Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C Questions

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Gregg Juke
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Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C Questions

Post by Gregg Juke » Sat Mar 24, 2012 9:18 pm

OK, no lectures on how terrible or how great cassettes are; I already own this machine.

BUT, I do have a question for anyone that might know or wants to venture a solid guess. On the Walkman Pro, there is a "Fast" and "Slow" tape-speed setting, but I can't find anything in the manual or on-line that says exactly what those speeds are. I'm assuming the unit runs at 1 & 7/8 and 3 & 3/4 ips. Seeing how truly pro and great everything else on this machine is, it surprises me that the tape speeds aren't delineated. But I digress:

Are the tape speeds on the Sony Walkman Professional WM-D6C 1 & 7/8 and 3 & 3/4 ips, or is "Fast" some proprietary, inbetween completely unuseable thing? If I want to record at faster speed for higher quality, will I be screwgeeing myself for archiving purposes (in that the tapes would never play back correctly on any other machine, unless it had variable speed)?

GJ

PS-- "Choose Your Own Star Wars Quote" TapeOp Funtime Event:

1) "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobis, youse are my only hope."

2) "I find the lack of a marked speed dilineation on the Sony Walkman Pro... dis-turb-ing."

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Post by joelpatterson » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:29 am

Here's my wild and completely spontaneous, uninformed guess:

1 7/8; 3 3/4

Wouldn't it be a huge and senseless ordeal to create some proprietary scheme, when the "normal" fast speed has been established since time immemorial for 4-track cassette?

I rest my somewhat shaky case.
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Post by Jim Williams » Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:18 pm

I've owned one since 1988. I never saw a high speed function nor switch.
maybe you're thinking of a Porta Studio that did run double speed.
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Post by Gregg Juke » Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:21 pm

Hey Joel, thanks. That's my guess too, but I'm hoping someone knows for sure.

Jim-- Really? WM-D6C?!? Check again, I guess. Mine does have a speed switch, I'm just not sure what that means. There's even a YouTube video you can search, but I assure you I'm not making it up! I know there were different changes and improvements in the model over the years though; maybe mine is of a later date?

Do you still use it? Do you think that Metal tapes are worth the cost and effort to find them, or are Type II just as good? I've done some preliminary testing, but I'm really interested in getting the unit cleaned-up and trying it out in a venue with the right tape and noise reduction (right now all I've got is junky Type I).

GJ

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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Mon Mar 26, 2012 8:46 am

RTFM?

http://www.docs.sony.com/release/WMD6C.pdf

Page 7? I don't think that does what you think it does. But my reading comp is crap.
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Post by Gregg Juke » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:09 am

Yes, you're right, it does say "+ - 4%." Looks like a simple vari-speed. But then I saw the YouTube video where the guy's recording at a faster speed, and it sure looks like it's going faster than 4%.

I don't know.

But thanks for the new acronym.

GJ

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Post by shedshrine » Mon Mar 26, 2012 9:56 am

The Sony of old sure made some kick arse stuff.

Couldn't find the speed specs, but this was interesting.

" Michelle Shocked, a folk artist beloved by the likes of Q Magazine, sprang into the spotlight with an album called The Texas Campfire Sessions (which was originally a bootleg or ?field recording? released by an English producer) recorded on a Pro-Walkman and Henry Rollins used one to record many of his spoken word recordings."

http://renaissancechambara.jp/2011/05/1 ... m-d6c-pro/

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Post by Jim Williams » Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:30 am

I used mine a lot in the 1980's. Once I got the Aiwa Strasser mini DAT machines, I stopped using it.

I forgot about the vari-speed switch. I never used it. It's the only cassette machine I have left, I sold off the rack ones like Tascam 112's.

Now, someone sent me a cassette recording of some studio and live club tracks I did back in 1973. Yes, it's been a long time. I will need to have a tape facility bake it for me and then I'll have to find a Tascam 112/122 to play it off into my converters. I'm sort of nervous about it as it may only play once.

BTW, where did you get that flying buzzards thingy?
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Post by shedshrine » Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:45 am

Jim Williams wrote:BTW, where did you get that flying buzzards thingy?
I snarffled that from someone's signature on a forum somewhere. I've seen it in a few places so I don't know exactly who to give credit to.
You can't have it though. :D

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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:39 am

I almost did a http://lmgtfy.com, but it wouldn't have gotten you straight to the FM.
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Gregg Juke
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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:07 am

I know. BIHAGIFM, and I had ADTFM.

Heh.

GJ

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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:35 am

OK, now you're just making shit up.
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Gregg Juke
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Post by Gregg Juke » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:55 am

Weren't you?

BTW-- "Because I Had Already Googled It For Myself," and "Already Downloaded The ...ah... Manual."

It's always nice when this place is less like Gearslutz, and it's always not as nice when it's more like Gearslutz. Just sayin.'

GJ

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Post by joelpatterson » Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:15 pm

Gregg Juke wrote:...Just sayin.'

GJ
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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 4:11 pm

I've never heard your acronyms before. RTFM and LMGTFY were invented by people other than me and have been in widespread use for years. I didn't make them up.

I don't really know what gearslutz is like, but I'm assuming that you think I crossed some kindof line of civility with my posts. I didn't mean RTFM with an emphasis on the F or anything, I was just sortof kidding around and trying to be light-handed about it. I apologize if I ruffled your feathers. I was just trying to help and point you in the right direction. The substance of your question kindof indicated to me that you had not read the fucking manual. Just sayin'. I can try to refrain from helping in the future.
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