BootlegZone

So, I just purchased the soundtrack to the documentary film 'Once Upon a Wheel' on cassette and I do not have a cassette player. I didn't even know that this soundtrack existed all I've ever had is the VHS of the film. Apparently this soundtrack on cassette is a promo only item. It features a song by Cher titled "Gentle Foe" that has never appeared anywhere else (recorded in 1968 if i'm not mistaken).

I was hoping perhaps someone here might offer to rip it for me...as I really have no interest in cassettes and it would be pointless for me to buy a player just for this one track.

I have a cassette player that I could hook up to my sound card, why not. Shoot me a PM and we could work out the fine details.

Note- I'll probably just record, as-is and leave any clean-up and editing to you (and track splitting).


Oh, and if anyone knows, I assume that I adjust the gain/output so that I capture at -3 to -6 dB like vinyl? If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I'm all ears.

Yep, I sent cherbette a PM responding to his PM before I saw the thread. Basically the same as a vinyl rip (minus the declicking of course).

I have a Tascam 102 mk2 (as mentioned in another thread). What do you have, dog?

Is the song complete and unaltered in the film? If so, a DVD rip would probably yield much better quality...

http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Wheel-Mario-Andretti/dp/B0002IQNHE

I'm going through a similar hunt right now with the "Lucky Luke" TV show theme song (1991, written and sung by Roger Miller).

I have a Nakamichi CR-1A. Seems to be a decent 2-head player (got it for free from a friend).

You win (both good decks, but yours has the edge I believe).

A hunt for the song or for the DVD? I have this song in MP3 format if needed..

Do you have it without the overdubbed sound effects? I have found it several places with the gun shots, etc., but am looking for a "clean" version or maybe several different versions (from the movie then the show, for example) if there are different versions so that I could edit them together to create a clean version.

Oh no, sorry, mine's with sound effects too. I've found two sources (yet) but they have the sound effects in the same spot as it seems.

But do you have knowledge of such a clean version? Does it actually exist?

I don't know of such a version, but I'm sure that Roger recorded the song in a studio and the effects were added by a sound editor later, so I am (somewhat) hopeful of being able to come up with something.

Wow, I didn't expect more than one person to offer. I guess I should go with dodog?

PM sent with address info. If you have a prior deal with Mark, I don't want to step on toes. If I get the tape I'll do the transfer, if I never see it, I'll assume that Mark did it. No hard feelings either way.

Ditto. I bet that dog would do it faster, but I'm fine either way.

I got back from vacation today and cherbette's cassette had arrived. I plan on getting to this in the next week after I get caught up with work and what-not. Quick question, to anyone interested, is it better cassette etiquette to capture with or without Dolby noise reduction? (I believe my player has type B or type C reduction)

I listen both ways and do what I think is best. The problem with Dolby B is that unlike the pro versions or C, it was licensed with very loose tolerances. Because of this, two different decks can have circuits that do very different things to the signal. Sometimes it works great, sometimes not so much.

Do demag the deck before you put his rare promo tape in it, though. That is definitely good etiquette.

How does one demag a tape deck? Do I need some sort of special tool (that I probably won't have) or is there something I can pick up at Rat Shack?

Radio Shack used to sell them but don't know if they still do. One inexpensive type looked just like a cassette tape with an LED built into it. It was powered by a watch-type battery. You would just put it in the deck, press play and run until the LED went out or about ten seconds.

-DLedin

Radio Shack quit selling good tape head demagnetizers years ago. Good means the ones you plug into an AC outlet and are roughly pencil shaped with a metal probe sticking out from the end. The probe should have a vinyl cover to protect the heads.

I have never used one of the inexpensive cassette demag units. They just seem too much like the old cassette head cleaners that ground away the heads during cleaning. And yes I know the demag units should not contact the head during normal operation.

An important consideration is that the entire tape path should be demagnitized, not just the playback head.

Dolby B is very level dependent for accurate tracking. It got much of its bad rap because people recorded cheap low output oxide tapes using dolby and when played back they had no high end. Prerecorded tapes sometimes suffered the same problem, oftentimes magnified because of azimuth issues.

If "Once Upon A Wheel" is a later vintage cassette (mid - late 1980's) you are probably OK using dolby on playback. If it's from earlier than that let your ears be the judge. Of course make sure it was recorded using dolby by checking the j-card & tape for the dolby symbol. Some of the last generation cassettes actually had dolby s encoding so check for that too. Unfortunately I am not aware of any sound editing plug-ins that replicate dolby B. Anyone know of one?

Some cassette decks had a trim control that boosted high frequency content prior to the dolby NR stage. This helped alot with the sound. The original purpose for the trim control was an inexpensive way to compensate for azimuth error. If your deck has manual trim control I recommend using it.

Before playing the cassette make sure the felt pressure pad is still intact. This is one of the first things to go on old tapes. It's also good to ff / rw a few times. This gives you a chance to listen for dragging tape and also helps the sound.

Have fun with your tape and be thankful that cherbette didn't find an 8-track cartridge of Once Upon A Wheel!

It's only Cher for gods sake. If Cherbette wants it demagnetized let him get the demagnetizer. If not just do it. Can someone tell the difference besides MS if it has or has not been demagnetized?

Cher demands demagnetization!

I checked Rat Shack and the 12-yr. old was baffled when I asked him about a demagnetizer. Actually, he was more amazed when I showed him the 2-pack of Maxell cassettes on a low, forgotten shelf. It was a lost cause.

I don't see any Dolby symbols on the tape or on the packaging so I'm going to let my ears be the judge. Given the lack of demagnetizers in town, this will be as-is. If Mark really has an issue with this I'll just mail it his way. I've played 20-30 cassettes on this deck and, depending on their shape, they range from good to amazing. Perhaps some day I'll hunt down a demagnetizer but not today.

It's only Cher for God's sake? I am beyond tired of your BS! No one asked for your two cents.

I don't even know what demagnetization IS...any one care to fill me in

You laughed at Iggy Pop

As tapes play, the tape playback head "reads" the magnetic field generated by passing magnetized particles in the tape. Over time, the playback heads and (as beatletapehead already pointed out) to an extent all metal components of the tape part start to become magnetized. This magnetic field then acts in a way similar to a record or erase head, rearranging the particles and slowly erasing the sound (starting with the highs).

So a demag isn't something that dog would be doing to your Cher tape, or even just for your Cher tape. It is a necessary part of tapedeck maintenance. Just like stylus care is to vinyl.

BTW, I used a cassette shell type demagnetizer for years, but as I just acquired a reel to reel deck, I picked up a wand type demag from eBay for $12 shipped. Dog, if you plan to use that Nak with any frequency, you really should get one.


As I understand it, the vinyl covered ones can safely contact the tape head. It was the metal on metal of the old style ones that scarred tape heads.