Best Stereo For Mixtapes?

August 14, 2005 11:14 PM

If you had $200-500 you could use in obtaining an entirely new stereo system, solely for the purpose of making mixtapes, what'd you do with it?

Basically, I have acquired enough funds to replace my falling-apart stereo that I'd had for about 8 years or so, and one of the two main purposes of such a purchase would be to make mixtapes (the other would be listening at home). I far prefer mixtapes to cds for all sorts of reasons, mostly aesthetic, but have no idea where to find the best stereo for such an endeavor (I'm not really a traditional audiophile). I'm looking for all the neccesities: an ability to vary recording level from source to source, some sort of outlet for phono, etc. Cool stuff like a fading feature (even in the form of a recording level knob rather than lever) would be neat, but not essential. If possible, I'd prefer that it'd be easy for transporting to and from dorm rooms, as I'm still in college. Thanks!

posted by Ash3000 to technology (10 comments total)

What are you using as source material for these mixtapes? Vinyl? Other cassettes? CDs? mp3s? Something else? Also, when you say you want an 'outlet for phono,' what do you mean? What audio components do you already own?

Tentatively, though (depending on what kind of media you're using as source material, and what you've already got), a cassette-based 4-track recorder and some secondhand stereo components might be what you're looking for.
posted by box at 11:30 PM on August 14, 2005

The "PlusDeck 2" (I think ThinkGeek has them) might be what you want instead. I have one and it would be ideal for making mix tapes from and MP3, CD and music DVD collection.
posted by krisjohn at 6:16 AM on August 15, 2005

Two suggestions for the recording end, one complex and expensive, one simple and expensive.

1. Buy a good 3-head tape recorder. 3-head decks have an additional playback head that listens in to what you just recorded right off the tape, so you can monitor "live" if you overloaded the tape and need to start over.

I have this one: Sony TC-K611S, which I got used from a broke grad student. It is the best consumer tape deck I've ever used. It has a button to monitor either the source signal or the recorded signal on the fly. It will lay down a guide tone to calibrate bias level and EQ curve for different brands of tape stock. It has Dolby S, King of All Dolbys. (It hasn't been touched in 5 years).

Then buy a DJ mixer with a cross fader. Attach your sources (CD, phono, other tape) to the inputs, and connect the output to your tape deck. You can do cross fades on the fly. Monitor with the headphones on the tape deck.

You will have to "rehearse" your entire mix tape session, taking note of level adjustments so that all your various sources and songs end up at a perfect level. Then you will "perform" your mix, like a DJ at a club. If you want seamless crossfades throughout, you will have to start over if you flub even one.

2. Get a computer, run iTunes, buy a good Audio Interface, and a decent tape deck.

Use the SoundCheck feature to have iTunes match signal levels for you. Use the cross fade feature to get cross fades. Build playlists 45 minutes long, hit play and record, and take a nap.
posted by sol at 6:21 AM on August 15, 2005

PlusDeck and your favorite audio editing software will do the job. Arrange, edit, and postprocess the mix entirely in software and then dump it to tape in one swell foop.
posted by majick at 6:31 AM on August 15, 2005

I've seen the PlusDeck on ThinkGeek, but haven't looked very closely at it. Does it do anything that couldn't be accomplished with a tape deck and a 1/8"-to-1/8" cable?
posted by box at 11:20 AM on August 15, 2005

By an "an outlet for phono", I mean the ability to both play vinyl records and record them onto the eventual tape. BTW, thanks to everyone for the help so far, it really is much appreciated.
posted by Ash3000 at 11:48 AM on August 15, 2005

I far prefer mixtapes to cds for all sorts of reasons, mostly aesthetic...

I don't know what you mean by that. But I'll assume that you're taking music from digital sources, and I'll suggest that you simply buy a mixdown deck. It's been years since I've been in the market, but I assume a few companies still make dirt-cheap decks. Mine cost barely a hundred, and that was before digital equipment became widely available.

Hell, you can have mine for the cost of shipping. But you ought to be able to buy one new, cheap.
posted by cribcage at 4:43 PM on August 15, 2005

The Plusdeck has computer control (through a serial port). As such, recording to and from the tape can be controlled by the bundled application for set-and-forget recording.
posted by krisjohn at 8:27 PM on August 15, 2005

Whoa! That plusdeck is $150!? For that price you can get a really nice used tape deck, and I don't think you'd be sacrificing much functionality - I really don't see the benefit of the computer-controlling, to be honest. I'm with sol; if you're really looking for increased mixing functionality a DJ mixer would probably be the best. If you went that route, you could use the mixer as a pre-amp and get a seperate power amp. This would save you some money at the outset and you could always get a pre-amp later.

Minimally, I'd suggest getting some nice used equipment - a tape deck, integrated amplifier and bookshelf speakers - then use your computer for CD/MP3 playing. Check eBay, the classifieds and your local craigslist if you have one. Well-designed stereo equipment tends to last a long time. Amplifier technology hasn't changed too significantly over the years as far as quality goes and buying used isn't going to lose you much functionality (at least for normal stereo playback, the exception would be home theater). I'd say between $100-200 would get you a nice one; Onkyo, Harman-Kardon, NAD, Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Carver, Nakamichi and Rotel are all good and can often be had on the cheap. Get a more recent tape-deck (meaning within the last 20 years) since there's a pretty big quality difference (generally) between the early ones and later ones. This will probably be $50-100 since not many people still want tape decks, same brands as the amps. For the speakers I'd go with some nice bookshelf monitors (Polk, BIC and NHT are generally good and not too much). These you might want to get new since it's hard to find good information on older models (reviews, specifications) and you'll have to worry about foam surround rot and the like.

Most importantly, though, try to learn some about stereo equipment before you buy it. For most of us, it costs a good chunk of change, and well-chosen equipment can last and keep you happy for a long time. You don't need to get into esoteric debates about the qualities of silver vs. copper conductors and the harmonic dampening properties of acrylic turntable platters to be able to pick out a system you'll enjoy. Try to find reviews of the equipment you're looking at getting, too. Here are some guides to putting together a stereo:

Tips for Buying Used Audio Equipment
How to buy a stereo system (without winning the lottery)
How To Buy A Stereo - What You See Is Not What You Hear
The Roadmap to Superlative Sound
posted by nTeleKy at 12:31 PM on August 16, 2005 [1 favorite]

After re-thinking this, since you're not an audiophile, for the amp and tape deck anything of decent quality (e.g. Sony/Pioneer/Sansui/Technics/Akai) should be fine. The one thing I'd spend more on is speakers; they make a bigger quality difference than anything else in my mind. If you get anything from a thrift store, make sure you can guarantee everything works before you leave if you can't take it back. I'm always on the lookout for gear and these are probably my best scores, but for examples of prices on the used market:
I recently got a 5-channel NAD integrated amp, 5-disc Denon carousel CD player and some BIC Venturi tower speakers for $250 on craigslist.
I got a Harmon/Kardon Receiver from the 80's w/ a semi-functional tuner for $40 at Goodwill 3 years ago.
I got a nice NAD tape deck for $50 about 5 years ago (classifieds) and an older Marantz tape deck for $25 last year (thrift store). Thrift stores often have decent tape decks for $10-20.
posted by nTeleKy at 2:28 PM on August 17, 2005