Tape Trail Reel to reel, cassette and other analogue tape formats.

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Re: Cassette or Mini Disc for music major

Posted by soundnut (A) on November 15, 2005 at 06:54:41

In Reply to: Cassette or Mini Disc for music major posted by phil on November 14, 2005 at 14:08:26:

Both have their advantages & disadvantages.

First, the minidisc:

Pros:

Quality - Much like CrO2 or metal tape without the hiss. And unlike tape, any minidisc will sound just like any other minidisc. Also, there's no gradual loss of fidelity, because there's no wear.

Size - Even more compact than a cassette.

Instant access - Like a CD, you can jump from track to track instantly.

Cons:

Cost - Both the recorder and the discs are typically more than cassette. (Unless you're talking about a Nak or something.)

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As for cassette:

Pros:

Cost - You can get a decent Onkyo deck or similar for about $50 or less. Normal bias tapes are cheap, too.

Compatibility - Record a tape & play it anywhere on any cassette player. Still plenty of players lurking around.

Recording levels are also less susceptible to clipping than minidisc.

Cons:

Quality - Not really a "con" per se, since cassettes can sound quite good when recorded on a high quality deck on CrO2 or metal tape. Problem is availability of good blank tape stock. High-bias & metal tape is becoming a rare animal in places.

Gradual loss of fidelity due to wear, environmental factors, magnetic fields, etc.

No instant track access.

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Bottom line: Either would work well for her, I think.

Does she have a notebook computer? Another option is a good audio interface & mini-mixer. The Edirol UA-1A USB interface is about $50, and a Behringer mini-mixer can be had for about $60. If she has a CD burner, she can burn her recordings too. I have both the Edirol USB interface and a Behringer MX802A mixer, and they are both excellent products.

Cheers & good luck!
Bobbo :-)

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