Looking at purchasing a three head cassette deck. I have an issue. Is it possible for the vu output meters to work on a cassette deck without engaging the recording function on the deck. Is this possible using the Source/Monitor switch? Also, does this work on all three head decks or only specific ones? I would simply like to just view the meters through any source that may be playing through my system. I know I could purchase external meters, but I am not crazy about the looks of any I have seen.
I can’t say for all tape decks, but if your tape deck is a 3 head deck and your pre-amp or your integrated amp has a tape loop. Clicking in your source / tape monitor on the tape deck will allow the VU meter to display what it’s seeing. The display will show you what is passing through the tape loop, so no need to have the record button engaged.
If you are looking at Aiwa, Nakamichi or Sony, I think they should work. It works on my Nakamichi CR-7 anyway.
@Bobbie Dixon From my understanding what you want to achieve is monitor the signal coming to your amplifier using the VU-meters of the deck. As it was already mentioned, the preamp/integrated amp needs to have a tape loop for that. Vast majority of vintage integrated amplifiers have that. I think all 3-head decks that have off-tape monitoring will be able to display the signal passing thorough the tape loop by switching from TAPE to SOURCE. According to this thread (https://www.tapeheads.net/threads/question-on-3-head-decks-and-off-tape-monitoring.103331/), there were very few 3-head decks without off-tape monitoring. One thing to be kept in mind though is the fact many decks will have the capstan motor always on, so keeping it powered on for a very long time is likely going to wear the motor. Then of course another aspect is this monitoring can be achieved with any 2 head deck as well by simply adding some tape to the record safety switch and engaging rec pause (no need for the mechanism to be engaged).
Do you know of any decks that will not have the capstan motor always on? Or another option would be some really nice external vu meters in some kind of enclosure (any ideas?).
@Bobbie Dixon Technics RS-B 905 is one of the 3-head decks with full off tape monitoring and NOT moving capstan motor. Most likely Technics RS-B-705 should be functioning the same way, as they share the same base mechanism. I am not certain about 705, but since I own the 905, this is 100%. This line of Technics decks features really beautiful level meters, probably Technics' best (at least for my taste)
@Jorge Dan D’Agostino’s new designs these days has people in one of two camps, the people who love them and people who hate them.
