HiFi VHS vs Cassette Tape - Which Sounds Better?

[@barcrocker4802]

Back in the 90s I had recorded/mixed a bunch of 6 hour tapes for parties which proved quite popular. Even my entire wedding reception dance is a TDK Hi Fi VHS cassette recorded on a Sony SLV 494 VCR. The sound was better than any cassette deck I owned (at least until my JVC TD661 acquisition in 1996).

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That must of been amazing having such long mix tapes in the 90’s which you could just press play and leave! I’m now intrigued to find out more about your current cassette deck. 😄👍

[@jordanrattanavong2655]

Wow. I really thought number one was digital. Very impressive.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cheers for having a listen!

[@richiereyn]

Mix 1 sounds the best to my ears, it has a good centre image and overall tone. Mix 2, I'm surprised is the digital mix because the centre image shifts slightly to the right as if the balance is off. Mix 3 is obviously the cassette, I can hear the hiss clearly.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Well deduced, and thanks for sharing your thoughts. 👍

[@frankcoffey]

Most VHS Hi-Fi had some head switching noise but still sounded much better than cassette. Some JVC models of VHS Hi-Fi solved that problem and the sound really was amazing.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for commenting and that’s really interesting. Do you know which era of JVC are the better ones?

[@frankcoffey]

@@wehappyfewmusic Best I remember it was the last ones they made. So you would need to research to determine what models were the last ones and get the top of the line.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@frankcoffey good stuff, I’m looking to upgrade so will check this out!

[@ericvannielsen]

Did you ever get into this? I did some homework back in ‘21 and found a forum where someone mentioned sonic artifacts between tracks when erasing used VHS tape. The poster said that this was due to the distance between the separate erase head and the hifi audio heads on the drum. I’m guessing this may be the issue some folks are referring to. I picked up a model with “flying erase heads”, which apparently are erase heads on the drum in addition to the stationary one. I’m still fixing up my unit but will do some tests once the new capstan belt arrives.

[@frankcoffey]

@@ericvannielsen If I’m going to use VHS HiFi for audio I’m going to use a new tape.

[@dimensionstomorrow]

Mix 1 was by far my favorite. It sounded excellent! I love how the guitars sit in the mix.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cheers for having a listen and sharing your thoughts. Much appreciated! 🙌

[@hermanmunster3358]

Me too, so much so, that I thought it was a direct feed from the porta studio. I thought mix 2 sounded a bit squashed and compressed, so thought that it might be the cassette. But after learning the cassette was actually mix 3, I am not surprised that mix 2 was the digital version. But yeah, Mix 1 clinches it for me. And if you use an E180 video cassette, you can record 6 hours of music, with virtually no loss in sound quality when recording in LP.

[@PlatypusPerspective]

The FM sound recording has high linearity, but only about 45 dB of dynamic range to tape. Because the recording is very accurate, a 2:1 compander system was able to be used to raise the dynamic range to around 90 dB without being troubled with the likes of pumping effects experienced using compression/expansion as you could notice sometimes with DBX on cassette tapes.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Many thanks for commenting and that’s really interesting info. It was certainly a clever piece of audio technology!

[@alvarogvdltgarcia52]

What is it? Is it possible to improve the sound of a vcr with this method?

[@PlatypusPerspective]

@@alvarogvdltgarcia52 A VCR has to be manufactured as HiFi VHS, so the sound of a standard VCR can't be improved afterward. There's no way to retro-fit HiFi to a non-HiFi VCR.

[@alvarogvdltgarcia52]

@@PlatypusPerspective yes. Thats why im asking. I have a HI-Fi vhs

[@PlatypusPerspective]

@@alvarogvdltgarcia52 Do you mean to improve the sound from an existing tape? If the tape is a standard VHS sound recording, the HiFi VCR can still only play it in standard quality mode. The HiFi player is not able to achieve any improvement to that sound. A HiFi VCR has only the choice of either system, the lower quality linear track that is on every VHS tape, or the higher quality sound that is recorded in a HiFi tape recording, but it has to have been already recorded in HiFi.

[@Bluecoffeebluesband]

Mix 1 sounds great, fat low mids and sweet highs. Mix 2 sounds "hollow", lack of glue for sure Mix 3 sounds with a great saturatiom but less botton end and highs. Believe 3 is the tape, 2 is digital, 1 VHS

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Excellent guess, well deduced! 👏👍

[@jonathanwaldo1942]

I liked 1 the best but in mix 2 the panning was biased towards the right it a lot more than mix 1 or 3. Mix 3 was also solid. Very interesting stuff on the fm modulated analog signal, I had no idea.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Many thanks for letting me know your thoughts, much appreciated! Yes, it’s weird about the panning being slightly off in Mix 2, as I did that simultaneously with Mix 3 where it seemed ok? I did Mix 1 after and just tried to keep everything the same. 🙏

[@jonathanwaldo1942]

@@wehappyfewmusic maybe the interface input level was padded or off by a few db? thanks again for the in depth content on this. I am seriously considering a HiFi VCR!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@jonathanwaldo1942 yes that’ll be why, the smallest change in position on my audio interface gain control makes a big difference. I’d go for it with the HiFi vhs unit, they’re so cheap that you haven’t got much to loose. I wish mine was a bit nicer looking though 😂

[@AlexanderSomma]

When I was a kid I used to backup CDs to VHS HiFi. It was amazing how high the quality was especially considering how you could have such long playtimes.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cool, what a great way of making long mix tapes!

[@milasudril]

Yep, a VHS tape could hold 30 GB of data, compared to only 700 MB on a CD. Though tapes does not provide random access. Anyways, magnetic recording is till the way to go when you need a high capacity medium.

[@robertfoshizzle]

I wish I had known about this as a kid growing up in the '90s. I made lots of cassette mixes, but would have killed for the ability to save that much music onto one VHS tape. I had no idea until recently this was a thing.

[@philrobinson4329]

I spotted the NICAM recording straight away. I used to have a Fergusson FV39H in the late 80s/early 90s. There is an unmistakable glare to the sound, to my ears.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. 🙌

[@paxsincera836]

Ear opener! I thought mix 1 was the digital because there was no hiss and so much frequency info on highs and lows. Mix 3 was easy to pick because of cassette's hiss and lack of body. I also like that you let each mix run for some time to compare different areas of the song and label the mixes on the video to go back and forth on youtube where each mix starts. Thanks for the test.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That’s great to hear your feedback and many thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts ! Yes it’s surprising how detailed VHS mix is, especially considering I’m using a pretty budget machine.

[@hermanmunster3358]

I have long been an advocate of recording music to VCR cassettes, as I discovered the potential of hifi vcr's back in the late 90's early 2000's when I owned a Ferguson FV77-HV. That machine also had a manual record level control with an on screen level meter for setting up your recording. Most had auto recording level back then, apart from a few earlier Panasonic or Sony machines, but still made fantastic dynamic recordings. (Do not confuse HiFi VCR's with older STEREO VCR's that recorded the sound on a LINEAR track along the edge of the tape, in the same way as a compact cassette, or reel to reel. Those machines were from an earlier period, and the sound recording results were often very poor, due to the Linear recording method, and slow tape speed. Some of those machines even had Dolby NR, but sounded awful in comparison to later HiFi VCR's) I remember the finished recordings from the Ferguson, often sounded much better than the CD through the same music system and speakers, more akin to vinyl than digital, with a much richer warmer sound, but without all the scratches and pops that you get on vinyl records. And another huge benefit, is that no Dolby NR was needed, as there was virtually no tape hiss due to the speed of the spinning heads, so S/N ratio was extremely low, with a much higher dynamic range than compact cassette, and a better frequency response, even on cheap video cassettes. I usually used decent cassettes from TDK or Maxell though, as cheap cassette tape would often end up chewed, or could even break, as it degrades MUCH quicker than decent quality tape. I still have 2 hifi VCR's stored away. One is a Sony, and the other is a JVC SVHS machine. I intend to integrate them into my system at some point, as I would like to experiment with them again. But yeah, if anyone wants to try analogue recording, and is put off by the often sky high prices of COMPACT cassette decks, and cassette tapes, or the often unaffordable prices of reel to reel machines, then hifi vcr's are a solid, affordable option, and can give fantastic under rated results. Not many people realise their potential for recording music, so get one while they're cheap.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey many thanks for this, it’s really interesting to hear about your experience with HiFi VCR’s and you’ve raised some great points. Particularly that’ll they will probably go up in price in the near future (like cassette decks did 10 years ago). 👌

[@hermanmunster3358]

@@wehappyfewmusic It's just a guess, but the prices could increase as the machines become even more rare.

[@Bus2000]

A nonstop Radio Channel Sky Radio started using HiFi VCR's for playing music. This was before the PC's could play HiFi audio. The VCR's were controlled by a computer. I still own a S-VHS HiFi recorder and in the early 90s I recorded a lot of CD's to Video Tape.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That makes a lots of sense, and must have been much cheaper than the alternatives at the time. Which S-VHS do you own, I’m thinking of upgrading from the unit I used in this video.

[@DanielImmanuel2143]

I said to myself mix 1. And it's incredible. The reason why they used Dolby in cassette decks is because of narrow tape and slower tape speed. Studio quality tape is faster tape speeds and wider tape as he's explained. I did a trial test myself on a Panasonic hifi VCR and tape and monitored the sound quality via the graphic equaliser. The VCR was crisp clear just slightly better than tape I'd say. If anything, just as good 👍

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for checking out the video! Do you remember which Panasonic VCR you used in your test? 👍

[@DanielImmanuel2143]

@@wehappyfewmusic thank you. It was a Panasonic NV-FS90B hi-fi stereo (SVHS). These were professional grade. Thank you so much for a brilliant video. It was always bothering me about sound quality. And dubbing music tapes going back to the 90's that I can't get again. Especially Bhangra. Your video is perfect for reference purposes. Best wishes in all that you do!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@DanielImmanuel2143 Sounds like a good machine and thanks for the positive vibes, it’s much appreciated! 🙌🙏

[@The-Jim-Miller-Project]

Excellent video! Ive been using a DAW for 10 years(Logic), and I’ve just gotten into analog recording and mixing, and I own a couple HIFI VCRs. Question, is it possible to get a final master of a song just by bouncing the cassette mix from a 4 track recorder to a HIFI VHS ? Meaning, without sending the song to a mastering engineer? If so, that would be awesome. I haven’t tried any of this yet. Looking forward to it.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi thanks for checking out the video and hope you’re enjoying working in the analog domain so far. In theory it is possible to do your final masters from your tape machine to your Hifi VCRs as long as you get everything correctly balanced. You could add the mastering processing effects when you convert your stereo mix into a digital file to send too distribution.

[@The-Jim-Miller-Project]

@@wehappyfewmusic Oh wow! Great info here! I kinda figured that’s how it would work because just by bouncing the cassette to HIFI VHS from what I understand, it cleans up the mix, and gives it a great two channel final mix but, for distribution levels you need either mastering software, compressor, and limiter, or, send the converted VHS to WAV or, AIFF to a mastering engineer. I haven’t worked in the mastering realm like I have recording and mixing as mastering music is another art form altogether. Anyway, Thank You so much! Your vids are awesome! Keep up the great work you do! ✌️

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@The-Jim-Miller-Project many thanks and good luck with your project!

[@superspit]

I remember the first time I plugged my Philips HiFi VCR into my Tascam 246 for mixdowns, and being totally amazed by the vastly improved sound quality and depth.... Then I had tracking errors, which ruined the entire song list on the VHS tape. Couldn't resolve completely, so went back to cassette tape after that. 1988.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That must of been very annoying! I tried using an old tape first of all with this video, and got some very strange tracking noises. All seemed to disappear with the NOS tape🤞🏻.

[@superspit]

@@wehappyfewmusic thanks for responding! All digital now and still going! (albeit via an analog desk, lol).

[@eduardofs6620]

The info about cassette decks can be bettered a LOT when considering some models. For example, the Yamaha K-1020 with dbx noise reduction and metal tape has a frequency response of 20Hz to 23kHz and 95dB signal to noise ratio, a dynamic range of 90dB, with Wow & Flutter of 0.03%WRMS. Another Yamaha, the K-2000 has FR 20-24k Hz, S/N ratio 108dB and W&F 0.02%WRMS. And there is a selected list of other models/brands at this level of technical specifications. I use VHS to record music, in conjunction with a Sansui AV-77 AV processor, which providides DBX noise reduction and a 30dB increase in S/N ratio and dynamic range. The result is fantastic

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for this information and that’s very impressive specs!

[@pauloarpereira]

When the first VHS Hi-Fi videos appeared, a comparison was made in 1985 between hi-fi video recorders and the legendary Nakamichi Dragon with metal tape. Nakamichi won. However, the quality of the later video recorders is much better, as is the quality of the tapes. In a comparison I made between my Pioneer CT-95 (for some a "Dragon killer") and the Panasonic AG-8700 with D-VHS and S-VHS cassettes, the Panasonic wins by a large margin. It is easy to recognize a cassette recording but it is difficult to recognize differences from the original on the Panasonic. The problem with video cassettes is the dropouts, especially at the beginning of the tape, and having a lifespan of around 35 years.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for sharing this info and interesting to hear how VHS gradually took over as being the higher fidelity medium. It would be good to see how the CT-95 compares to a 15/30 IPs reel2reel in a blind test.

[@pauloarpereira]

@@wehappyfewmusic What is expected is that reel to reel gains at 15IPS and loses at 7.5IPS.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@pauloarpereira yes I think so. 👍

[@Laze-Mz]

cassette sounded the best to me :) followed by VHS

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for letting us know your vote! 🙌

[@boballmendinger3799]

Same here. To me, the cassette had the most pleasing sound, particularly the dynamics of the strings. I recently unearthed several VHS tapes I dubbed years ago, including some played out Jim Reeves albums that I cleaned and played wet to tame (quite well) the surface noise. I just picked up a Sony vcr a few days ago, and am looking forward to playing the tapes again.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@boballmendinger3799 It will be nice to listen to those old tapes again.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

When I was 13 I collected 8-track carts for fun. They weren't worth anything but it was a cheap hobby. I remember thinking to myself how awful they sounded. I know they were very old and really degraded quick over time but I didn't get why they were so popular except for the major convenience factor in playing them in a car in a time where ondemand media wasn't that possible outside the home. Now as an adult collecting VHS tapes I kinda get it. VHS tapes had terrible looking video even back then. The color was imo the worst offender. But it's what we had in an age of limited options for home video. My family didn't have a LaserDisc player and I remember not being that impressed with having to flip a disc over to finish a movie. Nostalgia is an awesome feeling.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yeah nostalgia is a bit like a warm blanket on a cold night. 😊👌

[@Mr.OldPro]

Mad skilled pro here ;) I got it wrong, had thought the digital was first, vhs second, but unsure, the third was obvious cassette. Fun! Listened with iPhone 11 while sitting on the uno.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Glad you enjoyed it and thanks very much for sharing your observations! 👍

[@RandyRan9545]

WHEN THE THIRD ONE COMES IN, I FEEL THE DEPTH OF MUSIC INSTANTLY THE DIGITAL ONE IS DEFINITELY CLEAN AND FLAT

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for a having a listen and your vote, much appreciated!

[@RandyRan9545]

@@wehappyfewmusic Nice Job

[@paultreneary]

Before I moved out and bought my own, I coaxed my dad into buying a hi-fi model as his first player as I wanted to buy some pre-recorded music VHS tapes - I even did a simulcast recording of Queen at Wembley in 1986 using his machine. I always had hi-fi machines, and I started with Mitsubishi jog/shuttle player in '87 (I forget the model), which I used to use as an audio recorder (albeit only when bouncing cassette recordings), and it was almost as good as my Denon DR-M10HX tape deck. I replaced it with another Mitsubishi, but that too is long gone, but I still have 2 cheaper Hi-Fi machines just in case I ever need a VHS again.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cool, thanks for stopping by and sharing your history with HiFi VHS recording, I love hearing how people used it (or still do). Did you record to your Toshiba from a cassette portastudio for your own recordings then? 🙌

[@paultreneary]

@@wehappyfewmusic 'twas a long time ago, but I seem to recall copying a few cassettes (probably from friends*) by bouncing recordings from the Denon cassette deck to the Mitsubishi VCR and back to the Denon, but I also used it a couple of times to create an edit/mix for a mate of mine who was a bodybuilder who wanted a three section piece of a given length and time to pose to - something that worked well using the jog/shuttle on the VCR (using the images as cues!) but was much easier when I got my first PC. (*some of those recordings were from gigs friends played, and are now digital)

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@paultreneary Gotcha, sounds like a technique for the time. 👍

[@andypickeringmusic]

Thanks for a very informative video! Wayy more in depth than mine, lovely sounding track too. (I use the same quantegy cassettes 👌) Vhs sounded great to me also. The digital sounded wider in my cans, but not in a good way. Not sure if that's a mastering thing? All the best, Andy

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for having a listen Andy, I had to do some homework for this video to get my head around how it all works 😊. I love these quantegy tapes, I bought a load of end of the line stock in 2009, but I’m starting to run out unfortunately. It was a subtle difference in your video between the digital and VHS too, but again I think it was slightly more rounded in a good way than the digital mix. 👍

[@beatspieces6213]

I thought the VCR sounded best, and the digital was more clear than tape, but less fat. I preferred the VCR overall, tape 2nd, and digital last. Does this mean VCR's are going to be the next medium that's going to end up overpriced...?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for having a listen and maybe so, that’s usually the way these things go with old gear?! 😂

[@thetechgenie7374]

You learn over the years never let cat out of bag pretty much. I can see the eBay reseller rejoicing. Let just say head switching noise would be issue on cheaper VCR’s on higher end VCR’s mainly ones from the late 80’s they resolved that issues as they were selling them to use with a HiFi system and had special features for that purpose later on taking those features out as time progress to cut costs.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@thetechgenie7374 Thanks for letting us know, that sounds like a really useful feature. Do you remember which models it was on?

[@MrHhkrohn]

Nice Nice Very Nice.. 👍 I've been fooling around with my hifi vcr now for 2 weeks. It only has audio output and the other is av scart. So I got a converter and connect with my focusrite . Still, no signal recorded on the vcr from my DAW. One should also use the yellow video cable ? I guess so when audio akeo recorded on those heads.. 🤔 what channel are you using in the vcr when recording? AV? Maybe I should connect to the pc directly? Anyway I will have a look again... thanks

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for checking out the video! I set my VCR’s up on A1 (or it might be A2, not in front of them at the moment 😊). What model VCR have you got, some of the older ones need to be tuned into to a tv channel first.

[@MrHhkrohn]

@@wehappyfewmusic it is an samsung SV- 6332X hifi stereo On the back only 1 scart and 2 audio outputs... I will try via the tv 👍

[@Kobafied]

I’ve been recording to hifi VHS since 1984 when I got my JVC deck. I also do the same with a hifi Sony Betamax. Still have both decks today. The JVC cost me over $1K back then when a thousand dollars was a lot of money, but she’s still going strong 40 years later. I haven’t recorded video on it since the Challenger exploded in 1986.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Wow, it’s easy to forget how expensive the high end units were.

[@YOUNGBLAKPR1NCE]

I love old gear ⚙️ I have the 1st ever released S-VHS PLAYER from JVC the HR-s7000u (1987) What model JVC do you have ?

[@Kobafied]

@@YOUNGBLAKPR1NCE I have the JVC HR-D75U, which I believe was their first HiFi deck. I was convinced that I would buy a Betamax HiFi machine that day in the electronics store, but the sales guy talked me out of it. Even though it was a better technology, he told me the industry would be adopting the VCR format, and the rest is history. That unit cost me $1,400 back then which is close to $4,000 in 2023 dollars. Still works like new, so I guess I got my money’s worth.

[@YOUNGBLAKPR1NCE]

@@Kobafied That’s excellent✨ we have to keep up with his old gear Not only for the great build quality And attention to detail, but also for the nostalgia , it’s almost like we have our own museum in a sense 🙏🏽

[@YOUNGBLAKPR1NCE]

@@Kobafied ☝️One more question . Which one do you believe is superior sound wise, the Betamax or the high-end hi-fi VCRs ? 📼

[@MyDenney]

How do you record when there are no audio input meters or volume input controls. It’s like I recording blind. How do you know if sound being recorded is to low or to high ?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

You can get some VCR units which have an input gain and meters, but most don’t unfortunately (like the one I’m using). I did a few tests at different levels but it seemed to be rather forgiving, so I assume there is some kind of inbuilt limiter. I mainly just made sure that the audio leaving the portastudio was at a sensible level.

[@Nord72]

I ve been recorded from DVB-S (Satellite) card and Nokia 9800S to a hifi-stereo Akai GX series Recorder, the sound quality was amazing back in 98-99. ( mpeg2 )

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Sounds interesting, how did that all hook up then?

[@Nord72]

@@wehappyfewmusic : the Nokia 9800S has rca audio out so it was analog-analog, but the source was pure crystal clear digital, there were not any noise on the audio output.

[@Nord72]

@@wehappyfewmusic : The other method was a Happauge DVB-S ( basically a Technisat-1 ) and it recorded in mpeg2 which contained the audio ( mp2 ) and later just recorded onto the 6 head Akai VHS Video.

[@DriamAyalay]

I liked the 1st one the best, feels deeper, wider and warmer than mix 2 (wich Is ok but sounds a bit too clean and dry and with a little less Dynamic Range) and cleaner than mix 3 (the warmest but also the noisiest one)... May I ask which one did you upload to Spotify? Cheers!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for your detailed comment and it’s great to hear your observations! I ended up doing a new mix for Spotify after recording these, to make sure I was fully focused on the audio (rather than camera angles etc).

[@DriamAyalay]

​@@wehappyfewmusic Ok no worries, another thing I'd like to point out is that mix 1 was the more functional as a whole, it sounds alive, it feels like you´re in the room with the band, the bass sounds big and the drums have more attack, both without feeling compressed or satturated, and the electric gtr sounds with more room, but not louder than everything else. Mix 2 is the cleanest but it doensn't stick together wery well, feels like the electric guitar with the chorus effect stands out too much of everything else instead of giving more punch to the chord changes like the other 2 mixes (giving a dead giveaway that it was an overdub and not live), and the percussion beat throughout sounds a bit louder than needed but when the drum fill comes in, it lacks punch, and lacks a little bass, a bit too bright overall. ... And finally mix 3 is the one that has the richest acoustic guitar tone but it brings the noise up with it, so I think it depends on what kind of approach are you looking for the song. If I was looking for an acoustic I'd use this, If i wanted some R'n'R I'd use mix 1, or If I wanted to make pop I'd use mix 2, but to each their own...

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@DriamAyalay thanks so much for the extra details, it’s much appreciated. I think your right that either one could be useful to add a subtle extra flavour to the mix (or lack of with the digital). I’m certainly going to experiment some more with the hifi vhs and I’m planning doing some external bouncing to it from the 4 track (rather than the internal ping pong technique where you combine several tracks into one).

[@DriamAyalay]

@@wehappyfewmusic Pleasure! Interesting though, do you mean recording each track into the Vcr and then capture it for further digital mixing?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@DriamAyalay not quite, I was going to send out 4 separate tracks from the portastudio to the VCR (drums , bass etc) them mix then into one mono track. I’ll then record that back into the portastudio, and lay down the rest of the tracks (singing and guitars). I’m hoping there won’t be much loss in detail, but can get more parts recorded. It’s the same sort of thing that the Beatles did back in the day with high end reel to reel recorders.

[@michaelkonomos]

This was great. I guess correctly, based on the amount of tape hiss that I heard - I hate to say that I preferred the digital in this case, but they all sound good. Different people will like different sounds.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks very much and glad you liked the video! No problem if you preferred the digital mix, thanks for the vote. 👍

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

why hate? Digital has it's applications - CD is very good disposable format for the car.

[@380stroker]

The 3rd mix sounded best, which was the cassette.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey thanks for letting me know your vote! 🙌

[@SleepingOrchard]

I haven't seen the results yet. I'm voting MIX 1 first (but sometimes I suffer from "it's the one I heard first bias" haha). The slide sounds fantastic, as do the drums. Where do you record drums? I'm wondering if I can get away (socially) with sneaking a drum kit into my flat......Maybe a tiny jazz one? hmmmm.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey Will, thanks for having a listen and Mix 1 is a popular choice so far! I usually record drums in a practice studio or program them, but am also contemplating the same idea as you!

[@Xantylon74]

And this was a pretty low end VHS. I did record audio on VHS in the past.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yes I don’t think they made many HiFi VCR’s much more budget than this deck. 😅

[@Xantylon74]

@@wehappyfewmusic Without level meters and control. I had Sony SLV-E90 until 10 years ago, this was a pretty good VHS mashine.

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

I immediately thought Mix 3 was the cassette, much worse. Interesting topic. Is there any advantage to having a S-VHS deck, rather than VHS?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi, theoretically I’d think the S-VHS would be more detailed but I’ve not compared them. A future video……?

[@Droppin_Deuces_On_Ya]

Mix 1 - Balanced Mix 2 - Image slightly panned right Mix 3 - Balanced w/hiss

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for checking out the video, Jason. 👍

[@davidwilliams2840]

I have to agree with the test VHS audio sounds amazing but you do you have to have a very good quality VCR . I have a 3 Panasonic nv-v8000s & they beat my nakamichi 680 ZX handsdown ....

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for having a listen and sharing your experiences as I’ve not used a nakamichi (yet🤞🏻😄). I’ll also be checking out that Panasonic VCR model too now.👍

[@thetechgenie7374]

Mainly get one from late 80’s thankfully have a couple that are NOS in the box still. But the higher end VHS decks from late 80’s still had audio functions like proper level controls and audio dub features, filters, plus they took care of head switching noise issues as at the time they were pushing these machines for use with a HiFi system for this very purpose. Most later models they phase a lot of these features out to cut costs. There some that will outperform pretty much all cassette deck including Nakamichi decks but not going to mention models and names as eBay sellers will raise prices.

[@Cream2773]

I liked the warmth, presence and dynamic of mix 1, but thought the lowest and thin mixdown on mix 3 has been made on computer... maybe an reference Cassette Tape Deck could sound better... price was quality in the 80s and early 90s

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey thanks for having a listen! I think you’re right about the cassette deck, a higher quality one would give nicer results. At some point I’d love to try a Nakamichi or something similar.

[@TheChadPad]

I guessed that Mix 2 was digital, but I couldn’t tell which was which between the other two. I think I might prefer the VHS for the top end of the guitars, but the metal cassette may have been fuller sounding, more body and bass. I preferred the vhs

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi thanks for having a listen and letting me know your favourite media. The VHS does have a good top end.

[@TheChadPad]

@@wehappyfewmusic thanks for making this comparison! It’s really important

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@TheChadPad you’re welcome! 👍🙏

[@mastercylinder1939]

Do you think you could do a comparison between the vcr and a reel to reel?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey yes good idea, I’d love to do that. Just need to get my reel to reel serviced then will get on it!

[@marcusatiusvirilis7723]

It's really neat that you can get get such a good quality analog medium on a budget, I'm glad to have found out about this. Can you do overdubs on vhs with the right mixer?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Interesting idea. You couldn’t do overdubs with my particular vcr as it records both channels at the same time but it may be possible on another machine?

[@marcusatiusvirilis7723]

@@wehappyfewmusic My friend recently found a reel-to-reel, but since he'll be going to a different school next year I'll have to make some demos on my own. I'm thinking from what I've heard that vhs might actually be the best way to do this, and to save costs of my own recording setup for the time being with lots of mics and big mixers, etc , I might go ahead and get a pair of condenser mics to capture the stereo image of a room with other players for the vhs demos

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@marcusatiusvirilis7723 Sounds like a good plan. The VCR will be much cheaper than a good working reel 2 reel will cost, and a separate mixer will give you more routing options.

[@ChristianBannister]

Mix one gets my vote!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Many thanks for your vote!

[@shaunsiz.itsbetterbytube2858]

Hi replying to your interesting post on the better formats. As an old timer lol I have allways used a Hifi Stereo Vcr as a kind of master .the Dynamic range is well in between 80-90 Db and wow and flutter around 0.005%. Freq the norm 20-20khz . I use a sony Scv715 and a sony Se80 .I use a High quality deep oxide layered tape .I have most of my vinyl on tape .I do hope I haven't put any one to sleep lol .O and ii have just subscribed kind regards shaun

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi Shaun thanks for your post and it sounds like you’ve got a nice setup there! 👍

[@breakfasttouch]

i got it right listening to the video on a macbook from 2011 hahah. sounds amazing, thanks for the video i'm buying one now. i loved the glue cassette gives a record but the quality is lost. the vcr acts like a low end saturation, it's awesome.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Really glad to hear you found the video useful and cool that you’re going to give the vcr route a go! If I got another vcr myself I’d probably look for one with audio input monitoring. Not essential but definitely useful.

[@breakfasttouch]

@@wehappyfewmusic i was lucky to find one for $100 aud, but that was the cheapest. with the monitoring it would be a lot more. i realized just measuring the signal coming back in for it's LUFS to see if the dynamic range is ideal then noting the output volume and setting it to that for each use. thanks for making these videos and validating what my subconcious was trying to tell me to do rather than go down the cassete route haha.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@breakfasttouch that’s a good work around for setting levels! 👍

[@michaels5166]

The SVHS was great to make audio masters on, because you can slam the tape and you have way more recording times. Cassette was great yet i needed to set bias, match tape stock, and more head cleaning /demagnetizing. I still have the masters and I have semipro SVHS decks with jog wheels...

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey thanks for stopping by and I know what you mean! Which SVHS deck have you got, that jog wheel sounds useful.

[@dodgingrain3695]

Mix2 sounds of center like there is either a phase issue or something going on with the panning.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for checking it out. Yes, not sure what happened there.

[@ajkauly3682]

Hard to judge when listening via computer, especially youtube. Some VCRs have XLR inputs. that might be a better test of the medium. The Tascam mixer used is ok. Also Tape quality matters. I used to do live sound recordings on hifi VHS machines A LOT, usually with two mics(one dynamic one condensor) via a Steelcased 4 channel English mixer from 70s or 80s. fantastic sound. But a high quality reel-reel 1/2" tape yet better. CD sound is better in SOME ways, but also lacking in some ways. A good CD player does also make a difference. really hard to judge these things when we re/digitize them i think.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cheers for watching and you’re right, it is harder to hear the difference when all the recordings need to be digitised through KZbin (was clearer in the room). That sounds like a cool setup you had with your mixer and VCR, what model of desk was it?

[@Taffafilms]

How do you recognize a high quality audio VHS unit?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

They often have extra features like audio meters and phono audio connections rather than just scart. That said I’ve just used cheaper HiFi vcr decks though, and they still seem to work well.

[@JamesT65]

Well this was a surprise, I thought Mix 2 was the VHs and Mix 1 was the Digital and Mix 3 Cassette. Surprise it was Mix 1 that sounded the best overall and to my surprise it was the VHS. The VHS with a wider tape and heads is kinda like a bigger version of DAT.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi yes it kind of surprised me too😊. It’s amazing that a cheap consumer vcr unit can get such clean results.

[@JamesT65]

@@wehappyfewmusic i like the fact that you can record a lot of music on them, been tempted but I need to offload my b710 mk ii and 8 track collection. You did a great test thanks for publushing.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@JamesT65 many thanks! Yes space can start to become a bit of an issue with all this gear. That’s a nice revox deck though too so I’d imagine it’d be tough to part with.

[@Xantylon74]

It's analog, but there were some digital VHS Mashines even for audio only.

[@ARDigitalMastering]

Mix 2 has a balance problem. The left channel is 6dB more quiet. Therefore mix 2 wil always sound worse then the other two. So not a fair comparison. I used Hifi VHS a lot and used top of the line decks. But all have head switching noise. In this case the head switching noise is masked by the music. But try to record a 1khz tone an you weil hear a sort of rattle sound on must machines in the lower frequency bands. You can hear it in music too, but not in all kinds of music. Only when few instruments play (like only hi hats or an acapella) and there is a lot of dynamics.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey thanks for commenting. Yes I’ve heard a few people talking about head switching noises but didn’t notice it with my test. As you say the music will be masking it a bit here. I’ll try the test tone and see if it’s more audible.

[@PeterCreed-g7s]

Me to I could not tell the difference between the mixes over sennheiser hd 380 pros 😊

[@wehappyfewmusic]

We must have similar ears! 😅

[@jonathansoko1085]

I honestly liked the first one the most but i cant tell you why

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Many thanks for having a listen and letting me know your vote, Jonathan ! It’s often best to go with your gut feeling with these mix decisions (or that’s what I do anyway😂).

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

clean - and analogue. 2nd mix had a hotter right channel so it made it sound weird but it would sound almost identical to mix 1 if channels were balanced.

[@Mikexception]

Video recorders were made to provide video plus sound. Thus I would accept thought that the audio electronic perfection may be secondary to picture quality. Anyway I admit I used exceptional VHS made by Goldstar with NICAM system and provided with audio level manual controll with optical audio meters and at that time (93) with standard gear it was stunning to listen . Today I wouldn't adopt my audio to VHS due to casettes not matching by look and size my other media and big size of recorder. Process of loading/reading is complex and may happen damage. With cessette deck and R2R each tape recording I have at at original quality level without complain. Many rise here the problem of bias which I solved by using only tapes which are applicable to my recorder settings and I excluded chrom and dolby to escape confusion and mistakes.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Good observations and sounds like an impressive setup in the 1990’s. Do you use reel to reel recorders today still then?

[@Mikexception]

@@wehappyfewmusic It is kind of multi purpose music studio equipped also with complex (own setup) music workstation based on GEM WK2 Music module , guitar and microphone all with lot of hard ware effects. For up to 40 mins I can record also to Korg digital HD mixer/effecter/ registrator. . For different purposes I use three different R2R - for occasional mono registration four track mono vintage tube/transistor (hybrid) , for own creations two track B&O solid stereo and Uher 4 track solid stereo for Hi Fi enjoy . . And two cassette simple Hi fi decks - one for recording and the same type other for reproduction of cassettes. This way I already have little time to listen to my CD set - some of them I find now not reliable - jumping and skipping and it's annoying . In my channel You may listen to my own music directly registered with Tesla B115/116 and digitalized later (where Tesla R2R is shown) . Other were digitally registered with simple PC plug in and very good external sound card. .

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@Mikexception sounds interesting, I’ll check out your KZbin channel and have a look. 👍

[@blakasmurf]

I prefer mix 1 (Vhs) the bass even seemed best, mix 2 (digi) the balance was off to the right so hard to tell if that was fixed if it would be better. Sounded a bit thinner but you can get that when both speaker aren't reacting equally to the sound. Mix 3 didn't sound bad just the hiss, bass not as good as mix 1, overall everything sounded better on the Vhs

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, and I think you’re right.

[@owenjbrady]

mix 1 had a bit of hiss, mix 2 no hiss, mix3 more hiss then mix 1.... actually kinda suprised how much hiss mix 3 had... maybe needed to be cranked up or just the tape/deck quality from being years old.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey thanks for sharing your thoughts, and yes the tape deck may be a bit worn out (and KZbin’s compression algorithms probably boosted the hiss a bit more?).

[@who_cares848]

I'd say do this with beta. It's easier to find a hifi beta player with recording level adjustment than it is a vcr with that feature.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Okay thanks, that is a useful feature.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

Betamax or BetaCam? You should define this more as there are so many different beta formats..and it's redundant comparing to VHS HIFI which is essentially the same tech. I have several VHS HIFI decks with VU meters and audio controls.. I haven't seen a beta HiFi in decades.

[@who_cares848]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 just a regular old beta hifi player that you would have in your house back in the day. Maybe its just regional but i find a lot more of those types of players than i do vcr's.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@who_cares848 out of curiosity what country do you live in? I only see 1 beta machine for every 1000 VHS .. literally ..maybe even less. - I go to the electronic recycling depots all the time.. I remember seeing one Beta machine at my aunt's boyfriends house in 1981. Everyone else had VHS growing up. Very interesting these regional differences.

[@who_cares848]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 north america. When i said more of those machines i meant its more common for the beta players to have the volume meters and adjustments on the front. Ive only seen like 2 vcr's which have that feature but a ton of beta hifi's that do. Sorry for the confusion. I do find more beta stuff in general at thrift stores where i am though. Its weird. I appologize if this doesnt make any sense im high as fuck right now.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

That is not a 'standard' cassette deck..that's a high end Technics with quartz lock.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

👍

[@janosnagyj.9540]

I just wanted to comment that... not exactly fair play, a top of the range tape deck against a disposable, one-of-the last and cheapest supermarket bottom shelf VCR unit. But still, it shows the technical superiority of the high relative speed FM recording against the slow speed, thin track linear style...

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@janosnagyj.9540 yes good point, I didn’t feel like spending too much money at the time on the experiment, but would be fairer with a similar range of vcr. 👍

[@bobjerome5390]

hi used it as hi-fi like you did here i have betacam sp decks i find they are far better in the long run and there's alot of betacam sp tape still out there

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Good stuff, I must get hold of a betacam and give them a go. Do they have better build quality or is it the sound you prefer?

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

Mix two has an imbalance in the stereo channels hotter on the right side. Mix 3 is obviously cassette tape. Due that imbalance on mix 2.. it was hard to distinguish 1 and 2..

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for checking it out and sharing your thoughts, much appreciated. I’m going to re listen to this myself to see what’s going on with mix 2.😊

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@wehappyfewmusic I just brought the exported audio file from your video into audio analysis tool ( Adobe Audition and also Izotope RX) ..and there is more of an issue with the digital track (2nd example) than I could hear.. while the left channel being lower on this example than the others.. the Right track is boosted maybe 1db louder than the other tracks as well .. so left goes down around 1db.. right goes up 1db (give or take) .. maybe run a sine wave into your computer to calibrate it. see if something is wrong with your converter - I don't know what system you're using. Maybe something got altered in your settings. There's no added noise or anything.. just level imbalance. Thanks for your reply. I'm just surprised no one else could hear it.. at least in the comments I couldn't see anyone else who pointed this out. FYI The VHS and Tape waveforms visually look almost identical - but I could hear the 'lovely' subtle hiss in the 3rd example in the video . One thing I find odd is the audio in general has it's frequency shunted at 16kHz per channell.. I wonder if that's the youtube compression at work because it should at least go to 22khz per channel.. unless the source material was shunted to begin with. Is that library online music you used?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 thanks for talking the time to investigate it further! Maybe something odd was going on with my computer or interface (I’ve got a new one now). This is a clip of my own song I recorded on the cassette 4 track you can see on the video, so that would explain why the high frequency cuts of at 16kHz.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@wehappyfewmusic No problem friend. I liked the video and your comparison . Interesting that machine has a hard limiter at 16khz.. cool ! I used one decades ago almost the same .. but didn't have tools to check the frequency response in the late 80s. LOL ..sounds super clean though your results. Good music too it sounds like an acoustic arrangement for the most part you even played the drums? :)

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 Yes it’s interesting that it cuts out at 16kHz. I just checked the specs and it’s supposed to up to 18KHz, but I guess it’s getting on a bit now! 😅That’s cool that you used to have a similar 4 track and great to hear you like the video.🙌

[@MichaelOrton-en5jl]

I n the early 2000,s i found at a thrift store a legit store bought but strange because it only had 1video but the sound was amazing very real clear and punchy it was the moulan rouge video lady marmalade little kim ,christina aguilera,pink. to this day ive yet to find one like it strange as it was it sounded really good

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That is awesome!

[@andodigital1]

Hi. what want for 1 to 1 quality on VHS ! 1. Need PAL or NTSC This is the Best Choice with 4.43 because on NTSC recording take more tape space for audio recording and Les for Video signal Then on Pal ,Left channel is 1.3Mhz Right Channel 1.7Mhz! 2. Need VHS with Long play (LP On PAL OR on NTSC Extended Play EP or (SLP)) Because on this mode lowered video quality but again take more space for AUDIO on tape ! 3.HI-FI NICAM because minimum need on drum 2 Long play Head ,2 Standard Quality play Head ! 4.Black signal generator on VHS calling this button (SIMUL) Or ( Test signal) on BACK This generate Black video signal ,need for tracking stable simulation because VHS tracking system looking this information for synchronization ! When not synchronize tracking system non stop looking and make on recording noises clicking like scratching noises ! ON VHS Without Black Screen Generation Need give in black screen video signal from another device get same results ! 5.For best result need check some VHS Without Recording Level adjustment gives the best recordings when input 5 volts but on 0.5-0.7V results poor ! 6. Example devices Panasonic NV-F125( NV-HD100AM) ,NV-F75,NV-F65,NV-FS 200 HQ, The best Choice NV-W1! 7. At last For the BEST QUALITY HI-FI Audio on VHS Need Recording ON NTSC ,4.43 ,EP or SLP ON PAL, LP , Black screen Video input or Black screen Generation, Don't forget about input Voltage! When doo like that on the result getting Quality best then any professional Reel To Reel And DAT is well plenty models not giving that results ! Analog sound is the best ! :-)Good Luck !

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yeah I love analog recording too, thanks for your detailed advice and watching the video! 🙌

[@zordmaker]

oh gawd no race! I refuse to become nostalgic about compact cassette. It was a necessary evil cajoled to do far more than it should have been.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Haha, fair enough! Did you prefer the digital or VHS mix then? 👍

[@L0wcash]

Are you sure the VCR uses analog hifi audio? It say's on the machine that is uses NICAM digital audio. NICAM is encoded using 14 bit pulse-code modulation at a sampling rate of 32 kHz and uses some form of digital compression... see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NICAM Maybe the VRC just decodes the NICAM signal from broadcasts and it uses analog HiFI for recording, but it seems to only logical to use the NICAM-system for recording as well... Have you checked if this VRC uses analog or digital for audio?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi I’m pretty sure but will definitely double check. Thanks 🙏

[@DaveZula]

It's subtle, but I do think the VHS sounded best. Thanks for the video. ✌️❤️

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yes, there’s not much in it. Many thanks for watching David! 🤟🏻🙏

[@bahngellou3511]

Did you record the VHS tape on LP or SP?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Recorded it on SP as had plenty of space.

[@nathan7265]

I’m sorry, did you say mix 2 was ITB or OTB?

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi Nathan, Mix two was ITB. Which did you prefer?

[@bobsbits5357]

hi they are tank's i have alot of them for quad audio a mate i know has alot of dvd-a 4.0 audio so the best way is to use betacam sp decks i used to have betamax hi-fi was dropping audio alot and i never got this with betacam betacam sp i jus pick up 2o betacam 30min for a very low price new sealed boxs bob under £20 uk

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cool, that sounds like a good price for a box of sealed tapes.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

you should set your levels before you hit record - riding the faders while it's recording takes away from the original dynamics of the recording you're remastering it.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Good point, I could of left the mix static for the test but the aim was to create the same adjustments for each take. I like to adjust settings when doing a normal mix to get stuff to sit better as song’s progress. 👍

[@MegaWayneD]

The weird thing is I thought Mix 2 sounded a bit flat and muffled! Mix 1 and 3 sounded about the same to me (I'm listening through headphones) there was definitely a bit more life in Mix 1 and 3.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That’s interesting, I guess it shows that analog recording is more responsive/lively than digital in some circumstances (even with affordable gear).

[@MegaWayneD]

@@wehappyfewmusic Yes! I've been saying this for years. I noticed this especially on live recordings in the early 00s, everything just sounded a bit "meh" whereas analogue live recordings really jumped out.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@MegaWayneD I remember the same thing when I first used Logic Pro, wondering why everything sounded so bland!?

[@MegaWayneD]

@@wehappyfewmusic I suppose it shows how much analogue tape colours the tones. Certainly the tape formulation has had decades of development to the point where they sound good to the consumer.

[@ngonnguaudionnaofficial6136]

I love the VHS version! even this is a popular popular vhs! Do you think a vhs like the other Sony SLV F11 that is more advanced and adds balance would be even better! Thanks for your Video!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey thanks for watching this video and leaving a comment! I’ve not tried the Sony model but I think it would certainly make it easier to use if you have control of the input gain, and higher quality components must help the overall sound/reliability.

[@611gay5]

Take a brillo and rub the film, also VHS works in cassette. Cut to size, some video signals will be come audible

[@kickflipdemon]

i thought mix 2 was vhs mix 1 digital and mix 3 audio cassette

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for checking the video and sharing your vote. Much appreciated 👍

[@glenlapwing8468]

VHS audio always sounded more like vinyl to me, lower frequencies were always warm

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yeah, know what you mean.

[@bottomendbliss]

Why use a crappy vcr instead of a nice SVHS with a type 2 or 3 cassette?.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

I’ve not used S-VHS yet but wouldn’t mind giving it a go.

[@AsdrubalPérezRocha]

Algo esta mal en el Mix 1, no se que sea, como si no sonara de modo habitual....El Mix 2 también esta "mal" porque pierde la "magia" del sonido y su campo sonoro se reduce....En cuanto empieza el Mix 3, lo prefiero a los otros 2 y no se exactamente porque pero puede ser, porque me suene mas "normal" a mi.... gracias!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for having a listen. Mix 3 definitely seems to be quite a few peoples favourite 👍

[@AsdrubalPérezRocha]

​@@wehappyfewmusic gracias por la respuesta.... Tras recibir la notificación de su respuesta.....volví a escuchar los 3 Mix y la verdad no sé cómo pude diferenciarlos la vez pasada, hoy parece ser que tengo otra perspectiva de los 3 Mix....el Mix 2 no me pareció nada mal y aunque el Mix 1 sigue sin ser de mi agrado y Mix 3 ya a no me pareció tan normal como la vez pasada....no se que decir😮....es un poco subjetivo a final de cuentas no? Gracias por los videos y por responder! Saludos!

[@sc0or]

What about a stitching problem people mentioned? Every VHS HiFi Audio player masters audio inside an IC, and uses a "suggested" sound level when a playback is switched from one head to another. And this is unavoidable. Some say they hear that artifact.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yes that can be an issue from time to time so I did several mixes of the same song to make sure I got a nice clean master.

[@marcusdamberger]

I thought it was the Mix 2, but I wasn't using my headphones. They all sounded remarkably clean, but then we are dealing with YT compression that colors everything. So if it's reasonably clean, it will sound fine on average speakers. What was great about VHS HiFi, was that the the VCR's would always default to HiFi if it was recorded onto the tape, so even at the lowest speed, EP, audio sounded just fine. Video was another thing. But the sound was good. If you were to listen to anything but SP linear VHS audio, (non HiFi) such as LP and EP, those had so much hiss with wow & flutter. It quickly degraded the quality. SP was fast enough to sound reasonable on most programs. I never did a comparison of linear SP to HiFi on pre-recorded material like movies. I don't think my VCR had an option to turn off HiFi if it detected it. I do know at one point they offered stereo linear tracks on pre-recorded material before HiFi became standard. I don't know if those VCR's with linear stereo playback also recorded in stereo, but imagine cutting the audio track in half to make stereo. I'm sure it wasn't all that great. I remember a neighbor had one, you could tell the material was in stereo since they had a decent set of speakers. But I remember there was a Dolby logo next to the "Stereo" labeling on the pre-recoded tape, indicating it probably used Dolby B. This was when I was a kid, and before HiFi was added to VHS. I think Betamax added HiFi a year or two before VHS did.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for watching and that’s interesting background info. I’ve not tested out linear audio quality on VHS (although we probably had that on our VCR’s when I was a kid). I hadn’t realised there was a stereo option for linear audio on some early VCR’s, but bet they’d of really needed the addition of Dolby B at the slow tape speeds.

[@suppengroove]

i'm currently collecting looney tunes vhs tapes. bc warner germany rather releases the merry melodie cartoons either with just the english audio or with the newest re-dub at best - frustrating! but literally after the first digitized vhs audio-track... vhs audio can be awesome

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cool, yeah it’s incredible how good the audio quality can be from HiFi VHS.

[@PeterMilanovski]

Hang on, the table you displayed didn't show the frequency response of a metal type tape which should be better than what was quoted! And there was no mention if you used dbx on the compact cassette which also should have a dynamic range closer to if not better than CD! Had the industry moved on from normal type cassettes to strictly metal type and focused on dbx or Dolby S noise reduction with the best of circuit's, the adoption of CD would have been a lot slower as the difference in sound quality between compact cassette and CD would have been hard to tell apart for most people! The only selling feature for CD would have been instant track selection and the ability to program the play order of the tracks, but then you have the cassette tape which you have the ability to record which tracks you wanted and in the order you wanted to play them in. I would go as far as to say that the majority of people just played the cd as is, I have tried to program tracks but always found it time consuming and never used it! Level meters would have been a better option on CD players, my Yamaha CD/HDD recorder burner has level meters and I love it, even as small as they are! Most people way back when you could purchase a cassette recorder from the shop's would get the cheapest thing available and had no idea how good cassette tape sounded, and that's the majority of people around the world! These are the people who noticed a huge difference in sound quality between cassette and CD, it took me ages to get a CD player, I was still purchasing both blank and pre-recorded cassettes until you couldn't find them anymore, I listened to CD and I couldn't see why I needed to get a player especially since it couldn't record! Once I could no longer get vinyl records and pre-recorded cassettes had left the shelves, I would purchase cds and record them to tape, I still record to tape today! You can get caught up in having the best equipment for the best reproduction or you can just enjoy the music on whatever format you have! Being a hoarder, I never got rid of anything, I still have all the vinyl records I purchased in the 80's, and because I always format shifted everything, my records have only been used at maximum 3 times and still look and sound like they were purchased yesterday! I still have thousands of cassettes and quite a few that have never been opened yet so I still have some time before I run out! It's time consuming preparing tracks to record to tape, a well prepared track list will produce a cassette that rarely leaves the cassette deck! There were some pre-recorded tapes and CDs that had perfect track list's but they are rare! Everyone is entitled to enjoy whatever they want, for me, I love being able to see the mechanics working, the level meters doing their thing, the sound quality is good enough for me! All my cassettes have survived the years as have my vinyl records but my burnt CDs are starting to rot! I think that it's going to be interesting in 20 years time what CDs condition is going to be like? There's going to be a mad rush to digitise cd's if people start to notice that the disc's are starting to fail.... Interesting times ahead.... 😮.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts. I know what you mean about enjoying the level meters on a good tape deck. 👍

[@matthewstollar2678]

BOB DYLANS BAND very secret recipe col sanders

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yeah I’ve heard he has some top musicians in his band. Must be so nice👌

[@Emil-Antonowsky]

Wow VHS

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yeah, it’s better than you’d expect.

[@johanramone]

My ears said the VHS. Cool

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for your vote. 👍

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

I'm so sad I got around to it got one with hi-fi it sucks it plays back fm white noise so I have to take the easy way out I have a tascam dp 008ex digital I just bounce from my 4 track cassette to that the dp 008ex has a very nice rich hi-fi sound about and beats any daw sound hands down lol .i even went on line forms others has the same thing going on with the fm sound.but hay there is s up side to SD cards for when it comes to cold and heat a SD card can withstand -13f up to 185f - 25c to 85c lol butt I try everything new cords and all. Even try low med and around 7 and half line out volume from 4 track cassette record the same so music that I record was play back from the vhs just the fm white noise sound.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Ah that’s a pain, sorry to hear your VCR isn’t working. Is it definitely on the audio channel when you’re recording? That’s cool that your DP 008ex is getting you great results though as a master recorder! 👍✔️

[@FerreroMan]

I thought 1 was the one that sounded better of them all, and 3 was clearly cassette cause of the hisss sound in the background

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for watching and letting us know your thoughts!

[@FerreroMan]

@@wehappyfewmusic i just came up with the idea cause in my mind and memory the VHS sounded like CD! Yet ppl complain that the format was crap and it really wasn’t , it was awesome for live concerts! As long as it had Hi Fi otherwise I would understand but to me Audio is even more important than the picture quality

[@wehappyfewmusic]

@@FerreroMan Yes, I think a lot of people just remember the poor visual quality of some of the standard decks, and forget about the good audio quality of the HiFi units.

[@mirzosharifjalolov4247]

Interesting! I thought the third one was digital because of its clear hi frequencies. The second one sounded to me somehow muddy.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi, glad you found it interesting and many thanks for letting me know what you thought!

[@VoxLesPaul]

1:29 The label on that VCR "Digital Hi-Fi Stereo" is a marketing lie. Hi-Fi audio used the analog process of audio frequency modulation (AFM); the audio heads on the spinning drum emulate the a tape moving across a stationary head at 228.5 inches per second.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Haha, yes that’s very cheeky of the manufacturer! I guess it’s similar to all those later cassette tapes which used to say digital CD all over them.

[@UHF43]

Not really. That digital there refers to the Nicam decoder built in.

[@VoxLesPaul]

@@UHF43 That's a little out of left field as compared to the rest of the words on the label, but your point has validity.

[@bobsbits5357]

hi have had them alot over the years you can us all vhs as long as you have a sony 701es i keep away from vhs love betacam sp digi as there's alot still around i have been buying lot f them cassette 1/8 tape the reel to reel basf 8 1/4 inch spools you can max the pancakes tape out i have changed over head blocks on some a77 decks that the heads were bad

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hi can you still get hold of tapes for your beta machines? I do like the look of the revox A77’s, I’d like to get a 15ips version at some point.

[@bobsbits5357]

@@wehappyfewmusic hi there was a place in londn that sold them till the stock got used up you can use the first betacam tapes don't used betacam sp later one's will wear down the head drum bbc tec told me

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

yea y got around to test ! AND i guess it right at 0ne. i say vhs won the daw sound dead and 3 just small hiss. where 1 no hiss butt the truth is computer and daw is like the vhs, both kinda same hifi.butt where the computer out the 2 stand out not in a good way be case the computer will chop the sounds and turn it into a number as a sample this is why computers fall.where vhs does not chop sound that it records or cassette.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Yes I finally got it finished and many thanks for having a listen. The VHS mix is definitely the favourite so far, and as you say it’s nice to keep track the mix down analog. I’m planning to try this again but using a higher speed cassette deck to make things a bit more even.

[@92trdman]

LP vinyl at 70db

[@wehappyfewmusic]

A great format! 🤘

[@marcusfountain1694]

A VHS w,i dontbcareill kick a cassette regular cassettes ass no mstter what Dolby model or deck brand. I've done em both .and it is more dynamic than my reel with DBX,And the kicker is the recording lenthm.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

The combo of recording length and dynamic range is very impressive on HiFi VHS. 👍

[@joshuapowell1868]

Great video everything proven some VCR players don't have hifi at all an the HiFi on the vhs tape will not work y some VCR players don't have HiFi at all everything proven vhs tapes don't have sound problem's at all please tvs causes problem's also I know everything about it people like myself are buying vhs movies offline now days and whiching them in my house

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Glad to hear you like the video and thanks for the information about VCR’s.

[@joshuapowell1868]

Your welcome

[@vidtech2630]

There is no way , even by the specs you have given, that a VCR hifi , is superior to a high end cassette deck.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

It would be good to hear a top end cassette recorder compared to a HiFi VCR (I don’t have one yet unfortunately).

[@maurovitale1137]

I prefer MIX 1 and MIX 3 over it (MIX 2 which has no spirit and a lot of harshness in the sound).

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Cheers for having a listen and letting me know which ones you preferred. 👍

[@alexandermikhailov2481]

I was unable to watch it without calling him names. He couldn’t help touching the knobs all the time, this is exactly how you not compare sound quality!

[@wehappyfewmusic]

I was attempting to mix the track the same way each time but fair point (no automated mix settings on a cassette 4 track). Thanks for checking it out though and I’ll keep that in mind for next time. 👍

[@sesa2984]

1 sounded the most present. It was by far my favorite even before I found out the results. I assumed it was the computer because the other two sounded so dull to me.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

That’s interesting, yes I know what you mean (it surprised me too). Thanks for letting us know your thoughts.

[@giuseppelavecchia775]

La cassetta non ha una fedeltà inferiore alla videocassetta,lo posso dimostrare.si deve valutare con che registratore si ha a che fare,occorrono calibrazioni perfette,cassette perfette,e poi ne riparliamo.stessa cosa il VHS

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Interesting point, that would make a difference. 👍

[@waltercheng5707]

Mix3 is airly

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for having a listen! 👍 🎧

[@joshuapowell1868]

Vhs tapes don't stop playing at all like internet does everything proven people like myself are fixing broken vhs tapes with Scotch tape it starts playing again with out no problem's

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Great to hear you’re still using, and fixing VHS tapes!

[@oldmanthompson]

1 and 3 were best by a country mile with 1 being the winner. I was surprised by how thin and lifeless number 2 sounded.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Hey Emil, many thanks for having a listen and casting your vote! 👍

[@asapfilms2519]

Didn’t hear any difference

[@wehappyfewmusic]

The difference is quite subtle. 👍

[@IrishZzz]

VHS and Cassette sounded amazing, as for digital… yikes.

[@wehappyfewmusic]

Thanks for having a listen and know what you mean! 😅