Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!uwm.edu!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!info-high-audio-request
From: ST101137@brownvm.brown.edu (Lee Silverman)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Subject: Bias Calibration without a calibrator
Message-ID: <8048@uwm.edu>
Date: 4 Dec 90 13:47:46 GMT
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Approved: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu
Originator: tjk@csd4.csd.uwm.edu


Disclaimer:I am not an audiophile.  I just want a good tape deck.

I am looking at several dubbing decks as potential buys in
the next few weeks, most notably the Sony ES models.  (particularly the
second-from-the-top model).  These come with a bais adjustment knob for deck B,
but there is no built in way to calibrate the bias.  You have to "just play
around with it."  Now my question is:If I plug my Macintosh into the deck, and
have it generate a tone at 400 Hz, or whatever the calibration tone happens to
be, can I calibrate to that sound and have it be accurate?  Or, alternatively,
can I get a tape of a calibration tone to play in deck A and use it to calibrate
deck B?  I switch tapes alot (depending on what's on sale, That's, Maxell, TDK,
Sony, whatever) and so I'll need to adjust the bias frequently.
On a more fundamental note, can someone explain, in not-all-that-technical
terms, what bais really is, how the adjustment affects what goes on the tape,
and how, failing both of my ideas on calibrating the recording deck, I can "play
with it" in an intelligent manner to get the best sound (The guy in the stereo
store said, "Bais adjustment on this deck is easy:For normal tapes, it's 9:00,
for type II, it's 12:00, and for Metal  it's 3:00.  Then he took me upstairs to
show me his $500 top-o-the-line Sony ES 3-head recorder.  On this machine it's
simple too.  Just hit this calibration switch and play with the knob until the
line s match up."  "Great," I muttered.)
Please E-mail my account, as I am not a regular subscriber to this list.


Adios,       :{)    |       ST101137 @ Brownvm
Dr. Silver   B-)   /|\               @ Brownvm.brown.edu