recording onto VCR??

dogfood · April 19, 2013, 10:47:45 PM

The reel to reel thread reminded me of something I once heard, something about recording music to VCR was supposed to be superior to any cassette recordings. Can anyone shed light on this? Perhaps the motors were more consistant or the amount of magnetic tape devoted to audio on a VCR tape was greater.

The Shocker · April 19, 2013, 10:59:50 PM

Only the hifi VCRs. They recorded audio across the entire tape path, not the edges like the older "stereo" models. And yes, the sound quality was supposed to be excellent.

jibberish · April 20, 2013, 03:10:21 AM

as a response to sony's beta hi fi, JVC did some mumbo jumbo to blend the sound in with the video.
edit: here read all about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS

the VCR head is mounted at an angle to the tape and it spins also. SO, as the tape goes by, the spinning head paints angled strips of info across the tape.

the particle density and frequency response of this system is very hi frequency to capture video info. so , ya, the stereo audio tracks are more like reel-to-reel quality due to the incredible head to tape speed.

once again, go at the highest speed to record the highest fidelity since you are spreading out your audio info over the most particles

chille01 · April 20, 2013, 04:43:43 AM

Yep... done that before. Used to work at an AV rental company, and borrowed one of the pro hi-fi VCR decks, a basic 8 channel mixer, and some decent mics once. Made for a pretty decent jam room, live off the floor recording. You are tracking to stereo, so you have to make your mix decisions as far as levels and pan settings while you're tracking. I think I actually dumped it into Pro-Tools free, overdubbed the vocals, and sold 50 or so CD-R copies. This was probably 10 years ago. Rambling... the point is that YES, a hi-fi VCR makes a great budget tape recorder.

spookstrickland · April 20, 2013, 07:38:55 AM

I'm going to give this a try again. Tried it years ago with just a "stereo" vcr and the sound was warbled. I'll see if I can dig up a hi fi at goodwill.

The Shocker · April 20, 2013, 07:57:10 AM

HiFi VCRs were pretty common during the 90's. I had a super cool Mitsubishi VCR that even had level meters. I was so sad when the heads wore out.

RAGER · April 20, 2013, 11:49:44 AM

Used to record this way back in the day.

FullCustom · April 23, 2013, 09:59:43 AM

Remember the ADAT. Same style carriage, same tape. Just digital and multitrack.

VOLVO))) · April 23, 2013, 10:14:55 AM

adat rules, but is so fucking clunky.

RAGER · April 23, 2013, 11:18:15 AM

Recorded on ADAT a few times too. My buddy had a couple ADAT's and he brought them over for shits a few years back and we set them up in my very humid basement. After a while we started getting this fault code read out that said "dew". We were like wtf? So we looked up in the manual and sure as shit that's exactly what it meant. derp.

James1214 · April 24, 2013, 03:52:39 PM

I love adat, I learned to record on one. It really informed the way I record things (when I do) is: The one take mentality. I'd love to get an adat rig to keep in the rehearsal space.

spookstrickland · April 24, 2013, 11:02:05 PM

I was thinking about snapping up one of them old adats a while ago, the go for super cheap now adays. What would be a good model to look for and do they still make the tapes?

James1214 · April 25, 2013, 01:59:30 AM

Pretty much any one is good, so far as I know. In my experience having a remote helps. I always used a proper mixing board into the machine.

Also keep in mind that a single deck does 8 tracks but you can link them together for up to 128 (if memory serves me correctly)

I'm pretty sure you can get svhs tapes at most pro audio type stores. Tips as to using the tape, fast forward and rewind fully to pre-stretch it so you dont have any odd artifacts or waivering in the recording.

jibberish · April 25, 2013, 07:48:13 AM

spook, I still cannot fathom why you would want a clunky mechanical machine for DIGITAL recording. today's digital gear is many-fold more sophisticated.

all these compromises dealing with tape and heads and wear and motors and cleaning and alignment and all the other horseshit are for one thing only: analog recording for eventual use in a digital final product. every one of us, with the exception of those few who will master a pure analog path to a final cassette or vinyl, does or will do this.

once upon a time that new fangled digital shit was thee shit. So, everyone grabbed for it. Alesis chose to modify existing analog technology to grab some digital action. they compromised to achieve a goal.

I have a whole shebang recorder that is solid state except for some pots. it weighs nothing and really uses no energy no motors heaters fans blah blah unless I burn a CD, which I maybe won't ever need to do actually....

oh yeah and humidity, heh..learned something new about ADAT's didn't I.
good thing the northwest pacific coastal region is really REALLY arid and sunny avg 317 days a year.<---more compromise...and for what really? see what i'm saying?

spookstrickland · April 25, 2013, 01:53:45 PM

Quote from: James1214 on April 25, 2013, 01:59:30 AM
Pretty much any one is good, so far as I know. In my experience having a remote helps. I always used a proper mixing board into the machine.

Also keep in mind that a single deck does 8 tracks but you can link them together for up to 128 (if memory serves me correctly)

I'm pretty sure you can get svhs tapes at most pro audio type stores. Tips as to using the tape, fast forward and rewind fully to pre-stretch it so you dont have any odd artifacts or waivering in the recording.

Thanks

Quote from: jibberish on April 25, 2013, 07:48:13 AM
spook, I still cannot fathom why you would want a clunky mechanical machine for DIGITAL recording. today's digital gear is many-fold more sophisticated.

all these compromises dealing with tape and heads and wear and motors and cleaning and alignment and all the other horseshit are for one thing only: analog recording for eventual use in a digital final product. every one of us, with the exception of those few who will master a pure analog path to a final cassette or vinyl, does or will do this.

once upon a time that new fangled digital shit was thee shit. So, everyone grabbed for it. Alesis chose to modify existing analog technology to grab some digital action. they compromised to achieve a goal.

I have a whole shebang recorder that is solid state except for some pots. it weighs nothing and really uses no energy no motors heaters fans blah blah unless I burn a CD, which I maybe won't ever need to do actually....

oh yeah and humidity, heh..learned something new about ADAT's didn't I.
good thing the northwest pacific coastal region is really REALLY arid and sunny avg 317 days a year.<---more compromise...and for what really? see what i'm saying?

Mainly because I saw a couple of Adats going on ebay for 100 bucks each and I've got a nice old Peavey Mixing board already so I figured for a 100 bucks plus a couple mics I could record my band. Anything that keeps me away from a computer based recorder makes me happy. I would actually rather record on an old cassette set up like those old tascam syncassets but they are just too much money for my taste now.

jibberish · April 26, 2013, 06:19:47 AM

I know I ride you every time you mention ADAT. heh, I will stop now. it is no mystery that I think ADAT has past its time of usefulness.

Metal and Beer · April 27, 2013, 08:59:31 PM

There's a Sony Stereo Hi-Fi VCR at the local Goodwill for eight bucks, been there for quite a while. I think I'll grab it tomorruh (with my luck it'll finally be gone, haha)

spookstrickland · May 04, 2013, 02:42:53 PM

Quote from: Metal and Beer on April 27, 2013, 08:59:31 PM
There's a Sony Stereo Hi-Fi VCR at the local Goodwill for eight bucks, been there for quite a while. I think I'll grab it tomorruh (with my luck it'll finally be gone, haha)

Let us know what it sounds like.

Metal and Beer · May 04, 2013, 09:44:44 PM

It was gone...

liquidsmoke · May 04, 2013, 10:01:14 PM

Quote from: spookstrickland on April 25, 2013, 01:53:45 PM
Mainly because I saw a couple of Adats going on ebay for 100 bucks each and I've got a nice old Peavey Mixing board already so I figured for a 100 bucks plus a couple mics I could record my band. Anything that keeps me away from a computer based recorder makes me happy. I would actually rather record on an old cassette set up like those old tascam syncassets but they are just too much money for my taste now.

100 bucks- http://www.guitarcenter.com/TASCAM-DP-004-Portable-4-track-Digital-Multi-track-Recorder-105152128-i1428207.gc?source=4WWRWXGP&kpid=105152128

spookstrickland · May 05, 2013, 04:11:44 PM

Quote from: liquidsmoke on May 04, 2013, 10:01:14 PM
Quote from: spookstrickland on April 25, 2013, 01:53:45 PM
Mainly because I saw a couple of Adats going on ebay for 100 bucks each and I've got a nice old Peavey Mixing board already so I figured for a 100 bucks plus a couple mics I could record my band. Anything that keeps me away from a computer based recorder makes me happy. I would actually rather record on an old cassette set up like those old tascam syncassets but they are just too much money for my taste now.

100 bucks- http://www.guitarcenter.com/TASCAM-DP-004-Portable-4-track-Digital-Multi-track-Recorder-105152128-i1428207.gc?source=4WWRWXGP&kpid=105152128

those are kinda cool, but super small, I like things with big buttons.

Metal and Beer · May 05, 2013, 10:20:11 PM

Quote from: Metal and Beer on May 04, 2013, 09:44:44 PM
It was gone...

Found another for nine bucks today, flea markets abound here, homejams to come

liquidsmoke · May 05, 2013, 11:56:56 PM

Quote from: spookstrickland on May 05, 2013, 04:11:44 PM
Quote from: liquidsmoke on May 04, 2013, 10:01:14 PM
Quote from: spookstrickland on April 25, 2013, 01:53:45 PM
Mainly because I saw a couple of Adats going on ebay for 100 bucks each and I've got a nice old Peavey Mixing board already so I figured for a 100 bucks plus a couple mics I could record my band. Anything that keeps me away from a computer based recorder makes me happy. I would actually rather record on an old cassette set up like those old tascam syncassets but they are just too much money for my taste now.

100 bucks- http://www.guitarcenter.com/TASCAM-DP-004-Portable-4-track-Digital-Multi-track-Recorder-105152128-i1428207.gc?source=4WWRWXGP&kpid=105152128

those are kinda cool, but super small, I like things with big buttons.

try ebay or craigslist used, you can find older bigger digital units for $100 or less

sanovine · March 10, 2014, 04:12:10 PM

I've heard of a bunch of people recording to VCR because they wanna warm up their sound with 'analog saturation'. In my experience however, many vcrs will digitally clip the signal before sending it to the write head, which doesn't allow for magnetic saturation at all, you just get buzzy shit. Something to keep in mind when testing out vcrs.. cassette decks occasionally do the same thing.