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[John Roll]

I'm trying to help an old school muso friend of mine do some basic recording using some "vintage" gear. I'm running a vocal mic through a Mackie 1604VLZ. I'm coming out of the Mackie's Tape Output to a Technics Rs-TR333 dual deck. I followed the Owner's Manual procedure for "Recording from a sound source other than another tape" .I press Record and Pause and I have good level at the deck just doing basic speech. I start recording by pressing Play.The deck is indicating that Record and Play are functioning. I can see the tape moving and I am getting strong levels. However, when I rewind to the beginning of the recording and playback, I can heard something way down there (level wise) if I crank up tape return.( I'm bringing the tape deck out into a channel on the Mackie.) The deck does not indicate that there is anything on the tape during playback (no level indicators) I have recorded pre-recorded music from the other deck to the same side I'm using for this vocal venture,using the same procedure, the same cassette and that works!

I'm stumped.......HELP!!!!!!!

[Fletcher]

I'm totally guessing here... but perhaps there is a switch that will route the "incoming audio" from an external source to the cassette upon which you're recording... vs. the audio coming from the other deck in the machine which I'm guessing is used to do tape copies?

If that ain't it -- then I'm stumped.

[Dinogi]

Is there by some chance a "monitor source" button or Tape/source button or something like it on the deck? Although it would seem that the meters should be showing something which doesn't seem like a good thing. You might try putting the tape in the other transport. Can you play back a known good tape on either of the transports? I'm swinging in the dark here...d

[John Roll]

Yes. I tried both transport with a pre-recorded tape and they playback fine. I'm thinking that I might be in dub mode where deck two is looking to deck one for its source despite the level meters telling that my external source is being recorded. I won't have a chance to look into this until the weekend. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Fletcher]

Please let us know the source of the problem... I for one am quite curious!!

Peace

[mbrebes]

Are you sure the "Tape Output" is supposed to go to the tape inputs.  It might actually be where the tape returns/outputs are supposed to be plugged into the board and the "Tape Input" is what goes to the input of the tape deck.

[John Roll]

After checking re-checking and triple checking ALL connections the solution was............an intense repeated head cleaning. I don't get why the pre-recorded tape didn't have an issue. All is well I guess. Thanks for all the suggestions...

[Fletcher]

Wow -- really?  All due respect bro, any machine that runs tape needs to be cleaned prior to use.  Yeah, a 24 track is going to get used a hell of a lot more than a cassette deck... so maybe you want to clean the heads before the lunch break and before the dinner break... and before the "I just need a fucking break" -- a 2 trk may run a 50 or 60 prints before a cleaning [yeah, more like 8 or 10... but I'm trying to make a point here] -- back in the fossil days... when the cassette deck was the ONLY reference of the session possible -- those decks got cleaned pretty much BEFORE EVERY PASS!!!

Having been of the "cassette era" I know that the cassette decks in cars were maybe cleaned [with an abrasive cassette tape -- ouch!!] at best once a week, usually about every 6 months to 7 years -- but we're talking about a production tool here.

Sorry to take you to the shed mate -- but you should be cleaning [at minimum - daily] and "de-mag'ing" the machine at least weekly [or within 50 hours of actual use -- whatever comes first]. 

Yes - cassette systems like that are "inferior" analog recording machines... but at the end of the day: A) they have "a sound" which should never be dismissed; and B) they're a fucking recording machine -- give it the respect its due.

Peace