then experiment. See how far you can push different types of tapes before distortion begins. Once you find the point where your deck is going to distort try to stay about 2 dB below that level. First of all, 0 dB on cassette decks can vary from one deck to another whether by design or just by miscalibration. Most decks have a Dolby symbol somewhere on the meter and this *should* be considered the real 0 dB. Different meters also react differently, especially different types, i.e. needles, LED, fluorescent. Some meters are faster than others and also some are meant to show averages(needles) and not peaks. Slower meters are not able to "follow" a signal all the way up to the peak. Very fast meters can read peaks of +5 or more but this is for such a small fraction of a second that the tape will not saturate. These +5 peaks will more likely read at around +2 or +3 or lower with most other meters. Play recordings made on your deck on other decks and try to get a consensus of how differently your recordings are going to react. READ YOUR MANUAL. It will suggest recording levels based on how the deck has been set up. Some decks, especially ones with meters that show averages, should usually be set around 0 or +1. Very fast meters should usually be set with *peaks* at around +4 to +7. If your source material has high continuous levels you will need to set the levels lower or saturation will result. This is based on chrome tapes. Metal would be a little higher, normal bias a little lower. Experiment and see what works best. See how high you can push a tape before distortion results. Experimenting with test tones can lead to some insight. As an example I can use a test tone and match my two cassette decks to exactly 0 dB with a continuous signal. Peaks on my Onkyo TA-2056 of +2 dB will correspond to about +5 or +6 on my Aiwa F-990. Set the levels for the loudest part of the tape. Once you get the hang of this and get a good feel for your tape decks you will be able to do this fairly quickly. Keep mental or actual notes about where the peaks are on your tapes. Once you set the levels and start recording you should not change them so as to preserve the dynamic range. If there is an obvious change in level due to something non-musical, then it probably is a good idea to make subtle adjustments to compensate. Some purists say you should never adjust the balance between the left and right channels. The simple fact though is that after a few generations it is real easy for the balance to get skewed to one side. I personally prefer the levels to be close to even on average unless there is a good reason for them not to be. Some early(60s) tapes had a weird left-right balance and necessitate being off balance. Also, the Dead's drums/space segments will have odd balances on purpose. Use your best judgment. Find out what your trading partners prefer. Head Cleaning The best and cheapest method is to use swabs (Q-tips or whatever) and plain alcohol. Cassette cleaners that you insert in the deck are not as effective. First of all make sure you use something that has 90% or greater alcohol content. Most rubbing alcohols have around 70% and this is not good as there are too many additives which are not good for your deck. The best thing I have found to use is grain alcohol. Everclear is 95% alcohol, and I think it is the most concentrated you can get. I can't believe people actually drink the stuff. Another good choice is denatured alcohol which you should be able to get at a pharmacy. There are some drug store alcohols that are something like 92% for about a dollar. This is the cheapest way to go, but I think using Everclear or denatured alcohol is better. The 200ml bottle of Everclear will cost about $4 from a liquor store, and you will probably never run out of it. Keep the cap on tight as it evaporates easily. It is probably better to get the foam swabs rather than cotton as the cotton strands sometimes unwind and could get caught up in the deck. I still use the cotton though. Take the swab and dip it in the alcohol and then scrub the heads and anything else that the tape might touch. When the swab gets a little bit of brown gunk on it change to another. Do not use alcohol on the rubber pinch roller, or it can dry and crack. The safest thing to do is use only rubber cleaner on the pinch roller. At one point you could get rubber cleaner at Radio Shack but I have not been able to find it there lately. Places that sell professional recording or broadcast supplies should have it. I often use just a dry swab on the pinch roller. The capstan (metal pin above the rubber pinch roller) is usually spinning all the time when the deck is on. This makes it pretty easy to clean as you just have to press the swab against the capstan and the spinning does a pretty good job of cleaning. Some capstans only spin when there is a tape in the deck. In this case you can feel around at the top of the deck's well and find the switch that senses when a tape is inserted. Pressing the switch will make the capstan spin. The capstan is very important to keep clean because it is usually the culprit when a tape is "eaten." If the tape well in general looks dusty or grungy try to clean it up as best you can. A can of compressed air can be very effective. The alcohol usually evaporates quickly, but it doesn't hurt to go over everything with a dry swab to make sure everything is dry. Many decks have removable doors that make them easier to clean. Clean the heads about every 20-50 hours of use. Some decks get dirtier faster than others. If there is more than just a hint of brown stuff on your swab, you need to clean your heads more often. It does not hurt to do it too often. Demagnetizing There is much controversy concerning demagnetizing. A few say it needs to be done often, some say only once every few years and many say not at all or only when necessary. One thing I will say is DO NOT use the cheap demagnetizes that you find in record stores. These can cause more harm than good. Demagnetizing should only be done by a professional with professional equipment. The safe plan is not to do it all. If your deck is having problems and you are having it serviced ask the technician about demagnetizing. They will usually do it for free if you are already having work done. Otherwise, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Professional Maintenance It is a good idea to take your deck to a reputable repairman or high-end oriented audio store and have your deck professionally cleaned, aligned and calibrated. If your deck gets very heavy use you should do this about every year or so. If you are a little tight on money you can get by with every two or three years or so. At a minimum have them 1) calibrate the meters on playback and record 2) calibrate the transport speed 3) calibrate the bias to the tapes you use most often 4) clean and demagnetize(only if necessary) 5) set the head-azimuth to zero' 6) check the performance of the analog sections. After 5 or so years it is a good idea to have them check the motors if the deck has had very heavy use. This will cost approximately $30-$80, depending on where you take it and how much you need done. This can be done yourself if you really know what you are doing and have the right equipment. Bias Setting (Tape Types) There are three broad bias or tape type settings. These are: Normal or Type I Chrome, CrO2, High Bias, or Type II Metal or Type IV [Type III or Ferric Chrome is no longer available.] Each of the names on a line means the same thing. The first name is the most common in usage. Most cassette decks should have settings for the different types of tapes. Car stereos, boomboxes, and walkmen sometimes do not. In playback mode metal and chrome are basically the same. Many car stereos and walkmen have a playback setting that says chrome/metal. Many newer cassette decks have an auto setting so you do not have to even worry about setting this. Even with auto setting there should still be some sort of indicator light showing the setting. Fine Bias Within the normal and chrome settings there is also bias fine tuning that is necessary. Most better decks made within the last several years will have some sort of bias fine tuning. Some of the older decks may not. If your deck does not have any sort of fine bias adjust you should find out what tape the deck was factory set for and use that tape or have the deck recalibrated for the tape you want to use. Many decks are set for Maxell XL-II or TDK SA in the chrome position which are pretty close to each other as far as bias. The exception would be where the deck manufacturer also makes tapes in which case they would likely bias their decks for their own tapes. This is a concern that needs to be addressed with Sony and Denon decks. The deck's manual should say what tape the deck was set for. If it does not try contacting a service representative for the company or try experimenting with different tapes. (More on different tapes below) There are two ways of setting the bias fine tuning. With automatic systems it is usually just a matter of inserting the tape you wish to set the deck for and pushing a button. The deck will go through its motions for several seconds and then be ready to go. With a manual system there is usually a dial on the front of the deck. In the straight up position the dial should lock in place and be set for whatever tape the deck was biased for. The deck's manual will show where to set the dial for other brands of tapes. If the manual does not give the information you need, you can call a service representative or you can try to figure it out for yourself by ear. You will need a 3-head deck to set the bias by ear. Start recording a good sounding source(preferably a CD or LP) you are familiar with. Put your deck on source and get a good idea of how it sounds. Then switch over to tape and have the bias dial set to the straight up position. Slowly turn it to the right and see what it sounds like and then slowly turn it to the left. Your goal is to as closely as possible find the setting that will match the sound of the source to the tape setting. Resist the urge to set the dial only based on where the hiss is the least. This can result in dull highs. The difference in sound will likely be very subtle, so take your time and listen closely. The effects will be most noticeable in the high frequencies. Try this both with speakers and headphones. Dolby My best advice is to not use it. Most current tape formulations allow for very low noise so Dolby is not really necessary. To my ears, Dolby B is terrible and I try not to ever use it for any reason. It kills the high frequencies and sometimes causes weird phasing or pumping problems. Dolby C *can* work very well on a high quality deck. The problem is it only really works well when you play the tape back on the same deck it was recorded on. Results can vary considerably when tapes are played back on other decks. Dolby circuits in decks that cost less than about $250 or so are not likely to be very good. If you have a tape that already has Dolby on it the best way to copy it is to set the Dolby off on both decks. The copy will still have the dolby on it and will need Dolby engaged when playing it back. Most people don't want Dolby on their tapes though so most of the time you will decode the dolby on your play deck and then record without Dolby. Some dubbing decks will not let you do this. Multiple encoding and decoding of Dolby will make the sound worse and should be avoided. Dolby HX pro is a dynamic range enhancer, and on good decks is usually beneficial. It is on all the time. I have not heard a dolby S deck yet but have heard that it works very well, better than Dolby C supposedly. The advantage is supposed to be that you can play back a Dolby S tape with Dolby B and it will sound decent but not as good as played back with Dolby S. The MPX filter (not Dolby related) on cassette decks is intended to filter out unwanted multiplex noises associated with FM broadcasts. It does not need to be decoded on playback. It is not supposed to affect the sound of an FM broadcast, but I can hear a subtle difference so I don't use it. Experiment and see what you prefer. Erasure Prevention Tabs The tabs on the top of a cassette can be popped out to prevent accidental erasure of a tape. You can cover the hole with thin tape if you want to record over the tape. When doing this make sure you only cover the part where the tab was. The hole beside the tab is used for cassette decks that set the tape bias automatically. Also keep your tapes far away from electro-magnetic sources such as your speakers, TV and other electrical equipment to avoid erasure. Tape Length It is best to use 90s as much as possible. Use 100s when necessary. 110s should only be used when absolutely necessary. I would avoid playing 110s in walkmen, car stereos and boomboxes as the extreme tape length is bad for the motors. Avoid fast forwarding and rewinding when possible in any deck with 110s. The only two 110s I would consider using are the Maxell MX-110 and the TDK MA-110. I tend to prefer the TDK as it seems to put less strain on the tape deck. DO NOT use anything over 110. If something will fit on a 60(like some Dead first sets) check with who you are trading with to see if that is OK. Most people will prefer a 90 and then some filler. Be aware that tapes are not going to be exactly the specified length. They are always a little bit longer. There is usually about two extra minutes per side on most TDKs and Maxells. It will vary from batch to batch. Tape Brands Since most good decks now have bias fine tuning you can usually optimize the performance of your deck with just about any good quality tape. Still you should consider strongly the tape recommended in the deck's user manual and also try some experimenting. Maxell Maxell XL-II has pretty much become the standard among tape traders. Some people also like to trade with the nicer and more expensive Maxell XL-IIS. For the most part XL-II will do for most situations. XL-IIS can make a difference with super high quality low generation tapes. XL-IIS tapes have a nicer shell and also a higher bias so that you can record higher levels. If you do not have bias fine tuning you will see little to no advantage using XL-IIS tapes, unless your deck was factory set for them. Maxell's MXS metal tapes are extremely good but pretty much overkill in the world of tape trading. Their best use would be in dubbing exceptional tapes from DAT and for live recording. MX tapes are a notch down from MXS. In most cases XL-IIS will probably outperform MX tapes. Avoid the Maxell Capsule series. Many people feel that the XL-IIS and MXS are among the most durable tapes you can get, so there is some advantage to putting irreplaceable recordings on these tapes. TDK Although most everyone prefers Maxell, TDK tapes are at least worth a try. Some decks may work better with one than the other. If you do not notice any difference in quality get whichever is cheaper. Make sure with your trading partners which tapes you send them. TDK SA tapes are comparable to Maxell XL-II, SA-X are comparable to Maxell XL-IIS, MA are comparable to MX, and MA-X are comparable to MXS. TDK does make some real high end metal tapes above the MA-X but they are really only necessary in pro applications. TDK D tapes are good if you want something that is real basic and cheap. They are good for boomboxes, car stereos and walkmen. Denon If you have a Denon deck I strongly urge you to a least try a few different Denon tapes and see how they sound. Denon makes a wide range of very nice tapes. It should make sense that a company would set their decks for their own tapes. They make one of the best metal tapes I have ever encountered, but it costs about $7. If you do find that the Denon tapes sound better, urge your trading partners that you will be able to make them better tapes with the Denons. Sony I have never cared very much for Sony tapes, but if you have a Sony deck you should probably at least give the better ones a try. Fuji I have encountered a few people that have like Fuji tapes. I have not tried them. Nakamichi Nakamichi chrome cassettes are TDK SA-X but with a different (better?) shell and higher quality control. The tape is only taken from the center part of the large spools in manufacturing where the quality is more consistent. They are considerably more expensive than regular tapes PART 3 TAPE TRADING INFORMATION AND ETIQUETTE Your List Your list should include: Band, Date, Venue, Source, Generation, Grade and Time(length). Source The source is how the master tape was made. A Soundboard (SBD) is a tape made from the direct outputs of the soundboard at a show. The sound is usually up front and very clear. Depending on how it is mixed there is usually little to no crowd/hall ambiance mixed in. These are generally the most desirable tapes. However, keep in mind that not all SBD master tapes are perfect and there are several examples of defects on them. In very small venues there can often be a very off balance mix if a tape is made from just the soundboard. A tape made with a mix of soundboard feed and mics used for ambiance can be very nice but done wrong can be really horrible. In the past couple years there have been some Dead tapes circulating labeled as SBDs but are actually tapes made from one of monitor mixes. These usually don't sound very good and will have an odd balance. They also might have the band talking to each other through their internal intercom system. Audience (AUD) tapes are made with microphones in the venue. With Dead shows most of these come from the taper's section which is behind the soundboard. Front of Board (FOB) tapes are recordings that are made from somewhere between the stage and the soundboard, usually stealth. Most consider the front of the soundboard a better place to record from. Stealth recordings are recordings that are made at shows or in parts of a venue where taping is not allowed. AUD recordings are rarely as clean as SBDs, but some people prefer them because they give a better sense of "being there." As some tapers are getting into better and better equipment, AUD recording are getting better and some sound very fine. One way to identify AUD tapes is if you hear people in the audience that sound near and distinct. The crowd (if any) on SBD recordings will always sound more distant. Recordings made off of the radio are usually designated FM. With a good tuner, FM recordings can sound quite good. Due to the limitations of radio the very highest frequencies are lacking and the dynamic range is compressed, however. Some people make finer distinctions regarding sources but that is beyond the scope of this article. If you are not sure of the source of your tape you can try to make an educated guess. It is a good idea to put a question mark on your list if you are guessing. Example: SBD? Generation The number of the generation is every copy in series made after the master. DAT(Digital Audio Tape) generations are generally not counted since a DAT copy of a DAT is a virtual clone. Some people call the first analogue(cassette) copy dubbed from DAT an "analogue master", but I strongly disagree with this. The master tape is the tape that was made at the source. Period. Subsequent DAT copies of a DAT should be called clones. DAT copies of the old tapes from the GD vault are usually not counted as a generation. Examples: SBD master DAT>DAT>cass 1>cass 2 Cass 2 would be a 2nd generation copy of the soundboard. Many would indicate it like this SBD/2 Analogue reel from the vault(SBD master)>DAT>DAT>cass 1>cass 2 Since people do not count the DAT generations this would also be considered a SBD/2. Some people will refer to DAT masters and DAT copies from the vault as DAT SBD, DSBD or DSB. If you make an audience tape at a show yourself or tape something off of the radio that would be considered a master tape. Some people indicate this as FM/0 but I prefer FM/M. If you do not know the generation do not guess. I will put the generation as "low" on my list if I am pretty certain it is less than about 5th or so but don't know the exact generation. I usually base this on who I got the tape from and the sound of the tape. The important thing with generations is to be consistent. The lower the generation of the tape the more desirable it is. Higher generation tapes will have progressively more hiss, and a host of other problems that can include: lack of bass and high frequencies, dulled transients, congested or otherwise blurred and indistinct sound. The cassette decks can play a major factor as well. A fifth generation tape that has only been through Nakamichi decks will likely sound better than a third generation tape that has gone through cheap dubbers. Grading The main thing to remember is be honest and consistent. If you grade tapes high just to attract people, they won't ever trade with you again. Grading is very subjective and varies from person to person. It is a good idea to thoroughly explain your grading philosophy on your list. Most people use letter grades. Some try to grade all tapes on the same scale, some make allowances for older tapes and AUD tapes and grade them easier. I try to grade everything on the same scale. Either way, explain your approach on your list. To give you an idea, this is how I grade my tapes: A+ An exceptional tape, sound is on par with a commercial release of a live recording. Only low gen SBD or FM qualify. A A very good clear tape with no major problems. May have some hiss when the band is not loud. Generally only SBD or FM, but a rare few exceptional AUD tapes can make it. A- Some problems, but nothing that really distracts from the music. May have some hiss, weak bass, or muffled sound, but not too badly. Usually higher gen. SBDs and decent AUDs. I will usually include 60s tapes with very slight amounts of distortion as A- as well- this is the one place I do slide a little. B+ Beginning to distract from the music. May have more extreme of the above and/or some distortion or balance problems. Also boomy AUD tapes. B Getting harder to listen to, but some music is still coming through. Usually old or rare, where better versions are not available. B- Takes some effort to listen to. C Virtually unlistenable. I would like to emphasis that there is more to grading tapes than just listening for tape hiss. There are many other things to listen for. Can you hear all the members of the band? Is the sound muffled, can you not hear the cymbals well or at all? Is the sound congested or boomy? Is there distortion? I consider these factors far more important than tape hiss Timing Basically how long the tape is. Some picky tapers want exact timings. Most people are happy with the length of tape the show is on to the nearest side. For example if you have a show that fits on a 100 min. tape and on one side of a 90 you would say 145 for the timing. It is also a good idea to give some sort of set indication. Most use roman numerals for the sets. Some will indicate acoustic sets with an a, encores with an e. There are various ways of indicating partial sets. I use a p as in Ip meaning a partial first set. Examples of a listing: Grateful Dead 70/02/13 Fillmore East DSB/2 A+ 180 all -or- I, a, II 85/06/16 Greek Theatre SBD/4 A 135 Ip, II The first one should be obvious. The second one indicates a show that fits on one and a half 90 minute tapes and has part of the 1st set and all of the 2nd. It is sometimes a good idea to have a column for comments where you can mention guests, rare songs, first/last times, etc. I personally find this a little impractical with sending a large list through email but it can be worked out. It is not difficult to do with a hard copy of your list. General Tape Trading Etiquette Shipping Agree beforehand how the tapes are going to be sent. If you are sending one to three tapes first class mail is the standard way to go and costs around a dollar or so. For more tapes Priority Mail is generally the standard. Up to 2 lbs is $3 with Priority Mail and usually ships in 2-3 days. You can send about 8-10 cassettes with cases and 10-12 without cases at this rate. Various grades of tape weigh differently. If you want to save some money you can send tapes Special Fourth Class which is commonly referred to as Book Rate and ships in about 5-7 days. 6 or 8 tapes would work out to around $1.50. If you are sending a large number of tapes this can work out to save you quite a bit of money. Also UPS is a good alternative if you are sending a large number of tapes. UPS on heavier packages is much less than Priority, a little more than Special Fourth Class, and will ship in 2-5 days depending on the distance. I prefer to ship tapes without their plastic cases. With larger numbers of tapes this can save you some money on shipping. Also the plastic cases can break real easy in the mail. Pull the cassette and J-card out of the plastic case leaving the J-card to cover the exposed tape. Make sure the tape is all the way wound. Rubber band two cassettes inverted flat against each other. They should fit tightly together making a package not much larger than one cassette in its plastic case. As an extra measure you can run the rubber bands through the tape hubs to prevent them from moving. Its a good idea to put the cassettes in a plastic bag to protect them from water or dirt. If you send tapes without the cases make sure your partner is doing the same! The standard means of shipping is the padded envelope. It is best to use the smallest one possible so that the tapes fit in tightly and do not shift around. Pieces of cardboard, paper, bubble wrap, etc. can be useful in packing. Staple and then use packing tape on the open end of the envelope. Shake the envelope as a test. If the cassettes are banging around you need to pack it better. The post office can be fairly rough on packages. If you are sending a large number of tapes, more than 10-12, you should use a box. The padded envelopes with the plastic bubble pack are better since they are not dusty and dirty like the ones with that recycled filler stuff. Reuse the padded envelopes to save money and space in the landfills. Also you can try to find places that will give you their old padded envelopes. Record stores, and I am sure many other like businesses, get tons of them every week. I have never paid for a padded envelope. Other things Don't label the J-card. Write the date, venue, (set) and songlist on the back of the sticker labels for the cassette. Also include source/generation, and any other pertinent information. Most people slide this between the J-card and the plastic case so that the songlist can be viewed through the plastic. If you are shipping without cases ship it into the rubber bands. You can also write the info on a scrap piece of paper. If, when dubbing a tape, you realize that it does not sound as good as you thought it did, make sure you tell the person you are trading with. Don't worry if this happens, it is not too uncommon. Don't use Dolby, EQ, or in any other way alter the tape unless the person you are sending the tapes wants you to. If your copy of the tape has Dolby and you did not indicate it on your list you should tell your trading partner and see how he wants to deal with it. Unless other arrangements have been made, you should ship a typical trade of tapes(4-8) within 2 or 3 weeks. If there is a problem, contact your trading partner, don't leave him/her in the dark and hanging. If you are sending blanks to be dubbed onto DO NOT send more than agreed to. (more on trading for blanks(groveling) below) The general rule with Maxpoints is whoever buys the tapes keeps the points. If you are sending blanks for someone to tape on it is a nice gesture to let the taper keep the maxpoints Don't post your whole list to the Internet (this is bad netiquette as well). Just have a simple post stating how many hours you have and/or a few juicy tidbits from your list or some sort of basic description of what you have. You can then email your list to people that respond to your post. PART 4 HOW TO GET STARTED You have few or no tapes, and without anything to offer in trade you feel like your collection is never going to grow. Fear not, there are many different roads you can take. This section is mostly Grateful Dead oriented, but tape traders of other music should be able to find some useful information. Grateful Dead Hour If you live in an area that has the Grateful Dead Hour radio program hosted by David Gans you will be in business. The GDH runs every week with live Grateful Dead music from recent shows to old rarities. Call or write the station running the GDH and tell them how much you like it. If it is an NPR or other non-commercial station make sure you send them a little money when they have their fund raisers. If no station near you runs the GDH start bugging some to get it. If you find a station that is interested, you can contact David Gans at the addresses listed below. Cutting out commercials and other announcements you can often, but not always, fit the GDH on one side of a 100 minute tape. I use a 110 to be on the safe side and don't try to cut anything out. GRATEFUL DEAD HOUR National broadcast schedule as of July 5, 1995 KYUK-AM 580 Bethel AK KFSK-FM 100.9 Petersburg AK Friday 9pm KCAW-FM 104.7 Sitka AK Thursday 10pm -> NEW STATION! WQPR-FM 88.7 Muscle Shoals AL Friday 11pm WUAL-FM 91.5 Tuscaloosa/Bham AL Friday 11pm KZON-FM 101.5 Phoenix AZ Monday 11pm KEKO-FM 92.1 Tucson AZ Friday 10pm KHSU-FM 90.5 Arcata CA Tuesday 10pm KPFA-FM 94.1 Berkeley CA Wednesday 8pm KFCF-FM 88.1 Fresno CA Wednesday 8pm KLSX-FM 97.1 Los Angeles CA Sunday midnight KNSQ-FM 88.1 Mt. Shasta CA Saturday 8pm KNCA-FM 89.7 Redding CA Saturday 8pm KSEG-FM 96.9 Sacramento CA Saturday midnight KGNU-FM 88.5 Boulder CO Saturday 8pm KSUT-FM 91.3 Ignacio CO Saturday 9pm WEFX-FM 95.9 Norwalk CT Sunday 9pm -> STARTS 7/9 WRUF-FM 103.7 Gainesville FL Sunday 9pm -> NEW TIME WJCT-FM 89.9 Jacksonville FL Friday 11pm WOZN-FM 98.7 Key West FL Sunday 3pm WZTA-FM 94.9 Miami FL Sunday 11pm WGLF-FM 104.1 Tallahassee FL Sunday 6:30pm -> STARTS 7/16 WMNF-FM 88.5 Tampa FL Tuesday 9pm KBSU-FM 90.3 Boise ID Friday 11pm KUOI-FM 89.3 Moscow ID Thursday 9pm WEFT-FM 90.1 Champaign IL Friday 7pm WXRT-FM 93.1 Chicago IL Sunday 9pm WYMG-FM 100.5 Springfield IL Sunday midnight -> NEW STATION WFHB-FM 91.3 Bloomington IN Saturday 7pm KMKF-FM 101.5 Manhattan KS Sunday 8pm -> NEW TIME WOMR-FM 91.9 Provincetown MA Monday 10pm WKHS-FM 90.5 Baltimore MD Saturday 7pm WLAV-FM 96.9 Grand Rapids MI Sunday 9pm KUMD-FM 103.3 Duluth MN Saturday 4pm KTCZ-FM 97.1 Minneapolis MN Sunday 10pm KOPN-FM 89.5 Columbia MO Friday 8pm KKFI-FM 90.1 Kansas City MO Friday 10pm KSMU-FM 91.1 Springfield MO TBA -> NEW STATION KMNR-FM 89.7 Rolla MO Saturday midnight WNCW-FM 100.7 Charlotte NC Wednesday 10pm WNCW-FM 88.7 Spindale NC Wednesday 10pm KZUM-FM 89.3 Lincoln NE Wednesday 10pm WNHI-FM 93.3 Concord NH Tuesday 9pm WDHA-FM 105.5 Dover NJ Sunday 7pm KLSK-FM 104.1 Albuquerque NM Wednesday 9pm KGLP-FM 91.7 Gallup NM Saturday 9pm KTHX-FM 94.7 Reno NV Sunday 8pm WGR-FM 96.9 Buffalo NY Sunday midnight WHCL-FM 88.7 Clinton NY Friday 11pm (off for summer) WMAX-FM 106.7 Rochester NY Sunday 10pm WRPI-FM 91.5 Troy NY Thursday 11pm WNCX-FM 98.5 Cleveland OH Sunday 10pm KSBA-FM 88.5 Coos Bay OR Saturday 8pm KRVM-FM 91.9 Eugene OR Sunday 3pm KPUR-FM 94.5 Forest Grove OR Friday noon KSKF-FM 90.9 Klamath Falls OR Saturday 8pm KSMF-FM 89.1 Medford OR Saturday 8pm WITF-FM 89.5 Harrisburg PA Saturday 11pm -> NEW STATION WXPN-FM 88.5 Philadelphia PA Saturday 7pm AND Thursday 11pm WDUQ-FM 90.5 Pittsburgh PA Sunday 8pm WQSU-FM 88.9 Selinsgrove PA Saturday 7pm WNCW-FM 97.3 Greenville SC Wednesday 10pm WEKL-FM 102.3 N Augusta SC Sunday 9pm -> NEW STATION! WNCW-FM 96.7 Knoxville TN Wednesday 10pm KGSR-FM 107.1 Austin TX Saturday midnight WCVE-FM 88.9 Richmond VA Saturday 11:30pm WROV-FM 96.3 Roanoke VA Sunday 11pm WIZN-FM 106.7 Burlington VT Sunday 10pm KISM-FM 92.9 Bellingham WA Sunday 9am KBCS-FM 91.3 Seattle WA Tuesday 10pm KHSS-FM 100.9 Walla Walla WA Sunday 8pm KUWR-FM 91.9 Laramie WY Saturday 11pm -- David Gans tnf@well.com http://www.well.com/user/tnf/ Truth and Fun, Inc., 484 Lake Park Ave #102, Oakland CA 94610 Local Friends After the GDH, the next best way to get some tapes is to meet tape traders in your area. Many Deadheads, including myself, are more than happy to loan out tapes for people to copy. Just make sure you take very good care of them and do not loan them out to anyone else. Also dub them quickly and get them back as soon as you can. It would be a nice gesture to give the lender a little something for his kindness. He/she should not *expect* something though. Always remember how someone helped you out and be willing to lend tapes to others who are just starting out. Buying Tapes at Cost For a variety of reasons sometimes tape traders need to liquidate part or all of their collections. The most ethical price is the cost of the blank tape. Some feel they deserve at least something for their effort in acquiring the tape. Also the cost of blanks can vary quite a bit. This will be debated forever. To me $1.75-$2.00 a tape seems to be a fair price in most situations. The price could be a little higher if the tapes are metal or Maxell XL-IIS or lower if they are normal bias tapes. Tapes that are old and played to death should be less. The recipient of the tapes should pay the postage. Don't be willing to pay too much out of desperation to get new tapes. Something will come up. It is considered unethical and technically illegal to sell tapes above the cost of the tape. Use your best judgment. Tape Trees Getting on tape trees will not only guarantee you the tape being treed, but if you are in a good position on a tree you can get a few additional trades out of it. This is where high quality equipment can help you out as tree placement is largely based on that. Groveling When all else fails you can always grovel for people to make you copies if you send blanks. Keep an eye out on the Internet for people making offers. Also look in the classifieds of Unbroken Chain, Dupree's Diamond News, and Relix for people willing to spin tapes for blanks. Be polite when asking people to make copies for you and don't be put off if they won't do it. Usually when people offer to spin for blanks they will get deluged with requests and end up with more than they can handle. When someone offers to make you tapes DO NOT send more than was agreed on. Don't deal with anyone asking for something in exchange like you sending 5 blanks and him sending back 4 and keeping one. There are too many people willing to do it for nothing. It is a nice gesture to let the taper keep the Maxpoints. It is also a nice gesture to send something along as a way of saying thanks. It does not have to be much, something like stickers, tape covers, or the like Make things as easy as possible for the person making tapes for you. Get a padded envelope and address it to yourself and have the correct postage on it. (see section on shipping). Put the blanks in the padded envelope. Put the padded envelope inside a non-padded large envelope addressed to the person making the tapes. Include a list of the shows you want or ask the person to pick favorites from certain years or all-time. Adopt-a-Newbie Melissa Agar has set up a system that runs periodically to get new Grateful Dead tape traders in contact with tapers willing to spin for blanks. A similar system is available to Phish Phans. Here's how it works: Newbies and tapers contact Melissa Agar (magar@knox.edu) to join the program. She will then help them connect with each other. Tapers can ask for more than one newbie which is encouraged so that lots of newbies can be helped out. She'll match newbies and tapers up, let them know who they're matched with and they can trade from there. She'll also help connect newbies who can then get together and start trading amongst themselves with their new tapes. There are some qualifications which must be met in order to join the program. *** NEWBIE QUALIFICATIONS: 1. You must be willing to send blanks and postage to your parent. 2. You must be a newbie with fewer than 10 hours on tape. If you meet these qualifications, send me the following form: ------------------------------cut here---------------------------------- Subject line: adopt-a-head newbie Name: Email: Mailing address: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ***TAPER QUALIFICATIONS: 1. You must be willing to accept blanks and postage. It would also be nice if you would be willing to take on more than one person, but that's not required. If you still want to become a volunteer parent, send me the following form: ----------------------------cut here------------------------------------ Subject line: adopt-a-head parent Name: Email: Mailing Address: Number of children you want to adopt: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ She will continue to do the program periodically, with the goal being running the program signups every so many months. Suggestions On What Tapes To Start With When you are getting your first tapes you obviously will be looking for tapes you want, but you should also keep in mind what tapes will make good trading potential. If you try to get low generation tapes of really good shows, you will then have some good stuff to offer in trade. Most of the classic shows are really common, so be patient and wait for good copies to turn up. Eric Doherty makes some good points: "The most important thing for me when collecting tapes (although not always anymore as I search for rare tapes) is getting quality low gen recordings. High quality low gen tapes are what people are looking for and you should get them whenever you can. If someone has a 1st gen SBD of some show in 1973 you should pick that over some unknown generation tape from 1972. You are likely to find that '72 tape on other lists, but you may not find a SBD/1 of that '73 show again. What you are looking for when you trade are tapes that will allow you to get other tapes. It is all one big game. Consider your SBD/2 1973 tape a key which you use to get a SBD/2 of some 1970 show. I also think it is valuable advice to wait for better quality tapes when you can. I waited about 6 months to get a copy of 8/27/72. I saw it on lots of lists, but I was looking for the best copy I could get. If you do not absolutely need a copy of 2/15/73 then wait around and see if something better turns up later. The fewer times you have to upgrade shows the more money you will save and the more tapes you can collect. It frustrates me when someone picks an AUD tape from '93 on my list over a SBD/1 rare 1970 show. They are going to get a lot more mileage out of that 1970 show, and that is the trick to this game, IMHO." Once you get a few good tapes you should be all set for trading. Use your best tapes as bait. Essential Tapes This is a short list of some of the classic tapes that are out there. Most of them should be readily available and have good sound. This is certainly not all of the great shows but a good sampling. Any respectable Grateful Dead collection should have most of these. 02/28/69 - Fillmore West 03/01/69 - Fillmore West 02/13/70 - Fillmore East 02/14/70 - Fillmore East 05/02/70 - Harpur College 02/18/71 - Portchester 04/29/71 - Fillmore East 05/11/72 - Rotterdam, Netherlands 05/26/72 - London 08/27/72 - Veneta 02/09/73 - Maples Pavilion 05/26/73 - Kezar Stadium 02/24/74 - Winterland 06/18/74 - Louisville 06/28/74 - Boston 10/19/74 - Winterland 10/20/74 - Winterland 02/26/77 - San Bernardino 05/08/77 - Cornell 12/31/78 - Winterland 10/27/79 - Cape Cod 06/14/85 - Greek Theatre 10/09/89 - Hampton 03/29/90 - Nassau 09/16/90 - MSG 09/20/90 - MSG 12/31/90 - Oakland 09/10/91 - MSG 10/31/91 - Oakland 06/20/92 - RFK Deadbase If you are planning on really getting into Grateful Dead tape trading you should get Deadbase. This book will give you all the setlists, reviews, statistics and also has a section listing favorite tapes for individual years and all time, among many, many other features. Deadbase IX covers everything up through 1994 and should be available in October 1995. The yearly editions have extensive stats and multiple reviews for just that year. This project is no longer being done, so Deadbase 93 is the last one. A new version called Deadbase Jr should be available in July 1995. This smaller book will contain setlists through 1994, basic statistics, venue information and the current Deadhead survey. Ordering information: Book Rate Priority Deadbase Jr. $18 $20 Deadbase IX $30 $33 add $9 for hardcover Deadbase 88-93(each) $12 $14 Deadbase 88-93(all 6) $56 $60 Deadbase Orders P.O. Box 499-P Hanover, NH 03755 Deadbase is only available through the mail or from Terrapin Tapes. Terrapin Tapes Terrapin Tapes 1-800-677-8650 will give you just about as good a price on blank tapes and audio equipment as you are going to get anywhere. They also sell Deadbase. Internet users are offered additional discounts. They are an independent business and deserve our support. ***************************************************************************** -------------------------------------- |The Live Taper's Survival Guide v1.0| -------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 1995 by Jeff Maggard. All Rights Reserved. Duplication of this document permitted if and only if (1) this document is not used for financial gain in any way, and (2) if this document is copied whole, including this copyright notice. GENERAL THOUGHTS: ================= This is a beginner's guide for taping live music. First things first: Know your equipment. Know its strengths and its weaknesses. Know where to set your levels. Know how long your batteries will last, to the minute. Know how long your tapes will last, to the second. Practice your tape flips (a good flip in a TCD-D5M can be done in less than a second!). Know the equipment you're likely to be patched into. Know if the operator of that equipment is competent. Is the equipment reliable? Will its batteries last through the set, the show? Does it pass a signal during the flip? Know the venue and the sound system. Know where and how to set up your mics. Know whether or not FOB taping is allowed, and whether you'll get tossed or have your tapes confiscated if you get caught anyway. Know the people you're taping with. THE TAPER'S CHECKLIST: ====================== MICS: ----- mics (bodies and capsules) mic stand mic mounts wind screens (outdoors) umbrella (outdoors) t-bar and adapter(s) power supply mic cables, longer mic cables PS cables (PS <-> deck) power supply batteries extra power supply batteries duct/electrical tape DECK: ----- Deck batteries tapes extra batteries extra tapes patch cords patch cord adapters (1/4" mono, 1/4" stereo, 1/8" stereo, RCA, XLR) splitters (patch in at the side of the chain vs. the end) battery charger, 120VAC deck PS (use when touring) more duct/electrical tape ACCESSORIES: ------------ flashlight + batteries extra flashlight batteries pocket knife stopwatch voltmeter pen and paper (setlists/names/numbers) plastic bags (outdoors) towel beer food, chair, and blanket(s) sunglasses and sunscreen tickets - "Taper Tickets" are necessary at Phish/Dead shows! Did I mention duct and electrical tape? ...and something to carry all this crap in! Borrow (borrowing is free -- well, everyone appreciates a beer ;-) or rent a battery powered pro portable analog deck like a Sony analog D5 ('full-sized' = 2"x8"x10"), a Sony analog D6 (walkman sized), or one of the pro Marantz models ('full-sized'). It might cost as much as $100 for a week, or $50 for a weekend to rent, plus deposit. I don't know where to get one though -- try your local pro music shop and/or the yellow pages or the dealers listed in the Mic-FAQ. If you're going to be patching, bring a selection of patch cables. RCA plugs and 1/8" headphone jack plugs are the most common, but it can't hurt to bring 1/4" plugs too. I use RCA 'Y' cables, so I can patch into a chain from the side -- splitting the signal -- it's a lot easier to get higher up in the chain this way. Tips (before showtime): - bone up on your flipping skills (especially in 'concert mental state')! - bone up on your setup and break-down skills (in 'concert metal state') - bring a flashlight. - bring extra batteries for everything. - bring extra tapes. - bring a pen and paper for the setlist. - get a taper's ticket (if going to a Dead or Phish show ;-). - if you're going outside: bring RAIN gear, bring a blanket (claim your space!) and a chair, etc... - bring food, drinks, etc. (M&M's make friends, beer makes lasting friends!) Caution: may require smuggling. Tips (showtime): - NO TALKING during the show! - DO be polite. Everyone in front of you in the chain is your best friend, and the guy with the mics is your very best friend! - DON'T get in the way of people setting up their gear -- if you're patching, you'll have comparatively little to deal with. This often includes not asking 'dumb' questions -- no question is dumb, but bothering people who are trying to work IS. Ask 'dumb' questions during the setbreak. - DON'T get in the way of people during the show who have to tend to their gear, flip tapes, replace batteries, etc. This is more of a problem indoors. ----------------------- Appendix OTHER RECORDING FORMATS DAT Many tape traders have made the switch from analogue cassettes to Digital Audio Tape (DAT). One major advantage to the DAT trader is no signal degradation through multiple generations. And to this die-hard analogue fan, DAT does offer in many ways significant sonic advantages over cassettes. The medium is still very expensive though. Blank tapes are now very inexpensive, but a good machine is going to cost over $1000. Units under $1000 are going to be unreliable and are not going to sound quite as good as the better ones. All digital is not the same! Even the more expensive machines need a certain amount of pampering and servicing as the format in general can be very temperamental. At this point the life span of DAT tapes does not look good either. 15-20 years is about all you can expect at the most. VHS You can make very high quality audio recordings with a Hi-Fi VHS VCR even at the slowest speed. The higher speeds are only necessary with video. With this you can put 6 hours of music on one circa $3 VHS tape. Theoretically a Hi-Fi VHS VCR should sound better than just about any cassette deck, but my ears tend to tell me otherwise. I have not experimented much though with it. Besides, you can't play VHS tapes in your car or walkman. The timer function on VCRs can be very useful in taping radio broadcasts like the Grateful Dead Hour. Mini-Disc and DCC Don't bother. The standard for these digital formats is too low for acceptable sound quality. Generational loses are far worse than cassettes but in a different way. Neither of these formats if very likely to last very long anyway. Some tapers find the Mini-Disc easy to use in stealth recording. Reel-to-Reel Good quality reel-to-reel decks will beat the pants off of just about any cassette recorder. The machines are large, heavy and clunky and the tape is very expensive compared to other formats. Even if you can get a machine for cheap or even free, it is probably not worth messing with for purposes of tape collecting or trading. Several old time traders do have many hours of live music on reel-to-reel since it was a major format in the 1970s. It is not unusual for someone to transfer his reels to DAT and then sell, trade or give away his reels. Good reel-to-reel machines to look for used include Teac, Revox and Ampex. What About the Magazines and Specifications? After the first edition of this Guide several people contacted me and said Consumer Reports recommends cassette decks that are not mentioned in the guide. What's up? Well, CR does a great job with most things. They do a horrible disservice to audio. All they do is measure the equipment and add up the features. They do not do any serious listening tests. This is also true of other magazines such as Stereo Review. They also do not bother with some of the more expensive equipment. Their general attitude is that it all pretty much sounds the same. Specifications really do not tell you very much about how a piece of audio equipment will sound. They can also easily be reported in a way that is deceiving. Trust your ears. You can probably hear more differences than you think. Always try to listen thoroughly to a piece of equipment before you buy it. Make sure it sounds good to you and feels comfortable to operate.