Sequential prophet 5 - Recorder and Tape Selection; Connections; Record and Playback Levels

4-2 RECORDER
AND
TAPE SELECTION
Virtually
any
portable cassette recorder will work
satisfactorily
with
this
interface.
High-fidelity
cassette
decks will work,
too.
But
since high-fidelity
contributes
little
to
the
recording
of
digital data, an expensive component
deck
is not
at
all
necessary.
In other
words,
you can try
any
recorder
you may
already
own
(including
reel-to-reel)
with the
interface.
But if
you
intend
to acquire one
for
specific
use
with
the
Prophet,
here are
some features to
look
for
in a
monophonic,
portable
cassette
recorder:
*AC-supply, included
or
available—to
help
regulate
tape speed.
*MIC or LINE IN jack.
*EAR or
MONITOR
jack.
*adjustable output level in
play.
built-in speaker —for
monitoring
voice
announcements
and
locating
files.
built-in microphone—handy
for
voice-announcing
files.
tape counter—for
indexing
multiple
files on
the
same
cassette.
The cassette
interface
verification
system
prevents
accidental
recording
over
a
"dropout"—
or any problem
area—
on the
cassette
tape. So,
dropout-tested
tape is
not
necessary.
High-fidelity
is also
a secondary
consideration
with
regard
to tape
selection.
But
once recorded,
the
data's
permanence
will
depend
on the
durability
of
the tape
emulsion
and
the
reliability
of
the
cassette
mechanism.
So
while
it
is true
that
even
the
most
exotic
tape
formulations
may
not
be 100%
dropout
tested,
we
recommend
the use
of
high-fidelity
cassettes
because
they
generally
have
better
emulsions
and
mechanics.
Besides being
less likely
to jam,
"name"
cassettes
assembled
with
machine
screws
are
preferred
because
they
can be
opened
and
repaired
without
destroying
the
cassette
itself.
*-3
CONNECTIONS
1.
Cable
from
CASSETTE
OUT
jack
on Prophet
back
panel
to
recorder
input,
tvoicallv
MIC
or LINE
IN.
f
'
jk
/
2.
Cable
from
recorder
output,
typically
EARPHONE
or
MONITOR,
to CASSETTE
IN
jack
on
Prophet
back
panel.
*-4
RECORD
AND
PLAYBACK
LEVELS
Cassette
interface
data
recording
is
quite
different
from
typical
audio
practice, where
the
tape
is
rarely
allowed
to
saturate. For
recorders
with
VU
meters, level
should be
at
dB
or
above.
Recorders
with
single-LED
peak
detectors
should
be
set so
the
LED
stays
lit.
Record
level
is
automatically
adjusted
in
recorders
with
ALC.
The reference
for
these
adjustments
is
the
20-second
sync
signal
preceding
the
data transfer.
The
rule-of-thumb
for
playback
level
on
portable
recorders
is about 75% of
volume.
The
interface
is
difficult
to
overdrive
(but
it
can happen).
full
^^-2
CMIOOOD
2/82