Nakamichi T-100 Analog Digital Simulator Software Review. Cheap Tape Deck Analyzer.

[@Beexzz]

I've spoken with the developer and went through all the functions. I can tell you (and everyone interested) that this App is done really good. Yes, it is an emulation. Yes, user do need an interface to interconnect computer, deck and the App but other than that it has all the functions any user would want to have and see the deck's performance. And it's really convenient, well made, all clearly visible and distributed. A little bit of reading and understanding what the user must do and how some functions are set up and read and soon you have your deck inspected in detail. Of course, if user is that anal and really wants to see such precise values. I would say if someone out there is doing repairs and needs accuracy, with an original NAK T-100 being ridiculously expensive and hard to find in 100% functioning condition, this is the next best thing!

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing.

[@MagicMaus29]

I've been using this software for about a year. First, parallel to my hardware test devices and now almost exclusively. Along with a set of reliable test tapes, it lays the foundation for successful calibration and maintenance. I highly recommend this software.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing. I've only used it for a few days so it's good to hear from someone who has used it for a year.

[@rafacq]

I am new to the cassette evaluation tools. I bought the NAK T-100 this evening and boy I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! Looking forward to learn all the intricacies this software lets you play with. .

[@garysurovec]

Back in 1984 to 1988 I worked in a HiFi shop called HiFi House, we had a Sound Tech 1200A. The Nackamichi Dragon and Harmon Kardon CD495i were 2 decks I longed for but never had the money. We would set up the customers tape of choice for normal, cro2, and metal. Even with normal types and a good alignment, normal tapes would blow away other lessor deck metal recording frequency response. 2 truly amazing decks in the Era. The pinnacle of analog sound ASFAIK.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks so much for sharing. I like you when I first got into purchasing stereo equipment in the 1970's my Pizza Hut salary didn't go very far. The higher priced pieces were not anything that I could afford.

[@fflynnful]

I worked for an in shell cassette duplicator for many years back in the 80s. We had some very particular clients. Among other things, we did some demo tapes for car audio players marketed by an unnamed company that rhymes with bows. :) I agree that a properly aligned recorder with type 1 tape can sound as good as anything.

[@StealthParrot]

This is very cool. I still have my old NAD tape deck and would love to test it out with this software. Thanks for showing this.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Your very welcome. I think it's worth the $25.

[@MrDoneboy]

Keep up the great tips, Chris. Thanks so much.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Your welcome Don. Will do!

[@ShaneRayXRB]

Thanks for the great review video and demonstration! I also see in previous comments that the software can be use for head alignment - something I will be using.

[@rrangana11]

Thanks for sharing, will try this SW application.

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Your welcome and thank you for watching.

[@DoubleMonoLR]

Most(probably all) of these functions are available in free software, its just been made more user friendly, and well documented in this app.

[@phonatic]

Thank you for pointing out this software, very, very interesting! Test tapes are with me, both on reel-to-reel and cassette. Just too bad that it's only available through the Apple or Microsoft store. So I can't even try to get it running under Linux. Maybe I'll try in out on a virtual machine one day. Again, thanks for your great video! 👍

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Your welcome. Thank you for watching.

[@EnochLight]

Hey @phonatic - maybe you can answer since Chris seems to have bailed on this video. Does one absolutely need test tapes (THD, speed) to measure THD and speed/wow/flutter with this software? If I place my deck into record mode and use Monitor (both my decks are 3 head), can I measure THD and speed with the software alone using the test tones it makes?

[@phonatic]

@@EnochLight I can certainly answer this. If you simply record input/output of your deck, there is absolutely no way to tell if there is a speed deviation. Instead, you could only measure with an offset. And you couldn't even tell if it was there at all. Test tapes are necessary because you can only calibrate your deck in reference to another deck/tape machine. A test tape is that required reference. On other words: it is all relational. The very cheap route would be to record a your own test tape on a deck that you are confident with its accuracy, then adjust your other deck to that. The outcome will be only as good as your reference recording. Test tapes are usually recorded on triple-checked, precisely adjusted decks/tape machines that are well-maintained. But for speed and azimuth, I am not aware of a simpler method. And only after those proper adjustments you will have a reasonable way to measure the THD.

[@jamescasello8100]

Hi Chris. Been watching your videos on restoration. Awesome work and I am amazed. Question, Do you sell any of the equipment you restore ?? I would love to purchase a piece or two of yours. Thanks Jimmy

[@rafacq]

I ordered the UCA 202 and on my Mac Mini when I open the sound settings there is no slider to adjust the output level. I returned it and bought a Plugabble brand and it works great.

[@andruzzo69]

Excellent video and great piece of software. I have a question however....it was unclear to me regarding the test tone....can I forego the test tapes and just use the test tone if I have a 3-head deck?

[@RavenMaven]

I haven't thought of going this far with my LX5 ... mostly because I have been just making recordings and monitoring tape/source and using my ears to judge. Man I've been recording on so many different tapes that now I have a better idea of which ones produce quality reproduction of source audio. The best I've found (other than TDK MA-R and Sony Metal Master) is Maxell XL-II S. Sony UX-Pro is also amazing. Actually LX5 recording heads are just phenomenal... 😀

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Thanks for sharing

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Are you ok? Any vidz coming?

[@MikeDS49]

Since it has an oscilloscope, I'm guessing it would also help with head azimuth adjustment.

[@zulumax1]

I have had the software for about a week and have aligned a couple of head azimuth alignments with mine. The red and green dual trace is a bit fiddly to get the traces where you want them, and the lissous is a digital rendered scattering that gives you a basic XY display, but not quite, there is a lot of delay to it's rendering of the computer generated circle. I still prefer my analog scope for azimuth, but you can get the job done with the software, just not it's strong point IMHO.

[@MikeDS49]

@@zulumax1 That's good to hear that it can be done for those without an analog scope.

[@fflynnful]

I could go out for a beer and a burger and spend more than 25! I just got my download for Win10. It looks good.

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Do you ever work on speakers? Or build them? I just built my first set of open baffle speakers and they sound wonderful. I followed the design from gr audio. I own 8 sets of restored vintage speakers and the open baffle set blows them away for lower volume listening.

[@Synthematix]

A PC is the most powerful measuring tool on the planet, And you dont need any test tapes, you can use a shop bought prerecorded music tape and beat match it to an identical song running on your pc with a mixer. Dance music is best for this technique as it has dominant bass beats.

[@fflynnful]

Carefully made alignment tapes would be best. A prerecorded music tape can get you "in the ballpark". It depends on how critical you are as a listener.

[@poofygoof]

definitely a way to do speed adjustments without a calibration tape, I used this to figure out that my deck is running a little fast. there's unfortunately no substitute for calibrated reference level tapes though.

[@zulumax1]

My main concern with the software, or "app", is that you can only download and install it over the internet. You also need at least Windows 10 for a windows based PC. What happens if you need to reinstall it and it is not available to download in the future? True, it is only the price of a good pizza, but when it disappears online, it is gone, and you are left without a backup physical copy. I am going to buy it, and the usb converter, but I have been left high and dry with Apple apps which I bought that don't work anymore once you update the operating system.😞

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Very good points! Thank you for sharing.

[@pjisonline]

Why would you need a usb powered interface with rca in and outputs, while the soundcard on your motherboard has line in and outputs?

[@fflynnful]

Sound cards may not be very accurate, you can use them for this, but it may not be the best.

[@poofygoof]

@@fflynnful there is a lot of variability in sound cards. I worked in the audio test and measurement industry for the first decade of the 2000s and evaluated dozens of PC-based single-board computers for audio quality to build test equipment with. Even using identical common realtek AC97 codecs, there was a wide variation between systems, with some having horrible filter ripple and interference, and others with accurate frequency response and low noise. Unless you have a known good spectrum analyzer or other test equipment on your bench, evaluating the built-in audio on your computer is difficult, and even with the proper test equipment, is not trivial.

[@viorelparaschivoiu8882]

So, how do we do that without a calibration tape?

[@EnochLight]

A year later and we're still waiting for an answer. Looks like @vintageaudioaddict has bailed on the comment section for this video a long time ago.

[@EnochLight]

So, to be clear - if I use this software's built-in test signals and put my deck into Monitor mode while recording, I *DO NOT* need actual test tapes for THD and speed? @Vintage Audio Addict

[@DoubleMonoLR]

You'll need a test tape to do it accurately, monitor mode while recording almost certainly won't work for calibration. Audio being monitored during recording is inherently being played in time with the source - it's the same tape, it's being pulled past the record and play heads at the same speed. Doing this would only measure the THD between the recording on 1 head & playback on the 2nd head, which I'd expect to be small(at least for wow, as that's slower fluctuations) due to the very short time elapsed between them(little chance for the mechanism to change speed). It's odd that got much the same reading, perhaps it was mostly flutter, or perhaps that was actually when he played it back after finishing recording - but even that could both give an artificially low or high reading. eg: if deck always plays slower at start, it would do that both when playing & recording, but conversely any fluctuations on the recording can be added to by fluctuations when playing. I can't see any way it would work for straight speed, again the tape is being pulled past both heads at the same speed - so whichever speed it's pulled at will affect both heads equally, so there's no way to determine if it's playing fast/slow. If recording your own test tape(on any deck), it's already been affected by the inaccuracies of that deck, so you don't have a "perfect" signal to test against, whereas test tapes are recorded with extremely accurate decks.

[@fflynnful]

If you are trying to measure speed or tape head azimuth and you record on to a blank tape, then play it, you are only measuring relative to the recording you made. It's like doing carpentry without a ruler and using a ruler that you made yourself arbitrarily. You need to have a standard ruler or a standard tape.

[@dh-_1011]

Behringer stuff is usually junk. Is that interface working for you?

[@vintageaudioaddict]

Yes, it seems fine for this purpose. I plugged it into the USB of my mac, it recognized it, and I was able to set it up.

[@poofygoof]

for this tech level, I would expect even behringer would have a hard time screwing up the design and implementation. it's likely the same set of parts that are in countless other USB audio interfaces sold for much higher prices, and maybe even a copy of the PCB to boot. Still, a loopback test (even with the T-100 SW) is always worthwhile.